Happy 4th

Our start to summer

I often feel like my 3 weeks off at the start of summer are filled with trying to get the house clean and things sorted out and projects completed.  I don't feel that urgency this summer so I am trying to really get the girls out of the house more (besides swim team).  I now feel like school and work ended a month ago, not 10 days ago!

We started off the summer weekend with Father's Day, along with some little things before that like testing out a new donut store owned by Audrey's friend's parents and walking into town to the YMCA (Audrey road her bike and about took Celia and I out a few times)

Tuesday we had our swim team picture and Cure for Cam activity (fun relays with the team that raises money for pediatric cancer research).  Our team is 250 kids strong.

I took the girls and a friend to the Natural History Museum but the main exhibit had ended so it was a little bit of a bust.  We still had fun, it was just quick.  We did a lunch in town last week with some walking around town which was fun.  The girls seem to be able to walk for longer periods of time and like exploring down town.  Our town is large but down town is a very neat little area.  The girls tried out one of the cookie dough places in town (amazingly we have 3) and were not fans at all.

Our membership to an arboretum about 40 min away was expiring at the end of June so today we went for one last trip.  The membership was reciprocal with places closer to us however the rules changed recently and it is no longer reciprocal so we likely won't renew but it is a neat place!  The outdoor train exhibit was amazing.

They have this spider web/climbing area that is high up in trees that the girls love to walk and lay on.

The girls do school work in the summer and we started the Monday after school ended.  I only gave them the Friday after school as a free day (weekends are off though) because if I let it go too long they REALLY fight me on it.  It is so routine to our summers that they just expect it now.  This year I decided to throw in some homework time in which they must do work themselves.  It helps that they are usually doing it while I make dinner.  Audrey was doing a sight word coloring sheet and Celia had a book report post card to complete which was assigned to 3rd to 5th graders as summer work (they have to complete 3).

No pictures, but we did have our first swim meet on Saturday in the rain as usual.   Both girls swam well.  We have another meet this coming Wednesday and Celia is hoping to swim breast stroke and not butterfly like she had to on Saturday!

Last Day

 

  

It was so hard to get the beginning side by side pictures!  But the side by side pictures show the first day and then the last day.  The girls are super excited to start the summer!!

Rainbows

My goal is after my work craziness ends (a few more weeks) to set this blog as a priority.

I was looking at the sky and trying to take a picture of how odd it looked after a thunderstorm.  I was not really paying attention to anything else and I was frustrated because I just could not get the true look of the sky and then I looked down at the picture on my phone and said "oh, oh!!"

Sometimes when you aren't looking a rainbow appears.

Easter

Nope, I have not updated my blog in awhile. Celia and Pete have reminded me about this and I just have not felt like it!  No excuses.

A Year in Review

January

Not much happened in January which was awesome!  Celia had a mega growth spurt, Audrey was hanging in strong in Kindergarten and enjoying her afternoons.

February

Ice skating and a trip to Grandma and Grandpa's in which we made a great trip to the zoo.

March

This little peanut starting working out with me a little, Audrey and I enjoyed our freedom in the afternoons

April

We had fun celebrating Easter

May

We celebrated May 4th, Celia had to do a timeline for school which lead us through memory lane, Audrey, took a trip to Morris Arboretum

June

Kindergarten complete, 3rd grade complete, onward to swim team!

July

A great visit with the cousins and finished out a strong swim season

August

Wrapped up a beach trip and onward to 4th and 1st grade!

September

She turned 10!

October

Soccer for Audrey, Basketball for Celia, Halloween and lots of stress.

Our house, primarily our sewer pipe caused massive stress along with some other events.  I just have to add it because it was a big part of my Fall.   I did get to go on an awesome field trip with Audrey.  The first field trip I have gotten to go on with her!

November 

She turned 7!  

December

Well we ended the year with the stomach bug which crushed our trip plans but we had a nice relaxing week at home.  We had a good Christmas Everyone is rested and ready to tackle 2018!!  We start it with more basketball, some swimming, some soccer, and piano.