Camp Mommy & Summer 2019

Today is the first official day of fall. That means summer is officially over. But our summer ended over a month and a half ago, so yes, I'm very late in blogging about our summer adventures. But, that doesn't mean they weren't amazing. Every summer, planning for camps and activities can be daunting and expensive! But, I want to get the most out of the time my kids are out of school and all mine! I also don't want to lose my mind with three active, rivaling, screen-obsessed, "what are we doing today?!" little boys. So, in order for me to function during the summer, I have to have a plan. That planning usually starts in January or February when camp fees are due, when I'm looking ahead at the following school year and submitting pre-school applications and already "calendaring" for the year ahead. May, June, July, and August calendars are printed and become my "lesson plan book" for the summer, and I slowly fill in the squares with what I think the boys and I will enjoy. And, slowly, I get excited about the summer that inevitably takes way too long to get here and passes all too quickly.

So, maybe writing about it makes it officially over, and that makes me annoyed. We only have so many summers with our babies before they are grown, and I want them to look back at their childhood summers as the best! I want them to remember the friendships they made, the camps they experienced, the laughs in the sun, the memories Mommy helped make. And, I think this summer accomplished that goal.

Banner's summer was filled with camps. He wanted to do a little bit of everything, and each camp became his favorite. He started at SIGS (Summer Institute for Gifted Students) taking classes called Simulations, Galleries are Great (art), and A Minute of Your Time (not entirely sure what this one is, but I think they created a lot of presentations online). He loved these mornings of creativity with old friends from school and new friends around the school district. Then, he went to Creek Camp at Plano Heritage Farmstead Museum. They explored the creek every day for a week. They got dirty, played games, created skits, learned new songs, and never wanted to leave! Then, the first week of July, Banner was with me all week. We went to various places around town and spent some quality time together: Adventure Landing (mini golf, arcade, laser tag, go carts, and bumper boats), saw Pokemon: Detective Pikachu (which I actually really enjoyed - getting a chance to learn about his favorite trading card game characters), Hawaiian Falls, Urban Air (favorite memory is rock climbing while facing each other through the clear plexiglass), and Lunar Golf and Chili's (Daddy came too). The next two weeks, he went to Levine camp where he got to sign up for his choice of activities. He adored his time back at his old pre-school but this time as a big kid. And he ended his summer with 10 days at sleep-away camp at Greene Family Camp. He was anxious as the days approached for his first time away, but he had a blast as part of Hadera (his bunk), and within the week of his return, he asked that I sign him up for camp again next year for three and a half weeks - and to do it soon so spaces don't fill up! :) In the few days following camp, Banner and I had a couple extra days for just us. I loved taking him to Ripley's Believe It or Not. We loved the wax museum and the mirror maze! He also got to spend some time with Aunt Kira and Damon at Chuck E. Cheese and at the splash pool near Aunt Mischelle & Uncle Brock's house. He loved that time helping with Damon. And, as Mommy headed back to work, all three boys enjoyed some time at Elevate Gymnastics.

Quinn's summer was also perfect! He got two extra weeks at his preschool after Celebration, and this time he got to spend it with his little brother upstairs with him. Those two weeks were broken up with a Camp Mommy sandwiched in between. Quinn and I went to Color Me Mine, baked one of his Rad*Dish recipes, volunteered our time with Brighter Bites and the Wee Volunteers (Banner came too), bought a snow cone at TC Shaved Ice then enjoyed it at Hope Park where we also played on the splash pad, and went to Peppa Pig World of Play with Damon and Levi. He also got to enjoy a special play date at Aunt Kira's house while I had to go to a Leadership meeting. After that second week of Anshai camp, Quinn started his third summer at Camp Gan Izzy. He loved his time with Chaya'le and Zelda in Bunk 5 - going on field trips, swimming at the Texas Pool twice a week, and making lots of memories with old and new friends. This was his first time as the big brother there. He never once complained this summer about going, and he was bummed when it was over. He's looking forward to a winter break there already! Towards the end of summer, Quinn got to do a couple of fun dates with us. The first was to Medieval Times where we cheered on the Blue Knight (who would inevitably lose). The second was the day before starting Kindergarten; we went to Thunderbird to teach Quinn to skate for the first time.

