Today at John's camp they had sailboat races. On Tuesday they painted their boats and worked on the sails, but today was race day. John's camp posts pictures every couple of days and today they posted pictures of the race. I was so excited to see John doing his race.
I picked him up from camp and asked him about his race. He said "I didn't win." I said "That's ok. Did you have fun?" He said "Yes, but can I tell you something?" I said "Of course." He said "I didn't win because the sail went the wrong way!" Poor kid. His sail started out facing the right way and then spun around.
Just a typical Tuesday night with the kids. Picked them up from camp and school, then dinner, a quick visit from Mimi, bath and then bed. I checked on them a little while ago.
Love that John is snuggling with Travis, the turtle.
And that Spike, the dragon, is protecting Gillian.
We spend the entire month of July celebrating the kids' birthdays. Today was our last birthday celebration. I brought pizza and cupcakes to Gillian's school. I arrived at school and Gillian came running up to me. "You made it! Look, here's my crown!" She was so excited. I had one more surprise, I brought a guest with me. Gillian saw Aunt Betty, smiled, then addressed her classmates and said "Aunt Betty!" So funny. She basically announced to the room that her aunt was there.
The kids were amazing. We heard a lot of "Gillian's mom this" and "Gillian's mom that." I think Dorlisa was the best. She said "Gillian's mom, I got a new headband!" After I complimented her, she said "We got it at Target!"
The kids ate pizza. And then it was time for cupcakes. They all sang "Happy Birthday" (even Gillian). Most of the kids ate the icing off the top and were done. Not my Gillian. She said "I don't like the icing." So she just ate the cupcake and left the icing.
Gillian asked "Are you going to take me home early?" I felt bad telling her no, but I had an appointment in the afternoon. Luckily for Gillian, Aunt Betty said she would take her.
They left school and went cruising in Aunt Betty's convertible. They stopped at the park first.
Then they got ice cream.
But they enjoyed the ice cream at Aunt Betty's house. When they arrived Gillian asked "Where's Grandma?" Since they had plenty of time, Aunt Betty took Gillian to the beach to see Grandma and Grandpa and play some games.
Gillian won some prizes and made sure to set some aside for John.
By the time Gillian came back home, she was exhausted. It was the perfect end to her birthday celebrations.
We decided to take the kids to the Monmouth County fair today. Today's forecast called for thunderstorms. We decided it was worth trying to see if we could have some fun rather than caving and finding an alternative.
We arrived at the fair. There were some ominous clouds overhead, but we charged on. We started first with some free activities sponsored by the park systems. The kids got to paint their hands and go through an obstacle course. They got to play a few holes of mini golf, make butter out of heavy cream and learn about horses.
It was really hot. After all the park system activities, we got something to drink and a little snack. We took a break and watched a few pig races. As we were watching the races, this big black cloud came overhead. Daddy and I looked at each other and agreed if we didn't attempt to go on the rides right away it would start to rain while watching the pigs. We headed over to the rides and got the kids wristbands for unlimited rides. They started with some easy rides, the boats and train.
Next they went on the spinning berries. We told John, not too fast. But our warnings didn't matter. Gillian loved it and was smiling the entire time!
Next they went on the fun slide. I was a little concerned. The last time we did a fun slide John was scared to go by himself and I went with both of them. But John carried Gillian's mat to the top and they came zooming down and loved it!
The next ride the kids picked was the dragon. It's a little rollar coaster. This is one of the kids favorite rides.
We took a break and had some yummy funnel cakes. And then we went back to the rides. John got to go on a few big rides with Daddy and then we all went on the Ferris wheel. Gillian loved the Ferris wheel. She said "You can see everything up here!" While we rode around we picked out our next rides.
Daddy and John rode together. John said "On the way down, I yell 'Ahhh-sylvania'." Love this!
Our next stop was the swings.
Daddy and John went on a few big rides and Gillian went on the dragon a few times. She loved it! She went on and got off and got back on again.
Then I got to go on a ride with John! He was so brave and he loved it.
After we had fun on the rides, we went past the petting zoo. A nice man gave us some food and the kids got to feed the animals.
We had a great time at the fair. I'm looking forward to next year.
Gillian, like every other little girl, is obsessed with Frozen. She loves Elsa and Anna and I just knew she would want a Frozen themed birthday party. I found a cookie cutter for Olaf and planned her entire party around Olaf. I made it an Olaf in summer party. For those who don't know, Olaf is a snowman and he dreams of being able to play in summer.
Gillian's party was today. Just minutes before everyone was due to arrive it started to rain. So we quickly had to change our plans. We were going to do games outside, but we had to move them inside. Luckily, Daddy had set up a tent on the deck, so we started with decorating some princess crowns and wands. Every little girl needs a crown and we needed wands to make sure that Olaf wouldn't melt! The girls were very determined and made some beautiful crowns.
Our first game was pin the sunglasses on Olaf. This was fun. The girls really couldn't see with the blindfold on and had a hard time placing the glasses correctly. You will see that there are two that are pretty close. Well we had one cheater and one little girl refused to put the blindfold on. Personally my favorite is the one in Olaf's hand.
