And now for something completely different...: July 2019

More soccer in June.

I think I forgot to mention that our team name was the "Dementors".

I explained in last months post that there were only three teams in our age bracket.

We played them EACH Saturday.

The same teams.

Here we are playing the "Eggs with Legs".

Yep.

"Hi-YA!"

A high stepping kick from Mikey way back there.

Mikey's elementary school held its annual Art Walk/Science Fair event during the second week of June.

He was very proud of his tissue paper art.

I'm not sure what it was.

A three legged horse pinata? Maybe?

I think it was probably flowers.

We headed outside for a little science.

Mikey assumed an alternate personality: "The Black Hole Dude"

He then proceed to ask people survey questions about global warming for some reason.

He asked every person - mostly kids - his questions as they walked by his exhibit.

I'm thinking his main objective with this survey was to elicit giggles from girls.

Observe the photo evidence below.

Questions asked.....

A big smile of satisfaction as the girls told him that it was illegal for him to ask them their social security numbers and addresses and that it could be considered stalking.

He was very proud of himself.

Katie found a friend from middle school to hang out with.

I spied her sitting on a hill nearby.

I'm sure she would've been mortified by "The Black Hole Dude" and his survey.

Mikey's class continued their studies of Native American tribes.

They were going to have a potlatch.

In order to prepare, they had to create masks that corresponded with a myth that they wrote.

Mikey's myth had to do with "Winter Changes".

Why the clouds drop snow instead of rain and why the days are shorter.

The main character was a "wolf moon spirit" named Mementi.

First, they started by layering plaster cloth gauze over their faces.

They took turns applying it to each other.

Once it dried, they were able to remove it.

A thick layer of Vaseline was put on first, in case you were wondering how they got it off.

The kids then Papier-mâchéd the mask and painted it.

This is the finished product.

Mikey likes to feed Ralph dinner.

Sometimes. Usually when he's not tired.

Every day, starting at about 5pm, Ralph likes to remind Mikey that he's due to eat dinner between 5:30 and 6pm.

Ralph has an astoundingly accurate internal puppy clock.

He tries to be extra cute and extra persistent.

But, Mikey never seems to fall for it.

Last weekend of soccer! WOO-HOOO!

Game #1 that day was against the "Eggs with Legs".

Corner kick!

Mikey's on defense.

I'm sure he was going for the ball in this picture below.

That is definitely NOT a trip.

Where's the ball in this photo, you ask?

I do not know.

Good 'D' happenin' right here.

You can just hear the sound of a car screeeeeching it's brakes, can't you?

Hmmm.

Not another trip.

Nope.

He was really going for the ball.

This is how Katie spends the soccer games.

I don't think it rained on us at all this season, but it was chilly some mornings.

Game #2.

Against the "Cheetahs".

Our nemesis's.

They were tall and fast.

So, the name fit.

This was the first year that the kids have wanted to play certain positions almost exclusively.

In past years, I've been able to move them anywhere.

This year, I tried to let them be where they wanted to be.

I figured if they wanted to be in that position, that they would work harder.

At least, that was my assumption.

Mikey focused in on defense (along with #9 here).

I had NO PROBLEM with that.

So proud.

A pic of him "sacrificing" his bod to stop a shot.

A very serious pass to goalie after an out-of-bounds.

There was juuuuuuust a little bunching up this game.

I mean, at least they were hot to get their feet on the ball.

I admired their aggressiveness.

Okay.

This is just a little ridiculous.

After our last game, it was time for a team picture.

While trying to pose, they knocked down the net.

Sigh.

My Dementors.

Here you go.

The six stalwart footballers......

.....and the Mom's that coached them.

POST-GAME END-OF-SEASON CUPCAKE TIME!!!

That afternoon, we trucked it over to Seattle to participate in Take Steps for Crohn's and Colitis.

"STOP TAKING PICTURES OF ME!

I'M JUST WALKING!

GOD, MOM!"

I didn't get any better attitude from the boys.

It was a quick jaunt and then we sat and chilled a bit in the shade.

Katie parked it on a picnic table with Huzbend.

I took Mikey to get his face painted.

Pretty cool Chinese dragon.

We decided to walk back down to the beach.

Huzbend, Katie and Ralph continued to relax in the shade.

Mikey and I went down to the rocks to find some critters.

And, boy, did we find some critters!

Check out this link to learn about some of the denizens of Seattle tidal pools.

Hermit crab.

He was a little shy.

This is called a gunnel.

It's not an eel.

I looked at the link above to learn that.

Here's a red rock crab.

He was pretty hefty.

Hello, crabby.

I had convinced Katie to come and take a peek at all the little beach buggers.

When we found the big crab, Katie wanted a turn holding him too.

We made sure to hold close to the ground in case he scuttled.

We didn't want him to get hurt.

It took some convincing, but Mikey finally took a turn too.

After putting back red rock crab, we made a new discovery.

We uncovered a Spaghetti Tube Worm.

