The Many Aspects of Simon

 

You never know what Simon will appear in or who he'll be....

 

 

 

a thoughtful pirate,

 

 

 

Tinkerbell with pirate ship,

 

 

 

a princessa,

 

 

 

the outfitted biker,

 

 

 

a regal queen,

 

 

 

a furniture mover,

 

 

 

a hiker off to school,

 

 

 

the intrepid cyclist,

 

 

 

and the jolly breakfaster.

Simon transforms!

Easter in Gamboa 

Starts with egg dying in the nearby park, then egg hunting, then the traditional Easter photo of all the kids

which is always difficult to assemble,



 

and organize

and usually, in my memory, ends up looking a bit like this.

Finishing the morning with a brunch across the street and a fabulous boat for wee pirates and sailors to command.

We arrived in Gamboa just in time

 

 

 

for Simon's 3rd birthday Pirate Party preparations!

 

Lots of excitement around the pirate pinata, painting a "Pin the Patch on the Pirate" picture,

 

 

hiding treasure in the sandbox,

 

 

 

making sea shapes for kids to paint based on the fantastic murals Lou and her group designed in Mexico last summer.

 

 

 

 

Pre-party entertainment:  fully garbed for the swimming pool,

 

 

 

 

a needed break in the afternoon with the neighbors Eric and Isaac.

 

 

 

 

Then the food:  it was over an hour's wait for David to check out at the grocery store--everyone stocking up before the Easter holiday.

 

 

 

 

He finally got home and grilled great chicken on skewers.

 

 

 

 

Beginning the feast on the picnic table--pirates raid food.

 

 

 

 

 Simon tests out the plank over dangerous waters!

Very fine to be here and a part of these festivities!

 

 

On our last weekend before leaving for Panama

we got to see Maddie and her friend Luke

advance to orange belts--yeah!!

Hugs from Max (notice Toby's reflection in the doorway).

Then a scrumptious meal at the Page Kenders with the Findleys, lotsa kids

and our excellent hosts.

A little picnic in the shade of the backyard of 817.  We're going to miss this little house, Burbank and most of all the clan 4 blocks away.  We love you!

More Lou Happenings

 

 

 

Although this was a nature happening:  at breakfast Max looked out the kitchen door and saw a  SKUNK crossing the yard.  He yelled "lock all the doors!"(which, of course, we did) and then stood guard at the window to make sure we were safe from any possible skunk attacks.  As Linda put it, she'd really like to have Max around in any emergency.

 

 

 

Later we took him to Kidspace in Pasadena -- crowded with kids but fun (and where Lou pulled him out of a mock tunnel before he got mobbed by kids wanting to get in--a sort of reverse rescue).  Max and Lou are now best buddies.

 

 

 

A grown-up thing--dinner at Firefly Restaurant on Friday night.

 

 

 

And Spencer came from the far west of LA to join us for breakfast on Saturday morning.  Fun to have the cousins together

 

 

 

but sad to see Lou go--she made a huge hit with the grand kids and we loved being with her.

And Lou Arrives!!!

 

(or Linda, as Max pointed out:  "That's her real name.")

 

 

Max had Thursday and Friday off from Pre-K so Toby, Lou-Linda, Max and I went to the California Museum of Science to see the Endeavor.

We thought we were seeing it--but this is actually the Apollo capsule--right?  Who was to know?

 

 

We spent a lot of time in the "digestion" section where Max practically had the whole museum to himself and couldn't be torn away from the interactive things like gurgling intestines.

 

 

 

Later we picked up Maddie from daycare and decided it was just the right moment to exchange gifts---

Linda brought great aprons for the kids and coincidentally I gave her an apron for her birthday

 

 

plus a pair of rainbow shoes--so, of course, there needed to be a "shoe" photo.