Mother's Day! We went out for a delicious seafood lunch after church. Brian planned the dinner, as I requested I not have to cook!
Julia and all the other 6th graders had to do a science project, to be on display at Open House. Julia decided to do hers on soil erosion. Bailey of course had to come and visit, when we were on the patio.
This year's 5th graders sold Mother's Day roses as a fund raiser for their science camp trip next year. Julia surprised me with this rose, she bought herself. :)
May 15 was a minimum day for school. Our friends came home with us for the afternoon. The whole group of kids headed out to the trampoline, and spotted this snake!!
He was huge! At least 2" in diameter at his widest part. We thought he looked like a rattlesnake, but didn't have rattles, and had a different-shaped head. Creepy, still!
I read online that gopher snakes (which we think it was) can look like rattle snakes, and can grow big. We'd never seen a gopher snake this big!
The kids peered at the snake for the longest time, up safely on the trampoline. Eventually a few of them saw him slither off towards the pine trees. I hope he slithered right past the pine trees, through the fence, and out of our yard!!
That night was Awana Awards night. No more Awana till Fall! Julia earned her Timothy Award, which is quite the accomplishment! She's done Awana since she was 3 years old--9 years!
Everyone got ice cream after the presentation.
Caroline helping vaccuum. :) She tried her best, but it was all she could do to hold it upright!
A few days later, I noticed the vaccuum wasn't picking up properly, and it had to be serviced. It was still under warranty--5 years w/ Dyson--so the service was free. That was the good part.
They ended up having to replace the clutch and brush bar. On the phone, the man told me I could probably get a loaner vaccuum from Sears; well, when Brian went there, they said they didn't loan machines anymore! I didn't vaccuum my carpets for 2-3 wks! We were so crazy busy with end-of-the-year activities, that it was the perfect time to not have to vaccuum. Ha ha
Though I am glad to have it back and working. ;)
Julia's science project, at Open House. She earned a special ribbon and award (several others did too).
It took a looooong time to make this project. She worked really, really hard on it, researching and putting it together. I cut the letters for her with the Cricut (families were encouraged/allowed to help).
Visiting Lauren's classroom at Open House. The school has the classrooms open for an hour, so we told each kid we would spend 20 minutes in each classroom.
Lauren was
not happy about this arrangement. She had so much to show us and to talk about, I think she would have liked to have us spend the whole hour there!!
Austin with his sillhouette, in his class room.
With the leaf animals the class made in the fall. Austin's animal is the bird in the bottom left, by his elbow.
Caroline checks these Larry Boy books out from the church library. They are beginner chapter books, with just a few black and white pictures. She lays down with them, just like this, all the time! Says she's reading them. She also said she doesn't like the pages with pictures, she only likes the pages with numbers, just like Lauren and Julia and Austin! Ha ha ha!!
Brian and Austin went camping at Sequoia, May 18-20. So it was just the girls and me all weekend at home. Here they are all jumping on the trampoline. Yes, the lawn chair is still there. We really do need a better ladder/stool set up!!
Pretty girls! After Caroline's nap, I took them all to Starbucks for a drink and treat. We were standing in line, and I spotted bills on the floor. I asked, and no one there lost them. The cashier told me to keep them. The money was $20--paid for all our drinks and snacks! :)
After Starbucks I took the girls to get pedicures! It was the first time for all of us.
Caroline had such a fun time sitting in the Hello Kitty chair; her foot bath had lights that changed colors, which she thought was so exciting!
Pretty nails, right outside the shop. Love Lauren's tan line from her little canvas Mary Jane shoes she wears to school. :)
The girls got flowers painted on their toes for free. Cute! Caroline's toes were so tiny, they skipped it, but gave her a glittery topcoat. She was happy.
Our newly planted flower bed. The fern like plants were there, I just moved the large one near the wall. The pink calla lilies were there too.
A funny thing: Brian gave me a pot of pink calla lilies for my first mother's day, 12 years ago. We planted them [and left them] at our first house. Now we have pink calla lilies again!
We also had nastursiums that grew really well at that house. They weren't happy at my last house, but here we have a lot that are happy too! I like them! We still need to get some sort of hose storage box.
Austin at the boys' campsite, at the Lodgepole campground.
They hiked Moro Rock.
They hiked around a meadow. And saw snow!
The only picture of Brian from the camping trip.
Time to eat!
They went to Crystal Caves Sunday morning before driving back home. They had a good time together, though Austin was tired, having come down with a cold the week before.
Austin collected lots of little crabs. Then tossed them all back in the water before we left.
He came close enough where the girls could feed him grass. At some point, his owner came out, and brought him right to the fence, where he actually ate the grass. She told us all about the horse, that his name is Butler, and that his favorite food is red licorice. She let the girls feed him lots and lots of clumps of grass.
