The MacDaddy

When did blogging become such a challenge for me?!  Oh, that's right, it was about the time that Linc stopped napping, stopped going to preschool, Ava started getting homework, we moved across the country and got a puppy.  Yep.  That'll do it ;-)

I'm embarrassed to admit that, so far, this post has taken me two days to write...  Oy!

At any rate, we're alive and well!  Ready for the MacDaddy of updates?  Here goes...

Ava is officially a Kindergarten graduate, making her a rising 1st grader!  

I'm handling it well so far.  Ava is loving this growing up thing.  She's just so cool so it's really fun to watch her grow and it's easy to anticipate the next stage(s).  She breezed through Kindergarten and I have a feeling she'll do the same with 1st grade.  In first grade we're going to work on listening better and socializing less.  What can I say?  She's my kid!  She's keeping up with her studies over the summer with a monthly reading chart, online math games, etc.  She craves responsibility.  She has become much more independent this past year, therefore, making her quite helpful around the house.

  

This is a letter she wrote to her 1st grade teacher:

Translation: "I am Ava.  I am very nice.  I am very smart.  My family is nice and would you like for me to tell you their names?  My Dad's name is Christopher and my Mom's name is Michelle and my brother's name is Lincoln and my dog's name is Louis and my other dog's name is Stella and I am excited to come to your class."

A picture of the kids working on homework - before the end of the school year...obviously.

Ava's last day at Kindergarten lunch!  Linc and I surprised her with a visit.

 We went on a family road trip to Oregon about 5 weeks ago to pick up Stella!!!

 Stella meets her nephew, Kenai.

Stella has adjusted to life in our crazy family remarkably well.  She's just an exquisite dog!  She isn't completely house trained yet, she bites a little too hard from time to time and she's hit or miss while walking on the leash but we're head over heels in love with her just the same!  She's so sweet and she's FULL of personality.  

Louis really seems to be OK with Stella which is hard to believe, especially given how much she picks on him.  I think he genuinely appreciates her company.  He's quick to try to put her in her place but I think she finds his antics amusing.  They're an odd couple and they're making it work - for better or worse.  

See?  Louis is adjusting just fiiiiiine....

We celebrated Father's Day...

 The kids are loving summer and they're making the most of their time together.  Ava is a professional when it comes to telling her brother what to do and Lincoln adores the attention from  his sister so he goes along happily with her plans - even when they involve climbing into a hamper or taping a dog collar to his shirt.

Lincoln is one-of-a-kind.  I just can't say it enough.  This kid is something else.  I hope he never changes.  Not one little bit. Ever.  I love everything about him.

Take the picture above for example.  Linc's undies are around his ankles, his shorts are in his left hand and that's toilet paper in his right hand.  He's saying, "Mommy!  I pooped!  Can you check my butt?"  

Not only is he charming, but he's sweet as can be.  

Take this picture for example...   

We went out to eat and I ordered a pea salad side for my burger.  When the server delivered my burger to me she said that they're out of pea salad but that she'll bring me some fries if I'd like.  Linc felt awful for me that I had to wait for my fries so, without saying a word, he put some of his fries on my plate.  And by "some" I mean two.  He unselfishly shared exactly two of his french fries with me.  

That's love.

The kids (sort of) successfully completed a two-week summer swim lesson session!  

It was successful in the sense that they did it and they enjoyed it, however, they both need to repeat their respective classes. Ava's instructor said, "Ava has a bright disposition but she needs to gain more confidence in the water. She did master water safety rules."  I think that about sums it up and sounds about right, don't you?

Linc's first time down the water slide and he went down backwards...

He figured it out the second time...

Honey & Papa came out for a visit!!!!!

 Boy did we have fun!

We dragged them everywhere!

Here Ava is helping Papa season the 4th of July ribs...

We did some shopping, too!

And we played games...

 And we went out to eat every second of every minute...

This is a super cute vegetarian restaurant the Honey & I tried and loved while the boys hit up the EMP museum and a bourbon bar.

We enjoyed the sunshine.  That's right, the sun does shine here.  Often.  Tell your friends.

Aren't they cute?

Bed time story time with Papa...

 Breakfast outside with Papa...

Ava lost her first tooth!!!!!!

 Well, technically, Chris pulled it out per Ava's request.  She couldn't stand it any longer.  I mean, it was all gross and dangling and bleeding.  Don't worry, I'm cringing too...

Anyway, doesn't she just look darling without her one tooth?!

We went bowling (surprise...)...

We ate cupcakes...

Good Lord, did we ever eat cupcakes...

The kids wrestled an alligator...

 Er, I mean, they wrestled a Papa...

We celebrated the 4th of July...

An old family friend came up to visit us from Oregon...

The kids stayed happy 99.9% of the time...

(They're standing in front of the original Starbucks!)

 When we weren't eating at a restaurant or stuffing our faces with cupcakes, we walked on the trail.  Seemed like the right thing to do...

We went on a tour that I thought had good reviews.

I was wrong.

Very wrong.

Some long lost family members who now live around the corner from us in Seattle came out for a BBQ one afternoon...

It's so nice to know that we're surrounded by family out here and that they're just as crazy as we are...

They're F-U-N, too!

This is a picture of us...eating out...at the Space Needle!  So cool!

After Honey & Papa left us, we were sad.  

We decided to feed an elephant to help us feel better.  

It worked!  Temporarily, anyway.

Consider yourself updated.

Until next time, I leave you with these heartwarming/disturbing photos...

I know, right?