Canoeing

      At the beginning June, I started a list of things I want to do with the kids this summer.  They are at the absolute perfect age to do things with.  They are only going to be this much fun for a few short years...until Andrew becomes a pre-teen, I figure.  So I want to maximize the fun while they are old enough to not crap their pants (often) and young enough to still love being with their parents!

One thing on my list was to take all the kids canoeing.  Last summer, Jeff took the older two while Michael was home napping.  But this year there are no naps!  No restrictions!  So we took the kids to a nearby lake, rented two canoes, and went out on the water.

The boys were all in one canoe.  Andrew proudly grabbed his paddle and climbed confidently into his canoe...I never saw his paddle enter the water.    Michael had never been in a canoe, but he sat happily on the cushion on the floor and dragged his hand elbow deep in the warm water for most of the boat ride.  Jeff struggled to paddle against the drag that Michael's upper body created.

Lily and I got in the other canoe.  I didn't even bother getting a paddle for her.  She immediately refused to sit on the seat because it was too hot.  We grabbed a towel and created a nice cushioned seat for the little princess.  She clutched the edge of the seat in terror as I paddled the canoe out...totally lacking any faith that her mother can steer a boat.  I eventually won her over and she was splashing and laughing.  She also had the bag with the camera in it right at her feet.  I told her she could very carefully take some pictures (this is our old camera...but still).  I didn't really pay attention to what she was taking pictures of...imagine my amusement when we got home and I actually looked at what she'd taken pictures of.

So, I present, 

CANOEING, FROM LILY'S PERSPECTIVE

She started off quite well...

 Then she got a little distracted with self portraits.

 There are the boys, in the background!

 She gave a thumbs up to herself...how cute is she?

 And then for her last shot, she turned around and got a picture of me.  

And to think...next week we'll be taking pictures at the beach!

And we're back

Oh!  Ohio was fun!  Lots of aunts and uncles and cousins and activity.  My kids don't get to see Jeff's siblings very often, and this time it lasted 4 full days.  They are such good aunts and uncles...my kids warm up to them so fast and enjoy them so much.

Let's see...we had 2 campfires, fishing on a pond, Great-grandma's 90th birthday party (180 people signed the guest book!), swimming at the community super-pool, pizza 2 nights in a row, running on a bike trail, lightning bug catching, late bedtimes, early wake ups, dog surgery, cake...lots and lots of cake.

It was a blast.  And I'm scared to step on the scale this morning.

Now...to get ready for South Carolina.  Next Friday...8 days from now -gulp-...we will be leaving for another long car trip.  To Kiawah!

By the way...when we got home last night, we put the kids to bed SUPER early.  Like, lights out at 7:05.  Michael just woke up (6:30), and Lily and Andrew are still sleeping.  I swear they sleep later when they go to bed earlier.  I SWEAR!

Still not plugging in...

We're surviving quite well over here without the DS and tv.  Granted, there are some cheats built in.  Go to the library...play computer games.  Go with Mommy to the gym...watch tv in the Kid's Club.

All this time has us playing games/reading more books and digging out more toys we forgot about and just generally spending more time together.  Also known as: Mommy getting nothing done, trashing the house, and making each other scream.  Cup half full/half empty...all that jazz.

Some things that I've noticed...

Michael is the most addicted to computer games...BY FAR.  And I have been really bad about letting him play and play and play.  He just loves it so.  Now without it, he is coloring and building and paging through books to help pass the time.  It is very cool.  In fact, yesterday he drew a picture and showed his dad that he had written "zoo", (although the "oo" came first and the "z" was written backwards) and he wrote "CAT" (although the letters were out of order).  Who knew he could even write letters that aren't in his name!?! The bad Mommy award can be pinned right here on my shirt.

Lily is so much better at reading than I thought.  On the occasional quiet reading time we got pre-computer game freeze out, I was going through the Bob books with her.  Well, whoooo-doggie...she is well past those.  Ooops...I suppose I should have noticed that earlier.  That other bad Mommy award can go right here on the other side of my shirt.

