More Day Camp

The sport today was soccer. A bunch of soccer coaches from somewhere came out and ran some really fun and interesting drills with the girls. They seemed like really nice guys, really knew there stuff. This is a blow-up thing that could tell them how fast they kicked the ball. They got a prize if they hit the target as well.
Here's the girls chasing the ball around in some kind of scrimmage. I can't say what exactly they did, because we leaders we're spending the time taking it easy in the shade! The girls were very good sports and showed a lot of hustle considering that it was warm and they were in the sun. The girl says she doesn't really like soccer much, because all it is is running around kicking a ball. Can't argue with that, really.

We also did a couple of dinky little crafts today that aren't worth a picture. The boy is at day camp, too, in the sibling unit. They usually have more fun than we do, but the river has been too high for them to play in this week. Bummer. Tomorrow, we cook in the unit!

Day Camp

It's day camp for the kids and I this week. This year camp is sports themed. Everyday we are focusing on a different sport. Yesterday was volleyball and hiking.

Today was bowling...

and roller skating!

I skated, too, in my extremely cute skates. I will most likely be very sore tomorrow! It's been forever since I went to the Roller Arena, but it all came back pretty quick. I'm sure someone there got my picture. Maybe if it's halfway decent, I'll try to get it on here.

Graduation Parties Part 2

So the whole family picks up and heads to Katie's party. It was well underway by the time we got there. (The cake was just crumbs!) One of the best things was the big bouncing house!

I still had the chalk in the car, so I had the kids lay down and I drew their outlines in the parking lot. Very soon after that, everyone was getting traced!


These pictures loaded in funny, but I'm afraid to mess with them because sometimes in the rearranging you erase them and then I'd have to start all over, so this will have to do! The boy counted and said there were 24 people laying around by the time it was over. Here's just a few.

Here's the boy and girl in the bouncing house...

And here's me and Rhonda! We kicked all the kids out!

By the time everyone was traced and colored in, it was getting dark. Then there were fireworks! It was a wonderful day spent together as a family.

Graduation Parties Part 1

It was such a big party day yesterday, that this will take two postings at least to get it all it. My darling sister's party was first, celebrating her graduation from CSU with her MBA. The weather was beautiful and the food was very good. To all my four square opponents- a rematch is definitely in order! A few other highlights--

Here's E giving a demonstration on the best way to enjoy a party.

Here's the party girl shaking it with the band! They were fantastic!

And here's me with Summer!

We were sorry to leave such a fun scene, but there was another hot spot to hit....

Potato Chip Heaven

Around here, Thomasson's potato chips were king. The best chips ever. Yeah, I know, I know...Everyone likes what they grew up with the best, but even the out-of-towner could be wowed by these chips. They kicked ass! Then, one day, disaster struck. Thomasson's was bought by another snack food company. And then everything went right to hell. They made the MOST DISGUSTING tasting chips imaginable. Further insult came when they packaged these horrible chips in the same bags. They might say Thomasson's, but it was all a lie! The regular chips were awful. The Bar-B-Q were inedible! People were losing their minds. It felt like rioting could start at any moment. Thomasson chips stacked up in stores. No one even wanted to look at them!

But relief came with a small article in the paper. The new owners of Thomasson's had heard the people and saw the zero sales and were changing the recipe back. Oh yeah? Everyone was skeptical. Could they do it or would it just be a new flavor of foul? Then slowly, word started going around. "Have you tried Thomasson's lately? They're back." And it was true! The regular chips were back and they tasted exactly the way they should. Hurrah!

But what about the Bar-B-Q? Had anyone tried those? No. No one. Everyone seemed too snakebit to go there. But yesterday E had had enough. He bought a bag of Bar-B-Q. The boy and I watched, anxiously waiting while E tried the first chip. Would he spit it out? Run screaming out of the house? How bad would it be? But he smiled and said, "I think that's it!" And it is! Thomasson's are back exactly the way they should be. Happy, happy day! This post is for all my family coming to town this weekend for the parties. Go get those chips!

Home Again

Our camper has returned! She had a really fantastic time. The weather wasn't all that great in the end, too much rain, but they still got a lot done. She says the food wasn't even all that bad! She definitely wants to go back next year, but for a full week. We went out to dinner to JoBo's after picking her up along with her friend's family. They talked the whole time about songs they sang and games they played and stuff they did. The first thing she wanted to do when she got home was take a shower longer than two and a half minutes long! Everyone is extremely happy to have her home again!

Bloggers Unite

The whole reason I started blogging was because of my very good friend Chip and her blog. The woman blogs all the time with lots of pictures of her kids. It's great. By reading her blog, all the years and miles of separation disappear. But it was a one-way street. I could visit with her, but she was in the dark about me and my family. The only thing to do was to start blogging, too. But today we got to see each other face to face for the first time in like 5 years. She and her three kids spent the whole afternoon. The boys had a big battle with the Nerf Bows. The girls blew bubbles and played in the sand. We looked at pictures and snacked on brownies. It was a wonderful day. Thanks so much for the visit. I love you all!

Here's almost all the kids in the climbing house. Chip's #3 didn't want to

come over, and my girl, of course, is still at camp!

Here's the ladies. We also played with a lot of Silly Putty. We discovered that mixing

pink and black Silly Putty turns black, but not as shiny anymore.

