Noah's Ark Water Park - Day 2 & Deer Park

Since we had a 2 for 1 deal on the waterpark, we went back on Wednesday. It was pretty much, the same as the previous day, but we did try a different area of the park. When we went to get in the water with Morgan's water wings, they told us to get out. Evidentally we could not be in there with those on her arms. To say the least, that was frustrating. I then tried to get her interested in the tadpole bay area, however, she did not like the water spraying, even lightly, on her - argh!!! She just wanted to head back to the wave pool. So we did. We packed up everything and moved. She and I enjoyed most of the day in there. She just loves the waves. At one point I had taken Addy in as well. She enjoyed it too! Addy loves the water....well, I think most babies do. If ever she is in a bad mood, if I run her bath and put her in, she is all smiles. She loves it!

I was itchin' to try out some slides - although the guilt of leaving the kids behind is so great, I was able to try out a couple with my dad. **On a side note, do you ever feel like when you do things with your dad, people might think your a couple? I don't know, my dad had said that once, so now everytime we do something together, that what I imagine people are thinking....it is probably just the enemy working though.** Anyway, the first one we went down, and by the way these were on huge rafts for 4-5 people, was in my opinion boring, but then I do desire to have my life flash before my eyes so say something is exciting....sad, I know. The other one we went on, I made my dad go twice, was called dark voyage. Now, the first time it was hugely exciting, b/c it was pitch black inside and you had no idea what was coming up next - I loved it! The second time, just wasn't the same....almost....yeah, boring. So that was it, that was all I could get him to do with me and truth be told, it was okay, I was thankful to be able to just go!

Thursday, we decided to take the girls to the Wisconsin Deer Park, which was fun! If you have never been I recommend you go if you get the chance. When else are you able to come face to face with a deer, besides your windshield? The deer are very friendly, but still easily spooked. You get to feed them and pet them. They are in a large open area with trees. So they roam freely. Some still had the velvet on their antlers. They feel really cool and did you know they are actually like a finger? They have blood running through them and are warm, that is until the shed the velvet part, which bleeds and then reveals the bone like part of the antlers we commonly see. Morgan had fun and I think Addy did to. She loves to be strollered (morgan never did) and outdoors. A couple times some deer came noes to noes with her and she was a little spooked I think!

We had a good time, but I really enjoyed getting back to a normal routine too. The weather up here has been absolutely wonderful - praise you Father, you are so good. I am looking forward to fall and a change of events in our lives! Morgan starts school the 8th! We are excited for her as she is too! More to come in the future!

Noah's Ark Water Park - Day 1

Anyone who knows me, knows that I am the adventurous type. I am game for just about anything, except food....just one place that I am not very adventurous, although I will try most things once, not always, most of the time. On the other hand, Morgan is not. Naturally, I have a hard time identifying with this non-adventurous type. I can certainly respect trying something once and deciding that you don't like it, but to flat out say no without even considering trying it, well, is very difficult for me to understand being so closed minded. Morgan also reminds me a lot of myself at her age. She talks a big story, but when the time comes, she's just full of hot air! So, I would be lying if I said I wasn't a little disappointed that she flat out refused to go down the kiddie slides in the toddler pool at Noah's Ark. Now, she tells me she doesn't like going fast....what?!?! I am perplexed, where does she get this extreme attitude from? Certainly, not from me, uh-umm, the other half perhaps? Here is where we were yesterday:

See that turtle guy in the middle of the picture? On it's back side is a small slide (smaller than playgrounds). Refused! Absolutely, refused! No matter how much I bribed her, no way, no how! I finally gave up.....for awhile anyway. To my surprize, we ventured over to the wave pool, when it was not on at the moment - 10 min on, 10 min off - and when it turned on, Morgan loved it! It was her favorite thing to do. We did this most of the day. Here is a picture of that:

Addy went with us too. Although we managed to get her to sleep most of the time we were there, she sat in the zero entry part of the kiddie pool for a little while and loved splashing the water. She seemed to enjoy the day as well.

At the end of the day, we had just had our last "ride" in the wave pool when Morgan and I were heading back to grandma and grandpa and addy, I told her that they wouldn't let us leave until everyone had tried a slide. I picked her up and ran over to the kiddie pool, up the turtle and before she could protest down the slide with me! I'm mean, yes, I know, but how do you help a child break down those silly barriers? Well, she told me it was too fast and she didn't like it. Knowing that as a child that is something I would say, b/c I didn't want my parents to have any satisfaction in the fact that I enjoyed something they pressed me to do, I am sure she liked it - even if just a little. We plan on going back today -if it gets warm enough. We have a buy one day, get one free thing. I'll let you know if we do go!

Camp is F-I-N-A-L-L-Y OVER!!!!!

The ten week camp that I have now done for the past two years is finally over for the season. The camp does golf (kyle or staff), arts & crafts (me), tennis and swimming. It is stretched over four hours 9 am - 1 pm, 4 days a week, 10 weeks this year. I do two classes of arts & crafts for an hour each group. The first group is for the older kids 7-9 years and the second group is for younger ones 3-6 yrs. I have a helper, but it is never enough. At the height of camp I had 30, 3-6 yr olds for one week....I about died! And it is times like those that I just hate camp. On the low end we had 6 kids combined for one week and these are the times I love camp. The amount of hours I put into the camp developing projects, shopping for supplies, testing out projects, transporting, prepping, cleaning and actually doing the 2 hour session of the camp, just does not pay for the lost time with my kids, husband, house, and time for myself. I've got to get better at deligation for next year. Speaking of which, I should have 2 additional helpers, and an omission of the 3 and 4 year olds, they just can't do it in a group setting. In the beginning of the year I am always very excited and overly hopeful! Some new things we did this year that were fun was basket weaving, and knotting blankets which was very hard for my older group (little kids did not do). My flop this year, there is always one, was my lacing (sewing) project for the little ones with plastic needles. Wow, can you say overwhelmed!?! I will never do that one again. My favorite projects were the molding clay, perler beads, stringing necklaces with pasta or beads, and of course all the flour and water projects with newspaper and balloons. I am not sad to see it end as I am burned out for the summer. However, I love crafting and could do it myself all day. There is just something so soothing about zoning out and just working with my hands. I am now going on a small vacation with my parents in their new rv in wisconsin dells starting Sunday. Time for refueling, spending time with the kiddos and doing summer things that I don't get to do all year! I am really looking forward to this break and pray that the weather would be good and Addison would sleep. If you have craft ideas, I am always looking for new things! Please post!!!!

A Matter of Time

About a month ago Addison started this what I would call a speeding worm crawl. If you can picture how a worm would crawl in a waving like pattern, only instead of slowly and methodically, at record racing pace across the floor in hopes of getting her little hands on something that has caught her eye. It took her only seconds to do this and was quite enjoyable to watch....but knowing my days of her lying nicly on the floor were soon over. Shortly after Morgan's birthday celebration the 3rd of August, Addison got up and crawled in a correct manner....she'd only been crawling a few days when she started pulling up on everything she thought was sturdy enough and then grin from ear to ear, as if saying look at me! Her once unsteady legs that would slowly slide apart until she was violently screaming down to the middle splits has given way to a more sturdy unsliding stance. I can see in her eyes that she is ready to venture out, since falling doesn't seem to phase her much. Oh, it is only a matter of time before she is into everything....our winter should be stacked with lots of new adventures!