School is out and summer is here! We all couldn't be more excited!
Oh. Wait. That means my routine is completely messed up, I need to entertain the kids all day long, and - whenever they happen to not be fighting - they are complaining about not seeing their friends often enough. It hasn't even been a week and I am ready for school to start back up again!
Ok. Not really. But I wouldn't mind a little bit of summer school from 9 to 12. That would give me enough time to get some stuff done and we would still have plenty of time to play and have fun!
Yeah, I know. Don't ask me what I did all day long when the kids were 2 and 5 and not in any sort of school yet. I remember those days very clearly and although they are precious to me, I am not longing for them to come back!
Most kids around here go to quite a few summer camps, which is tempting, because they sound like a lot of fun! But they are also super expensive, considering that I don't work and really have no excuse or money to put my kids in summer camp! That said, after we get back from our trip, Noah is going to a soccer camp for a week (courtesy of his biggest fan, my dad) and Max will go to the summer program of his preschool for a few hours in the morning. Should be fun for everyone involved! And really I do enjoy spending more time with them, especially Noah who is growing up so fast and won't even let me hug or kiss him anymore! What's up with that?
In order to keep ourselves busy we have quite a few trips planned this summer! As usual, they either involve camping or visiting my in-laws because that is all we can afford. I am certainly not complaining as I love both camping and my in-laws!
Last weekend we kicked off summer with a trip to Fool Hollow Lake in Show Low. It was a great weekend with lots of racing, camping, and hanging out with friends. You can read all about the entire weekend of fun here and find my race report here. Since I already talked about both of their races (and Noah's visit to the emergency room) on my other blog, I just want to post a few more pictures of them here.
Karl and Max coming into transition after the first run:
Max eying his competition during the bike leg:
This little kid gave it all he had:
After a second run, he happily finished in 3rd and jumped right onto the podium:
It was a blast to see him competing in his very first race. And I dare say he is just as competitive and determined as his parents!
Noah and his friend, Sam, finishing the first run:
Both of them stuck together on the very hilly bike course as well:
I could tell that Noah's stitched-up hand was hurting him, but he toughed it out:
These kids raced for 45 minutes, so it's no surprise that they were quite worn out at the end:
We finished off the racing extravaganza on Saturday with dinner at our campsite. These kids were loving it:
After a day of racing and playing hard, Max and Noah got into their cocoons and slept soundly until the sun was shining right into their little faces:
When we got home from our trip, a package from Great-Aunt Jeanette was waiting for the kids and they were thrilled! She sent us this lovely game that the boys are very eager to play:
It's perfect to take on our next trip with us and a good activity for Noah who is trying to heal is hand in time for the beach:
Jeanette also sent this awesome alligator she made herself. Max thought it was the best and wanted to make one himself. Seeing how I am about the least crafty person I know, I was of no help.
So he made a little snake. All by himself. I love that kid!
And how much fun would summer be without playing on the slip'n slide? A big Thank You to my friend, Bethany, who let the kids play at her house while I was running errands for our beach trip. They had a great time!
As I am typing this I am sitting in a hotel in Barstow, CA. We made it more than half-way to the ocean but decided to take a little break. Our little Inn is awesome and the kids love hotels, mostly because we hardly ever stay at one! We played in and at the pool for a few fun hours,
Ate dinner (and dessert) with our legs hanging in the water,
and now everyone but me is sound asleep.
Night Night!
