Petite Finale 2024

Saturday Lake participated in his ballet school’s end-of year recital and we showed up to cheer him on. He did a great job! He’s working very hard. He is concluding his second year with Pacific Northwest Ballet School and has been invited back!

Lake has a great sense of rhythm and movement but ballet and discipline and holding still at the barre do not come naturally for him. He is not alone! Lake was placed in pre-ballet for another year and the school is creating a boy’s section for next year.

We are very proud of Lake.

A perfect day! I’m glad I spent it with you!

Lady Kitty’s First Haircut

Ready to Run! Ready to Climb!

Reunited

Lady Kitty asked me, “Which is further away the moon or the sun?”

“The sun,” I answered.

“I love you to the sun and back!” she said.

Meanwhile, Lake and I discussed my upcoming volunteering in his classroom…

“You’re a lot older than the other moms that volunteer.”

“Oh, do I look older since I’m back after being gone for three weeks?”

“I was worried you and Lady Kitty might be a lot older when I got back, but I’m relieved to discover you both look the same.” I went on.

He gave me a look like don’t get mad, but what rock have you been living under? and I have to tell you the truth. “You’ve been old for a long time,” he said.

Aww. A perfect day! I’m glad I spent it with you!

Spring Break 2024

Vivi (DE au pair 2020) came over from Germany to visit for Spring Break !! Furthermore, because got moxie— she’s ambitious energetic and confident,— she thought it would be fun to take the kids on a road trip of the Olympic Peninsula and the Oregon Coast !! She grabbed the car keys, nabbed Theresa, packed up the car and the kiddos, and off they went in complete Vivi style! They were plagued by a bit of poor weather but warm hospitality in Washington and enjoyed sunshine, beach time and visiting friends in Oregon. Huge gratitude and note of thanks to all involved in making this possible, especially Vivi, Theresa, Gary, Duane, Jessica and Kelly. From the photos it appears a good time was had by all!

📸 Vivien Petersilie/Theresa Mader

Alarm O’Clock

This morning Lady Kitty was happy albeit a tad disoriented. As she made her way out of bed and to the bathroom with Lake (31 dry diapers in a row, and counting!), I was also waking up upstairs and, upon hearing them together, I came out of my bedroom to greet them.

“We woke up before alarm o’clock,” she said puzzled and a bit smug at the same time. 😂

Ten-ty

On our drive back from Portland it started to get past bedtime and Lady Kitty was merrily eating potato chips and getting more and more punchy by the mile. She was keeping herself awake having fun counting. She loves to count. She would count to 19 or 29 or 39 and ask me, “what comes next?”

When I would say the corresponding tens number, then off she would go clipping through the next nine numbers.

After a few rounds of this (it’s a 3 hour drive home so we had plenty of time to count!), she started counting by tens.

“Ten, twenty, three-ty, forty, five-ty (laughs), sixty, seventy, eighty, ninety, ten-ty!” she said with a twinkle in her eye.

“‘Ten-ty’ is ‘one hundred,’” she said triumphantly, having a grand old time whilst Lake slept and I drove us all the way safely home.

Camp NanaBaba Explorers

Midwinter break 2024 was back by popular demand at Camp NanaBaba, hosted by the ever generous and creative dynamic duo NanaBaba!! Their week was full of adventure and exploration! What a special tradition of memory making. Thank you to Lynn and Duane for building the fort and the fires, cooking up the meals and the activities. A perfect week full of perfect days.

📸 Lynn Murphy

Lady Kitty is Four

Wishing Lady Kitty a very happy birthday! Thank you for all the birthday wishes on the joyous occasion of her fourth birthday!

A festive tradition, by special request she spent celebrating her anniversary at Nana Baba’s with cake, balloons, fairy wings, her bro bro and a full week of Mid-Winter Break Adventure Camp ahead. A beautiful present and a beautiful horizon. A perfect birth-day!🎉 🎂 🎈

Sweethearts

One morning of President’s Day Weekend Lady Kitty climbed into bed with me—in my bedroom at my parents house where we were staying and wherein I lived as a teenager— and cuddled up to me and wrapped her little leg around mine.

“When will it be morning?” she asked.

“It kind of is morning already. It’s just very early morning.” I said

“When will it not be early morning?” she asked quietly. “I see a little bit of light out there”, she continued. It was six o’clock.

“You’re my sweetest Sweetheart,” I said.

“Lake is your sweetest son,” she directly replied.

“Duane is your sweetest Dad,” she went on.

“Nana is your sweetest Mama.”

“Let’s go downstairs and see if Baba is there.” He was!

A perfect day! I’m glad all the Sweethearts get to spend the weekend together with NanaBaba, who are such esteemed and gracious hosts, devoted parents and loving grandparents. And then the kids got to stay the week for mid-winter break at the now famous Camp NanaBaba.

Infinite Fun

Last night I overheard Michael as he was putting the kids to bed, as is his custom when he gets home from work around their bedtime… he was counting super fast, and in a funny voice, and the children were laughing in hysterics. When they were finally all cozy and contentedly tucked in, he came out of the room. I commented happily that it seemed like they were having a lot of fun at bedtime.

“Kids really love counting. The fun never ends when you’re counting,” he said.

Infinite fun! That got me in hysterics!

And just in case you don’t find that as funny as I did, here’s some Valentine’s themed jokes for your amusement:

What did the blueberry say to the strawberry on Valentine’s Day?

I love you berry much.

What kind of Valentine’s Day candy is never on time?

ChocoLATE.

What do you call a very small Valentine?

A valenTINY.

What did one volcano say to the other?

I lava you.

What do you call two birds in love? Tweethearts.

And one last one from our family to yours: What kind of fun never ends?

Counting!

Wishing you and yours a very lovely Valentine’s Day!

A Perfect Day . . .

I'm glad I spent it with you

Author: Tolle VanLaanen