Our Catcher!

Just had to load a few pictures of our star catcher! Following in Dad's footsteps, Kyle has learned great catcher's technique. He's quick with returning the ball, and knows where the next play will be. Not a complaint about the heavy uniform, this boy just wants to "play ball"!

One Great Oriole!

Take a great Dad who is also Team Manager, cheering in the stands by mom and grandparents, and add a kid with a dose of athletic talents and you've got all the components for a great baseball season. It's been a very positive year for Kyle and his Orioles team! While Kyle enjoys all components of the game, he'd tell you that playing defense is his favorite part. You can just see it in his eyes that he's thinking ahead, he wants the ball and he wants to make the play. He just "gets" this game--the mental pieces--just like his Dad! His specialties are playing First Base, Third Base, Pitcher, or Catcher. Of course we're proud of his great attitude as well. Always gives his best, doesn't complain, and he takes the good with the bad. Kyle has also had the opportunity to make a new friend who is also a sports nut! These two boys are already talking about sports for the fall and whether it should be winter ball or flag-football next! Hats off to a successful season and....one great Oriole!

Full of Character

Today is "dress like a storybook character day" at school. Karly new right from the start she wanted to dress as her favorite American Girl --Kit. She planned it all down to the red headband that looked like Kit's red ribbon and even researched this morning the meaning of the color tags on the front of her top. For Kyle, this was a bit more difficult. He had a whole list of athletes that he'd rather dress as! Nonetheless, the Kern kids teamed up and figured out that Kyle would make a great Geronamo Stilton (he's actually a mystery solving mouse). Karly made him a business card with his name, and Kyle got to work finding the outfit that would most represent Geronamo's style. A sportcoat, shirt and tie--completed by whiskers that Mommy drew on his face and Karly's dress up glasses. These two characters couldn't wait to jump out of the car at school today! Mommy looks forward to hearing the full report.

Enjoying Easter

While Easter already seems far behind us with all the crazy Spring time events we now find ourselves in the midst of, I wanted to get these few pictures and thoughts in.

Easter with older kids who still wait expectantly for the annual Easter Bunny visit is too fun! Karly and Kyle wrote the Easter Bunny notes this year and left him 2 nice carrots and a decorated hard-boiled egg. Of course no meal would be complete without a drink as well. The Easter Bunny received his very own water bottle, inscribed with his name and everything. (What a generational tell tale-my children think even the Easter Bunny needs clean mineral water!)

I just love this picture of Karly at the egg hunt. Can't you just feel the energy she's mustering up! It's so Karly!

Adventures of Spring Break

One Big'old German Brown

Early morning Spring Break Sunday meant fishing for Kyle, Pop, and Mommy on Lake Almanor. Kyle was quite the student, it had been a while since he had trolled with Pop. Methodical as always, Kyle followed each direction and even asked for confirmation several times that he was fishing just right. No early action, but moments after Kyle asked when we were turning around to head back in, BAM, he caught one! He couldn't have smiled any bigger--he was just thrilled! Kyle, the animal lover wanted to release his gilled friend--so we watched him swim away.

Dog's Gone Wild

Gilligan loves the water. He becomes a third child and gets muddy and soaked in no time. His favorite part? Going in after sticks and trying to pull rocks out of Bailey Creek. Yes, he got his jaws around rocks and removed them from the creek and brought them up the bank. Total nut!

Cool Mountain Water

Exploring Bailey Creek has become a family favorite. Kent and Kyle worked steadily building a rock dam to walk across on, while Karly was singing and dancing ankle deep in the fresh Mt. Lassen snow melt (no surprise here--this girl would swim in the Arctic). We got wet, and muddy, but we laughed and smiled all the while.

Bug Zoo....

Kyle's big question for the day....."Can we make a bug zoo?" If it gets them outdoors, and creative, absolutely--I'll supply the zoo-- okay the tupperware that is! Kyle and two of his pals spent hours turning over rocks, digging through bark, and digging holes on the side yard to find their zoo inhabitants. I'm amazed that although these boys are getting older, they still go crazy over finding an ants nest, find fun rolling the rollie pollies, and hold with intent the centipedes until they crawl off the end of their hands. It was cute to hear the oldest of the boys explaining larvae, and egg sacks to the other two. They laughed, made a mess, and were all BOY!

The Bug Zoo celebrated it's grand opening and it's closure with about a two hour run--but it was a good one! A storybook day-- three boys, Spring weather and bugs! I am happy to report there was no eating of bugs--no dares or creative cuisine. Only Gilligan would take the plunge and did get quite a reaction from the boys as he enjoyed a nice mouthful of ants. Yuck!

A bit of luck!

Karly's teacher couldn't wait to show me the following writing piece! Her teacher said that most kids wrote about lucky pennies or material items, but she was brought to tears to read the following:

When has a bit of luck come your way?

By Karly Kern

"I feel that I'm lucky because I got adopted. One reason why I feel this way would be, if I wasn't adopted I might not be in my class. I might be in an orphanage (spelled correctly I must add). The second reason would be, I wouldn't have such great friends, family, and teacher. The third reason is having such a great and free country."

Pretty cute huh! Had to share!