Andrew hasn't been affected so much by this freeze yet.  He isn't finished with school until this afternoon...one hour from now, actually. Yikes.  Sure, the weekends were long and painful...Andrew doesn't really play with toys anymore.  So without any direction, he either makes up spreadsheets, invents tournaments and draws their brackets, or he pesters his sister and brother.  -sigh-  We need to find some other, new hobbies for him.  If only he liked to build.  I swear they make no toys for 8 year old boys that aren't building in some capacity.  Or computer games.

4 more days until the ban is lifted.  But I think I need to keep a semi-permanent ban on electronics even after our trip is over.  The kids are just better off without it...and I need to suck it up and stop being so lazy.  So...I'm thinking there are no tv shows or video games unless it is raining.  Then it's a free for all.

Backing out

For the last year, I've known about all this travel.  I've joked about it, I've moaned about it.  And now it is almost upon us.  All those car trips.  I'm making lists of what I need to pack for the trips.  I'm thinking about what to do with the kids in the car.  I'm overwhelmed.

So we are backing out of my family reunion.  Most of my out-of-state cousins aren't coming, so I'm not alone in missing out.  I don't really know why I was thinking I could go anyway.  Sometimes I am just in a state of denial about how far away we live from the rest of the crew.  It was going to end up being something like 16 hours of extra car time for 36 hours with the family.  That math just didn't add up...especially considering we'd probably sleep for 10 of those 36 hours.

So I backed out.  I'm disappointed.  Sad.  And much much relieved.

Teddy Bear Picnic

We learned the song.

We gathered our furry friends.

We planned our meal and dug out the picnic basket.

We picked out bear books to read during and after the meal. (Tops and Bottoms, Big Bear and Little Bear, and Don't Wake Up the Bear)

We had a lovely lovely picnic.

The Teddy Bear's Picnic (music here)

If you go down out in the woods today

You're sure of a big surprise

If you go down in the woods today

You'd better go in disguise

For every bear that ever there was

Will gather there for certain, because

Today's the day the teddy bear's have their picnic!

Every teddy bear who's been good

Is sure of a treat today

There's lots of marvelous things to eat

And wonderful games to play

Beneath the trees, where nobody sees

They'll hide and seek as long as they please

Cause that the way the teddy bears have their picnic

 "beneath the trees, where nobody sees!"

 "marvelous things to eat"

(Michael kept reassuring me that Bump was a good bear, so he was sure to get a treat today)

 "play hide and seek, as long as they please!"

No tv, no computer games, no problem.

No problem may be a bit of an optimistic statement.  

We have a lot of looooooong car trips ahead of us.  

June 15th...8-9 hours to Great-grandma's 90th birthday

June 20th...8-9 hours home

June 29th... 13 hours to South Carolina

July 7th... 13 hours to Ohio (my family has a reunion on the 13th, so we are just bypassing home)

July 15th... 10-11 hours back to PA

That's a lot of car time in a month long period.

So I came up with this brilliant thought that the movie player and video games would be much more entertaining in the car if the children were hungry for it.  June 1st we eliminated all tv and all types of computer games.  They are allowed to play on the computers at the library and allowed to watch tv in the Kids Club at the gym.  That's it.

The first day was a bit tortuous.  For me most of all.  I realize that I use the tv and computer games to get things done, to diffuse bad moods, to break up fights, and sadly, to ignore the children (a little artificial  nap time built in each afternoon).  

But I am lucky.  My children really enjoy playing with each other.  And they can do so for hours.  It's just the in-between that's tough.  We've been reading a lot more...which is saying something.  I realized that Lily can read much more fluently than I realized.  We've been coloring and writing.  Playing lots of games and doing our puzzles.  We've been playing outside and in the basement.  I've cleaned up a lot.  If I'm busy with a chore, the kids tend to play very nicely together.  So the garage is cleaned out and the basement is started.  Jeff may just throw the tv out, I'm becoming such a productive stay at home mom.

