Rest of the week & next week.

Our week wrapped up rather simply with another Gym and swim on Thursday. On Friday the kids did all their "saturday jobs" so the house was spick and span before we left for our little picnic to the "traveling Showmobile.

We met Vanessa and Kids out there, and had a great  old time.  Turns out that the "relay for life" was going on at the same time, so we got to participate in a bunch of those activities too, including the "kids walk" where they got to do a lap for relay for life.  
The band was a fun little group that had quite a variety of music from swing to honkey tonk.  Very interesting.  The kids loved dancing and they even got to dance with the Howard County Library mascot.  :-)  Too funny.
I am sure that the free ice cream was Alex's Favorite part.  They actually had enough that the kids each had 2 ice creams!  They also got to do some crafts and play games with a girl scout troop, and go to an enormous playground.  It was great fun.  We weren't home and in bed until after 10pm, so it was a long night, but I think it was worth it.  :-)
On Saturday morning the kids had a Primary Activity.  The theme was pioneers and the activity was so well organized and planned out.  They had such fun!  Below is pioneer stories, I don't  know what all the kids are looking at behind them, with such an animated story teller....  Maybe she pointe that way as she was talking and they were all so involved that they looked "over yonder".  
They also got to go to a bread making station,  a wagon pull, an old fashioned photo shoot, square dancing, laundry scrubbing , and  of course campfire sing a longs....

( i have NO IDEA what Alex is doing, but obviously Tori saw that I had my camera.  :-) )

Then at the end of the activity, Jeri brought Liza to me, Liza had asked her what this thing was that she could feel on her head.  Oh yes, my friends it was a tick.  This is not she, but it looks just like her.  It had a nice firm grip on Lizas scalp. YUCK!  Lucky for us Amy has some great experience in tick removal from her days living in Germany.   She took tweezers and made the thing uncomfortable enough to get it off her head.  It did however come out with a chunk of Lizas flesh in its mouth. (EWWW)  The thing lives on in a cup in a plastic ziplock on my counter.  Waiting (I guess) to see if we need it to check for lymes disease.  I guess Dog Ticks, are not known to give people lymes disease, but we'll watch anyway.  

The kids were all well tick checked and everyone else passed.  Despite the tick incident,  the kids had a ball.   Thank you to their teachers and leaders for putting so much time and love into their callings.  

Brent was "post call" which means that he had to sleep most of the day, but we made him get up to play with us around 4:00.  We told the kids that we would take them out to dinner and a fun night because they had such great report cards and they passed their respective grades.  We were especially proud of how Lizas reading is coming a long.  she has really gotten better this year, so good.  Anyway, the kids asked for Chuck E Cheese, which was denied because it is Saturday and that is Suicide!!  So we asked for a second choice.  They chose I HOP.  We asked them if they were sure they wanted IHOP as we can make yummy pancakes right here at home, maybe they want to go have something that I don't make here at home.  They agreed that my Pancakes are just as good as IHOP.  After thinking for a few moments, they came up with the idea of eating Pancakes here at home and then taking the money that we would have spent on dinner and going to TOYS R US to pick out a toy.  (Smart thinking I thought).  Upon some calculations each child was given a limit, and pancakes were gobbled and off to Toys R Us.  We were there for 90 mins + and that wrapped up our Sat.

I got to substitute primary today CTR 9, they were good, and I have such luck.  I guess the class is normally HUGE, i only had 5.  :-) Lucky me!  

NEXT WEEK

Monday we are going to Green Meadows Petting Farm  it is only open for like 10 days during the summer, and we're headed to Fredrick to attend.  It should be fun!  The pictures look like there is a lot of animals there to touch and love.  My kids are SO excited about this one!

Tuesday is a Gym and Swim at LTF.  I am going to take a class and then go out swimming with the kids around 11.  pack a lunch and stay for a bit.  Tuesday night I am hosting an Arbonne party for Scarlett.  We're going to have stuff 1/2 price so you'd better come and join us at 7:00!

Wednesday is Camping!!!!  Vanessa and I are going to take our two groups of kiddos and head up to patapsco to camp.  Forecast is looking good.  I am hopeful that we will have quite the blast!!!

Thursday is post camping day.  Possibly a swim later in the afternoon, depending on the camp clean up situation.

Friday  we will likely stay in and swim in the yard, and then we will be hosting our babysitting co op, and Liza is asking to have Maia sleep over.  So that should be fun!!

Saturday, Brent has rescheduled (for the 3rd time) his flight from fathers day.  I asked him today what he plans to tell them when they try to get him to sign up for lessons.  He had no plans.  Oh I am so afraid to throw him out to those guys.....  Afraid for my check book that is!  :-)

Saturday from 10-4 Days End Farm Horse Rescue is having their summer carnival.  I thought we would try this out, as my girls are so interested in horses.  They offer free rides, so we'll see how it goes. This is also in Woodbine, about 20-25 mins away, kind of by the Howard County Fairgrounds.  

Well, it is almost 3 am, and I better get some ZZZZ's before trying to do this crazy week :-) 

Join us for any of these activities if you dare!  :-)