Ah-foo Ah-foo

Summer officially kicked off for our family the first weekend of June. We went to the Monterey aquarium with good friends and Katie and Kimberly wowed the crowds by skipping around hand in hand singing songs in Spanish. After leaving Monterey we headed North to camp in Manresea. Our site was right on the ocean and Katie and Ben had a blast. Ben found more roly poly’s then he could count and Katie got cold in the ocean. It was back to home to get ready for Carnaval De Colores- Kate’s end of school bash. The event was perfect.

This bumblebee collecting pollen from our apple tree is a picture mom took in early May. Since then, we have had visits from Aunt Megan and Paul Adkins, with news that Paul is moving the family to Eugene, Oregon. Neither visitor brought kids with them, which made for extra nice adult time. Mother’s Day was really special and the kids and Dad went above and beyond making it fun and memorable. Katie is getting ready to wrap up her first year of preschool at Escuela Bilingue Internacional and her Spanish has taken off. At the parent teacher conference we were told she has the most advanced language of the non native speaking kids. She’ll start her Mid-K program there in the Fall. Ben is still tiny but he acts like he’s big. He’s talking a ton and discovering a love for bugs– mostly ladybugs and roly poly’s. He’s sleeping in a big boy bed now. The transition was much easier than it was for Katie. The kids are still getting along really well, with Katie as the protector. She is as proud as we are of his many recent accomplishments.

It wasn’t easy to get into the holiday spirit. After losing my brother (Uncle John), it has been hard to focus on anything and I’ve spent a lot of time wandering around in circles, mostly crying, and definitely not thinking about holidays. Luckily dad has been a great support and he got the kids together and dyed easter eggs. The Easter bunny came on Sunday and Katie and Ben went crazy finding eggs in the backyard. We went to Grayer’s house for a second egg hunt and a beautiful dinner. The outpouring of support from family and friends has made this all more bearable.

Our friend Kathryn (Kalilla’s mom) pointed out some ladybug pupa’s nesting on our front porch. For the next 10 days, we watched each one change and eventually a ladybug was born. It was so cool. The kids, especially Katie, really loved the little lesson in nature. We’d been reading a book called Caterpillar, Caterpillar which was all about the same process, so the timing of spotting the pupa couldn’t have been better.

Look who turned two!! Grandma and Grandpa Dapkus flew in to help with party preparations (including decorating that awesome train cake). Katie was a good helper too, she was more excited for Ben than I’ve ever seen. The party was at Gymboree and everyone had a blast. Ben got a work bench, motorcycle, clothes, trains, and bath toys on his big day. I have to say, he was one happy birthday boy.

Spring is here and the Bay Area weather is so so nice right now. We’ve been spending time at the Oakland Zoo, the Little Farm in Tilden Park, and taking lots of hikes in the woods. Ben continues to marvel at how long the cows tongue is. They are his favorite animal to share lettuce with. Kate prefers the big horned sheep. The wildflowers are already in bloom and the kids love helping find them. We’re all looking forward to another visit from Grandma and Grandpa “D” for Ben’s 2nd birthday party.

Just after Grandma and Grandpa “D” left, the weather took a turn for worse here in Oakland. It rained for three weeks straight and even the ants in our kitchen were seeming restless. Dad had a brilliant idea. “Let’s go to Hawaii!” This was Ben’s first time, and he took to the ocean like a little fish. Grandpa Jake joined us and we all relaxed in the sun for a week. The only thing wrong with the trip was Ben got another ear infection. Even with his ears hurting though, both kids were great on the flights. Next time we hope to stay longer.

It was a nice surprise to have Grandma Pat and Grandpa Dan up for the weekend. They got to see the kids enjoy their Christmas presents and we were able to show off Kate’s kite flying ability.