Mikayla's 11th Birthday

Mikayla's 11th birthday was broken up into a bunch of mini parties, so to speak this year.  On March 29th a few days before her birthday, she had a party with some of her friends at a place called Hollywood Princess. They got to have their hair, make-up and nails done and have a "run-way" show.

Brooke, Jordan, Mikayla, Allison & Karah

Getting their hair and make-up done

Just got her make-up done.

Hair and make-up done

The gift table

Getting their nails done

Hollywood Princess did the decorations and table settings and provided strawberry lemonade.  We just brought whatever snacks we wanted and cupcakes.

Brooke, Jordan,Mikayla, Allison, & Karah

Opening gifts

On April 1st, the day of Mikayla's birthday, John went and got doughnuts for them to have for breakfast and he picked up doughnuts for me to take to her class later in the day. For dinner we went to a Mexican restaurant here in town.

Fresh out of bed.  Opening her cards and eating her doughnut.  Excuse the bed head!  Mikayla does not do mornings well!  It's quite the job to get her out of bed in the mornings!

Ready to go to school.

Later in the day.  Having doughnuts with her class.  Her friend Jordan is photo bombing in the back ground.

On Sunday, April 6th we had some family over for a birthday dinner.

I made the cake.  Mikayla decorated it.

Happy 11th birthday Mikayla.  You continue to surprise us with all that you have accomplished and overcame.

Ashlee's Fractured Foot

Almost a year ago to the day (plus or minus 2 days), Mikayla fractured her foot at school playing soccer.  This year it was Ashlee's turn.  Ashlee was jumping up and down and landed on her foot wrong.  Ashlee does not handle pain well, so we were not sure if it was broke or sprained, so we decided to wait a few days and see if it would get better.  5 days later I decided we should go to the doctor, to have it checked. I did not think it was broke, but wanted the peace of mind.  Well, I was wrong.  It was fractured.  The doctor said if she would have jumped a few more seconds the bone would have been through the skin of her foot! Luckily, she got to wear a boot cast, and did not have to use crutches.

Literacy Week

This week is Literacy Week at school for the k-5th graders.  Everyday during the week, the kids are encouraged to dress up a certain way and at the end of the week, the class with the most participation gets a pizza party.  There is also a book fair where student's can buy books and a Family Literacy Night with various activities for the kids and their families.

Day 1- Dress like your favorite book character.  Mikayla made a fish to resemble The Rainbow Fish out of card stock and we colored it and put foil on it.  We did not have much to pick from since it was Sunday night at 8pm and she had 30min until bedtime to get something put together.  Unfortunately, I did not get a picture either and by the time she got home it was ripped!  The fish did look nice though.

Day 2-Seussical-Dress like a Dr. Seuss Character.

Jordan and Mikayla. 

Allison, Jordan and Mikayla

Mikayla

Day 3-Dress Like a Librarian- The Librarian at our school is a good friend of ours, Mikayla was going to dress like a "traditional" librarian with the glasses on a chain, etc., but at the last minute she decided to dress like the school librarian.  Our school librarian likes to stop at 7-ELEVEN and grab a Big Gulp so that is what we did.  Mikayla got a pink lemonade instead of soda though.  The librarian thought it was funny.  So did Mikayla's teacher.

California Academy of Sciences-San Francisco

Today Ashlee and I went on a field trip with the 7th graders at her school.  We went to The California Academy of Sciences in San Francisco.  Ashlee and I drove instead of riding the bus.  I was nervous about driving in the heart of San Francisco and navigating the Bay Area traffic, but thanks to GPS and Ashlee's navigating, we made it there and back just fine.  This is definitely a place to take a family trip to.  I had never even heard of this place.  They had a three story rain forest packed with animals I have never seen.  Tiny frogs, two-cans, butterflies flying around, etc,.   There was an aquarium, earthquake simulator, a garden growing from the roof top, and much more.  I never knew there were so many different types and colors of fish.  There are even parts of the building where you kind of feel like you are in the water with the fish, you can stand underneath them and look at them.  We had a nice trip.

The two-cans in the rain forest

Green Lizard on the tree trunk.

Looking up at the fish from the bottom.

This picture does not do this justice.  There were so many different types and colors of fish.  Nemo fish, purple fish, hot pink fish.  

The group of girls we chaperoned

Jelly Fish

Mini turtle

Ashlee on the roof top.  Those circular things let light into the rain forest.  This building does not have any heating or air conditioning.  It is all controlled through "natural means", and it does remain pleasant.  The rain forest was hot and humid though, but that is what a rain forest is suppose to be like.

Penguins.  

Albino Alligator.  Yes it is alive too!

Ashlee, Alyssa, Mariah and Lauren. Ashlee's group of friends.