Tag: Ellie

Pool Time!

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While Shaun has to work all week, the girls and I did some hanging out at the hotel and visiting with some of my friends. Today was a lazy breakfast, tidying up our hotel room and a late morning into afternoon swim. The fishies just had to have more time in the water! Because it was a weekday, the hotel pool was empty and the girls and I had the whole place to ourselves. A nice lady from Texas swam with us for a bit and played with the girls but for the most part, it was empty pool bliss!

Our little water babies!
Abby found a pool noodle that someone left behind. Score!

Rest and Beach Day

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Today was set to be the hottest day of the heat wave. With temps reaching close to 116 I knew that there wasnt much we could do. Shaun was working in the Santa Monica offices, so that left us with some time on our own. 
We slept in a bit and then headed for some breakfast at the hotel. Then it was off to find places that we could enjoy but also had air conditioning. So it meant some shopping at Target and then some lunch at Islands. After lunch I didnt have the energy to walk around a mall and deal with crowds. Luckily I packed our bathing suits and beach toys, so it was off to our favorite spot near Pt. Mugu.
“Mom, take the picture before you blind us!”
A pelican fly-by.
Ellie had figuered out the perfect system to make her castles turn out. Before I knew it, we were surrounded!
Who knew that Jerry’s Deli could make such amazing noodle bowls!

The weather was a good 30 degrees cooler at the beach which led to us hanging out there for the rest of the afternoon. The girls built large sand castles, splashed in the waves, and we enjoyed doing very little. As it should be. After the beach it was a drive along the coast, through Topanga Canyon and back to the hotel for showers, dinner and bed. A perfect vacation day… although I felt guilty knowing that Shaun was working while we were being lazy in the sun.

Father’s Day, Heat Waves and Evening Fun

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The day after the reunion was Fathers Day! In the end the day wasn’t too busy or crazy, but thats because the long anticipated heatwave was moving in and it was hot! The mercury hit 110 in the San Fernando Valley ad it was not fun.

In the early afternoon we met with my parents and sister as well as Grantie Fran at Pizza Cookery for lunch. Not only did we get to see Fran but we had the chance to eat at one of our favorite places. Boy, do I miss their salad and ranch dressing. Yummy! Lunch was a great time catching up. My parents and sister have not seen Fran since we moved away, so I know they enjoyed the time spent with her.

After lunch we tried to take a drive around the valley but after about 30 minutes it was becoming very apparent that it was too hot, even for our cars AC. So we headed back to the hotel room and took naps and hung out until it cooled off and we could go over to visit Grandpa and Uncle James.

Selfies and staying cool in our hotel room.
Playing Minecraft and passing through the heat of the day.
What mom?
Pretty girl was a little wary of all the people in her yard.
Ellie, I think that tryke is just a little too small for you!
Picking apples from Grandpa’s tree.
Dancing, singing and posing.
Wharton gathering…
Relaxing… and if I remember correctly, someone tooted too. I wonder who?

The evening at Grandpa Pats was pretty relaxed and fun. The girls had the chance to run around in the backyard and play with Nonnie, as well has hang out with Uncle James. They picked apples off of Grandpa’s apple tree and attempted to ride tricycles that are now way too small for them. It was great to slow down and visit. I think we were all in need of some relaxation. Unfortunately we couldn’t stay late because Shaun had to work down in Santa Monica the next day, but we’d be back soon!

Ellie Graduates Kindergarten

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Today Ellie graduated from Kindergarten… Kindergarten!! When did this happen?  It feels like just yesterday we were moving back to Seattle and Ellie was starting her very first day of preschool. Now she is graduating from Kindergarten and will start First Grade in the Fall. 
Ellie’s school doesn’t do a huge graduation ceremony like most but they so a celebration in each class. The class sang songs, we watched a slide show of all of their accomplishments and then enjoyed  some snacks and treats with all of the students and their parents.
Ellie has worked so hard this year and the change is impressive. She started off the year not being able to read or write. Her guided reading level was an A, if that. She could count to ten and do some basic addition. She ended the year at a guided reading level of an H (First Grade Level), she can write her own sentences and spell phonetically. She can add and subtract, she’s learned a lot about animals and science and her confidence has grown immensly. She loves to read and draw. Her teacher has been amazing for Ellie and I couldnt have been happier. Shaun and I are so proud of Ellie and all that she has accomplished!
Now its on to First Grade!
Singing Songs for the parents!
Ellie’s shares how she has bloomed this year in Kindergarten.
Ellie receives her Kindergarten certificate and the “key to the future”.
Ellie and Miss Polly… shes officially a First Grader! *Mommy cries inside*

Afternoon in Port Gamble

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It was a perfect summer day that could not be spent in the house, so we took off and headed for one of our favorite spots. Port Gamble is always a perfect place to go any time of year but its gorgeous in the summer. Even if its warm, the ocean breezes keep you cool and the smell of the sound is refreshing. Its a favorite getaway spot and one that included a BBQ joint that Shaun still wanted to try. 
In the past, we never made it over to Port Gamble in time. While the restaurant would still be open, everything would be sold out before we could try it. Not this time! Nope… we got an early start and made it just before the lunch crowd and let me tell you, the world was our oyster.
5 Star BBQ in Port Gamble was AH-Mazing!!
They might be weeds to the average adult, but to a child they are magical bouquets of beautiful flowers perfect for wood sprites and fairies.

