Ocho

It seems like just yesterday that Quinn lost his first tooth. In reality it was almost two years ago! That first tooth was swallowed because he was so afraid to touch it. #7 and #8 were both pulled out with an announcement first. How far we've come :) Last night we were at the school's Fall Festival about to buy tickets for the rides when Quinn announced that he was going to pull out his tooth because it was all twisted. Indeed it was and in a second it was out. So now we're at the Fall Festival with no safe place to put this tooth until we can get it home for the Tooth Fairy. He ended up putting it in his shorts pocket with a Velcro closure and I am happy to report that it made it home safely into that tooth pillow!

While I am on the subject of Quinn, he started fall soccer last weekend. They've had two games already. The first was a win! That was a first for at least Quinn because the best they could muster last season was a tie. This week was a different story and they lost by too many goals to count. Quinn is playing well when he pays attention :) He almost scored one goal each week. He would have scored last week had someone on the other team not caught the ball before it could go in the goal!

Second grade seems to be going well for Quinn. He's fallen right back into the routine and is happy to be back with his friends and in the classroom next door to last year. For all the attention I pay to Keely's challenging behavior, I don't give enough to Quinn and his overall good behavior. Yes, he has his moments but I think he's finally figured out that if he listens to us the first time his life is a lot easier. He is funny and smart and still loves to hold my hand when we're walking somewhere (something I will cherish now because it may not always be that way). I can't believe my baby will turn 8 in less than a month but I really do enjoy the boy he's grown into :)

Recent Hiking Trips

We did two hikes in the last week, one last Sunday and one yesterday. The first was one of our favorites, Donut Falls in Big Cottonwood Canyon. It's an easy hike that we'd done last summer and the kids had already done this year with camp. The end of the hike is a great place to hang out and enjoy the cool water. This year I noticed way more little ground squirrels and chipmunks foraging around for people food...and judging by their guts, people are quite generous :( It makes me think camping in that canyon could be quite annoying!

Keely and I at the base of the falls. It was cool enough for sweatshirts, a really Fall like August day. Quinn doing a funny face...
We've never seen the top of the falls and the reason for the name but this time James hiked up there and snapped some pictures so we all could see why they call it Donut Falls.
Here's the kids and I at the end of the hike back to the car. I think we posed on this same log last year :)
Yesterday we again headed up Big Cottonwood...this time to beat the 100 degree heat (yes, that's our crazy weather here, fall one weekend and then summer the next!). We went all the way to the top and parked in the ski lot for Brighton. We've been on hikes from this area before but not in this direction. This ended up being our longest hike with the kids, at 2 miles each way! It also gained 1100' in elevation so it was no easy feat. It packed a lot of punch with not one but four destinations along the way plus some walking through water which always makes it more fun. The destinations were all lakes...Dog Lake, Lake Mary, Lake Martha and Lake Catherine. We actually didn't veer off to Dog Lake but saw it from above between Martha and Catherine.

The kids enjoyed playing on this rock on the way up to Dog Lake.
And posing nicely for the camera with a nice Alpine view behind them...
Keely took this picture (obviously) of us on the way up to Lake Mary.
Keely and I are relaxing at the first stop off, Lake Mary. We enjoyed our picnic lunch here and rested a bit. But not too much because James was anxious to get to the final destination.
An aerial view of Lake Mary. Oh how we wished we could jump into that crisp cold water! And some people did but technically it's not allowed because it is ultimately our Valley's drinking water.
Keely again with a great view behind her...
After passing by Lake Martha and then getting an aerial view of Dog Lake, we ended up at the final destination. Lake Mary and Lake Catherine are the largest of the 4 lakes. We've actually seen it from another hike we took from Little Cottonwood Canyon a couple of years ago...but we'd never been at lake level. We hung around on the beach to rest and relax before the descent.
Then it was time to head back down, it was already after 4 PM! Keely did great on this hike and I'd say she walked about 90% of the time. And because she walked the entire way down (2 miles!), we celebrated with dinner at Porcupine's :) This was a great hike, and definitely the hardest we've done as a family!

Taking the Plunge

Over the summer, Keely has blossomed into a strong swimmer and taken the leap (literally) into the pool...off both the high and low dive! I think I've mentioned before but this evening at the pool I finally remembered to take some pictures. She loves loves loves the pool and she is at her happiest when she's in a bathing suit and flip flops. I always say it's because she was born in Tucson and she's naturally more comfortable in warmer weather...she's just never been much of a winter child so it makes sense that she is in her element in the summer months.

