More party pics

June 21, 2011 029, a photo by amie.macd on Flickr.

Madeline's 9th grade party

June 21, 2011 032, a photo by amie.macd on Flickr.

Wrapping up the school year

Today was the last day of early-morning seminary for the year!!!  She did it!  I am so proud of Madeline (and myself).  Sister Roll gave each of the kids a class picture.  On the back of the picture, were comments that the kids had written about each other.  Madeline's list said:

• You're nice.
• Gives comments often
• Always nice to others
• Very bright!
• You're so quirky--in a good/cute way!
• You are so sweet!  I always look forward to seeing your smile!
• Always thinks of others before herself
• You have a vast knowledge of the gospel
• You are always on time and never miss a day!
• Very positive.  Great debater and friend.  Always knows how to make me laugh.
• I like your hair, and you make good comments in class.

The quirky comment was my favorite!  Last night Madeline was inducted into the National Honor Society at school.  To be admitted, she had to have a high gpa (hers is 4.00!) and contribute at least 8 hours service to the community which she did by tutoring a student at school.  Here's the video of her being made an honorary knight (since the school mascot is a knight).

Her comment after the ceremony was, "Receiving the pencil just validated the entire evening."  I love her sense of humor.  Yes, they were given a pencil.  Not sure if that is better than nothing.

In other family news, Austin performed as Puck in his class play "A Mid-summer Night's Dream".  He was amazing and got the loudest applause!  I will post some pictures as soon as the other mothers send me some, since our camera is still being fixed since the unfortunate capsizing incident in Lake Washington.  This is all I have to show with my old camera.

A butterfly named Smasher

Wyatt's 2nd grade class has been raising Painted Lady butterflies from larvae.  I have never seen anything so cute as the 24 little condiment cups lined up, with holes poked in the plastic lids and names written on the top in black marker.  Some of the best names were, Millimeter, Slasher, Peanut, Bob,Max Jr., Astro,  Fuzzy, and of course, Smasher. 

The time finally arrived yesterday to release them to the wild.  Wyatt's teacher Paulette, is handing each butterfly to a child to say goodbye and Godspeed.  I love the concerned expression on Wyatt's face in these pictures.

Madeline

April 27 2011 032, a photo by amie.macd on Flickr.

I've been trying to work on my blog, and figure out how to get pictures posted thru flickr.  This is my first success!  We are keeping very busy as we ramp up to the end of the year.  For us here in Seattle, the end of school doesn't come until June 23!  We might as well just keep going through the summer, at that point.  Oh well... Austin still has 3 book reports due, and he is in his 6th grade class's production of A Midsummer Night's Dream.  He is playing Puck.  I can't wait to see the play!  Last year his class did Twelvth Night, and it was amazing.  The whole play is straight Shakespeare, not dumbed down, all completely memorized.  Their opening night is in 2 weeks. 

The new addiction

I'm couponing!  I never thought I would, but I'm trying it out.  I'm surpirsed that it is even a little fun. Yesterday I got toothbrushes, deodorant, and toothpaste for 4 cents each ( I have just realized there is no cent symbol on the computer.  I must be missing it, but where could it be?). 
I'm also experimenting with the blog.  I am still amazed that I've figured out enough to be able to do this much.  Thanks to Meghan S. for the advice! 

Some Grandma and Cousin Pics!

 Here are Grandma and Madeline under the Fremont Bridge visiting the Troll.

 Here we are at the Ballard Locks.  Just as an fyi--I recolored my hair, so no more roots!

 The kids at the Freemont Troll.

 The boys at the Locks.  Its was pretty windy and cold, which would explain the grimacing looks on Ben's and Wyatt's faces.

 This was taken outside the Mercer Island Library where they were about to take a lego animation class. They loved it!  I'm hoping to sign my boys up for one of their summer camps.

"Now, sit right down and you'll hear a tale, a tale of a fateful trip..."  Yes, this is a picture from the infamous Lake Washington canoe debacle.  You can still see the hopeful excitement in our eyes.  As a follow-up, the camera and cell phone did dry out, and are working ok now.

The Post about shirts

Madeline finished sewing her shirt!  I am so proud of her (and of me because sewing is so stressful for me)!  It looks great and she really likes it.  The next project is a pencil skirt.  We found some really beautiful fabric and are anxious to get going on it.

On another shirt-related note, When I walked into Wyatt's class at school yesterday, the first thing I noticed was that when he looked at me, he looked shocked, then guilty.  While my brain was puzzling over the strange look, I suddenly noticed that he looked like a homeless person.  He was wearing a dingy, old, ratty white t-shirt with a small hole in the back.  I couldn't believe I had let him walk out the door that morning dressed that way.  As I was berating myself for my horrible mothering, I realized I hadn't let him go school like that!  I remembered him coming out in the shirt, and me sending him back to change and explaining why he couldn't wear it, ever again.  I mentally reviewed the scene.  Sure enough, he had come back in an acceptable striped shirt.  I marched out to the coatroom and opened his backpack.  Yes, there in the bottom was the wadded-up striped shirt.  Now the shock and guilt all made sense.  A girl from his class joined me in the coatroom.  She tapped me on the back and said, "Wyatt tricked you!  He put another shirt over the t-shirt you said he couldn't wear and he changed when he got to school!"  Great.  The irony of this is that he would have gotten away with it too, if he hadn't chosen to do it on my regularly scheduled volunteer day.  I'm there every Wednesday.  His punishment is that I made him throw the t-shirt away when we got home, and I get to pick all his clothes for the next week.

What have we been doing over mid-winter break?  I spent $59 and 8 hours helping Madeline learn to sew a shirt that probably could have been bought at the mall for $30.  Austin serenaded us throughout the experience.  The good news is he is really getting good!  He's come a long way from the early days where I could actually tell he was playing a song.  His latest songs are "Lucky" and "It don't come easy". 

Today, Austin and Wyatt had friends over to play airsoft.  They dress up like this and go out in the backyard and shoot each other.  Then come back in, reload the guns and eat something, then go back and repeat about 5 times in 3 hours.  They love it! 

The Dress!

Madeline has a 9th grade dance at the end of May, and she has been thinking about formal dresses since Sept.  I've been dreading it since Sept. because there are no modest formals, anywhere.  So when Grandma saved one of Great-Grandmother's formals from the Salvation Army pile and sent it to her, we were thrilled.  This dress is the ultimate!  It's authentically vintage, since Great-Grandmother made it herself in about 1960!  She tried it on and it looks great!  She can hardly wait to wear it!  Thanks to Grandma and Great-Grandmother!!!

Madeline's new haircut

It looks great and she loves it! 

Getting up to date

Austin turned 12 on January 29th, and most of my family was able to come.  We took some great  pictures to remember the day.  Steve and Chris came, then left about 36 hrs. later after 2 of them came down with what we later found out was swine flu.  Wyatt and I caught it, of course.  Which is why it is completely unfair that I now have another cold!