Emilia: Age 16

 1. What is your favorite color? Green

2. What is your favorite toy? Squishmallow

3. What is your favorite fruit? Strawberries
4. What is your favorite tv show? Criminal Minds
5. What is your favorite thing to eat for lunch? Pasta
 6. What is your favorite outfit? Baggy t-shirt and sweat shorts
7. What is your favorite game? soccer
 8. What is your favorite snack? Oreos
9. What is your favorite animal? dinosaur
10. What is your favorite song? I don’t know 
11. What is your favorite book? I don't know
12. Who is your best friend? Jaime, Ava, Bailey
13. What is your favorite cereal? Captain Crunch
14. What is your favorite thing to do outside? Soccer
15. What is your favorite drink? Sprite
16. What is your favorite holiday? Halloween
17. What do you like to take to bed with you at night? Squishmallows
18. What is your favorite thing to eat for breakfast? Waffles
19. What do you want for dinner on your birthday? Big noodle pasta
20. What do you want to be when you grow up? Physical therapist

Emilia: Age 14

1. What is your favorite color? Red, Yellow and Blue (aqua)
2. What is your favorite toy? phone
3. What is your favorite fruit? strawberries
4. What is your favorite tv show? Grey’s Anatomy
5. What is your favorite thing to eat for lunch? oreos, ramen noodles
 6. What is your favorite outfit? comfy one - baggy t-shirt, leggings (or shorts), sweatshirt
7. What is your favorite game? Uno Flip
 8. What is your favorite snack? Nutella sticks and Boom Chicka Pop
9. What is your favorite animal? Hairy Cow
10. What is your favorite song? I don't have one
11. What is your favorite book? Divergent
12. Who is your best friend? Lakshmi
13. What is your favorite cereal? Honey Nut Cheerios
14. What is your favorite thing to do outside? Soccer
15. What is your favorite drink? Iced Caramel Macchiato from Starbucks
16. What is your favorite holiday? Halloween
17. What do you like to take to bed with you at night? Weighted blanket
18. What is your favorite thing to eat for breakfast? Toast and smoothie
19. What do you want for dinner on your birthday? Chuy's (lunch)
20. What do you want to be when you grow up? physical therapist

Emilia: Age 13

1. What is your favorite color? Red
2. What is your favorite toy? soccer Ball
3. What is your favorite fruit? Grapes
4. What is your favorite tv show? Grey’s Anatomy
5. What is your favorite thing to eat for lunch? Food
 6. What is your favorite outfit? Shirt and leggings
7. What is your favorite game? Life
 8. What is your favorite snack? Anything I can find
9. What is your favorite animal? Armadillo
10. What is your favorite song? None
11. What is your favorite book? Dry
12. Who is your best friend? Lakshmi and Alexis (Wo-man)
13. What is your favorite cereal? Churro Cinnamon Toast Crunch
14. What is your favorite thing to do outside? Soccer
15. What is your favorite drink? Root beer
16. What is your favorite holiday? Halloween
17. What do you like to take to bed with you at night? Pillows and Baymax
18. What is your favorite thing to eat for breakfast? Pancakes
19. What do you want for dinner on your birthday? The Cheesecake Factory
20. What do you want to be when you grow up? physical therapist 

Emilia: Age 11

1. What is your favorite color? aqua and red
2. What is your favorite toy? stuffed animals - Olaf
3. What is your favorite fruit? grapes
4. What is your favorite tv show? Legends of Tomorrow and The Great British Bake-off
5. What is your favorite thing to eat for lunch? pizza
 6. What is your favorite outfit? Lularoe leggings and top
7. What is your favorite game? soccer
 8. What is your favorite snack? Granola bar
9. What is your favorite animal? arctic foxes and a beluga
10. What is your favorite song? Radioactive by Imagine Dragons
11. What is your favorite book? Breakaway by Alex Morgan
12. Who is your best friend? Anna H.
13. What is your favorite cereal? Lucky Charms
14. What is your favorite thing to do outside? Soccer
15. What is your favorite drink? Root beer
16. What is your favorite holiday? Halloween and my birthday
17. What do you like to take to bed with you at night? Olaf and a pillow
18. What is your favorite thing to eat for breakfast? waffles
19. What do you want for dinner on your birthday? Big noodle pasta
20. What do you want to be when you grow up? A pediatric dentist or professional soccer player or coach

PS: Age 10 here, Age 9 here, Age 8 here, Age 7 here and Age 6 here

Emilia: Age 10

My baby has turned double digits!!  Her party will be this weekend.

