Brain Gym

I had the idea to not let my kids lose all their learning over the summer by requiring them to do a bit of mental work each day.  We have a random assortment of workbooks and puzzle books to use.  They started out strong, and Alice did fine.  One of Simon's activities was a maze, which he loved, so he asked for more. I found another one in a different activity book, but Simon got frustrated  and obstinate when it was challenging.  I don't know how these kids make it through a day of school.

When he finally finished it (with my help) he rushed off the art room to make a maze to punish me.

After lunch, we spent the afternoon at the pool.

Errand Day

On day 3 of summer break, I had three errands to run in the afternoon.

1. I needed to take the car back in to the body shop because when they fixed it after the neighbor backed into it, they hadn't completed the pinstripes along the driver's side and the inside door handle cover was missing.  The kids did ok in the waiting room for an hour.  Alice read and Simon and I played tic-tac-toe and he did sentences in his notebook.

2. Go to the mall to return a blouse.  The mall errand should have been quick, but the kids got distracted in a kids jewelry shop for a while, and we also stopped to play at the play place (except Alice felt she was too old, so she sat by me and read instead of playing).  On the way out we got some pictures with Garfield.  Again, at first Alice felt she was too old to sit in the car, but then she succumbed to temptation.  It's funny/terrible how she's becoming self-conscious about some things.

 

3. Return books to the library and get a new stash.  Alice does great at the library--she gets a bunch of graphic novels, then goes and sits in a corner and reads one.  Meanwhile, Simon pulls random books off the shelves and insists insanely stubbornly that he must have them.  Then at home, he shows zero interest in reading them. It's great fun.

Cereal and Swimming

The cereal for breakfast training is not going well.

After lunch, we headed to the pool to test out the new torpedo Zac got for Father's Day and the new float Alice got for her birthday.

First Day of Summer Break

Today was our first real day of summer break, where Zac still went off to work but the kids and I had no more school.  I have some goals for this summer: teach the kids to eat cereal for breakfast, teach them to clean up after themselves, and teach them to behave (always a goal).

The cereal for breakfast goal will have to wait until tomorrow, I guess.

After breakfast, we walked to the pool to make a gazebo reservation for our Friday evening Summer Solstice Pool Party I was planning. It was torture to take the kids to the pool with no intention of swimming.

The rest of the day I just did laundry and other chores, while refereeing the kids as needed.  

In the evening, Zac hung up Alice's bulletin board she got for her birthday.

Father's Day

For father's day breakfast, we had cinnamon rolls, sausage, fruit and eggs (made by Alice) out on the deck. It was a beautiful morning.

Then we went to the living room to open presents and the kids gave Zac his cards.

They both made their cards entirely by themselves.

In the afternoon, we went to Eno River to look for crawdads and play.

In the evening, Zac styled the kids' hair.

Landfills and Nature Preserves

On Saturday, I attended my schools 20th year celebration and alumni reunion, while Zac took the kids up to north Raleigh for the day.

First, they went to pick up a compost bin Zac had ordered from the county, then they hiked up a landfill hill, renamed Green Hills County Park.

They were happy to find some nature snacks on the way back down.

Lunch at a Puerto Rican restaurant.

Then they went to a creek near Wilkerson Nature Preserve that led into Falls Lake.

They finished up with some crafts at the education center.

Alice's Art

I got her a drawing book for her birthday and she's been looking at it for inspiration.

Eight is Great: Alice's Birthday

We started the morning of Alice's birthday with the cake showing.

Then Zac dropped them off at the YMCA for the day.  I got home around 4 and scrambled to clean up the living room and assemble the present pile before picking them up at the Y. I let them play on the playground for a bit again.

On the way home and to pick up Chinese food, I convinced Alice that we'd forgotten to get her any presents this year.  She actually believed it and was pretty sad the whole drive home.  Poor gullible kid.

On the bright side, she was really happy when she saw that she did actually have presents this year. It's all about managing (or devilishly manipulating) expectations.

First, we ate supper of Chinese take-out (Alice's favorite).

Then it was time for cake!

The kite (and tube it came in) from Grandma Cam was a big hit!

Alice was also pretty stoked about the money from Grandma and Grandpa Shogren.

The Saddest Day

Today is the last day I'll have a 7-year old daughter.

That still didn't stop me from teasing her for her dessert of choice: frozen corn topped with three large marshmallows.  Yum!

Simon Conquers the Monkey Bars

Since I'm still at work for three more days and the kids are done with school, I signed them up for childcare at the YMCA.  I let them play on the playground for a few minutes at pick-up before heading home.  Simon decided to master the monkey bars.  His first few attempts he only made it half-way, but with the video rolling, he decided to go all the way.

Last Day of School!

Today was the last day of 2nd grade for Alice and the last day of kindergarten for Simon.  They'll be heading off to college before we know it.