After a delicious and filling lunch, we walked around Port Gamble and let the girls play in the open fields nearby. We enjoyed the cool air and the break from the heat. Abby and Ellie gathered flowers, searched for fairies and wood sprites and giggled until it was time to head home.

I love our little adventures. It may seem repetitive to some but to us they are irreplaceable memories that I cherish. I also love that my children get to have memories like these.

EMP Museum

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On their final day in Washington, we took the family back to Seattle Center and decided to show them the EMP Museum. Being that music is a very important part of my life and theirs, we thought this would be a great  place to go. That and the current traveling exhibits appealed to all of us!

Public art installment within Seattle Center.
Playing around inside what Abby called the “giant french fries”.
We see you Ellie!
Boo!
Boo Again!
Love the interesting perspective.
Heading up to the EMP entrance… well hello Space Needle!
Sunlight on the EMP

Along with the permanent exhibits that showcase the music of Seattle favorites, Jimi Hendrix and Nirvana, we also wanted to see LEGO exhibit as well as the SciFi and Fantasy exhibit. The later being one that I knew my sister would really enjoy. Props and costumes from some of films most well known SciFi and Fantasy films? Yes, please! So to make sure that our guests got to see what they wanted, we headed to this exhibit first!

The working guitar tower.
Watching some of the greatest names in Rock N Roll play in the big screen. The girls had fun just dancing around and rocking out.
The hat belonging to the Wicked Witch of the West in Wizard of OZ
Life size dragon as part of the exhibit… he was breathing and at times would blow smoke from his nostrils.
The wedding dress worn by Robin Wright as “Princess Buttercup” in The Princess Bride. I think I squealed out loud when I saw it
The dueling swords and the glove of the 6 fingered man from The Princess Bride.
Hello again, Mister Dragon
I think this one speaks for itself. As to which Superman wore this, I am not 100% sure. I think it was Christopher Reeves but I could be very, very wrong.
Grandpa Jerry, Abby and Ellie trying to make their own little movies. Its not as easy as it looks!
Uniform worn by Brent Spiner, AKA Data on Star Trek: The Next Generation.
Captain Kirk’s chair and the Tribbles.

After a very long but interesting time viewing some of the goodness from our favorite SciFi and Fantasy movies and TV Shows, we took off to visit the Lego exhibit. Here we had the chance to see famous buildings from around the world made completely of Legos. Shaun and the girls really loved the exhibit and what blew me away was the attention to detail and scale. That and they are made of Legos!

Cant have an exhibit in Seattle without a LEGO replica of the Space Needle.
Burj Khalifa, Dubai and the Empire State Building, NYC
30 St. Mary, London and the Flat Iron Building, NYC
30 St. Mary, London and Big Ben, London
Creating their own LEGO buildings

After all of the Lego building fun we made sure to stop in at the more permanent exhibits. The first of which was dedicated to Nirvana and their short but history making career. Then it was over to the Jimi Hendrix exhibit to view his time period in London and the fame he reached there before ever becoming huge in the US.

Pre-Fame Nirvana memorabilia
Kurts famous sweater and memorabilia from the time around the Nevermind release.

The “french fries” from a different viewpoint.
EMP and the Space Needle at City Center
Getting in a few giggles before heading home.

The EMP was a big hit and everyone enjoyed their time there. After what ended up being a longer than planned day there, we set off for home and some dinner before the crew had to head back home to Montana in the morning. It was a great few days together and worth every moment of time off from work. I am going to miss my mom, dad and sister! But as I always say…. until next time!

Freemont Troll Fun

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Today was a pretty tame day. We went out for breakfast, hung out at home and just spent some quality time together. We did head to the city for a bit and revisited the Fremont Troll so that Auntie Jillian could see it. The trip back in April was without her and by the time we visited the troll, people were starting to fall with the horrible Norovirus that swept through all of us, except my dad.

The girls are always up for a trip to the Freemont Troll and this time they even had the chance to do a mini photo shoot with Auntie JJ. This is what fun with Auntie is!

After all of our fun, we headed home for some BBQ done perfectly by Shaun. Then Jillian and I head out for the evening to do a little ghost tour of the city. I know where a few haunted spots are. We had fun until the gunshots we heard near us while driving through the International District at 12am. That’s when we high tailed it out of there and called it quits for the evening. We did however drive past Kurt Cobain’s former residence, over to the Pioneer Cemetery, through Queen Anne and its several haunted locations and over to the site of the infamous Wah Mee massacre. There were a few more in there as well, so despite our brush with gunfire we were ok.

Brave Little Trooper

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 Mommy was a meanie and made poor Ellie go in for her 4 year check up at the doctors office. That wasn’t the bad part though…. it was the vaccinations that she received that made mommy the bad guy. Lucky for me, she was a brave little trooper and I had an easy time taking her for ice cream afterwards. After some crazy colored and overly sugary stuff, the shots were all but forgotten and mommy wasn’t so mean anymore. Thanks 31 Flavors!