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!)