More pics of happy flying children

Hell's Gate Park (aptly named today)

When it is already 104 in Moscow, why not just go for broke and drive down to Lewiston, where the Tahoe told us it is 116? We needed to make a Costco run anyway. The kids were thrilled to have Daddy toss them in the Snake River without any interfering lifeguards. It was amusing to see Karsten shivering in the water, which stopped pretty much the second he got out.

More Tikki pics...

Coincidently, I found these while cleaning out the desk this afternoon. Man she looks young. (And Nick too). The one with her holding the popcorn on her nose (and waiting for the OK to snag them!) was date stamped from 10 years ago, and taken at Nick's parent's house.

Saying goodbye

You can really see the lump on her belly in the last picture, but otherwise Tikki is quite cheerful. A good way to go. The extra kid is Jabari, who we have been watching the last couple of mornings while his dad works.
Lots of tears.

A sad day.

I took some pictures of Tikki this morning, because she has her final vet appointment in about an hour. I can't count the number of fatty lipoma lumps that have been growing all over her body for years, and while benign they have started to take their toll. An especially large one is under her neck, a ponderous one hangs from her belly like an udder, but the real problem is the enormous growth that encapsulates her rear right leg. It is several times the size of her other leg, and in the last couple months finally began to cause problems. Her rear leg often gives out and she collapses, she sometimes has a hard time time getting her legs under her to get up, and she can't squat well to go to the bathroom but has developed a kind of "walking while pooping" method. She has had labored breathing spells for years, but particularly when it is hot out, and the immediate forecast is scorching. Happily she has found a cool comfortable den lately in the storage room off of the downstairs laundry room.
Nick did not really want to put her down yet, because her personality is very much herself (just greatly slowed down from her frisbee-obsessed younger years), although she is hard of hearing. And I have noticed more trembles and facial ticks lately. Her time is short, although it has seemed that way for years now: two years ago I bet Nick she wouldn't make it to last summer; I was certainly wrong! But she is at the point where it doesn't seem wise to leave her alone for a week while we head to Hood River, even if the downstairs stays fairly cool and my brother looks in on her.
She has, undoubtedly, had a good long happy life beyond what most labs live (almost made it to 15!). I heard Signe awhile ago sobbing in her bedroom. I kind of wanted to take her to the vet with Nick this morning, but the kids have their last day of swim lessons at the same time. And as Nick said, "She started with me. She'll end with me."
RIP Tikki 2000-2015

To find the diamond... Make sure you get through alcoholic town.

Call me Cordelia

Signe is adopting a new persona, because she doesn't look the same! She is trying to grow out her bangs, although I'm not sure I can braid them back as nicely as her hairdresser did.

Twinsie cousins

Maybe they call to match outfits before they get together...

I see Paris, I see France...

When I picked up Zane at Aunt Bonnie's he proudly showed me where he split his shorts while jumping on their trampoline. For the rest of the evening we had ample opportunity to admire his Green Lantern superhero undies.

Abby "plopped" her hair...

... It's a new way to curl hair. She looks good.

3rd day of swim lessons

We weren't going to do swim lessons until July, because the weather is usually still cold and rainy in June. But it is an unusually warm June, Zane started dog paddling and swimming well enough last weekend to move him up a class, and July scheduling was getting messy. Luckily for me the pool let me sign up late, only 1/2 before class started Monday.
Signe is in the "trout" level class where she tread water for 5 minutes; Gunnar worked on diving and the challenging butterfly in "gator", and Zane had impressive back gliding skills in "frog". His big challenge is to straighten out his arms and not dog paddle, but he's improving quickly for a newby swimmer.

Spa

Signe set up the one game that I am thrilled to join in with them: "spa".
Zane is kicking and giggling because it tickles.
My turn next!!

Playing in the pool.

Signe snaps...

Signe took a couple pics of Grandpa and Grandma during their recent visit. She even did the b/w effect.

Airplane builders at Artwalk

We spent the evening walking with Grandma through numerous businesses downtown, sampling lots of goodies and admiring local artwork. The kids all built free airplanes, thanks to Moscow Building Supply.

It's breezy in our house

Thank goodness the weather is no longer in the 90's! Today was the first day the pool opened, and even though the temps were in the mid 70's it was packed with people.
The Holloways arrived last night, and Ron will help Nick install a new slider tomorrow. Today he removed the old one, and Nick found a date stamp on it from 1966, 5 years before our house was even built. Hurray for progress! I spent a great deal of time this week moving into the new kitchen, and Wednesday morning breakfast was the first meal we have eaten upstairs in over two months.

