Camping Fun!

We had a few opportunities for tent camping come up this fall. It all started with plans for the boys to attend a Y Guide event for Trailblazers (kids in 5th grade and up). Daniel was very keen to participate in this, so Ben did all his research and got them signed up and geared up for tent camping. And then since we were getting us a new tent anyway, we also found a park district family camping event for Ben and the kids to go to. (I don't tent camp; nope, no way. I barely cabin camp. I just don't camp, period, let's just say.) Anyway, the kids were very excited about all this camping and of course wanted to try everything out! It's been a fun couple months around here with all these new experiences. Ben is keen to do some more tent camping with the kids. Go for it, hon! Making memories all the way! Love it!

Daniel and Ben went tent shopping, while Annabel and I were off doing something else.

Once our tent arrived, Annabel wanted to help Ben try it out in advance of the various camping events they were signed up for. He needed to practice setting it up and just see how it went overall. So they set it up in our backyard and then Annabel and Daddy had a night out camping! So cute. Annabel made sure to take her lovies, her headlamp, a book for Daddy to read, and I believe they had a game to play, too. It rained that night, but they were super brave and stayed out all night, all cozy in their tent. (Actually, I think it's rained every single time they've gone camping. Jinxed, maybe?) Ben had the foresight to take an umbrella with them when they went out, so they had that handy for the morning rain. Clever Daddy! He also figured out how to set things up a little better for the next time, which was the whole point of doing this backyard camping. Fun night for them!

Goodnight!

Still sleeping away in the morning...

Here they come, my troopers!

After this trial night, they went camping through a park district family event at a local park the weekend of September 14th. A fun (rainy) night for them again! Annabel blogged about that night.

Then the following weekend, the weekend of September 21st, was the Y Guide Trailblazers event (September was a very busy month as you can tell!). They were supposed to have this big day, a canoeing trip and then a hike and camping and all. The rain we had all that week had other ideas though. The canoeing place ended up calling and saying the river was too high, so that was out. They ended up just doing a small hike as a group after lunch, then coming home (to Annabel's chagrin- this was supposed to be our girls' day after all!), and then going to their campsite late that afternoon. As the week and the day progressed, their camping group got smaller and smaller. But Ben and Daniel did not let a little (or a lot of, as it turned out) rain stop them- they were troopers and they still camped that night. Ben and Daniel left late afternoon to get their site set up while it was not raining. Ben was proud to get a camp fire going, and they cooked hot dogs over the fire for dinner. Once it got dark, it started raining and they ended up just playing games in the tent and then heading to bed. They were up at a decent hour, packed up, and headed home to see us girls. They had a good time and earned kudos from their little group for getting the fire going and braving the rain! 

Now Ben and the kids are talking about doing more camping...and of course they want me to come, too. We shall see, we shall see...

It's Raining, It's Pouring

One day early in the school year it was absolutely pouring when we walked home. I mean- pouring. Like it took the shoes five days to dry off pouring. Like we all had to change our clothes pouring. We really weren't prepared for this, clearly. Oh well, it's just water, I said! Annabel had a ball out there in the puddles! Water never stopped her having fun!

Walking home...sloshing all the way!

Annabel put her gear on so she could go back out for more fun!

I love this...the boys literally gave up avoiding puddles and just walked in the street!

Yep- Annabel is wearing goggles now, that's how much it was raining!

Back to School: 3rd Grade and 5th Grade!

And just like that. Summer was over.

We'd soaked it all up. As much as we could. And we loved every minute of it all!

All good things must come to an end, as always.
Of course, good things are still to come, I just know it.

Can you believe Annabel is in third grade? (She is SUPER excited!) And Daniel is in FIFTH grade? (He is meh.) It's nuts. Both kids have male teachers this year, which is very exciting, I think. I'm looking forward to a great year for both kids. I hear good things about their teachers and was suitably impressed at the Meet the Teacher event before school started. They seem like energetic, fun guys who will be really motivating and creative and funny and just make for a really fun year for both kids. Daniel and Annabel are both very excited about their teachers and they are glad they got who they wanted (they got who I wanted, too!). I just think it'll be a good year. Curriculum night was very enlightening and I'm excited to see what the year brings.

This is Daniel's last year at our school- next year brings middle school adventures to our house. Oh my. Not ready for that one bit, so I'm going to enjoy this last year of two kids at the same school, two kids at elementary school, two kids I can still picture as my babies, two kids to hold hand-in-hand as we walk to school every day. Yes indeed- living in the moment, snapping pictures all the while.

Enjoy!

I said to the kids pretend you are excited- I want smiles! 

Annabel side whispered, "I actually AM excited!"

A brotherly nudge, a giggly sister.

 

As we approached the school, we could see all this white on the new playground and we quickly realized those were all the teachers and staff members, climbing the big triangle for a group photo. It was SO fun to see this! Of course I took pictures, too! Daniel's teacher is on the top right of the pole, indicated with a black arrow. Annabel's teacher is just under Daniel's, marked by a red arrow.

READY for third grade! Bring it on!

Daniel and his best friend, Manny!

Last first day of elementary school!

Manny's mom Teresa had me crying, suggesting this photo for that reason.

Annabel so very sweetly told me to go with Daniel on the first day of school. The kids have different doors to go in the first few days, and usually, Daniel wants Ben to go with him and Annabel wants me, but this year, she said since it's his last year here and my last year to watch him go in on the first day of school (I'm not sure it's so cool in middle school for mom to walk you in?) I should go with him. She's so wise and she knows me crazy well to know I'd want this. She's so sweet and thoughtful, really. Putting herself in my shoes- so amazing. Thank you, Annabel! (I went with her the second day.)

