More birthday parties, hit by the sickness, and our first lost tooth!

The last days of winter seemed to go fast.  Our winter here has been pretty mild with a lot of rain.  Now that I think about it, we never made it up to the snow.  Damn!  I've said we would do that for the past two years.

Trey went to another birthday party for his friend Ryland from preschool.  It has been so much fun to see all of the kids and moms from preschool, even though the majority of it has been in the context of chasing our kids around fun centers and stuffing tickets in our pockets in order to "buy" junk at the end.  Trey had a lot of fun at this party, and he really enjoyed the video games.  I fear that we are on the road to video game hell.  He is in love with Minecraft, which I don't think is that bad, but he has it in his head that we are going to buy him a video game player for his sixth birthday.

Ry and Trey playing together

Trey and Torryn riding motorcycles

Happy 6th birthday to Ryland!

Randy and Trey, long lost video game buddies

Xander, Torryn, Everett, Ryland, and Trey

Preschool buddies from Home Sweet Home

We were supposed to go to another birthday party the following weekend, but we got hit by the sickness.  I am pretty impressed that it took until March for Trey to finally get sick.  Whatever was going around seemed to linger forever, and we were all just exhausted.  

Two napping Clarks...and I bet Randy wasn't far behind in the recliner.

While Trey was sick, he was stuck to me like glue.  

The weekend we were sick was Marvel Super Heroes Live.  It was probably not the best decision to take Trey, but I bought the tickets a year and a half ago, so unless he was puking or had a really high fever (which he was not), I was taking him.  The show was excellent, and I am really glad I didn't skip it.

I've been working really hard at trying to get some of my kids to figure out reading.  I have some really stuck kids, and I feel really frustrated that I cannot help them to make progress.  This is also the time of year when it feels pretty hopeless because state testing is just around the corner, so it almost seems like our instructional times are done.  One day I was working with a first grader on CVC words  (consonant-vowel-consonant), and I asked him to make up his own word for me and read it as his ticket out the door.  He came up with this.  Ironic?  I think not.

Probably the biggest news around the Clark house is that Trey lost his first tooth!!!!!!!  I cannot believe how weird this is for me because I feel like he has now officially grown up.  He just looks different, and it kind of bums me out - but in a good way.   He now has his second loose tooth, so we will see how long it takes for that one to fall out...and the tooth fairy better be prepared with a dollar because the tooth fairy does not often carry cash.

A few weeks ago there was a spring school dance, so Trey and I walked over.  Our friends from the neighborhood were there, so the grown ups stood in the back and talked while the kids went crazy.  It was actually pretty fun, and it wore Trey out big time.

Trey and Sunny, one of his besties from kindergarten

This is what an elementary school dance looks like.  Ha!

Another picture of Trey and Sunny, sent to me by Sunny's mom

School dance selfie!

In the middle of March, Randy's parents came down for the night to attend Randy's grandmother's memorial service the next day.  We all drove out to Hood River for the event, and Randy's brother Bob flew up from California for the day.  It was nice to spend some time with Bob and also to see some of Carmen's family.  We wished Doug and Carmen could have stayed longer, but we will take whatever we can get!

Reading to Grandma and Grandpa

Family shot!

Trey and I waiting in the car for the service to end.

45 minutes of being totally quiet in the church was about all my boy could handle.

In the past few weeks I have been an assistant twice at Hipcooks in North Portland for their cooking classes.  Kathleen and I went to one of their Thai cooking classes in December, and I saw this opportunity to help out.  Being an assistant is rad.  You get all of the recipes that they make, you get to taste all of the food, you get to listen to all of the directions, and you don't have to pay.  After three classes of being an assistant, you get a free class!  All you have to do as an assistant is wash dishes and help the teacher.  I love it!

The first class I helped with was a cocktail party theme.  I had caviar for the first time and got to enjoy all of the cocktails in little shot glasses.  The food was great, and I learned a few new apps to make for parties.  Also, it was really nice to spend four hours thinking about something that was not work or school related.

With the time change, it has been nice to drive to and from work in the daylight.  I'm missing out on my sunrises, but I do get a good one here and there.  This was a beautiful morning leading up to spring break.  I am trying to enjoy and appreciate beauty and the small things (allegedly it's supposed to help with stress - I'll let you know if it works!), and this sunrise was definitely easy to enjoy.

February Fun

February felt like the month of birthday parties.  I think we had one every single weekend - sometimes two - and while I love seeing Trey surrounded by his friends and people who he adores (not to mention getting to catch up with some of my favorite moms), I was ready for a break from the birthday party circuit.  Out of This World, Chuck E. Cheese, Bullwinkle's...you name it.  We were there.

On this very special weekend, we got to go to TWO birthday parties at Chuck E. Cheese in ONE day.  That's right, my friends.  I went there TWICE.  In ONE day.  

