JULY is Already Upon Us

In our household, the month of July is comparable to the month of December in both festivity and overwhelming craziness. December brings D's birthday and all the endless Christmas preparations and celebrations. July brings a trail of birthday celebrations to plan for (B's, DH's, my mom/dad/brother's), DH's annual family reunion for the 4th of July weekend, and our yearly trip down to Martha's Vineyard with my FIL. Not to mention trying to cram every possible moment outdoors while the weather is nice. But this year is different. This summer brings the added challenge of preparing for our homeschool year, which is scheduled to begin early August. At times I feel as prepared as I'll ever be, while on days like today I feel like I'm in over my head. I still have to:

* Organize, decorate and clean the living room, which we'll be using as our "schoolroom".
* Put together a handful of "activity bags" and finish making file folder games/ felt board pieces which will mainly be used for B's preschooling and to keep him busy while I'm working with D.
* Put the finishing toches on my Teacher's Notebook in order to have it workable and functioning in time for school. I'm ALMOST there :)
* Place my final order from Rainbow Resources and shop the back-to-school bargains when they start to stock up on supplies.
* Work on my menu plans to try to figure out a way to reduce our astronomical weekly grocery bill.
* Wrap B's gifts, figure out what type of cake to make him for his "robot" birthday party, make lists of what to bring to MV, call friends to see if they'll come over while we're gone to feed our cats.
*Get off the computer and stop making lists when I could be downstairs accomplishing something!!

I have to remind myself that this is *only* Kindergarten and that everything that is really important has already been planned and is set to go. The rest is just finding the time to create all the supplemental activities I have in mind, decorate my bulletin board and walls with all the fun educational stuff I've collected over the months, and to relax so I can enjoy the summer while it's here.

Mr. Moose and Mother Goose (Part 2)

Here are the photos from our weekend. I saved the photo of the moose with inverted colors because it was just too dark on the original to see. This was when the moose came onto our path and was looking our direction, deciding which one of us looked the tastiest. The next one is one of the waterfalls at Diana's Baths. The dad's and the 'big kids' climbed the rocks to the top area and were thrilled to find even more water to swim in. The rest are from Storyland. B in the pumpkin, me and my boysies on the swan boats, and Hubby and D on the roller coaster (that's them in the last car coming around the bend).

Mr. Moose and Mother Goose

We don't get away much, especially as a family. Last weekend we spent three days up north with another family that we don't get too see often enough. Four adults and four children in a chalet-type condo right next door to Storyland. I spent the week prior to our getaway wondering how it would go.... what food should we bring for D? Were there any safe restaurants nearby? Did Storyland have any food he could safely eat? How would B do sleeping in a 'big boy bed' in the same room as his brother? Would any of us get any sleep?

Not only did we survive, but it couldn't have gone more smoothly under the circumstances (food allergies, kids getting along, B transitioning to a bed, D's behavior issues). An added bonus was sharing a condo with our friends, allowing us to hang out together after the kiddos went to bed.

The boys got a weekend jammed-pack full of activity, with new sights to see and new adventures to be had. We hiked a path near Echo Lake that led us to the rocky, beautiful waterfalls of Diana's Baths. No sooner had we started up the trail when--literally FEET away--we spotted as moose. We felt safe observing this quietly majestic creature because he was on the other side of a small creek. For the first few minutes. Then he decided he wanted to get a closer look at us and crossed the creek onto our path. Moose are typically gentle by nature but will charge if threatened, and there we stood, all eight of us, stumbling over each other as we backed up ever so quietly (which,if you know my boys, is fairly inconceivable) onto a nearby footbridge. We found our way safely to the waterfalls and spent the afternoon enjoying the icy-cold water.

The highlight of our weekend was our day at Storyland. The kids were just the right age to enjoy the attractions, with the little ones loving the storybook character area and the bigger ones riding every ride in the park. To "close the chapter" (so-to-speak) on our weekend getaway, we ate breakfast at Glen Junction, a fantastically kid-oriented restaurant with a toy-filled waiting room and an electric train chugging along the walls. It was the perfect warm-up to our visit to Hartmann's Model Train Museum, which included a ride on their miniature train. It was a great time, especially getting to witness the excitement and laughter of my boys as they shared this time together.

HAPPY FATHER'S DAY!

To everyone we know who responds when a child calls out "Dad", have a happy Father's Day this weekend. Enjoy the family you helped create. Know that you are loved and appreciated in ways you may not even realize. And to the "Daddy" of my boys, a special thank you for all that you do to love, support, help out with, and take care of your family. Because of you, our house is Home.