A Bit of a Whirlwind

Whew! The past couple of weeks have been pretty crazy. Right after we lost Riley, we had to start getting ready for the Gem County Fair, which ended up being a great distraction for the boys and myself. We just love the fair! The boys were very excited about the Lego competition. Camden had actually been working on his creations since last year's fair, and his hard work paid off. He was really hoping to win the Grand Champion ribbon, and he did just that, for his "nuclear submarine" submission.

Griffin did a great job as well, and he is so proud of the ribbons he won. We tried something new this year, and we each entered the "Spudhead" competition, making little creations out of Idaho potatoes. It was so much fun, and we will definitely be doing it again next year.

The "Queen of the Kitchen" ribbon slipped through my grasp once again this year, so I will just have to try again next year. I was one blue ribbon short of qualifying, but I am not complaining at all! I love that the prizes for "best of division" are bags of sugar. It certainly comes in handy when you love to bake.

My parents packed up and headed back to Maine, and boy, do we miss them already. We had such a great visit and feel so lucky that they come out and spend so much quality time with us. Their little house is so cute, and I think they enjoyed fixing it up. Come back soon, Mum and Dad!

We had the great fortune of a visit from Emily and Neil! They were enjoying a vacation out west, and took the time to include Emmett as a stop in their travels. It was so wonderful to actually see them "in person" and spend time together. It was a great day.

I thought it was fitting that the vet's office called me on what would have been Riley's 15th birthday, to tell me that his ashes were ready to be picked up. The boys and I love his urn, and it feels so good to have him back home with us.

 A few months ago, I saw these little stuffed animals at Starbucks (of all places!). I bought two and put them away. The other day, I took them out of my closet, removed their little green scarves and replaced them with blue plaid ribbon (because Riley wore a blue plaid collar) and added some personalized name tags. The boys just love their new pups.

In other news, the chickens have begun laying eggs, but that deserves a post of its own! Summer has sped by far too quickly this year. I cannot believe that the first day of school is just 15 short days away.

A Lovely Summer Day

Camden still loves to snuggle with Nana

Dinner al fresco...my favorite!

Bucket of boys

Monday was such a nice day. The weather is on the upswing once again, after a terribly cold week last week. I am going to enjoy this week for all it is worth, because next week it is supposed to be in the mid-90's and we will all be complaining that it is too hot!

I had hoped to get more accomplished on my to-do list yesterday, but there is always today and perhaps I will get caught up. We are loving that my parents are here in Idaho, spending time at their new little house, just a 5 minute walk from our house. They have done so much to it in the short time they have been here. I am looking forward to writing a blog post about it, once it is ready for the Big Reveal. Mostly I just like knowing that we can see them whenever we want to - - that after dinner we can hop on our bikes and ride over to their house if we feel like it. It makes me happy that the boys can be with them - - they love Nana and Papa and they are so lucky to have this time with them.

Last night Mum and Dad came over for dinner on the patio and it was such an enjoyable evening. The temperature was perfect, the company was great -- what more can you ask for?

Steve is in Arkansas this week for work. We will be glad when he comes home because he won't have to do any traveling for a while. The Cherry Festival begins on Wednesday so the boys are beside themselves with excitement. I really do love this time of year. Just wish summer would slow down a little already - - it seems like it is speeding by!

Mom School 2012

Mom School 2012 kicked off yesterday. Last year, I used Scholastic workbooks, which I really liked. This year, I decided to go with Summer Bridge Activities books, and I am so glad I did - - they are fabulous! The books have three sections, with 20 worksheets each. Each worksheet covers more than one subject, which I think holds their interest better. These particular workbooks also put some focus on physical fitness and character, which I just love. Like last year, we are going to have "school" every weekday morning at 9:00. We are also incorporating myOn.com into this time, to make sure both boys get their reading practice in every day.

Last year, the boys would fill a sticker chart each week, and at the end of the week they got to choose a dollar store prize from my prize box at the end of each week. This year, the boys chose instead to forgo the weekly little prizes, and instead will earn a trip to Build-a-Bear Workshop at the end of the summer, when they have completed all of their work  - - something they have both wanted to do for a very long time.

We will certainly have days where Mom School will be met with groans and protest, but for the most part the boys enjoy it, and I do, too. I'd like to think that it helps keep them on track and helps them to start the school year off more smoothly. Don't worry, we definitely have lots of time for summer time fun, too!