We then piled up some cups and the kids threw beach balls to knock them down. This was a huge hit. The girls loved it. They all went two times!
After the game, we had three of the girls go an decorate crowns (they were late and didn't get to decorate with the other girls). Meanwhile, Gillian took her other friends downstairs to play. If it wasn't raining, we would have done another game. But we had to make do. The girls got to play for a little bit. And then I told them it was time for pizza. They ran upstairs. All the girls ate very well.
After pizza, it was time for cupcakes!
The cupcakes were a huge hit, along with some fancy 4 cookies!
Once everyone was done with dessert, it was time to bust open the piñata. The rain had stopped by this time. And we were able to go outside. The girls were patient and waited for their turn to pull a string. They didn't fight over the candy and each took a small amount. Since the rain was gone, the kids were able to play on the playground. They played nicely for awhile. Slowly the girls started to leave until there was three girls left plus Gillian. They played so nicely together, we didn't realize that it had gotten so late. The last girl left around 3! I see that as a sign of a good party.
After everyone left, Gillian opened her gifts. She is a lucky girl and received a lot of nice things. Daddy asked her "What was your favorite part of the party?" She answered honestly "The presents!"
In the car tonight, John and I argued about who was the best Lego builder. He says "I'm number one, Daddy is number two and then you are number three." I disagreed with him and we continued our argument at dinner. John told Daddy, "I'm the best builder, then you and Mommy is number three!" Daddy said "Um, no. I'm the best." John then clarified "I'm the best Lego builder. You are the best builder of other stuff." I tried to argue with them, but John wasn't having it. "Mom, you're the best baker! And I'm the best Lego builder and Daddy's the best builder. But what's Gilly good at?" Gillian, with her mouth full of food, said "I'm a good eater!" Yes. Yes you are.
Tonight was John's camp barbecue. Basically, John and his fellow campers get to stay late at camp. They get in an extra swim and some extra activities. Then they get to eat dinner and their families can join them for dessert. We got to camp and were given name tags, two tickets for crafts and one ticket for zip lining.
We found John playing with one of his friends. He was so excited to see us! He picked up Gillian and then started talking super fast. We had him give us a little tour. He showed us the splash park and the bunny barn. Then kids played on a playground that looks like a pirate ship.
Next we went to the arts and crafts place and John and Gillian were able to make their own sand art. John picked a big zig zag bottle and Gillian picked a little sun. Gillian had a counselor help her, while John and Daddy worked on his bottle.
We decided to take a break and get some Ritas. Gillian was shy and didn't want any, but John and I enjoyed our treat. While we ate, we got to talk to one of John's swim instructors. He said that John is doing really well with swimming. That made Daddy and I very happy.
After dessert, we went to check out the zip line. There was a long line, so we went down to the lower playground and tried out a few balance ropes. And the kids went down a really big slide.
Then John and Daddy waited in line for the zip line.
I got to camp today just as the kids were starting their snack. John's eyes opened wide when he saw me. He wasn't happy. I just can't win. When I get there late he's mad, when I'm early he's mad. We headed to Gillian's school. In the car, he told me about his day. They had a wildlife show today. He said "I saw some animals I have never seen before!" I asked "Like what?" He said "I saw an unroasted turkey. That means he's alive!" He is so funny.
We went to Gillian's school. Gillian and her friends were outside playing. And John didn't want to go inside. "Can't I just go find Gill?" I made him come inside with me while I signed Gillian out. He looked around her classroom and said "It's been so long since I went here." He sounds like he's in high school. It's only been a year. We went outside. Gillian came running up to us. She gave me a quick hug, then took John's hand and said "I want to show you my friends." Then she proceeded to drag him around then playground introducing him to her friends. She then gave all of her friends a hug. So sweet.
John went to a birthday party at Monster Golf on Saturday. I have never been there, so I asked him to tell me about it. He said "The monsters aren't real. They are painted. Except one, it's electric. And it scared me. But the others aren't scary." I asked "Did everything light up?" He smiled and said "Yes! My shirt glew (that's how he said it)." Today he told us "Remember when I did the Monster Golf? I got the ball in the hole on one try!" Sounds like he had a great time!
Gillian has been on a roll the past couple of days. She has these little one liners that just make me laugh. Here are a few of my favorites/
Tonight, Daddy pulled into the driveway with Gillian. He said "Mommy and Johnny beat us home." Gillian said "Don't cry."
Yesterday, I hugged and kissed her goodbye before she left for school. She said "I'll come back!"
We went out to dinner tonight. And as we were leaving, Gillian asked "Can I bring this with me?" (Meaning her milk) Daddy said "No." She whispered and said "Bye milk."
Also while we were out to dinner tonight,
Gillian overheard a woman say "It's chilly in here." Gillian said "Why does she know my name? She said "Gillian!"
For dinner tonight, I made chicken and pasta with cheesy garlic bread. Gillian ate all the cheese off of her bread and then asked for another piece. Daddy said "No. You didn't finish your first piece." She said "But I'm allergic." Daddy said "Allergic? To what?" Gillian said "The cheese." (As she continued to pick the remaining pieces of cheese off her first piece of bread). Daddy said "Well if you were allergic to cheese, it would make you sick." She smiled and said "I'm allergic to bread." She is so funny. She ended up eating her bread and getting a second piece too.
