Walt Disney Company Picnic

We had fun on Saturday at the annual Walt Disney Company Picnic! This year the picnic was held on the infield of historic Santa Anita Park in Arcadia. So much horseracing history here... we could almost hear Seabiscuit galloping around the track!
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The kids couldn't wait to get inside and start having fun...

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So of course we made them go straight to the food area and have lunch first!

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Looks mighty refreshing on such a warm day...

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In front of a section of race track

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The kids meet one of the horses who played Seabiscuit in the movie!

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The kids can now say that they've ridden horses at Santa Anita!

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Now for the REALLY fun stuff! The kids made the best of the Disneyland-esque line wait times, and now it was Maren's turn to scale this gigantic inflatable water slide (with surprisingly little effort).

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And she came down FAST!

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Note to self: bring bathing suits next year. Not that the kids minded wearing soaking wet clothes!

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Ball races!

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Deacon especially liked hearing the sound of his voice in his plastic ball. He handily won the race, beating his sister, who navigated her ball into a picnicing family on the sidelines.

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After a fun day, all the happy Disney employes headed home (or in Derek's case, back to work on a Saturday). On the way out, the kids took one last pic with the grandstands in the background.

HAPPY FATHER'S DAY!

The AFB would like to pay tribute to the World's Best Dads... Wendell and Darryl! We love you, and hope you have a great day today!
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Catching Up: A Visit to the Dentist

Maren had her first dentist appointment on June 2nd!



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Maren always likes to see her name in a prominent place, so she was delighted with this sign welcoming her to the dentist!
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Ready to go.

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Maren was very happy to be a helper -- she got to hold the "backwards straw"!
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All done! We learned that she has 20 teeth and none of them have cavities. Now, If only I didn't have to wait 6 months to come back!

Catching Up: Kindergarten Field Trip

From June 4th... Maren joined Deacon and his class for a trip to a park for lunch and then to Fo Fo Figgily's, out in the western San Fernando Valley!

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A class pic...

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The boys have an adventure!

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Maren has an adventure, too... eating her very first peanut butter sandwich! Hallelujah!

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Deacon tries to convince Maren to roll down the grassy slope.
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Here he goes...

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A movie...

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Still not sure...

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She goes for it... and collides with Christopher!

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Success!

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Then it was on to Fo Fo Figgilys... it's kind of like Chuck E Cheese, but... different. Definitely less crowded!

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A little snack before heading home.

Catching Up: Spring Concert

A few pics and movies from the Spring Concert at St. Paul's on Friday, May 30!

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Maren's ready to help Daddy with the video camera!

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Singing!

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Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious!

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The Cherub, Canticle and Crusader Choirs

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Finale: You Can't Stop the Beat

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Who's more exhausted after such a full evening??

Photography by Maren

Catching up, from 5/20 -- we found these pictures on the camera after Maren "borrowed" it one afternoon:
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I think this is my favorite...

The Graduate

Thanks everyone for your kind comments regarding our first anniversary. We're so glad to be able to keep in touch this way!
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Deacon graduated from Kindergarten on Sunday, June 1st! Enjoy some pictures and movies of this momentous occasion.

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There was a very nice ceremony, complete with caps and gowns, and it was a great celebration of the kindergartners' many achievements.

In the car, ready to go to the ceremony. And aren't the garbage cans nice in the background?

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A song: "When I'm 101, I might be grumpy..."

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What they're thankful for...

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A song in which the sun goes up and down... we liked that Deacon's sun had hair and sunglasses!

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"When I grow up, I want to be..."

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Pomp and Circumstance!

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Before each child received his or her diploma, Miss Miller read a "poem" they worked on together. Here is Deacon's poem:

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I am a good robot builder

I am a kid who loves dinosaurs

I am a dinosaur expert

I am a boy who plays pillow fights with my dad and sister

I am a drawer of animals

I am a piano player

I am a Star Wars player

I am a lover of my mommy and daddy and sister

I am a boy who likes the Natural History Museum

I am a boy who likes when Daddy gets home from work

I am a big brother to my sister Maren

I am a boy who puts others in front of me

I am an eater of Wendy's chicken

I am Deacon Alff
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Can't wait for that diploma!

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Forget the handshake, Mr. Koeppel, give me that paper!

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Deacon drew this self-portrait. He says he's an 18 year-old paleontologist.

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He also wants me to mention that the little thing in the black box next to his pants is a Compsognathus skull.

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If you'd like more information on the Compsognathus, you can find it here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Compsognathas

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With Miss Miller after the ceremony

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The stage is finally mine. MINE!!

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Next year I will graduate from Preschool, and assume my rightful place as the Queen of America!!