Supply drop off day

Last week, Camryn was all packed up, and ready to tackle second grade!!!  We stopped by the school, met her teacher, and dropped off her supplies.  Quite a bit has changed since we joined this tradition two years ago!

Wanna see something funny???

 Kindergarten and Toddler/2's preschool

 1st grade and 3's preschool

 2nd grade and 4's preschool

 

All of a sudden, they both look so OLD!!!!!

First Day of School!!!

Second grade, and final year of preschool!  Where has the time gone???

 

Playgroup hits the beach!

With a 100º heat wave hitting the city, our play group decided to hit the beach this week!   Four moms and seven kids hopped into a three vehicle caravan, and traveled straight from the 'burbs to the beach!  When we got there, we were in for a bit of a shock.  It was definitely cooler...by 40+ degrees!!!  Good thing we brought our sweatshirts!

Despite the cold temps, the kids splashed and played in the frigid water, and frolicked around in the sand.  Together, they dug, dumped, buried, and carried enough sand to fill a large truck!

After they'd had their fill of playtime, we wandered downtown to Bruce's Candy Kitchen, where we watched them make fresh salt water taffy, and of course, picked up a few treats.  No trip to the beach would be complete without them!

That night, we were all wiped, but only in the best way possible!  Thanks, play group for another fun adventure!

Hiking!

For playgroup this week, we took the kids HIKING!  Crazy, I know, but it was super fun!  We headed up to Washington Park early in the day (it was supposed to be a scorcher that afternoon), and coincidentally stumbled upon a free Home Depot workshop for kids in front of the Forestry Center.  So, we ended up starting our day with some hammering action, and then we hit the trails.

The kids were troopers, walking, skipping, jogging, and galloping their way through the "fowest," sharing snacks and walking sticks along the way.  It was fun to watch them make observations about trees, and bend over giant banana slugs, exclaiming, "Ewwww!  Gwosss!"  Nothing like a little nature for these city girls!   Thanks, Amie, for the great idea.  What a fun morning!!!

Camping!!!

I can't believe it.  We actually did it.  After years of Brian hounding me while I avoided this particular milestone, we finally took the girls camping.  Granted, it took some serious cajoling by friends of ours, who take their 3 and 4 children (respectively) camping all the time. 

So off we went, for three days at Timothy Lake, with 6 adults, 9 kids, 2 tents, 1 trailer, 1 RV, 15 bikes, 1 dog, and 1 rubber raft in tow.  It was a site to behold for sure!

Although our experience solidified my dislike of dirt, cold, and general discomfort, we really did have fun.  The Fryes and the Harms are great people, and the kids especially had a blast riding bikes, playing in the lake, going geocaching, catching fish and crawdads, roasting marshmallows, and just generally running amok. 

Will we go again?  Brian and the girls are ready to leave again tomorrow!  For me, well...time will tell.  The lure of a trailer with running water and electricity is pretty appealing, in comparison to our tent dwelling experience.  Perhaps we'll try out a "castle on wheels" one of these days, and see if I can't just become a camping-lover too.