This weekend was fine.  Saturday we were moderately busy.  We filled the empty afternoon time with bucket swimming.  Sunday was wide open.  So we went to our favorite covered bridge section of the nearby state park and played in the water.  We mostly just caught minnows and threw rocks.  Then a huge thunderstorm chased us off and we came home and had warm baths and played Attack UNO.  Not too bad of a day.  

The water was a bit high...this beach is usually quite wide and not so muddy.

 Posing.

 Trying to figure out how to use that net

 Michael before he sat down in the water.  I forgot to bring towels or change of clothes.  Fail.

 I love the zoom capabilities of my new camera.

 Big rocks are fun...until you drop them on your foot.

 These two are looking more and more like twins.  It will be weird when he passes her and people assume she is the youngest.

 Pure Michael.  Notice how wet he is now.

 Michael and I left the creek a bit early so he could dry off and have a snack.  He was watching Jeff, Andrew, and Lily across the river.  Man, I love that covered bridge.

 Coming back after a spill in the mud.  

 My crew...snackin' and chillin' just before the heavens thundered and opened up on us.

W.T. Summer begins

Summer is almost here!  Andrew still has 6 days of school left, and I'm still waiting for my annoying on-line teacher to get back to me...but it feels like summer.

Yesterday, Andrew finished up his last organized activity for the year.  I think we've finally found a sport that he's really really enjoying.  Lacrosse.  This is the first time a sports season has come to an end, and he is disappointed that the practices and games will be ending.  He'd be happy if they'd keep having practices all summer long.  :)  Some shots from yesterday's game...Andrew is #49 in white.  Notice how close up we can get with our new camera!

We got home from the game and decided it was just too beautiful to stay inside.  Also?  We have a strict ban on all tv or computer games until our trip to Ohio on June 15th.  That is a whole different post waiting to happen.  2 posts...the trip and the ban.

But yesterday afternoon, Jeff and I decided to clean out our garage.  The kids got to play in our new "swim buckets".  Really they are for storing all the outside toys, but when dumped out, they make decent individual swimming pools.  We may have scared away potential buyers from the houses for sale across the street.  ("Are those kids swimming...in buckets?").  At least they had bathing suits on and not droopy diapers.  Only because we are all potty trained now.

I was also excited to post pictures of myself in scanty clothing.  Don't YOU get excited...it's more frightening than anything.  I took a front and side shot on January 1st in a sports bra and spandex shorts.  Then I spent 6 months working out 4-5 times a week.  I've lost 17 pounds, and dropped a pants size.  I was all set to take another pair of pictures on June 1st.  I thought it would be really motivating to see the changes.  Except there weren't any.  Well, the bathroom looks newly painted and I'm holding a nice new camera.  :)  But as far as my body goes, if anything, I look worse in the June 1st shot.  WTH.  Apparently, I didn't do a good enough job accentuating my newly slender wrists in the shot.  -sigh-  

I KNOW there are differences.  I have muscles now that I never had before.  I am just totally surprised and depressed that the camera shows none of it.  It makes no sense to me.  Jeff compared the shots and said, "Maybe your face looks a little different?"  -sigh-  At least I feel good?  But had these illusions that I'd go see family I haven't seen in a while and they'd be all, "Oh, wow, Giselle, you are looking great!".  And now if they say that, I'll know they are lying and just reading my blog and trying to be nice.  Kind of like when I went into the OB at 40 weeks with Andrew and he told me I was a "fingertip dilated".  Which isn't really anything, but they want to encourage you and throw you a bone.  As far as looking thinner though...I KNOW it isn't true...because I have actual photographic PROOF that it is not true. 

Okay!  Enough whining!  And you can be grateful that my pictures turned out this way, so that you can enjoy cute picture of kids in buckets instead of pictures of a pudgy 34 year old standing in her bathroom!