Catherine's World

Christmas

2012-01-26T19:47:00.001-08:00

Merry Christmas!

Yes, I know it's been a month but here at last is our Christmas post.

We had a wonderful, if low-key, Christmas. As you will recall from the previous post, we spent December 23rd at Disneyland, not getting to bed until 11 pm. Needless to say, we were all exhausted the next day (Christmas Eve). Catherine even fell asleep in the car on the drive home from LA, a very rare occurrence!

With her beloved Pillow-Pet (I'm still wondering how Colleen Nicklos knew!)

Making Catalina's new bed

Ta Da! (Now if Catherine could just make her own bed like that!)

Since Catherine has been asking for a guitar every year since she was 3 years old, we thought it was time to finally buy her one. Lessons to follow...

We still can't get used to this SoCal "winter" weather, but Richard at least is giving it a good try! Yes, this really was Christmas Day!

Disneyland!

2011-12-29T09:40:00.000-08:00

On the day before Christmas Eve, we went to Disneyland with my friend, Colette, and her family. It was so much fun! Disneyland was decorated so beautifully, with more lights than usual, garlands everywhere and wreaths shaped like Mickey Mouse ears. Sleeping Beauty's castle was dazzling, especially after dark when the lights came on and it looked like it was covered in shimmering snow! It even snowed on Main Street! It was so beautiful and I loved every minute of it.

With Rapunzel and Flynn Rider.

We asked her where her tiara was and she said it was in Flynn's napsack because it keeps slipping off her head.

With Colette on It's a Small World

Riding the Mad Hatter's Tea Cups with Mommy & Colette

The King Arthur Carousel

Waiting in line for one of my favorite rides - the Matterhorn!

It's a Small World after dark

See how beautiful Sleeping Beauty's Castle is!

Come Sail Away

2011-10-25T19:10:00.000-07:00

A few weeks ago we all got to go sailing during a Sunday race. The weather was perfect and it was a great race, although it was a bit windy and Mommy and I got stuck down below with two other non-sailors, so we wouldn't get in the way on deck. I can't wait to learn how to sail so I can stay up top and help.

Summer Vacation

2011-09-12T17:03:00.000-07:00

Okay, time for a little post-summer vacation clean up. Let me bring you all up-to-date on my super vacation in Sunriver. Papa and Nana came for a few days and we celebrated Papa's birthday with him. My friends from Seattle, Colin and Alexa, were there, too. We played tennis, swam in the pool a lot, rode our bikes a lot and saw a lot of deer - one night they crossed right behind the house! One of the most fun things we did was rent a canoe and paddle down the Deschutes River. The people at the marina only gave Mommy and Daddy paddles but I commandeered Mommy's paddle and helped Daddy out for most of the journey so Mommy could put her feet up and enjoy floating down the river. A family of deer right alongside the river stopped and watched us go past.

Hanging out at the pool with Alexa & Colin

Look - no hands!

On the trip up we stopped at Crater Lake and I got a junior ranger badge for participating in a Park Ranger talk. I couldn't believe how blue the water is. Crater Lake is the deepest lake in North America and it is so blue because of its depth and because it filled with fresh water, just rain or snow melt. There are no rivers that feed into or out of Crater Lake. A huge volcano, Mount Mazama, collapsed and created the caldera that is Crater Lake (see, I learned a lot!)

Posing with Wizard Island in the background

Earning my ranger badge

Saying Good-bye to Colin

Playing Catch-Up

2011-07-09T19:55:00.000-07:00

Yes, I know: it's been ages since I've posted anything new. I thought with summer I would have some extra time to play catch-up. I was wrong. Here are a few photos of what Catherine has been up to so far this summer.

Saying good-bye to beloved Mrs. Perkins on the last day of school. Mrs. Perkins was everything you could ever wish for in a kindergarten teacher and we feel so lucky to have been in her class. She'll definitely be a hard act to follow!
More tennis lessons this summer.

And some nights Catherine is so tired she falls asleep in the middle of a story!

Jog-A-Thon!

2011-04-21T11:38:00.000-07:00

Last month was the Peabody Jog-A-Thon. We had been practicing in PE for months and my goal was to run 20 laps in 40 minutes. I took Papa's advice and didn't run too fast, I stopped for water breaks and to take a picture every time I passed Mommy. I ended up beating my goal and ran 21 laps. I raised $360 and won a ticket to Disneyland. My class raised the most money out of all 5 kindergarten classes and won an ice cream party!

With my tally sheet

Carah and me approaching the finish line - whew!

Colette, her little sister Ava and me before the race

Mrs. Perkins' Class aka The Blue Lightening Bolts

Disneyland - Part 2

2011-02-11T17:06:00.001-08:00

On the King Arthur Carousel with Mommy

We squished into a teacup with Eric, Tristan, St. John and Rohan. We spun it around as fast as we could!

In Toon Town with Auntie Shaunmarie

I loved driving the Autopia car. Mommy rode with me because I couldn't reach the gas pedal but I got to steer all by myself!

Disneyland!

2011-02-08T11:36:00.000-08:00

Mommy and Daddy took me to Disneyland for the very first time last weekend. It was amazing! I loved it! We met up with Auntie Shaunmarie and the Crazy Boys and we had a great time. I rode the Matterhorn, Indiania Jones, the Jungle Cruise, It's a Small World, Pirates of the Caribbean, the Haunted Mansion, Dumbo, Alice in Wonderland, Rocket to Space....so many rides, I can't decide which one is my favorite.

Going into "It's a Small World"

In the Enchanted Tiki Room (they have Dole Whips - yum!)

Worn out from so much fun

Life's a Beach

2011-01-22T15:16:00.000-08:00

Last Monday was the Martin Luther King, Jr. Holiday and I was off school. We went to the beach with Laird, Claire and Zane. It was beautiful weather, over 80 degrees and we had such a good time building sand castles, chasing each other around and just enjoying the gorgeous January day.