Looks a little like an alien life form.

He was creepy.

We did not pick him up.

I did poke him though.

The next day Katie got a hair cut.

Before......

Okay.

So, she got more than ONE hair cut.

She got lots cut!!

I LOVE this haircut.

Time for a little Mikey theater.

He took a class on Broadway musicals.

They practiced Peter Pan.

First up was a bit of dialogue between Peter and Wendy.

Mikey played Wendy.

Then, they did a bit of singing and some choreography.

He doesn't enjoy this at all.

Not one bit.

After Mikey's Broadway debut, I had to rush Katie to her girl scout troop bridging ceremony.

None of the cadettes were bridging this evening.

But, they did get to talk about what they liked best about the year.

Katie said camping.

Good answer!

Potlatch time!

Can I just say that I loved Mikey's teacher this year?

She was incredible.

(And not just because I adopted her super nice son into my group on the Disneyland Drama Trip)

The kids all took turns reading their myths with their papier mache masks on display in front of them. As they read in a circle, the lights were turned off and a faux fire burned in the middle of the room with another fire playing on the screen behind them.

Mikey and his pals sat together.

Afterwards, they got to sample some foods that Native Americans might have eaten.

Mikey did NOT like the smoked salmon.

But that didn't stop him from hamming for the camera with his pal.

I do have video of him reading his myth, but he chose not to use the microphone and you can't really hear him.

Sorry.

Here's something we do on the weekends when we want everyone to stop staring at screens.

Play kickball.

This time they played with an abnormally large ball that Katie won at a friends amusement center birthday party for Mikey.

Very nice of her to get him something.

OUT!

Nice kick.

I think he was safe.

This is Mikey helping to duct tape his principal to a wall.

It's amazing the insane things PTA's can convince Principals to do to help earn a little money.....

Next up was Katie's Advanced Drama Variety Show!

It was standing room only as all THREE Advanced Drama classes performed that evening.

In order for Mikey to see, he sat with one of his pals a couple rows back from the stage.

These two look like hobbits.

His pal, coincidentally, is just as whacky as Mikey and has a brother who is also in Advanced Drama.

Katie was only performed in one skit during the 2 hour shebang.

Yes. It was two hours.

But it was a funny two hours.

They did a LOTR satire.

Katie played Merry.

Various characters pledged all sorts of things to help Frodo on his quest to destroy The One Ring.

Swords, shields, bows, bath products and even a baby.

Once the skits were over, the Hammy Awards were given out.

The Hammy's celebrate students achievements in sound, lights, set decorating, choreography, costumes and acting. They are voted on by their peers (with the teacher having the final say).

Katie was shocked to learn that she had won Best Lead Actress 2019.

She even got a trophy.

I think that she was just a little proud to have been recognized.

We were certainly proud.

We told her a million times too.

After that, she had to segue into reading the blurb for the next award.

Pics with friends, both of whom won awards as well.

Love this one.

After the show, Katie stayed to help clean up.

She showed me this prop shotgun she helped make out of PVC pipe, cardboard, duct tape and a pool noodle.

Oh the skills one picks up from drama class!!

Field Day!!!

My friend and I worked the popcorn station all day.

We're kinda experts because of all our experience at middle school Popcorn Fridays.

Mikey and most of his best buds.

Three are missing because they are in other classes.

That weekend, we took Katie to Crampy Colon....I mean Camp Oasis.

Because of all the snow days that we had back in February, school was pushed out a few days.

Which meant that Katie would miss the last day of school to go to camp.

This year she was so excited for camp that she created a countdown chain.

Here a series of pictures in which she is telling us all about what she is going to do at camp.

She basically just kicked us out when we dropped her at her cabin this year.

No extended hugs and goodbye.

Just a quick bro hug for everyone and a, "I gotta go!"

Sigh.

It's okay.

Almost teenager.

We still love her.

That evening, upon our return home, I had to drive all over creation to pick up donated popcorn for the middle school field day that Katie wouldn't even be at.

It was a lot of popcorn.

LAST DAY OF SCHOOL!

A picture at the last bus stop visit of the year.

I spent all day at the middle school helping out at field day, doing some various year-end tasks and checking out their Year-End Assembly Talent Show.

Middle school gets out before elementary, so I was able to see Mikey get out on his last day.

I had to be there anyways to pick up his meds.

I was hoping to get a picture of him running out when the bell rang, but his teacher had nothing else for the kids to do and let them go outside a little before dismissal.

I still got that Last Day of School Smile picture though.

After a Happy Summer hug for his teacher.....

...and a quick picture with some buddies.....

....we rushed home to head back out to the pool!

The mom of one of Mikey's buddies suggested we go swimming on that last day.

When I thought more about it, I realized that it's usually pretty hard to get all of Mikey's friends together for his birthday in the middle of summer - they're all off on vacation or summer camp or whatever.

So, we just made it an End-of-School/Mikey Birthday Pool Party & Pizza Celebration.