8 little monkeys, er, cousins sitting in the boat

What do you do when it is 90 degrees out and the pool's opening has been delayed until Friday? Fill the canoe with water in the backyard and stuff it full of children, that's what. It's ironic that Junes in Moscow are almost always a bit rainy and in the low 70's. So obviously the one year that the pool doesn't open the first week of June is an automatic invitation for a record heat wave.

Nick's questions

Last night we had an entertaining dinner conversation while we asked the kids the same list of questions about their dad. Nick also pointed out to me after yesterday's post that Karsten is by no means an irrelevant child. What I meant to say, of course, is that his observations and contributions to conversations are often unrelated to anything else being said. That was especially true while we asked these questions last night, and if Karsten got his siblings to laugh at him at all it just encouraged his silliness. He does love an appreciative audience. The answers go in order from youngest to oldest; Karsten, Zane, Gunnar, then Signe.

1. What is something dad always says to you?

-Play outside

-Clean your room

-Get something for me

-I'll be there in a minute

2. What makes dad happy?

-Eating green beans (because that was what he was eating at the time??)

-Eating salt   (Astute observation. Like father, like son)

-When we are done remodeling the kitchen

-When our rooms are clean

3. What makes dad sad? 

-When doors break (maybe referring to his constant hanging on the pantry door?)

-Falling flat on his face (I don't recall ever seeing Nick do this...)

-Nothing

-He makes himself sad when he gets frustrated

4. How does your dad make you laugh?

-By telling funny jokes

-Doing funny jokes

-Tickling very hard

-Telling jokes

5. What was your dad like as a child?

-Doing loud voices

-He was a very bad boy

-Crazy

-Interesting

6. How old is your dad? 

-4

-15

-40

-40  (all wrong!  41.  The older two forgot about his recent birthday)

7. How tall is your dad?

-16 tall

-14

-6'4"

-6'4"

8. What is his favorite thing to do?

-Eat ice cream

-Eat ice cream

-Give us candy

-Spend time with his family

9. What does your dad do when you're not around? 

-Drink hard cider (what he was drinking with dinner)

-Watch T.V.

-Go to work

-Watch T.V.

10. If your dad becomes famous, what will it be for? 

-He brings light bulbs    (Yeah. I don't get it either.)

-He's the fastest running man in the world

-He's the strongest man in the world

-He has an amazing family

11. What is your dad really good at?

-Exercising

-Running

-Lifting weights

-Taking care of his family

12. What is your dad not very good at? 

-Not drinking salt  (again, not sure what he is talking about)

-Playing the piano

-Climbing trees

-Painting

13. What does your dad do for a job? 

-Make money

-Populi

-He works at Populi

-Populi

14.What is your dad's favorite food?

-Rice

-Meat

-Spicy stuff

-Ice cream

15.What makes you proud of your dad? 

-Spinning down the stairs   (at this point we should probably just stop asking Karsten any questions at all)

-Shooting the gun

-He takes care of me

-That he takes care of me

16. If your dad were a character, who would he be? 

-Elmo    (Karsten really got some belly laughs at this one to encourage him on)

-A magic ring

-A guy in an alien movie

-the Hulk

17. What do you and your dad do together? 

-Go to work   (well, he does occasionally go with Nick on Fridays)

-Wrestle

-Have tickle fights

-Go places

18. How are you and your dad the same? 

-Eating chocolate

-We go to meetings  (Probably because he and Karsten went to a coaches' meeting with Nick on Monday night)

-We are both boys

-We both have heart

19. How are you and your dad different? 

-Eating chocolate  (Yup. That was his answer for both)

-We're not twins

-He's a man and I'm a boy

-He has hair on his chin, and I have hair on my head  (at this, Zane piped up that when he grows up he is going to grow hair on his belly just like Dad. Heehee.)

20. How do you know your dad loves you?

-Buying ice cream

-He takes care of us

-He disciplines us

-He spanks us

21. What does your dad like most about your mom? 

-Kissing her and hugs

-That she's beautiful

-That mom is beautiful

-She has red hair

22. Where is your dad's favorite place to go?

-Work  (ummmm....)

