Good Times



 While the older kids exhausted themselves at volleyball camp, the younger ones had no problem entertaining themselves back at Mema's.  A regular favorite was jumping on the trampoline.

 Midge really got creative and added a jump rope to her routine.  It was absolutely insane how high this kid was jumping!

 Tea is getting really good flips of all sorts.  She can even land on her feet....sometimes.

 Boo, just likes to look cute and jump high.  I was surprised at their endurance.  They jumped for hours!

Buster engaged Mema in a game of tether ball.  Who doesn't love tether ball?  I didn't capture it on film, but Mema challenged me to a game and I skunked her!

Fun Nights

One of the most enjoyable aspects of our trip was the evenings.  For the kids it was like an extended sleepover party.  One night we enjoyed a beautiful evening outside with a fire..

 When Mema suggested s'mores all the hands shot up that they definitely wanted one. 

 They each enjoyed putting their marshmallows on the big stick and trying not to let them catch fire.  You can see Boston in the background looking for crumbs!

Mmmmmm.  They were a delicious treat made even better by wonderful company!

Family Fun

The next morning we hung out with our friends for a bit and did some work to help them get their house market ready.  By lunch time we were back on the road.  The girls were elated to get to my Mom's house and see everyone.  We have met up several times this summer, but we have always been so busy the visits seemed very short.

 This time the kids had plenty of time to run around and play and my Mom and I had plenty of time to relax and visit.

While we were there, Chiggie participated in a volleyball camp with my little sisters.  They had so much fun and were exhausted by bed time everynight!

We're Baaaack!

We're back and we had an absolutely amazing, wonderful time!  It was relaxing and my only complaint was it went by way too fast!  I will be breaking the trip down into several more manageable posts, just so that I don't forget anything.

 

We got up very early (for us) on Monday morning.  I had packed everything the night before and set out all of our clothes too so the prep was pretty easy.  We were showered, gassed up, and on the road by 8:30.  I was proud of us and a little nervous to be making the drive myself.  We had no problems at all and arrived at our first destination by 10:30!  I was so happy that we had made such good time.



 We spent the first day at the Zoo with a good friend and her family.  The weather was cool and it only sprinkled a bit.  It was really a perfect day to see the animals.

 Apparently Buster was impressed with this up and close and personal encounter with a giraffe.  It's amazing how close they will get, just hoping for a snack.

 Unlike giraffes, Buster loves elephants.  He was concerned when the one below couldn't get his ball back in the fence.  It was cute to see him so worried about the big guy!

 We couldn't get to each exhibit fast enough for his liking.  He sas something cool here and didn't hesitate to point it out!

 The kids loved this Rhino that "marked his territory" by spraying them with water.  The first time was a shock, but they kept going back for more.

 Buster's current obsession is 4 wheelers.  It was more than a little difficult to get him off of this one so we could move on!

 Midge enjoyed crawling in and out of these great big pots!  They were much cooler on the inside than the outside temperature.

All of the kids enjoyed climbing in the plane and taking the controls.  It was such a fun trip and we really are so fotunate to live close to not only one but two really nice zoos.  That night we headed back to my friends house and enjoyed a steak dinner and the kids played together outside.  We were all pretty exhausted that night and ready for our next leg of the journey!

Changes for the School Year

As I plan this post out, I am taking a quick break from busily cleaning up and packing for our end of the summer hurrah!  We are excited to be heading out on one last trip before school begins,  but I think we are all excited to start school as well!  I had mentioned before that we are doing some things very differently this year and we really are.  Chiggie and Tea are getting older and have the ability to be much more independent.  They both read significantly above grade level and have great comprehension skills as well.  For this reason we have decided to use Switched on Schoolhouse for 4th and 7th grade.  I went back and forth over this decision, researching every little review and detail I could find.  It seems like it is going to be  a terrific fit.  I ordered both grades a little over 2 weeks ago and received and installed the program on Friday.  Wow!  I am so impressed with this program so far.  The features are more than I ever could have asked for.  The assignments look fun and at the same time it is such a relief to have everything planned out for me! 

Chiggie and I went over some of her early assignments, reports, and projects together and she was so excited just seeing everything she is going to be reading and studying.  I was able to customize the calendar, so I already know what days we will be taking off and how our vacations will fall.  This is great for planning!  I scheduled us with 8 extra days, so we have wiggle room for sickness and such.  As soon as we get back from our vacation, we will shop for our usual back to school supplies and then I think I will really feel ready!  Next I will post about my plans with Midge and Boo, don't worry they are equally exciting!

Hello August!

The temperatures soared  back up to the 100's today and the kids seized the perfect opportunity for a lemonade stand.  They got together with some friends from the park and by 4pm business was hopping.  I am so thankful for these opportunities and I know the kids will cherish these memories and so will I!