Christmas Eve

2010-12-26T15:39:00.001-08:00

We had a really wonderful Christmas this year. On Christmas Eve, we went to Stella's house for dinner. We had a great time tracking Santa's progress on the NORAD website. We kept the grown-ups informed when he was in "Ho-hio" (Ohio) and "Indy-Hannah" (Indiana). We stayed up past our bedtimes but as soon as I got home, I jumped in bed and covered up my head.

Daddy and me pretending to be Rudolph!

Happy Halloween!

2010-10-31T16:41:00.000-07:00

Ahoy me hearties! Catherine the Pirate Queen had a fantastic Halloween. We are still amazed at the elaborate decorations on the houses in our neighborhood. We had such a fun, busy weekend. On Friday, Peabody had their annual costume parade where all the students march around the quad while songs like "Monster Mash" and "Thriller" are played over the loudspeaker. Later in the afternoon was the class party and Mommy helped out. We made Halloween-themed arts and crafts, decorated pumpkin-shaped sugar cookies and Mrs. Perkins read us a Halloween story.

Then on Saturday night our neighbors had a party. My friend Laird is 4 and he and I play together a lot. The party was at his house. His mom, Gwyn, is a huge Halloween fan and no wonder, her birthday is the October 30th! Even Mommy and Daddy dressed up for this party. Daddy was a Southern California vampire and Mommy was a witch. I love her hat!

Laird and me

On Sunday, Mommy and I got to go sailing with Daddy for the first time. It was a beautiful day, lots of wind and we sailed a great race. We think we won! After the race we had to come and relax a bit before heading out trick-or-treating with my friend Colette and her sister, Ava.

Colette, Ava and me

My Very Own Very Hungry Caterpillar

2010-09-14T20:03:00.000-07:00

We have been fascinated by Monarch butterflies since moving to Southern California (see first entry January 2010). After reading books about Monarchs we learned that they only lay their eggs on the milkweed plant and that is the only thing their caterpillars will eat. Auntie Shaunmarie and the Crazy Boys gave us a gift certificate to a nursery and we used it to buy the biggest milkweed plant they had. The very afternoon we brought it home a beautiful Monarch butterfly visited and laid her eggs, lots and lots of tiny green eggs.

Suddenly, our milkweed was literally crawling with yellow, white and black caterpillars. Our highest count was 24! They start out very small and eat and eat and eat until they become very fat. Just like one of our favorite books "The Very Hungry Caterpillar" by Eric Carle. The poor milkweed plant looks terrible now but that is its fate.

In this picture you can see three different stages of the caterpillar: the tiny green dot on the upper left of the leaf is an egg, the small green caterpillar and the big fat one.

We named a particularly big one Pudgy and one day we noticed he seemed to be slowing down. Then one morning we couldn't find him. That evening we noticed he had crawled up the side of the house. He began to curl and by the next morning he had spun his chrysalis.

The chrysalis was green but after more research we learned that the chrysalis shell is clear and that the green we saw was actually the pupa inside. As the transformation inside occurred we began to see the faint outline of the butterfly's wings inside.

This morning we knew it was time, we could clearly see the orange, yellow and black wings of his wings. Catherine had to go to school and I had errands to run and by the time I got home, the Monarch was out! His wings were not fully opened and I watched and waited as they slowly opened and closed, getting bigger and bigger. After 30 minutes I went inside and when I came back out the Monarch had flown away.

After breaking free, the wings are not fully open.

The last I saw of Pudgy before he flew away

I spied a beautiful Monarch on the milkweed later this afternoon and I think maybe it was Pudgy - although we'll have to come up with a better name now, more suited to a beautiful Monarch butterfly.

PS - We put another large caterpillar into a small, mesh covered "Critter Cabin" the other day and he has now spun his chrysalis hanging from the top. We named this one George and we'll see if we can capture his breaking free of the chrysalis. Stay tuned.....

First Day!

2010-08-26T09:27:00.000-07:00

Today was my first day at Peabody Charter School. I am officially a kindergartener! I requested strawberry pancakes for breakfast (and spaghetti for dinner tonight). I've got my new shoes, new outfit and my fancy new backpack - I'm all set.

Mommy and Daddy walked me to school a little before 8 o'clock. We gathered on the kindergarten playground behind our classrooms. There are 100 kindergarteners in 5 classrooms. I have 20 kids in my classroom and Mrs. Perkins is my teacher. She is super nice! I think I am going to like kindergarten.

Namaste

2010-08-10T14:54:00.000-07:00

Catherine has been studying yoga for two years, since she was introduced to it in preschool at The Children's School in Seattle. We found a studio here in Santa Barbara that offers children's yoga and she has been doing it every Tuesday this summer. She loves it and I have to say I am very impressed by some of her poses. Her wonderful teacher took these photos of her in action.

Viva La Fiesta!

2010-08-09T11:00:00.000-07:00

Every August, the whole of Santa Barbara pretty much shuts down for Old Spanish Days, more commonly referred to as Fiesta. It began in the 1920's as a way to bring tourists back after a devastating earthquake. It is now a 5 day festival and everywhere you go there is music and dancing. We were showing Papa and Nana around town when we stumbled on a stage at the mall where girls were dancing. There is also a mercado (Spanish for market) with merchants selling dresses, pottery, jewelry and pretty much anything else you could think of. There are also food booths selling delicious Mexican food. Mommy and Daddy had tamales and enchilladas and for dessert we all had churros!

On Saturday, there is a children's parade and Clipper Windpower had a float that I rode on. It was so much fun! My friend Stella loaned me a dress and I got to hand out pinwheels to all the kids along the parade route. I can't wait to do it again next year. Viva La Fiesta!

Independence Day Part 2 - The Afternoon

2010-07-06T12:34:00.001-07:00

After taking a little break following the parade, we headed to a BBQ/pool party in the afternoon, hosted by a friend of Daddy's (he owns the sailboat Daddy races on). The pool was amazing, it even had its own waterfall! I played in the pool for a long time with the other kids that were there and Daddy even got in to help me swim. I'm getting better!

A view from the top - look at me swimming with Daddy!

