Mariners...

We went to our first Mariners game since Tyler was born. It was a lot of fun.
We went with our friends and watched as they lost.
Still, it was fun!

The game was fast. Inning after inning...no edge of your seat action...
because well....they lost.

The kids had a great time though.
It was just HUGE to them.
We have gone to minor league games...and of course it is nothing in comparison to this...


Everyone laughed and smiled...
And had fun.

Tyler was amazed at the lines on the field
He couldn't stop talking about them...

(I kinda like him)
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The little kids brought their Build a Bears.

We used baby clothes to dress Makylie's in Mariner gear!

And Makylie too of course....

Ty's Build a Bear actually has Mariner clothes because that is what he picked when he made it.

The kids ate hot dogs, and licorice ropes!

Karman has been to games when she was younger...but it has been a long time.

Max was one of the CUTEST cheerleaders!

Ty would have liked to go down and play with them.

The field really is gorgeous. We were lucky enough to get a beautifully perfect warm and sunny day, so the roof was open...that was to be able to enjoy.

This was on our way out.

I came home and uploaded my favorite pictures here...waiting to have time to write on the blog, I simply saved my pictures. I was so glad I did...because my SD card for my camera decided it was going to freeze up on me, and as far as anyone can tell...the pictures are not retrievable.

So these are the only picture memories of that day. I had saved most of what was on that disc, but not this game or anything after....

So, I was very happy when I remembered that I had already uploaded these to the blog!
I did lose a couple of Ty with his friend Sean....but at least I have some!!

After the game we all headed over to Dicks.

We got dinner.....

And....well...

Ice cream!!!

Karman got maple nut, Ty got mint chocolate chip, and Max got chocolate.

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Good Day

Good Friends

Good Times!

My Little Entrepreneur

Seriously cute!

We had a garage sale, and Makylie decided she should work too.

Kevin was in Bellevue helping his parents with a project, and Tyler went with him, so it was all Makylie.

At first she was so quite and wouldn't talk to anyone...but once she warmed up, and realized people were actually going to GIVE her money....she opened like a little blossoming flower!

She helped make the sign, and wrote lemonade all by herself...

Lemonade was 25 cents. Most people gave her more.

Some older couples just wanted to talk to her, and make jokes with her, and then gave her money...but didn't want lemonade.

She loved that because it reminded her of her grandpa.

She looked so cute.

She was so hot, and tired, and actually pretty bored in between customers, but she kept at it.

She did most things alone, but isn't quite big enough to handle the lemonade, so I helped her pour.

Seems that I should have put out a whole bake sale for her because people were just buying left and right. We went through almost all of the lemonade that we had.

Everytime she got another quarter, or dollar or anything...she would whisper to me...

Mommy, how much does that make do you think?

She just melts me.

All told, she made $14.83. (We don't quite know how that happened)

She shared a little with her brother, which was adorable...

and then stuffed the rest in her piggy bank!

Love my little Entrepreneur!

Camping...the Goodtimes way

As Every year...this one was no different.
Camp Goodtimes commenced and we ferried over to Vashon.
This year had a little bit of a different feel for us. It would be Karman's last year at her cancer camp.
She has gone, every single year, since she was 9.
It was kind of a strange feeling knowing that we wouldn't be heading back the next year.

But we did. We trekked along the path just like the nine years before.

Loving the ferry ride...and enjoying the crisp but beautiful air.

The little kids have never NOT gone on this trip. Every year that they have been alive we have headed to the island. In fact, Tyler's first trip he was only 3 days old...

The camp atmosphere is something I could never truly convey to people.
It is happy and loud and obnoxious in a way that leaves you feeling so completely lost in the magic that you almost forget you are leaving your kids there. Those who are, forget they are sick. They are able to put chemo and hospitals behind them...and for one week...live like they should be able to. Parents walk away feeling OK about those kids. Knowing that for this week, they can act like little kids, and laugh and sing and dance without a care in the the world. They are taken care of, and and completely accepted, no matter what!

It is a place that is surrounded by cancer...and/or the idea of cancer and yet it is a place for kids and parents alike, to just forget all about it.

This years theme was MYSTERY.....
So her cabin's name was the Whoodunits.
Cute.

Setting up her Bunk...

