Camp Fun!

This past week, I signed both kids up for an "Under the Sea" camp at Cal's school! Andy will be going there next year too, so I can't really call it Cal's school any more.

They had THE best time! Cal was in one of the pre-k classes- like he will be in next year- and it made him feel like such a big kid- haha! Andy was in one of the younger classes and loved every minute of going to camp.  He especially loved that it was every day- he thought that was the best part!

Every day I would pick up the boys from lunch bunch and while Cal would just say his day was "fine" or "fun", Andy would go on and on about getting to go into the special house for music class or making some art piece or playing with Jane... he couldn't get enough.

They wore their AB surf shop shirts one day and we had to take some pictures before we left...

Cal is in that "can we take a goofy picture now?" phase.  I try to always let them because it makes them smile nicely first (ha!) and these pictures crack me up....

Whenever we take a goofy picture, Cal grabs his face in some way and Andy juts his hips out- every.single.time.

This picture (below) of Andy is so his personality- he has that look in his eyes and smirk on his face-- Cal is smiling sweetly (because he wants to take another goofy shot) and Andy is pointing at me like "you fool. I will make goofy pictures whenever I please! Joke's on you!" hahaha

And this one, I just love.  They love to hold hands-- they do so unprompted! Wonder how long this will last.... guessing not much longer!

Goofy pic: Cal, grab face! Andy, hips forward!

Okay, enough with the pre camp picture taking! ha!

I tried to bring a special treat to the boys each day at pick up.  I wasn't going to do it every day, but I kind of liked looking for something little for them each day while I was out running errands.

The first day, I went into Michaels and they had The Green Lantern Pez dispensers on sale for $.1. ha! They were discontinued so they were marked way way down- hilarious.

The second day, I ran through chick-fil-a for small milkshakes for the boys.  Cal approved! 

 Another day, I was starving at 11:00 and went into Moes and ate by myself- ha! I bought the boys each a cookie while I was in there...

Thursday, after I got this worm out of Cal's hand, we ran through Wendy's on the way home to have a small Frosty.

The treats were totally unnecessary since going to camp was the real treat, but it was actually really fun getting them each day! I am all about doing little things to create memories!

Speaking of memories...

I left Friday after drop off and headed to the spa at Pinehurst with two friends-- and it was amazing! My mom picked the boys up and for their treat...she took them to Chuck E Cheese for a few hours! Sounds like they had a BLAST!

The boys had a great time at camp and I had a great time getting things done without hauling two kids with me everywhere! It's amazing how productive I can be!


 

#carriedaway: week 20

Week 20:

 Day 155: getting my lid did by the boys

 Day 156: he's off...

 Day 157: ready to NOT go under.

 Day 158: she motivates me, inspires me and kicks my booty daily.  Katie C love you to pieces!

 Day 159: a HUGE turnout this morning for @popupworkout at lululemon! A great workout and a massive calorie burn...pretty nice start to a Sunday!

 Day 160: after a full day of camp, no naps, an afternoon at the pool and swim team practice (for Cal), these two are worn out. Sleep well, buddies.

 Day 161: off to camp they go!! Sporting their AB shirts in honor of big rock this weekend.


 

First REAL swim meet

Hey, Blog! I did really well posting last week...I discovered you can "schedule" posts so I would sit down when I had a sec and knock out three posts and then schedule them for the upcoming days-- I am trying to get in the habit of blogging more.  I will be glad I did, I know!

This past weekend Cal had his first swim meet! He got a ribbon from the mock meet (for participation), which he thought was pretty cool.

We had to be at the pool at 7:45 Saturday morning.  Yes.  That's right.  7:45.   It was early! We ran by Dunkin Donuts on the way there to fuel us both up a bit. 

Warm ups for the 6 and unders started around 8 and they swam a TON of laps.  I think they did around 6 laps this time.  I might have to pull him out of the warm ups after 1 or 2 laps... that is a lot for a 4 year old to do!

Warming up and really perfecting that dive:

After warm ups, they kids all went to their holding zones.   These two sharks were excited about the meet:

Cal swims the 6 and under boys freestyle.  He was nervous this time around-- much like the mock meet.  He had the coach in his lane, whom he adores, so that was encouraging! He got on the block and I realized he was in the furthest lane from me as possible.  I ran as fast as I could around the pool deck to get to the other side of the pool to watch him swim.  He swam hard and completed the lap- woohoo!

After the race, he was a little emotional, but not as bad as the mock meet.  I hugged him, helped him find his towel and then left him in the holding zone with the rest of the boys.  I was just hanging out waiting to see if he would be in a relay and someone came up to me saying Cal needed me.  I went over to where he was waiting and found him crying.  He couldn't find his goggles anywhere.  He had given them to me to hold...no wonder he couldn't find them anywhere.  The sweet chaperone was soooo kind to him, and I felt terrible for leaving him.  I think he does much better when I am nearby-- so I have just resolved to spend most swim meets with the 6 and under boys...at least until he gets more comfortable with the whole thing.

