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Friday, June 29, 2012

Full Swing

Our summer is in full swing.  We came out of the gates running, for sure.  Beaches, biking, pools, picnics, sprinklers, water balloon fights and tons of friends!!  We jammed packed so much stuff in the first week of summer the kids needed some time to relax.  John's crazy busy work schedule earned him a few days off too. So we headed to the hills...the White Mountains to be exact.

Three days of family, fresh air and no agenda!  We hung out in our condo and played chinese checkers and chess while we waited for the rain to stop.  We hit the pool on a daily basis where the kids transformed into fishes. Camryn actually prefers mermaid because now she can swim underwater!  We ate when we were hungry and slept when we were tired.


This sign posted on the dumpster at our complex started our search for a wildlife encounter.
Although, we did see some interesting creatures, the bear and moose elluded us.  We even tried to tempt them with our dinner!!

The next day we headed to Attitash Mountain for a few thrills:




Check out the cool ski bench

We, of course, found the local ice cream hot spot!  And the kids even got to eat theirs in a gondola!

The inclement weather prohibited us from climbing Mt Washington on the final day. So we biked down to the river to soak up the scenery instead.  We broke up the long car ride home with stops at a Belgium Chocolate Shoppe, mini golf and dinner and fireworks at the casino.
And the summer continues....

Thursday, June 14, 2012

Teacher Gift

I saw this on Pinterest and fell in love with the idea. So I re-worked the wording to better suit Dylan's teacher and....voila:



Dylan worked hard on it and is super excited to give it to his teacher tomorrow!

PS...we also got her other things...this was just her poster sized card!!!

Wednesday, June 13, 2012

Major meltdown

I ran to Joann Fabrics after I picked the kids up today to grab a few things. To get them on board with this errand I told them we could pick a rainy day craft. Excitement filled the car. Of course, the project was contingent on their behavior in the store.

Dylan was full of fabric choice suggestions while Camryn was pulling them off the shelf. Dylan stayed close by while Camryn zigzagged between aisles while I tried to catch her. Dylan patiently waited while the woman cut my fabric and Camryn was pushing him and acting crazy.

Finally we made our way to the craft section. Dylan picked a giant poster to color and Camryn selected a wooden fairy mask to decorate. Perfect, we were on our way to the register and even had an afternoon plan.

That's when the meltdown began. While in line Camryn was stepping on Dylan's poster and pushing him again. I was way past warning number three so I grabbed her mask and told her we wouldn't be purchasing it today.

The tantrum was her best performance yet. Stomping her feet and screaming that she wanted the mask. I picked her up to try to quiet her down and she hit me!!! My body temperature was rising and I felt my face getting red. Not only was I filled with frustration but I was extremely embarrassed at the scene that was unfolding...with my child center stage.

I placed her in the front of a nearby carriage so she couldn't hit me again and tried to calmly pay the cashier. That is when the woman behind me became my cheerleader. She placed her hand on my shoulder and said:
"You are doing the right thing. It's so nice to see a mom stick to her guns"

That is exactly what I needed to hear at that moment. While Camryn carried on about needing the mask and how much she hated me, this woman gave me the strength to show Camryn she wasn't going to break me.

I finished paying and as I was walking out she yelled: "Treat yourself to a glass of wine after they go to bed...you earned it!"

I think the best part of the whole ordeal wasn't even teaching Camryn a lesson, I'm confident it won't be her last meltdown. But knowing that other moms aren't always judging you or thinking you are an awful parent. They have been there and know how hard it is. That woman probably has no idea how much I needed her support but I was glad she was there to back me up!!

Tuesday, June 12, 2012

Art Work

I love the end of the school year when all the artwork comes home.  It's fun to look at and amazing to see how far they have come.

Camryn and I went to Dylan's class today for his Author Share party where the kids showcased their writing pieces.  It was very impressive!  He wrote fiction stories about teleporters and invisible ink.  He documented our weekend adventures and one was dedicated to me. He even published a research book about owls, complete with  table of contents, glossary and about the author!  His writing and penmanship skills have improved leaps and bounds.  I'm very proud of his hard work.

Here are a few of my favorite works of art (captions provided by the artist himself):

Just a design

City Scape

Dad's Big Catch
 Camryn's portfolio was fabulous as well.  The finny thing is I remember all the projects from when Dylan was at Red Barn. It's crazy how in the Fall she could barely write a "C" and now she can write her name and its actually legible!

Here is our family portrait that I adore!
 Bromley is the blue dog in the middle and apparently there was no room for Callie :(

When asked to tell her teacher a little about her family, this was her response verbatim!
Dad cleans a lot...apparently she was going for fiction!!!

Another school year over...where does the time go?  Honestly, I am too young to have a 2nd grader!!!

Thursday, June 7, 2012

Nicknames

I'm not a fan of nicknames.  I probably get it from my mom who named my sister and I one syllable names to avoid nicknames all together.  In fact, all the nicknames I received were an extension of my name...babbling Brooke, bubble butt Brooke and Brookems.  On the other hand, maybe those are why I'm not particularly fond of nicknames.

Anyway, naming your children is a monumental event.  You spend months scouring name books, yelling potential names out loud and envisioning them carrying the name through life.  It's a huge responsibility.  So when you finally decide on one, you invest in it, embrace it....and don't want someone to come along and change it!

About a month or so into pre-school, I heard Camryn's teacher call her Cammie.  It sent chills up my spine!  I ignored it for awhile but couldn't stand the thought of it sticking.  So rather than risk being THAT mom and correcting her teacher, I put it on my three year old daughter.  I asked her if she liked being called Cammie and she responded no...big sigh of relief.  So naturally I gave her some suggestions on how to respectfully tell her teacher her name was Camryn.  Hearing Cammie upon every arrival at school, confirmed she didn't want to speak up for herself either.  Luckily, none of her friends or the other moms ever referred to her that way, so I let it go.

Well wouldn't you know, on her last day of pre-school when she was saying good-bye to her teachers, she finally spoke up.  Her teacher came at her with open arms and Camryn stopped her in her tracks and said:  "My mom doesn't like it when you call me Cammie!"  The teacher and I broke out in laughter and I was so proud and a little embarrassed.  Her teacher promised to only call her Camryn from now on and that earned a hug.



She had an amazing year at pre-school.  It helped build her independence and confidence.  And she certainly found her voice....even if it was on the last day!

Friday, June 1, 2012

Flashback Friday...the college years

I would never be foolish enough to document the experiences in words for my kids to stumble upon some day.  But here are some innocent pictures of those care-free college days...





4 years, 5 lifelong friends and countless amazing memories...oh yeah and a college degree!