Daniel's classroom is right on this corner and all the parents had fun peeking into the windows as the kids walked in to find their seats! The classroom looks great!

Annabel also started regular art lessons again. Ben picked her up and snapped these two pictures. She's working on a drawing of a cat. Final picture below- it's adorable! Annabel loves her art classes!

Picture day was one week after school started. Here's a sneak peek...

I'm not so lonesome after all...Cosmo keeps me company all the time!

I got up from reading in this chair one afternoon to find Cosmo sleeping under me!

Sneak peek from Picture Day turned into reality...school pictures came back! 

They're darling pictures. Perfect for third grade and fifth grade.

Fifth graders in our district have Outdoor Ed, basically a two-day field trip spent all outdoors, learning and trying out new things together. This year they went really early (it's been in October in past years)- in fact, Daniel was out having fun on my birthday, September 9th. I remember Outdoor Ed from when I was in sixth grade and kept telling Daniel all the fun he'd have. We stayed overnight for ours, he did not- they don't do that anymore, I guess. Anyway, Daniel did have a great time. It was actually really hot for them, so he came home pretty hot and tired each day, but he always had stories to tell me, which I loved. His teacher chaperone was his band teacher, which he enjoyed. And his best friend, Manny, was in his group, too, which made it all the more fun. The orange strap on Daniel's wrist was our answer to the very large orange bandana we somehow had to fit onto him to indicate his group. Spoiler- we didn't use the bandana! (I'm serious- it was ridiculously large!) We found some orange ribbon (from Halloween 2013, mind you) and velcroed that together around his wrist- it was perfect! Of course I snapped a picture before he left!

Original orange ribbon use...

Annabel reminded me about asking them their favorites! I was surprised she remembered! (We forgot last year, though- oops!) I used to ask every year on the first day of school what their favorites were for various categories, with the kids often inserting their own idea for a favorite, too. A fun tradition. The kids laugh at their past selves, "I liked THAT?!" It's too funny.

A trip down memory lane...first days through the years...

So the school year is off to a great start. The kids have regular homework and are both very good about getting it done. They are both working hard and love their class activities. Daniel's class earns "Carius Cash" (for maintaining good behavior all week long- Daniel's bank account will fill up fast, he's a good kid) which is put into the "Carius Credit Union" and can be spent at the "Carius Prime" store for various fun rewards. His class does a ton of writing and even does a "kid blog" which Daniel is actually enjoying. (Annabel is INCREDIBLY jealous of this part!) His math lessons are mostly self-taught, with lots of teacher videos to watch, and they do lots of interactive history lessons and simulations which has been a lot of fun. I love all the things I hear they do and Daniel's teacher sends daily emails with questions for us to ask Daniel which is awesome because otherwise I never hear any details. I'm going to be so spoiled this year! Fifth graders in our school go to Outdoor Ed (basically two days worth of field trips, they come home after each day, no more overnight like Ben and I did growing up, which I think is a bummer)- and they already did that trip (on my birthday!). Daniel had a good time on that trip. Daniel is also still in band, playing the trombone, and he's also participating in Safety Patrol (which is for 5th graders). So far so good for Daniel! Conferences are already next week and I can't wait to hear more.

Annabel LOVES her teacher. Mr. Damery is just a really funny guy. The second day of school she came home and said some kids got nicknames and SHE wanted one! Oh my. She got one finally- Anna-whistle (as in bells and whistles!)- she was tickled! Her class has the opportunity to earn lunch/Netflix time with the teacher for maintaining good behavior, too, and this pleases her to no end! (She never gets "checks" so I think she'll be on a roll with this one!) CoGat tests took place a few weeks ago and Annabel was actually looking forward to taking the test, which was so cute- she loved the logic and all the challenges in that test. I know of no child who likes testing, but this is so Annabel. She loves all the reading and writing they do and all the typing, too. So much more is done online this year even than all the other years before this one, such a big push in that direction this time around; it's crazy, but I'm working with it and rolling with it. Annabel's class utilizes an online math program called Khan (Daniel's class uses this extensively as well), and they have "missions" to do on their own; Annabel is already 70% finished with her mission for the whole year. Yep- she's my motivated kid! Mr. Damery lets the kids pick their jobs for the week every Friday and Annabel loves this. For several weeks, she had the system down pat- line leader, substitute, then because the sub picks the job first, she'd pick line leader again, then substitute, then line leader and...well you get the idea. I finally had to nudge her in the direction of letting other kids be those things to be fair, so she's enjoyed other jobs now, too. Mr. Damery also has several "fun" seats that also rotate through the kids on a weekly basis and Annabel loves when it's her turn for that. Likewise the "standing desks" in the classroom- those are rotated through the kids, too, and again, super fun when it's her turn. So many fun things for third grade- Annabel LOVES it all! Her class is super small, too, which I love- 20 kids, perfect. Her teacher said this is the smallest class he's ever had in his 20 years of teaching and he loves it.

The kids always have stories for me and if the older one doesn't I read Mr. Carius's emails. I have my ways. It's going to be such a fun year all around!

I'll be working in the school library and on the same committees as last year, as well as heading up my book club once again. Plus I'm determined to get caught up blogging (as you can see with my blogging storms of late) and mostly caught up with digital pictures (trying to make books with every year's pictures, I'm only about 9 years behind...). So I'll be very busy.

But next week- we have two days off from school and you can bet I'm excited to have my kiddos home for that mini break!!