Knox's summer introduced him to a whole new schedule - one with no naps. It was his first time to be in an upstairs class at Anshai for two weeks, and then he had his turn with me at Camp Mommy. We started our week at the Dallas Zoo and got to see so many animals up close (a lioness even charged toward the glass we were standing near which frightened Knox to not want to stay to hear the zookeeper's talk we were waiting on). On Tuesday, when Quinn was out of camp for an unexpected camp closure, we all went to Cheeky Monkey's for the first time after Banner was out of SIGS with Levi and Damon. Wednesday, we went to Play Street in Frisco. On Thursday, we met out-of-town friends Mary and Jack at Safari Run, and then we went to story time at the library before having a swim "party" at Grandma's with all the cousins. And, Friday, we enjoyed an open gym at Palaestra. Then, it was time to start Camp Gan Izzy the next week! The first day was chaotic and unorganized, but once the classes settled in, the toddler groups were much better planned for, and Knox loved being a part of Bunk 2. He loved his counselors, Morah Terissa and Morah Deanne. They were fantastic, and Knox truly enjoyed being at camp with Quinn and Levi.

Any breaks in between structured camp times were spent: swimming at Grandma & Papa's house, swimming with the Marrone boys, fishing on Zaide's boat, celebrating so many summer birthdays (Banner's, Mommy's, Daddy's, Caden's, Zaide's, Hayla's, Damon's just to name a few), enjoying Father's Day at Big Boss's, Zaide's, and Papa's houses, spending July 4th with family, food, and fireworks at Zaide's and Aunt Jacque's houses, celebrating the end of soccer season at a swim party, playing at the gym while Mommy and/or Daddy worked out, playing with new birthday gifts, and and packing Banner for camp. We went to Epic Waters in Grand Prairie, Blase Family Farm to pick blueberries, Frisco Safety Town to learn safety rules and drive around the cutest little neighborhood in toy jeeps, Little Elm Beach to swim and play in the sand, the movie theater to see The Lion King, Aladdin, & Toy Story 4, and the Fish Park for three Kindergarten play dates to meet Quinn's new classmates. We awaited workers to finish our laundry room expansion, got a couple haircuts, survived a bee sting in Banner's tush while swimming at Grandma's, earned new belts in karate, napped in cars exhausted from the summer heat, monitored Daddy's garden and awaited pumpkins, corn, watermelon, and carrots, checked the mail daily for news from Banner at camp, had swim lessons at Emler, gave piano lessons a try, participated in the pajama party at Chick-fil-A, found a frog in Grandma's pool, did experiments with Daddy, built a boom box radio, made chewing gum, and met our teachers for the school year!

Whew! It was BUSY, but it was so fun and so worth the planning and the running around! I cannot wait till next summer! Just three seasons to go!

And Another Year Makes SIX! Quinn's Newsletter

Dear Quinn,
Today is your day! Happy Birthday, My Love! The day you look forward to all year, waiting patiently for your turn to celebrate with friends, family, and fun! Yesterday afternoon, we celebrated your special day with old friends, new friends, cousins, and other family members. You wanted a Minecraft theme at your karate school, and you wanted the Minecraft TNT cake you found on the Internet with me. (Special thanks to Amanda for helping bake the cake for me so I could focus on decorating it!) Then we went to dinner just the five of us before sending you to bed with your annual "I Believe" reading (which you have helped me add things to throughout the year for the first time) and your last snuggles as a five-year-old. Then, this morning, we played with balloons in your bed, sang "Happy Birthday," ate donuts and kolaches, and packed your special birthday treats for your Kindergarten class before you headed to school. Then, this afternoon, BeeBee and Colby came by to say Happy Birthday before we headed to Chuck E. Cheese's for one more birthday dinner. I have lost count of how many times we have sung to you, how many times you've blown out a candle or more, and how many times you have gotten to make a wish, but I so enjoy you getting to be the center of attention that we allowed the celebrating to go on again and again!

You are such a special, sweet boy, Quinn, and I want to tell you so much about you. I wish I could bottle you up and freeze time. Every night I tuck you in, I have such a hard time walking away from you and I know I probably drive you nuts with the amount of kisses I keep giving you, but you humor me and allow it! I seriously cannot get enough of you: your cuddles, your questions, your curiosity, your insight, your wet kisses, your famous Quinn hugs, and your hilarious jokes and sayings.

