ICE, ICE BABY

Two years ago, I was awesome; I did preschool all summer long. Last year? We did whatever it took to survive. It was brutal. THIS YEAR, I am happy to say that we are back in the swing of things. Learning. Creating. Adventuring. We do summer school activities a couple of days a week. Preschool prep for the littlest littles. Refresher course for the biggest littles. We recently did one of my favorite summer activities of all time: ice art. I blogged about it a couple of years ago, which you can read HERE. Easy peasy. A few drops of food coloring in each compartment of an ice cube tray before (carefully) filling with water, covering the tray with aluminum foil, popping a stick in each compartment, and placing in the freezer overnight. Just be careful because food coloring and cute clothes don't mix well... If you are in search of an simple summer activity, give it a go. It really doesn't get much easier.
Also, I decided to change my blog a bit. Nothing huge. Just a different header background, a new photo of me, and some links to my other sites. BTW, did you know that I am a photographer? Probably, right? Did you know that I write letters to my littles?
Check 'em out.

365.2: WEEK 23

Our month has slowed down a bit, but we have still kept busy. My soon-to-be kindergartener started his summer jumpstart program to familiarize him with his school. We made a spontaneous trip to our favorite splash pad to play with some of our dear friends. My oldest finished reading the first Harry Potter book, a book well above his grade level. We enjoyed a week in the pool and remembering how to swim. We ate popsicles out front with our favorite neighbor girl. A few of us had a dental appointments on Saturday morning, which may or may not have caused tears for some. And my second oldest finally lost his first tooth and had a visit from the tooth fairy. Overall, I'd say we are surviving summer just fine.

June 6th - June 12th

365.2: WEEK 22

Last week was our first full week of summer. Wow. Is it time for school to start yet? Only slightly kidding... Last week was likely the busiest it will get for June and I am SO OKAY WITH THAT. Monday: finished off our Memorial Day camping trip and headed home in time for a BBQ with the mr.'s family. Tuesday: a day devoted to laundry, plus a visit by my grandma, affectionately known as Gigi to the kids. She had missed out on the middles' birthdays, so she came bearing gifts. Wednesday: started our homeschool summer program with ice art, one of our favorite activities (which I'll likely blog more about). Thursday: the mr. and I celebrated 9 years of marriage. Nothing fancy since I had to meet with a bridal client, but take-out from our favorite restaurant. Friday: the oldest met with an ENT, who determined a tonsillectomy was in order before the end of the summer. Saturday: the first swim of the season before I headed off to photograph a wedding in the 118 degree heat (after unknowingly being glutened). Sunday: church. I feel like the next two months will mostly be full of "summer school" and swimming. Because Arizona.

May 31st - June 5th

365.2: WEEK 21

Last week was busy. Like SUPER busy. We were constantly on the go, leaving little time for photographs. Luckily, I hit the highlights. We ran many errands, with babies falling asleep in the car. The middles finished off their preschool year. My birthday boy got kindergarten shots ON HIS BIRTHDAY, which also happened to be the same day his older brothers BOTH had classroom awards ceremonies. The two oldest finished off their school year. We kicked off summer vacation with our traditional trip to get Tropical Sno. And the weekend came with our first solo camping trip as a family.

May 23rd - May 29th

WHERE THE WILD THINGS ARE

After my last [failed] attempt at camping, many wondered if I'd just throw in the towel. Clearly, people underestimate me; I'm persistent, if not down-right stubborn. The day after my last camping trip, the mr. and I made plans to go camping with his sister and her family over Memorial Day weekend. That fell through. So we made plans to go with friends. That fell through, too. We were just a week out from our trip, but we couldn't cancel on our kids. So we braved it alone. BEST. TRIP. EVER. No, it was not without fault. But it gave us the opportunity to learn and discover how to camp as a family of eight.

OVERVIEW:
We left Saturday morning and found a spot on the Mogollon Rim around noon. Forest Rd 300 (Rim Rd), about 10 miles in. The mr. and I were able to set up camp while the kids ate lunch. After all was said and done (which may or may not have included a terrible mishap with ALL of our water), we went on a short, late afternoon hike. 100 yards from camp to the edge of the Rim. Absolutely stunning views. When we got back to camp, we roasted hotdogs and marshmallows. S'mores, of course. We played with glow stick balls as daylight faded. Called it a night around 8pm and headed for the tent, glow sticks in hand. A relatively good night with an acceptable amount of sleep. Considering I'm afraid of the woods. And I'm afraid of the dark. And I'm afraid of the woods IN the dark. But 6:30am came and I was still alive. We started our Sunday morning with eggs and sausage made over the fire. A spontaneous mile-long hike followed breakfast, bringing us to another point on the edge of the Rim. We colored and played with bubbles once we returned back camp, waiting for our tinfoil quesadillas to cook. After lunch, we drove another 17 miles down Rim Rd to visit Knoll Lake. Tons of people fishing, little room to enjoy the view. Luckily, the kids lost interest after about 15 minutes, so we drove back to camp. We taught the kids to play checkers while we waited for our tinfoil dinners to cook. Least successful meal. Campfire apple crisp for dessert before a good game of glow stick ring toss. Another early night, with us hitting the tent by 7:30pm. A bit of reading by flashlight before lights out. A better night of sleep by all, minus the baby, who decided to have a scream-fest at about 1am. The mr. finally got her to calm down and fall asleep in his arms. By 6:30am, all were awake. Skillet pancakes for breakfast. The kids played with sticks and pinecones while the mr. and I broke camp. We went on one last little hike to the edge of the Rim before loading up and heading home. All in all, a fabulous adventure and a great bonding experience for our family. The only injury: a certain 5 year old's ego because of a jab from a stick...

TAKE-AWAYS:
* Make sure water jugs (and lids) are COMPLETELY SECURE before setting off. Or lids may leak a little. Or a lot. Or completely... And then you will have to drive miles back to the nearest town that charges $$ for a basic necessity.
* If you have a baby under the age of 2, invest in a baby backpack. Of any sort. I opted for the $10 version on eBay. Seriously, the GREATEST thing that I brought on our camping trip.
* Glow sticks. Glow sticks, glow sticks, glow sticks. Go to WalMart and buy a ton of glow sticks. I prefer the short, fat kind over the bracelets. And glow stick games. Buy glow stick games.
* Don't worry about cute activities and Pinterest ideas. Stop it. Stick to simple things like crayons and bubbles. And sticks. Goodness knows, kids will pick sticks over all else. Especially cute Pinterest crap.
* If your kids aren't adventurous eaters, STICK WITH HOTDOGS. We tried a variety of meals and cooking methods. Long story short, hot dogs for life. Again, stay away from Pinterest...
* Make your kids collect a thousand pinecones and make them line designated pathways. This way you can set up camp but still know exactly what they are doing. Then yell "BORDER PATROL" any time someone accidentally kicks the border.
* Ditch the phone for the trip. Luckily, we were in an area with zero service. I had enough of a bar to text my exact location to my mom in case a bear ate me. Or a psycho killed me. Or I fell off the edge of the Rim. Other than that, I was unplugged. And it was beautiful.