Maia in the parade with some fellow Girl Scouts and her leader. 

Maia, Ella and Cameron having a burger in the park after the parade. 

The little graduate

All three of the kids are just growing up so fast, it's hard to keep up.

This week, Ella graduated from Head Start, and is ready to go on to kindergarten in the fall. She has six days left of school, but we have had our final parent-teacher conferences, and things are definitely wrapping up. She will miss her friends lots, and her teachers SO much. Ella has gotten to be very close with the women who have led her through Head Start, and she will definitely be dropping in to see them next year.

Head Start has been a great experience for Ella. Her socialization skills have moved ahead by leaps and bounds - she really is a different person this spring than she was in the fall, thanks to the great program there. She can hardly wait for kindergarten!

Ella in her cap and gown - so proud of her accomplishment! 

Soccer players

Cameron and Maia are taking part in the youth soccer program offered by the Williston Parks and Recreation Department. They play for an hour each on Saturdays during the month of May.

They have both really loved getting out and playing the game - especially Maia, who runs her little heart out, and is often found right down there with the ball working to get a kick in.

Once soccer is over, baseball/softball/t-ball starts, and all three of them will be busy with that!!!

Maia is also trying out track and field, another short program offered by the Parks Dept. She is out there each Wednesday afternoon, learning the ins and outs of the sport. Who says you can't be a hot chick AND play sports?!?

Maia warms up with coach as her teammates arrive. 

Maia plays goalie for the red team during Saturday's game. 

Sidney Dance Competition

Maia and her dance team traveled to Sidney, Mont. today to compete in a dance competition.
For the third straight year, the Learn to Tap Dance Studio held a dance competition at Sidney High School. Each year, the event becomes bigger and bigger.
After having 82 entrants in 2004 and 185 in 2005, this weekend's event had 307 entrants. More than 350 dancers were featured between the ages of 3 and 20.
Visiting studios are from Williston, N.D. (two studios), Devils Lake, N.D., Minot, N.D., Moose Jaw, Saskatchewan, Hingham and Glasgow.
Forms of dances featured tap, jazz, ballet, lyrical, variety arts, hip-hop, and song and dance.
Maia's team performed their jazz dance, and received fourth place. She received a trophy, ribbon and other prizes, and was very pleased with herself!
While she was there, she also got her picture taken with Miss Montana, Sophia Steinbeiser, so that was pretty exciting.

Maia with Miss Montana, Sophie Steinbeiser, at the Sidney Dance Competition. 

Wrestling results

Results from Cameron's state wrestling tournament have been posted at the Williston Herald website. You can read them here:

http://www.willistonherald.com/articles/2006/04/09/sports/sports3.txt

State Wrestling

Well, Cameron's first year of wrestling has come to an end. The state competition was held last weekend in Sidney, Mont., and he took fourth place in the 50 pound Midget class. He had lots of fun this year, and was really bummed that it was over!

I definitely think he'll be looking forward to it next year.

Cameron (in the red) working hard at the state wrestling meet. 

Cameron and the little girl who was his nemesis throughout the year competing at the state competition. 

Kid's best friend

Wolfgang is growing SO fast, it's hard to believe he's the same puppy! He is far less snuggly and far more playful than he used to be, and he can be quite the handful. But he's also lots of fun, and we love him to pieces.

Here are some photos of him, only two months old and already a monster!

A lazy afternoon in the sun for a sleepy puppy... 

Maia loves Wolfgang...and he doesn't seem to have a problem with her dragging him around like a doll, so the relationship works out pretty well. 

Cameron and Maia show off their puppy. 

He is getting bigger and bigger every day...he's going to be a mammoth! 

They grow up so fast! 

Maia's birthday

Miss Maia Ann turned seven years old on March 1. To celebrate, she had about twelve friends over for a bowling party at Million Dollar Lanes. They didn't get through their game of bowling, but they had lots and lots of fun trying.

There was a Bratz cake, pizza, soda and lots of presents, plus a whole slew of super cute giggling girls. What more could you ask for?

Maia's birthday party at Million Dollar Lanes. 

Maia (center) with two of her girlfriends at her birthday party. 

Ella playing Bingo at a school open night recently. 

Family Fun Night

Ella's school had a family fun night on Friday, complete with lots of activities to learn all about living healthy. There were snacks and games and coloring, and she came home with a goodie bag she was super proud of. She loved all of the activities, but looked especially cute playing healthy food bingo.

Ella with baby Wolfgang 

Smart Wolfgang 

Our cat, K.C., is the only one who isn't quite sure about Wolfgang. And it doesn't help when the dog decides to play with a kitty toy...! 

Meet Wolfgang

Introducing the newest member of our family, a very sweet little puppy named Wolfgang. He is a chocolate lab and spaniel cross (the vet says he's mostly bird dog!), about six weeks old now. (We're guessing his birthday is around the same time as Dad's - January 23.)

Everyone loves him, except maybe K.C. (our cat), who is still busy checking him out and figuring out what it is this little creature is...

He's growing like a weed, so we're enjoying the snuggly baby puppy stuff while we still have the chance! We're planning to have him ready to be a mostly outdoor dog by spring, and he's certainly growing enough that he seems ready.

Scared yet? 

Cameron goes in for the leg pick in what would become his first win during his first match in Poplar. 

Come on now, get down so I can pin you! 

The team's motto - "Wrestle Hard or Stay Off the Mat." 

Cameron wrestles Desiree, the girl from Sidney who took first place to his second at the Poplar meet. 

Wrestling man

Cameron joined the Williston Basin Force Wrestling team, and is having a great time with it. They start them out pretty young in this whole wrestling thing, and he is actually in the third age class. He wrestles as a 50 pound Midget (he weighs 46 pounds, and 50 pounds in the lightest for his age).

At his first meet in Poplar, Mont. he came in second in his class, and this past weekend in Malta, Mont. he took first in his class (in part due to the fact that no one showed up to wrestle in his class...). He also wrestled two "exhibition" matches in Malta, winning one and losing one.

Next weekend Coach is talking about putting him in the next age group down, because there are a lot more 50 pound kids there, he only missed the age by three weeks (darn birthdays!) and its his first year. He could get a bit of awakening there, though, because some of the kids we've been watching in that class have what Coach called "three mean years on them."

The season is pretty short (he's going to be bummed when it comes to an end), so what he has left is a tournament this coming weekend in Baker, then one at home in Williston, followed by the state tournament in Sidney.

Go Cam!

Cameron turned eight on December 6. Hard to believe - they are growing up SO fast!!!