SUPERSTAR CLUB

Mimi is a very bright young lady. A short while back, Mimi's class had started a reading club. The ABC reading club is the lowest on the totem pole, next up is the Goldstar Club and then the Superstar Club. Everyone starts in the ABC club and then they are to move on up the totempole. Last week mama noticed that while everyone in Mimi's class had moved up to the Superstar Club, our dear beloved Mimi was still in the ABC club. Mama had a talk with the teacher. According to teacher, Mimi knows all of the upper case letters and most of the lower case letters. When the teacher showed mama letters that Mimi needs to work on, mama was should I say, not happy with Mimi at that moment? These are letters and words that mama knows that Mimi knew them because we had practiced them over and over at home. When the teacher asks Mimi these questions, Mimi will say "I don't know" and shrug her shoulders. This irritates mama to no end. I just can't stand it when Mimi will play dumb.

Along with practice reading and writing the letters, mama instructed Mimi that there will be no Disney.com, nor Nick Jr. com on the computer even though they are learning websites. "How about the Backyardigans?" she asked. Then it was how about this or how about that. The answer was always NO. Everynight papa would play starfall on the computer with her and during the day before school or gymnastics, mama and Mimi would practice writing and reading at the kitchen table.

Besides the practicing at home, mama decided to appeal to Mimi's competitive nature. Mimi hates to be beaten in anything. Mama showed her the board where all of her classmates are in the Superstar Club and then there is Mimi still in the ABC club.

I am happy to report that all of our hard work paid off. As of today Naomi "Mimi" has gone from the ABC Club straight to the Superstar Club bypassing the Goldstar Club. Picture is forthcoming.

MOTHER'S DAY GIFTS

Mama is celebrating Mother's Day a little early this year. Papa asked mama what she would like and mama had already bought her own gift which are these two plants. Actually there are several more that are not pictured here. Someday mama hopes to have a "Martha Stewart" garden in her backyard. It is slowly coming together. The chocolates are from mama brother Jim and the picture of Mimi is actually a magnet that is stuck to our refrigerator. Come this Sunday we will be celebrating at grandma's and grandpa's.

OUR CHINA FRIENDS

This picture is an oldie but goodie. Plus it is the only one of them that I have on hand. At the end of this month Mimi's good friend Samantha and her family will be making the trek up here to Washington for a short 3 day weekend over Memorial Day. Mama wishes they could stay just a wee bit longer. Oh well, she will take what she can.

We really do hope that Katie and her family could come for a visit one day too. We really miss them a lot. All they have to do call to make sure we are home, then just show up (we really do mean that. It's no joke). That goes for the rest of our friends and family too.

We got a bit of good news from the weatherman last night. We are expected to have 80 degree weather in a couple of weeks. The weather here now is cloudy. It has not rained much yet but the weather here changes frequently so who knows what will happen.

Hopefully the weather will cooperate because mama has plans for them. This is her idea and papa always agrees to her ideas. Smart man, that's why I married him.

Here's the plan that is subject to change at anytime. They will arrive on Fri. evening. We will just relax at home. Sat. morning we will have breakfast at Black Diamond Bakery then go on to the Northwest Trek (Washington's wildlife park. It can also be found on the internet). On the way home (close to dinner time) we will stop at Wally's for an old fashion burger. This place still has car hops and a small park so that one can eat outside if they feel like it. Plus the burgers are very good and papa gets his blackberry malt. They also have a kids menu too. By the time we head for home, mama is quite sure the girls will fall asleep in the car. Mimi alway does. We will probably arrive home around 7:30 pm.

Sun. we will do the tourist thing. Have breakfast at home then on to downtown Seattle where we will go to the Space Needle. Mimi has not been there yet so I'm quite sure the girls will get a kick out of that. Then we can go to Pike's Place Market and Cutter's restaurant or vice versa.

Mon. after breakfast we can take the girls to Lake Wilderness and drive around "funky town".

Sometime in the afternoon our neighborhood is planning a BBQ.

That's All Folks!!!

AQUATIC SWIM CENTER

You would think that the whole western Washington was there last night!!! Man! I never saw so many kids in my life outside of Disneyland. Despite all that Mimi and the rest of us had a blast.

Mimi and mama had gone there earlier in the day thinking that the pool would be open. It was, but not for the public. It was lesson time. Therefore we hung out at McDonald's till it was time for gymnastics. By the time gymnastics was over, Mimi was really tired so mama had no problems (not that there ever is) putting her down for a nap. She slept from 2:30 pm - 5;30 pm which is her usual nap time.

When she woke up she could not wait for the life of her to get down to the pool. Because they did not open till 7:30, we had some waiting to do. That just about killed her right then and there. "But mmooomm, waiting is soooo hard to do!" Mimi exclaimed. What can you say other than yes it is.

Finally the time came to jump in the pool. She had a blast. Imagine Squirt (Finding Nemo) saying "Watch what I can do!" with that little Chipmunk voice of hers. That was our Mimi. She is way much more comfortable in the water than she was a couple of years ago.

In the beginning Mimi was around 3years old and mama started to take her to the public pool nestled in the mountains of Pacific Palisades. It was great. The pool is a outdoor pool that only goes from 2-4 feet and it is free with a L.A. public library card. At first she was a little reluctant to go in but with mama's encouragement, she did. She liked it ok. It did not win her over. She would rather sit on the steps and splash the water. Papa does not remember this because he was not there at the time. Mama and Mimi would always go during the weekday when papa was at work and we practically had the pool to ourselves.

When papa started to go with us on the weekends, by then, Mimi took to the water like a duckling. The last time we all swam together was at Disneyland last year. Boy was it hot that day!!! By then Mimi was jumping into the pool.

Between last summer and this summer she did not go swimming so when it came time for the lessons, she was just a smidgen hesitant. What I know helps with Mimi on any new experience is that she has to check it out first. So before starting her lessons, we watched a class first. Now she understands that we will be going to a new swim school next month.