Emilia and Beau in the bluebonnets along I-45 on Easter

Emilia making a shot on the goal at last Sunday's soccer game

1. What is your favorite color? Aqua
2. What is your favorite toy? Kanani (American Girl)
3. What is your favorite fruit? pineapples
4. What is your favorite tv show? Austin and Ally
5. What is your favorite thing to eat for lunch? big noodle pasta
 6. What is your favorite outfit? Her Easter dress (white lace)
7. What is your favorite game? Sorry!
 8. What is your favorite snack? Granola bar
9. What is your favorite animal? Penguin
10. What is your favorite song? One Call Away by Charlie Puth
11. What is your favorite book? 56 Story Treehouse
12. Who is your best friend? Harlee B.
13. What is your favorite cereal? Frosted Flakes
14. What is your favorite thing to do outside? Soccer
15. What is your favorite drink? Root beer
16. What is your favorite holiday? Halloween and my birthday
17. What do you like to take to bed with you at night? Giraffe
18. What is your favorite thing to eat for breakfast? Chick Fil A chick n minis
19. What do you want for dinner on your birthday? Big noodle pasta
20. What do you want to be when you grow up? Life guard or Pediatric dentist

PS: Age 9 here. Age 8 here, Age 7 here and Age 6 here

Emilia: Age 9

Happy Easter!!  Emilia turned 9 today.  She's in Year 4 and had a birthday slumber party last weekend.
1. What is your favorite color? red and aqua
2. What is your favorite toy? Max (dog from The Little Mermaid) and the Stingray (from the Auckland aquarium)
3. What is your favorite fruit? watermelon and oranges
4. What is your favorite tv show? Austin and Ally
5. What is your favorite thing to eat for lunch? spaghettios or sausage roll
 6. What is your favorite outfit? Dress from NZ that's pink with cherries (also wearing it as her Easter dress)
7. What is your favorite game? Perth Monopoly and Pictionary
 8. What is your favorite snack? crackers and cheese
9. What is your favorite animal? hammerhead shark
10. What is your favorite song? Blank Space by Taylor Swift
11. What is your favorite book? Australia's Most Dangerous Sharks by Kathy Riley
12. Who is your best friend? Sophie and Isaac
13. What is your favorite cereal? Rice Crispies (aka Rice Bubbles in Australia)
14. What is your favorite thing to do outside? Bounce on the trampoline
15. What is your favorite drink? Creaming soda and Fanta
16. What is your favorite holiday? Halloween and my birthday
17. What do you like to take to bed with you at night? Max and stingray
18. What is your favorite thing to eat for breakfast? toast and eggs
19. What do you want for dinner on your birthday? Big noodle pasta
20. What do you want to be when you grow up? a (pediatric) dentist cause I want to help kids take care of their teeth

PS: Age 8 here, Age 7 here and Age 6 here

City of Rockingham Triathlon

This morning Emilia participated in her 2nd Tadpoles triathlon.  This one was in Rockingham about 45 minutes south of our house.  So we were up a little after 4am, left the house by 5am and arrived to check-in by 6am.  The Tadpoles started around 7am and we had the wrap-up at 8am where Emilia won a bike helmet!  She entered into 3 more in the new few months.

So quick update.  We went to New Zealand for 18 days after Christmas.  I have a ton of pictures and I haven't edited them yet.  Plus its summer so the wiring in our old house gets warm and the internet connection is super slow... (right now it's 117 kb/min so it's a small miracle that I even got these pictures uploaded!)  NZ was beautiful!  We saw a ton, learned a ton, walked and climbed a lot and covered the North and South islands. 

