Owen’s second Good Character Award this year!

From his teacher’s email:

I wanted to let you know that Owen is going to receive the good character award again this week at morning program. The character trait of the month is honesty and trustworthiness and Owen is one of the most honest and trustworthy kids I know!

Little sister looking all sassy in her outfit while we wait for the program to start:

She wrote the J on her own and then I suggested she do an E—which she also did on her own but needs a tiny bit of practice—and then I helped with the N. And then she did the K all by herself—which I was very proud of because she normally messes up the top diagonal line. 🙂

Can you find Owen? He is literally a half a head taller than all the kids in his grade.

He had no idea that he was going to get the award.

The noise the kids made when Owen’s name was called was the most enthusiastic. It’s customary to repeat the recipient’s name after it’s announced, but Owen’s was the loudest of the bunch. When we told him that later he was embarrassed and said no it wasn’t. We have the video to prove it was pretty loud (below). 🙂

Celebrating Owen’s awesome report card!!

He got mostly 4s (the top grade) with 3s in art and music. This was his best report card yet! So we treated him to Sweet Frog (frozen yogurt).

Can you guess whose was whose?

 

Top: Katie (gummies, M&Ms, and Nerds) & Tom (nuts, pound cake, coconut)

Bottom:
Jen (Heath bar, Oreos, peanut butter, marshmallow, and chocolate sauces) & Owen (mini chocolate chips, cherries, marshmallow fluff)

Home again, home again.

Me and Katie waiting for Tom and Owen to bring dinner to the gate in Atlanta. We weren’t able to get seats because we only had about 25 minutes until our flight started boarding.

We opted to board during the “people who may need extra time” call so we could have time to snarf our food before most people boarded. On the way down, we boarded during that time as well just because the kids were completely unfamiliar with the boarding process and we wanted it to go smoothly. On the way home we figured it had gone smoothly enough we didn’t need it so skipped it the first leg…but then decided why not on the second leg. 🙂

Everything went smoothly, and this is us walking to meet Tom with the car.

As soon as we got home, of course this happened:

Kidisms 37

Owen: Katie why are you reading my book?
Katie: I’M NOT! I’m just looking at it. I don’t know how to read yet.

Gramma was teaching Owen and Katie a new card game that involved matching suits and counting.
Katie: Let’s play plain. Without construction.

Gramma Jean was coloring with Owen and Katie. Owen was complimenting Katie.
Owen: Wow, Katie. You’re doing such a good job. You’re staying inside the lines. I’ve never seen a 4yo color so good.
Katie: I know, right?

At the airport, I told Katie that dad got her chicken fingers because that’s all they had.
Katie: Are you serious? I can’t handle chicken fingers.

A thank you dinner for the grandparents!

We always take the grandparents out to dinner to thank them for letting us stay with them…and this time, we went to McGuires Irish Pub just down the road in Destin. We happened to be sitting right at a Pokémon gym so of course we had to take it over. 🙂

The tradition at this place is to leave a signed/decorated $1 bill stapled to the wall. They have over $1 million hanging throughout the place (see lots of great pictures from RoadTrippers). This was the wall behind us (in the natural restaurant lighting):

And the same picture with a flash:

This is the bill we did. Gramma drew the heart with the year and signer her name; Owen wrote his name on the very left, going up from the O; Katie die her KAtie on three lines; Grandpa David did his GD between Owen and Katie; Major Tom left his mark; and since no one took good ol’ George, I did that plus left our JTOK.

Gramma stapled it to the wall.

Can you see it?

Look here!

Florida tradition: Fudpucker’s

Read about the last time we were there (2015).

Later when we checked the other pictures, we saw that Owen had his Halley shirt on again! Totally unplanned!

We had to visit Owen and Tom’s names on the wall…which happened to be right about where we were seated.

Katie adding her name!

Gramma Jean 2017

Another day, another trip the ocean!

Today was a beach day in the morning as it was in the 60s by 9am! Owen LOVES playing in the waves and he won’t come to shore until you call him in! Katie would rather dig in the sand than be tossed around by waves. The water is fairly cold—to the adults! (Tom came down for a bit and jumped in with Owen but then came right back out!!) Gramma made Katie into a mermaid and then made a lobster for herself! 

Our first trip down to the ocean…

Our first trip down to the ocean—just to look—ended up with two totally soaked kids! We weren’t surprised. 🙂

Me and Gramma Jean could NOT get the twirly sticks to fly. Tom was easily able to.

I looked up and Owen was just standing the ocean with his hands in his pockets. LOL

Gramma Jean took this awesome picture of Katie. I think I’ll be hard pressed to take a better one this week.

Our Florida adventure begins!!

Tom parked at one of the Pentagon lots near the metro (but not at the metro) so the three of us walked to the metro station while he walked over to meet us. This is walking through the Pentagon bus depot.

On the metro!

Katie: “This is fuuuun!”

Since we had two hours to kill at the airport, I dropped a Lure. 🙂

This may look like a lot of stuff, but we normally drive and take four times as much stuff! This time? We each have a carry on and personal bag.

They’re more than ready!!

First plane ride selfies!

Our route! I liked this plane—it was newer so had touch screens, movies or TV to watch (free), and multiple USB charging outlets per seat!

Owen was amazed by the outside temperature (-74°F if you can’t see it).

Owen read all the way so he could do less homework at the condo (he finished two books!). 🙂

After snacks it was time for drawing!

Then we switched planes (and kids!) in Atlanta…so I got Katie.

Gum for takeoff. She was super excited as she rarely gets gum. 🙂

Katie, looking out the window as the plane was climbing: “I can see the world.” 🙂

Tom, to Katie: I’m glad you like flying. 
Katie: Totally awesome.

Time for Owen’s mini cake!

Since we’re heading out on vacation tomorrow and didn’t want any leftovers, I made a small “personal” sized box cake mix.

Birthday boy/girl gets to lick the candles!

Everyone got to pick their own sprinkles (because Tom and I hate them). 🙂

Owen:

Katie:

My plain piece, with a frosting height even Papa would love. 🙂