Thomas Ongoings: we're getting serious

Bike rodeo. these are all the 2nd graders. May is bike month!
but mainly, we've been focusing on practicing hiking. climbing mountains. training. summitting. checking them off the bucket list!
Rob and the dog crossed off Mailbox Peak

while E had a playdate with Y and C. he's rocking the rollerskates. my fitbit didn't register the rollerskating, but i enjoyed it. we got Menchies frozen yogurt afterwards. and then met R at the church for Cinco de Mayo taco dinner. yum.

E's played violin for just over 1 yr now. he played in the Spring Concert that we only observed last year. I'm so proud of him. He played Oh Come Little Children and all the Twinkle Variations. The spring concert consists of all the students of 5 or 6 Seattle area Suzuki teachers.
The concert is different than a recital because at a recital one student stands in front of a group and plays alone. But, at the concert, a small group of advanced students begin on stage playing the hardest pieces, then as they play less difficult pieces, more and more students join until they end with Twinkle and all the students are on stage. it's pretty neat. He wasn't even nervous. We were very proud of him.
The next recital is in 1 month.

We have beautiful flowers in our yard. I came around the corner to this side of the house that i don't normally see and found the rhodies in full bloom!

This is my view during games. (that's E catching!)
I enjoy that i don't have to socialize with other parents and that i don't have to cheer (not allowed from the scorekeeper)
I always have a great seat and really enjoy scorekeeping. I'm getting better at documenting basic runs and outs, but still actively check in with the other teams' scorekeeper and the scoreboard operator about proper notations, especially for any play that's slightly different.

this was an especially good game. they won and the weather was lovely. it was a friday night. we walk there and back. didn't get home until after 8 (bedtime). R was returning after being away for work. we were amped up. it's hard to sleep when you're chanting "We are fired up. We are fired up."

he's almost 8.

he always sleeps with heated up rice pads. he asks Can you check on me one more time, and then again in your dreams?

he's getting taller.

he's eating more. ate a tray of California rolls.
family trip to Mt. Washington. Rob summitted. E and I hiked his longest one yet of 5.6 miles. It was steep and he was a real trooper. my calves are sore. he ate skittles on the way up and tore the bark off a walking stick on the way down. he and i talked about everything then had some quiet time too.