Mt. Hood

How about this for a view coming into downtown on Burnside....stunning.

K at the Jr. Rose Parade

K's school was in the Jr. Rose Parade this year. The kids were all pretty excited, many having never walked in a parade before. M was in the parade when she was in pre-school, so I just love the continuity in having K participate in this lengthy yet lovely event. The wait after we had lined up at our "staging" place in the neighborhood around the parade route was...forever. No exageration. Probably the past, present and future have all banged right into each other and are now one, I'm sure. But considering the long wait, the kids did great! Especially once we started moving and got onto the big street, the parade.

The morning of...Kate stayed home from school and we met the others in the late morning.


This is the t-shirt that all the kids wore in all different colors.



Just before we left, we picked flowers from our garden and decorated K's wagon...what a success. She didn't want to get out of it all day.



At our meeting spot...where is everybody?

A little time to play.

We met the others at a nearby playground before we walked on to our staging spot...parking is nonexistent around the parade route as neighborhoods are closed for quite a few blocks around the periphery. Really, quite relaxed and easy.

Look at these charmers!

K and some of her friends...waiting.

K with another special friend...and she's not leaving this spot..."please, come into my castle!"

A group shot ("okay, just for a minute I'll move, for the cause, but that's it").

Home again...I wouldn't move, would you?

Ah, finally our turn, 3 hours later. We weren't the very last at least (only the 3rd last, but who's keeping track!). And the march begins.

This is pretty cool!

So is the school.

Ah, joyful times.

M's Last Day of School

M's last day of school was on Tuesday. I spent the day with her and her class and actually had the time of my life. Cool kids...funny, interesting and some, a handful! Mr. N has so much patience, but probably mostly cause he sees the beauty in them, too. The day started off with his students giving a slide show for the rest of the school. This is a tradition in his class with the kids and Mr. N taking pictures throughout the year and interviewing fellow students and teachers. A few people cried...I'm not saying who...but like, mostly everyone, I'm sure. ;) Everyone in his class spoke during the presentation, about their photographs and telling the funny anecdotes the teachers gave when interviewed. One popular response from the teachers when asked what superpower they'd like to have was to be able to disappear. I bet at this point in the year, that about sums things up for them!

After the slide show, the kids listened to Mr. N give a breakdown of their day, how they were going to spend the last few hours as 4th graders.

To begin with, it was time to go outside and release some energy. Here's M with one of her best friends, D. The plan was to go to the park and have a picnic (another long-standing tradition on the last day of school), but it was record-breaking cold and wet outside. I know, M has her short sleeves on...crazy kid...I think it's just part determination cause it's June afterall!!

This was great. A game of dodge ball against a wall. M and D playing back-up-ball chasers. And this kid pounding the wall. Can you just tell by the way he's bouncing that ball that he's just planning on squishing anyone who gets in its way?

Observation...no way this girl is going anywhere near that wall.

No problem, we'll just stay right here and well, maybe referee if you want!

Whoa! Nailed!

This is hilarious!



See that kid in the middle? I think he caused some cerebral damage when he had the ball. And the kid on the end, with his head cocked to the side? Darling R saying, na na na naaa na!



Once back inside, the kids were given their yearbooks, and nothing, I mean nothing, not even the movie! created such calm in the room that day as when they were sitting down and perusing the pages.

The last 45 minutes of their day was spent in a circle, while each kid spoke of their favorite parts of the year and what they were thankful for. Then Mr. N went around the circle himself and spoke to each child, letting them know what he especially liked about them and thanked them for it. He then asked for complete silence, clapped once and told them that they were now 5th graders.

He was a great teacher, Mr. N, and I know that he appreciated our girl.

Passing sweet times.