Since the past three days have been full of rain, I asked the kids if they wanted to go for a bike ride after dinner. Of course they said yes. We got the kids on their bikes and headed down our street. There was quite a bit of traffic and we decided to hang out at the dead end and let the kids ride around in circles.
They did a few dozen laps and we decided it was time to head home. Daddy said "Let's race." Ugh. Those dreaded words. Translated: Mommy and Daddy run home. John started out slow. But Gillian is fast and at one point she was pedaling so quickly her feet came off the pedals. She got scared and started swerving. She recovered before I could get to her. John used her slowdown as a chance to catch up. They ended up tying.
Every afternoon, John gets an ice pop at camp. Last week he said to me "I got my stick. And I even asked one of my friends for his stick." I said "Really? What are you going to do with your Popsicle sticks?" He smiled and said "I'm going to tell people the jokes!" Now I laughed and asked him "Can you tell me the jokes?" He pulled the Popsicle sticks out his bag and said "What stays in a corner and goes around the world?" I said "I don't know!" He giggled and said "A stamp!" Then he read the next one "What runs but has no feet?" I again said "I don't know!" He said "A river!"
Today I asked him if he had an ice pop in the afternoon. He said "Yes, wanna hear the joke?" I said "Yes!" John asked "Why did the coffee taste like mud?" Daddy and I both said "I don't know!" John giggled and said "Because it was fresh ground!" We laughed. I think it was his best joke yet!
After the kids birthday barbecue, I asked them "Do you want to catch fireflies?" Gillian said "Yes!" John was a little unsure. But after he heard how excited Gillian was, he changed his mind. We found a jar and headed to the backyard. Aunt Missy caught the first one, and we put him in the jar. Gillian was a little scared. "I's not going to touch them!" John wasn't afraid. He caught one and before I could get the top on the jar I heard "I got one!" He ended up catching them all. He's like the firefly whisperer!
We kept them in a jar for awhile. John asked me a lot of questions about fireflies. "What do they eat?" "What do they do during the day?" "Where do they sleep?" "Why do they light up?" I really don't know much about fireflies so I couldn't answer his questions. Luckily for me, he got bored and went inside. Gillian then got worried and said "We should let them go!" So we let out. We will definitely catch fireflies again this summer. It was so much fun.
Today we took the kids to Barnes & Noble to pick up some summer books for the family. Gillian picked out a Tangled book and John asked her "Do you want me to read it to you?" She said "Yes!" So they sat down and he read to her. She sat patiently for two pages and then got up and started walking around.
It turned out that she was upset that he was holding "her" book. So we found another book for her to look at while John continued to read "her" book.
In the car tonight John asked "Can I stay up until the sun goes down tonight?" First let me explain, I'm a mean Mommy. The kids go to bed at 8 every night. In the summer it stinks because it is still light out, but they need their sleep (especially John). Anyway I said to John, "I don't know. We will have to talk to Daddy." He said "I'll pay you. One kiss!" I paused and said "We'll have to talk to Daddy." This didn't stop him. He said "I'll double the price!" I didn't say anything. He said "I'll triple the price." He paused then said "Wait a minute, how much is triple?" He cracks me up. And for the record, they went to bed on time tonight. Tomorrow we will let them stay up.
John and I picked Gillian up from school today. We found her and her class in the big room playing. Well Gillian wasn't playing. She was in the corner crying. She came running over to us saying "I just miss you so much!" She was sobbing hysterically. John and I tried to calm her down, but nothing we said or did made much of an impact. So we left with her crying. She stopped by the time we got in the car. We drove down the street until I heard John say "Come here Gill." She leaned over. And he said "I just wiped away a tear." He is such a sweetheart.
On Saturday, we took the kids to Manasquan to see the fireworks. We set up our chairs and blanket and went to get some ice cream. Gillian and I decided to split a vanilla and chocolate twist. John had mint chocolate chip with rainbow sprinkles. I had like two bites of "our" ice cream and Gillian said "That's it. It's mine. You ate too much!" We need to work on sharing.
I tried to distract her and grab a bite when she wasn't looking but she caught me every time. She only gave up the ice cream when John said "I'm going to build a castle." We went back to the beach and the kids attempted to build a castle.
They also decided to feel the water.
They couldn't just get their toes wet. They got their pants wet and John also splashed Aunt Betty. Wet pants didn't slow them down. They played in the sand and realized that they couldn't build a castle. So they settled by digging a big hole. Gillian decorated the sand piles with flags.
As it started to get dark, Gillian kept asking "When's the show going to start?" When the fireworks started she cried and said "I's scared!" She wasn't scared for long because she started to say "Wow! Look at that one! Amazing!" And the she would remember that the booms scared her and she would cry "I'm scared." John, on the other hand, loved the fireworks. He sat with me for awhile and would "predict" where the fireworks would explode.
The kids had a great time even though it was way past their bedtime. They didn't complain when we had to walk back to the car. And they both fell asleep on the car ride home.
