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Wednesday, June 10, 2026

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!







Saturday, May 2, 2026

A Day Trip to Lost Lake

David and Conway were in Yakima for a basketball tournament so Parker, Monroe, Tater, and I headed to Lost Lake for the day. Uncle Damo was also there and took Monroe out for a spin in his little sailboat!



Friday, April 17, 2026

Orlando for Spring Break


Another spring break, another theme park. We had so much fun at Disneyland last year that we thought we'd do Disneyworld this year. In the end, while we did go to Orlando, we opted for Universal Studios and its big rollercoasters, and then some gator experiences. 

Day one was Universal Epic Universe, and it was amazing, except that Parker got sick and spent the second half of the day alternating between puking and laying in the shade. 

Day two we did a swamp airboat tour and saw some big gators! Parker was still feeling sick, so he stayed back at the condo. And then Monroe got sick, so he was out for the count for most of the afternoon.

Day three we rallied and went to Universal Islands of Adventure and Universal Studios. And no one threw up!! Conway and Monroe were rollercoaster buddies, opting for the biggest of the big rides. The favorites were Jurassic World VelociCoaster and The Incredible Hulk Coaster.

Day four we went to Gatorland, where we got to feed alligators, zipline over gator infested waters, and the boys even got up close and personal with a gator.

Day five we got packed up, spent time at the pool, and then headed for the airport and home. There were still plenty of other parks with big rollercoasters that Conway was sad to miss, but I guess he'll just have to go back.