Welcome to the Family

Uncle Matt & Aunt Courtney have a baby! Hudson Samuel, we're so excited to have you around. The boys especially. Three girls in a row threw off their game.

Seussical The Musical

Every year the school puts on a musical that all the kids are encouraged to participate in. The teachers all donate their time. It is such a labor of love, and the kids truly love the experience.

This year, Hayden didn't want to try out. He wanted to be on the Stage Crew! Bayley did stage crew last year, but I'd always seen Hayden as more the on stage type. But he really loved making sure everything was in the right place so his friends could do their parts. He hopes to be stage manager next year.

Have you ever tried to take a picture of someone on stage crew? It's darn near impossible. It's their job to not be noticed!

I'm Beginning To Think....

This kid OWNS Junior High. I hated junior high. Like, loathed the place. But my kid? Apparently he owns this business. Not only is he glad to get to see his Patterson friends and his Jackson friends and his Scout friends in one place, he's finding some amazing opportunities.

He loves his GameMaker club, and he got to participate in the geography bee, and then he qualified for National Junior Honor Society. I just can't even. He's so great. And way more well adjusted than I ever was at twelve!

The Zombie Gets The Girl

A fun, lively production of Zombie in Love made its world debut Saturday in Portland at the Oregon Children’s Theater. A cross between the original illustrated story and High School Musical, the show brings to life the story of Mortimer, a lonely zombie looking for love in all the wrong places. Determined to find a date for the Cupid’s Ball, Mortimer struggles to find a girl who doesn’t run screaming at the sight of him.

Mortimer writes an ad for his perfect girl and waits not so patiently at the punch bowl for her to arrive at the dance. When our zombie duo finally finds one another, they show their classmates how to be who you are and have fun while doing it.

Mortimer entered by lurching through the seats, the ensemble sang and danced in the aisles, and one of the girls terrified by Mortimer’s zombie ways ran screaming past the kids multiple times. Being so interactive really holds the kids’ attention.

Gracie was a bit worried before the show that the zombie would be eating brains, but Mortimer saves the brains for his lunch, and only manages to lose a hand and large intestine. Hayden hoped there would be blood, but settled for cracking up when Mortimer tries to impress a girl by giving her a beating heart.

We adored Zombie in Love and giggling our way through the unpleasant realities of being judged and avoided for being different. A wonderful message of being true to yourself, energetic songs and laugh-out-loud comedy combine for the perfect musical to share with your family.