Summer 2017 -- Week 2 -- Still Some Water... and Some Baseball

The kids wrapped up the first session of swimming lessons.  They had fun, but the lessons just didn't measure up to last year's.  I had a few chats with the head swimming instructor and the head of the base's Morale, Welfare, and Recreation Department (pleading with him to throw more funding and people at the lessons).  I'm confident that I was heard and that the next session will be better.  All in all, the kids got a little bit out of it and Ryleigh's confidence really soared in the second week.  I can't wait to see what the next session holds--but that will be in a couple weeks.

The kids and I hit the pool on a unseasonably cooler day on Wednesday--it only reached 85 degrees.  And, it was great!  The pool wasn't crowded.  We again got a table with an umbrella for eating lunch and hanging out during the breaks.

The kids had dentist appointments on Thursday.  I actually had a conversation with the dentist about getting RJ scheduled to see an orthodontist to develop a plan of attack.  Ummmm.  I don't think so.  He still needs two more adult teeth to come in before we can even begin phase 1 (focusing on the front), and frankly--RJ isn't ready maturity-wise.  I asked him to have the conversation again at the next appointment in January--he agreed that it would be just fine to hold on for another 6 months.

Saturday morning, we did our first-Saturday-of-the-month usual and headed to Home Depot Kids' Workshop.  This summer marks 20 years of kids' workshops at Home Depot.  So, they had a birthday party with cake and a photo booth.  The kids made bug houses--not one of my favorites projects.  It wasn't that it was particularly hard to make.  It is more the result--I really don't need them to be catching bugs.  :)

Then Saturday evening we headed to Harbor Park for a little baseball and fireworks.  Much like last year's game against the Durham Bulls, it was close.  But, thankfully no extra innings this year.  Still, fireworks not starting until after 10 pm made for some tired kiddos who fell asleep on the way home and even remained sleeping while we went out of our way to go pick up Jip's car that we had left at the tire installer earlier in the day.

This week the kids have their first summer camp at BrickHeadZ.  We're having fun this summer, but we're trying to keep the summer slide from affecting us too much.  We make it our goal to hit the library on Fridays, and have been doing well with that so far.  The kids are almost halfway done with their summer reading challenge--I promised a better prize than an ice cream party with strangers once they reach 100 books.  (The other prizes from the Friends of the Library for 5, 10, 15, 20, 25, 30, and 50 books are okay with the kids.)  I have a feeling a Toys R Us trip is in my near future.  RJ also has 10 math units to complete this summer, and he has done 3.  Ryleigh has been working intermittently in a math workbook we brought home from preschool.  I think we've found a pretty good balance so far.

Until next time, cheers!