Like Father Like Son

Here were are beginning the summer projects -- Dad and Tanner are building an airplane model -- Tanner looks like a mini-me Polo with his headlamp!

Summer rolls in with a BANG!!!

Or should I say a SPLASH! Today was the official first day of summer break with the kids and we went skiing with our good friends the Moore Family. We went to Silverwood Lake which is about an hour and a half from home.

The kids have never been water skiing and it has been eleven years since Mom had gotten up on a pair of skis, so it was going to be an adventure. We arrived at the lake to find that we were almost the only ones on the water --- yeah Mondays at the lake!

Alec and Angella led the way by skiing first -- showing Sierra and Tanner how it was done. Sierra was the first to try this skiing thing and even with Chris (Angella and Alec's mom) at the helm trying to help her it proved challenging. Angella jumped into the water to get Sierra situated and then Sierra was ready to go.

We all waited until she gave us the okay signal then she was off. There she was rising out of the water, pulling the rope properly, almost popping up straight --- then -- whosh, splat, splash! She had stepped out of her skis, fell down and the skis hit her in the chin -- guess what -- no more skiing, just lots of tears. At least she tried -- she was so close to getting up, but she would not try again. After that, plus the fact the water was cold, Tanner decided he would not even try.

Then Mom says, in her infinite wisdom, "I'll give it a try." Is she crazy? Yes, I am. None of the skis fit quite as well as I would have liked, but I went for it anyway. On my first attempt I popped right up out of the water -- only to step out of one ski and fall right on my behind. Not to be one to give up, I tried again and on the second attempt I again popped right up and skied! Yeah MOM!!! It took only a very few minutes for me to realize I was out of shape and needed some serious workouts to be as good as I once was. That is for another post!

Thank you Chris for the back up plan of tubing! This proved to be something that everyone could do and not get hurt in the process. Even Tanner decided he could do it too because he could just jump on top of the tube and not have to touch the cold water -- in theory that is a good line of thinking, but we all know what happens on a tube!

Everyone was getting braver by the end of the day even though we all know that you would eventually end up in the water. It was a great day spent with great friends, relaxing on a beach, not worrying about school, not thinking about home and the 114 degree temperature, and just enjoying what was unfolding at the lake that day. YEAH SUMMER!!!

Father's Day

What a great day Father's Day is for everyone in our house. We are so thankful to have a Dad/husband/uncle who is gracious, kind, loving, humble and the spiritual leader of our home. At church today many talked about all the different kinds of dads, the qualities they possess and the memories they give us throughout or lives.

It is often the simplest things that mean the most and it is often those simple memories that have a lasting impression upon us for our entire lives. Even on a Sunday when we have to be at church early, the kids have to make dad a breakfast in bed because that is what we have done since the beginning. The most fun is that they all share the breakfast off the same plate.

Here's to our Dad -- husband, Polo, Polito, Uncle, Gruncle -- Happy Father's Day and thanks for being our number one hero!

Goodbye Evan!

Well a sad day this week as we have to say goodbye to our good friends the Sanchez family as they move to the San Diego area. On Thursday night we hosted a surprise farewell party for Evan to let the boys all say goodbye to their good friend. Tanner, Brad, Michael, Cameron and Sierra all hid in the house while I had Evan's mom send him down to pick something up from our house. When he came the kids all yelled surprise!!!!!

Evan was so surprised and his comment was, "If I would have know it was a party for me I would have fixed my hair!" The gang played Wii, ate and played outside for a few hours and it was a nice evening.

WE really are going to miss the Sanchez family -- Brad, Tanner and Evan are like the three stooges and they are joined at the hip. It is great to have such good friends and they boys will sure miss each other.

It is not goodbye really. It is --- Until we see you again!

IT'S THE LAST DAY OF SCHOOL!

Yesterday was a great day in the Doria household -- Mom did her famous "It's-the-Last-Day-of-School" dance --- although the dance may be somwwhat embarassing to most, to the kids it is a dance of joy.

Many parents do not look forward to the last day of school because it means that there are kids around all day and that is too big of a challenge. Mom on the other hand looks forward to no schedule, forts in the house, puzzles, games, scrapbooking, no meetings, no taxi service, etc., etc., etc!

It is a time to read, a time to go to the movies, a time to enjoy family and a time to relax. We are looking forward to a visit from Uncle Terry and Aunt Martha in July. They will be visiting us from Texas and will be here for about 2 1/2 weeks. We really look forward to spending time with them and relaxing! A week after they are gone, Mom will be coming from Georgia to spend a few days here as well.

We will go to San Diego while Martha and Terry are here, and also in the month of July, Sierra and Dad will be away at the church girl's camp for a week. So before we know it July will have come and gone!

I will try and keep the blog up during the summer while I am relaxing!

