Bike riding

We have been bike riding, and visiting parks.  I'm just putting this all together for time's sake.  We went to a park in Winder that has a beach.  You swim in the lake, and they have a sandy beach area to play in along the shore, and you can take your boat, and other vehicles out on the lake.  We will go visit again and swim.
James talked to Bobby on the phone one afternoon, and said, "Daddy, I want to go eat and play basketball with you."  So, we went to eat and to the park to play a little basketball with Daddy.  They are so cute.
We have gone to the splash park a few times at Spring Canyon Park "the giant park" by our house, and we love to just ride around the trailer park (really this is a little nerve racking for me because of the cars that might come up the street), and the kids love to go swimming.  It has been a great summer so far, and we are having fun together.

Summer School Africa

We finished our Africa projects.  We finished working on the Deserts, and Jungle activities.  Our sand paintings are beautiful.  What a fun time we had making a big mess with colored sugar and salt.  The kids loved learning about the trees that bleed poison, how some tribes fish using poisoned laced tree bark, and eagles that eat monkeys (take them in flight from the trees).  I know they loved the desert spider that cooks his food before eating it, and the one that turns itself into a wheel to escape from the wasp.  We had a great time. 

Lion pattern art

Desert Sand painting

Favorite places in Africa

African pullouts in our journal

Aquarium Day

deep sea diving

Isa and the mermaids

riding the shark

BIG BITE

James' way of riding the shark

playing with the lights

They loved the mermaid show



posing for the camera

shining shoes

Fun times

Today, after I took the Thomason's home, we went to the aquarium.  The kids just love it there.  James asks everyday is we can go.  He took a little nap as we drove, and that was fabulous!  When we walked in Isabelle said she REALLY needed to go potty, so I told her that the bathroom was just around the corner, to go and I'd hurry in and meet her.  So, off she went.  I was already talking to the ticket lady, and James was holing on to my dress when she went around the corning.  The ticket lady handed me my tickets, and before I could put them in my purse I look around and James had stepped onto the elevator and the it was going up.  The ticket lady said, "I'll run upstairs and get him, you go get your daughter".  So, with a little in trepidation, I ran into the ladies room and told Isa to hurry, we had to go find James.  She rushed out of there with me, and we saw the ticket lady leading James out of the elevator.  OH MY GOODNESS.  We had a long talk about staying with Mommy. 

The kids loved the big map of the United states and ocean and lakes.  They like to see the otters, and our favorite spot is a little beach area where they have live birds, and the water is clear.  You can spot many types of fish there, and we like to watch them play and chase each other.  Today we got to see the mermaids doing their show in the big tanks with the fish.  They played "under the sea" from the Little Mermaid, and the kids danced and danced.  It was so much fun to watch my little ones dancing to that song, and the mermaids were pretty cool too.  We made it to the end of the tiger show, so they got to see the tiger too.  Oh my kids are perfect.  They got an airbursh "face paint" on their arms, and petted the rays.  We got our soda, and went to visit a play area we hadn't seen before.  They had a great time climbing on the apparatuses that looked like sea animals.  A boy, probably 8 or 9 years old ran right up to Isabelle when he saw her and said, "Hey, you chase me ok?"  He ran while she chased, and he kept changing the rules as they went so where ever he got tired, was automatically safe.  Isabelle played for awhile, then she got the 2 girls that were there and convinced them to play games she made up.  It was cute.  I gathered them up, and off we went to the 4D theater.  they always have a great time at the aquarium. 

Garden UP and UP

My garden is doing a great job at growing!!  I did damage it a little with some bug spray, but I think it will keep growing.  We love to water the garden together.  It's a great morning activity together.  I even started a compost pile.  Bobby is keeping it nice. 

The corn is looking great.  It's growing in stages so I will have corn for weeks when harvest comes.  The tomatoes are looking great; even the ones I started from seed are starting to grow well.  I am learning a lot about how to make my garden better next year.  I will start my tomatoes inside earlier, and my squash, and melons, and peppers too.  I want to plant my potatoes in buckets instead of in the garden itself, and I want to have a container of strawberries, some raspberries and such things.

