Our Trip to Wyoming

My mom and I and my 3 kids travelled to Wyoming (Yellowstone & Casper) last week to see our family friend, Meghan, graduate from high school. Mom's new motorhome was a great travelling partner. Despite rain, snow, and cold weather, it was a fun trip for everyone.

Vance talked non stop during the 2 hour graduation cermony -- trying to repeat the graduate's names and telling stories and asking questions and telling me that he was ready to go.

AJ & the Harmonica

Auburn Skating Meet

"I'm the winner"

From an episode of Wow Wow Wubbzy, www.wubbzy.com, the little cartoon character creates the Wubbzy shuffle and song when he wins the games against friends. . . Well, "I'm the winner" this weekend.

I won all 3 of my skating events at the Northwest Invitational in Auburn, April 10-11.

I won Novice A Women figures. I won Classic A Women Figures. And Open Women Loops.
Although I won all 3 events, I have lots of practice in the next 9 weeks before the Northwest Regional Championship in Portland in late June. If you place in the top 3 at regionals, you qualify to go to Nationals in August. Despite not skating for 4 years, my goal is to win both Novice and Open Loops. I have the potential, I just can't get nervous. I have to compete like I practice.

This was also Zoie's first competition. She placed 4th in figures and 2nd in freestyle. She did go good. We were all proud of her. Had she not put her foot down for an extra push in figures, she might have placed higher.

And Vance, he did not skate. But he did great for being 3. Getting up at 5am and hauled to the rink to just hang out. He couldn't even play the video games cause they weren't on. He managed and went to bed at 4pm.

Big thanks to my mom and Paul for helping with Vance and Zoie at the meet. And to Bill and Jean for keeping Arya for the weekend. And love to Ty for coming down to watch Zoie, despite working early Saturday morning, riding down and back and working again Sunday morning. Farming does not know weekends.

I'll post pixs and video later.

Everything else . . . .

I was trying to photograph all 3 kids, but Arya was too interested in Zoie's ring pop.

And below, trying to get all 3 of them to stand together in the tulips was impossible.

Zoie had this breakfast ready for me when I returned home from skating on Saturday morning.

Ferry ride home from Bremerton. Ty and I took just Vance for the weekend. It was fun.

Vance's skating skills have improved drastically in the past 3 months. Yes, he has pajamas on. He had come with me to my skating practice in his pj's, then did not change before the Easter party.

Arya's Fabulous Hair

And finally, it is getting long enough to lay down flat. Look at the crazy face!

I am in charge!

Arya successfully got Vance out of the fire truck.

Below she gives Zoie a stift arm as a signal to get out of the wagon.

Arya on skates

She did not want to go slow. She knows skates go fast and she was mentally ready, but her feet did not cooperate. Poor Arya, Zoie and Vance both had skates on at 9 months. Arya had to wait until we were at a private party to wear skates -- I'm too cheap to pay the $4 for her to rent skates. She'll live.

Arya in her favorite red hat

Zoie

Check out the 80's outfit! Leg warmers, thin blue belt, red sequin shoes .. oh yeah!

A new short hair cut.

Vance

Ferry boat ride home from Bremerton

Hanging out in the pool with dad in Bremerton

Golfing in the field with a full size club

Vance is one of the best drivers you will ever meet, despite only being 3 years old!

"Look mom! Jellybeans!" We were at the skating rink for an Easter egg party hosted by our friends, the Englund family.

No Spring Break for me

This is my spring break week. Zoie was on break last week. I have been working every day for 2-4 hours on completing my 12 pages for my National Board Professional Teaching Portfolio. This is my third and final attempt to earn the required 275 points. I have 271 points in the bank. I need to improve my whole class discussion entry score from 2.25 to 2.5 in order to gain the 4 needed points. I will also be taking a Calculus test in June to help my score. Unfortunately, the scores are not reported until Thanksgiving. After I mail this in (it's due 4/15), I will be so happy. This is very important to me. It will extend my teaching certificate and give me a yearly bonus of $10,000 per year for the next 5 years. It is almost over -- I am editing p. 10 of 12 now and then will send it off to a colleague to review.