Gymnastics Class

This week was a parent watch week at gymnastics class. Alia's class goes from 6-6:45 and I teach from 5:30-6:30 so I only got to watch the last little bit, but I did manage to take a little video! Enjoy!

Multnomah Falls

Last weekend, we got up bright and early, (the usual around here) had bagels at Panera and then headed out to Multnomah Falls. The kids enjoyed doing a little hiking and seeing the big waterfall. It is so fun to be able to do these sorts of things now and no one needs to be pushed or carried :-)

Gymnastics Class

This summer Alia started taking a little gymnastics class at the rec center. It's super convenient because she's in class at the same time that I am teaching BodyPump across the hall. Max plays "car-rucks" in the child care room and everyone has a good time. Gymnastics has been a big hit. Alia loves the "monkey bars" and the balance beam. I can't wait for the Olympics to start so that she can see the "big kids" and all their "skills". Today Alia informed me that we had to go to the park so that she could practice her skills on the monkey bars! Love it! This picture was taken at the end of her first session. She'll be continuing with class for the next 5 weeks too. I'm hoping to make it work for fall as well. The schedule is a hair different and the class that she's currently in is a 3-5 year old and in the fall it changes to 4-6. Hoping their let me cheat just a little so that we can continue with the current plan. 

Alia's First Camping Trip

Two weekends ago, Jason and Tom took the "big kids" on their first overnight camping trip while the mommies stayed home with the "babies". They explored, played in the river, ate hot dogs, made smores and slept in a tent. It was a huge hit and Alia's been asking to go back ever since!

Oaks Park

On Tuesday I took Max to Oaks Park for the special pre-school time. The park is just open to those 6 and under and they just have the little kid rides going. From 9:30-11:30 you can do the rides and then they do a story time with cookies and milk afterwards. We didn't last that long, but maybe next time. Alia was at school and I was able to get on a few rides with him and we did the big slide together, but he really enjoyed the cars and the motorcycles. 

The big adventure of the day was riding the little roller coaster. It was a little much for both of us! It did two laps and at the end of one lap, Max said "all done". It was just a little faster and bumpier than he was comfortable with. I'm really looking forward to going back with him again and maybe taking Alia too if I had another set of hands with me. I'm not sure that it's her thing, but you never know until you try!

Check out the video of my cool little dude on a couple of the rides ...

4th of July

We had a really nice 4th of July. As usual, it was just about the first really nice summer day around here. Jason fired up the smoker, I made some festive treats and we enjoyed a nice afternoon with friends. We successfully got both kids to bed and sound asleep before any fireworks started around here and it didn't really interrupt any ones sleep. Phew!

Fourth of July breakfast ... star shaped pancakes and red, white and blue fruit

My festive treats ... sugar cookie dough baked in a mini muffin tin then frosted with cupcake frosting. This was my first attempt at the tri-color frosting and I think it turned out pretty well! I have a plan to make it better next time though :-)

Daddy, Max and Lovey cuddling outside

My gorgeous little girl!

Things got a little wild and crazy at the water table

Alia and her little buddy Baby Jack

I think this picture is so funny ... little monkeys!

BodyCombat

Just realized I'm a hair behind in some posting ... so I'll try to do a little catching up here. 

In June, I went to Washington for a weekend to attend a training to become a BodyCombat instructor. I'm hoping to add it to my list of Group Fitness classes that I am certified to teach. I passed my training class and then the next step was to videotape myself teaching an entire class. I then submit that, it gets assessed and if I pass, then I am certified. On July 1, I gathered some willing friends (and Jason) and taught my "mock class". I sent the video in that night and now I just WAIT and WAIT to see if I passed.

Tomorrow night I have an audition with 24 Hour Fitness to start teaching BodyCombat there. I just started teaching BodyPump there a few weeks ago! My goal is to slowly consolidate my teaching so that my schedule isn't so fragmented between so many places ... hoping to maybe even transition to teaching days when the kids are at preschool :-) Right now I am teaching BodyPump Tuesday and Thursday evenings at Cedar Hills Rec. Center and Saturday mornings at 24, as well as subbing at our gym. Craziness!

The following pictures are just from my phone and were taken AFTER class, so we are all sweaty and smelly and exhausted! So grateful for everyone that came and participated!

Showing Off Some Skills

Here are a few video clips of the kids taken on June 18th (sorry, it took me a bit to get these posted) showing off some of their newest and most favorite skills. Alia demonstrates her counting by 1's and 5's to 100 and Max sings the ABCs and does a little counting! Enjoy!