Under the waterfall

In the hot tub

Independence Day Part 1 - The Morning

2010-07-06T10:36:00.000-07:00

I had such a fun 4th of July. We started out the day in Montecito, where I got to ride in the parade with my friend Stella, her sister Shaelynn and their friend, Arabella. We rode in a neat old car, a 1947 Willys Jeepster, that was decorated with ribbons and balloons. Stella and Shae's grandpa was our chauffeur (that's a fancy word for driver that I learned from Fancy Nancy) and we got to sit in the back seat and wave to the crowds. It was a blast!

Stay tuned for my further 4th of July adventures.....

Notre Dame Pre-K Graduation

2010-06-23T13:19:00.000-07:00

Catherine graduated from pre-kindergarten a couple of weeks ago and they had a lovely ceremony at school. The children wore caps and scarves and received "diplomas." When asked what they liked most about pre-k the overwhelmingly popular response was playing outside with their friends on the playground.

The art teacher worked for a month with the children to do a landscape painting on canvas as a gift for the parents

With the wonderful pre-k teacher, Mrs. James

Catherine is very excited to be a kindergartner now and is looking forward to going to Peabody Charter School in the fall. Peabody is just a couple of blocks away so she is already practicing riding her bike to school.

I Madonnari Street Painting Festival

2010-06-08T12:01:00.000-07:00

One of the most popular Memorial Day weekend festivities in Santa Barbara is the I Madonnari Festival. It is a street painting festival based on those they have in Italy, so-called because the artists traditionally painted pictures of the Madonna.

The Santa Barbara festival was created over 20 years ago and takes place in front of the beautiful Old Mission. Countless artists work over a 3-day period to create masterpieces out of pastels on the ground in front of the Mission. In addition, there are food booths with traditional fare, including gelato, which you bet we had!

Here are pictures of a few of our favorites:

In progress

This one looks familiar!

The artist at work

Doesn't it look like you could step right into this one?

Sesame Street Live

2010-05-31T18:29:00.000-07:00

We have had a very busy couple of weeks and I have lots to report. Mommy promises she'll get it all on the blog but it might be out of order.

First up on the long Memorial Day weekend we drove an hour south to Thousand Oaks to see Sesame Street Live. Even though I don't often watch Sesame Street anymore, I loved it and I recognized all the characters - Abby Cadabby, Bert & Ernie, Elmo, Zoe, Big Bird, Cookie Monster, Oscar the Grouch...they were all there. It was so much fun to see them all come to life. There was a lot of singing and dancing - both on stage and in the audience! I brought my own Abby Cadabby along to see all her friends and she and I danced and sang along with everyone else.

Me and Abby Cadabby ready for the show

Abby & Elmo doing the hula

With my Elmo balloon

San Francisco!

2010-05-19T07:51:00.000-07:00

My fifth birthday celebration continued in San Francisco with Papa and Nana. We had such a great time exploring the places I'd read about in my books "Maybelle the Cable Car" and "This is San Francisco." We went to Fisherman's Wharf, rode a cable car, a bus and a trolley, went to the Academy of Sciences in Golden Gate Park and Steinhart Aquarium. One of the best things was taking a ferry ride in the Bay - we went right under the Golden Gate Bridge and past Alcatraz Island!

Riding a cable car with Nana and Mommy

Wow! The Golden Gate Bridge is ginormous, especially seen from the water below.

Papa and I sharing dessert in a North Beach restaurant.

The Big 5!

2010-05-05T09:52:00.000-07:00

I love opening presents!

My new jewelry/music box!

My new Minnie Mouse flip-flops

I am five years old now! My birthday was so much, we celebrated the whole month of April. First, Aunt Barbi came to visit for my birthday. We took her to the beach and she was here for my party. I had a party for some of my school friends in the backyard. We played musical chairs, pin the tail on the giraffe and we even had a pinata. It was really hard to break it open so Daddy had to do it.

Spring Break in Arizona

2010-04-21T11:53:00.000-07:00

We drove from Santa Barbara to Scottsdale to spend Easter and Spring Break with Papa and Nana. It was a long drive but fun to go through the desert -- and I got to see some of Daddy's wind turbines in Palm Springs!

I had so much fun in the pool.

We went to the Sugar Bowl twice!

Me and Papa being silly

We went to Butterfly Exhibit at the Desert Botanical Garden

A butterfly landed on my hat - twice! This one is a Malachite.

Student of the Month

2010-03-04T22:29:00.001-08:00

Catherine was chosen by her teacher as the Pre-Kindergarten Student of the Month for March. Each month, there is one student from each grade who is chosen as the best representation of the Student Learning Expectations for Notre Dame. The acronym is SAINTS and it stands for Social Justice, Academic Excellence, Inspiration, Needs of Others, Traditions, Success. We are very proud of our girl!

Sleepy-time Girl

2010-01-26T14:30:00.000-08:00

Catherine and Catalina

I guess she fell asleep reading 'Peter Pan' to Simba

Usually Truffles is under her head like a pillow. Not sure what happened this night.

A word from Mommy here. I just can't resist taking Catherine's photo when she is sleeping. She is just so darn sweet and sometimes she falls asleep in the funniest positions. She sleeps so soundly that even the camera flash doesn't wake her up. I just had to share these pictures of our little sleepy-time girl.

Riding on the Tagalong Bike

2010-01-17T15:58:00.000-08:00

We have a really cool new bike for me that attaches to Daddy's bike. It's called a tagalong and it's awesome! I have my own pedals and handlebars and I can pedal along behind Daddy. We rode all over the neighborhood last weekend and yesterday we rode downtown to the farmer's market (and put our produce in Mommy's new basket) and then on to the playground. I love the tagalong!

New Year's Weekend in Morro Bay

2010-01-11T10:54:00.000-08:00

Can you see the Monarch Butterflies?

We decided to take a little trip for the New Year's weekend and drove a couple of hours north to the town of Morro Bay. It was a beautiful place, with wonderful beaches and playgrounds and a huge monolith right off the shore. We played in the sand, flew the kite and took long walks on the beach.

Flying the kite

On the way back to Santa Barbara, we stopped in Pismo Beach at the Monarch Butterfly Grove. It was amazing! Every winter the Monarchs return to this part of California and everywhere you looked there were beautiful butterflies. They were flying overhead and were covering the Eucalyptus trees. Look hard at the pictures and you can see the bright orange of the Monarchs. It was so cool!

