Our first family camping outing

We went to Two Rivers to camp on Friday last week and had a great time. We cooked our dinner, smores, and breakfast over an open fire, played, ran around like crazies and slept in a tent. The kids had a blast and so did we. We hope to get a few more trips in this fall as we prefer camping in the chillier weather. We took our monarch tagging supplies and even tagged a female monarch there, so hopefully we will get a certificate from Mexico once she makes her way down there. We had to get the fire going in the morning and the kids were hungry. I had meant to buy doughnuts for such an occassion as this, but forgot. So, since they waited so patiently to eat, we all got to have smores after our breakfast. One of my best ideas yet!

Two Wheeling It

It was only a few months ago that I was blogging about how Skyler learned how to ride his bike without training wheels. Well, here I am letting you know about Lily's triumph over the training wheels. Hers came three years earlier than her brother's, but there are a few reasons for that. Lily is quite a daredevil and not so scared to try new things. She doesn't stop with failure, she keeps at it until she has it, she will not give up. And, she had no choice if she wanted to ride her bike because her training wheel broke and we refused to replace it. So, there you have it in a nutshell. She loves to ride her bike. She wants to do it all day long, everyday!

Monarch Tagging

We had quite an exciting experience this weekend. We went to Hitchcock Nature Center in Iowa to participate in their annual Monarch Tagging event. They have a nice little presentation about monarchs and their migration patterns and then they let you loose in the forest with butterfly nets to try to catch some monarchs to help them tag them so that their migration patterns can be studied. This is all part of Monarch Watch a program run by the University of Kansas. We were fortunate enough to help both Skyler and Lily catch monarchs. We took them in and they each got to put the tag on them and then we let them loose. If they are found in Mexico by a tagger, they will receive a certificate of appreciation for helping the Monarch Watch program. We were also given more tags so that we could tag some at home. We were able to tag one, as we found a nice place along the creek where about a
hundred monarchs live. We still have four more tags to place, but we are waiting on our butterfly net, because it is almost impossible without one! We had a blast and the kids learned a lot about monarchs!

The Airshow

Ever since I was a little girl, one of the things I looked forward to every year was the Offutt Air Show. It was always so thrilling to see all of the different planes flying above the house. We would just watch them all weekend long. A few times we went to the base to watch it, but most of the time when I was young we would watch it from the back yard. Back then, there were no houses or trees blocking the view of the base. Now, I actually live in the neighborhood that blocks the view of the base from my parents' house. Sad, I know. But, we get to go to the base and sit on the flightline and enjoy the show. Everyone had a blast and we were lucky enough to be able to watch the show four times, since they started on Thursday!

Dear Mr. Construction Guy

Dear Mr. Construction Guy,

First, I want to thank you for all of your hard work down at the creek. I am not sure what you are doing, but it looks like you know what you are doing, so we'll just go with that. We are hoping that your work is for the benefit of our trail and park, but so far we are not seeing that. What we are seeing is the paths blocked with no warning, our beloved frogs and other wildlife missing, and lots of dirt, mud and noise. Now don't get me wrong, I am sure what you are doing is a good thing (right?)

What I don't appreciate though, is you deciding you must urinate on a tree in our park in front of us. I mean really. You couldn't wait until we weren't there? You've been working at our creek everyday for the last month. Who do you work for? They couldn't spring for a portable toilet for you guys? Unbelievable! Do they just figure that since you are out in nature you could take care of the call of nature in nature? I don't know, but I am hoping you will be done soon; that our frogs will still have a home when you are done; and that we don't have to witness you peeing on a tree again.

Thank you kindly,
A Mom

Ahhhh, School is back in session!

Well, it's official; summer is over. Yesterday Lily started preschool. She loved it! Skyler asked me all morning if it was time to pick Lily up yet. I guess he really needed someone to torment! To celebrate this momentous day, we went out to lunch with Grandma for a real burger at Stella's. If you haven't been to Stella's in Bellevue, I highly recommend it! Great, real handmade burgers for not much more than you would pay at a fast food joint, and wayyyyy tastier.
Anyway, I remember like yesterday dropping Skyler off at his first day of preschool. I was a nervous wreck and he didn't handle it very well either. But Lily was ready! I cried when I dropped Skyler off, I did not when I dropped Lily off. She's just ready for new adventures that she can only get at preschool, not with mom!

Today, Skyler started school. I am very glad, as I have been losing my patience with him more often these days. He needed something to do that he can only get at school. Mom was just too boring for him, I guess! He got on the bus and I followed him to school in the car. I met him and was going to walk him to his classroom and was surprised that at the nice ripe grade of first, he didn't want me to. Are you kidding me dude, I am your mother and will walk you to your room if I want to!!! So I did and helped him get to his desk (he didn't need my help, he knew exactly where it was) and then took a picture and told him goodbye. And as crazy as he has been driving me and as glad I am he started school today, there I was with frickin' tears in my eyes! What a wimp! I don't cry when I drop my baby off at preschool for the first time, but my big first grader I cry about. I'm hopeless!

Well, what am I going to do with all of this free time? I am going back to school. I start this week, online and hopefully will be done in about 6 months. I will also be substitute teaching when I can. So, even though I am down to being a part time stay at home mom, I am still keeping busy!!!

Mahoney Water Park

We went to the water park Friday night and the kids LOVED it. It was the perfect thing to do on the last Friday before school starts. Chuck thinks we need a pass for next summer, I'm not so convinced, since I'm not a water lover and it would be me who was taking them all of the time.