He was asked to swim in a relay, and i don't think he really wanted to, but I didn't give him much of an option (judge away, people! How would he know if he liked it or not if he never tried it?!).

Here was his little relay team:

A wild bunch, I tell ya. 

Cal panicked when it came time to start the relay- he was the 1st to go so I think he was a little nervous (okay, a lot nervous).  The coach wasn't in the water with him (but he was nearby and ready to jump in if he needed it!

Right as he got on the block he spotted the coach standing on the side of the pool and continued to stare at him as he swam down the lane.  He pulled his little head above water and said to the coach, "I think I need you!" and the coach told him to grab ahold of the lane line- ha! Cal did and then kept on swimming.  He told me the lane lines make him go even faster...here's hoping he doesn't make a habit of that! ha!

He completed the relay and we watched a few more races and then we headed on to get some lunch and have some good rest time. 

At practice yesterday, he collected his ribbons:

The white is for participating in the meet, the purple is 6th place for the relay (that he didn't want to do!) and the navy is for "best time." I think they get a ribbon every time they beat their best time...Cal knocked 5 seconds off of his time from the mock meet, so I am assuming that's why we got that...? Don't really know!

We have another meet this Thursday... I am hoping for even less tears this time! He is loving practice and is really having fun doing this sport-- and for that I am thankful!



 

More bike riding

After his bike riding the other day, he woke up in the middle of the night requesting to  bike ride.  He is getting hooked!


Eddie's dad came in to town last night and Andy was adamant about showing him how he rides.  After going out to dinner, we came home and he hopped on to ride.  I had Eddie stand at one end of the driveway and I stood at the other-- MUCH MUCH MUCH easier to catch and release him with someone else helping!

I was able to get a few pictures between Eddie releasing him and me catching him...

We took the training wheels off of his little bike- and he hated it.  It is too light weight for him to ride.  It is super unstable and wobbly.  Cal got on that one and he wasn't able to ride it either-- just too light to ride without the training wheels! It was perfect with training wheels though. Looks like we might have to buy a new bike....immediately. 

Sorry for overly posting about this.  I am proud of my boy! And, hopefully, I will look back on this post when he is older to help me remember him learning to ride!

Happy weekend!


 

#carriedaway: week 19

Week 19:

Day 148: last day of school for Andy!

 Day 149: they did it! First (mocl) swim meet done! Sooo proud of our Sharks!

 Day 150: Typical

 Day 151: birthday party group shot. Cal was being "helpful..."

 Day 152: after a long day at the pool (10:30-7), he's ready for bed...and so am I!

 Day 153: Cal is really executing the "dive" off the block.

Day 154: he sleeps. He rode a two wheeler today (without training wheels), he deserves a rest.


 

2 wheel riding

I guess Andy has an advantage having an older brother...

He spent enough time watching Cal ride his new big boy bike.

We borrowed Jackson's old strider bike and Andy has been cruising on that-- flying really.  The last time we were at the beach, he rode from the top of the road all the way down the driveway-- without putting his feet down once.  He had the balance.

Yesterday, we were outside playing and Andy asked to sit on Cal's bike.  I held it for him and he climbed on.  I promised him over and over again I wouldn't let get.  He started peddling and pulling away from me-- faster than I could run and hold on to the bike.  So I let go.  And he rode.

He rode about 10 feet each time. He was laughing and thinking it was pretty great.  He was getting confident--cocky even.

Then he slammed on his brakes and tipped over to the side.  I grabbed him- and caught him- but the bike crashing down freaked him out, I guess.  He was done.  No more bike riding yesterday.

And then today we were back outside.  He immediately asked to ride Cal's bike.  Zero hesitation.  I held on to the bike up and down the driveway a few times and then let go again.  He was riding-- on his own.

I handed my phone to Cal to film it.  We had to do about 50 takes because Cal wanted to: run along next to the bike while filming, stop to film Hank, turn the camera and stare and the ground, etc etc...

This was the best we could get... I realize I look like a total dork.  Not too worried about it. 

 I am proud of my little THREE year old.  Guess turning three made him feel older!

After about 500 trips up and down the driveway, he is now taking off on his own-- meaning, I hold him up and then let go and he goes goes goes! I run to the end and then grab him when he stops right before he tips over. 

Let the fun begin! (and now, I need another shower...momma is sweaty!)

 

A long and busy weekend

This is not a complaining post.  Maybe it is.  I don't mean for it to be.  But maybe I will just complain a little.... ;)

Eddie played in a golf tournament at the club this weekend.  He LOVES this tournament.  It is his most favorite weekend of golf-- and I fully appreciate that.  I really honestly love that he has a hobby that makes him so happy (and frustrated, but we won't go there!).  I fully support him playing in this tournament...but it makes for a looooong weekend for momma!

