The Making of a Hula Hoop

After a weekend of Pickathon (photos to come....?), we have gotten our Hoop on. Carson got educated by all the true hippies on making and using your own hoops. She learned the art of neck hooping and has a full routine! Wow. If you want to make a hoop....here is the trick.....
1. Buy the plumbing tubing. We bought 100 feet for 17$ at home depot. Carson was super exited to have enough for a dozen hoops of all sizes.
2. Get the connectors.
3. Cut to the length you want. The bigger the better is what I heard.
4. Heat up the ends of the tubing with a hairdryer and shove in the connectors. Tape over seam with duct tape.
5. Decorate with "fancy tape".
6. Hoop!

Here are the how-to photos. And a special one of a lady who was on "something special" wearing a 70s jump suit and hooping away.

Sam's puppet show!

Sam's puppet camp was a success. He liked it much more than soccer camp! They each built a puppet of a Sneech and then performed the play!
Here is the puppet. I will post a snippet of the play after I download it. It takes a while to upload!

Papa Rick should come for this.

Shelby's first Pacific Ocean View! Yay!

Notice there are lots of "Shelby's First" here. Eventually, all this will just be what she does and it won't be so exciting. She is getting a big dose of "family time" this summer.

International Rose Test Garden

How can you not love all these roses? Shelby is pretending to be a Japanese tourist.

Shelby's first bus ride!

First time on a city bus. Glad there weren't too many crazies this time. Sam can show her the ropes!'

For Sharon's Birthday I got......

I couldn't wait to get jamming. So, for Sharon's birthday I got a new canning pot! Sam and I went to Sauvie's Island and picked strawberries and made some "Not My Best Strawberry Jam". I should have waited a week because the berries were still a little sour. No mind. Carson is eating it up.

Even more hiking.

This time we took the kids and Lulu on a 4 miler. Hard for Sam, but he did it with only one piggy back ride. Through a forest and over a butte. We had awesome views of Mt. St. Helens, Mt. Adams, and Mt. Hood.

Another Gorge Hike

side note: the 90$ camera will be $90.58 to repair. Insert Belly Laugh. Guess we are out a new 100$.

Sam's big Party

Sam has been celebrating all month. He had his "real" birthday party with school friends at a huge indoor play area. The kids were dehydrated and exhausted after. Moms were overstimulated by the seizure inducing madness.
The girls chased the boys the whole time and kissed them! Seriously, kissed!.

The First "Real" Day of Summer

Carson and I had a cherry pit spitting contest....I let her win for good measure. Carson made a LoungeMobile out of the bottom of the wagon and our lounge cushions. We let the kids use the new Sidewalk Chalk from Aunt Lenora to graffiti the fence. Given the opportunity, Carson drew peace signs and Sam wrote, "I love my mom". I later saw Carson's "My Life Rocks" tag which makes a mom all warm and fuzzy inside. I am realizing that 9 year old girls are pretty awesome.

Oh Sam. How do we love you? Let me count.

The little man of the house. He is a quiet and thoughtful boy. Sweet and kind. Gentle and loving. He never really asks for anything but your time. He still loves to hold my hand and sit on my lap. He is the one who will take care of his mama's when we are old. Carson will manage our finances or something, but he will bring us cakes and cookies. We love Sam to the moon and back.

Storybook Character Day at school

Sam is the third (and smartest) little pig. Carson.....Harriet the Spy. Sam's tail takes the cake.