Happy Campers

The kids have been at their day camp for the past almost two weeks, and they are having a blast. They are each with a friend (super cute - on the first day a counselor introduced themselves to the boys, and after Adam and Judd introduced themselves back, Adam goes "we're friends. Best friends!" Noted, my dude) and the camp is very intensely outdoorsy. They've gone horse back riding, they've gone to the tidepools in Dana Point, they do slip and slides and rock wall climbing and archery and skateboard and all sorts of other wholesome activities led by nice young men and women who go by funny camp names. This year Ellie and Lexi are with Decade, and Adam and Judd are with Hero.

Scrawny McSunburn, on his way to the slip and slide.

Ellie, whose mean mom won't let her attend camp in one of her regular teeny weeny bikinis, because her mean mom doesn't trust that she won't come home totally roasted.

A very filthy foursome last week when there was some sort of scavenger activity with dinosaur dust and cavemen hunting the kids.

A shot from beach day - Adam and Judd are the two in the lower right corner (Judd has his back to the camera)

They are loving the whole experience, and I am loving #1, that I have the entire day to myself and that #2, when they come home, they are so happy and tired that I feel no guilt in having them shower, eat dinner early and watch TV until bed time.

Also pleasing to me: this three pound dingus, with his stripey back, his spotted belly and his weird little feet. That's right, I talked Tim into a third cat! His name is Sky and we all love him (except for Lucky, who isn't really into other cats who want to be in her business. She hisses at Taco almost every day for bothering her, what's one other obnoxious cat pest?)

Man, I haven't updated in awhile, so I missed out on informing you all that while I had a girls weekend in Ojai, Tim got to take the kids to Disneyland with a friend of ours who works for The Mouse. My beautiful family, all having a great time on Space Mountain, as you can see. 

Week O' Camping!

Summer is in full swing around here! We had a really nice Fourth of July swimming at a friend's pool, eating lots of grilled meats and potato chips and desserts (and drinking frozen gin and tonics for me and Tim. The kids got Gatorades, which they like just as much as I like gin.) At the end of the night, we did sparklers and set off some small fireworks in the culdesac, and then the kids were asleep in their car seats before we got home. Most of the long weekend was us staying up too late with friends and all taking power naps during the day so that we could gear up for another evening of fun.

We also bought a trampoline for the back yard, and Tim and I put it together (and then half took it apart to move it across the lawn) without even wanting to dissolve our marriage! And the kids haven't concussed themselves yet!

Ellie and I ended our long weekend doing goat yoga with some friends. Ellie was into the goats, not into the yoga, and DEFINITELY not about them trying to stand on her.

This week both kids have been in different camps. Ellie has been going to the Pacific Marine Mammal Center in Laguna Beach, which rehabilitates marine mammals (hence the name.) The kids get to spend a week learning about the animals, how they're cared for, and about the importance of ocean conservation. They made fish smoothies for harbor seals (in the Bass-o-matic) and cleaned out the enclosures, they dissected a sea urchin, and they worked in groups to design a device to help clean up ocean trash. They did not actually get to touch the harbor seals or elephant seals, because they're wild animals that they want to release back into the ocean, but they did each get to work learning about one animal. Ellie's was a harbor seal named Guinness.

He's the cute blob in the middle.

Today they all went down to the beach, and she reported that they saw a seal and a couple of dolphins. She really had a good time, since it was all about animals and science.

Meanwhile, Adam has been in afternoon camp at the YMCA. It's dinosaur themed, so they usually do a dino related craft, in addition to water balloons, a lot of out door play, and having the occasional sno-cone. It's nothing too intense but it gets him out of my hair and also reminds him that he has to listen to adults other than me. It's been nice that they have their camps at different times, because then I get some alone time with each one of them (we took our gift cards from the gift bags Mimi made for Jake's birthday party and went to Starbucks) and they get some time without their sibling, which has helped with their urges to annoy the hell out of one another (and me.)

Next week they don't have any formal activities, so we are setting up fun things to do with friends. We've been keeping on a good schedule every day, which helps everyone's sanity (mostly mine) and it's nice that they're big enough to entertain themselves so that I can get some work done (that's right YouTube, you babysit those kids for me!)

Summer Fun.

We've been taking it easy around here, now that we've made it back home and summer vacation has officially started. I'm trying to keep us all on a good routine of getting out in the sunshine, moving our bodies, having some reading time every day and practicing the piano, along with letting the kids play Minecraft and rot their brains as they so desire. And we're trying to do fun stuff when we can. The kids and I made a list of stuff we'd like to do as "special treats" and we're trying to check them off as we go.

Saturday night Ellie, Lexi, Kristen and I went up to LA to see Harry Potter the Order of the Phoenix at the Hollywood Bowl. The Bowl orchestra performs the score live to the movie, and it was awesome! Lots of people in costume, including a whole group dressed up with Voldemort, Umbridge, Lockhart, Mad Eye Moody. They let the girls take pictures with them, and then gave them "I must not tell lies" temporary tattoos. Very cool! The girls loved it, though were exhausted by the time we made it back to the car.

Meanwhile, the boys went and played nine holes.

One of the things they wanted to do was visit an American Ninja Warrior-style gym, so we did that on Monday. They have open gym for an hour in between classes every day, which worked out perfectly for us. The kids had a mostly good time - some tears about slips and falls and not being able to do everything at the gym, and I had a couple of heart attacks watching them climb and jump around above my head, but we might do it again. Ellie REALLY loved the aerial silks.

Adam's lack of gymnastic training did not help him on the silks.

But he did enjoy the running and climbing portions

Yesterday for lunch we did a picnic in the park. Invited a ton of friends, but only one other mom was able to make it (much to the kids' chagrin. Look folks, I sent out a solid dozen text messages, people have stuff going on!) Adam and I walked over to the kinder-garden to check on the remaining sunflowers and cut ourselves an ENORMOUS bouquet. We also watered the remaining stalks, so should have a second huge crop to bring home and let Taco gnaw on.

The other thing we've been doing this week is getting back into swim lessons with Coach Grant. The kids had a lesson on Saturday morning, and then we're doing lessons Monday, Tuesday and today in the afternoons, as a kind of bootcamp. It's nice because while one kid is with Grant, I can swim with the other one, and then by the time lessons are over we have about 10 minutes before they blow the whistle for safety break and everyone has to get out. It's amazing though, how exhausted the kids are by that hour of swimming. I mean, I get it, it's late in the day and they love being in the deep end so they are actually swimming the entire time, not just bouncing around where they can touch. Adam asked to take the swim test yesterday so that he could get a green wrist band (which is how the Y designates that your kid is sea worthy enough to be out of arm's reach.) He had to do the crawl stroke for the length of the pool without stopping or rolling to his back, then climb out on the wall, jump back in, tread water for 30 seconds, and float on his back for 30 seconds. He passed! He's thrilled, and I am very proud of him, as well as being thrilled because sometimes I don't want to be in arms reach of him, especially when he's being a real splashy maniac. Also is a credit to Grant, who pointed out that it wasn't that long ago that he had Adam and Tim in the parent and me classes, and now here he is, swimmy fish boy, and his sister, Mermaid Girl.