First Day of School (round two)

Youngest son had his first day of school last week, and now Oldest and Middle sons have both gone back to school as well. We've had a really weird start to the school year, what with an earth quake during the Youngest's first week of school, and a hurricane to start (or rather delay) the first day of school for the other two. And now this week we have a holiday!

I think they were both semi-excited to head back to school. Oldest is in the process of switching high schools and has to go to the old high school for two weeks until we can get the paper work straightened out. He's not thrilled about this, but at least he'll be where he wants to be soon. I definitely have mixed feelings about it all. Middle is starting 8th grade so we'll be going through the high school choice process this fall. It will be interesting to see where he ends up!

Hopefully all three will have a great school year, make good friends, and continue to get good grades.

Paris With (or without) Kids

Dinner, A Love Story, just published a fabulous list of 25 things to do in Paris with your kids. After reading over the list, I'd say most of the suggestions would be fun to do even without kids!

We visited Paris in 2004 with our boys who were 4, 6, and 8 at the time. We had the best time with them, and honestly didn't do too many "kid" activities. We went to museums, took a boat ride on the Seine, visited Versailles and rode bicycles, went to the bakery every morning for fresh baguettes and croissants,  and went to see most of the major tourist attractions.

My #1 tip for traveling almost anywhere with kids is to rent an apartment instead of staying in a hotel. We did this in Paris and it was the best decision. We had a separate bedroom for the boys, a small kitchen with laundry machines, and room to stretch out and relax after a long day walking. Plus it made us feel like locals!

What are your top tips for traveling with kids?

First Day of School

Youngest boy started school today, a full week earlier than his brothers, but a full week later than he usually starts! Because of the new school and teachers needing more time to move in and set things up, the start of school was delayed a week this year. We couldn't have been happier about that as it stretched our summer out a little longer and made our return from vacation a week ago a little easier.

He's still not thrilled about having to go to school while his brother's don't, but he'll sure be happy come the end of May when he's done and they still have three more weeks of school!

We had to upgrade his uniform to brand-specific shorts and pants this year, and of course had to pick out cool new shoes. He loves these shoes, and I like them better than the first few pairs he wanted!

He had a great first day, learning the ropes of middle school. I can't wait to see what the year holds for him!

Brand New School

The school my youngest boy has attended since Kindergarten (and his brother's also attended) finally completed the new building this summer. The school was founded over 50 years ago, and they have been meeting in the original building this whole time. Over the years grades have been added and the student body has grown, but we still met in the same (overcrowded) building. It's taken years of negotiations with the county and lots of fund raising, but finally we have a new building!!

We were on vacation when the open house was held, but as soon as we returned we headed over to the new building for a tour. The new building is three times as big as the old school and has so many more rooms: a beautiful auditorium, a huge gymnasium, and a multi-purpose room, whereas the old school only had one small gym for all three purposes. Youngest son is beside himself with excitement over the new school, and what makes it even more exciting is he is now a middle schooler.

I took a few photos to share:

this will be the new library once shelves and books are unpacked:

one of the beautiful, new, wide hallways:

the stage in the new auditorium:

the multi-purpose room, which will be used for lunch time (kitchen in the back) and sports practice:

another beautiful hallway (locker rooms to the left):

the gymnasium! with bleachers that pull out:

the courtyard (high school to the left, elementary to the right):

the atrium at the high school entrance:

view of the courtyard from the second level:

one of two computer labs:

the high school science lab:

the high school entrance atrium, from the second floor:

The entire building is so beautiful and spacious. What a difference after spending so many years in the old school! We are looking forward to a great middle school and high school experience in this building.

We are Home!

Back from vacation that is. We spent two weeks in the Canadian Rockies, visiting Banff and Jasper National Parks and Lake Louise. We got home late last night and are spending the day unpacking, doing laundry, straightening the house, and grocery shopping. I will have lots more photos to share soon!

Summer Trip

My baby left today on his trip to France and Spain. Well, he's not really my baby anymore, he's almost 16, but he'll always be my baby! He's off for 10 days of fun in Paris, Barcelona, and Madrid. I can't wait to hear his stories and see his photos when he returns!

{image via tumblr}

School's Out!

{image from Scout's Honor}

Assateague Island Camping

Every Memorial Day for the past five years, we have camped on Assateague Island. It's a beautiful seashore, just south of Ocean City, MD, and wild horses live all over the island. We love to camp at the National Park campground because pets are allowed and you can build bonfires on the beach. Plus, the beach along the campground is never crowded!

We have usually lucked out with beautiful weather and no bugs. This year was a little different for a few reasons. First off, we were late making our reservations so had to settle for a walk-in site that was a few hundred yards from the parking lot. We had to lug all our gear over the boardwalk and sand to our spot. Not fun. Second, it was warmer than usual this year, and the lugging of the gear didn't help! And finally, for whatever reason, there were tons of mosquitoes. As soon as we stepped out of the car our arms and legs were covered with them! A lot of bug spray helped with that problem. And on the upside, the walk-in sites have much nicer outhouses than the car camping sites.

In spite of much complaining (by me!) we did have a nice time. Kaden brought his best friend along, and my parents also camped with us. We had our usual fire on the beach and cooked dinner over it. There were lots of s'mores and gazing at the stars (we even saw a few shooting stars!). I'm thinking I'd like to try and rent a beach house next year though!