We went to Les Miserables which finally came to Australia after 17 years!  So now I've seen it on 3 continents (3 shows on 3 continents now - Cats and Phantom round out the classic theatre).  We also watched 2 days of swimming at Challenge Stadium - Australia, USA, China and Japan plus watched men's Australia vs. USA water polo.  We also went to the movies and saw "Big Hero 6" and "Paper Planes" and recommend that to anyone with kids.  Plus it was filmed around Perth so that was cool (the pool is Challenge Stadium where the kids swim).

The kids started school 2 weeks ago.  Emilia is in Year 4 and Beau started Kindy (4 year Pre-K.  The cut off is June 30th here so he's one of the oldest ones in his grade).  Both kids are in split classes which is pretty common at their school.  Beau is in a Kindy/Pre-Primary (Kindergarten) class but attends 5 days over 2 weeks (Monday, Thursday and every other Wednesday).  Emilia is in a 3/4 class.  Beau's teacher this year is the same one Emilia had for Year 2 when we moved here so it's nice to already have a rapport with her.  And if you ask, I'll tell you Emilia's teacher's name but needless to say it's very smart!

Beau and Emilia have swimming on Tuesdays and tennis on Thursdays.  Emilia has violin on Thursday and golf on Saturday; Beau has gym class on Friday.  So we're back in the routine of our life in Perth.  Emilia's class also started the 1st 2 weeks with daily class swimming at the end of their school day and 2 days a week (Tuesdays and Fridays) she trains for the swimming carnival before school.  So last Tuesday she was swimming 3 times.  We figured that was one way for her to work on endurance but she said she wasn't too tired.

So onto the pictures from this morning.

Transition Area - We were the 1st ones in the Tadpoles area

Nice sunrise this morning.  Beau loved following the seagulls footprints.

"Building a campfire"

Climbing a tree

Lining up for the swim

Hands on the shoulders in front of you so they stay in their lines

The swim.  100m between the 2 green buoys.

And she's off.

Emilia's head is by the lifeguard (I think)

And out of the water

Running to transition

Now to start the 3km bike ride

Beau waiting on the side of the road and playing with sticks.

She's finally back!

Almost to the end of the 500m run!

Finished medal! (They don't time the kids and everyone gets a medal so they love doing it!!)

Another successful triathlon finish for Emilia

Emilia's Tadpoles Triathlon #1

Emilia participated in her 1st non-school triathlon very early in the morning on Sunday, December 14th.  She trained all of term 4 with her school and then had a triathlon when she was at Rottsnest and an after school triathlon in December.  She was part of the Tadpoles division for kids ages 7-11 that had a 100m Swim, 3km Cycle and 500m Run.

Emilia happy at 6:20AM. At least it's nice and sunny so it doesn't feel so early.

Beau being Beau :-)

The run from the beach to the green buoy on the left to the green buoy on the right and then back to the beach.

The first heat is off at 7AM.  The next heat goes when they get the first buoy.

Emilia is in the middle back at the start of her group of 10 in Heat 3

Emilia swimming

Emilia in the middle

E was tired after that ocean swim

Transition between swim and bike

Almost done with the bike portion!

And Emilia is off for the run

Strong finish!

Windup done before 8AM! We take a trip to the new Krispie Kreme and back home to change for church.

Emilia's String Soiree

Emilia participated in the first annual string soiree at her school on the afternoon of Friday, December 12th.  She started playing the violin at the beginning of the year since Year 3 is the first year the kids can be picked to play an instrument.  (Year 4 the chosen play cello, Year 5 brass instruments, etc.) She was one of 6 chosen from her whole grade at the end of last year to play the violin!  She must have Aunt Kaley's musical instrument talent. 

She played "Missed It" and "Jingle Bells" with her class.  As the finale, all violins, violas and cellos played "Jingle Bells" together.

Her class: Chelsea, Emilia & Sarah

Smiling for the camera while playing "Jingle Bells"