GIRL SCOUT CAMP 2011

Thanks again to everyone who bought cookies from Jen this year. She was able to get $60 in camp credit!!!! This year instead of going as a troop, 5 of the girls went together for 3 days.

I cant believe we were able to get everything into her suitcase and better yet I cant believe she was able to get it all back in when it was time to leave. The list was a mile long. This is not the "ruffing it" type of camp. They sleep in cabin with bathrooms, have a pool and go horseback riding. You can email your child and they can bring bottled water and a cell phone. I'm not judging since I may have or have not done two of the three things - I'm just saying.

Before we all doped off our girls, we had lunch at National together. The girls were so excited and couldn't wait to get on the road.

Many happy faces as we wait in the long line to check in followed by a lice check, health exam and the turn in of camp money for the trading post. Jen and I had a long talk about her trading post shopping. It went something like this "NO STUFFED ANIMALS" Pretty simple right?

Jen: " How about a key chain with a small animal attached to it?"

Me: "If its stuffed - no!"

Jen: "How about this tea party set? It just so happens to have a stuffed animal inside?"

Me: "Is it stuffed and have a face? Then NO!"

So I showed her a ton of options to pick from while we were there. The girls went shopping during the week, so it was up to her to choose. So I loaded her card with money and kissed my $20 goodbye.

Each girl was assigned a bunk with a friend. Jen was happy to see that not only did she get the top, but she was sharing it with her friend Madelyn.

After her 3 days it was time to pick Jen up and you can see the excitement on Jimmy's face as we were waiting. I think he liked being the only child. She had a blast and didn't want to come home. next year we will send her to a week long camp.

So everything that she bought had a face and was stuffed with the exception of the bracelet that she bought for Kaiden. $20.00 for all of these treasure that we could have picked up at either a dollar store or a grocery store crane. Gotta love it.

The Meanest Mom Award

I am a mean mom. I make my kids follow the rules, eat their vegetables, wear clean clothes, brush their teeth and hair and clean their rooms. I know I am the meanest mom because I have been told so several times. So in order to keep my title, I have done the following :

1) I have told my kids that there are cameras installed throughout our home, my work and any public place we are at. Tapes can be viewed at anytime - I cant tell you how many confessions I have gotten just by telling them that we are going to the other room to watch them. Brilliant I know.

2) If you can't get along with your sibling - you will hold hands on the couch until you love each other again. This one I got from my mom- Julie and I now love each other.

3)If your rooms are trashed and you do not pick it up after telling you multiple times, I will pack it up in the garbage bag. It usually only take the sound of the garbage bag being snapped in the air to get their butts moving.

4) There was a time were Jenevive kept putting her hair in her mouth. I had warned her I would cut it if she didn't listen. She didn't listen. I calmly walked over to her and cut off the section that was in her mouth - she hasn't done it again.

5) And here is the latest:

Jimmy was chewing gum and I warned him several times to throw it in the garbage when he was finished. He decided to swallow it instead, so I told him it would stay in his tummy until he had to fart and a huge bubble would come out. He didn't want to believe me, but he was scared. Well that boy , who is all boy, held it in for as long as he could. He was afraid everyone would see it. So the next day, he just so happened to take a nap and I knew I only had a small window to get him. So I blew up a small orange balloon ( the same color as the gum) placed it by his bottom and snaped away. When he woke up I told him I had something to show him on the camera. His eyes were huge and he instantly was embarrassed. I still haven't told him the truth and he still hasn't swallowed another piece of gum.

A Fathers Day BBQ & A Ride On The Wild Side

For fathers day this year Grandma Sue and Papa Mike had us all over for a BBQ. The kids had a some presents for Papa and he made a big deal out of them which made the kids even more excited to give them.

Grandma Sue had picked up a lawn game which kept the kids entertained for a whole ten minutes. Later they they just threw the balls around and made up their own game.

Lanie of course had to strike a pose for the camera - that girl is always on. And Jimmy had to show off his oh so muscular physique as well. Don't be jealous boys.

Papa and all the kids - Jimmy, Jenevive, Lanie, Spencer and Kaiden. Mike is an amazing Papa to my kids. He will be just as goofy as they are and ready to cuddle when they need one. He always makes them feel important and gives them all of his attention. So here we go....the part where I loose my mind and let my kids go on a bike.

Jenevive has always asked to go on Mike's bike, and every time she gets this answer " No are you crazy?" For whatever reason, I told her she could go on a very slow, short ride. Well, her face lit up and she started to squeal. And when she saw the helmet ( Grandma Sue's leopard print ) she was going to wear, she was in her glory.

So off they went a whole 5 miles per hour down the street and back. It was a good deal on both our parts.

And you know whatever Jen does, Jimmy has to do as well. I wasn't sure if he would actually want to go for a ride, but he jumped at the chance. He wasn't as thrilled about wearing the leopard print helmet as his sister.

Uncle Spencer even went for a ride. Mike was only able to get Spencer on the bike once before, but since everyone else was doing it, he wanted to try as well. I don't know who was more excited - Mike or Spencer.

And so after all of the riding excitement we ended up at the ice cream shop - Lori's Lick em Up -I swear that's the name of the ice cream store.