{we played soccer on the beach}

{and flew kites}

{the boys love to set and light the fire}

{beach volleyball is always a favorite activity}

{the water is too cold for me, but not the boys!}

{they could do this for hours}

{my parents had a great time camping with us too}

{love this photo of Kohler!}

{family photo on the beach}

Camping

We went camping last weekend. It was our fifth annual camping trip to Assateague Island. Our family started camping when our youngest, who's now 11, was a baby. We've camped in a variety of places, both on our own and with friends. We now have it down to about three camping trips a year: every Memorial Day we go to Assateague Island; in September we go on a neighborhood camping trip to Cunningham Falls, and later, in October, we camp in Big Meadows in Shenandoah National Park.

The boys love it, and that's why we do it. I camped as a kid, growing up in the Northwest, but it wasn't until I did it as an adult that I realized how much work it is! After ten years of camping with the kids we pretty much have it down to a science now, although I'm always looking for tips, shortcuts, and great ideas I can use on our next trip.

Here are my top ten tips:

1. Invest in good quality, basic equipment. We bought our tent for our first camping trip and have been using it ever since. It's fairly easy to set up, has three "rooms", and you can stand upright in the center. It's still in great condition. In contrast are our air mattresses. We seem to be continually buying new mattress which seem to immediately spring holes. Look for good brands, then google reviews for the product you are interested in.

 

2. Do as much food preparation ahead of time as possible. I make as much as I can at home ahead of time, then pack it all up in plastic containers (pasta salad, chili, tomato rotini). I pre-wash and hull strawberries for breakfast. This last trip I even made turkey and cheese sandwiches ahead of time at home. It’s so much easier to just pull a container out of the cooler and be ready to eat, instead of trying to cook at camp. I also open canned food and put the contents in a plastic container ahead of time. Anything you can do ahead of time at home makes meal time so much easier.

3. Let the kids get involved as much as possible. As soon as they're old enough, let them help pitch the tent, gather firewood, and help with the meals. Other things my boys love to do are chop the firewood (properly supervised with proper gear) and build the fire. They have learned how to set the firewood and how to get it going. In a campground fires must be lit in the fire pit only, but in the campground at Assateague, you are permitted to have fires on the beach. We often have our fire going all day long!

3. Plan some meals you can cook over the fire. Kids love this! Plus if you already have a fire going, why not make use of it for your dinner! We love to roast hot dogs on sticks, pop popcorn, and make foil packets of meat and potatoes to cook in the coals. And don't forget ingredients for s'mores!

4. Bring a flashlight for each person. Kids love to run around after dark or read in the tent and having their own flashlight makes it so much easier. Of course you will need one too! Also bring a battery operated light to hang from the ceiling of the tent to brighten your space.

5. If you're just camping for the weekend, forget about having the kids (or yourself) shower, and take very few pieces of clothing for them. I just let them wear the same outfit over each day–why make more dirty laundry! I do take one change in case they get wet/muddy.

6. I refuse to "do" sleeping bags anymore! Too small, claustrophobic, and uncomfortable. The kids still use them, but for my husband and myself I bring one sleeping bag which we open and place over the mattress underneath us, then an old comforter that goes over us. Nice and warm and cozy without being tight and uncomfortable. If you're camping in the spring or fall, it's probably a good idea to bring a few extra blankets for the kids in case it gets chilly.

7. Keep all of your camping gear together. We store our supplies in two plastic bins along with a check list. When we’re ready to go, I just have to pull out the bins and tent and sleeping bags, pack up the food and clothing, and we’re ready to go. No more hunting around for everything.

8. If you plan on camping during a popular time of year (Memorial Day, Fourth of July, Labor Day, etc.) make your reservations well in advance. Most of the campgrounds we camp at accept reservations six months before the date you want. We write these dates on our calendar and call for reservations right away. This also helps you get the site you want as well.

9. Things will get wet at night. Even if it doesn't rain, dew will usually make anything you leave out overnight wet by morning. We fold up our chairs and lean them against the table, put our towels and tablecloth in the car or tent, and make sure all paper products are back in a plastic bin. Shoes left outside the tent will get wet too, so you may want to bring a small rug to put inside the tent to keep your shoes on.

10. Bring work gloves and duct tape. My husband always brings his heavy gloves along and swears by them. They keep your hands clean and splinter or blister free while cutting wood, moving the grate around on the fire pit, and any other dirty job around camp. Duct tape is always handy to have. We have used it to patch holes in the above-mentioned air mattresses and to seal holes in the tent netting. Other must-have items to bring: heavy-duty garbage bags, newspaper for the fire, bug spray, baby wipes, ziplock baggies (good for so many things), can opener, and card games.


What have I missed? Feel free to add your own tips in the comments!

Happy Birthday to Me!

yes, my birthday came and went on Sunday. I've always loved having a May Day birthday!

Here's the list I made of things I wanted to do on my birthday:

1. brunch at home (I made Paula Deen's Baked French Toast the night before).

2. farmer's market (I bought plants for the garden, baked goods, and cheese curds).

3. play a round of Settlers of Catan with the boys.

4. work in the garden planting new plants, weeding, and edging bed.

5. dinner out at my favorite Thai restaurant.

We did it all and I had a great day! I've found that I usually have too high of expectations for special days like this, and if I don't plan ahead I'm usually disappointed. Lesson learned: make a list and don't leave it up to chance!

Here are a few photos from years past on my birthday. What I find interesting is (obviously) how much the boys have changed, but also how much my hair changed from year to year!

 {2002}

 {2004 surprise party!}

 {2005}

 {2006}

 {2008}

{2009 40th birthday surprise party!}