Amd we're off!

Left for South Dakota bright and early this morning. 3:30 to be exact. That was after some long goodbyes to our neighbors...aka the "best friends."

The girls were very excited this morning and made it almost an hour before falling back asleep. I think it was best for all of our sanity. Stay tuned for more updates!

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Alexa heads to camp!

I feel off the blogging wagon with the start of summer. Between summer classes, the pool, and just relaxing, updating my blog hasn't been at the top of my "to-do" list. After hearing from a high school friend that she reads my blog (yes! someone actually reads this!),  I've decided to get back into it before school starts.
I am going to work backwards over summer, starting with the most recent event. I don't want to forget any details.
Lexi went to the YMCA camp this summer. After having a discussion with our neighbor, she showed me that the Y has 3 night "mini camps" for kids who are new to camping. While I was a little apprehensive about sending Lexi away for 3 nights, she was more than excited to go! So not wanting to hold her back, I signed her up right then and there. Then....I spent the next 4 months regretting the decision!

So maybe "regretting" is the wrong word....worrying is better. It's the typical Mom thing to do. I was worried about her sleepwalking. I was worried about if a storm came through. I was worried about her not liking the food at camp. How was she going to survive without me??

In reality, I learned how I was going to survive without her. I have never gone 3 days without talking to my children. Honestly, I don't think I've gone 1 day without talking to them. The entire 3 days were spent wondering what she was doing, if she was making friends, etc.

When Saturday morning finally arrived and I saw her walking down the hill with her "bunk," the smile on  her face was indescribable. She had this new sense of independence. She was honestly..growing up before my eyes.

Luckily, the YMCA is really good about posting pictures of what is going on at camp on the internet. I think this is the only way I got through those 3 days. Here are two of Lexi: 

Painting the leader!

 Little blurry, but big smiles in both!

Bunkmates!

In short, she had a blast at camp. Her favorite part was canoeing, but told me all the details about swimming, rock climbing, horseback riding, etc. She cannot wait to go back next year...but for the whole week. :-) Good thing I have a whole year to prepare....

We love Summer!

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Pictures from the weekend!

Cheese!

Swing Time ( I wish I knew how to change the orientation in blogger!)

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What a weekend!

Weekends have taken on a new level of "amazing" with Chris traveling all week. For 2 whole days, our family is whole and we take advantage of that.

Friday night: Lexi had a softball game-the first game that Chris got to watch. One of the highlights of the game was Lexi getting to be catcher. She was very excited to be catcher. Even though the equipment (shinguards) were a few sizes too big for her chicken legs, she had fun being behind the plate.

Saturday: Lexi had a soccer game against the other Adel team....Da Da Dum! This game has been talked about for weeks! Our girls didn't have their best game...maybe part of that was playing against their classmates/friends, but it was fun to cheer for both sides during the whole game!

Sunday: The Seidl family had a picnic at Kinnick Feller Park (aka the fish park to the Seidl kids). After our meal, we went for a walk, played on the playground, and just enjoyed the weather. Highlights included: 1. Lexi scolding Chris for parking on the grass while there was a sign that clearly said "No Parking on Grass". Too funny to have your 7 year old be more observant than you. "Dad, can't you read? It says "No Parking on the Grass?" 2. Lexi and Chris being scared by a snake (we are all big chickens when it comes to snakes)

After our picnic, the girls decided to get the sprinkler out. It is interesting to watch the neighborhood kids flock over when they see the sprinkler. Brenna NEVER got in the sprinkler last year...so it was fun to see her be brave and jump right in.

Great weekends make Mondays even harder....but I just keep telling myself...4 more days until the next great weekend!

I'll put some pictures up soon! 

Help Wanted, Moms: Summer is approaching!

As a teacher, it is all too easy to get excited about summer! Some days, I think I have "it" worse than the kids--I want to be able to sleep in if I want and spend the entire day with my kids.

While being a teacher, I want to spend my summer vacation not only having fun, but creating some lasting memories for the girls. I want to visit interesting places around Des Moines where the girls can learn, but also have a great time doing it. We always sign up for the summer reading program at the library (a must), and we always get in trips to the pool, the zoo, etc.

Fellow Moms, I'm looking for new ideas for "field trips" with the girls. If you have any good ideas, let me know! Better yet, let me know if you want to take a field trip with The Seidl's!

Looking forward to getting to blog about all the fun the Seidl's discover this summer!

Happy May Day

The girls were so excited that we were up at 5:30 to assemble the baskets. It was fun to see them try to sneak up to the neighbors and then run back laughing and giggling. They are all ready for next year!

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