Rainier Challenge Soccer Tournament

Monroe's new soccer team, Seattle United B15 Copa, played in their first tournament of the summer and lost in penalty kicks in the final. They played amazing and it takes real guts to get up on the podium after losing a hard-fought game.

Golf Camp

Father's Day at Gas Works Park

Kicking Off Summer Break at Lost Lake

Grandma Connie came with us as we kicked off summer break at Lost Lake. We checked out the newly renovated bunk house, put mattresses in, and of course had a bit of lake time. The boys also organized the wood pile, a job that basically entailed moving wood from one section to another. Conway and Monroe each moved some of it and then Parker really got after it and finished the job. 

End of School Year Fun

{4th/5th grade ice cream party}

{coe field day}

{is it weird to wear a Camas HS hoodie to your last day of freshman year at Lincoln HS?}

{last day of 6th grade}

{water fun for Conway and his pals}

{everyone picked a treat to celebrate the last day of school 😊}

Conway and Ballard Protege

Monroe Turns Ten!

Monroe is the big 1-0! Double Digits!! He is full of energy and hugs and clever retorts. He requested silver dollar pancakes with chocolate sauce, raspberries, and fried eggs for breakfast; pesto tortellini, mango, and tomatoes for lunch; a trip to Big Max for snack; and ramen with fried eggs and Caesar salad for dinner. And here's a bit more about 10-year-old Monroe. He...

• had an amazing 4th grade year. His teacher was the perfect balance of calm and unphased, but also no-nonsense and totally had Monroe's number. Monroe was pushed and supported and in turn excelled. Amazing!
• still loves needling his brothers (and parents), which is now referred to as rage baiting. Monroe is the master of rage baiting. You would think we would be able to keep ourselves from taking the bait since we know this about him, but apparently that is more difficult than expected. 
• has been gaining independence and frequently goes off biking or scootering around Queen Anne on his own or with friends.
• seems to have one volume and that is LOUD. No matter the feeling or emotion or thought being expressed, we never have a hard time hearing it. 
• asks for one million things every single day - candy, chips, soda, bubbly water, dessert in general, a trip to the store to buy something, device time, video games, to watch a show, screen time in general, a trip to SkyZone, etc... The list has seemingly infinite possibilities. We're trying to tell ourselves that he's practicing being a brave advocate for himself.
• is quick to say thank you and share with others the millions of things he has asked for.
• is taking after his brother's love of shoes and he's getting more specific in his preferences. 
• is still a glutton for attention and he's fairly undiscerning in the kind of attention he receives. He seems to seek out positive and negative attention with equal measure. 
• played Queen Anne Community Center basketball again this year. He had some good buddies on his team and they had a blast.
• is doing Seattle United soccer again this year and made the second team for his age group. It's a nice group of kids and a great coach and it looks to be another wonderful year of soccer. 
• switched from piano lessons to guitar lessons. It's still early, but he seems into it. 
• lists waffles, chicken sandwiches, B.L.T.A.s, and all the desserts as his favorite foods.
• has one last favorite stuffed animal, his squishmellow named Tramp.
• is still working on how to love on Tater with the right amount of contact and pressure. 
• asks for back rubs, back scratches, and snuggles every night at bedtime.
• still wants to hold hands when walking to school and give hugs and kisses before running out to soccer practice and we're here for it. 

Happy 10th Birthday Monroe!

P.S. Monroe Turns Nine, Conway Turns Ten, Parker Turns Ten