Bubba is 5

Bubba turned 5 this las weekend. She took a friend, Lissy, to McDonald's for lunch and they had so much fun playing together. She took cupcakes to preschool and got to have a picnic at the park with Granny & Papa on Saturday evening. Plus the Home Teachers sang happy birthday to her before treats on Sunday. Her favorite present is her new Barbie scooter and matching helmet, elbow & knee pads. And she now has $5 that she can't wait to spend on gum at the store. Oh, to be 5 again...

Walla Walla Fieldtrip with Erin

old stage coach and Erin by the Lewis & Clark exhibit

Last Friday I got to go on the 4th grade field trip with Erin to Ft. Walla Walla and the Whitman Mission. They have been reading and studying about this in their class for several weeks. It was only 90 degrees that day so it was a perfect day for walking around. It was interesting and informative. Erin thought all the beaded dresses were pretty and bought a kit to make her own beaded purse. She was enthralled with the old combine and that it had to be pulled by over 30 horses and had 5 men on it. Her Papa's combine has an enclosed cabin, air conditioning, a radio and padded seat. She said, "Wow, Papa has it easy."

Over a year already...

Well, I started this blog over a year with good intentions. Having baby #5 made me realize that I'm not the super-mom that I thought I was. I have been "missing" for a long time now from the email and I am truly sorry to everyone for that. I will try to do better, with email and with updating this blog. It will be a good way to keep a sort of family history and keep in touch with friends and family across the country.

Baseball season is almost over for Brett. He has his last regular season game tonight. All-City Tournament starts next week - it's double elimination so we'll play at least two games. It has been so fun to watch him play this year in the "major league." He has really improved this year and loves to play. He'll play one more year in this league and then it's off to Cal Ripken league or school ball.

Erin is looking forward to 4th grade being over and getting back into swim lessons. She has finally discovered reading and it's hard to find her without a book now. We are hoping to get her into a math camp during the summer to help with her math skills. It's definitely not her best subject, but she sure tries. She can't wait to be able to shave her legs.

Kehli can now read a book in Spanish, but still has difficulty translating it into English. Her language skills are there, but she's still learning the vocabulary. She is up to a reading level 14, which is great considering she started a year later than her classmates, some of whom she has passed. The goal is to be at level 18 by this month so she's not too far off.

Bubba loves her purple blanket. It doesn't matter how hot it is, she has to be totally wrapped up in it. She got accepted into the Dual Language Program and is excited to start learning Spanish this fall. She has preschool graduation next week - it's hard to believe that she's going to Kindergarten already! She continues to keep us on our toes.

Evan is growing up too quickly. He's starting to talk more and loves Brett more than I can describe. It's going to be hard not having a baby around any more. He loves to ride on Mark's dirtbike with him and throws a fit when it's time to get off. He also loves to ride on Brett's scooter. He calls it the "weeeeeee" and gets so happy when one of the kids takes him outside to ride it. All the kids just adore him.

Mark & I keep busy. Mark is watching the crops grow down at work and enjoying the down time a little. He has been able to come home for lunch often and Bubba really enjoys that. He can't wait to start building our new house this fall. He really needs a project to work on! I am working with the school board to try and expand the Dual Language program to include one more classroom (currently there are two). There are 17 English speaking families currently on the wait list for the fall, which means most of them won't get the opportunity to take advantage of the program. Also, there are 13 Spanish speaking families that would be left out. We are trying to get a decision before the end of the year. Well, I'm off to Albertson's to take advantage of their weekly sales.

Check back often for updates!!