Thursday, January 01, 2015

Sept 2014 - First Day of School!

I missed the chance to post this when it happened, but this year, Zaeda joined Oliver at Trillium Creek Elementary here in West Linn. She's in Kindergarten. He's in second grade.




Disneyworld December 2014

In early December we joined Jon, Laurie, Mike, Karri and little Evan for a trip to Orlando, where we did all we could at Disneyworld attractions for a whole week! It was busy, tons or fun, and a bit exhausting. 

Despite Oliver's frown in almost all group shots, we really all had a blast. We had our own camera and the Disney system that now linked their photographers with an online account, so everything is well-documented. 

Picture-wise, our activities break down into a few categories:

1. Posing in front of stuff!
Epcot Japan

Animal Kingdom


2. Rides!!


Karri is clearly having the best time

Laurie and Zaeda, Jon and Oliver take on the aliens




3. Posing with characters!
Seriously, I wonder how many characters in the parks we didn't get a shot with! This is just a sample.
Goofy!

Belle, while wearing her Belle dress

The young Jedi faces Darth Vader himself


Hangin with Phineas and Ferb


Santa Goofy!

Minnie at a character breakfast

4. Kids being kids

Oliver became a bit obsessed with an interactive treasure hunt / video game / card game where he needed to find portals throughout the park and battle bad guys with his sorcery cards

Baby cousin, Evan!  Such an easy-going kid. It was so much fun to see him and his his older cousins playing together

Oliver gets his Jedi certificate

A little silly dancing one night

Epcot passports all stamped!


Zaeda When She's Mad

Our dear daughter has been quickly picking up reading and writing skills in kindergarten. For the first time, Zaeda sat down and wrote a sentence without asking help from anyone, not even her brother.
She was upset that we wouldn't let her do something, so let the record reflect that Zaeda's first piece of truly independent writing was this piece of emotional manipulation:
TRANSLATION: "I am sorry because I am going to a new house. So good-bye, family."