summer

The day after school got out, we drove up to San Jose for Katie's "Wicked" birthday. As part of that visit, we started off summer with a visit to Mission Santa Clara. Katie was already thinking ahead to 4th grade, which will include a big Mission project, and was interested in seeing some missions in person.


Back in Southern California, the girls each did a week-long half-day camp with Holy Family's first grade teacher. Julianna's camp focused on getting ready for first grade, while Katie's camp focused on making sock monkeys (as well as clothes and a pet for the sock monkey). The kids also had friends over to swim and play, making June a fun kickoff to summer!

One day while Katie was at the camp, Julianna, Nick and I drove down to Irvine to visit my friend Susan and her cute kids. They are ages 4.5 and 3. The kids all had a ball together, and mine keep talking about visiting them again. I'm looking forward to doing just that, since I absolutely loved spending time with Susan!






The girls also did a week of Girl Scout day camp (and will do another week in August), which had a "Time Travelers" theme. Each day was a different era: pioneer, Egypt, '60's, renaissance, and ancient Greece. Both girls had a great time. At pickup on the first day, Katie said, "we did so many amazing, unbelievable, awesome things that I can't believe it was only one day!"

Meanwhile, Nick had an outing with some of his friends at our closest Audubon Center. Here are a couple of cute photos of him with his buddy Sean:




The Fourth of July is a big day in South Pasadena. Donna joined us for the fun. We started off the day by walking down to watch the parade, and later on co-hosted a party with our neighbors. We had lots of kids swimming in our pool and jump in the bounce house in the neighbors' back yard. After lots of food and playing, we all gathered together and watched the city fireworks show right over head! I think everyone had a great time!

Here we are starting out our day:


I didn't manage any party pictures, but here are a few from the parade. I took quite a few of the parade, including several vintage cars, but I just thought this teeny garbage truck was so funny that I had to share it here!

end of school

I really can't believe that another school year has come to a close! This year brought some big changes in our routine, because Julianna started Kindergarten at Holy Family and Nick started preschool! Julianna went from preschool 3 mornings a week to Kindergarten 5 mornings a week, for four hours instead of 2-and-a-half. Academically, Kindergarten was not challenging for our early reader, but socially she really enjoyed herself this year. Best of all, with afternoons free she was able to spend many, many afternoons having playdates with Alyssa!

Nick being in preschool three mornings a week meant that for the first time in my career as a mom, I had a few hours to myself! Going into it, I envisioned myself finally being able to go shopping for a new wardrobe (shoes, too!)... And maybe buying some things for the house... Shopping errands have just been too hard since I have always had at least one precious child with me every single minute of every single day. BUT, it turned out that there was no budget for shopping of any kind, so I didn't do ANY of that this year. Instead, I spent all of my alone time volunteering at Holy Family or going to the gym, both of which I did really enjoy. I got to the gym about twice a week, which was certainly new for me. At the end of the school year, I guess I would have to conclude that apparently I need to work out more than that...

Our schedule for next year remains the same, except for a few minor differences. Julianna will be in first grade, so she will be at school all day now. Nick and I will have lots of one-on-one time! I am now allowing Nick to give up naps, the daily routine for the two of us will be quite different. Nick and his friends will now have the same preschool schedule, which will allow us to do more outings and playdates with them, thank goodness! Lastly, I will be the Room Parent for first grade, which will probably keep me quite busy!


The first end-of-the-year event was Julianna's Kindergarten Graduation. The Kindergarten gets out of school over a week before the rest of the school! The Kindergarteners prepared several songs and the teacher said nice things about each child as they came up to get their diploma and medal. Katie and other older siblings got to come out of class for the ceremony.

Here is Julianna on the morning of her last day of Kindergarten: (click here for her first day)


Here are Kindergarten graduates Alyssa and Julianna:


The following week, Katie and Nick had their last day of school.

Here is Katie, done with third grade! (click here for her first day)


And here is Nick, who brought Monkey with him on his last day in Room Seven: (click here for his first day)


Nick and his friends did lots of playing on their last day,


as well as dancing with scarves.


Then, just like every other day during the year, they ran around on the grass for a while after their mommies picked them up! It was a tradition for the Room Seven boys this year!

Katie's 9th birthday!

In April, Katie started thinking about what she wanted to do for her birthday. She thought about having a slumber party, or a pool party, or staying at the Disneyland Hotel with just our family, and then settled on going to see Wicked. It wasn't in LA anymore, but San Francisco would work. She said, "instead of a party, I just want to go to San Francisco and see Wicked."

Somehow, she wound up with several birthday celebrations anyway!

Her first was when Catherine spent the night at our house the Friday before Katie's birthday. Catherine and I planned to surprise Katie with ice cream sundae fixin's after dinner! They then stayed up late watching "High School Musical 3." (Daddy and Julianna were on Catalina Island that weekend.)


The very next night, we had Emma over for dinner and ice cream sundaes as well!


Monday was Katie's birthday, and she asked me to bring her In-N-Out for her special lunch at school.




The third grade has a nice birthday tradition: every classmate takes a paper star and writes something they like about the birthday kid. Then the teachers add their own, and bind all of the stars together on a ring for the birthday kid to take home and keep! Very nice.

At home on the evening of the birthday, we made Katie's favorites for dinner and (as she requested) got her an ice cream cake (cookies and cream with white cake - her second choice after vanilla with white cake). She also got to open her presents. She wore her birthday present from Noni that day, of course. She had asked for roller blades, which Julianna and Nick gave her. Mommy and Daddy totally shocked her by giving her Felicity, a second American Girl doll to go with her doll Elizabeth. She even got some new outfits for the dolls! She got lots of exciting gifts this year, including the ipod shuffle she bought herself with money from her brand new savings account!










The day after school got out, we drove up to San Jose to stay with Noni for our big Wicked weekend! Eric, Nick, and Julianna stayed in San Jose and went to see the movie "Up" while Noni, Katie, and I had a nice dinner and then went to the theater. What an amazing time we all had! Katie absolutely loved the show, the performers, the songs and staging, and the experience of live theater itself! She still floats on air when she just thinks about it!