I HATE CATS!!  The neighborhood wild cats are ruining my lettuce and spinach.  Everyday I go out and they have used a new spot as their litter box.  I've got to think of something or I won't have any spinach and lettuce left! 

I am very excited about my garden.  I hope it all continues to grow. 

Beans

Carrots

Big tomatoes

cucumbers, peas, and potatoes

my corn, squash and melon box



middle row of everything



little corn and zucchini, and summer squash and melons

butternut squash growing up the trellis

cherry tomatoes, see the burnt leaves

look at that zucchini

long day

Ive been keeping busy.  Isabelle is attending a "healthy kids club" and a "reading club" this summer.  I asked her what she was learning at the reading club and she said, "Mom, (with a little roll of her eyes) I don't think it's a learning class, we just read."  I was the only parent that was with their kid for the first 2 days of class.  But today, I actually left her for the whole time:  they have my number. 

We went to the zoo and the aquarium the other day.  The kids had a great time, but I was soooo tired. Robert used his new grill and we had hotdogs and salmon.  We have also been walking to the park, and the kids have been practicing riding their bikes.  Isabelle keeps saying she is old enough to ride her bike to school when it starts.  I keep telling her NO.

Thomason's and Fun

I have a new little nephew, and he is really cute.  We had the wonderful opportunity to have my nieces and nephew over for a few days.  We had a great time.  We went to the Spring Canyon Park and played in the water.  We also had a great time at the library watching a show put on by the "Spirit of Colorado Pioneer Museum".  IT was fabulous.  The lady was so good I would love to learn more about the museum.

Sunday

little river at Estes Park, Colorado

So, I had a grand plan to take a ride to Estes Park, walk around and picnic.  But, after searching for my activity earl day girl's homes to give out invitations, and Bobby's meeting, we didn't get going very early.  In fact, when we finally arrived at Estes Park, it was already dusk, and cold.  We went to a little restaurant, did a little walking, and let the kids take pictures for a library contest.  I hope some off them work our.  I'll post the ones they choose to enter.

Big Fire up on the mountain

There has been a fire up on the mountain.  It is real smoky, and there was soot falling this morning.  I hope they get it out soon, and no one else gets hurt.

Drive In theatre

WE LOVED the drive in movies.  We watched Madagascar 3, and then the kids slept while we watched the 2nd of the double feature Men in Black 3.  Great popcorn, great family, great fun, who could ask for more.  I want to go every week now, I liked it so much.  :)

Growing!!!

lettuce

Oh, my garden is growing!!!  I'm still so excited about the whole thing.  I love to walk out and look at it, and pick the little weeds out of the boxes.  I can't stand that my beans and peas are all dying.  I don't know what to do.  I'm about ready to start over, and plant something else in those boxes.  I get sad just looking at them.  But, all the rest are doing great!!!  I'm so excited.  In a few weeks, I'll be able to clip my lettuce and make a salad.  YEA!!!!

squash, mellons, broccoli, and corn

Do you see my beans dying?

tomato and merigolds

Look at that pepper.

potatos and cucumbers

carrots

potatoes down the middle, cucumbers on the side, and
dying peas

Corn

zuchinni

brocolli

summer squash (Dad bought them for me)

Summer School -- Africa Savanah

Africa Map

In  Summer school this week we worked on our addition, subtraction, and multiplication.  We practiced phonics, and we read books.  We also had a great time learning "Called to Serve", and working on a pioneer song.  We talked about the continents, and the difference between the United States, and the countries of Africa.  We spent most of the time learning about the different Biomes in Africa, specifically the Savannah.  We talked about the making of a Savannah, the animals of the Savannah, and even the weather patterns on the Savannah.  We made an Africa journal.  We are going to keep our journals for when we talk about the African Jungle, and Sahara Desert.  Even though we had a great time in the Savannah, I think that our best time was had swimming.

We're having a great time at summer school.

Savannah project -- lots of cutting, folding, pasting, coloring

Finished Savannah project