Thursday night, he left the swim meet early to attend a dinner kickoff party thing: I took boys from swim meet for dinner/bath/bed.

Friday, I worked out (with kids) and had kids rest of day- Eddie played 18 holes on Friday.  We went to the club for dinner that night and I put the kids in the kids club.  I bathed them at the pool so when I brought them home, I just had to put them to bed.

Saturday was a loooong day.  Eddie left before the kids got up and played 36 holes of golf and came home after the kids were in bed.  LONG day!

Sunday, he had a later tee time, so he didn't have to leave until 10 and met us at the pool at 5. 

All in all, it was a long weekend! I am exhausted-- again, not complaining! Just making a statement! He had a business trip he had to leave for at 5:30 this morning too, so I am flying solo today and tomorrow too..... I am fighting a cold right now...I am pretty sure I am just run down a bit!

Here are some pictures from our weekend...

Friday, after workout, we went to the pool for a few hours.  After rest time at home, we came back to the club for dinner and kids club!

I enjoyed a few libations Friday night with my dinner so Saturday morning, I wasn't feeling 100% at swim practice at 9am.  The head was throbbing.

After swim practice, we ran by the house so I could take a quick shower and then we headed out to a birthday party at Pump It Up.

Both kids had a BALL there! Cal was running around like crazy, and I felt like I needed to keep a closer eye on Andy, so I only have pictures of Andy playing there...

After play time, the kids all got together for a group picture.  Cal and Andy sat like this in the middle of the group- so so sweet!

Then Cal tried to "help" Andy look at the camera...

After the group picture, we headed into the party room.  This little girl is Helen.  She was in Cal's class this year and they played SO well together at this birthday party! They were running all over the place together having a great time.

As we were leaving the party, Cal asked me to open his favor for him.  He was sitting in the car and I was standing there bent over opening his bag.  He reached out and slammed his door shut. On my head.

Did I mention the pain I already had in my head from the previous evening? It felt so so good.

Then, as we pulled out on to the main road, Andy dumped his favor (a bag of jelly beans) all over the car and was hysterical about it.  He was a screaming hot mess.  So I had to pull over and collect his dropped beans.

Needless to say, I was real ready for rest time on Saturday! Plus, Cal was up a ton Friday night-- a TON-- so I needed some rest time too!

After a good rest time, we headed to the pool for the afternoon.  It is super easy to feed them and bathe them at the pool and then we come home in jammies and ready for bed!

Enjoying some post dinner ice cream cones:

Sunday morning, Andy woke up and decided he was ready to paint the bad tasting finger nail polish on... we didn't argue! We quickly painted it on and then I decided we would go to the pool in the morning and stay the whole day if we could- power through nap time so he would be SO exhausted that night that he would have no choice but to sleep through the night since he wouldn't be sucking his fingers to soothe him to sleep...

We got to the pool at 10:30am and we left at 7pm.  I would say that was a full day! The kids did GREAT and had so so so much fun.  A ton of friends were there and everyone was happy and easy.  Andy wanted me to spend a lot of time in the big pool with him jumping to me-- which is fun for me for about 8 minutes, but then my arms get worn out from lifting him out of the water again and again.  And for him, it never gets old!

Since I was in the water for much of the day and socializing with friends the other part of the day, I didn't take any pictures. 

This was Cal after showers-- he could barely keep his eyes open! He was one worn out kiddo!

He got home and into his jammies and threw on some shandes for good measure.  Stud. 

 As for Andy, he crashed hard...

and woke up in the middle of the night to pee....when I tucked him back in, he rolled over, sucked his fingers and went right back to sleep.  Apparently, the polish can wear off if you spend a day in the water at the pool. 

It was a good weekend even if it was tiring.

I get so upset with myself for getting frustrated with the kids.  I hate when I yell at them or when I am sarcastic or when I am short tempered.  I am so disappointed in myself for not soaking up each minute with them. 

This morning they saw a bunny in our neighbor's yard.  Hank was sitting by the window watching and Andy was in the middle of getting dressed so he ran into the room naked from the waist down and Cal went running over in his pjs and it was just about the best thing ever.  My boys--all three of them-- lined up at the window in absolute awe over a little bunny.  It made me want to cry that I found such joy in that-- and makes me want to appreciate the gifts that I have right in front of me!

These boys are my life-- and they don't deserve my frustrations or my short temper.  I love them more than I can say...I need to start acting like it!

Sorry for the ranting post.... didn't intend for it to turn like that! ha!

Oh, and Eddie did have a great weekend golfing!!! He loved the tournament and had a blast playing!