Let me tell you more:

• Your voice... oh my goodness, so much to say about this. It's deep and raspy and probably lined with nodules, but it's sweet and has such a purposeful effort to it. You are working so hard on your R sounds and purposefully place your tongue correctly to get it right. We stopped seeing Ms. Laura last year, but your speech is still improving because of the awareness you have of making it better. You get a little sloppy with your S's, but you can easily correct it when we ask. You LOVE to force a laugh when you're feeling silly, and your voice tires easily after a long day. Much of the time, I worry you are straining it. It's top of mind for your upcoming well check.
• You are reading like a champ! Long, multi-syllabic words are no chore for you. You use context clues and picture cues so very well, and you can easily read through chapter books now. 
• You learned to snap this year.
• When we call your name, you look at us and shrug your shoulders as you say, "What?" It's kind of funny - like a reflex you can't control. The shoulder shrug. It makes me smile just thinking about it.
• You are king of proverbs... there isn't a saying you don't know! One man's trash is another man's treasure; cheaters never win; slow and steady wins the race; don't judge a book by its cover. You're hilarious with them, too. Usually each line is prefaced with, "You know what I always say." You are so very clever, insightful, and matter of fact about it. I wonder where you hear these things and how you know how to use this language so well. Seriously... it is remarkable.
• Kindergarten has started off so well. Minus the fact that you didn't know your "forever teacher" until the last day of the first week and that you haven't had outdoor recess more than twice in the first 4 weeks of school (it's way too hot apparently), you love school. You're pretty "social at the wrong times" according to your teacher, Ms. Ngene, but she is not concerned that you won't learn quickly when to listen and when to talk. You did get reprimanded for arm-wrestling in the middle of circle time the second week of school. We are working on remembering to obey class rules, but I have a feeling that your brain is way ahead of where she's teaching right now, and that can make for a long, boring day for a smart kid like you who is reading chapter books. You're going to have to force some strong self-control while listening to how to read the words "I" and "a" for a while... even though you can read words like "catastrophe" and "mountains" and "determined." 
• You've had a couple play dates with new friends. The Kindergarten play dates at the Fish Park we had this summer really helped. Graham from down the street is a new favorite, as is Landon (you call him Little Landon so we don't confuse him with Banner's best friend). 
• Your absolute best buddies are still your cousins Nami and Levi. 
• You and Banner are getting along so much better since starting school together. I love watching you two bond over school things - like wearing your spirit shirts, talking about what specials you had (you both have the same schedule this year, and you think that's pretty awesome), talking about when you saw each other in the hallways, walking home together. Ms. Kim has helped you two navigate your relationship, but by far the best thing for you two has been going to the same school again.
• You are officially done with swim lessons. We started Emler in February, and you have really grown in your confidence and abilities in the water. Your backstroke is stellar, and I love watching you pull yourself through the water with what looks like little effort. I'd love to see you continue your swimming, but you aren't interested, and since you are very safe and are a strong swimmer, we will save the money for all your other interests...
• Speaking of, you love karate classes, which are killing our bank account. You tried out piano over the summer, and while you and Banner were really good and learning nicely, the teacher was not a good fit for us at the rec center, so we backed off for a while. We need to find a better teacher who will come to the house perhaps. That might work better. You and Banner are also starting Cub Scouts this week, and that has you both super excited.
• You started Sunday School this month also. You're in a class with Levi and Luca, and your teacher is Ms Meghan, your same teacher from Anshai, so you are stoked about that. You like to see Ms. Morgan at Temple, also. 
• You thoroughly enjoyed Camp Gan Izzy this summer. You loved your field trips, going to the Texas Pool, and hanging with friends like Levi, Luca, Yehuda and the counselors were amazing. 
• You LOVE donuts for breakfast, Toddler Trail Mix after school, playing on my computer, Nintendo Switch, sleeping in our bed (which is very rare now, thank goodness!), jumping on the couch (which I cannot stand!), collecting Pokemon cards, color baths, swimming at Grandma's house, riding bikes (but with training wheels, even though we've practiced without and you CAN do it, you just don't trust yourself yet), Captain Underpants, Teen Titans Go, watching Bricks O'Brien play Super Mario Bros (Super Smash Bros??), snow cones, drawing Marshmellow face on anything and everything. 
• Your gift from Daddy and me for your birthday this year is a new full bed and new bedding you got to pick out. I think you were ready to get rid of the bunk bed over your head, and you wanted more space "like Banner's bed."
• We went on our first camp-out as a family in April. We had so much fun, and I'm super proud of all of you guys for trying something new.
• Speaking of trying new things, you love to try new foods for "points" on your Vivofit watch, but you pretty much decide you won't like a new food long before you put it in your mouth. 
• You love pineapple, but we determined you have a slight allergy to it. It makes your tongue sting and you say it feels weird, so we have backed off of it. 
• In the spring, you expressed some curiosity about your gender. You told me that some times you feel like a girl. We had some great conversations about this, and mostly what I gathered is that you want to be able to express yourself however you want without judgment from anyone. You want to be able to paint your nails or play with girls or play with dolls and not have anyone tell you that you're not allowed. But, I absolutely LOVED these conversations that centered around loving who you are and accepting yourself no matter what. It is so important to me that you know I love you and accept you just as you are - no matter what - and that there is nothing you can tell me or show me or share with me that will make my feelings for you change. You don't have to have an answer about who you are, just be you! 
• You still love to cook, and I love having you help me out in the kitchen! If there's a task I can assign to you, I enjoy passing it to you - to cut or chop or wash or peel. You are learning your way around the kitchen so well! You love getting your Raddish club packages each month, and you enjoy any opportunity to learn a new kitchen skill. We especially loved the cupcake decorating class we took on our cruise last December.
• You have two loose teeth on the bottom center of your mouth. It comes as NO surprise to me that you still haven't lost any teeth since you didn't have any until almost 13 months old. You celebrated your first birthday with zero teeth... so it's fitting that at 6 you have no gaps yet. (For reference, Banner had already lost two teeth by his sixth birthday, and the adult teeth had already grown in.) Yours aren't ready to come out any time soon, but it sure does excite you that they are loose and have been for a while.
• You are incredibly emotional and ahead of your time when it comes to understanding growing up. You had a very difficult time this year saying goodbye to Anshai. As the end of school approached in May, you were more and more nostalgic. It caused weariness when preparing for your Celebration Class songs you would be singing. The "Wherever I Go" lyrics made you cry, and you would tell me how they made you sad. That's understandable, given how poignant and perfect hey were for the ending of preschool and the start of Kindergarten: "Here we are now. Everything's about to change. We face tomorrow as we say goodbye to yesterday. A chapter ending, but the story's only just begun. A page is turning for everyone. So I'm moving on, letting go, holding on to tomorrow. I've always got the memories while I'm finding out who I'm gonna be. We might be apart, but I hope you always know you'll be with me wherever I go. So excited I can barely even catch my breath. We have each other to lean on for the road ahead. This happy ending is the start of all of our dreams, and I know your heart is with me."
• One of my favorite things about you is your optimism. You are the first one to look at the bright side of a situation and literally say, "See? Glass half full!" You are so incredibly helpful to those around you when you see someone upset or disappointed. You aren't always so forgiving of yourself, though, and when it comes to your own frustrations, you need reminding of the glass half-full logic. Your red hot face, tight fists, and clenched jaw show us clearly when you need some help calming down. You will "GRRRR" at your brothers and pout with your infamous cry with one eye closed tighter than the other. But, once we intervene, giving you some love and affection, along with some directives about how to calm down ("Blow me away with deep breaths" for instance), you are using your words to tell us what you need. You are certainly harder on yourself than on others, and you wear it loudly when you feel something is unfair. 

