Last Day of 3rd Grade

Alex finally completed his last day of school on June 24.  That was a ridiculously long school year.  They have adjusted our weekly calendar for next year so that we will have more than enough days/hours to satisfy the requirements and should not have to make up any snow days (I think until day 13 or something like that).  Both kids were more than ready to enjoy summer!  Abby had been home for weeks waiting for Alex to join her.

Luray Caverns

The water was so amazingly clear here that the reflection you see is perfect!  Like looking in a perfectly clear mirror.

Luray Caverns is a breathtaking series of caverns, first discovered in 1878, in the Shenandoah Valley of Virginia.  This is most definitely a doable day trip and we jumped at the opportunity to take a large group of scouts out that way.  The kids and parents toured the caverns in awe of the natural beauty.  Abby was initially unsure, as it is a little dark and cool down underground, but after the tour she kept saying "that was awesome!".  

Watergun Fight!

Goggles, check.  Ridiculously large water guns, check.  Neighbors staring as they all were out walking their dogs, check.  Abby resorting to the hose because it wasn't a fair fight, check.

Happy Father's Day, Brad!

We all adore you and could not be luckier to have so much fun together as a family!  Father's Day was spent at P.F. Changs and later at the pool, where he taught Abby how to fly.  Love this guy :)

Another Sweet Dance "Recital"

Another sweet little dance "recital" with her park district class.  She loved Ms. Ellen and would keep taking Little Tap and Tutus Level 1 over and over if she could!  Will have to find another way to make that happen in the fall as this is a midweek, middle of the day class.  Both teachers said Abby was a good listener and always smiling!

End of Soccer

Can't post team pix here because they have rules about these sorts of things, but I can say both kids thoroughly enjoyed their teams this season.  Great coaches and parents made it all go smoothly!  See you in the fall!

Spring Campout--Burke Lake Park

"Glamping"

Abby asked to tagalong on the Spring Campout and sleep in the tent.  Since they are "family friendly" events, there are usually lots of siblings in attendance.  It was right down the street so while I did not stay over (our tent was tight with the three of them), I was close enough to come back right at breakfast time in the morning.  The kids had a blast hiking, playing tug of war, doing crafty things, and eating lots of s'mores.  

There is always a big campfire at night where each den puts on a quick, funny skit, and Abby got a kick out of that too!  For Alex's skit he wore a bathrobe over his clothes...that came in handy with the chilly temperatures the next morning.  I attempted a cinnamon roll-in-an-orange-on-the-grill recipe that another Mom found on Pinterest.  It needs some tweaking before we attempt again.  Luckily, there was plenty of other food.  Abby enjoyed sleeping in the tent and Alex was happy to have her there.

Cowboy Camp

The two weeks following the end of preschool, the school offered "Cowboy Camp".  In the discovery center there was a mustache station that Abby visited every single day.  I snapped a few pictures of her creations!

Alex Turns 9

Well, we have a 9 year old.  He is such a good, funny, smart, athletic kid who adores his sister.  Love, love, love him! 

Alex wanted a Minecraft party (of course he did).  I found some cute printables on etsy.com and served up trapdoors and magic potions.

We took he and his friends to bounce for an hour at the local trampoline park that recently opened up near our house.  They loved playing dodgeball on trampolines.

Then they came home and worked on a staged scavenger hunt where they looked for gems, pinecones, crystals and such.

Cupcakes shaped like a pickax.  Why not?

One of his most favorite gifts, a foam diamond sword.  Alex had a super fun party and everyone was home by 8pm.  So thankful we were able to have all those boys outside!

Soccer Action Shots

He really enjoyed Spring Soccer and looks forward to playing with the same team again this fall.