Here's just a little bit of video of Colette (Mike in the background) in her supersaucer. Jack comes in a bit later with his Care Bears. This is just a little taste of our silly house.
Sunday, March 30, 2008
Tuesday, March 25, 2008
Vanessa's Piano Recital
Vanessa has been taking piano lessons for nearly 3 years now. She was slow to really, truly enjoy it, but in the last 6 months she has embraced it. This is her most recent recital earlier this month.
Monday, March 24, 2008
Vanessa's Spring Break: Day 1 Oregon Zoo
Vanessa's spring break runs the entire week. Since Jack and Vanessa go to different schools, their spring breaks run consecutively instead of concurrently. It really bites, especially if we want to travel because that means that one of them, for sure, will miss school. We're a bit anal about them missing school, so for the first time in several years, we are spending spring break at home. The past years, as you may remember from previous posts, we usually go to visit my parents in Stevensville, Montana. So that trip will have to wait until late summer.
Sooooo, I've got my girls at home this week and I thought we'd do some bonding while Jack is at school in the morning. First up, taking on the Oregon Zoo. We woke up with clear and sunny skies, so off we went as soon as we got Jack on the bus. It was a great day for the zoo because not only was the weather nice, all the animals were out and social! I don't normally torture you all with animal pictures, but they were so good that I needed to share. Should I submit them to National Geographic or does being in captivity automatically exclude my rather nice shots of "wild animals"? (Not Vanessa, Josie or Colette of course.)
Vanessa & Josie with the elephants
Sooooo, I've got my girls at home this week and I thought we'd do some bonding while Jack is at school in the morning. First up, taking on the Oregon Zoo. We woke up with clear and sunny skies, so off we went as soon as we got Jack on the bus. It was a great day for the zoo because not only was the weather nice, all the animals were out and social! I don't normally torture you all with animal pictures, but they were so good that I needed to share. Should I submit them to National Geographic or does being in captivity automatically exclude my rather nice shots of "wild animals"? (Not Vanessa, Josie or Colette of course.)
Mr. Polar bear was rather playful right in front of the observation glass.
We discovered that Vanessa is about the size of a Sun Bear.
Vanessa searching for the Sun Bears. (They never come out.)
Josie enjoying those odd looking, very sore looking red-bottomed primates.
Vanessa getting cheek to cheek with an Orangatan
(well & several inches thick glass)
Ms. Socialite Orangatan
Josie & the Elephants
Vanessa & Josie with the elephants
Vanessa & the hippos
(note the very large butt next to her face).
A nice little lizard. (I didn't catch his name.)
Vanessa and some very big, flat fish
Josie & the big, flat fish
Look at these next 2 shots of Mr. Allegator. It puts the late Steve Irwin to shame (well if he took pictures anyway). It's like you are right there. Except for the slight glass reflection, you could totally reach out and touch them. (Why you would want to is another matter, but you totally could.)
Mr. Chimpanzee inspecting his (or her) fingernails.
It's like you could take a seat right next to him/her and join in the fun.
Python anyone? I couldn't fit the entire snake in the picture.
Look out, San Diego, here comes Marty the Zebra!
(Matagascar reference.)
Josie observing Mr. Giraffe eating. (Well, actually she's looking at me for just a second, but she really is observing Mr. Girffe.)
Mr. Giraffe up close. Can you feel the African Safari heat on your back?
Vanessa and Josie taking "drive" in the African safari jeep.
A rare sighting of Mr. Tiger--normally the anti-social resident tiger is sleeping a corner and hiding from the prying eyes of the public.
Check out the jaguars!
Don't go calling social services, the girls are on the other side of the glass from this sleeping kitty of a jaguar, but doesn't it look like they are right next to it? Can you hear the bongos in the backgrond?
So close! And yet so far...Thank goodness for bullet-proof glass.
Did I mention that Colette was with us? She was a trooper and slept the entire trip.
Teaching the girls the fine art of the self portrait. Josie needs to work on her form.
Sunday, March 23, 2008
Spring Soccer Season has begun! (GO FIREBALLLLSSSSS!!!!!)
Vanessa's spring outdoor soccer season has begun! This is the 5th outdoor season she has plyed with this team/coaches and we LOVE THEM! (Shout out to Feike & Justin!!!) The girls are great, the coaches are FANTASTIC, and as an added bonus, the families of the girls are GREAT, too! (Shout out to the Postmas, Donathans, Millers, Nebels, Burres, Craigs, Davis, and Watsons!!!)
They just wrapped up 2 indoor seasons with the same team (some new girls there, but are not on the outdoor team) in which they played some great soccer! Not only was it exciting because the ball was always in play, but it was dry and comfortable for the parents!
Alas, the rainy season is back in the Pacific Northwest, so that means it's soccer time! We've got our rain gear ready (though I determined that I need some good mud boots) and we are fired up are and ready to go. Vanessa's team is called the "Fireballs"!
These pictures are from the girls' first game (pictures courtesy of Bob Davis--THANKS, BOB, you ROCK!), but the great news is from her second game. Vanessa scored 2 goals this weekend!!!! (Not that we're keeping score or that we're teaching her that its all about scoring...) Vanessa's game has improved greatly and the best part of it all is that it is 100% coming from her! (Believe me, I would not stand out in the pouring, cold rain if she didn't want to be there.)
She also did a "trial run" of tryouts for the "select" and "premier" soccer league in Vancover. She did great and we're looking forward to that when it is time (though I can't be too disappointed right now since it costs a lot more and involves travel). However, if she decides that this is what she wants to do, we'll support her 150%.
For now, we are just basking in the glow of her first 2 goals of the spring season! :)
GO FIREBALLS!!!!!!!!
They just wrapped up 2 indoor seasons with the same team (some new girls there, but are not on the outdoor team) in which they played some great soccer! Not only was it exciting because the ball was always in play, but it was dry and comfortable for the parents!
Alas, the rainy season is back in the Pacific Northwest, so that means it's soccer time! We've got our rain gear ready (though I determined that I need some good mud boots) and we are fired up are and ready to go. Vanessa's team is called the "Fireballs"!
These pictures are from the girls' first game (pictures courtesy of Bob Davis--THANKS, BOB, you ROCK!), but the great news is from her second game. Vanessa scored 2 goals this weekend!!!! (Not that we're keeping score or that we're teaching her that its all about scoring...) Vanessa's game has improved greatly and the best part of it all is that it is 100% coming from her! (Believe me, I would not stand out in the pouring, cold rain if she didn't want to be there.)
She also did a "trial run" of tryouts for the "select" and "premier" soccer league in Vancover. She did great and we're looking forward to that when it is time (though I can't be too disappointed right now since it costs a lot more and involves travel). However, if she decides that this is what she wants to do, we'll support her 150%.
For now, we are just basking in the glow of her first 2 goals of the spring season! :)
GO FIREBALLS!!!!!!!! Sunday, March 02, 2008
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