Last week of 2018

 Mom finished all her "Who hats"  for The Seussical.  I modeled them all for her since she will be delivering them to The Bridge School next week. (It's a Bridge School play).

Christmas was small, and quiet.  Aunt Megan, Uncle Patrick, cousin Maddox and my local grandpa came over.  It actually snowed on Christmas Eve and we had a white Christmas for two days.  

Dad and I got out and played in the snow.  We threw snowballs at the noisy dog next door-he ended up really liking the game!

We sparred at Hapkido-I'm in the red helmet, throwing a punch at Vu.

Una wore the ridiculous fun fur sweater!

And I got to jump in a stack of stuffed dogs at Ikea.  I am looking forward to 2018!

Dancing-again!

It has been quite awhile since I have taken a dance class.  The last one was ballet when I was 6.  I started taking musical theatre dance this fall.  Here I am doing a choreography from "Hairspray".
I really enjoy learning choreography. I plan on doing this through the whole school year.

Upcoming Suessical

I will be playing part of the Who Chorus for the Bridge School's musical in January of 2018.  Mom is making all of the costumes.

 This will be my wig.  

 This wig is Marlee's-also in the Who Chorus.

Sabrina is helping me model Mr. Mayor's wig and Mrs. Mayor's wig.

Uncle Colin, Aunt Lori, and Cousin Sophie came for a quick pre-christmas visit to Seattle.  We decided to use the Who wigs to remember the moment.

Making of the 2017 Christmas Card

My mom loves to make a "photo-shopped" Christmas card every year.  She makes costumes for them.  This year, I had the idea of Peter, Susan and Lucy meeting Father Christmas in Narnia from the book: "The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe".  We asked the Armstrong sisters (Lily & Charlotte) from next door to play my "sisters", and they said yes!  Dad dressed up as Father Christmas.

   

This card was harder because four people had to fit into it and the landscape of "spring thaw" was important.  The landscape ended up being this perfect painting on the internet.  Father Christmas gives the children weapons (and a healing potion) for the upcoming battle with the White Witch.

 We took pictures the day before Thanksgiving.  It was unusually HOT.  It ended up being 69 degrees and all of us were over dressed.

We tried several positions,

but this was the winner.

 

It was a good photo shoot.  The only bad thing was Una, our dog, got out and was missing close to an hour.  Fortunately, Malinda (Lily & Charlotte's Mom), Mom, and myself found Una down the street under a car.

That's Una.  She is opportunistic in her wandering.

Mom also made and designed my fair isle sweater vest.  She plans to publish the pattern in 2018, when she is done designing and making costumes for the Seussical.

Kent Mountain View Academy's first elementary concert

 My school hired a music teacher this past fall, so we  had a Holiday Concert on December 14th.  Here I am with my good friend Seth.  My school has a little gymnasium, so it was crowed with students and parents.

 You can see me right in the middle.  I sang the only solo in the concert.  I wasn't afraid because I have been doing Improvisation for almost a year and a half and have been in one theater production-my second one will be Seussical in January of 2018.

 

 Dad took a close up.

We also played guitars.  Unfortunately, I am not very good.  I am being taught how to play one like a right-handed person.  That might be the problem...

Sabrina was there too. I really enjoyed being in the spotlight.

End of Solo at Holiday concert

October 2017-Opera, Belt Test, Art, Halloween Costume

 Here is my 5th Grade portrait.

 Mom and I joined, Andy, Andrea, and some other Bridge School people to attend the Barber of Seville Opera dress rehearsal.  It was my first time to the opera.  I enjoyed it, but we only stayed for the first act, because it was almost 3 hours.

 I fell asleep in the car on the way home.

 I also had a belt test this month.

 I got my advanced yellow belt.  Here I am with Grand Master Kim.

I started dance class on Saturdays.  I am doing musical theatre dance.  I really enjoy learning choreography.  I had a get a pair of jazz shoes to do this class.  

 I wanted to be a steampunk guy for Halloween.  Here is what I will be wearing to school tomorrow.

Mom has been coming into my class once a week to teach art.  Here is my "great wave" 

and my "sugar skull"

Back to school-5th Grade!

I cannot believe that I am in 5th grade!  3rd and 4th flew by.  They are splitting my class this year and adding new students.  Andy is going back to the Bridge School.  I will miss him.  I took this picture with some of my friends.

The Eclipse

 My family decided to stay home for the Eclipse.  The Seattle area was in the 92% range.  So not bad.   It was fun to actually look at the sun with the eclipse glasses.

 We also watched it on the laptop.

At 10:15 am, we went outside-it was very cold, and dark (10:20 am was the 92% coverage of the sun).  

The dog acted as she always did, and took a nap!

It was a very cool experience.

The Seven Swords, Warrior Life Center

Andy and I started going to the Seven Swords/Warrior Life Academy in Tacoma on Monday & Wednesday evenings.  The class is split up-the first half hour is with Nikki learning jujitsu.  Recently, we have been learning : "How to fall without hurting yourself".

 The last half hour is with Ken., we get to learn to handle plastic swords and medieval European martial arts.  The blending of the two styles makes it super fun!

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Presently, I only have plans to go here through the end of August.  Once school starts, I will being doing my Hapkido and Improv classes like last year.

Smoke form British Columbia and the Burke Museum at University of Washington

August blew in with high temperatures and smoke form all the wild fires in British Columbia.  This was taken from our morning walk.  It's a view of the Des Moines marina and Mt. Rainier.  Our region had the worst air quality for 10 days.  It was great when it finally blew out and we could see the blue of the sky again.

This way (west ) is the Sound and the Olympic mountain range......

On one of these smokey days, Mom and I drove to the University of Washington to visit the Burke Museum,   They have the best dinosaur collection in Western Washington.  As you can see, I am not even as tall as this leg bone.

This coastal native american carved seal was stolen from an Alaskan village.  Fortunately, the tribe is allowing the seal to be on display at the Burke, it will go back some day.

After our time at the Burke we meet up with Andrea, got a coffee and walked around campus.  My Dad did his undergraduate degree here in Computer Science.  Below is their gothic library built in the 1920"s.

Inside the library..

 Outside the reference room there was one of the world's largest books.  That's Andrea.

Mom and I at the fountain.  Mt. Rainier is supposed to be in the background......

I enjoyed walking around Dad's University.  I look forward to going myself someday in the future.