-Chinese restaurants

-Grandpa and Grandma's house

-Either Oregon or Nebraska

23. How old was your dad when you were born?

-2

-15

-33

-31

First day of baseball practice

Since Signe and Gunnar are currently 8 and 9 they can play on the same Parks & Rec team. A couple months ago Gunnar was very sad to learn that he couldn't play Cal Ripken with a bunch of his 2nd grade classmates because he missed the May 1st cutoff by 2 weeks, so Parks & Rec it is. Daddy tried to see if the kids could have another coach for the first time, but as usual the call went out for more coaches so Nick is back at it.
Signe and Gunnar compared their feet to see which one would get the size 2 or size 3 cleats, and their feet appear to be exactly the same size! Gunnar is catching up to his sister in height pretty quickly too, and she isn't very happy about it.

What my kids think about their mom...

There is one of those silly but entertaining questionaires floating around Facebook now, and the kids and I had fun filling it out.  Three-year-olds are very random and irrelevant creatures, apparently. Or at least mine is. I apologize for the very annoying spacing; I couldn't fix, probably since I cut and pasted this from Facebook.

The order of the answers:

Karsten: age 3

Zane: age 5

Gunnar: 8
Signe: 9

WITHOUT ANY prompting, ask your child these questions and write down EXACTLY what they say. It is a great way to find out what they really think. When you re-post put your child's age.

1. What is something mom always says to you?
-I love you

-Do no play Command and Conquer

-I love you

-Clean your room

2. What makes mom happy?
-Loving

-Eating chocolate

-Not having to do chores 

-Cleaning up

3. What makes mom sad?

-Not loving

-Breaking lamps

-Delays

-When we disobey

4. How does your mom make you laugh?
-When you are talking about weird things

-Doing funny jokes

-Tickling

-Tickling

5. What was your mom like as a child?
-Loving

-So funny

-Playful

-Acting, reading

6. How old is your mom?
-5 😜

-16

-40

-40

7. How tall is your mom?
-16 (inches? feet?)

-15 feet

-5'7"

-5.8 (she said 5 point 8. I'm actually between 5'6" and 5'7")

8. What is her favorite thing to do?
-Nothing  (this can certainly be true sometimes!)

-Eating chocolate

-Eating dinner
-Doing chores

9. What does your mom do when you're not around?
-Take a nap
-Watch T.V.

-Chores
-Do chores

10. If your mom becomes famous, what will it be for?
-??? Because you are famous (clearly not understanding the question)

-Winning all the championships in the world

-Spanish teacher
-Acting

11. What is your mom really good at?
-Driving 😊

-Running fast

-Spanish
-Acting

12. What is your mom not very good at?
-Exercising 

-Brushing her hair (haha!!)

-Being crazy
-Singing   (yup...)

13. What does your mom do for a job?
-The dishes   (amen!)

-Takes care of us

-Spanish class and chores at home
-Spanish

14.What is your mom's favorite food?
-Salad

-Meat

-Tuna casserole (um....)
-Salad

15.What makes you proud of your mom?
-Computers (huh??)

-She does laundry

-That you take care of us and love us
-That she takes care of me

16. If your mom were a character, who would she be?
-John the Cactus, a character in a dinosaur book (whaaa??? He totally made that up).

-a girl fox

-(did not get one from Gunnar)

-Anne of Green Gables

17. What do you and your mom do together?
-Play with Jerome (No, I don't usually play with the cousins.).

-Go get ice cream

-Eat dinner
-Go to Bible study (Signe helps babysit at the Wednesday night outreach study)

18. How are you and your mom the same?
-Bibi (his blanket. No, I don't have a special blanket)

-We both have hands and fingers

-We are related
-We are both females

19. How are you and your mom different?
[at this point Karsten got bored and wandered off down the hall]

-You have red hair and I have...what kind of hair do I have?

-I'm a boy, you're a girl
-You're a mom, I'm a daughter

20. How do you know your mom loves you?

-By letting me watch T.V.  [I went back and asked Karsten these last few questions at bedtime]

-Because she takes care of us.

-She spanks me so I won't be a bad person
-She spanks us

21. What does your mom like most about your dad?

-I don't know

-Because he's handsome

-He has a bald head and beard
-His big muscles

22. Where is your mom's favorite place to go?

-McDonald's. (I told him I don't really like McDonald's. Karsten responded with a very teary emotional voice, "but I WANT you to like McDonald's!'. I told him I would try.)

-Chinese restaurants

-NOT McDonald's  (ironically, this was not stated anywhere around Karsten't answer), and Papa and Nana's and Grandpa and Grandma's house

-Oregon

23. How old was your Mom when you were born?

-2

-16 (the same age as when Zane was born, apparently)

-32
-31 (actually 30)