violin primary program

Sports Camp

While in theory I think summer time should be time off and unstructured, in reality that turns into things like Addison taking the handles off the doors in the house or carving his name into his dresser, while we are all waiting for Lafe to wake up from his nap! So I decided I would try to sign the kids up for at least one week of something or other. Then the reality set in of the price of Robot Camp ($550) and Fairy Camp was a relative bargain at $250. Maybe enrichment was overrated.

What is a door handle or two I thought, but then a neighbor told me about the city of Berkeley's rec program. She said they had some fun activities for way cheaper. Hey I think to myself the diversity will be good for the kids. So when I found sports camp for $5/ week I decided to give it a try.

Adam dropped them off the first day. He came home and said I think they guy is just planning on having them run the whole week. And sure enough it was track week at camp. the kids ran their little hearts out. I can't say that they loved it, but they slept well. Week two the participation in camp dropped by about 90%. We missed Monday and by Wednesday Ellie said she didn't feel great, so I just took Addison. When I came back to pick him up, but he wasn't outside. I went into the community center--with a gym--not there I came back out and asked someone with a staff t-shirt on

"Hey do you know where the sports camper are?"

"Did you check the game room, " she asked?

I had not, so I ventured in and sure enough, here were the sports campers. I guess the theme for week two was billiards because there they were all bustled up to the pool table, stick in hand. To the sports camp coach's credit, the kids seemed engaged and he did have a lot of tips for them. Addison even won a game--I think on account of the other kid hitting the 8 ball in, but a win is a win. Now we just have to lobby the IOC to get it recognized as an Olympic sport and we are set.

Copenhagen, makes me feel so good

Lesli and I arrive home safely after a week in Denmark. Below is a slideshow. I'm too lazy to put captions, but a few highlights are the original Christus Statue, human sacrifices, an icy canal, Victorian doll houses (for Mom and Becca), and my first steak tartar (at which point I learn tartar=raw).

Lafe in Copenhagen...

I can't wait to hear all about Adam and Lesli's trip when they get back, but I just had to post this picture that I smouched from Adam's facebook page. It's Lafe having his first Ramen noodles. In Europe. (Talk about spoiled rotten.)

I hope your presentation went well, Adam!!!

Martin Luther King Jr.

Friday was our kids' school assembly for MLK day. Ellie's class recited a poem, and Addison's class (actually, all the 2nd grade) sang two songs: "Thanks you Miss Rosa" honoring Rosa Parks, and "This Little Light of Mine". Below are a couple of pics and links to video.





By the way, in the middle picture you'll see Addison holding the respectable shirt we sent him to school in. I don't want you to think we consider scroungy T-shirts appropriate performance attire.

Here are links to YouTube for the songs. I'm not promising pure musical entertainment. It will take familial love to make these baby's worth watching.

Ellie:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kypd55eXdzA

Addison (Miss Rosa)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j5k_kholwhI

Addison (This little Light)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6KVF-JZ0Z3M

2009 Redux

Happy Birthday, Adam...

Adam, I love this picture of you and Ellie. I think it captures what I love about you this year, which is your sense of humor. You've always had a great sense of humor, but I really think that it helps you to be one of the non-whiniest people I know. There is far too much whining in this world, and I'm proud to say I know someone that doesn't contribute to it. (Which is more than I can say for myself.) I never heard you complain this year, even when juggling a broken neck or a newborn baby with a broken collar bone. I admire that a lot.

So happy birthday. You're phenomenal.

Love you,
Becca

They say its your birthday

Adam's birthday usually falls right in the middle of finals and since Adam has a real knack for staying in the educational system, he also has a pretty high chance of having a lame birthday.

Our first winter at MIT he was so freaked out about his final the next day he didn't even eat his cake, but things got a better. Our next year, after realizing that they only kick out like 1/3 of the students, he did take the evening off. We got a babysitter , but the forecast was snow and more snow 17 inches fell that day. Most of the town shut down and our event was out, so we decided to just drive around and get stuck--as we hated to waste our babysitter. Adam doesn't like to admit it, the oldsmobile handled like a champ in snow, and we could spin around anywhere because the town was mostly deserted--all except for some totally crazy woman we helped get unstuck who was trying to learn about migratory birds. It turned out to be way more fun than the cultural event we had planned, and a great birthday.

Here is hoping for some snow in the Bay area tomorrow!

Happy Birthday Adam...

An ode to Lesli...

Hey Les--remember that one time, when Adam dumped you???

We all thought that was really stupid.

I still consider you the very best hard-earned reward for my missionary service. (Since you did, after all, get engaged and married while I was gone.) So you're very, very welcome. ;)

Love you!!! Happy birthday!!

Becca

Halloween 2009....

Welcome, Ladies and Gentlemen, to Halloween 2009!!

First up, let's just start with the cutest one and get it over with....

Yep, that's Evalyn as the Cutest.mummy.ever....

Is Snow Emily in the woods searching for someone??? Maybe it's her cousin, Cindercharlie!!

Now that we have the princesses together, let's continue westward to find... AHHHHH!


Ninja baby William-san!

But, whoa, check out those muscles. Ellie isn't about to be shoved aside by any super-cute baby brother candy snatcher.

Good thing Addison Potter has his wand...

Happy Halloween!!!

The Newest Smith...

I love how he looks so unimpressed here.

Welcome baby Will.... er.... Laif.... er.... can we just skip straight to "Pard'ner"?