Thank you, Santa!

2009-12-28T12:09:00.000-08:00

With Catalina

In my new outfit

Playing my new Candyland game with Catalina and Daddy

Now I'm an engineer just like Uncle Peter!

With Coconut

Santa remembered and he brought me my American Girl doll! She looks like me with brown hair, blue eyes and bangs. I named her Catalina, which is Spanish for Catherine. Papa and Nana gave me Coconut the dog and a vet set so I can give her check-ups and keep her healthy. I got so many neat presents - pajamas, nightgowns, cardigans, coloring books, my very own boom box with a Disney Princess CD to listen to, and lots of clothes. Christmas was a lot of fun this year. Thank you everyone!

Catherine's Christmas Program Video

2009-12-23T10:09:00.000-08:00

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vsm12bvFgAQ

School Christmas Program

2009-12-22T14:00:00.000-08:00

My entire school put on a Christmas program last week. The preschool and pre-K classes joined together to sing two songs: This Little Star of My Mine and Twinkle Twinkle Little Star. We wore gold star costumes and sang in front of all the families. I had a great time.

With my friend Stella before the program

Breakfast with Santa

2009-12-06T09:50:00.000-08:00

I did it! I actually did it! I sat on Santa's lap and Daddy took the pictures to prove it. Many of you may remember that for the past few years I have sat in front of Santa, not on his lap, and that last year I absolutely refused to sit in front, beside, or anywhere near him. Mommy and I talked a lot about it this year and I said I'd think about it.

Yesterday morning, all three of us had Breakfast with Santa at Nordstrom. He was sitting in his chair when we arrived and lots of kids were sitting with him and taking pictures but I wasn't ready yet. While we were eating our breakfast, he came around to talk to the kids and collect our letters, but I still wasn't ready and my letter wasn't finished - spelling American Girl Doll takes a long time. After breakfast, there was a neat puppet show with marionettes and I enjoyed that a lot.

As we were getting ready to leave, I remembered that I hadn't given Santa my letter yet. He was sitting in his chair again so I went over and before you know it, I was in his lap. He was very nice and he told me that he gets the American Girl catalog, too, and he knows exactly which doll I want. Then he gave me a candy cane and told me to be a good girl and he'd see me next year. It wasn't scary at all and I am so glad I did it.

The other great part about Breakfast with Santa was that I ran into my first friend in Santa Barbara again. The weekend after we arrived, we had gone to see a kids' version of The Pirates of Penzance. We sat behind a nice little girl named Madeline and got to talking with her parents. And Madeline was at the Breakast with Santa, too! We sat next to each other during the puppet show and we talked quite a bit. Madeline is only 3 and she won't sit on Santa's lap, she waved to him and said hello but that was all. I tried to tell her how nice he is and how easy it is to sit on his lap and not scary at all. But she's not 4 1/2 like me.

Madeline and Me

Now that I've sat on his lap, Santa will surely bring me my American Girl Doll!

Halloween

2009-11-28T14:25:00.001-08:00

I decided to be a tree for Halloween and Mommy made my costume, with some major creative input from Auntie Joyce. On the 30th, I had a party at school, then a playdate with my friend, Jacob, then another party at Ella's, with all my Peps friends. It was so much fun! Halloween was another fun day with a big party at Zoe and Maren's and then trick-or-treating with Daddy. I don't care too much about the candy but I love going house-to-house and also seeing all the other kids' costumes.

With Mrs. Breysse and Mrs. Baricevic (teachers at Our Lady of the Lake)

At Jacob's house

With Ella, Sasha and Tyler

Santa Barbara!

2009-11-28T14:07:00.000-08:00

Thanksgiving Day at the zoo

We finally made it to Santa Barbara and are settling in to our new life. I started school a couple of weeks ago at Notre Dame School and I love it! My teacher, Mrs. James, is super nice and so are the other kids. The best part is that I get to wear a uniform. I have a dress, a skort and a pair of long blue pants that I can wear. Daddy drops me off at 8 am and then goes on to work. Sometimes Mommy comes along and then walks home. We've found many fun things to do in Santa Barbara but there's lots more to explore. Some of our favorites are the zoo, Butterfly Beach and the local farmers' markets. I especially love the farmers' markets because they have strawberries, blueberries and raspberries and they taste like summer!

In my dress uniform

Notre Dame School

A Visit to the Farm

2009-10-10T19:39:00.001-07:00

It was a beautiful Fall day and we went to Kelsey Creek Farm in Bellevue. It was so much fun - there were bunnies to pet, legos to play with, a little pumpkin patch and an old-fashioned water pump. I tried it by myself but it was much easier when Daddy helped. After I picked the perfect pumpkin I got to decorate it with two of my favorite things, markers and glitter!

Goal Brasil!

2009-09-23T18:31:00.000-07:00

Daddy went to Brasil to see the manufacturing plant for his windmills and he bought Mommy and me real soccer jerseys! I love mine and I can't wait to start playing soccer.

First Day of School

2009-09-06T12:27:00.001-07:00

I am in pre-kindergarten at a new school this year - Our Lady of the Lake. The first day was last Monday. I like it a lot and I've already made new friends like Audrey, Mimi and Liam. My teachers are Mrs. B and Mrs. Breysse (she's nicey!) We get to play on the playground with some of the bigger kids from the school and I like running around with them. There is a hamster in our classroom named Kitty. It's going to be fun!

Wyoming!

2009-08-12T16:20:00.000-07:00

We took the Great American Road Trip and drove to Jackson, Wyoming via Northern Idaho and Montana. It was a wonderful trip. I had a great time and didn't even mind the long days spent in the car. One day we even drove 10 hours! There was so much to look at. When we got to Jackson, we stayed at a condo with Papa and Nana right at the foot of the Grand Teton Mountains. We drove up to Yellowstone National Park, which Mommy and Daddy kept calling Jellystone (something to do with Yogi Bear). We arrived just in time to see Old Faithful erupt and we saw buffalo and mule deer. I searched and searched for bears with my binoculars but no luck.