5th Grade Exhibition

GLOBAL WARMING -- OIL CRISIS -- WORLD HUNGER -- PET ABUSE

Are we watching the evening news? No we are watching 5th graders at Amelia Earhart Elementary give their final presentations of their elementary school careers. These were only four of over 150 presentations throughout the day about issues affecting our world. Each 5th grade International Baccalaureate (IB) World School student is required to complete a team project which reflects on the IB characteristics and concepts they have learned over the last six years in elementary school.

Team Global Warming - Tanner Doria, Jeremy Leon and Martin Mercado

As 5th graders they are asked to identify a problem in their community or the world, research the problem, determine causes and identify how they can help to improve/correct the problem. In their presentations they must include all eight concepts and at least four PYP characteristics.

The IB Primary Years Program (PYP) for elementary students focuses on the following:

Concepts:

Form -- Function -- Perspective -- Connection -- Causation -- Change -- Responsibility -- Reflection

PYP Characteristics :

Caring --Inquirer -- Open Minded -- Thinker -- Knowledgeable -- Risk Taker -- Balanced -- Communicator -- Principled -- Reflective

Here is a snippet of Tanner at work.

Tanner's friends -- Carson, Jason and Alec -- present on the Oil Crisis

It was amazing to see all of the 5th graders get in front of parents and students and do their presentations with ease and confidence. The amount of information about the world and the issues we are facing as seen through 10 year old eyes was a sight to behold.

CONGRATULATIONS 5th GRADERS!

TANNER PROMOTES TO MIDDLE SCHOOL

What a wonderful evening it was tonight with family and friends watching the 5th grade promotion for Amelia Earhart School for International Studies. There were so many families who have been here from the very beginning, and by that I mean since the school opened on September 4, 2001. So there have been many friendships begun as a result of our children. WE have been so fortunate to have been a part of a great school for both of our children throughout their elementary years.

I will really miss the great staff at Earhart and all they taught me! I think most of all I will miss the innocence of being in an elementary school. I will miss the wide eyed excitement and anticipation that comes from young minds looking at things through new eyes. I don't believe that life will ever be the same after elementary shcool, not that it will be worse, it will just be different.

The picture below is all of Tanner's teachers in order from kindergarten through fifth grade -- Mrs. McIntyre, Mrs. Londos, Mr. Londos, Ms. Duteau, Mr. Ferguson, and Mr. Macro. Mrs. Londos, Tanner's 1st grade teacher, was so thankful Tanner did not out grow her before he left the school! Each of Tanner's teachers gave him great direction, great support, and great love and care.

Additionally, each gave Tanner something special -- Mrs. McIntyre -- always great big hugs, Mrs. Londos -- hugs too, and the books on tape! Mr. Londos -- how does your garden grow -- thanks for teaching us all to plant good food! Ms. Duteau -- can you say Bon Jour -- French, Spanish and English!, Mr. Ferguson -- who ever thought Tanner could memorize AND repeat a five verse poem in a week! Mr. Macro -- FOOTBALL, and finally a greater understanding of how a 5th grade boy's mind works! Tanner and friends -- Kyle McCune, Alec Moore, Carson Whitlock and Jordan Jensen

Congratulations Tanner on a job well done and we are so very proud of you!

The Feudal Feast

Today Sierra's social studies class had a great "feudal feast" to culminate all of their hard work and studies on the medeival ages. The class was broken up into Manors where each Manor had to design their own flags, build or draw their kingdom, choose a part to play, present to the classroom and answer as many questions correctly to garner the most points so they could eat the feast first!

Sierra's team -- Gatorberg Manor -- did a great job coming in second place, but Sierra did an awesome job at making their poster depicting their manor. She did the entire poster on her own and received 100 points! Yipee ---- great job!

You should be Dancing Yeah!

DANCE LIKE NO ONE IS WATCHING!!

Well, right after The Music Man (and I do Mean RIGHT after) we left for Ontario to go to Sierra's fist dance competition. She and three other young ladies -- Angella, Jessie and Tiffany -- were going to compete for the first time.





They had practiced for almost nine months and were going to perform three different routines -- two in tap and one in jazz. They were amazing and came away from the competition with one first place and two second place wins. Their instructor and owner of the studio, Mrs. Heather, won a first place for the coreography of thier jazz routine. It was the first time Mrs. Heather has had a group compete for the first time and win a first place. The girls were so excited and the parents were so proud.





Great job ladies!!!

The Music Man

It has taken me a while to get into this blogging! I realize it is such a great way to get me to write my thoughts down and share with other family and friends. My goal this summer is to do it as ofter as possible.

Anyway, back to the topic --The Music Man. What a wonderful experience it was to watch a group of 38 middle schoolers put on this production. Sierra was Ethyl Toffelmeyer and she had singing, dancing and speaking parts. It was so much fun.

We invited just about everyone we know and we would like to thank all those who came to support Sierra -- The Maestas family, the James family, the Whitlock family, the Spurgin family, Ms. Duteau, Mrs. Barber -- and I am sure there are some names I missed.

GREAT JOB SIERRA!