Travel buddies

We have been in the car quite a bit this summer. For some reason, the kids don't want to chat, they don't want to read, they only want to play the Nintendo DS when they are back there in the minivan. So, to change the routine a bit, I've introduced them to their travel buddies.

I really don't know if this will work.



I interviewed a teacher the other day who had some great ideas to get kids thinking without realizing they are doing it.

We took pictures of the boys and their travel buddies. Michael has Cowee, Joshua has his blankie and for Jason, we picked up Tim the Penguin.



We taped these pictures to the cover of a composition book.



Wha-la! Now we have a travel journal.



Jason and Michael have completed page one. They were excited to draw pictures of their travel buddies. Tomorrow, they'll have to actually write words in them! I wonder how long it will take before they ask me if they can play their video games?

I'll let you know how it goes!

Happy Friday, everyone!!!

Finally...a day at the beach

The boys have been spending every single weekday at the pool for camp. They are quite dark, as you have seen.

The draw of the beach then wasn't the surf, but the sand.

We actually made it to the beach today. Jason and Michael made a beeline for a stretch of sand so they could get to work building castle villages.



Joshua went straight for a snack.



After a handful of 'nilla wafers, Joshua was feeling good enough to dip his toe in the water. Joshua was a little nervous at first, but Doug says after a few minutes, he was giggling when the low waves hit his feet.



Then, we buried his feet (Michael's, too) in the sand!

I didn't realize the boys knew anything about the whole tanning culture we have here. But Jason and Michael asked me if we could do without sunscreen today so they could get a proper "tan." What??!!! We told him they were bronzed enough, thank you very much.



We have noticed that camp has brought Jason and Michael closer together. This is what happens when these two get the giggles during dinner.




We can't help but laugh. Doug and I couldn't help but laugh at something Michael said this morning. We were at the dining table, eating breakfast. And Michael looks at us and says, "It has been nice. We've had Joshua for two years."

You really can't deny the truth of his words.

Dreamin' of the beach

We haven't made it to the beach yet this summer. All the baby can do is dream about it.

He parked himself inside his inner tube today and chilled for a bit.



We've been spending our weekends with Amah and Akong as Amah continues her recovery from a car crash.

We know she will be fine.
After all, the get-well-crew has been giving her plenty of kisses.



We love you, Amah!

Silly Bandz on sale

With three growing boys, you can imagine there's quite a bit happening at our house these days. I'm hoping I don't wait too long to put the stories in black and white. I know I'll forget.

Where do I start? Oh yeah. Silly Bandz. Have you heard of them? They are the brilliant invention of some now-rich adults who have somehow brainwashed kids into thinking wearing colored rubber bands in the shape of animals, instruments or phrases are the "in" thing. Adults are starting to wear them, though, which we think means they will soon be uncool. In the meantime, they are a big deal at our house.

Silly Bandz have certainly invaded. Even Joshua is interested in collecting and wearing these specially-shaped rubber bands. They sell for about $5 for a pack of 24. I tell you this on background.

Our crew has decided to step into the world of entrepreneurship and sell them. I applaud them. For the price of $50 (!), a special scented Silly Band in the shape of a rabbit could be yours. It smells like vanilla, by the way, not what you would imagine a rabbit would smell like.



Here they are working on the posters which will highlight their Silly Bandz on sale for the day.

Jason and Michael are a little (okay, a lot) darker than they were in the beginning of the summer. YMCA summer camp has been good to us and the boys have spent every weekday afternoon in the pool. They just got haircuts (1 1/2 hours at the barber shop, by the way) and it has GOT to be a more pleasant experience in the hot summer sun.

Michael, at the age of 5, is, I believe, officially out of the terrible 2's. We thought it would never happen!

He now continues to amaze us with his insights.

Today, I messed up their names. Called him Joshua or Jason, I don't even know which.

He replied, "It's okay, Mommy, because when you become a mommy, you forget names."



Do not let this charming grin fool you.

Michael may be out of the terrible 2's. Joshua, I believe, has entered them. Early. Earlier than the other two, at least. Everyone within a 1/2 block radius heard us as we made out way into the dry cleaner's today.

30 minutes and 15 'nilla wafers later, he was fine.

At least I'm not so worried about his verbal skills, though. Today, he told me, as he was pointing to a cereal he wanted to have for a snack, "That cereal." I hesitated, since it was FRUIT LOOPS! He repeated, loudly, "THAT CEREAL." "MOMMY. MOMMY. MOMMY. THAT CEREAL!!!!" WAAAAH!!!!

Can you tell we'll be working to deal with a sweet tooth on our #3? To think, we thought he would never speak.