Spokane!!

Because Miles and his Math Team did so well in the Regional 'Math Is Coool' competition, they got invited to the statewide competition. So we got to go to lovely Spokane for the weekend! We drove over after Caroline's dance class, and had an excellent room in the Fairfield Inn. It looked exactly like the room we had in Anaheim!! Here is Spokane!

First thing in the morning on Saturday Miles and I got up and went to breakfast with the rest of the team at the always carb-tastic Shari's Restaurant. Here is the team:
That's Max, Coach Dan, Miles, Adrian, and Matthew. They did fantastic, and ended in a 3-way tie for 3rd place. Unfortunately, the tie breakers were arbitrary, so our guys ended up in 5th place. Bummer, but we were very proud because we were the first team that wasn't from a private school with a professionally hired coach. Our coaches are parent volunteers, so yay US!!!!

Nick went golfing, and Caroline and I had some time to kill during the competition, so we walked around Waterfront Park, which is just lovely, though about 5 million degrees, and lunched at Taco Del Mar.
She posed with this statue, which I am guessing is a must-do for any visit to Spokane.

We went to dinner at the Krashin's hotel. They are staying right downtown, so we ate in this safari themed restaurant. I had an amazing salad.
Here is a prime example of the decor. Here is Miles and Max:
It is Lilac Festival weekend, so everyone is dressed in purple, and as we leave the restaurant, there is a parade going by!!!!
No joke!!
We were pretty tired, mentally, so we went back to the hotel and straight to bed. The next day we went back to the park, to ride the gondolas across the Falls, but it was too windy, so we settled for a train ride around the park.
And a walk, checking out the old World's Fair sites.
Then we hit the road to home. We stopped at a diner for lunch, and the kids were really excited that they could order their chicken strips with steamed broccoli instead of fries, they are so sick of fries, whenever we take a road trip! We stop along the way for a photo op at the Gorge. So pretty.




We decide to stop at the :

Home to some of the only petrified ginkgo in the world.
And some petroglyphs: (which we love)
And it was SUPER CRAZY WINDY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

That was a very fun little weekend in Eastern Washington.

Catch-up...

Well, the last entry was from Disneyland in April. We have actually done some interesting things since then, but I have been busy and distracted , I guess. Here is a short recap:

There was Passover at Peggys.... I once again channeled somebody's Bubbie and made Matzo Ball Soup, here I am checking on it before we go:
It was good. Here are some of the guests:
That's the always-charming Jane, wife of our very own local celeb, Robert Nellems next to her, then Geni, Roy, Kristina and the legs of our host, Jim. I don't have a picture of Peggy!

Me, Geni and Beth in the kitchen. Don't ask, but this was right after we got there, so we cannot blame all the Passover wine.
I think that Nick told us to pose, and as ever, we are compliant.
Then it was Spring:
Rick had a surprise party. And he was surprised!
Then it snowed again.

The novelty of the Spring Snowfall has totally worn off.
Miles won this in a Math Competition:
Nick went to see The Eels.
And Caroline spent a long tiring weekend performing in this show:
This one is called "Storm at Sea"
Shes' in the middle in the light yellow shirt.


In this one she is on the far right:
And in this one she is in the middle. This dance is called "Disaster!!" and this is when the alien spaceship lands.
A busy time we have had!! Hopefully the summer will provide a lot of photos....

Day 4-Disneyland Again!

For our last day, we went back to Disneyland to do all the things we haven't done yet. Miles took more pictures of trees.
And the sidewalk.
We went on the carousel (Grandma's dream)






















We rode space mountain:


Took the train ....
...to...
Miles enjoys all the silly stuff there.
Caroline and I had tea at Minnie's house.


We think we found a Hidden Mickey.--might be a stretch...
Caroline and Miles got some exercise....

We loafed around on some boxes of explosives....
And then we met Mickey!!
What a great day, what a great trip. We were so glad we got to go with Grandma, and experience it with her. She isn't even TOO traumatized by Thunder Mountain!

Day 3--California Adventure!

(Sorry I've gotten behind)

The next day was for California Adventure!! We knew mom would love it here, it is so beautiful!! Here we are in the O, out in front.
This fountain is a beautiful tile mosaic, and the water comes over it like waves. I just love it, it is mesmerizing.....

On the Hollywood Backlot.


Fabulous landscaping!




Ferris Wheel and Roller Coaster in the background there. We met up with Caroline's friend Katie, and we all went on the Roller coaster THREE times!! The first time Miles went, and that was enough, the second and third time, we convinced Katie's mom to go too!!
Mom finally got her ride on a merry-go-round, albeit on a whale.
The 3-D bug movie, it kind of freaked Caroline out. At a certain point, I think Disney could tone down the scary sometimes.
Photo of giant clover Miles took from a ride!
I dared the kids to run through this fountain, as a joke, and then they ended up getting soaked, oops. Luckily it was pretty warm by then.
We caught the Aladdin show...
Dragged Grandma through the netting in Grizzley Run,
...where the kids played for a while, it is a fun little place....

Caroline really wanted her picture in the giant C, but there were people hanging all over it in the morning, so we got one on the way out.Then we swung by the lego store in Downtown Disney, where Grandma cracked the kids up, making her own Hollywood Tower of Terror out of Duplos. We had dinner at Beppo, and THAT was a full fun day!