The AC is Out

The AC is Out, so we headed down to the icy Atlantic to *Chill* out.

It was so *wicked* cold we considered hauling some home to dump on our beds. 

(A concept Pops first experimented with when we were first married and didn't have AC. 

Why not wet the sheets, ring them out and turn on the fan?

Good times.)

We even tried the teensy tiny tidepools for relief... and even found some crab friends (see what LC is about to pounce with his greedy little hand about 1 foot in front of him?)

Superkid and Abizella decided there is nothing like being on the receiving end of old fashioned mud slinging to keep you cool, so they helped each other out.

We all tried to let our bodies seep deep in the cool wet sand...

And even Mom benefited from splashing!

The only thing left was to pull on the goggles and dive in head-first!

You See This Face?

"You see this face?" said Tadpole.

"This is my ANGRY face!"

"Do you know why I have an ANGRY FACE?" 

Tell me Tad. 

"Because you made me put down my King Pig for Family Home Evening!"

The Most Wonderful Time of the Year

I can't believe that it is the end of May! I can't believe that this is seriously the first time we have been down to the beach this Spring. I have wanted to go on a few occasions but there are so many wonderful things to do on *warm* days... namely go for bike rides. No worries, this only whet our appetite. Much beach LOVE to come!

How do I tear them away?

The Trane Train

All Aboard! Abizella's Trane Train is pulling out!

Labor of Love

Abizella's dance recital was this week. It was an event that almost didn't happen. There was some unpleasantness in ballet class leading up to the event. Abizella was having some "issues" with her highly structured and strict teacher. Pops was at the end of his rope after dragging 3 little boys to their sister's ballet class week after week, only to have Abz claim a stomach ache 10 minutes into the class. Three weeks before the recital Pops put his foot down (hard). No more ballet. 2 weeks went by, it was a closed issue. Pops didn't bring it up again, and neither did Abz. I just couldn't STAND the thought of of not seeing Abz in her little costume and watching her dance. I brokered a deal between the two. Let's just say that the gallon of gel I used to get Abz's hair into the bun wasn't the only thing holding the delicate situation together.

Abizella was SUPER excited the day of her last class. I got a call at work from Pops. He said, "Do you have something to write with?" I was in my lab coat and gloves but scurried for a paper towel and a sharpie. I got "the list" of recital information, including the fact that Abizella was required to wear a bun. Probably shouldn't have chopped her hair off last month. But the teacher imparted the trick of the trade, a bun hair net. Wa-lah!

Sadly, when Abizella pulled on her costume instead of squealing with glee, she howled in discomfort. She complained of the itchy costume and started to rip it off. I, quite rationally, explained that there will be several occasions as a woman when you have to sacrifice comfort for style. Somehow this didn't comfort her. Our ingenious Pops, on the other hand, pulled out a roll of scotch tape and began lining all of the scratchy parts of the costume. As he applied the placebo over all the offending portions of the leotard, I couldn't help but wish for Abizella's sake that they let her father into the Bride's Room at the temple on her wedding day. He is by far the more tender-hearted parent.

He even wiped away her sad little tears...

He didn't miss a spot...

And made everything all better...

Ready for Show time!

Abizella is the 3rd from the left on the back row.

We were all very pleased with her performance...

We love our pretty Ballerina!

Who's up for another year of ballet?

Tad, the Bike-Riding Toad

 Tadpole joined the ranks of bicycling Toads this week, and he is a force to be reckoned with!

 He came out of the gates in a fury! This kid did not want to be left behind.

Special thanks to Abi A. for being the resident bicycle expert. She assembled the training wheels on Tad's bike. She is definitely the most qualified, after living the dream of biking all the way across the USA! 

This leaves one more Toad as a bi-ped. He is cool with it for now, as long as he gets to be in charge of Shadow's leash!

Teacher Appreciation Night

The big Toads invited their favorite school teachers to a SPECIAL night of APPRECIATION at church. Abizella has been out of her mind excited for the big night for a whole month. She set aside a special outfit weeks in advance and started a count down to the big night. She was especially excited to spend time one-on-one with Mrs. Morrison. She is a major fan!

Superkid is an old pro at Teacher Apreciation night by now. He played it a little more cool, but was a perfect gentleman as he hosted his teacher Ms. Keif. He also proved to be a brilliant conversationalist and even found out that he and Ms. Keif both share a fondness for lime drinks.

Our Toads sure won big when it came to teachers this year! They both were on the receiving end of caring, engaged and devoted teachers. We have seen great gains this year. 

Thank-you to the 2 ladies who these kiddos will never forget!