Michael's Cupcake Party (again?!)

Michael was insistent that he still had a cupcake party due him. We couldn't figure out what the official reason was, but he had just received his trimester report card the day before, and indeed, it deserved a batch of cupcakes.

Among other things, Ms. Guerra noted: "Michael is a wonderful addition to our classroom--a joy to teach. He's bright, highly cooperative, friendly, and has a kind disposition. He's an enthusiastic learner who responds well to academic challenges...Congratulations on a terrific start!"

Aaron had been under the weather, but you can see the cupcakes put light into his eyes, and Little Kate was in good spirits at the table.

Michael's Friend Erik & the Lego Star Wars Hideout

Michael has found a like-minded soul in his half-Swedish classmate Erik. Erik goes to Chinese school every afternoon, but on Thursdays, when Oak Knoll lets out early (1:15 p.m.), they can play a few hours under the redwood trees in the back yard before Erik goes to Mountain View.

They take out Star Wars Lego figures and build space stations out of Amazon boxes. Often the figures are lined up next to the pool because a dangerous sea monster (robotic pool pump) there sometimes squirts them with water.

Pumpkin Carving

Michael was eager to carve our pumpkin for Halloween Night, but when it came to scooping out the seeds and pulp, he needed surgical gloves.

With a spoon, Patrick finished the job.

School Halloween Party

Michael's school had a big Halloween costume parade in the morning and a class party in the afternoon.

Georg helped at the pumpkin tasting station (taste tests of pumpkin ice cream, pumpkin seeds, pumpkin bars, and pumpkin pie); I was a witch and ran the creepy feely boxes station. Michael was Obi Wan Kenobi.

Lego Star Wars Party

Kepler's bookstore in Menlo Park hosted a Lego Star Wars party this afternoon. Because Michael has collected Lego Star Wars figures for at least 5 years, he was happy to go to the event dressed Obi Wan Kenobi.

Grandma and I bought him the new Lego Star Wars Dictionary. An incredibly generous man donated his Lego models to the event for the children to play with, and then they were raffled off.

Michael was in 7th heaven when he won the Tie Fighter. He said maybe when he is old, he will donate his models to children. All the children there were so excited by the prizes, costumes, and Stormtroopers walking around.

Michael Goes to Western Day at School

Michael's school is having a Western theme book fair next week, so today Laura made (well, Grandma made it in the end) a salad for the teachers' luncheon, and Michael wore Cousin Aaron's bandana for the Cowboy Dress-Up Day.

Minus the bandana, this is Mike's look every morning on his way to school.

Custom Clones (by Michael)

Nick helped me paint a few of my clones. I got the idea from a Video on YouTube.

For more about my custom clones and a video, you can see my blog.

Michael's Reading Party

This is my 3rd cupcake party. This time I got a hamburger cake. It lasted five days because it was so sweet and big. I read ten Berenstain Bear books in English to earn the party. My grandmother, brothers and California aunts, uncles, and cousins were all there.

by Michael

Freshly Squeezed Orange Juice

Michael made us freshly squeezed orange juice for Sunday breakfast. Mary had given us the oranges from her tree. This is what we imagined California would be like:)

Hummer Limousine (by Michael)

On Saturday, we rode our bikes to Stanford University. There we saw a Hummer limousine. The driver and owner let us sit in the Hummer and took lots of photos of us.

That was the first time I was ever in a limousine, but I had been in a Hummer before with my dad.

Lego Racers (by Michael)

Ich baue momentan ein Stunt-Park für meine Lego-Autos. Bei McDonald's hat der Manager mir vier Lego Racers umsonst gegeben, weil sie noch in dem Display-Case waren, aber nicht mehr mit den Happy-Meals verkauft wurden.

Oak Knoll Family Fun Fair (by Michael)

On Friday we all went to my school's Family Fun Fair. We ate hot dogs, and I drank a Sprite. There were many things to do like slide down an inflatable slide, hit a baseball, shoot a Nerf ball, throw a basketball into a goal, sing a song with the DJ.

We got Tootsie Rolls as prizes at the different stands. We had to wait 20 minutes in line for a sword balloon and it popped less than 5 minutes later.

Michael's New School: Oak Knoll

Michael had his first day of school at Oak Knoll School on Tuesday. He had already gotten to try out their playground during the New Families' Potluck Picnic the week before.

Laura agreed to be a room mother for his third-grade class, so she was the one to bring in a treat for the first week's Popsicle Friday. Ms. Guerra seems wonderfully creative (she's got Mike reciting poetry with enthusiasm), and his classmates are sweet. He already has two friends on the street--Walker, who has a hamster Michael is enjoying playing with in the afternoons, and Isabella from Colombia, who has already asked him to join her Snail Club!

Oak Knoll has approx. 750 students, and about 200 of them ride their bikes, if not more. Mike also rides his bike, but Colombian Angela and I accompany Isabella and him because it seems there are about 400 cars circling the four blocks around the school during drop-off and pick-up time.

Mein neues Legomodell (von Michael)

Am Sonntag habe ich mir ein neues Legomodell gekauft. Es heißt "die Schlacht von Endor". Da waren viele Figuren, die ich noch nicht hatte, und der AT-ST kann laufen.

Für mehr über meine Legomodelle, könnt ihr mein Blog anschauen--http://mein-starwars.blogspot.com/

Michael's Good Sleeping Habits Cupcake Party

The idea for a cupcake party started with Mary--as a reward for Aaron if he went down for his nap five times in a row without a fuss. Michael liked the idea and wanted one, too. We decided if he went to bed at 8:30 p.m. without fussing even though everyone else is still up, he could have one.

He did it, so here we are with Mark, Aaron, and Mary at their place. (Michael convinced me to buy a cupcake tree for the parties.)