Crazy Good Times with Camille

Still in the dream-of-summer mode here so one more post about our summer happenings. I feel like we have been so spoiled with so much time spent with family and close friends. We were blessed with a visit from my niece Camille during July. She went on a mission trip to Mexico with her Spanish class and stayed for a while after her trip to visit with us. The boys had a blast having her around each day--they fished out my headbands so they could be just like Camille!

We also made a special trip to Hollywood and the Santa Monica Pier so she could see something other than the San Diego area which is what she has always seen when visiting. Thanks, Jill, for making that day happen!

And then we got to see her a couple weeks later when we were in MN and ND!  So glad you could visit for a short time, Camille!

Friends...

Although I did not take a ton of pictures this past summer, I did manage to snap a few pictures of some of our favorite friends who happened to be in southern California for most of this summer and with whom we spent as much time as we could manage while they were here.

We made a few trips with them to the San Diego Zoo and the Wild Animal Park. (Unfortunately, I forgot my camera for most of our trips.)

Isaac with J snuggled up next to him

At the Wild Animal Park

We also had the pleasure of having the boys at our house a few times.

Cheering for the high divers during the Olympics 

Trying to keep J by him on the couch 

"Cheers!" with their little goldfish crackers snack

Enjoying Cheetos at their own dinner table

Also enjoying Cheetos & being a little silly

 It was such a joy having our friends in the area this past summer. We miss all of you VW's very much!!!

Summer Days...

I know that I did not take as many pictures of things this past summer as I usually do. I think that I just lived in the moment as much as I could while I wrapped up details at church and prepared for a job change (and big life change for our family).  Although I did not have a full camera when school started, I did manage to snap a few pictures that I found today and smiled just thinking about the relaxing days of summer. (This past weekend's overcast and rainy days have made me nostalgic for the long and sunny days of summer.)

The boys took swimming lessons from a fellow teacher. She was fabulous, and we were thrilled to see how much the boys learned over the two-week period.

Isaac: practicing his dive

Caleb: practicing his diving skills

The elementary back stroke: "Soldier, monkey, airplane"

The summer Olympics fueled our boys' interest in practicing their swimming skills in our pool. They ran many relays with each other and loved diving off the diving board at a friend's pool. They were so caught up in the Olympics action that they decided to put on their own Olympics gymnastics competition with their cousins. Each child was assigned a country they he or she would represent, and Isaac made flags for each person.

We also planted and grew tomatoes. Unfortunately, I have not been very good about timing my planting so that the tomatoes are ready when we are actually at home. Most of my tomatoes were ripe and ready for the picking while we were visiting family in the Midwest which allowed a few of our friends to enjoy them in our absence. I was excited to come home to a few tomatoes on the bushes:

 We had fun harvesting the day we got back and enjoyed fresh tomatoes throughout most of August. We even managed to can a few jars of salsa!

In addition to lots of swimming and spending time with family and friends, we played many games with each other. Some of our favorites this past summer and year have included Hawaiian Go Fish, Junior SkipBo, Qwirkle, and Sorry.

Caleb

With the new school year and my going back to teaching, Caleb started preschool and has been going full-time unlike Isaac who only went a couple days a week. Being a creature of routine, Caleb had a rough start to his year. He was very excited about going to preschool and loved picking out his backpack, lunchbox and new clothes. He marched happily off to his first few days and enjoyed having Isaac there with him his first couple days. 

Once he started going full days, though, he was not as much of a fan because he did not like the long two-hour rest time they have each afternoon. He loved the centers and the special things like Looney Dooney, bounce houses and the playground. But no matter what we said or how exciting the rest of the day was, he let the dreaded rest time color his attitude towards preschool. 

We developed a bit of a routine the first few weeks: Caleb's telling us he did not feel good at night before going to bed and then again when he woke up the next morning. Interestingly, though, he was fine on Friday and Saturday nights. He had some mornings when Paul had to have the teacher peel Caleb off of him because Caleb had a meltdown about going to school. He even had one lunch time when he refused to eat his lunch but cried the entire time because he wanted "Dad to pick him up" (pretty sure he was trying to get out of that afternoon's rest time which starts right after lunch). We started a sticker chart for him at home where he could earn a sticker each day that he did not cry on the way to school or while he was at school. 

The thing that was so frustrating to us was that he really did like preschool but was just being obstinate and very "Caleb" about the rest time. He usually was done crying by the time Paul walked out of the preschool building so we figured Caleb was trying to get his way.  

We are thankful to report that this is no longer the case. Caleb happily goes off to school each day and looks forward to what is happening in school (for the most part). He was not too excited about face painting last week and in true Caleb fashion declared (before heading to school that day) that he was NOT going to have his face painted. He came home with a spider painted on his arm so it looks like his teachers were able to reach a compromise with him. 

Standing in front of his sticker chart

Face painting is on the schedule for this week, and Caleb has already told us that he will let them paint something on his arm again. Praise the Lord for the big and small blessings!

Dress-Up Fun

 Isaac (with his first grade class) celebrated Johnny Appleseed's birthday by dressing down and raiding Mom's pan cupboard. Isaac says that Johnny would have been 238 years old this year. He loved eating apple pie (and has been asking me to make one ever since) and watching a movie about Johnny Appleseed.

The junior high recently had Decades Day as a dress-up theme. We got the 80's since I have eighth graders as my homeroom. After spraying my hair with lots and lots and lots of hairspray and blow drying it to stand out form my head, I was reminded of how thankful I am that I do not have to fix my hair that way every day. How in the world did I make it through junior high trying to get this look every day?!? Despite all the hairspray and teasing, my hair was flat by the time school started. Go figure!

Caleb was quite silly and posed for a picture on Johnny Appleseed Day as well. He was eating breakfast when I came into the kitchen all dressed up for Decades Day. He stopped mid-chew, gave me a look that was a cross between unbelief and total horror, and asked me what I was wearing.

Brad & Kara's Wedding, Part IV

And after all the week's fun, we headed to the ferry with enough time for our cars to get in line and wait for departure:

Heading onto the ferry

 We all sat up on the top deck at the front of the boat for most of the ride. Riding the ferry in daylight hours and getting to see the view was a treat!

Brother and sister

Just being silly

Some people appreciated the view more than others

Enjoying some dippin' dots from the snack bar

Whoa! It was a little bit windy.

Again, not all moments of the trip were peachy for everyone

Exiting the ferry

Three days later we drove onto the mainland after a fun-filled whirlwind "weekend" with the family. What a blessing it was to be part of Brad and Kara's celebration and with most of our family!

Brad & Kara's Wedding, Part III

The day after the wedding we spent the morning packing up before heading over to Kara's parents' house for brunch and then to the beach to enjoy the Atlantic Ocean before heading to Boston. I will let the pictures do the "telling" for this post:

All the "kids"

The nieces and nephews

Aunt Marlys with Jill and Katelyn

Brian and Gina

Playing catch with Uncle Brian

Flying a kite with Uncle Mark

The entire family