Looks Like...

...it was a ROUGH day at preschool!

Letterboxing on our Twelfth Anniversary

We're off from Lake Audubon, going into the woods seeking three letterboxes! After spending at least a half hour finding exactly the right spot, we find box 1 is missing. bummer. We knew this was likely since nobody had found this box since April 2007, and about 10 people had recorded seeking it. Here's where it should have been:
So we hiked on and found box 2 about a half hour later.
Now we are very deep in the woods on the verge of discovering box 3. The hollow tree with the tangled roots behind us is the final landmark. Here I am re-reading the clues, getting us oriented just right, and looking for the huge tree that twists half-way up. Box 3 should be at its base!Found the tree a good way off the path and uphill, so Meghan and Evan went by themselves to retrieve the box. Here they are bringing it to the rest of us.

Stamping in our find!

Ahhhh. Glad to be out of the woods and out of the backpack! Now off to a very late lunch at Cal Tort!

Spy Kids

I could tell you more, but then I'd have to... well, you know.

and from 2007...

All-Around Superstar

SB2W August 2009

This excerpt is of Meghan's camp counselors announcing to the parents the awards that each girl in Meg's cabin earned. (Though the competitions were camp-wide.) Meghan won the All-Around Track Medal as well as first place ribbons in the following events: softball throw, the 100-yard dash in the track meet, the backstroke at the swim meet, "ins-and-outs" in the canoe meet, and chess champion. A natural athlete like her daddy... way to go, Megs!

Hanging Around with Hayden

Back to the Sweetest Place on Earth...

...that would be Hershey, Pennsylvania, not to be confused with Mayor Nagin's Chocolate City, Louisiana

Tressa shows us "Hershey Park HAPPY!"
(I know, sooo cliche.)

Evan: "Dinos are so three years ago." frown.

Hayden: joyful giggles and shrieks. big smile.

...been there, done that. And we'll be back!

***

Camp Meeting at Craig's parents' church.

Here we are visiting with Craig's Aunt Arlene and Uncle Dick in the family cabin on the church campground.

(Have I ever mentioned what a pistol Tressa can be?)

Two weeks later...

...what have we done without Meghan?

Our first stop was Hershey Park (as seen in my last post).

Craig took Evan to see the Nats play (and win!) They had front row seats and were shown on TV during the 9th inning. I wish I could say they were wild and crazy waving a big foam finger. But they were just deadpans. The third base coach tossed Evan an official ball.

Tressa adopted two new webkinz - Sheepie and Cherry von YumYum. Evan adopted one new webkinz - Flipper.

I gave away 3 huge bags of Meghan's beloved animals. Shh! Don't tell her! At least that many remain, however!

We went to Staples to get Meghan's and Evan's school supplies. It was a madhouse.

Evan and Tressa had many, many "sleepovers" in Tressa's room. And they stayed up late with Evan reading to Tressa.

I rearranged the playroom.

Hayden regressed from sippy cup back to the bottle.
I tried to help Evan get better riding his bike, but the gnats were too annoying. And Hayden was annoying too as he kept running off in all the wrong directions. Evan perservered without me and Sean's dad helped him. (Get out the 'Good Neighbor' award.) Now Evan's much improved and loves riding.

Evan and Tressa really wanted to go to Chuck E's, but Craig and I didn't think it would be very nice to go without Megsie! They argued that Meghan was having a blast at camp and probably making s'mores every night... so why shouldn't they get one night of Chuck's? Nonetheless, we went to CiCi's, their second choice.

Psyche season premier!

I did the watering for Meghan. Evan did the rest of her chores.

And last but not least, we missed her!!!!

While the cat's away...

After we left Meghan at camp, the rest of us spent a few hours at Hershey Park. First all three kids rode some little rides together. Then Craig took the big kids on the Coal Cracker. Then just Craig and Evan did some big rides - Lightning Racer, Wild Cat, and Wild Mouse. Meanwhile I gave the little ones ice cream for dinner and took them on some little rides. I was a bit concerned about letting Hayden ride with Tressa (usually he rides with Meghan), because I thought he might try to climb out mid-ride and she's not real aggressive about saving his life. Thankfully he stayed put! (I've never had to worry with any of the other kids... but Hayden is a whole different kind of animal.)

Taking Meghan to Camp

Daddy's going to miss Meggie... And she'll miss him too!

(Actually, Meghan was just pretending to be sad... she really couldn't wait till we left! Two weeks without us? Easy-cheesy lemon-squeezy, as Megs would say. I think she'll be fine.)

A visit to our local zoo, paid for by...

...all of you! Entry is free to the National Zoo in DC. (Thank you, taxpayers.) And we brought our own lunch so as to avoid paying $17.50 (or so) for a plate of reheated chicken strips. Yet somehow I managed to spend about $100 on myself and four kids. Yikes! So much for a cheap field trip! The kids all bought souvenirs. And drinks. And ice cream for the girls. And parking was $20! (Though really I'm just glad we got a parking spot at all, since the lots fill up super-quick.) Cost aside, it was a great day at the zoo!

In case Evan starts thinking he's a big shot...

... big sister Meghan is there to put him in his place!

This kind of action...

... leads to this kind of inaction. :D