Playing frisbee with Daddy outside the condo, in the shadow of the Grand Tetons.

Buffalo on the side of the road in Yellowstone

The stinky Mud Volcano

Visiting the geysers with Nana and Mommy

Hot! Hot! Hot!

2009-07-27T15:28:00.000-07:00

We are having a heat wave in Seattle and it's way too hot to do much of anything. We tried taking Tashi for a walk at 9 in the morning but it was already close to 80 and the poor little dog was panting so hard we came back home pretty quickly. I've got swim lessons which is nice - being in the pool is the best place to be. Sometimes, we stay for lunch or even dinner. On Sunday, we stayed for over 5 hours!

My friend, Jacob, was there, too, so we ran around and played ball after we were done swimming.

It's not hot enough to give up sleeping with Truffles!

Happy Father's Day, Daddy!

2009-06-21T20:55:00.000-07:00

Today was Father's Day, and even though we had to take Daddy to the airport after dinner, we had a great day. I fixed him a big bowl of Cheerios with strawberries and blueberries for breakfast. Then we took him to the Experience Music Project where we saw the Jim Henson exhibit. Mommy and Daddy both took turns playing the Animal/Keith Moon drummer Muppet in a Muppet Show theater and I was the Cookie Monster. Then we went upstairs into the regular part of EMP and played with all sorts of drum machines, guitars, keyboards and even laid down some vocal tracks. It was so cool!

We took him out for lunch and he had a ginormous cheeseburger that had a fried egg on top! Mommy and I thought it was gross, but I guess Daddy likes stuff like that. After lunch we were making silly faces and the waiter took our picture.

Final Ballet Watching Day

2009-06-19T18:37:00.000-07:00

I had been taking ballet since September and a couple of weeks ago was our final class. It was parent watching day again and we got to dress up in fancy clothes and we performed for our parents. It was a lot of fun.

Say "Om" Everybody

2009-06-06T19:45:00.000-07:00

I have been taking yoga classes on Mondays during Lunch Bunch since September. I can do a lot of poses, including crane, mountain, cobra, tree, hare, turtle and flamingo. Here are some pictures of my last yoga class - we are in the mountain pose, opening ourselves to the universe and chanting "om."

Visit from Auntie Juliet

2009-05-23T18:51:00.000-07:00

Auntie Juliet came to visit me from England for two weeks. We had such fun while she was here. We took her to the zoo to see the terrific new penguin exhibit, we went to the doll museum, to the Children's Museum, and to opening day at the pool. We went for walks with Tashi, had a tea party at home and a proper tea party at the Queen Mary Tearoom with Auntie Joyce and her daughters, Anna & Kate. On Mother's Day, we went to the Seattle Children's Theater to see "Goodnight Moon" and it was terrific! Just like the book come to life. We went to Snoqualmie Falls and I hiked all the way to the bottom and back up again - a mile total but Mommy said I get extra points because it was such a steep hill.

The Birthday Girl

2009-04-16T21:16:00.000-07:00

I turned 4 today! I got lots of wonderful presents - a new Fancy Nancy story book and two Fancy Nancy sticker books, the movie Monsters, Inc. that Auntie Hannah & Uncle Justin promised me at Christmas (I can't believe they remembered!), a ladybug (ladybird to my English family) backpack and a beautiful doll house with a doll family to live in it. Mommy, Daddy and I went to The Children's Museum and spent hours playing with all the cool stuff. We had skabetti (aka spaghetti) for dinner and went out for ice cream at Robin's Basket (aka Baskin-Robbins). I'm going to bring cookies to school tomorrow for snack time and then have some friends over on Saturday for a birthday party and cupcakes. I love being 4!

I got Monsters, Inc.!

Giving Curious George a hug at the Children's Museum

Playing with my new dollhouse. I love it!

Fun in the Arizona sun - The Finale

2009-04-06T19:39:00.000-07:00

This vacation was the best!

Fun in the Arizona Sun Part 3

2009-04-06T19:36:00.000-07:00

One of the best parts of our visit to Arizona is our annual trip to The Sugar Bowl for ice cream sundaes!

Fun in the Arizona Sun Part 2

2009-04-06T19:15:00.000-07:00

I love hanging out with Papa & Nana - at the pool, doing the crossword - it doesn't matter as long we're together.

Fun in the Arizona sun!

2009-04-06T19:08:00.000-07:00

Mommy and I spent a week in Arizona with Papa & Nana and it was great! The sun felt so good and I got to wear shorts and flip-flops, sundresses and my bikini! We went to the Desert Botanical Garden, the train park and The Sugar Bowl, of course! The only thing missing was Daddy - but he went to dinner on Bob & Joyce's boat while we were gone, so he did all right!

Snowball House

2009-03-05T15:39:00.000-08:00

So last weekend we all went to the snowball house with Auntie Shaun-marie and the crazy boys.

I went sledding with daddy which was really fun, we went very fast and it was great fun.

Daddy also built a snow fort with help from Eric and then we had a snow ball fight, which was lots of fun.

Happy Valentine's Day!

2009-02-13T12:12:00.001-08:00

Snow Day!

2009-02-09T14:14:00.000-08:00

Mommy told me that it was still winter and she was right! Last Monday we were gardening in the sunshine and today we are building a snowman. When we finished building him, we went inside and had hot chocolate with marshmallows. I love snow days!

The backyard on Monday morning

Play Ball

2009-02-09T14:08:00.000-08:00

Daddy showed me how to play baseball yesterday and we threw a football around, too. I'm still trying to get the hang of how to swing a bat but it's a lot of fun.

Easy Rider

2009-02-04T10:50:00.000-08:00

I got my tricycle out this week and have been riding around the backyard. I like to pretend I'm going to the store or to my "work office." Sometimes Nick or Petal comes with me, if they promise to be good. Soon I'll get out on the sidewalk and then there will be no stopping me!

Gardening

2009-02-03T15:38:00.000-08:00

Mommy says it's still winter but it sure feels like spring lately. It has been so warm we've been outside working in the garden and we even ate our afternoon snack outside yesterday. I'm such a good helper digging up the weeds, helping fill up the birdbath and winding up the hose all by myself. Mommy said maybe I can get a job with Uncle Justin some day.