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One of the really fun things for both Karman and us is that halfway through their week at camp they get to go on an Argosy Cruise.
While on their trip, every single year, they pull into the Red Robin on the water in Seattle. They park the boat and SING VERY LOUDLY...and make a bunch of noise...and try to temp the diners to throw french fries at them.

Again, I truly can not explain the situation. You would need to hear the noise level.
Over the years, people have learned of this tradition and they come to the docks of Red Robin to meet the boat.
Us included.
Every year we are out there...waiting to hear the impending sound of 300 kids singing YMCA. I don't know why that is always the song of choice...but it is.

All of the kids are on the front of the boat just waiting for the audience to get involved...and every year they do.
I take a good hundred pictures...and with my fancy zoom lens I can actually get up close and personal with Karman...even though she is quite far away.
Here she just after catching a french fry that was thrown at them.

It is a fun memory to have every year.
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Inevitably...camp comes to a close.
On the last day there is always a show. Each cabin puts on a little skit for the parent program.

This was something that was kind of cool...and new this year. It is a sail that has all of the kids pictures on it. Karman is down on the bottom left.

So Karman's last year was a good year. I think there was a little teenage drama involved...but bottom line is...that the week ends, and you come back to the "real world"...so you may as well have a good time while you are there.

In all of the years that we have attended Camp Goodtimes...the thing I've gathered that is so amazing about it, is that for 5 days...these kids are enveloped in a love, and a camaraderie that is so unique that they are able to float on a level of magic that the real world could never provide.
Considering some of their stories...they deserve a week like that!

Tyler's Late Birthday Party...

So Tyler's birthday is actually at the end of June...Of course, we had a birthday party for him at home, but we didn't have a "friend" party...(it would have been his first by the way)

I was so so busy with school, that I just couldn't bring myself to plan another thing...so I put it off until July....THEN...next thing I new, July came and then was over, and we still had no party.

So I told Tyler that I thought it was a little too late, and we would just make sure to have one next year.
OH THOSE EYES...
They welled up with tears, and his giant blue eyes just turned so sad. He didn't say anything except..."Okay, but could we at least have all of my friends over to just play".
ARE YOU KIDDING ME......
How can a mommy deny that?

How did he get such an adorably cute demeanor? Where did he get his own personality, and his own thoughts? How did he get to be so nice?

So I knew, even though it was late, that we had to have a party for him.

I started planning right away...we sent out invites...and then we had the party last week.
It turned out SO perfect. The weather was great...the events for the party were great...almost everyone came, and it was the perfect way to get much of the class together right before school starts and play together!
His birthday is always going to be kind of forgotten at school, because here in Seattle it will always be right around the time we get out. In fact, this coming year, given no snow days, we are getting out ON his birthday.
However, for now on...I will make his birthday the priority, and not the end of school...
'CAUSE THOSE EYES WILL GET ME EVERY TIME, IF I DON'T!"

SOOOOO....a pirate party it was! Tyler was so excited. He decided everything. Whether to have a cake or cupcakes, and what the shape would be...etc.

These are some of his friends from class. We were to have 11 kids...but 2 were unable to come.

First they did a craft. I collected paper towel rolls, and toilet paper rolls, from everyone...and then I covered them with black paper mache. The kids were given stickers, and foam pirate pieces, and jewels and glitter glue to decorate them with, in order to create telescopes! They were a huge hit!

We did this while everyone arrived and then for about 5 minutes after that. Some of the kids were done really fast and just wanted to go play pirate on the playground, and others took until the very last second.

The first game was PIN THE X ON THE TREASURE MAP. I made the map with printouts that I found...and created names for all of the "places"...and then I bought wood X's and wrote each kids names on with glitter paint. We blindfolded with two eye pirate eye patches...and then each child was spun, pointed in the right direction, and they plottede their "X".

We had prizes that the winners got to choose from for each game...then when the games were all done, everyone who didn't win, got to choose a prize as well.

Here is our group picture. Gotta get my pictures. :) The kids in back are being "pirates". :)

I painted this shark on a piece of fiber board. Kevin cut out the mouth for me. This was going to be a toss game...either a beanbag type toss or water balloons, based on the weather. THEN, of course, I knew it was a great picture opportunity...so I took a picture of each of the kids behind it.

It was REALLY hot...so we did water balloon. LOTS and LOTS of water ballons. Somewhere in the vacinity of 90 I think. The kids LOVED it, and could have LITERALLY played this and NOTHING else! About half way through they got brave...and stood behind the shark in order to get wet. They had SO much fun!

