RIDES AT THE PACIFIC CENTER

The last time we had gone to the Pacific Science Center was earlier this year with our good friends Allyn, Teri and Samantha. We did not ride the rides then, only went to the Space Needle. The time before that was about 10 years ago when we took our niece and nephew Joe and Mari. Only at that time there were only the bumper cars which they LOVED! Now there are all kinds of rides for the big and small kids. There is also a miniature golf and penny arcade and bouncy house. Last but not least there is a children's museum and theater. Since we did not have time to do everything we will have to come back again. Oh, Oh almost forgot that they have a park where a free concert was going on along with food booths from differen countries.

RIDING THE MONORAIL

Yesterday papa promised his partner that's working on the same project as he is that he (papa) would come into the office and work with him. Mama and Mimi went along for the ride. As it turns out papa did not need to go to the office so since we were out there we all took the monorail over to the Science Center where they had an exhibit on speed and race cars. We saw a documentary that was put together by Paul Newman and Mario Andretti in the IMAX theater. You almost felt as if you were driving the race car yourself. Of course before going to the Science Center Mimi could not pass up the rides. She rode on all of them by herself except for the ferris wheel in which mama who was having a "senior moment" went with her. Hard to believe that when mama was just a tad younger she loved the roller coaster rides and such. Now she has become her mother. Meanwhile at the top of the ferris wheel mama was hanging on with her head down and eyes shut tight and Mimi was saying "Be brave mom. You could do it" over and over till the ride was through.

CAMP OUT

Mimi now really loves camping. Last night and tonight she and papa are sleeping out in the backyard in our tent.

Today started off with our ritual of pancakes and bacon breakfast. Then on our way to grandpa's house, our friends and neighbors were having a garage sale in the park. Mama was able to buy a breadmaking machine for $10.00 and a Little Tykes slide for $25.00. If either of them breaks down for any reason, mama knows where to go.

Grandma was supposed to go to the rehab hospital yesterday but instead she talked her doctor into letting her come home. While there Mimi put on a show for her while grandpa went out shopping for groceries then it was time to leave. So on to Sara's house for a while.

We arrived home around 6:30 p.m. and shortly thereafter grandpa called to ask papa to come and help him get grandma into bed. Grandpa is very small in stature and could not get grandma from the chair to the bed. In the end they had to call the paramedics to come help. A while back papa made a wrong turn or something and has been suffering a backache ever since.

Meanwhile back at the ranch it was 88 degrees at 8:30 p.m. so mama and Mimi went outside to visit with our friends Kathy, Spencer and his dad Jim. Both Spencer and Jim gave Mimi a lesson in baseball. She seemed to like it pretty well.

By 9:00 it was still HOT (80 degreees) the movie projector in his backyard and we all went over to watch The Bridge of Taribithia (?) and Mimi had a blast with Maddie and Marissa and the other girls of the neighborhood. Finally papa was able to get everything straightened out at grandma's and came back home. What a man papa is!

We also received the letter from Mimi's new school and she and Blake will be classmates. Unfortunately Erin is in a different class but I hear that they will all be on the playground at the same time.

RELAXING

Today was another scorcher! PHEW!!! When swimming class was over Mimi did not even shower and put her clean clothes on. We just came home and into our pool we went. Blake and Bailey came over to cool off too. Pictured here are Mimi and Bailey relaxing in Mexico. Bailey absolutely adores Mimi just like a little sis to big sis. It kind of ticks Blake off sometimes that Mimi will play tea party with Bailey and not pirates with him. I am pretty sure that when we go to China for Mei Mei, she and Mimi will hit it off immediatly. All the smaller kids in the neighborhood just adore Mimi too. It probably helps that she is so close to their size even though she is a couple of years older than they are. Up here where we live it gets super duper hot at around 2:00 p..m - 8:00 p.m. Due to the excessive heat one learns to close all windows and doors, turn the air vent and fans on during the day and night, then around 6:00 p.m. open all the windows and doors unless one has air condition which the majority of Washintonians don't have. Around 2 o'clock was when Erin came over and they had a carpet picnic while watching Alvin and the Chipmunks. Way, way, way too hot to go outside so we kept cool with tons of cold water and Dora popsicles. Finally it cooled down just a smidgen and the kids went to the park with Keri while mama stayed home inside the house. Mama absolutely becomes sick and disoriented in the heat. Now at 10:00 p.m. it is way too hot to go to bed(76 degrees). Mimi and papa are "camping out" in the backyard in our tent that he set up last week. Tomorrow a neighborhood garage sale is going on here and Mimi, papa, mama and grandpa are going to go visit with grandma in the hospital. Not sure if they are going to transfer her to the rehab hospital today or tomorrow. I'm sure we will find out soon enough though.

ROLLER COASTER RIDE

It was discovered a couple of years ago on one of our several trips to Disneyland with our good friends the Fratkins that Mimi loves roller coaster rides. At Disneyland she always rode the one in Toon Town with her papa. Same with Remlinger Farms the last time we came here as a family. Yesterday we tried to get Blake to go on it with her but he chickened out in the end so therefore Mimi decided that she wanted to go solo, and solo she did. It's kind of hard to see her but she is in the first car waving to the camera now and then with the biggest grin you ever saw on her face.

MORE REMLINGER FARMS

Mama and Keri had promised the kids a trip to Remling Farms this summer and so yesterday after Mimi's swimming and gymnastic class was over, off to Carnation (where the Carnation milk and ice cream come from) we went. Man oh man was it hot!!!!! None the less the kids had a blast.

POETRY

Among Mimi's many other talents, she is becoming quite the poet. Although mama does not get lost as much as she did one year ago when we moved up here, there still are a few times when she does. On the way home the other night from visiting grandma in the hospital the weather was super clear and you could see Mount Rainier real good. From the back seat mama could hear Mimi saying:

Mount Rainier, Mount Rainier
Very high
Very low
Papa knows where to go
But mama doesn't know

(sigh)