Ballet Class

2009-01-31T12:11:00.000-08:00

Last Tuesday was Watching Day at my ballet class and both Mommy and Daddy came. We danced with ribbons, did a folk dance and danced with partners. I wore the new skirt Auntie Juliet gave me for Christmas. It was so much fun to have the parents there to clap for us when we made our bows at the end.

Christmas in England - Part 3

2009-01-13T16:16:00.000-08:00

Here are some more photos of me pushing Xander's pram with Granny, playing with Uncle Peter and giving Xander an Eskimo kiss.

Christmas in England - Part 2

2009-01-08T20:47:00.001-08:00

Helping Grandpa open his present

On the train with Auntie Juliet & Auntie Hannah

Me & Busta

Christmas in England

2009-01-06T18:28:00.000-08:00

We spent Christmas in England with Granny, Grandpa, Uncle Peter, Auntie Juliet, Auntie Hannah, Uncle Justin, Baby Xander and Busta the dog. I had so much fun, I don't know where to begin.

We went into Leigh-on-Sea, where Daddy grew up. We went to Hadleigh Castle and although there isn't much left of it, I liked to say "I'm the queen of the castle." I helped Granny make the Christmas cake and then we made Mommy's birthday cake. We walked along the seafront, we went to the SeaLife Adventure (an aquarium), and we even went into London on New Year's Day for a big parade. After the parade, we went on the London Eye, a ginormous wheel that you can see all of London and beyond from.

There were so many aunts, uncles, cousins and friends who we saw and I loved every minute of it. I played card games with Granny & Auntie Juliet, and Uncle Peter and I played lots of games. He and I even had a pillow fight! Everybody says Uncle Peter is older than Daddy but I have my doubts.

We stayed with Granny and Grandpa for the first few days and then moved into a flat (that's what they call apartments in England) with Auntie Hannah, Uncle Justin, Baby Xander and Busta. They have lots of different words for things in England - trousers for pants, jumpers for sweaters, mobile phone for cell phone, lorry for truck, car park for parking lot, boot of the car instead of trunk, post instead of mail and pudding just means dessert. Everybody laughed at Mommy's and my accents - but we think they're the ones with the accent!

The airplane rides were very long but I was a good girl - mostly. I managed to fall asleep for the last 15 minutes of each flight, even sleeping through the landings both times! And we left Seattle in the snow and 17 days later we came home in the snow!

Mommy & Daddy say I have jetlag - this is me at 6 pm on Monday.

Together Again

2008-12-08T16:13:00.000-08:00

Yes, it's true, Tashi is living with us again! After living with Papa & Nana in Portland for 14 months, Tashi came back home in late September. It has been so much fun having her back - even Mommy & Daddy agree! She is such a good dog and she lets me hug her and play with her. Most of the time she just likes to sleep but she also loves to run around the back yard like a crazy dog. When we take her for walks I put her leash on and I hold it for a little while until I'm ready to give it to Mommy. Daddy and I call Tashi "Muttly" - she is such a sweet dog and I am so glad she's back!

Happy Thanksgiving!

2008-12-01T21:46:00.000-08:00

What a great Thanksgiving weekend we had! We went to Portland for the long holiday weekend and we had so much fun. We saw just lots of friends and family- cousin Alyssa, Auntie Shaunmarie and the crazy boys, Hannah & Cameron...

On Thanksgiving Day, I supervised while Papa carved the turkey and I helped Nana make the gravy. It all looked delicious but I wouldn't know what it tasted like - I ate Cheerios for dinner! But I did have some pumpkin pie and some pecan pie off of Mommy's plate. The pies were yummy!

On Friday morning, we took the bus downtown and watched the parade with Auntie Shaunmarie and the crazy boys. There were marching bands, bagpipes, dancing trees and Christmas presents, llamas, and Santa Claus, too! After the parade ended, we went to Starbucks for a snack and to warm up. We stopped in Powell's Books before Daddy & I took the bus back to Papa & Nana's. Mommy and Auntie Shaunmarie stayed downtown and did whatever grown-up girls do when they get together.

On Saturday, we went to dinner at Hannah & Cameron's house - and I made up for not eating any Thanksgiving dinner. I had appetizers, lasagna and chocolate fondue. I love fondue!

Happy Halloween!

2008-11-01T10:26:00.001-07:00

What a great week! I celebrated Halloween all week long, starting on Tuesday at Ballet. Everyone wore their costumes to class and we got a treat (a sticker) at the end. I was a ladybug this year and I wore the costume Granny made for me. My friend, Ella, was Snow White (and her Grandma made her costume, too!)

My school party was on Wednesday and it was so much fun. Mommy and I were in charge of bringing sugar cookies so we baked them in the shape of pumpkins, ghosts and cats. Someone else brought frosting and sprinkles and we got to decorate them at the party.

Finally, the big day arrived and boy, was Friday a busy day. I had school in the morning and I wore my sparkly pumpkin top and my orange pumpkin socks. Mommy and I baked pumpkin muffins after school and then we went to my friend Colin's house for a party. Colin and his mom had made sandwiches shaped like bats, spiders and pumpkins! After that, we came back home and, along with Daddy, we went down the street to Maren & Zoe's house where they were having a soup & chili buffet before we went out trick-or-treating.

Daddy took me trick-or-treating and even though we only went to the houses on our street, I got a LOT of candy. I even got a little ladybug toy from Joe & Barbara Erak (I wonder how they knew I was going to be a ladybug).

After trick-or-treating, we went across the street to Owen & Andrew's house for another party. I had one piece of candy, a lollipop, but then I was ready to go home. My friend Lily and I were both pretty tired at that point so we left to go home to bed. But what a fun day. I love Halloween!

Happy Birthday, Daddy!

2008-10-26T18:24:00.000-07:00

We helped Daddy celebrate his birthday on the 18th. It was a great day - we took him to breakfast at Voula's (his favorite breakfast place) then to Home Depot for some tools. For dinner, we took the bus into the University District to Schultzy's, a pub that serves yummy sausage and another one of Daddy's favorite places. Oh, and I almost forgot that Mommy and I baked him a birthday cake and I helped him blow the candles out!

