All Good Things

While the boys still have a week of summer break left, I went back to work today. It was great to see everyone again and start to get the classroom set up for the year.
But for all intents and purposes (mine anyway) summer vacation is over, so here is a little video that sums up what we did this summer in less than two minutes. My apologies to anyone with a slow connection-it may take a while to load up after you click play.
-Steve

Cape Kiwanda

We went on our last little vacation before school starts. On Sunday we climbed up and around the giant sand dune and then ran down it, or fell down it, with a little bit of rolling too. A thunderstorm started about that time and we slowly made our way back to our cabin, but it passed and we stuck around a bit longer. Monday was a bit of a drag with the rain, but we still went to the beach in between showers and almost stayed dry. It was a good last vacation and the boys are ready to go back and climb the giant dune again.

Party at the Park

Today was the neighborhood picnic at Woodstock Park. There was music, food, crafts, Chinese dragons, jugglers, a puppet show about Stellaluna (a bat story), and good company too.

Uncle Charles and Nancy, visiting from St. Louis, came with the Grandparents Bullock. And Sidra and her parents (Uncle and Auntie) joined us, too. Auntie snapped the picture of the cousins on the Burgerville train (thanks for sharing Andrea). Holly snapped the other picture while Sidra and Uncle Steve were having a chat.

Art Camp

Last week the boys attended Grace Art Camp, a day camp run by Grace Episcopal Church in NE Portland. They had a great time and came home with a bunch of art projects. They both made contelays, were not quite sure how it's spelled-a five string musical instrument from (possibly) Sweeden. They also painted their own t-shirts, did drama, played capture the flag, and a number of other things.

Joe's favorite projects were the small box he painted. Now he keeps his Pokemon badges in it. He also made a glass pendant with a piece of foil inside that has a sword design on it.

Tim was proud of the viking symbols he drew on his clay disc. The camp has a folk story each week, and the boys were hearing a traditional Scandanavian story (evidently with viking overtones.) The symbols Tim drew meant ancestors home. He also drew/painted a pokeball onto glass to hang in his window.

Both boys had an incredible time at the camp and are asking to do it again next year.

At the Zoo

We went to the zoo last week and they had a dinosaur exhibit. Actually, we didn't got to that part. But Joe snapped this when Tim posed for a picture at the zoo entrance with this little guy.

We spent over five hours at the zoo and saw everything except the penguins. Tim was disappointed but too tired to care when we left. Steve's coworker Brian, and his son Lucas met us there. We had lunch in the grass and the boys took turns chasing Lucas and letting him chase them. Lucas loved hanging out with the "big boys."

The picture of Lucas and Tim was taken by Joe too.

Oaks Park

The Grandparents Denniston took the boys to Oaks Park today. For those non locals, it's a small amusement park down by the Willamette River. They had a great time, especially Joe who is now tall enough to ride the bumper cars - a life long goal of his.

Tim spent a lot of his time flying spaceships (and wishing he could ride the bumper cars).