Goodbye Sweet Sea Dragons.

This time of year is enough to make a girl want to have (another) beer. 

The whole series of endings and beginnings is fabulous to watch.  And can also just about break your heart in two.

Stella has been with the same group of wild and amazing kids since she was two and a half. 

The Sea Dragons. 

And last night we said goodbye at their graduation ceremony.  In the old gym in the ancient Seattle school building she's called home three days a week for these last years.

Now we have a week to hang out together as a family, and then they're both off to school on September 9th. 

Big kid school. 

I'm not quite sure how that happened so quickly.  But my hope is that her next years are as good and full of love as these last few. 

Her favorite, favorite teacher.  Mary.

They are both lovers of Dr. Who.  And what says "Thank you, Mary" better than Dr. Who salt and pepper shakers?

Her best girlfriends.  Olivia and Kate.

Aforementioned old gym.  Site of the ceremony.

Sweet Olivia.

Fabulous Kate.

And our girl. Coming in from screen left.

And Stella's very best friend ever.  Davis.

Goodbye sweet Sea Dragons.  We will miss you.  Like crazy.

Even More Aloha.

As Summer gets closer to its great demise, we received a little disk in the mail with the entirety of our family pictures from Hawaii. 

Were we ever really there?  It's only been two months and change, but I'm having a hard time remembering.  What with the buying of school clothes and signing up for soccer and swimming and gymnastics.  It's beginning. All over again.

Good thing we have some snaps to remind us of one fabulous time.  

 

 

Camp Brinkley 2.0

Well, those Seward fellas hit the road this AM.

Off to Cub Scout camp for the second year in a row. 

This is Henry's favorite place on earth. He gets to run around with a pack of boys, shoot bb guns, whittle wood of some sort with his very own pocket knife, shoot arrows at a target, and all other manner of manly-type activities.

I mean, come on. It's pure goodness for an eight-year old.

And a forty-six year old.

And Camp Brinkley kick-off mornings are always happy ones. 

Stella plays a tune.  Which is somewhere between cute, plinky sounds and oh-my-gawd-make-it-stop-please.

Louie has no idea what the hell is going on.

This is Henry at his happiest.  Oh the possibilities of camp...

And Stella at her craziest.  Let's wrestle before you take off!  Yes!

Random, stinky summer kid feet.

Stella and Louie watching Dave load the truck.

Saying our farewells.

And they're off.

Stella and I have big plans for a girls' weekend, which involve two types of wings: fairy and chicken.

But that's a story for another time.

Until then...happy trails, you cute campers.