Girls Camp

When I was 12 I couldn’t wait to go to girls camp.  I remember the first night there we were sleeping in something that was half tent, half cabin.  Basically it was a tent with a wooden floor.  I remember rolling down the window coverings on the outside and having what seemed like millions of bugs and spiders come out.  It freaked me out so much I didn’t sleep all night even though I covered myself in bug spray before I got in my sleeping bag…it got better from there and I had a fabulous time.  I loved camp until we moved and went to a camp that had cabins and a kitchen and we didn’t get to even make our own food or anything!  It seemed like a waste of my time.  As an adult and a camp leader I can see why the camp leaders liked that camp with cabins and a mess hall where they didn’t have to worry about the food getting too warm in a cooler…anyway.  I have good and not so good memories from girls camp growing up, but I love Young Women’s and was excited to be called as assistant camp director at the beginning of the year. 

Before camp I was unofficially made camp director because the camp director had some family issues that made it so she couldn’t do it.  It was crazy and stressful and a lot of work, but we made it and we had a great time.  Last week I was in Escalante with 17 of the most amazing girls and we all had a ton of fun.  It was hot, we hiked, we swatted bugs, we crafted, we sang, we cooked, we performed some hilarious skits, then we cooked, sang, and hiked some more.  It was really a great camp.  I hope the girls agree with me (I think they would).  I’m so glad everything went well and I’m happy it’s over (with a little sadness mixed in—I’ll miss having a reason to spend time with the great YW in our ward!). 

So, there it is.  We made it and it was great!  Thanks to all the YCL’s that were amazing to do everything they were asked without complaining and who went over and beyond what they were asked to do.  Sorry for no pictures…all the ones I have are way to embarrassing to post! 

The Mom I want to be

I have been thinking lately about the Mom I am and how much it differs from the Mom I WANT to be.  Why is it so hard to change things?  I seriously decide each night that tomorrow I won’t be impatient, short tempered, and will enjoy the moments with my kids more and somehow by the time I wake up and start a new day all of my resolve seems to crumble as soon as there is any kind of problem.  I know it isn’t realistic to expect to be perfectly patient all the time, but I KNOW I need to be able to be that way a lot more often than I am.  What are your secrets to keeping your cool when things get crazy with your kids?   What kind of things do you do with your kids to help them be more kind with one another too? What makes YOU feel like you are being a “good” Mom?  I need some new ideas so I hope some of you readers will help me out!  Thanks!

Color Me Mine

Last week we went to a paint your own ceramics store for a Mom and me day.  It was an interesting experience and it took WAY longer than I ever thought it would to paint two things.  We made Father’s Day gifts there.  One for Daddy and one for Grandpa.  We went with all of our cousins on Daddy’s side of the family.  We all went in on a big platter that the kids made for Grandpa.  I think it turned out really cute.  My kids made a bowl for Jason—they are old enough that they did it all themselves including designing it.  Liam cheesing for the cameraEmily working hard to get Dad’s gift just right Jason isn’t usually into this kind of thing, but he really seemed to enjoy it.  He got the letters all ready to put on the outside of the bowl and he was very particular about how he painted it (REALLY not like him—he’s a gitter done quick kid).   This is Em painting the base color onto Grandpa’s platter.  She chose yellow.  She was done with her part of the bowl and all the rest of the kids were still working on their masterpieces (except for Liam who lasted about 15 minutes before he started running around the store and chasing Brooklyn…it’s a miracle they didn’t break anything) so she took care of it for us.  Jason wrote happy father’s day 2010 on the back for us.  Normally he has atrocious handwriting, but for some reason writing with that little paint bottle wasn’t hard for him at all.  Liam was one of the last handprints on the platter.  We only got one other picture of handprints going on the platter and I think my sil would kill me if I put it on here (by this time we’d been there for a couple hours and EVERYONE including Mom’s were ready to go).  So, we left them there to be fired and I went to pick them up earlier this week.  I think they all turned out super cute and when I have a chance I’ll have to take a quick picture of our creations to add to this post.  For now I gotta run get a few more things done for Girls camp.  We leave on Mon.  I hope I survive!

Cousins

My brother in law and sister in law are building a house nearby. It's almost done and my sil has been coming to clean it a little at a time. We've been lucky enough to have her two little girls come play at our house to help her out a couple times (toddlers and cleaning don't mix well--I know from experience). They are seriously two of the most well behaved kids I have ever met. It doesn't hurt that they are so dang cute either. Brooklyn is a couple months older than Liam and I couldn't believe it when she willingly let Liam have the color of playdough that he wanted instead of keeping it for herself. (I can tell she has to share at home with her little sister). Her example has opened my eyes to Liam's 2 year old selfishness. I realized that I need to help him learn to share and think about other kids. It's so easy since the twins are so much older to just make them be the ones that share and give Liam his way all the time. Something to work on. Here are a few pictures of our fun one day. We are all excited for them to live closer so we can see them more often!
Emily and Kate on the swing.

Brooklyn on the swing

















Liam saying "cheese" for the camera

















Jason, Liam and Brooklyn having fun outside.

Little things

This blog post is going to be a bunch of little things that I want to remember. 

Liam has started answering the phone…he’s two so about all you get is hello?  Hi!  okay…and then I take the phone from him.  So, if you call me and he answers I hope it makes you smile. 

Liam is obsessed with being just like his big brother and sister.  The other day Jason asked me if he could call his friend Carter to see if he could hang out.  Liam promptly piped up, “see if Camden (Carters 2 y/o brother) tan hang out too”.  He thinks he wants glasses like Jason and Em.He’s “mowin’ da lawn” here.  He pulls the strap on the back of his stroller and then makes sound effects like a lawn mower and pushes his stroller over the lawn.  This is when he was finished, but I wanted a picture anyway.  ;) 

When we see  a dump truck or a garbage truck  or a train Liam gets so excited and yells, “Did you see it?  Tan you see it Mom?” 

Jason just went on his first official boy scout campout.  The boys tried to pull an all nighter, but didn’t quite make it and then they had to do a 10 mile hike in the rain the next day.  He’s still tired even  though he got a good nights rest last night. 

Em and I are going to girl’s camp next week.  I know it will be fun and I’m really excited to get to go with Em her first year.  It would be a lot less stressful if I could go as a Mom instead of as the camp director though.  :) 

Ho Hum

We have been keeping busy at our house, but not with anything out of the ordinary.  Lots of ballgames, lessons, scouts and young women’s.  Since school has been out lots of playing outside with friends and lots of popsicles to beat the heat. 

I have been a bit crazy trying to get everything ready for Girl’s camp in a couple weeks but other than that things have been pretty ho hum around here. 

We did finally get our garden planted and then the birds promptly ate all the tomato plants we planted.  So, I replanted and put the wall o waters around them in the hopes they will keep out the birds. 

there you go…hopefully I’ll have some more interesting things to post soon!