sweet summer

 I've totally neglected this blog it seems.  But here are my reasons:  1. My camera was totally on the fritz a lot of the summer. Not that I take awesome pictures, but it's fun to share something...anything with a visual. 2. I've been busier since school got out, babysitting my sister's kids, working at the gym, gardening and of course taking some vacations with the family, which let's be honest.... is a lot of work, but fun too. 3. I'm slowly moving away from my night-owl ways and getting up with the sun. I blog at night.  So I need to find a new system to share my Monley moments with y'all and with my future self.

Here's an ultra-blog-entry to sum up the summer of 2012. It all started with a preschool graduation....

I love these kids

Then came that kindergarten graduation....

Then Nate started a new job! He is no longer the principal. But he does still work for the same charter school organization. Now he's the Director of the teacher residency program and a teaching coach for schools in the valley. Even though he travels a bit, we see him much much more often! He can work from home once in a while too! It's a great fit for him, and our family. :-)

With his new job came a busy summer where normally there is much more of a break for Nate, so in true Monley fashion, we crammed as much on the weekends as we could.

Kind of a wonky family photo in Shingle Springs

Smores tutorial

Catchin up with some kid friends

And adult friends

Also this summer two friends and I shared a 80's birthday bash.  Costumes were awesome. Nate didn't have to look far to find this gem.

 

Girls just wanna have fun!

 Backyard summer fun!

This is our volunteer garden. We have a ton of pumpkins and butternut squash this year, just from our compost!

Trying something new

strawberries!

The first of the harvest

It was love at first bite.

rainbow laundry!

Selah enjoying the new lawn!

Playing catch with Dad.

And then.....vacation to Monterey!

We had this weird ear phones with a mic attached. It makes Selah look like a telemarketer.

Calamari?

sure!

And then the annual cabin trip with the old Santa Barbara gang.

Introducing....

 Sierra the dog!  We got a dog! She's awesome. She's two. She loves us. And we love her.

Selah is 4!

Selah's big day landed on a day when we were all at a cabin way way up in the mountains with friends. She has never been home on her birthday!  But we celebrated with a big party just one week later. My camera was totally useless so I don't have much to show for the party. But that's okay. We had fun. Selah and all her friends had a blast.

Things I love about Selah the 4 year old:

*She's totally spunky.
*She's the most gracious receiver of gifts. She opened gifts at her party in front of all the kids and parents and always gushed over how it was "her favorite EVER!" and she "LOVED it!"
*She's a smart little cookie. She's well on her way to being an early reader, just out of her own efforts and desire. She's constantly writing letters and sounds out words. I totally didn't see that coming.
*She CANNOT stop her body from moving and shaking when she hears any music, even in her carseat. And she shakes her hips like a hula dancer very well. I did NOT teach her that. But it is really cute. .
*She's always game. She'll try anything new, play with anyone. She's just a good-timer.
*She's a cuddler. I love it when she crawls into bed with us.
*She's my artist. She and Granny Peg like to explore that together.
*The little "hand-full" I had a year ago is less rebellious now, but still passionate about things.
*She went to most of Finn's Sunday school classes since Nate taught it, and was the first kid to memorize and recite the Lord's Prayer. She always surprises me!
*She's an awesome sister, always looking out for Serin, and always wanting to play with Finn.
*She's super stoked for another year of preschool with Ms. Anita! 

I'm excited for a another year with Selah at home with me before she's a big old kindergartener!
We love you Selah-bob!

Just a typical day with the cousins

My little graduate!

 Well, that went fast. Only a few posts ago, I was preparing Finn for his first day of kindergarten. Now, he's done. I am so happy with our choice to have Finn go to Daddy's school. His teacher was amazing. They did do a lot of work (a little too much homework if you ask me) but they had a ton of fun too. The kinder teachers used songs or rhymes or hand motions with every lesson. With their good class behavior they earned points for dance parties or hot cocoa parties. He loved it! And Finn has come a LONG way! He could hardly hold a pencil correctly on the first day and could only write his name really....(this is his writing after the first couple weeks).

And this is his writing at the end of the year.....

 And now he is reading at the middle of first grade level! But more importantly, he loves school and he loves to learn. And the love of learning is our goal, right? We are so proud of Finn.

Finn and his beloved teacher, Ms. Duong. We are so excited about the two year loop that the teachers do at CHA. He'll have Ms. Duong again next year! Yay!

Finn and Principal Monley!

This is Finn and one of his best buddies Alex. They like to act like zombies together. I love this girl. I wish I had more pics of Finn with his friends on grad day, but it was so incredibly hot that day and we had to jet out and do this to celebrate....

We are so so so proud of you Finnegan Jack and all of your hard work! Now........let the summer fun begin!

Happy Mother's Day

I have the best job in the world.