What Happened??? or Time Flies When You're Having Fun

It was the start of September and everything was going well, things were on track. Come to think of it that should have been my first warning that storms of activities were approaching fast. Here I am in the middle of October and getting ready to head down to my baby brother's wedding and Disneyland; and I keep thinking that the past month has zoomed by. My kids are thrilled, I mean Disneyland can't come soon enough and Brittany, my brother Tristan's bride, asked them to be flower girls. ( They call themselves the wedding girls) So the little ladies are over the moon as you can imagine. As fast as this month and a half passed life did happen and here is what we have been up to at the Anunson Zoo.

Tristan and Brittany came for a visit and we all went to Camano for my cousins wedding, Norwegian dance started for Anya and I'm helping teach this year, Dad came over with a builder and helped take care of some much needed repairs and improvements to our house, and installed our new windows for us. THANKS DAD!!!! Shopping for the trip and a big project for me: making princess dresses for the girls to wear to the princess lunch, loads of pink tulle, organza and Tylenol. (Check in later for pictures and stories.) That last one I finished just in time to send the dresses down to California with my folks as they are taking all the bags down early on the train with them. Big relief to have the dresses and the packing done. One of the fun things things were my Aunts coming to visit they came at different times and it was so fun to see each one and their hubbies that came too! Two are coming on the trip with us which should be lots of fun. Aunt Patty is as excited as the girls and me about Disneyland, and that is really saying something as we can hardly sleep for the excitement of it.
There were a bunch of other things that happened as well in between but I'll stop with that. My computer is running slow today but I will try to add some pictures later, until then keep reading!

Next Up: Our Grand California Adventure

First Day Of School

Our first day of school is now under our belts and this year is off to a great start! Anya jumped right in, with Lila following right behind and, bless her, Annette was coloring her little heart out trying to keep up with her big sisters. I love the smell of newly sharpened pencils and the sound of little brains spinning with work. Fall is my favorite time of year!

Happy Birthday Lila!

Just a few picures of the birthday girl. We Love You Lila!

Mouse: Friend or FOE

I have a mouse in my house. It sound like the first line in a great children's book right? Unfortunately for me it is true. I awoke around 4:30 yesterday morning to the sound of gnawing coming through my ceiling and the pitter patter of little feet. (Oh how I wish they had come from one of the kids.) After waking Paul from a sound sleep to confirm my fears and telling him to call Marty our nice exterminator friend. We lay there trying to block out the thought of a mouse above our heads, and I started thinking about the story of "Pa" in Little Town on the Prairie dreaming of getting his hair cut, only to find out a mouse was shearing away, creating a bald spot. Not a good place to go. So I started thinking of our upcoming trip to Disneyland home of the most famous mouse on the planet. It occurred to me then that old Donald had gotten kind of a raw deal. I mean what would you rather have in your home, Mickey and Minnie making a nest in your walls filling them with baby mice, or a cute duck padding around quacking. Donald should have better publicists. Of course I then started thinking (as can only happen in the wee smalls) about the other popular Disney characters staying in your home:

Cinderella : A princess who no longer does floors, helps mice escape, invites them to stay and makes clothes for them. Sorry princess you will have to stay with someone else.

Snow White: Same deal only she also invites questionable strangers into your house when you turn your back.

Sleeping Beauty: Name says it all : the gal who naps all day, harmless but really no help.

Tinker Bell: Often cranky she flies around spreading dust. I have enough of that already thank you very much!

I'm sure I could think of more, but you get the idea. Despite it all they are still my favorite characters, and I kind of prefer them to Donald, only because he was given a difficult roll to play opposite a really lucky mouse.

A Smattering of Summer

Just a few pictures this time, we are trying to squeeze in all the fun summer activities when the sun is out. Its been a little wet and dark this year so as soon as the sun shines we drag out the pool or head to Grandma's. We had our cousin Jessica with us for a little bit and the girls think that she has hung the moon! As you can see they want to do everything she does. Jess had three shadows anytime we were around.

What, its the end of July already???

I can hardly believe July is almost over. I remember the "lazy days of summer" when I was little the summers lasted forever, now it seems like a blip on the radar. This entry is going to be a bit a mish-mash of July, I had trouble downloading photos before and it delayed things a bit. July started well with our 8th anniversary, we had a rare date night going to dinner at Elliot's Oyster House in Seattle. Yummy, and no we didn't have the oysters, but Paul ordered a choppino that was as beautiful as it tasted. I had wild mushroom ravioli with dungeness crab and asparagus, in a cream sauce, my favorite however was our starter of steamed clams sauted with chorizo and bathed in a buttery, brothy, cream sauce. I could have had that and been perfectly happy. Unfortunately no pictures as it was devoured before the camera could go off.

We had fireworks at our church party that the kids thoroughly enjoyed, and the 4th of July parade and Tiny Town in Kingston. The Pictures above are some from Tiny Town, pony rides face painting, arts and crafts, bouncy rides and go carts all part of the fun that day. We Had Fun! To top it all off we had a Lemonade stand at Grandma Teri's that day and our Cousins were with us to to celebrate that night. Too fun, and that was just how the month started with a bang!

Hanging on in the midst of a whirl wind summer!

Alisha

Ice Cream Dreamin'

My gals spend the summer months straining to hear the sweet sound that one only hears from May to September: The twinkling song of the Ice Cream Lady. No other song stirs them so well, makes their little hearts swell than the strains of "Here we go round the mulberry bush" emanating from the little jeep running through the neighborhood. And to be truthful they come by is quite honestly, their parents run to meet her as well. Of course that is the most exciting form of ice cream: the stuff that come right to your house when you least expect it. The gals also go gaga for the hunt. "I see ice cream!" we hear it in every town we go through every visit to grandma's house, Costco, or as they go rummaging through the freezer. When in doubt with what to eat they suggest very coyly "Ice cream is aways good. They're right it is always good.