Camp

Connor begged us last year to let him go to overnight camp, and we wouldn't let him. We thought he was too young. Given that he was begging again this year, and given that he was a year older, we decided to let him go. He opted to go to Rock Point camp through the Episcopal Diocese of Vermont. This was a great first choice because the director is a member of our church family, and the nurse is his nurse from school.
We dropped him off Sunday at 5:00 PM and picked him up Friday at 3:00PM. Although he didn't write any letters, we were able to catch up with him through the blog. I was at least able to see that he was alive and well! (Camping in the 21st century!)
We heard all about it when we picked him up. He said that the first night was extremely difficult. He cried a lot that night. We also heard it from the camp minister, who told us that came to her that first night and told her "overnight camp was not for him". Poor guy.

He said that after that the nights got easier. Today though, in church, he got very teary listening to one of my favorite hymns. (Peace is flowing). This is a favorite of mine, and one I taught him to play on the piano. He said they sang this at church, and it made him very homesick. I was very happy to hear that he felt a special relationship with that song.
He had some fantastic counselors, and I am so impressed with him for sticking it out and staying the whole week. He clearly learned a lot about himself through that. He's looking forward to going next year. Words cannot describe how proud I am of him. Nor can they describe how much I missed him!
Connor getting his beads during the closing Eucharist. The theme was light. He was reminded that he was the light of Christ. (Is he ever!)


Connor and his awesome counselors! Jordan and Scott. I guess they let him listen to their I Pods each night. (He put one under his pillow each night). He was able to listen to Harry Potter Pod-casts each night. What fantastic counselors! They took a very homesick child and made him feel very comfortable. We saw some of his other counselors today at church, and he was extremely excited!

It was so hard to be without him for a whole week. The girls kept asking me what I thought he was doing at certain times during the day. ("Mommy, is Connor eating lunch now?") I have to say, I was wondering the same things!
Back at home it was a nice quiet week. Not having Connor around certainly made for quiet times. It's funny how just taking away one child can make such a difference. Without Connor here, Aisling and Siobhan played perfectly well. With the three of them, there can often be differences. I have always said that if I had three I would want four. This week really made me wonder about that reality. Hmm.... wonder what God has in store for me with that....


Thanks to everyone at rock point for making Connor feel so comfortable! It was so fantastic to hear him singing the hymns he learned!

At least they're clean!

Last year during the summer, Al and I debated and decided to allow a "pool bath" to count as an actual bath. Soap, chlorine, whatev.... We figured a rinse in the pool was good enough for most days. Besides, where are you even going in the summer anyway? The ice cream stand? Uh oh, better be all clean for the scooper....

This year we took it up a notch. To be fair, last year we did make the kids take an actual shower every few days, it just felt wrong not to. (Somehow it feels important to be clean for church, at the very least!) This year we seem to have slipped in our standards. I noticed the other day that the hair of our beautiful girls was getting, well, gross. We were in the pool at the moment so, being the lazy awesome mom that I am, I decided to let them have another pool bath.

(Notice the bottles of soap and shampoo?)

Yes, only this time they actually took a bath, while in the pool. Why not I say, why not?

Ten points for matching socks!

If you are planning on cutting my grass, here are the exciting scavenger hunt like prizes awaiting you:

One green croc. Thankfully there were not two there.
(That'd be weird. Two matching shoes in the same place? I mean, who does that?).

Duct tape. I have no idea what this was used for.

Connor was probably constructing a space shuttle or something.

A baseball. Well, a former baseball.
Wow... we have a pretty strong lawnmower....

A black wiffle ball bat.
Okay, I just want to go on the record here and say that it was really
really dark under the bush, and I had no idea the bat was there.
And, besides, who would have thought the lawnmower could do that much damage?
(although, I guess I should have known after seeing the above baseball...)

A green sock. Um, yeah, a sock. I think. Let's just call it a sock, m'kay?

The remains of a water balloon fight.
I don't know who won, but surely not this guy.

The shattered remains of a blue and yellow squirt gun.
(Yes, it was already shattered. Sheesh... wreck one bat and ball
and suddenly you're the killer of all backyard toys...)
But you can see how the colors blend with the uh, dead grass.

So, that's my grass cutting scavenger hunt. Now that you know all about it, who wants to come play?

Siblings.... from love to hate and back again in ten seconds!

Aisling wanted to paint her fingernails today, and I just wasn't available to help her out. After a few moments of thinking it over, I decided that if I set her up with a dish towel underneath her, it should be fine. I did, and she did great! She was nice and neat and did not make a mess at all.
Obviously, once her sister saw what was going on, she wanted a piece of the action! Aisling obliged and very excitedly painted her fingernails.
When we got back from library story time, Connor read a few books to the girls. He did a great job, and changed his voice accordingly!
It wasn't all roses though. Later that afternoon there was much hitting, yelling, screaming, and fighting. (No, I didn't take any pictures of that). Oh well... such is life with siblings!

Clothing options

Today is the first day of summer vacation. Ordinarily, I would say that with much more enthusiasm, but since it's only 65 degrees outside, it doesn't really feel true.

Since today is the first day of vacation, we didn't have to be anywhere, so I didn't put any rules down in regards to clothing. Therefore, one child stayed in his pajamas all day, one was dressed as a puppy, and one alternated between a leotard, shorts, and a bathing suit.


It's summer, I don't really need to care!

Comfort

Al and I are renewing our vows next weekend. I hope we sent you an invite. If we didn't, know that we meant to, and silly things like raising children and finding jobs got in the way. Please come join us! It will be a blast. We're having a cash bar and a DJ!

Obviously, we are dressing up for these event. Al bought a really handsome new suit to wear. (Here's where you whistle...) And I, well, I put off buying anything for an extremely long time. I could make a thousand excuses... but I just didn't want to. I have had three children and am raising four. My body does not always do what I want it to do. Plus, I just hate dresses. Seriously, I do. I really enjoy the feeling of being dressed up and acting like an adult but nylons? COME ON. Make up? Seriously?

*sighing*

Thankfully, I have girlfriends who are actually able to act like girls, and have fancy things at their disposal. (They also all happen to be about my size...) I will be borrowing a really beautiful strapless gown a friend had in her closet. (My closet would laugh out loud at me if I ever tried to put a strapless gown inside of it!) it's beaituful, and I am so thankful that she had it.

Now, for shoes...huh. Shoes.
Did I mention I hate to dress up?

I tried really hard. i tried on like ten pairs of stilletos I swear to you. I was at the store with Siobhan and Aisling, and they kept bringing me shoe after shoe. They obviously tried them all on as well....

But, much to their dismay, I went home with these instead:Don't worry, silly readers. Those aren't for the vow renewal. I have these instead:

Trade?

This is our schedule for the upcoming few days:
Thursday: Aisling, baseball cookout and awards: 6:00
Connor: dress rehearsal for dance recital: 6:00

Friday: Wyatt birthday party: 6:30-8:30
Connor: baseball pizza party and awards: 5-7

Saturday: Aisling: dress rehearsal for dance recital: 9:00-10:00
Connor: Cub scout awards and final pack meeting: 4:00-7:00
Family welcome to summer party at a friend's house: 2:00

Sunday: Church: not happening (9:30-11:00)
Connor: dance recital: 11:30-2:30

Monday: Wyatt: 6th grade graduation: 10:00
Aisling: dance recital: 6:00

Would anyone like to trade?
Please?
Pretty please?