June

So very, very

serious are these children.

Not for long!

Jack doing his part to make sure violin practice is extra challenging :)   In all seriousness though, Sasha is doing great.  She played in her second recital at the Preheim's house where she performed "Twinkle, Variation A" in June.  It was lovely!

I, along with another mom from Sasha's class, co-hosted a Mother Daughter Tea.  I recruited my mom to help bake goodies and serve tea, my dad to play cello, and Phil to take staged photos of all the mother-daughter pairs.  It ended up being a lot of fun to plan and put together. 

Happy Flag Day!

Father's Day brunch at Flying Star in Albuquerque.

Jackson's Birthday Party at ABQ jump.  Sasha is wearing her new "Chinese Pajamas" from Grandma June.

We went with some friends to Chama one weekend to ride Thomas the Train who was making a stop there on his tour of the West.  Jack is really into trains still.  He really loved it, but was terrified of the guy dressed up as Sir Topham Hat.  Sasha gave him a reluctant hug

Sasha displaying chocolate pudding that she made entirely by herself.  She was so proud to serve us dessert that night.  Everyone had their own unique white chocolate chip design on top.

Rice noodles are always funny.

Jack spotted Phil's old skateboard way up on the top shelf in our garage and has been trying his hand at it now and then.  It cracks me up that Phil used to be a big time skater in junior high and, along with that, apparently wore sweat pants to school every day(?!) because they were the best for skating. 

We were in Albuquerque the last weekend of the month for the Erb Family Reunion.  It was my mom and her siblings turn to plan it so they invited all of the Midwest people to come out to New Mexico.  Above is the Roman and Shirley Gingerich clan.

Late May

Phil was on call Memorial Day Weekend so we had to stay close to home.  It seemed like the right weekend to set up the tent in the yard and pretend we were camping out in the wilderness.  Phil bowed out since he was on call so Jack, Sasha, and I had plenty of room in the tent.  It took Jack awhile to settle down enough to fall asleep and we had to bring him inside the house and threaten to put him in his crib if he wasn't quiet in the tent.  That worked!

Making s'mores on our firepit before heading to the tent.  The sunsets this time of year are just spectacular.  I like to go out on the deck after the kids are in bed and read or just sit and listen to all the birds with a cup of tea.  Little moments of paradise in New Mexico....

Jack and Sasha playing a made-up game.  I love to see them getting along so well. 

Enjoying smoothies on the front porch after a morning at the children's museum.

Early May

I wish I could freeze Sasha right now.  At 5 1/2 she is thoughtful, curious, playful, kind, brave, free-thinking, patient, smart, musical, coordinated, goofy, self-motivated, humble, and beautiful inside and out.  I put this in writing not to brag about my kid, but so I can help myself remember decades from now how I LOVED this age with Sasha. 

Jack and his latest favorite activity:  riding his glider bike.  It was Sasha's and she never had much interest in it except for a few weeks to learn how to balance before she moved on to a regular bike.  He started walking it around the house one day and by the next day he was riding it.  Now that's all he wants to do.  We throw it in the trunk and take it everywhere we go.

People ask what Sasha is into and the answer is obviously nature.  She loves learning about any living thing, plant or animal.  She enjoys identifying birds, plants and insects and has a particular fondness for butterflies.  She raised some painted lady butterflies from caterpillars this month and you would have thought they were her own flesh and blood how devoted to them she was.

The butterfly release

My sous chef

Sasha really enjoyed coming to the greenhouse with me and helping to pick annuals and plant them back at the house.  We also planed a vegetable garden which she dutifully checks and reports on every morning when she wakes up. 

Cute little olive/carrot/cream cheese penguins that mom made with the kids.

Right up Sasha's alley, we went to a trout release with the DNR on the Pecos River. 

Sasha was a mouse in the pageant on Children's Sunday at the United Church of Santa Fe. 

We went to an Albuquerque Isotopes baseball game with a group of friends one Sunday.  Cotton candy was their treat of choice.

Fingers stuck together

Seventh inning diversion.

Jack was thrilled to be given a caught foul ball by some nice gentleman.  He slept with that ball for at least a week.

Just a boy and his trains.

End of April

Sasha trying out the props I bought for the tea party I am hosting in June with another mom from her school. 

Sasha had crazy hair pajama day at school and of course Jack wanted crazy hair too like his big sister.  He also likes to run around the house wearing her long nightgowns these days. 

Sasha and Jack before the Panther Run at one of the elementary schools in town.  Again Jack decided to enter the race at the last minute when he saw what Sasha was going to do. 

Sasha booking it toward the finish line (in the middle of the frame).  Jack came in last but he would have gotten the prize for the littlest runner. 

So thrilled with their medals...

Phil and I went to New Orleans for a few days where he attended a conference.  Here we are at our favorite New Orleans jazz brunch, the Court of Two Sisters. 

I have a new food obsession:  raw oysters on the half shell.  I'm not sure why I haven't experimented with this culinary delight in the past since I consider myself a fairly adventurous eater, but there is no going back now.  Unfortunately when Phil googled "Santa Fe Raw Oysters" in an attempt to see where I might get some back home, the first story that came up was headlined "Santa Fe Woman 10 Days in ICU After Consuming Raw Oysters at Local Eatery" 

April at Sea Island, Georgia

 In April Phil was inducted into the Neurosurgical Society of America, quite an honor for him, and also a chance for all of us to attend the conference where the ceremony took place.  It was on Sea Island, Georgia at a beautiful resort surrounded by lush gardens and right on the Atlantic Ocean.  My parents accompanied us and were extremely helpful  every step of the way. 

Walking to the beach

Jack and Phil enjoying the pool

The beach was very wide with huge swings in the tide which made it great for building sand castles, jumping little waves, splashing in tide pools, and finding sand dollars.  Sasha was thrilled with her collection of 7 whole sand dollars which are decorating our dining room table now. 

Sasha could stay up late enough to attend a few of the evening events like this picnic where they had roasted several whole pigs.  That left an impression on Sasha.

Jack hung back with grandma and grandpa in the hotel room. 

The family before Phil and I attended the formal dinner at the end. 

We took a couple of days after the conference was over to drive to Savannah.  There we enjoyed walking around the historic district, playing at a great city park, and eating at a pirate restaurant.  The treasure chest full of lollipops for the taking will not be soon forgotten. 

Jack listening to me telling a scary story as we waited for our pirate grub.