Cousins

2008-10-08T19:12:00.000-07:00

Last month, cousin Alyssa came up with her parents, Christy and Brian, and stayed overnight with us. We took them all to the aquarium and then we babysat Alyssa while Brian & Christy went to a wedding. It was such a fun weekend and I had a great time with Alyssa - and I loved being a babysitter!

I also have a new cousin in France - Xander Whittle was born on October 1. His mom is Auntie Hannah, daddy's youngest sister. Here's a photo of him that Uncle Justin took on his camera. I can't wait to see Xander at Christmas! I bet he'll look different.

So much to do, so little time

2008-09-30T19:18:00.000-07:00

I have so much to do lately there just doesn't seem to be enough time in the day to get it all done. I go to school on Monday, Wednesday and Friday. When I stay for Lunch Bunch I have been taking yoga and learning some French. I really surprised Mommy when I said "s'il vous plait"! On Tuesdays I have ballet and on Thursdays I go Aunt Barbi's. In between there are walks to go on, construction sites to check out in the neighborhood, books to read, play dates with my friends Lily and Maia and gardening to do.

The pumpkin seeds that I planted in late May are now ginormous vines that curl around the back garden - there are two orange pumpkins already and one that is still green and still growing. I'll have so much fun at Halloween carving my very own pumpkins that I grew by myself!

I fell asleep while Nick & Rosie were talking!

First Day of Preschool

2008-09-14T19:01:00.000-07:00

I had my first day of preschool last Monday and I was so excited I had to dress up and wear my new school shoes. I am back at The Childrens' School again but this year I am going to school three days a week - on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays. I'm really looking forward to staying for Lunch Bunch this year. My friends Carly and Jacob are in my class again this year and I'll get to see my other friends Tyler & Karsten on the playground and at Lunch Bunch. My teachers, Mrs. Jacques and Teacher Cinda, are very nice and I like to play school when I get home and pretend Mommy and I are my teachers.

Sailing on Puget Sound

2008-09-08T18:55:00.000-07:00

Uncle Bob and Auntie Joyce invited us to go sailing on Sunday. It was a beautiful sunny day and it was so nice out on the water. Daddy helped put up the sail and we had great wind most of the way across the Sound. When the wind dropped off we just drifted for a bit and enjoyed the warm sun, blue sky and gorgeous scenery. After the wind picked up again, we sailed back to the marina and had dinner on the boat. It was so much fun and I can't wait to do it again!

Can you spot the sea lions on the buoy?

Labor Day Weekend at the Beach

2008-09-04T19:08:00.000-07:00

We spent the last hurrah of summer at Cape Meares on the Oregon coast. The weather was absolutely beautiful, sunny and warm. We had bought a new kite and the first couple of days were perfect kite-flying weather. Although I did learn a lesson - never let go of the kite string! I did and the wind picked it up and blew it up the hillside. Daddy the Brave climbed up the hill and rescued my kite - then he slid down in a mini-landslide. I'll never do that again!

Flying the kite with Daddy - it's up really high!

Strolling the beach with Daddy & Tashi

Papa and Nana were there, along with Uncle Brian, Auntie Christy and Cousin Alyssa, and Uncle Michael. We went to the Tillamook Creamery (twice!) and had yummy ice cream cones. I now have two new flavors to add my favorites: huckleberry and wild mountain blackberry.

That's Daddy in the background flying our kite

I loved running on the beach with Tashi. We let her off her leash and she ran and ran. It was also fun taking a beach bucket and making sand castles, parking garages and freeways. I collected rocks to use as trucks and cars for the parking garage and the freeway.

Running with Tashi, leaving Papa & Nana far behind

With Mommy & Daddy at Pacific City

Ballerina Catherine

2008-08-28T14:58:00.000-07:00

I've been taking ballet all summer with my friend, Ella. It is lots of fun and I've learned how to pirouette and leap and do lots of other fun things. We even dance with scarves during ballet - everyone knows how I already loved to do that! The summer session ended this week but Ella and I signed up to take ballet again this fall.

Ready to leave for ballet

Listening for instructions with Lita and Ella

Getting ready to twirl

Meet Me At The Fair

2008-08-28T14:39:00.000-07:00

Mommy took me to the Evergreen State Fair. There was so much to look at and so much to do. I had a great time. We saw a ginormous sow with her piglets (they were only 3 weeks old!) and they started eating - I thought it was so funny! There were cows and sheep and goats and chickens and turkeys... We went on the carousel and watched the grown-ups on the scary rides. We went to the petting farm and the pretend grocer. Finally, I got a blackberry ice cream cone - yummy! It was a really fun day but I was so tired I fell asleep in the car on the way home.

Pretending to milk a cow
Choosing an apple at the pretend grocer
The petting farm

Giving the donkey a hug

Ahoy, Mate!

2008-08-17T19:08:00.000-07:00

Our neighbors, Bob & Joyce, sailed into Shilshole Marina this afternoon and we were there to meet them. I loved wearing my life vest and in honor of Bob's pirate flag I wore a pirate hat.

Peek-a-boo!

They have a beautiful sailboat and I loved exploring inside and even pretended to steer. I told everyone I was sailing to Arizona but they told me I couldn't so I decided to sail to Hawaii instead. I really loved being on the sailboat. Maybe Daddy can teach me how to sail one day.

Happy Birthday Papa!

2008-08-08T19:39:00.000-07:00

We drove to Portland last weekend for Papa's big 70th birthday bash. What a fiesta! There was even a mariachi band. The party was so much fun and there were lots of people there. I do love a party - I didn't get to bed until almost 10 o'clock!

We took Papa out to brunch in the morning and I helped him open his present.

Alyssa and I played maracas for Tashi

Papa and I danced to the mariachi band

Papa wouldn't wear the funny birthday hat Nana got for him so I tried it on!

