Balloon Championships

Favorite thing about our town is all the different balloon competitions they have.  It is so  beautiful to look up in the sky and see TONS of balloons.  Now, if you were to ask me to go up in one, I would absolutely go into cardiac arrest.  My feet need to be firmly planted on the ground at all times. 

                                                                              Our house

                                                                       Front Yard

Another view check out the robes

Different Day

First Day of School

It is so hard to believe that the girls are in SCHOOL.  Ruthie is in full day Kindergarten, and Lucy is in preschool every monring of the week except Friday.

Ruthie is adjusting to school and is liking it, but it is a really long day.  We leave for school at 8:15 and we don't pick her up from school until 3:40.  At which time she is exhausted and grumpy and wants to come home and lay on the couch and watch TV.  I wonder where she gets that from.

Lucy is also slow to adjust, she has the same teacher that Ruthie had last year who is amazing.  Yet, she is tired and cranky when she gets home and we are still working out the kinks of our weekly routine. 

I was joking when I talked with some friends saying that my work here is done now that they are both in school.  I can really sit back relax and watch soap opera's all day and eat chocolate on the couch.  However that has not been the case yet.  Whatever.  Major disaapointment!  The girls have always been totally adaptable, yet we have been through alot these past few months so it is not as easy round here as one would think.  We have had MANY sleepless nights, MANY temper tantrums, Many crying attacks and many adult beverages.  And that has just been my behavior!  So you can only imagine the kids...

We are hoping to really get into the swing of things by the end of the month.  So please keep your fingers crossed!  Hoping to get back to regular updates soon!

Beach Week

We went to the beach directly after camp. I actually had to leave camp a week early.... (which I totally felt sick about).  I was ready to see Simon and go on vacation but I have never been one of those people who leave camp early.  I stay till the bitter end.  But since we already paid for our vacation, and Brian did call at the very last minute about camp, we agreed that we had to go to the beach.  So needless to say, after 8+ weeks of 4 hours of sleep a night on average and only 2 half days off, I was exhausted.  We laid around and did nothing, and I took hardly any pictures.  We had a great time, just pretty low key.

And our good friends, Andy and Ellen and their kids came out for the week with their kids.  That was great because it is always good to see friends and the kids all got along so well together.

Camp

I have had a hard time writing this post........

I guess I didn't want to come to grips with camp being over. We had the most amazing summer. The only way to really summarize it is to put it in lists.... While I say I had a great time, I really do need to write down some of the negatives (for inquiring minds) and for me to read when I think about doing it again.

Positives
* The girls grew in ways I never imagined. Lucy became a little bit less shy and dare I say outgoing.
* Ruthie in the dining hall with the tray was a force to be reckoned with.
* They were the youngest girls there by 2 years, yet you would never have known, they just jumped right in.
* The friendships we made will last forever, both the girls and mine.
* I got to work again at a job I absolutely have always loved
* I didn't have to cook for the entire summer
* The girls are amazing swimmers
* Lucy finally got on stage for an MTV night and DANCED!
* You should see the girls cupid shuffle, istanbul, cha cha slide Amazing!
* The birds chirping
* The whooping it up till all odd hours of the night when I should have been sleeping. Totally camp style. Who needs sleep, when the bar is still open!
* Ruthie passed her swim test
* getting to wear rain boots just for the heck of it.
* Got to wear tons of dress up clothes.
* Grilled cheese and camp food!
* seeing old friends!


CONS
* Being away from Simon. I know he really struggled with us being away for so long.
* I only had 2 Half days off the entire summer! Yes, that is right 2 half days! I didn't even take the girls with me. I just went to get a massage and my hair done!
* VERY long hours. Many nights I was up working extremely late, one night I never slept, and a couple nights it was 1am.
* I only managed 1 nap for an hour the entire summer.
* I worked just as hard if not harder than when I was full time.
* Camp has really changed, all for the better but it requires alot more work.
* Many nights I did not put my girls to bed. Yet, I was with other peoples kids.
* I really strived to not be a camp parent, that backfired when they didn't want to have anything to do with me, except for when I was extremely busy and didn't have the time, then they REALLY needed me.
* I never got to swim, except for a couple of times when I just jumped in with my clothes on.
* I never got to see my girls do ropes, tennis, swim lessons, or other activities.
* It never failed when I promised to go to an activity with them, I got pulled away or never could make it.


I have been working on a video of the girls, I cried the first few times I watched it realizing, I didn't take the majority of these pictures, Ashley our nanny did. I missed it all. I want them to remember the people, the camp facilities and the fun. They were very happy there.

Tex our fabulous photographer has taken some amazing shots of the girls, when I went to buy them off the company that he has to upload them to... They were over $400. Soo, I am still working on getting some more photos, but while I am working on them here is what we were up to......

