Busy Summer

We have been busy. I have tried many times to sit at the computer at night and jot down all the fun stuff that we have done but I'm just tired.  We are just busy having fun. I have opted for a photo dump.
in no particular order
Lilly and I hosted book club for her friends. We read Anne Of Green Gables. I teamed up with Mandy and she did most the work. She made raspberry cordial and printed out a little booklet with questions to discuss and write about.  We made ice cream in a bag. Then we played guess the scene from the book as the girls acted out their favorite parts. So fun! We are excited for our next one.

I got out the sewing machine and taught the kids how to use the sewing machine.  They practice on a piece of paper without thread. They are pros at lifting the foot and lowering the needle and turning corners.

Swim meets.  Max won second last week in the backstroke he was very happy with himself.  This week was the butterfly meet.  The kids were prepared to disqualify but they wanted to try anyway.   Lilly was very please that she took 6th and wasn't disqualified.  

Max was disqualified but his arms looked great it was just a little flutter kick that got him.  Any way you look at it the kids only had 4 days to practice the fly so in my book they improved tons and have every reason to celebrate.

Like every swim meet night we treat ourselves to a Sonic Shake for a job well done.  We have now tried all but a few flavors (yes even the peanut butter bacon) and now we are making up our own combinations.  Tonight's orders went like this....
Me: pineapple strawberry
Kevin: chocolate
Luke: chocolate
Lilly: pineapple
Max: peanut butter banana

When I was Sick

Saturday morning I woke up with an awful cold.  Awful like I wasn't going to get anything done type of cold. When I get sick Kevin can be pretty authoritative and demands that I stay quarantined in my bedroom. He won, I stayed in bed all day while he and the kids had a great time.  They went swimming and out to a movie with popcorn and a drink. I didn't feel well but it was so nice and quite that I needed prepare my lesson for Sunday. I didn't want to get a sub with such short notice.
After the lesson was prepared and I had about 2 naps. I was ready to move on to something else.  I have wanted to record more video of my family.  I love photos but I can be capturing so much more with a video. I watched a few home movie videos from bloggers that I like Freckle Photo and Something Devine. I thought I can do this add some music to a movie clip and Ta Da.
So that is what I set out to do today, to capture us at home. Well I wanted to get some dad and kid footage for father's day.  Really nothing fancy I'm no pro but I love it. By editing the video and adding music I have a fun memory to watch and not just boring home video.  Well if you are not family you might still think it is boring.

sunday afternoon from Laura Modrell on Vimeo.

June 12th

1.  7:30 swim team practice Lilly just finished her backstroke time trial
2.  pool
3.  8:30 Max after his backstroke time trial
4.  Summer movie day
5  Headed over for school lunch after the movie
6.  Luke showing me how he eats his peanut butter sandwich.
7.  105 a at noon.
8.  my lunch for today
9.  Max, Lilly and Becca playing a game of Qwirkle
10. Calming Luke down from a meltdown with Green Eggs and Ham
11. Treated the kids to an ice cream cone because Max pulled himself together at the mall.
12. Boy barbie needed his head put back on tonight.

First Swim Meet

 As a family we survived the first swim meet of the summer. It was hot and long.  I was so grateful that Kevin was able to come because he entertained Luke most of the time.  Both Max and Lilly were glad that they swam and were pleased to receive ribbons.
Max and some of the boys on his team getting ready for warm up.

Max and his dive. Not too bad.  He says he wants to take diving lessons next summer.

A smiling boy at the end of the race with his ribbon.

I didn't get a good action shoot of Lilly the flags were in the way and a 1/2 a dozen people walked in front of me. So this is my girl with her ribbon at the end of the race.

As a mom I'm so happy to see that they are enjoying swimming.  They have improved so much and are learning that when they work at something you will see improvements. Hard work pays off.

Just Keep Quilting

I saw this quilt on a blog and feel in love.  Lucky for me I had someone in mind to make it for and to attempt my second quilt ever.  So I cut and and sewed and cut and sewed and ended up with beauty.  Well not before a lot of help from Mandy and disappointment that not all the corners didn't meet. Some lines are crooked and there is bunching in a spot or two.  With all it's flaws my sweet friend Karyn was very gracious and excepted it for her little boy that will be here in September.  She and her family will be moving to Florida in a few weeks so I won't even get to meet the little guy.  But I hope that are able to have lots of beach days on it and picnics at the park.  I will miss them for sure.

Fun Friday

On Friday the kids don't have swim team so it is the one day the we chill in the morning and have the whole day open.  Last Friday we choose to go to the Mesa Museum for Youth.  We met Mandy and her kids there and Max got to bring a friend since the dynamic works better that way.  We were a tad disappointed because they closed the majority of the museum for a few weeks to give it a makeover.  But they had a good time for 2 1/2 hours still enough to do. They were at this ball machine for 45  minutes.  I want one for my house.

 Lilly and Maggie making a tall building.

 Luke playing with the animal puzzles.

and Max seeing if he could make a long tube and get in it, and he did.

Summer Begins!!!

Summer success.  We had a great first week of summer.  100 times better then last year.  Swim team started and guess what, they both loved it!! Yes both of them.  All this week there were no complaints, and no tears. I guess I should say that Lilly was always excited but I was very worried that Max would not give it a real try. But he did! The first day I misjudged our timing and had to rush them out the door.  But on Wednesday I was better prepared so it went much better.  They are so pleased with themselves too. Lilly is always counting how many laps she did and Max loves to catch up to the boy ahead of him.

Oh and such a proud moment to see my little boy in jammers.

and my girl in a swim cap.

Other things we are doing to celebrate summer is to take advantage of Sonic's SUMMMER of SHAKES.

That's right we have set a goal to try all 25 flavors.  With the 5 of  us each trying one at a time we have already have 15 flavors checked off. And who can resist 1/2 price.
Summer school.  Well our summer school is just a few workbook pages a day, journal writing a few times a week and reading everyday.  Lilly has already read 3 books. Her goal for herself is to read 20 books this summer. She will hit that without a problem.  Max and I just finished Captain Underpants.  I vow not to read another one of the those books but he like it so we will have to find something that we both can enjoy.
Swimming for everyone in the afternoon at the cousins house or with friends.  I'm surprised that they don't get tired of it but they always want to swim.
Lilly has started her Summer choir and loves it.  I hear her singing the songs around the house and it puts a smile on my face. Luke kind of got the shaft this summer he is not in anything but he is just so happy to have his brother and sister home to play with so I'm pretty sure he is fine.
There is more to come we just started.