One more test, just for Aunt Lynn and because I don't like NOT being able to figure anything out.

It seems that there were some family members that actually read our blog and don't like facebook.  I completely understand, so I'll try to oblige.  Here a recent rundown.  Please forgive the brevity and I'll try to post more regularly in the future.  Hang on for the ride!

 

This kids are growing up wayyyy fast.  We've been busy attending parent nights, shadow days and student tours of middle school and high school campuses because:  G is going into middle school and Natalee is going into high school.  How did that happen?! 

 

Here, Gehrig is showing off his latest treasure, from his Rober cousins in Elk Grove.  Their uncle (he calls him his uncle, too, because after all, his mother they called Grama Rober) is Mark Rober of Digital Dudz.  He has become somewhat of a celebrity on you tube, yahoo and the internet for his digital costume designs.  Not to mention, he works for JPL, one of Gehrig's dream jobs. His brother is my sister's husband, Brian Rober.  (Did you follow that?) Brian is amazing at making ideas a reality, like a sprinkler system for a trampoline and display cases for Mark at a convention.  Needless to say, Gehrig was over the moon to receive two of Digital Dudz best selling shirts in the mail today.  All we need to do now is install the app on his ipod, a little duct tape on in the inside and some holes in the eyes and he's ready to creep people out!  Bonus:  Mark even signed one of the shirts for G.

 

 

Here is Gehrig's latest escapade:  after a fun filled day of playing in the snow at Highway 108 sno-park, we were walking into the Denny's in Oakdale for dinner with 4 kids (ours each brought a friend.)  Gehrig just passed out!  He did a face plant on the floor.  We couldn't get him to respond, though he was breathing OK.  So, we took a little ride in the ambulance to Modesto Kaiser ER and they checked him out.  They don't really know what happened and are calling it an unexplained seizure, but we thing it was his blood sugar.  We checked his bag and he hadn't eaten anything substantial all day!  He's fine now, though we do have to see an endodontist for a possible fracture in his front teeth.  But we hope a high protein diet will keep this from happening in the future.

 

 

We've discovered lately that Mousse likes to find new places, weird places to hang out.  We think it's hysterical.

I'm loving these colors and this shelf, but talk myself out of buying something every time I'm at the store.  So many better things to spend money on, like, braces, shoes, more shoes, pants that are always too short, ....

 I am loving teaching preschool this year!  I have 10 wonderful children, 4 of which are learning English as a second language.  They delight me when they show up with a smile for me three days of the week.

 Here Kurt and I are, in all our middle aged chubby glory.  Lets just say the snow pants have been in the bin a while and we are "growing".  Christmas was good to us and now we need to do some scaling back.

Natalee is becoming quite a beautiful young lady.  She recently highlighted her hair and is learning new beauty tips all the time.  She's working hard in school and her grades are reflecting that.  She's enjoying her new ipod and hanging out with friends, attending middle school basketball games.  In her spare time, she's drawing up plans for her "Barkery" where she plans to bake treats for humans and their 4 legged companions.

Grandpa's Gourds

Aunt Lynn gave me this picture the last time we visited and I wanted to share it.  This is the bumper crop of gourds Grampa Dick got one year.  Grama Fay used them in arrangments and dried some to be shakers.

Some of the kids' best work this year...



Natalee still loves to draw beautiful things.  Her eye for detail is improving.



Gehrig loved this kind of math:  coordinate drawing!



Yes, he got perfect attendance two months this year! 
Pretty great for someone that hates school, and reminds us of that fact regularly.



Thank you, Origami Yoda, for getting our kiddo to take an accelerated reader test. 
Way to go, 100% G!



Natalee really excels when the teachers assign creative writing projects, like this postcard for the Mesopotamia area.

We've been so busy working hard and having fun, that I forgot to blog about it.  Well, when I started this, I vowed that it was NOT going to be another source of worry for me.  So, this is what happens.  Now, onward.

Gehrig has been busy as ever, crafting new things from trash.  Here, our very spoiled kitty, got another home.  You can see he thought of everything a feline could need:  windows, a foil toy and he even lined it with his favorite blanket, "B".  That is true love!

G and I have been on a few field trips with his class in San Jose.  Fourth Grade is one of my favorites because of all the state history.  This year has been kind of bittersweet: on one hand, the kids are so much fun because they are old enough to really DO things with.  On the other hand, it's the beginning of the end.  That time when a volunteer mom, like me, is wanted less and less at school.  So, I relish these last few trips that I actually get to go on and not embarress him.

Sometimes I bemoan the fact that we live in such a large city.  But, then, my kids get to experience things like this: The California Theatre.  For free. It was an ArtSpark program in which everything was sponsored by the city.  We took the bus downtown and listened to a special presentation by the Symphony Silicon Valley.  Amazing!

 We are not allowed to take pictures inside the building, so this one, copied from the website,

 will have to do.

Lobby

Then, we walked a couple blocks down to the Center for Performing Arts and, great readers that they are, the recognized a statue of Momotaro, the peach boy of Japanese folklore.  It was quite fitting that they went to see Japanese Taiko drummers. 

It's a California bear

Momotaro

Of course, you don't go on 87 without traffic!

Gehrig Designs Inc.

Although the kids spend as much time outside as possible, the wet weather has forced them inside on numerous occasions.  Gehrig is taking full advantage of his new room and lego building table.  Check out these latest inventions!

First came the gumball machine.  That was a warm-up for the learning how moving parts worked.  It was very important to him that we take the top off and video the mechanism inside.



Next came the puzzle box.  He worked on different versions of this for days.

Of course, there had to be something to make his Nerf target practice easier. 

A target that resets itself, perhaps?

Valentine's Day....

On Valentine's Day, cookies were made...

Love notes were exchanged in sweet little mailboxes...

Class parties were celebrated...

Mr. & Mrs. Katz

 Heart shaped pizza was consumed, with a special cutter from Pizza My Heart...

And roses were given.

We know how to celebrate LOVE in this family!