One Last Visit Before We Go

Moving Day is nearly upon us, and we've been trying to cram in as much family time as we can with our California kinfolk.

We visited Uncle Mark and Aunt Connie (along with sundry first and second cousins), . . .

. . . the three big kids each had a sleepover with Pink Grandma (who helped Joy craft this fun apron) . . .

. . . we paid one last visit to Papa and Red Grandma's cabin . . .

. . . and gathered at their house for Father's Day, along with my grandparents, Uncle Rob, and Aunt Heather.  There are a lot of reasons I'm excited about our upcoming move, but I will be very sad to leave family members we love so much.

Just the Bare Necessities

Last weekend . . .

. . . our home looked like this (the kids decided to set up a mini golf course).

This weekend, it looks like this.  Our furniture and nearly everything else we own is packed into a big trailer, waiting to leave for Arkansas.  Our apartment doesn't really feel like home anymore.

Todd doesn't mind, though, because he has a big new toy with wheels to play with. :)

You've Got Mail, and a Python Book

Summer is a nice time for kids to play and take it easy, but Phillip and I also wanted to give them a few things to exercise their brains and keep boredom at bay.

Phillip gave Joy a Python for Kids programming book, which she is really enjoying (do you like the Creeper screen shot she uses for her desktop wallpaper?).

I asked the three oldest kids to write something after breakfast this week, and suggested that they could write in a journal, write a short story, or maybe write me a letter that I could answer.  They thought the letter idea was cool, and soon they were all writing letters to me and to each other.

Joy even made herself a mailbox . . .

. . . and devised a long-distance mail delivery system.  That's our inventive girl.

End of School Swim Party

Hey Hendricksons!  School's out for the summer!  What are you going to do today?

Splash in the pool with our sibs, of course.

Todd took a short dunk and decided he'd prefer to watch the festivities for a while.

After they finished swimming, the kids dried off and warmed up in the sunshine.

Sunglasses and "beach umbrellas" added to the ambiance.

House Hunting in Arkansas

This past weekend, Phillip and I took a break from packing and flew to Arkansas to do some house hunting.

Coming from Southern California, which has been in a severe drought for five years now, I can't get over how effortlessly green Arkansas is.

We looked at several properties and decided to rent this cute little house.

My favorite part of it is the backyard which has several big, shady trees and lots of room for the kids to play.

It's also just a few miles from the poetically named Toad Suck Park.  Yeah, you read that right.

At least the playground is cool, and the people in this town are friendly.  I'm looking forward to living in a community where people are so cheerful and welcoming.

Anna the Preschool Grad

We attended Anna's preschool graduation this evening.  When I told Phillip about the event, he smiled and started quoting The Incredibles ("It's not a graduation!  He is [just moving on to the next grade!] . . . They keep coming up with new ways to celebrate mediocrity!").  Considering that Phillip put in nearly a decade of work, got two articles published, and wrote a groundbreaking dissertation before he could graduate with his doctorate last year, I guess he can be forgiven for snickering at a graduation where the only requirement was consistent attendance.

But I digress . . .

The ceremony was pretty cute.  The kids recited nursery rhymes they had memorized, and played songs on hand bells . . . 

. . . then received their diplomas.

Thanks for a great year, Miss Alli and Miss Erika.  Anna learned a lot and had a great time.  Preschool was always the highlight of her week.

Train Rides to Daddy's School

Anna, Todd, and I went on a little adventure today.

We took a few trains downtown . . .

. . . to meet Daddy for lunch on campus.

After enjoying some pizza together we checked out the big fountain, with a statue of Traveler the stallion looking on.

The little kids had a great time on the trains, and we got back just in time to pick the big kids up from school.