This Summer, the kids and I decided to do a series of Lemonade Stands to benefit our local animal shelter. Our friends Brynn and Aubrey helped out as well. They were able to raise $40! The nice people at the shelter gave the kids stickers and took them on a tour of the facility. They showed them where their money would go and how it would help the animals. They loved visiting all the animals and felt great about helping them out. It was a very memorable experience.
As a kind of "Last hurrah" before school started, we visited the New Children's Museum in San Diego. I had been there once before a couple of years ago and wanted to take the kids back again since. We were so pleasantly surprised at how much it had changed and improved. What a fun place for kids to get a little crazy and creative! The boys' favorite part was, of course, the bouncy tunnel!
Dillon has had trouble with climbing walls in the past, so making it to the top was a big deal for him!
They had an enormous "Trojan Horse" that the kids could climb inside.
Way more fun than at gym class!
I think this was Annie's favorite. It was a giant metal whale that you could paint. Just paint. By the end of it, they had embraced their creative freedom, ditched the brushes and were finger painting all over the whale!
Daddy is tall, so he wrote their names where no little kiddos could paint over them. ;0) tee hee
Only a child could look at their reflection with such adoration....
As you can see, coloring on the PAPER is merely a suggestion! ;0)
Alas, school had to begin sometime, and we were excited to see Charlie attend his first day of Kindergarten!
The public school system is such a mess. Casualties of the latest budget cuts are: every school funded extra-curricular program, lunch and recess aids, speech therapy, and BUSES! No buses! It has made drop-off and pick-up a nightmare. The only thing I could see to do about it was join the PTO and I am currently the secretary. I am also spending one morning a week in Charlie's class which is 32 kindergarteners, one teacher and NO AIDS! Incidentally, there is also currently no air-conditioning. It makes me somewhat excited to move on in a few months.
That being said, Charlie was adorable. I laughed so hard when I compared his "first day of school" photo with Dillon's from 3 years ago:
Adventures at sea:
On August 6th, James left for his first "underway" with the Navy aboard the USS Nimitz. He has been home only a handful of days since and won't return for a few more weeks. It has been hard. Especially when 2 days after his first departure I ended up in the hospital with a serious infection in my kidneys that turned septic. However, we've grown a lot already from this experience. We don't take things for granted as much as we used to - that's for sure.
Here are some awesome photos from aboard the ship:
The view from the flight deck of San Diego just before they left the harbor:
The ship is incredible. Its like the Empire State building (or as Charlie like to call it - the Empire Strike building) on it's side in the water. Its HUGE and just amazing to observe. If you are curious about life aboard an air craft carrier, check out this PBS show:
CARRIER
Its actually filmed on the Nimitz about 5 years ago during a deployment to Iraq. James has watched a few episodes with me and confirms that it fairly depicts what its like out there - good and bad. I watch it when I miss him. Somehow it makes me feel connected to him. ( I know.... booo hooo) ;0) You should check it out!!
BTW - speaking of James, I am so proud of you for passing your boards babe!! CONGRATULATIONS Lieutenant James D. Mathews, D.O. Its official! We're finally 100% done with all your training. No more tests for at least 7 years :) You made it. I never doubted you would. I love you! I hope you can get internet long enough to see this out there! XOXOXOX
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