Camp Just Imagine

During the first week of August the girls attended a day camp called Camp Just Imagine. It was a theater/art camp. They spent the week working on a production to perform the last day. They made scenery, learned dances, memorized songs and much more. They had a fantastic time. In their performance Ainsley was a firefly and Kaylee an army ant. They were both very cute.

 

He Makes Me Laugh

 He Makes Me Smile

 But Mostly He Makes My Heart Melt

Back to School

The girls went back to school today.  They were pretty excited, but we'll see how long that lasts.  Chris, Landon, and I walked them both to class.  It was interesting dropping them off.  Ainsley looked so nervous and was kind of clinging to me.  She asked me to walk her into class, but it looked like her teacher was already getting started, so we said goodbye at the door.  Kaylee on the other hand waltzed right into class without so much as a goodbye.  Fortunately they both seemed to have had a good day.

I wasn't quite so ready to send them back. I enjoy having them home and like the freedom of summer vacation, but I'll admit that being back on a schedule isn't too terrible.

I thought Landon would be sad to see them go. They all had a great summer together (for the most part), but when I asked him if he was happy sending them back to school his response was, "yes because now I can play Mario Galaxy without them bugging me". I should have known that would be his answer, hahaha.

Tidbits

I came home from a jog this morning and was immediately informed that Landon, who was sporting nice streaks of marker on his face and arm, had colored on Kaylee's carpet. When Chris questioned his motive Landon told him he wanted to see what the marker smelled like on the carpet. I was also informed that my sweet Ainsley had attempted to clean it but only managed to rub it down nice and deep. With a "good luck" Chris left for work.

As I was scrubbing marker out of the carpet I started to think about how I haven't been writing about the "little things".  My intention is to keep a family history of sorts, but if I'm only writing about the big things that's all I'll remember when my kids are older. The little things are what make up our family, so I think in the future I'll try to focus a little more on the daily and not just on the events.

Meet Oreo

As many of you know Kaylee has been getting allergy shots since the end of last year. The poor thing is terrified of needles (still), but her allergies were so bad she'd developed asthma. Her allergist said that if she did the shots she'd most likely outgrow the asthma. We decided she needed the shots. For many months she was getting two shots twice a week. Chris and I decided she needed something major to look forward to since getting shots was so hard on her Because Kaylee is an animal lover we promised her a dog once she was on her maintenance dose. She couldn't have a dog before maintenance because she was allergic to them. Early this summer she hit maintenance, and we started looking for the perfect dog, but then things changed. 

Kaylee started listening to a book on CD about guinea pigs. She started reading books about guinea pigs, and suddenly she wanted a guinea pig - more than a dog! We questioned her over and over just to make sure. She insisted she wanted a guinea pig. We told her that if we bought a guinea pig we wouldn't consider a dog until the pig deceased (they live 5-8 years). She wanted a guinea pig. Ainsley and Landon readily agreed, so we bought a guinea pig and named her Oreo Fuzzball (Landon insisted on Fuzzball). 

My brother and I decided she's like having a pet that's somewhere between a hamster and a cat. She looks more hamster-like, but she acts somewhat like a cat. She's very sweet. Ainsley has always been a little afraid of animals, and she begs to hold Oreo daily. She's also pretty funny and a little spastic when she's running around, so she fits right in with the kiddos. We block off hidey holes and let her run free in the living room. She talks, she purrs, she gallops, she jumps, she snuggles, she's the perfect pet. Good choice kids! 

Backyard Campout

The plan this summer was to take a few days and introduce my kids to the wonderful world of Lassen Volcanic National Park. Unfortunately Mother Nature didn't have the same plans. That area of California had an unusually snowy winter and spring, which meant there was still a ton of snow on the ground in July. When we saw that roads were closed we decided this wasn't the year to go to Lassen. Since the girls had only been camping once (Ainsley was three and Kaylee was just a few weeks old) and Landon not at all, my dad and I decided we'd try a backyard campout instead. We've vowed that we'll take them to Lassen next year - weather permitting.

Some highlights of the campout included: Landon and my dad shared a tent while my mom and I watched Jane Eyre that night and slept inside. While roasting hot dogs, Landon roasted his for about five seconds then ate it right off the stick. When my Mom saw what my brother was reading to the kids, she told him she wasn't sure I'd want him reading it to my children. His response . . . "Christa is the one who bought it for me." True, but I don't know that I ever thought he'd be reading it to my kids. They of course thought it was hilarious. We made s'mores, and the kids ate giant marshmallows from Mexico. We had lots of fun! The kids loved sleeping outside in a tent, so they passed the test. Next year it's Lassen for sure! Hopefully.

My Baby Is Four!

Landon celebrated his fourth birthday on July 30th. We decorated with Gryffindor colors because Ron Weasley is now his favorite with some Lumas added to the mix.  He was excited. He opened presents first thing in the morning, but only after he dressed up in his Ron robes.

He opened presents first thing in the morning, but only after he dressed up in his Ron robes.



After all the party planning he's done over the past few months he decided not to have a party. Instead he invited his two friends from last school year's play group for an afternoon of play, dinner at Chick-fil-A, more presents, and cake and ice cream.





pan to perfection. I'd also had the great idea to make the wings out of marshmallow fondant. I'd never made it before, but the recipe was fairly simple and it turned out pretty good. What the recipe failed to mention is that you have to let your creations dry for several days before using them! Out of desperation I quickly cut a couple of cardstock wings and shoved them into a cake that was completely falling apart. Oh yeah, and it was really hot, so the frosting was basically the consistency of water. Yikes! The lemon frosting didn't go over so well with the kids either. I pretty much expected that, but Landon would not be talked out of it at the grocery store. 





Aside from the cake disaster, which was more hilarious than anything, it was a fun day. Happy birthday Landon! You're the bestest little guy we know!