An Early June Summary

June is so busy with the end of school.  Here are the highlights of our late May and early June. I got to hostess book club.  The book was really strange and didn’t really lend itself to a theme so I went with Mexican food since it was May (and because I make some AMAZING Mexican food!)

Sydney got to participate in the 2nd grade play (because she is in the 1/2 combo class) and she stole the show.  I had people I had never seen before coming up to me telling me what an adorable performer she was.  The teachers put her front and center on every dance and her teacher told me how glad they were to have her to lead the other kids!  They did a play called the Principal and the Pea and it was super cute.                 

Great buddies: Sydney and Melissa Mace           This picture kind of catches the sass this girl has.  Her partner Kyler was so awkward, it was cute!

Then there was the annual Fund Run to raise funds for next year’s PTG (an event dear to my treasurer’s heart). This year Derek and Olivia came along and did some running with the big kids.

Olivia was sporting last year’s fund run shirt, a dance costume skirt, and her pink sparkly twinkle toes.  This girl runs in style!

 

Derek finished Kindermusic and sang “Popcorn Popping” all by himself in the microphone.  You could even understand the words (a small miracle considering he’s usually a mush mouth).

Still to come. . .my favorite part of early June, Sydney and I went to Utah together! 

New Neighbors

1. After four years of talking about it, my cousin and his family finally built a house on the lot they own down the street from us.  We are super excited for new neighbors and close cousins to play with.  Addie calls Garth “second uncle Garth.”  Makes sense, since she understands that she and Sydney are second cousins.  I had them over for dinner the other night and had to take a picture because from April to June this year our kids were ages  1-Emilia Rippy   2-Olivia Hamilton   3-Meron Rippy   4-Derek Hamilton   5-Lane Rippy   6-Addie Rippy   7-Sydney Hamilton   8-Kimball Rippy and   9-Carter Hamilton.  Too crazy!

Here they are 1 through 9!

Cuteness

Here are Sydney’s dance pictures this year.  The pink is her Little Jewels competitive group and the other is a tap class that dances to Jailhouse Rock. 

                      

Status: Diaper Free!!!

After nine years of changing diapers. . .our house is diaper free!

Olivia has been wearing underwear day and night for a couple of months now.  I didn’t want to jinx it by posting too soon but I think we are in the clear.  Last week, we took our extra diapers and gave them to my friend’s baby Kate.  Olivia was so proud of herself, announcing that Kate can have them because she doesn’t need them anymore.  Woo-hoo!!

I’m a Lucky Girl

Spring 2012 has been a good one for me.  I got to be a team member for Time Out For Women again (which Garth so sweetly calls “Overtime for Men”).  It is so wonderful to spend time in a room full of women hearing incredible music, inspirational stories, and talks that compel you to be a better mother/wife/daughter/friend. 

A couple of short weeks later, Garth and I got to go to California together sans kids!  My amazing mother-in-law took a couple of days off work and stayed at our house with the kids and we flew off worry free!  Here are the highlights.

We flew out REALLY early.  Early enough to have breakfast on the warf in Santa Cruz.  It was a beautiful sunny morning so we walked along the beach, shopped a little then hopped in the car to head to Carmel.

Our room was incredible. . .bigger than our first apartment.  I’m still not sure who really needs an 800 sq. foot hotel room, but I will take it!

I had to laugh when this little guy was sitting right outside the door to our room.  I couldn’t help but remember our little friend who “have a home” in the rafters of our hotel room in Costa Rica.  Luckily, his home seemed to be outside!

We stayed at the Carmel Valley Ranch.  The hotel property is 500 acres of beautiful land. . . including a Pete Dye golf course.  Garth was kicking himself the whole time for not bringing his clubs, I, on the other hand was happy to have the extra time with him!

The real reason we were there (on the company’s dime) was for an insurance conference.  So Monday and Tuesday while Garth spent the better part of the day in classes, I did stuff like this. . .

We did get away in the evenings for some downtown Carmel sight-seeing and we ate at a couple of amazing restaurants. 

Dametra was our favorite.  It was this tiny Mediterranean place with so much charm and personality.  The owner greets you at the door (or often outside on the sidewalk). 

We were surprised during dinner when the owner came out with his cook and serenaded everyone.  You just don’t find places like this in Spokane. 

Our last day, we had some time to kill between check-0ut and our flight so we went to Monterey for some fun.  We had to get Carter a shirt from the Bubba Gump Shrimp Co. 

Then we accessed our inner child and played in this 3D mirror maze and lazer challenge.  We were definitely not as good (or as sexy) as Catherin Zeta Jones maneuvering through the maze but it was still fun!

Now that we are back, I get to look forward to a trip to Utah with Sydney in a couple of weeks!

Picture Day

I am always torn when I see Sydney all made up and in costume for dance.  Part of me thinks she is adorable and the other part is terrified of her looking like a teenager!

This is Natalie, her best little friend from dance.

Talent Show

I will spare you all the very long video of the entire talent show and just show you the picture the amazing PTG mom took that plans and carries out this event.  I am so glad other people have the talents, time, and desire to provide moments like these for my kids. 

Carter is in the middle row in the tan suit.  He played “El Matador” and “Beethoven’s 5th” (a simplified version) on the piano.  I think it is so cute that he wanted to wear his suit to school and look nice for his performance. 

Sydney is in the front row (third from the left).  She did a jazz dance to the Black Eyed Peas “Pump It”.  I was not sure if this dance would come to fruition.  She wanted to choreograph it and didn’t want to hear ANY suggestions from me, or be pushed to practice at all.  She did great and got a ton of compliments on her dance.  She is such a little performer!