The Best Summer Ever

We're really having a great summer. Cutie is finally coming into her own. After graduating from Kindergarten, she went to ROCA. It's an art camp and she really wanted to go. She loved it. I never want to wait in 15min traffic to pick her up from anything - EVERYDAY. After ROCA it was off to ice skating or one of the three town pools.

We went to cutie's friend Julia's Birthday Party. She opened her presents and she received the American Girl Doll. The oohs and ahhs - well Cutie wanted one now. Funny how that happens.

We have a new system. For every book she reads she gets a dollar that can be applied to purchases. It's not working for cutie, but it's working for her friends.

Haley came to visit with Riley. Riley is adorable. We went into the city one day. Haley and Riley did Natural History. Cutie and I - American Girl Doll store and Museum of Art and Design. MAD is a cool museum. They had this exhibit Dead or Alive - it is awesome.

At the end of July we were off to Montana for Paulo's niece's wedding party. When we got back it was time for town camp. 8:30-5:30 and the joy of running around the pool and learning the snack bar.

And she lost her first tooth.
And she discovered the joys of shoes.

On Tuesday nights it's ice skating. She's getting good. I sort of regret not having her do the competition at the end of August. OK - she's only in basic 4 - but you can compete at the level. Her friend Eugin is competing. We have a standing playdate once a week. Cutie does her workbook and Eugin does hers. We will continue through the fall.

Meanwhile, I continued to work for the census on and off all summer. And I'm busy with the website business.

We are also in the market for a dog.

What we haven't done :
the master bath
thermal windows
the garage
bedroom furniture
carpet
However, Paulo refinished the steps to the attic. It wasn't a priority.

Ice skating in the summer. She's also good on rollar blades. If she would only ride her bike.

Public Camp

Cutie is attending public camp for 2 weeks. On the second day they separated the boys and girls. Cutie has a problem with it because her friend Sam (the reason she's going) is in a different group. The counselors seem nice and there's not much to the program.
It's really babysitting with a trip to the pool.

She will learn how to buy things from the snack bar.

Secrets and Montana

We were in Montana from July 27-August 6. It was the first trip we've taken in a few years. First to Glacier National Park. I'm hotel challenged. I always seem to pick the wrong places. First the Belton Chalet. Comfortable bed - but tiny room and the railroad charm wore off quickly. The restaurant at the Belton was quite good. If you are travelling with children - Stay at the Apgar Village Inn. The rooms have a glass wall over-looking the lake. You step outside and jump in.
We hiked Logan's pass, Avalanche Lake (4 miles) and Hidden Lake (6 miles). We found a friend, Natalie, at avalanche Lake and the walk back was EASY. Her family had a house in the park.

We asked a ranger at the Discover Center if there was a place to find fossils/gems. I remembered searching for those things as a kid and was quite successful. She didn't know of anywhere because the rock at Glacier is the wrong kind for those things. But she pointed us in the direction of a brochure in the laundromat. We went to the West Glacier Inn and asked if they knew where the laundromat was. They send us behind the gas station. No brochure there.

Next stop was the Hungry Horse Dam. We walk the Dam and climbed the waterfall on the other side. We asked a person at the visitor center who showed us a rock with a line of limestone through it. She told us to talk to Stephanie at the Dam Canal Shop. We stopped by the Dam Canal Shop and Steph was filled with information. After 1/2 hour she said there was a book she used with her boys when they were young. She didn't have the book at the shop, but if we talked to Murray at the Fly Fishing place - he would have it. We then got a call saying everyone was in Big Fork and never got to speak with Murray.

In Big Fork we stumbled on a book shop and picked up Rock hounding in Montana. We were only 1-1/2 miles away from Libby - a known place for gold panning. Paulo nixed any kind of rock hounding or gold panning. He just wanted to go hiking.

The pre-wedding party was very special. On a secluded lake with a fabulous band. OK it was 1 hour from Big Fork - but it was fun. Cutie got to spend time with her cousins.

The wedding party was at Paulo's brother's house. The wedding took place the previous week in Seattle. The Party was in Big Fork the following week so the whole family could celebrate. It's been a good year for David and Judy. A grandson and wedding.

Again I picked a bad hotel - it was more like a trailer park. We moved into the Mountain House Lodge for a huge room with jacuzzi in the middle. It also had a pool.

Flying home was painless. Cutie left her Polly Pockets on the arriving flight and we stopped by K-mart and bought some as a surprise gift - It made her flight. She did not stop playing the entire trip.

As for secrets -0 I'm reading My Life - Bill Clinton's memoirs. He said he liked to have secrets. Cutie still sucks her thumb from time-t0-time. When asked why - she said she likes to have a secret. Thumb sucking is getting so infrequent - I'm wondering what her secret is now.

Me and the High Dive

I did it too!