Quinn Redding, every year, I reminisce about your birth and remember those early hours and days of just snuggling in the hospital bed. You fit so perfectly by my side and in my arms. You still do. I love when we just sit together or lay together just cuddling up and enjoying a quiet moment. There are so many times when you fit the stereotypical role of the middle child - being ignored, quietly doing his own thing in the corner of the house. You are so easy going and mild mannered, usually, that your brothers often speak over you or demand more of our attention. In general, you are so self-sufficient and cooperative, that you don't require a lot of repetitious directives from us. We ask once, you comply. You're quietly building or creating something, and we don't even know where you are. But, that doesn't mean that we don't see you, My Love. You are so very special to me, and your sweet demeanor and disposition make me love you even more! Those gorgeous eyes, that golden hair, your pouty lips and dimpled chin, your thin but strong and mighty body- you are a pleasure to look at! But, everything on the inside is just pure gold! Your heart is so full of love, and mine is so full for being able to love you back!

Happy SIXTH Birthday, Quinnious!
I love you to QUINNFINITY and beyond!
Love,
Mommy

Last photo as a 5-year-old

It's Banner's Quarter-Birthday, so he wanted a candle, too!

After school photo!

BeeBee brought cupcakes

The cake that kept me decorating all morning long!
Well worth it to see your amazement when you came home
from Sunday school with it all prepared!