Introducing the "new" Catherine

2008-07-23T09:50:00.000-07:00

Look at me, I got a hair cut! I have short hair now and I love it! Everybody tells me how cute I look and Mommy really likes it because there are fewer tangles to comb out. I love to look at myself in the mirror and admire my new haircut. I got it cut while Daddy was gone and I surprised him at the airport - he said he almost didn't recognize me!

Summer Fun

2008-07-22T19:38:00.000-07:00

I love the summer! The weather has been so nice and I've had swim lessons at the outdoor pool down the hill. It is so much fun and I've even started putting my face in the water. My friends Lily & Sophie, Karsten, Jacob, Britta & Gunnar are taking lessons, too. Some days Mommy and I stay after my lesson ends at noon, we eat our lunch and then swim some more. We don't get home until 4 o'clock. Life is good!

Lily and I getting ready for our swim lesson

Daddy was gone on a business trip all last week so Mommy and I tried to keep busy. We made fresh raspberry pancakes for breakfast and had picnic lunches at the pool. We went to a concert at University Village on Wednesday. We ate dinner there and I got a balloon shaped into an airplane. Mommy danced with me to the music.

All of this fun is hard work, too. It makes me so tired that I sometimes ask to go to bed, even before 7 pm!

Aloha!

2008-06-29T18:33:00.000-07:00

I went to Hawaii with Mommy, Daddy, Papa & Nana. It was so much fun! There was a great pool at the hotel and I went swimming every day. We went to the beach a couple of times but I really don't like the sand (it's hot!) and the waves splash me. We did see a sea turtle at the beach one day and that was really neat!

We watched the surfers off Waikiki.

Daddy said that Uncle Michael and Uncle Justin can teach me how to surf.

We did lots of fun things - we went to a luau and learned the hula, went to the pool, to the zoo, to the pool, to the aquarium, to the pool, and we took a train around the Dole Pineapple Plantation.

Hey, Mommy and I are giant pineapples!

All that swimming makes me tired.

Spa Girl

2008-06-12T20:59:00.000-07:00

Mommy and I took a shower together the other day and after we got out, Mommy wrapped her towel around her head. It looked really cool and I wanted one, too. Mommy said we look like we're at a spa - so we really did it up right and painted our nails, too, just like at a fancy spa!

Elby and Me

2008-06-01T15:26:00.000-07:00

I have a new friend. Her name is Elby and when I met her she was 8 weeks old and sweet as can be. She belongs to our former neighbors, Anna & Brian, but she comes over to visit Anna's mom & dad (aka Auntie Joyce & Uncle Bob) a lot. When Elby comes over Mommy and I get our "dog fix" while Tashi is living with Papa & Nana.

Fun with Granny & Grandpa

2008-05-29T15:46:00.001-07:00

Granny and Grandpa came from England to visit me and we had such a good time! We went to the park, the aquarium, and a street fair. I took them to see my school, they came to my swimming lesson and we had a party with the neighbors. Papa & Nana came up for a couple of days, too, and we all went to Pike Place Market and out to dinner.

Granny & Grandpa took a cruise to Alaska on a"ginormous boat" (that's a new word Granny taught me) and after they got back to Seattle they stayed with us again and we had more fun. Granny & Grandpa even babysat me twice - and they did a really good job! Granny danced with me and played let's pretend. We sang nursery rhymes, played games and read lots of books. Granny & Grandpa bought me a doctor's kit and I took Grandpa's blood pressure and checked out everyone's heartbeat. Sometimes it was nice to just quietly together on the front porch reading. It's a bit quiet around here now that they're gone (although Mommy & Daddy don't think so), but we'll see them again when we go to England for Christmas.

I got a rose painted
on my arm at the
street fair.

Writing Thank-You Notes

2008-05-12T02:18:00.000-07:00

I had such a great birthday and got so many wonderful presents - and I'm still getting some in the mail now! Mommy helped me write my thank-you notes and I "signed" each one. I love to draw with crayons, pens and pencils. My favorite colors are yellow and pink.

Drive Time

2008-05-12T02:01:00.000-07:00

One of my favorite things to do is sit in the car and pretend to drive. Sometimes I drive to the grocery store, sometimes to the zoo, and sometimes all the way to Arizona! I always wear my seatbelt and one of my buddies is usually strapped into my carseat. There are so many buttons and levers to play with, I sit in the car for 30 minutes or more until I've reached my destination and I'm ready to get out.

Birthday Girl

2008-04-17T19:14:00.000-07:00

I'm three years old! I celebrated my birthday all day long on the 16th. I brought cupcakes to school for snack time and my friends sang "Happy Birthday" to me. After school, my friends Lily and Ella came over for lunch and we had more cupcakes and there was more singing!

Daddy came home from work early and we opened presents. I got a new bathrobe, which I put on right away. Auntie Juliet gave me a really neat ladybug rain hat and I think it goes well with my bathrobe. Granny made me a pair of dolls that have clothes and I had to dress them right away. We named them Dressy-Bessie and Dapper Dan.

Aunt Barbi and Uncle Doc came for dinner - spaghetti & meatballs! Our neighbors George, Kathleen & Joyce came over for cake & ice cream and more singing of "Happy Birthday!" It was a very fun day and I loved every minute of it. I've been telling everyone that I'm a big girl now. I'm three!

Adventures in Arizona

2008-04-04T19:02:00.000-07:00

Okay, so I know I'm a bit late in getting to the whole blogging party. I blame my parents. How come cousin Alyssa already has a blog? She's just a baby - I'm bigger and I should have had one first. I think I'll fire my mom & dad.

Anyway, welcome to my blog. I have lots to tell you about my world and the things I do but I'll start with my vacation in Arizona, or my "holiday" in Arizona for my English family! Mommy and I spent 6 days in Scottsdale with Papa, Nana & Tashi. It was so much fun and the sun felt so good. I got to wear shorts and sandals every day, it was great! We went to the pool, too, but I just hung out on the steps or on the side, dangling my feet in the water.

We went to the Sugar Bowl for ice cream, saw lots of cactus and butterflies at the Botanical Garden, and went to the zoo. I rode a dragon on the carousel and even got to brush some goats.

It was a great vacation but I was glad to get home and see Daddy. We missed him!