Penny for Your Thoughts

I used to collect these - who am I kidding, I still would, but now Olivia has taken on the tradition.

San Diego Vacation - June 2009

I guess I'm already out of order - this was before first grade - I'll get better at sequence.  We took a little trip down to San Diego.  After we checked into the hotel, we drove to the beach on the first night.  I remember Olivia crashing out in back seat and it wasn't even close to bedtime.

She rallied though - here are some of my favorite photos ever of this kid - saying hello to the California ocean.

And of course we conquered SeaWorld - I do recall this girl being super CRABBY when we were there.  Insisting on sitting in Shamu's Soak Zone - and bawling her eyes out when she got soaked.  Ah, memories - I can smile about it now, in the moment, I remember mommy and daddy being very frustrated!

First Day of First Grade - September 2009

These are the easy ones to find - first day of school pictures.  This was Olivia's first day of first grade, but also her first day at a brand new school.  I like to say she transferred to Xavier's School for Gifted Youngsters - where they will teach her to use her gifts for good and not evil.

Let's Do This!

So many memories have gone by - and we fell off the bloggin' wagon so hard - we'll do better.  I'm going to patch up some of the holes here... and vow to document this amazing kid's life.

i LOVE kindergarten

The Dish was very nervous and excited at the same time. Once she hit the playground before school started, she seemed to be ready to have mom and dad hit the road. She made a new friend immediately and sprinted to line up when the bell rang (leaving mom & dad in the dust). She reached the really mom, go now and stop the video camera, very shortly after plopping down at her desk.

All in all a wonderful first day. By the time we picked her up, she said she loved kindergarten at least three times. Recess is of course her favorite. Did you know they have THREE recesses?

She's going to dig school. Our girl is growing up, and we couldn't be prouder of her.

we heart daddy

long overdue, but somewhat recent photos for all you fans. father's day was a surprise adventure for daddy, livin is a very good secret keeper. took him for a picnic and kite flying at gasworks. then took him to the races for the day. no shortage of sassiness from the princess that afternoon!

Merry Christmas, Everyone!

The Next Idol

We've been terribly negligent here, but we have loads of photos we'll get up soon. To tide you over until then, a short video of Liv showcasing her singer/songwriter cred.



Since we shot this video, she's been writing songs down. She's probably up to about twenty. My current favorite is "Do the Chonga."

Windy Lake Wenatchee

Well, at least it didn't rain on us, but the weather wasn't so good. But, Olivia was a rock star camper, for sure. She loved hanging in the tent and poking at the fire. But most of all, she will tell you that SMORES were the best part of the vacation.

Recital

So, one week after the big birthday, she had her very first fancy ballet recital. (Sorry, no flash photography or video cameras allowed!)

She had the curtsy down!


Mom is surprised to have gotten a smile out of her - she was super focused on the free cookies for the dancers.