Disneyland 2014

We took our first family trip to Disneyland this week. We chose October for a quieter time, but we also got in on some Disney-style Halloween fun. 

Marin and Silje's best friend from last year, Jenna, moved to San Diego over the summer and she and her family were able to meet us for two days. Since I was already dressing the girls the same each day (for my sake) everyone ended up wearing Seahawk gear the first day, us adults too - though regretably we didn't ever get a whole group picture.

 

We were quite conspicuous that first day - nine of us in Hawks shirts maneuvering our way around, especially since the game was on all morning. So we got a lot of hoots and "Haaaawks!"

Day two was California Adventure ... and TMNT shirt day (that's Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles to those of you not in-the-know). Jenna is the one who got the girls onto the Turtles show and movie. 

We did meet characters, got autographs and pictures during our three day visit....

... But the RIDES were the big hit and the main focus. 

Favorites at DL were Splash Mountain and Big Thunder Mountain. (Space Mountain, with the special spooky Halloween effects, was a big "no thank you"!) The park was super busy on Sunday so the line for Haunted Mansion was always too long and we didn't make it. :-( BIG bummer for us. 

Monday at California Adventure was quieter so we got to ride the new Cars Racers ride three times in a row - a big thumbs up!! California Screamin' was another huge hit as well as Grizzly River Run. 

The one ride that the girls had been talking about for weeks, because it was Jenna's favorite and she convinced them it would be awesome, was the Tower of Terror. I'VE never had the guts to ride that one and little Jenna talked us ALL into it!! I loved it, Ailey thought it was pretty cool (though the chair arm between us probably had her fingernail marks in it), Marin toughed it out but cried on the way out, and Silje started yelling "I want outa here!" from the beginning and didn't quit until the ride was over and she was sure everyone had heard her say she would "NEVER ever do that again!" Marin and Silje may have been traumatized for life, we will just have to see!

It was a fun, fast, exhausting five day vacation. Marin and Silje had their first visit (and have the pins to prove it). Ailey got to refresh her memories and make some new ones. We got to see good friends and keep that relationship fresh on the mind. And we are all looking forward to home and our own beds tonight and also toward our next visit, whenever that may be. 

And They're Off!

The girls got off to school this morning with much excitement. Luckily, the good kind of excitement. All three are very happy to be going back. 

Marin and Silje are in separate 1st grade classes this year. With four first grade classes, three of the teachers are new to the school and both of the girls got new teachers. So while we don't know what to expect, we met the teachers at the back-to-school event yesterday and they both seemed very nice. 

Both Marin and Silje have a couple familiar faces in their classes from kindergarten last year. They both went to bed a bit nervous last night too - worrying about how they will know where their class is lining up before school. :-) But they are both super excited to be with their friends again. 

Silje

Marin

Ailey has been VERY excited about going back to school since finding out who her 4th grade teachers would be last Friday. She will be in one classroom in the morning for reading and writing, then will switch classrooms and teachers in the afternoon for math and science. This is the only set-up like this at their school and it only started last year, but we have heard very good things about both teachers and about how it all works.

The girls donned raincoats this morning, but the sun has already come out and I imagine the coats will be in their backpacks by the time they get off the bus this afternoon. After an unusually sunny summer, the last couple of days of rain have seemed almost foreign. It's been nice for getting us in the mode to go back to school, but more sunshine is on the way for this week. Hopefully we can put the raincoats away again for a little bit longer.

I get to spend the morning with my three-year-old nephew, and then I will keep a first-day-of-school tradition and go to lunch with a friend. 2:30 pick up will come very soon, I'm sure! But I already have plans for the rest of MY school days this week: I'll be catching up on laundry and cleaning the house, decorating my newly painted kitchen walls, and running lots of errands. For now I am kicking my feet up and enjoying some coffee. :-)

Yeah, that's how I feel too, kid!

Just One More Hug

I got Ailey off to Girl Scout overnight camp today. The same one she went to for the first time last year. This year will be her first in an outdoor unit. The packing list suggests warm socks and a hat for bedtime. With temperatures in the 90s and night time lows in the 50s I'm thinking she might not need the hat. :-)

Ailey absolutely LOVED camp last year and was really looking forward to this year, even though last year didn't go ... very well. Definite homesickness.  However, leaving her there this year went without incident and she was excited about the new swim suit she was wearing for her swim test, so I'm encouraged that with familiarity and preparation things will go just fine. For her. 

Me, I'm sitting in the car waiting for the next ferry to take me back to Seattle ... and I'm missing her. 

I'm sure goodbye was a little hard for her, but she had a very brave face on and she only hugged me twice and kissed me several times. I left and headed back to the car feeling excited for her and all the fun opportunities and memories she will have from this week. But as I was maneuvering the car around and through the 2 1/2 miles of pot-holed dirt road back to the highway I was hit with a very strong urge to turn around and go back for just one more hug. 

I have no idea if it actually is harder on the parents than on the kids with these kinds of goodbyes, but man, I can't wait to get that hug next Saturday. 

Seattle to Bremerton ferry ride. And whatever Ailey tells you she did not beat me 3-0 in Mancala. I swear.

Heading to registration. Pretty sure it was already close to 90 degrees by the time we were walking in. 

Ailey's tent. 

Ailey's bed, with three other girls in this part of her tent. (Anyone see a purple theme going? And, yes, the backpack is Husky colors.)

Outstanding Readers

Marin and Silje have been looking forward to this day for a long time. Ailey has come home each year of elementary school with her reading medalion, and Marin and Silje were very excited to work towards one themselves this year. 

They earn the medalion taking computerized tests on books they've read. They read the books they brought from school, and many more that we got from the library.

It was really fun to see how this program very obviously improved their reading. The points they earned were good incentive to pick up the books, but a love of reading has definitely begun!

They are very proud of their medalions, as they should be!

Ailey earned more reading points this year than in years past. Her points sky-rocketed when she discovered the Little House books in December. So she earned her medalion AND a pizza lunch at school. 

We'll keep reading over the summer, but the girls are looking forward to getting back to it next year, I'm sure. :-)

Life Keeps Getting Easier

Last summer I laughed at the idea of taking the girls biking or scooter-ing to the park. No way was I going to go through the anxiety of herding them along the sidewalk on wheels that could so easily turn towards the street. 

But we're growing older. And bolder. All of us are. 

Andy gets credit for doing it first - he took Marin and Silje on bikes this past weekend. And survived. That's two kids, not three. A little more doable. 

Today was my turn to try it. With Ailey at school, Marin and Silje padded up their knees and arms, grabbed the Razors and headed to the park. 

One of the girls is careful and cautious. The other would consider those two characteristics foreign concepts. So at least it was a short trip. 

Gotta start somewhere!