October 2017

October is here and Destination Imagination is in full swing.  This year we are the Yellow Pickles and there are six kids on the team instead of five.

This is the team working on an instant challenge.

Reagan and Brooke spent the night a couple weeks ago.  Brooke is still into slime.  She saved her money and bought enough supplies to make two pounds of it.  It was a big hit with the boys.

Justin's class took a field trip to Stone Gardens, which is an assisted living home.

He said they all had a good time and his teacher said all of the kids were great.

Aunt Natalie was in town for a weekend.  She took the boys and the twins hiking.

And took these pictures.

Justin has been taking swimming lessons.

And Colin joined the swim team.  I think he's in this picture.

Class pictures arrived.

This is Colin's class.

The boys and I went to Choolaah one Thursday night after swimming.  The kids are big fans.  However, they didn't even eat the tikka masala sauce.  They mostly just ate rice, naan, and chicken or lamb meatballs.  Pretty much what they get at home.

Sunrise over Casa D'Elwell.

See ya soon.

Back To School

The boys are back to school.  They both seem very happy about it for now.

Colin has Mrs. Wilson for homeroom.  Justin has Mrs. Bogard.  They both seem happy with their new teachers.

Jamie took Justin and Jackson to fun and stuff.  They had a blast getting soaked on the bumper boats.  

Jackson's birthday party was last weekend.  He had this magician - who is a Beachwood High School student - perform at his party.

The kids all had a blast. Thanks for inviting us Kleins.  Happy Birthday Jackson.

I started redoing the other brick walkway a couple weeks ago.  I've been paying/bribing the kids into helping me.  They do a pretty good job.

Colin and I were out riding our bikes.  We got caught in the rain.  When we were biking past Mercer Elementary we saw this rainbow.  I had to stop and take a picture.  It was much more beautiful in real life though.

Remember this guy that Bachan found in her garden?

Well, a few weeks later this preying mantis came to our back window.  It's the first one I've seen in Beachwood.

You don't want to know.

Jamie sent me this picture of Justin at his Kidz Camp music show.  The show was over a month ago but this picture was the best one.

Congrats to Joey and Lori!!  We just got our save the date.  Can't wait for next summer.

See you soon.

April and May - in no particular order

Colin got his artwork chosen to be displayed at the Community Center.  

So did Justin.  However, Justin's was too high for him to be in the picture with it.  Good job boys.

'Reagan and Brook were in Magnificat's performance of "A Mid Summer's Night Dream".  They both played fairies and did an excellent job.  

Beachwood High School hosted a STEM fair called "Noise".  The highlight was a performance by Apollo Robbins which was amazing.  However, this is the only picture I took while we were there.  It's one of the food trucks that was in the parking lot.  I thought all of the Kunihara's would like it.  Haha.

Our biggest event lately was our vacation to New Orleans for spring break.  This is us at City Park.

This is an 800 year old tree in the park.

Gradma and I went to the Botanical Gardens which was also in City Park.

It was great but nothing like Cleveland's according to Grandma.

Colin found himself a girlfriend.

The art museum and a statue garden were in the park.  The piece was titled "Bachi".  Not sure why though.

The french quarter was amazing.

That's where the beignet's are.  They're delicious French doughnuts with powdered sugar on them.  

We took a carriage ride around the French Quarter. 

Sunset over the mighty Mississippi.

This is Audobon Park.  We went here a few time.  This track goes in a big circle all the way around the park so we came here for morning exercise a couple times.  

One of the highlights of the trip was the swamp tour.  

We saw a bunch of Alligators and a bald eagle.

And they had a small one on the boat that everyone could hold.

On the way home we stopped at Diamond Caverns in Kentucky.  It was a great trip.  I would do it again.

Colin got a "Spinney" award for D.I. and his math scores.  Here he is with Yonathan, Lorena and Sahana from the Disco Dancing Babies.

Uncle Matt and crew were in for Easter.  Here's the boys with their cousins.

We managed to get out fishing one warm Sunday.

Didn't catch enough for dinner, though.  Maybe next time.

In Beachwood, all fourth and fifth graders have to choose between band and orchestra and choose and instrument.  Colin chose orchestra and the violin.  It just happens that one of our tenants plays violin for the Cleveland Orchestra.  This is her $60,000 violin.  Luckily Beachwood supplies the instruments.  Haha.

See you soon.