Here she is going off the high (10') board...
And now the low dive...plus a view of the stunning mountain backdrop of our neighborhood pool :)
Splash! I intended to get her in the air but hit the button a tad too late...
And one more time off the high dive. This time I was able to catch her mid jump :)
It's a good thing I finally snapped these photos because summer is really coming to a close, at least for the pool on Labor Day in just 2 weeks :( The nights were getting cooler (now we're back to 100 degrees) and it was starting to feel like Fall...and it's sad because once Fall gets here I know winter is right around the corner and I'm so not ready for that! My little sun child will be totally out of her element again...and I will be fighting her to wear weather appropriate clothing. Not good at all, I tell you. We'll cherish this warm weather while it's still here, that's for sure!

First Day of School

As I have mentioned, the kids started back to school today. We bought all of the requested school supplies & shopped for new uniforms. Last night, we sharpened 60 pencils and wrote their names on what seemed like a million things. The morning went pretty smoothly...except for Quinn's shorts being a tad too big. Of all the things I worried about last night laying in bed, that was not one of them!

Since it was Keely's first day of Kindergarten, I was allowed to walk her in. At first, she said she didn't want me to but then at the last minute she changed her mind. So I did walk them in and she left me without incident, just a little wave from the classroom door. She was beyond excited last night, like a kid on Christmas Eve at getting to be in a new class and going back to school. She even asked me, "Mama, are you excited to go back to work tomorrow???". Of course my answer was no, but I do remember the excitement of the first day of school.

Quinn wouldn't let me take his picture :( but Keely was more than willing to strike a pose and she demanded it be on her swing like last year. She was saying she would wear something new (pants or skort) but went back to her old favorite, the jumper. I think she was most excited about her new shoes!

So another school year begins. I cannot believe they are on the verge of turning 6 and 8 years old! I am not sad though, each stage brings new and exciting fun for us and I do not wish they were younger. It's hard to explain...but I always hear people say their kids grow up too fast and I do agree, time does go fast. But for me, each new age brings new experiences and I try to revel in these new moments. I can't wait to see what this year has in store for us!

The End of Summer

I know, it's only mid-August. But the kids start back to school tomorrow so it's the "end" for us today. The camp at their school ended on the 7th so they spent last week at Wheeler Farm. It was a pretty good camp for them...it's a working farm so they did all kinds of fun farm chores like milk cows, gather eggs, and feed the animals. They also went on nature hikes, rode horses and had hay rides. Quinn had a good time and said he would like to go back again next year. Keely liked it but said she'd rather not go back. I think that's for two reasons -- first, she was the youngest camper since it officially is for 6-12 year olds but they let her in since she is so close. Second, she's not much of a hiker or walker and I think they did a lot of walking around the farm grounds. Even though she didn't like it that much, she apparently made quite an impression on another little camper who was about 6 years old. The camp leader told me that this boy kissed her and he didn't quite get the reaction he was looking for! At first, she adamantly denied that something happened but over the weekend, we were able to gather some more information from her and Quinn. The boy was Orion (and his brother is Gemini...isn't that swell?!?!) and he kissed her and then she told on him. She is just so not into boys, thank goodness for that :) That was on Thursday and we didn't find out until we picked them up on Friday! They also had water day on Friday and then ended the week by shopping at the camp store with their earned "Farm Bucks". Very cute! So that was the week at Wheeler Farm...oh, except for them bringing home lanyards and bringing back memories of my camp days :) The box stitch has come back like riding a bicycle and I've been finishing up their lanyards for them...which are apparently now called boondoggies or something silly like that.

Summer went really fast, and even though it's not officially over it's still time for all that fun school stuff. Kindergarten and 2nd grade, here we come!

Camping: Tanner's Flat

The weekend before last (yes, I am behind on posting) we ventured away from home for one night's worth of camping. This was our first trip and we were well prepared. The car was stocked to the roof and yet I felt totally unprepared! Of course James was in charge of most of it so I had nothing to worry about :) We decided on Tanner's Flat because of its proximity to our house, about 15 minutes into Little Cottonwood Canyon. The weather was perfect, in the 80s and down to 50s at night but clear with not even a chance of rain. We arrived about 3 PM and unloaded the car. The kids explored and met our little friend, Scurry (a ground squirrel or the like that knows to hang around the campsite for food -- don't worry, it didn't get anything from us!). James was a busy bee, starting a fire and setting up camp. Quinn helped set up the tent too.

The view of our campsite from the tent pad...
The tent pad...Keely playing by the water...
Quinn showing off a stick he found...
I obviously couldn't resist this rare showing of sibling love :)
James starting the fire...

Eating dinner...hot dogs and mac-n-cheese :) Oh and tomato feta salad.

