Mid-May Miscellany

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My last post was about the tulip festival. It's only been a month, but that seems like ages ago!

Not long after that post it was time for me to start studying for the final for my Spring semester course. I thought I had received a B in my second course (I got an A in the first one), but discovered that I had actually received an A. Therefore I was extra motivated to get another A so I could complete the three-course certificate (in Bioinformatics) with perfect grades. I studied pretty hard for the final, but alas I only earned a B. Some of the final exam questions really surprised me. I'm continuing in the program: four more courses and I'll earn a Master's degree.

The first Friday in May was the annual fund raising auction for the Phinney Neighborhood Center where the girls go to co-op preschool. Carol donated a hand-painted foot stool. This time her theme was "ABC's" with those letters painted in large print and apples, bees and cookies as representative words and pictures. It came out great. I'm always in awe of Carol's artistic talent.

My parents made a brief appearance in Seattle at the end of April. They came home from their winter hangout in Palm Desert, CA, but only for three days before jetting off to a Mediterranean cruise. They get back this week. We squeezed in a whole-family dinner together while they were in town. The girls are anticipating their visits to the Greenlake wading pool and playground with Grandma and Grandpa.

On May 3 Carol and I took Audrey to Busytown at the Seattle Children's Theater. It was Audrey's and my first time there. Busytown is based on Richard Scarry's wonderful book "What Do People Do All Day?" It is one of Audrey's all-time favorite books and we have read from it a million times at bedtime. The production was really good and we all enjoyed it. Most of the productions at SCT are for kids older than ours, but we look forward to seeing more performances there in the years to come.

Carol's parents returned home from their winter haunts (Tucson, AZ) during the first week of May. We drove over to see them on May 9, spending the weekend. Their return tends to coincide with a 100-mile bike ride I like to do called the Inland Empire Century. This year I rode it with my friend Jason. We both prepared for the tire-puncturing tackweed with tire liners and, in my case, "slime" tubes, and it paid off. Jason got one flat due to thorns and I got none. It was a perfect day and I felt very strong all the way through the ride.

The girls were very happy to see all of their grandparents. All the way to Richland Charlotte was saying "Grandma's home!" and of course Audrey was asking, "Are we there yet?" And they were very sad to leave on Sunday when it was time to come home. Carol plans to go back over for five days as soon as the girls' preschool finishes in mid-June. The girls have a wonderful time there frolicking in the yard and playing the two pianos.

Audrey and Charlotte have also been enjoying time with their aunts (my sisters). Elizabeth babysits for us almost every weekend and Carol and I get out for a date. It's special for the girls because they get to stay up late and they really look forward to seeing her. Also, a few weeks ago Tricia and Frank took both girls overnight on a Thursday. Tricia had a full schedule of activities planned: pedicures with fancy polish jobs, make-your-own pizza at a restaurant near their house, ride on the Frank's tractor, playing in the hayloft in their horse barn and helping Tricia cook. They also got to "camp" in the living room. Since Tricia collected the girls in the morning Thursday and brought them home in the evening on Friday Carol had two full days off. She was in heaven. Tricia and Frank got to enjoy being awakened at 6:00am instead of us.

When I started writing, I thought the start on the back yard was the big news and I didn't have much to say about general family happenings. I was wrong!