First fish for dinner

Some of our dearest friends here recently purchased a boat and they have been kind enough to take us out on it a few times.  The first time, wouldn't you know, was pouring rain and despite our best efforts we didn't even catch any fish.  

The girls were fascinated by watching Trevor bait the hook with herring.  And held tight to their poles in hopes a great king salmon was going to give them a nibble.  

Our second trip promised better weather and as it turns out, better fishing.

We thought for sure Graham had hooked a halibut...but no, just a sculpin "lovingly" referred to more commonly as a double ugly.  Cora calls is a double disgusting.

But then Graham pulled up a rockfish!  We kept it, filleted it and had it for an appetizer with our dinner.  It was delicious!

Beach Day Field Trips

One of my favorite field trips for all Juneau kids - Beach Day!  They take each class out to a beach at low tide and they get to explore for as long as they want.  Here's Addy's class...

Anemones, urchins and crabs, oh my!

Addy and one of her dearest friends.  I have a similar shot of them from last year's beach day in 1st grade so they wanted to document that this is their 2nd grade photo :)

In all our waterproof glory

When it was Cora's class's turn a few weeks later, the weather was not so cooperative.  40mph winds and pelting rain made it a little less enjoyable to be at the beach but the kids were all troopers and hiked all the way around Indian Point Cove.  I did manage to sneak one picture of Cora and one her classmates with their biggest discovery that day - a king crab shell and some legs.

JAMM Spring Concert

We Love JAMM (Juneau Alaska Music Matters)!

Here's a sampling of the music they played:

Beautiful ballerinas

Both girls took ballet lessons with Ms. Janice this spring and showed off their skills at their spring recital this past week.

Some video of their recitals:

Beautiful ballerinas.  Both girls really have developed some impressive skills.  And some serious muscles.  Cora snapped this picture of Addy's legs, all muscle.  

Addy is so focused while dancing that she rarely smiles.  But we did get her to let loose at the end during the creative movement part of the recital.  

When asking Cora to pose, while she may look like a ballerina, you can't mask the true Cora.  

 Cora proudly standing with Ms. Janice.

And just because it needs to be documented, I really stepped up my "bun" game this spring.  (If you've heard Ms. Janice critique my bun skills previously, you would understand why).  Addy's bun was really one for the record books :)

Cora @ NOAA

Couldn't resist sharing these great pictures of Cora from her class's field trip to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA).  Always the animal lover.

Electric Girl!!!

Introducing Electric Girl!

And her trusted sidekick Hawk Girl!

Let me go back...it all started with a picture.  

That then became chapters and chapters of a story, which with the encouragement of her teacher became a comic book.  Here's the first chapter:

Once upon a time there was a superhero.  She had special powers. Electric zaps came out of her fingertips but only when she was wearing her special gloves. She made electric zaps come out of her gloves by dunking them in special potion once a month. Her name was 

Electric Girl.

She was born on a hidden island far away from the city but was taken away from her parents (at the age of 3) by the evil lord Aadzer. Aadzer is still trying to track her down but whenever she encounters Aadzer she fights.

I was walking along the sidewalk (which is usually packed but today it wasn’t )I noticed something was up then came Aadzer riding a jetpack! Okay I thought I just need to zap her. I put on my gloves and as if she could read my mind she said “ I have a force field  you shall never strike me down”.” We’ll see about that” I said .I zapped her but she turned   her force field    on at the last second . 

 Then, I spotted her sleeve had the switch to turn her force field off. I zapped it and it turned off! Then , I zapped her and she fell to the floor. I turned around and Aadzer was standing right there. “How are you still  alive “ I asked. Aadzer chuckled ”because my ashes recreate me but next time you kill me I will die “. Aadzer flew off. I went back to the hidden island.

My parents are now my assistants. My mom dunks my gloves. My dad keeps look out for dangers. I met a girl on the hidden island. Her name is Hawk Girl. Her suit has fabric connected to her arm and leg. She can expand it and fly. I can ride on her back. That is how we get off the hidden island. 3 weeks later I heard that Aadzer has a new weapon :Clones.

We packed up for a long journey. Hawk Girl got her wings ready. I got my gloves dunked and a travel version of the potion and tucked it in my belt. I said goodbye to my parents and climbed onto Hawk girl’s back.2 days later in the city I heard stomping . Synchronized

Stomping.

Then, me and Hawk girl noticed the clones were coming. Me and Hawk Girl  ran behind a rock. The clones passed us and I jumped out. Hawk girl flew over them as a distraction while I zapped them. We have to destroy  the cloning machine.

We snuck into  Aadzer’s lab. I saw the cloning machine. I zapped it but Aadzer saw me. She turned her force field on and I zapped her arm ,zapped her and she was dead and this time forever.

  The End

So on one First Friday downtown, we strolled in Alaska Robotics and each girl picked out a book - Cora purchasing a Jon Klassen and Addy a comic, both inspired by what they were reading and/or working on in school.   As we were checking out, the owner asks if we know about the mini-con they're holding.  The what?  A mini comic-con, he explains, and they'll be bringing authors and illustrators, including Jon Klassen!, and have all sorts of comic book fun.  Well that was it, both girls insisted I mark it on the calendar that evening.  

We had such family fun at the Alaska Robotics Mini-con. Cora got to meet and get books signed by Jon Klassen, which she promptly took into school to show her teacher. Addy fully embraced her comic book character - costume and all. Their teachers have been so supportive and enthusiastic this year, particularly Addy's as she has developed this character, writing story after story and illustrating it along the way. We are so grateful that our girls got to "nerd" out at an event like this.

The smile...she hung on every word as he read the story and shared his insider author and illustrator advice.

Books dedicated just to her. With her choice of animals he illustrated next to her name.

"She shoots electric zaps from her super-powered wristlets to defeat the villains." Definitely will be one of our highlight memories from 2nd grade.

Cora was adamant that she also wanted to go in costume but one that was part of Electric Girl's story. Sister love.

Alaska living - xtratuff!