pre conference fun continued

pre-conference fun

Pre- Conference playing with other kids at the playground
Video games at the indoor pool area with Emily
Cook out dinner at Stanley Park
Bike rental around the lake
Golfing

Vietnamese Culture Camp Estes Park, CO

Today, we got up at 3 AM, got ready to leave, took our doggie to the dog sitter, then off to the airport to fly to Denver. I have never seen Jessie around other dogs, so wasn't sure how she would react to all the dogs owned by Tina.. our sitter. I still haven't heard yet... but I did see that Jessie loves cats. The cats she met were bigger than here and she just wagged her little tail like they were best friends. Jessie is a little old lady and Tina's dogs are like high school football players.... so I am somewhat concerned that they will knock her over and hurt her back again.

After the typical airport ordeal, we rented a car and drove about 1 1/2 hours north to Estes Park which is amazingly beautiful at about 9000 ft. elevation. One time we were coming up over a big hill, kind of like a roller coaster, and at the top of the hill was a view like a mega post card of the mountains! Much better than a post card of course. Took my breath away.

Estes Park Marina is just across the street from our hotel.. .so we spent a couple of hours there playing at the playground, looking at the little mini kayaks for kids which Jazzy is still too small to use of course, and all the boats. The lake is visible out our hotel window.

Our next endeavor was to brave the Safeway store.... the only grocery store in the town. The place was a madhouse on a Wednesday night. I saw very few Colorado license plates... only out of state. We had to purchase our contribution to a cookout held at one of the camp directors (Kristin Morgan-Tracy) campsites in the Rocky Mountain National Park. The cookout was a "pre-conference" event for anyone who wanted to come. Jazzy met lots of new friends.
Overall, the town reminds me of Sedona. Perfect weather, very pretty, but totally overcrowded, bumper to bumper traffic and subsequently very overpriced. A very nice place to have the camp though.


My computer was smashed in the overhead bin on the plane... so it has taken me about an hour just to write this one paragraph. Will be very short for awhile.

Eating breakfast 5AM at Phoenix Sky Harbor Airport!
With 9 yr old Emily (Kristin's daughter)
Jazzy and Trang. Trang is 14 yrs old and was just adopted from Vietnam at age 12 1/2. She speaks very good English already.
Jazzy and Kristin (camp director)

Dragonfly Day...

Today was Dragonfly Day at the Environmental Education Center in Chandler. We went on a little hike at 8AM when it was already over 100 degrees. We didn't last very long. Then we made dragonfly visors, dragonflies from coffee filters and other stuff. We then went to an open house for a potential kindergarten for Jazzy next year... Paragon Academy, then lots of other errands. It was so hot and we were so exhausted that we came home and immediately took a nap.



on a little hike
making dragonfly crafts
Jazzy's usual face when I try to take a picture!

This week.....

We had a fun busy week. Since it is 116 degrees and 60% humidity, we had to think of things to do indoors. The city of Chandler and Tempe Parks and Recreation has alot to do for kids. Swimming lessons, puppet shows, and craft classes. One Friday every month, Tempe has "Free Art Friday"... We did art with the theme of "Different Cultures" i.e Moroccan hand art, Chinese fortune cookies made of felt, Chinese take out containers, our own family, and hula dancing. Jasmine's fortune was "You will travel to many foreign countries". Jazzy wore the hula skirt but didn't dance with the other girls... which was kind of unusual. Of course she found the cookies and punch.

Quotes from Jazzy this week.

As she was playing with my hair when we were watching So You Think You Can Dance. "Mom, your hair has a jungle in it". :)
So true

When we couldn't find a parking spot at swimming lessons and had to walk a further distance in the heat. "Mom, you need to calm down. It's using up my energy"!!!

Hula girl at the art class.
Kayaking on Tempe Town Lake!
Ready for swim lessons

Craft Class

Today we went to Jazzy's craft class at the Tempe Community Center. Nothing else to do since it is still 112 degrees outside. We made crafts having to do with plants and flowers. $5.00 for four Saturdays.... not a bad price for something to do. Then we went to Jazzy's favorite restaurant Pho Van in Chandler - where they already know her name. We always have Pho, the common and typical Vietnamese dish eaten at breakfast, lunch and dinner. Jasmine met another little girl there her age who gave her a Vietnamese lollipop... probably no different than any other lollipop, but just had Vietnamese paper on it.


Having fun in craft class with very old clothes on so we could get really dirty.

Swimming Graduation

Last night, Jasmine graduated from beginner to intermediate at the USA Swim Kids Child Development Center in Mesa. At this center, they only focus on "safety", not so much on regular swimming. To graduate from beginner to intermediate, they have to be able to jump in the water and immediately turn onto their back and float for 10 seconds, then swim to the side of the pool and climb out completely on their own. When they graduate, the child gets to go ring a bell and an announcement is made. Then they have their picture taken while "olympic theme music" is being played.

At her other swim lessons, Jazzy can swim thru a hula hoop under water as well as swim with the overhand stroke for part of the width of the pool. She doesn't keep up with the other kids in her class since they are twice her size, but she is doing amazingly well. I was watching the Mommy and Me baby class, which is where we were last year at this time and thinking that she has made amazing progress. I am so proud of her. She has turned out to be a great swimmer.

Here she is ringing the bell.
Getting her picture taken while the music is playing. People clapping.