After dinner we walked around the road loop and back down to the water. Here are the kids playing in the water. All of these pictures were taken with my iPhone, pretty good quality!
Keely later on that evening...
The roaring fire as the sun set on our camping evening...
The night went well. We didn't even have to get up to use the potty :) The only thing we most definitely need for our next trip is an egg crate mattress to soften up the tent. It was a cold night and it's good to know our sleeping bags and tent kept us nice and cozy. Breakfast was eggs and bacon...our propane stove worked really well. So it went well and we're gearing up for the next overnight, maybe even two and maybe farther from home!

Separation Anxiety

All moms know this stage and our family is no different. I can vividly remember Quinn going through the initial stages where I had to sneak out of the day care when he was about 9 or 10 months old so he wouldn't break down crying at my leaving. He also went through some more of it when Keely was just an infant, getting frantic when he left my side at a playground and then crying for me when it wasn't me who moved but him. So Quinn went through it in various stages of life and it's obviously over now for him.

Now Keely. I can not honestly remember her ever going through anything like it. She was the baby who would crawl into a stranger's lap and smile up at them, even when she realized it was not her mom or dad. With only a few exceptions, she never cried when I left her at a day care or preschool. She is adventurous and independent. She is the child who asked me please please please not to stay with her at birthday parties from the time she was 4 (and maybe even earlier). It was bound to come to an end I suppose. She has developed a case of separation anxiety. Calling to me in the house when I am not in her sight. Clinging to my side when at all possible. Crying when I leave her at camp at the school she has attended without any such incident since she started attending the school over a year ago. On Saturday she had a birthday party and I intended to drop her off as I've always done. No such luck, she was clingy and would not let me leave or be out of her sight. I was the only parent that stayed. This morning the kids started a week long camp at Wheeler Farm and I was absolutely dreading the dropoff because of said recent events. I talked to her about it last night and even asked Quinn to be a good big brother and help me when it came time for me to leave them. Turns out it was alright and she was fine. She just asked me to stay for two or three minutes and then I left with a promise to be there earlier than usual. I hope she has a fun day and that the next few dropoffs will be smooth. Next week is back to school and dropoff is easy as pie since they jump out of the car at curbside.

I sure hope she will grow out of this anxiety quickly. I guess I was just spoiled because she never went through it at a young age so I just presumed it wouldn't happen at all. Of course I should know better with Keely...she is not a textbook child! I guess I will just relax and enjoy this "neediness". As the mom of a 9 year old girl told me this weekend, enjoy it now because soon she won't want me near her in public claiming I am embarassing her :)

Bay Breeze: The Final Chapter

Well, it's a new month now and I'd better finish off this vacation saga. Again, kicking myself for not doing it while it happened. Better late than never though, right?

So the last two days we were at the house, we rented two kayaks. Our house was soundside with its own pier and the kayaks were delivered to our door for no extra charge so it worked out really well. Actually it was Judith's idea and Ryan's credit card so I can't take much credit. But we all had a blast over those two days. The first day the water was so choppy and it was really hard to paddle. James took Quinn out for a ride...Next it was Keely's turn...the kids wore their life jackets but the water turned out to be about 3' all the way across the sound. The man who delivered them said, "If you fall out of the kayak, just stand up!" :)
That night, Tom took Judith in one and James and I were in the other so we could go to the island in the middle and explore a bit. The kids stayed on the dock with Aunt Lois and Uncle Ryan and they had fun dancing and messing around...
Lois took this picture and I love how it came out. Ryan was reading something to Quinn and he was just chillin' in the adirondack chair watching the sunset...
James and I on the way back from the island...I really did paddle but Lois caught me on a break :)
Now the second day, the water was much calmer. In the morning, James and Tom began shuttling everyone out to the island. Even Grandpa was out there for a bit!
The kiddos posing for a picture...and proof that Grandpa was out there with us :)
We hiked around the island and explored, finding a lot of seashells and crabs. The kids had a blast and we adults had fun too. I love this picture of all of us on the shore down a bit from where we docked the kayaks.
And then this picture too, we all ventured up into the sandy area above the shore. This island was really small but perfect for walking around and exploring!
So great idea, Judith and thanks to Ryan for making it happen. We all enjoyed the time with the kayaks and the time spent exploring the island. It was a nice change of pace from the beach/pool options we had settled into throughout the week.

And that's it, our time at the beach in four installments. Again, I will say that I miss the Atlantic and I easily could have spent another week there. The family time was incredible and no one even got on each other's nerves. The house was just so perfectly suited for our group (thanks again to Grandma and Grandpa!) and we really couldn't have planned it any better. I worried that this vacation would not live up to my high expectations but I needn't have worried because it was perfect in every way. The time did not go too quickly, the weather was great, we did everything we wanted to and more, but we were ready to come home after 14 days away. Can't ask for anything more!