Jackpot!

The first party was for Case, Trey's cousin, who turned three.  Trey was thrilled to go to Chuck E. Cheese for the first time ever, and he ran around like a madman putting his tokens in machines that a) took his token and did nothing (aka no tickets), b) he couldn't figure out how to work, or c) he loved.  He had a fabulous time and left with some junk that he couldn't do without that managed to stay in the bottom of my purse until just yesterday.
 

Happy third birthday to Case!

Trey has a new love for these kinds of video games.  I think he played this one about five times in a row.

Later in the afternoon, we went BACK to Chuck E. Cheese for Trey's friend Miguel's party.  Somehow Randy managed to be fishing on this special day and didn't have to go to either Chuck E. Cheese party.  How did that happen, you ask?  Because I am the best wife ever!  (Actually, it was because I was leaving for two nights the following weekend to be with my besties and I felt a little guilty.)

Air hockey with Miguel

Happy birthday to Miguel, a friend from Trey's kindergarten class!

Later that night, we went to Julie's for Case's family birthday party.  Both sets of Case's grandparents were there for the celebration as well as some of my parents' family friends, the Lockards.  It was a fun party, and Julie is so lucky to be surrounded by such grandparental support.

Julie was really excited about this gift.

Jim and my dad, friends since third grade

Happy birthday to Case, again!

A McGuire family shot with a photobomb by Trey

So, I don't know if you knew this, but someone in my family is a diehard Broncos fan.  He was just a little bit teensy weensy excited about the Super Bowl this year.  I was mostly hoping that it wasn't another repeat of the Super Bowl a few years ago.  We decided not to have a party like we did the last time...just in case.  But needless to say, the Broncos pulled it off and Randy was very very happy.

One random night Trey thought it would be hilarious to put playdough all over our faces.  I have some other pictures of this special event, but thought these two were the best.  I love my kid.

Trey brought the class bear home for the night and had to do something and then write about it for the class book.  He decided he wanted to play games, so we had a mid-week family game night with the special bear (whose name I cannot remember).   Trey has become really interested in board games, which I think is fantastic.

Later that week, we had Kris and John over for dinner and Cards Against Humanity.  We put a little G-rated game playing in before the adult game started, just for Trey.

We had a ton of fun and drank all the wine I bought for girls' weekend.  Damn!

The next morning of the three day President's Day weekend, I was leaving for the beach with Sarah, Sarah, and Julie.  It was also Valentine's Day weekend (second year in a row I've left Randy and Trey on V Day.  Oops.).  I bought Trey some Skittles and some Minecraft Legos, so he was content to say goodbye to Mama.

This is the third annual weekend away at Cannon Beach with Sarah, Sarah, and Julie, and we all look forward to it.  It is a toss-up whether we are more excited to spend time together or to get away from regular home life for a few nights...

Dinner at a random hardware store in Cannon Beach that also is a pub.

We caught a few minutes without rain, so we went for a walk on the beach.  I was told I couldn't put it on Facebook, but they didn't say anything about the blog...

Not the best beach weather...

But we were content to stay inside, do a puzzle (Julie and Sarah), 

and read (Sarah and me)

Trey's kindergarten class had the classic 100th day party at school.  I wasn't able to be there, but some of my mom friends were and they took pictures for me and texted them to me.  I am pretty bummed that I cannot be more involved in Trey's class, but I am also pretty lucky to have met some great moms who keep me in the loop and send me fun pictures like these.

One of the reasons I couldn't help out at the 100th day party (well, besides working full time an hour away from home) is that I was at the NW PBIS conference in Portland.  For non-educators, PBIS is Positive Behavior Intervention Supports, and it is commonly used in schools to assist with behavior.  I went to the conference with my counselor, my principal, and a third grade teacher, and we all learned a lot and became invigorated about the use of PBIS in our school.  But one of the greater parts was that I got to see a lot of old awesome friends from my days at the Eval Center, and that made me so happy!

Lunch walk with Ron, Kathi, and Erin

A beautiful place to have a conference

I was nearly giddy to see Rick, one of the psychologists from the Eval Center, who was at the conference to give a presentation.  I could listen to him talk for hours.  I have missed that so much.

Rick's session got packed, so they moved everyone to the lounge.  Sitting with Kerry in a lounge listening to Rick present was so perfect.  Well, except for the fact that we weren't drinking beer while listening to Rick talk.

Another beautiful lunch walk...and I took this picture because one of my groups was reading about Mt. Saint Helens.

After the conference, Mindy, Kerry, Shannon and I went to Saraveza for happy hour.  The lady at Saraveza recommended this beer for Randy since he likes Pliny the Elder so much.  I bought a four pack, and it was freaking delicious.  I have been looking for it since then, but haven't found it.  It was so good.