Thanks for in tips on dealing with pictures and text, Weaver. It worked great, as you can see!

The big news

Is it bigger news that the boy got all his hair cut off today or that we still have this cat hanging around? Tough call. The boy is very happy with the new head, now he won't be so warm all the time. And we are all enjoying the cat, despite ourselves. Everyone that is except Marco, of course!

Timberlane

Here's the girl in the hideously ugly Pinecrest cabin (sorry, but I will never like it!) at Camp T. No bunks out there anymore, just mattresses on the floor. Even prisoners rate a bed! And I can't imagine how cluttery that floor must look once all those girls get unpacked, can you Chip? It must constantly look like a pink and frilly bomb just went off! There's nowhere for them to stow and hide their junk! Anyway, after a truly long process of checking her, she is safely away at resident camp for the first time. It's a short session; she'll be home Wednesday evening. The weather should be great. I know she's going to have a fantastic time!

Father's Day

Every year for Father's Day, we take a whole bunch of pictures and make a new slide show for E's screen saver. Here's a few highlights from this year's new set.
Hope everyone was able to enjoy their Father's Day!

Nacho!

Since there is only so much croquet you can play and bubbles you can blow, today we went to the movies to see Nacho Libre. One of the kid's favorite movies is School of Rock, so they were really excited about this one.
Here's their reviews:

The Boy says: It's extremely funny! Lots of action scenes!
The Girl says: Good acting and wrestling! Very funny! I was really cold in the theatre.

Good-Bye Old Friend

If you graduated from Elyria High, it's fairly certain you've eaten your fair share of Romanburgers. Even after high school, Mr. Hero cravings can be overwhelming. E and I love Mr. Hero's Romanburgers. During our dating years we ate there all the time. We even decided to get married sitting in Mr. Hero's! And our downtown Mr. Hero's gets points with me for having fresh-brewed iced tea. It's just a plastic pitcher that sits on the counter (sometimes you have to ask for them to get it out of the back). Someone in that restaurant understands the importance of good tea and having a choice other than pop or pop. But my blog about tea will have to wait for another day.

Anyway this past Sunday while watching the dogs crash here and there, we decided it was time for some lunch. We hadn't had Mr. Hero's for a few months, so I went and picked up some Romanburgers. And it was, of course, very yummy. Messy, greasy sandwiches. Wafer fries in lots of ketchup. You need napkin after napkin to keep up. Full, happy bellys...For a little while.

For the rest of the day and night, we were both sick as dogs. Just as miserable as two people can be. You know it's bad when the thought crosses your mind "If I could just throw up, I would feel so much better." At around 11 PM, I was thinking, how can something I ate nine hours ago still be messing me up? E was still feeling rough on all day Monday.

So, I'm afraid this is the end of our love affair with Mr. Hero's. Like many a place before it, it's now on the forbidden list. If I had known that sandwich would be my last Romanburger ever, I would have savored it a little more, would have taken the time to appreciate it. Now it's too late. To Mr. Hero's we say good-bye and in reply Mr. Hero's says you're not in high school anymore.

Busy Saturday

This weekend we are dog sitting. This is Annie and she is five months old. We tried to get a shot of her and Marco together, but they weren't being cooperative. They've been having a huge time together. They should both sleep very well tonight!


But the bigger news is that we have just finished the boy's room. It's been a long wait for him, but I think he'll be pleased with how it has come out. He's camping this weekend with his Boy Scout troop, so tomorrow he's in for a surprise. Maybe after he gets his stuff up on the walls, I'll get some pictures of the finished project. Now he can FINALLY have friends over to spend the night!

Do I have to say it?

Of course, the day after I post that she's gone, the cat came back! She came back dirty, skinny and thirsty. She's been following us all around the house and getting as much love as she can. All this cat wants to do is sit in your lap and get snuggled! Marco, who was getting used to her, is back to acting like a complete freak when he sees her.

One final cat update...

I think it's safe to say that our little cat friend has moved on. We haven't seen her since Sunday night. I have to admit that this makes me a little sad. She really was a sweetheart. We believe Marco was even warming up to her (or at least not hating her as much). I hope she found a good home and people to love her. Thanks for the visit! : )

Last Day of School!

The kids are fifth graders no more! At the awards ceremony today they both received awards for being on the honor roll for all four quarters. Then the girl was recognized for being on Student Council and the boy for having perfect attendance. Way to go! Now let summer vacation begin. We're in no hurry for sixth grade to start!

A Camping We Will Go

Just back from camping at Camp Singing River with the Girl Scout troop. We had a great two nights out there in perfect camping weather! We had a dance party complete with glo-sticks, hiked all the trails, sang lots of songs, played lots of games, made Chia Potatoheads, and went on a night hike. We even did the LifeSavers Wint-O-Green trick. The girls were amazed! If you don't know what that is, you take the LifeSavers and go to a very dark place. When you bite the candy, there's a green spark of light! Go ahead and try it!

Safety Patrol

Here's the boy out on his first day as a member of the Safety Patrol. The fifth graders get to try out being a member of the patrol during the last week of school to see if they want to do it next year. What does the boy think? "It was really fun!"

Quick cat update... she's still here. I refuse to let anyone name her.