Camp Update

I feel awful that I have not had any updates on the blog since we left. There are pictures on the Camp Cayuga sight that has the girls in many different activities..... Some of my updates...

I had to laugh... this was my day yesterday......

* - Wake up to rainy day - extend wakeup for camp
* - call rainy day activity
* - Deal with headlice of 6 campers
* - trek over to teen campus Infirmary for camper problems
* - back to jr. camp break up a fight of 4 campers one camper left with a boot mark on his back
* - have a meeting with the 4 head cooks. They are staging a mutiny - head chef storms off and slips and falls in kitchen
* - Get a call from another camp that 2 of our campers got injured at their camp during an intercamp game - Just Great!
* - did I mention I haven't even showered yet... or had lunch
* - Grab a piece of cold pizza from kitchen and eat it while driving around camp on golf cart
* - see the girls for the first time at about 4:30 - Lucy is crying wants to see me.. no time
* - Fire a cook
* - Have to get my big guys as back up as I feel like he wants to punch me.
* - Finally shower
* - miss dinner
* - Dress up as Heidi Klum for evening activity
* - go home put kids to bed in like 4 mins.
* - out to the quad, check on the campers
* - go to main house to look for burglars by myself!
* - go to bed at midnight
* - Lucy is up a few times in the night - with just a bad night

* 8am start all over

I guess, people that don't know camp dont get that I don't even have time to brush my teeth. There is a line out of my door and I am pulled in a million directions all throughout the day.

I am the Co-Director with Brian (the owner for you non campers) , so I am crazy busy, I of course play the bad cop to his good cop. But I knew that going into it.

I have manged to go out a few times at night. And you will be happy to know that I still got it. And have managed to beat everyone who challenges me to a chugging competion. It really bums out the young British counselors when I beat them. Oh well.

The girls are doing fantastic. Ruthie has really embraced camp life. She is begging me to sleep in the cabin, and if she hadn't stolen a girls sunglasses and tried to flush them down the toilet with her other friend yesterday... (Forgot to add that to the list) she might have been able to. Yeah, that conversation was great... "Ruthie kids at camp get sent to my office for this. Now I have to yell at you?"

Lucy has her days, she is really coming out of her shell but still gets overwhelmed at all the chanting, screaming and loud evening activities. She thinks people are going to "get her" or hurt her. She loves campfires and playing with her friends, but really struggles to like the food, and to have down time.

I have had 10 hours since I have been here that I have been off duty. That includes, nights weekends what have you. So I feel a little run down. I have to give the nanny some time off soon so hopefully I may manage to get out of here. I have lost all track of days and times!

Re-reading the above may sound bad, we are REALLY having fun, it is just alot of work for me, and hard to balance everyone and everything, but I am super pumped to be using my brain again for something that I truly enjoy and am good at!

Hopefully pictures and stuff soon!

Alligator Farm

Feeding the 9 ft alligators.

We made the regular trip to the Alligator farm. This place is totally nuts. Perhaps it is the crazy alligator trainer that makes it nuts. The girls loved holding, feeding, and playing with the many alligators.

GROSS!

Ruthie the Gymnast

Ruthie had her recital for gymnastics this past week. She did SOO good. She was really the strongest kid, and the teacher mentioned several times that she had the most strength. And that she really flies! In the video you can here one of the moms even say.... Wow, that was really good.

She has truly enjoyed the challenge of gymnastics as she is not supper flexible. But what she lacks in flexibility she makes up for with strength. She has been moved up to the next level in gymnastics and she is super excited to be part of the "pre-team" group for another year!

The video started just after she pulled herself over the bar for her routine. So proud!

Day at the Lake

We spent a day at our friends house on the lake over Memorial Day. It was a glorious weekend filled with friends, sunshine, and fun. The girls played with friends, the adults hung out in the water most of the day because it was hotter than anything. Simon lost his sunglasses on the jet ski. Ruthie stalled the jetski (driven by Julie). Lucy collected about 10 pounds of seashells.

As I was lounged out in the back of the boat, going to collect Simon who stalled the jetski... (i.e. fell off and couldn't figure out how to start it) I realized, I am really looking forward to camp, but I am REALLY going to miss Michigan, my lazy summer lifestyle, and most importantly....My friends!

Ruthie the Soccer Star

Ruthie has really been enjoying soccer this year. She usually scores a couple of goals a game and is literally all over the field. Her most recent game was in the middle of a 95* day. The heat didn't slow her down. I managed to capture her scoring a goal.

Hitting the Road

The girls and I will be going to camp this summer! We are all really excited! Ruthie is determined to be the camper of the year! Lucy is apprehensive but excited to "ride horses and swim". I am excited to put my brain to good use and not cook a meal or do dishes. Simon will miss us but will be extremely busy finishing his Master's Program, traveling for work and school and coming to visit us for a while too!

Stay tuned for updates from Honesdale as we leave in just a few weeks! Better start packing!