Lion King

We made our first family trip to the theater in June (not counting multiple performances of Sesame Street Live or Disney on Ice) when we attended the matinee performance of Disney's Lion King at the Kennedy Center in Washington.  Even in the nosebleed seats, the show was great!

 

 

 

 

 

 

Vivian's Soccer

Vivian participated in a spring soccer session at St. Anthony's.  Both kids have done these afterschool clinics for several years now.  Run by Khary Stockton Soccer, they mostly focus on developing fundamental skills--there is very little actual soccer played. One of the highlights of every session is the parachute sprint, when each child runs around the field with a parachute strapped to his/her back (see the picture below).  The clinics are held in the park across from the school, making them super convenient.  And of course, everyone gets a trophy at the end. 

 

Dutch Wonderland

We celebrated the end of school (and the start of summer) with a day trip to Dutch Wonderland in Lancaster, PA.  We wondered if the kids might have outgrown the park, but as you can see below, they had a ball.  The new dinosaur exhibit was a nice addition to the park.  Henry's favorite ride was still the roller coaster (we rode three times), and the highlight for Vivian, curiously enough, was the diving show.  It ain't Disney World, but this little theme park still delivers a ton of fun.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Kindergarten "Graduation"

Henry's first year at St. Mary's ended with a concert and reception.  Henry and his classmates sang some special songs for their parents, including "Let's Go Fly a Kite," from Mary Poppins, "Do Re Mi" from Sound of Music, and for their grand finale, "In Summer" from Frozen. Afterwards, the children received their Kindergarten "diplomas" and enjoyed some playtime together before being dismissed for the summer.  We were really pleased with how the year went for Henry.  Despite some occasional hiccups (we learned to assess our days in colors--red, yellow and green...and every now and then, blue!), Henry seemed to adjust well to his new environment and made many friends.  With Kindergarten behind us, it's on to first grade and the start of homework.  First, however, Henry has a well deserved summer of fun lined up with camp at Burgundy Farm and an August vacation in Canada (more about those later).  Well done, Henry!  You make us so proud.

 

 

  

Vivian's Dance Recital

Our little ballerina participated in her second dance recital this spring.  Since last year was a daddy-and-daughter dance (see Vivian's Dance Recital), this was Vivian's first time performing solo, and she danced beautifully, of course.  This year's theme was Peter Pan, with Vivian's class dancing as pirates.  As you can see from the photos below, she has really good form for a four-year-old.  Vivi was especially excited that Mimi Joanne was able to join us for the recital.  Afterwards, we presented Vivian with a bouquet of flowers and treated her to lunch (along with several of her classmates) at the Silver Diner.  Now that she has a year of ballet behind her, Vivian has been asking to take tap lessons.  Mommy and daddy may have to say yes, if only to keep their daughter from tap dancing all over the house.  Well done, Vivi, we're all so proud of you!  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Memorial Day 2014

Elise and the kids traveled to Howell, Michigan to spend Memorial Day weekend with Mimi Pauline (Bryant stayed behind to catch up on some house projects).  Just before departing, we learned that Henry had been selected as the "superstar of the week" at school, which meant he got to keep the class mascot—Mr. Wise the Owl—for the long weekend.  Fortunately, Mr. Wise did not require an extra seat on the plane.  Once in Howell, Henry, Vivian and Mr. Wise enjoyed a weekend full of activities, including a trip to the Howell Nature Center (where they got to see a real life snowy owl) and a visit to the Detroit Zoo.  The water play area at the Howell Nature Center was an especially big hit (see the photos below).  Back at Mimi Pauline's house, the kids enjoyed riding around in Mimi's green gator, petting the neighbors' horses and catching up with the resident Labradors.  Below are some photos from the long weekend—be sure to keep an eye out for Mr. Wise!

 

  

  

 

  

Signs of Spring

 

 

After one of the longest, coldest winters in recent memory, spring finally sprung in May.  We knew summer was just around the corner when the irises in the front yard burst into color (see above).  We opened the windows and enjoyed the humidity-free weather before the full force of DC summer descended upon us.  Below are some photos of the kids enjoying another rite of spring: the annual Spring Fling at St. Mary's school in Old Town Alexandria.