First day of first grade

Happy Six Years!

Last week Clara and Elena turned six years old.  That's so young yet, and somehow - getting off of counting on one hand feels like a kinda big deal.  For months they have said that they want a costume party.  Everyone should dress up - Elena had big plans to dress up like Keira from the Princess and the Popstar, and Clara just begged for a werewolf costume.  Before we left for the beach the whole thing was set.  And then Nana Rose gave the girls fancy fancy dresses and suddenly they both decided to dress up as Irish Dancers.  (This included only the fancy dresses and make-up - and this after Christina and Steve got things to dress up as a panda and a lion!).

The number balloon, as always, was a given - and for the third year in a row it didn't fly away!

 We had lovely friends who joined us for a party this last weekend before the start of school.  And a surprise guest - Rachel, the girls' first babysitter!  They were so thrilled to see her.

 And she was a hit with the rest of the guests, too.

 For the second year in a row the girls requested the "punching game" - this time Christina got smart and kept the board after the party, in case they want it again.  That thing takes hours and hours to make!!

 It sure is a crowd-pleaser, though.

 An Irish dancer and a butterfly who had ditched her wings.

 Another VIP at the party was Clara and Elena's kindergarten teacher, Kelsey!  She came with her husband, and all the kids who had been in Kelsey's class just flocked around her.

 

 Getting into the costume spirit:

 There was also a game the girls picked out where you throw sticky food at a big mouth.  It was about as gross as it sounds.

 And, the pièce de résistance  - the cake!  Christina took the girls to four different stores to scour their cake offerings - they were very, very clear they wanted a store-bought cake this year.  We hit upon one store that catered to their every whim - the desire for candies, rings, butterflies, dirt, worms, bugs, flowers, sprinkles - it was amazing.

 Sadly (and just to be honest) last minute this didn't go over as well as you might think.  Both girls were upset about the yellowjackets that came uninvited to the party and weren't keen on sitting to blow out candles.  In fact, neither of them did - they sat there while we sang, and then after a few minutes we just took the cake away to cut it.  Maybe we will have better luck next year.

 Opening gifts went way better.  Everyone was so thoughtful, and know these sweet girls so well.

 We ended out the party having fun at the spray part of the park.

 Clara was very proud that she finally got brave enough to have the buckets of water dump right on her head.

 The silliness continued throughout the party...

 ...and we wouldn't have had it any other way!

Happy Six Years, Clara and Elena!

Beach once more

Because who can get too much of the beach?

Really, these just came off the camera when we were getting pictures to post for Clara and Elena's sixth birthday and the first day of school.  So these first, the others next.

Oceanside 2013

Our yearly trip to the Oregon coast was once again a joint trip with Steve's family - we had Grammie Ellen with us the whole time, got to visit for a night with Uncle Scott, and spent the rest of the week with G-Daddy and Nana Rose.

 We started the week out with an early birthday party - that Clara and Elena are turning 6 within a month of G-Daddy turning 60 was very worthy of celebration!

 

 The rest of the week was largely spent on the beach, at least part of every day.

 

 One night on the beach we had a campfire.  Steve and G-Daddy went out fishing in the ocean that morning and got us black cod (rockfish) and crabs.

 Steve boiled them all up for us over the campfire.

 

 There was a trip to the Newport Aquarium:

And then lots more time on the beach, of course.

Flying kites with G-Daddy - nearly strong enough to pull Clara and Elena straight into the air!

 Goodbye, Oceanside - until we meet again!