This is just me with my pinata...not a great picture, but...

The last game was a hidden coin dig. We burried gold and silver pirate coins in the sand here...and the kids were given on a spoon, and a cup and they had to dig and find the coins. Whoever found the most in 5 minutes won. It was fun, but I should have bought double the coins, so that the kids were finding more as they went along, because some of them got frustrated.

In the end...they still had fun with it though.....

So then it was time for presents. Tyler has never gotten presents from friends...he really enjoyed it, and did really well...thanking everyone and not going fast etc. I was proud of him.

Then it was cake time!!!!

The kids all had the cupcakes, which were frosted to be the "jewels" from the treasure chest cake. Then they were topped with a lifesaver and had a pirate toothpick flag, from Michaels, through the hole. We also did ice cream, and we scooped it before the party, into muffin tins and re froze it. That way, come the time, all we had to do is pop out the pre-portioned cups of ice cream, instead of having to scoop, and make a mess! It worked out beautifully!

FINALLY!!!!!! PINATA time!

Like I said, the hit of the party. Between the pinata and the water balloons....

So in the pinata...we decided to equally separate the candy into bags, so that each child was guaranteed the same amount. Then all of the left over candy just went into the pinata and was up for grabs...so that way, if someone didn't get any of the loose candy, they still had the bag. It made up for the kids different abilities...size, age, and just plain maybe never doing a pinata...

We of course told all of the rules before they even started hitting.

It was all perfect, because literally as the pinata finally broke...the first parent showed up! We got to finish everything! Then we got the goodie bags together...handed them out, and everyone left with their pinata candy and their goodie bags in tow.

Pirate Tyler and Pirate Sean!

The kids all had a great time! It was a hit, and Tyler can't wait for the next one.

I had a great time too...I love, love, love these kids! We had THE most amazing group of kindergarteners!!!! I can see him being friends with all of them even if they aren't in class together this year. They really did form a bond like I don't think I have ever seen before!

I too, can't wait for the next party!

To think I was nervous...

Now, I am bitten!

What was I thinking...part 2

So...what started out as a great, cost effective, way to make a pinata for my sons birthday party...turned into HOURS upon HOURS of filthy, sticky, work...that was not only the labor of putting the thing together, but the mental, creative side that had to figure out how to put it together and make it look like the goal outcome...

I would say that when it was ALL done...I easily spent 20, spread out, hours on it.

So here, I removed the inner box...which I designed the whole thing around...

Then I covered that open side with paper mache...and added 6 layers to it to make it as strong as all the other sides. Of course, letting each one dry before applying the next.

Here it is all dry...the hole is to add the candy. Later I will cover that hole with duct tape. I also made sure to remember where that hole is on the pinata...because in case it was too strong and the kids were unable to break it, I knew it would be a bit of a weak point...and a place we could easily help it along.

Then for the dome top...I just used posterboard, attached with duct tape.

Then I covered that with paper mache, but I only did 3 coats, as it doesn't hold any candy, and is only to finish the shape. Its structure doesn't need to be strong...

So, I contemplated painting it...I knew I could do that easily. I thought about using streamers like the kind at the store....but they don't make a gold or a brown streamers...I thought about tissue paper, wrapped around the end of a pencil (totally old school) but didn't know how I could make it look right...so, anyway...this is what I came up with...

This is gold gift wrap tissue paper. I cut it into strips, and then frayed the ends. At this same time, I added holes to the side in the lower, stronger part (where the candy has been added) and strung rope from one, through the middle, and out the other hole...in order to be hung from our deck...

At this point, I was kind of winging it. I didn't know how it was going to look. But, as I applied the tissue, the frayed ends, just automatically curled up...I couldn't believe it...

So then, it took a while, but I did cover the whole thing...

And it was time to put the details on...

I used streamers.

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WAIT FOR IT

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WAIT FOR IT

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No really,

WAIT FOR IT!!!!!!

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I was SO proud of how it came out!

I told Kevin that none of those darn kids better touch my pinata! :)

It was THE hit of the party for sure, and I was so happy with how it came out!

The MEMORIES made the time and mess and work SOOOOO worth it....

Would I do it again...???????

I already have next years planned out!

Here are Makylie and Tyler at the party...(post and pictures of that still to come...)