Family Camp Trip 2011

Back to catching up!  All the way back in July we ventured to Cape Neddick, Maine for our family camp trip, the second year in a row!  It is a nice campground that is close enough that you can go home if you need to, as has been the case for the poor Chirco Five.  Maybe next year we can make it the whole weekend together!

Our McMansion tent!  Plenty of room in there for growing!

We ventured to York's Wild Animal Kingdom, and while I always ask myself when I get home why in the world I took so many pictures of animals and end up deleting most of them.. but this baby monkey was one of the cutest things you've ever seen!!  It would be better in video, but still shot will have to do!

Lots of fun animals to see!!

This butterfly had a particular attachment to Uncle Brian!!

Clearly his next tattoo should be a butterfly :)

The kids thought it was the greatest thing ever!

Even sleeping Baby J got in on the butterfly action!

I thought it was funny that the butterfly was perched here on the chrysalis poster, like it was trying to make us understand their life cycle.

These ducks were not lacking food!

The deer are one of my favorite parts of the zoo!  They can walk around with everyone and they love to be fed. 

This is definitely NOT my favorite part :) Snakes!!

Cole is my ride guy!  The rides open later than the zoo.. so let the fun begin!

I love this photo.. Cora is just under 4 months older than her younger cousin... but about 4 times bigger!!

Bumper car time!!  Always a favorite, Cole was my partner

Our cheering section

Love this guy!

Bumper boats

This could have been a ghost train, Cole was the only passenger!

Dinner time! 

Aww!  Brotherly love.

First Camping trip!

 

Not my kid!! No char allowed!

Interestingly the kids enjoy making s'mores but not necessarily eating them.. so I got to eat four!  maybe more I tried to stop counting.

Story time!

We cannot go without mentioning our friendly owl "Horton" who kept us company last year was at our sites waiting for us!! 

Caden's 1st Day of First Grade!

It is hard to believe we've stood on these steps for four years for first day of school pictures!  As I told Caden that we can measure how much he grows by how far he comes up on the door grid I couldn't help but shed a quick tear :)  How quickly it goes by!   Today was his first day of FIRST grade!! A full day of school, I am sure they will be coming home exhausted this year.

He was very excited to begin the day! to pick out his breakfast, his snack, his lunch, his drink.. you name it!

Cole wasn't as excited.. I don't know why!

Silly?

Cora just loves her biggest brother!

Caden with my Mother's Day Marigold's that he planted in Kindergarten, finally blooming!

And here we go!!

.. And there they go!

The kids at the bus stop.. unfortunately we have to walk around the corner to the bus stop rather than getting picked up right outside the house.. it is fine now, but I think we'll be sitting in the car on rainy days and in the winter.

  

These guys are so silly!  It is great having such super neighbors with kids and adults that get along!  And since we both work we are alternating days going late to work to get the kids on the bus.

My big guy, so proud of him!!  I should also mention it was Rob's first day of school too! 

Here comes the bus!

Since our Cole was in a bit of a mood he was off doing his own thing, you can see him up in the top left corner.. the funny part of the morning was that the bus stopped to let him on!! hahaha!! We had to waver her on for the real school kids!

And they took off for the bus without even saying goodbye!

Thankfully the bus driver stopped them so we could get a photo and a hug goodbye!

.. And off he went! 

And so as not to cry I took many.. many pictures of the bus going away.. Kelly almost got me going (the sap! hahaha!), but I held together with some welling up that a quick swipe took care of.. phew!

And while the big kids were at school we had some playground fun, which was quite hot.. so we cooled off with the sprinkler.

.. getting sleepy!

Why do kids love to spray their bottoms so much?!!

And we thought only the boys played "battles", but I bet they don't battle to win a princess wand :)

Time for the bus again!

First one off!  And Rob made it home in time to make the bus so he made a beeline for Daddy.. better him than knocking me over with the camera!  I'm not sure why we didn't take a first day buddy picture.. something to remember in future years.

A successful day!  He wants to go back!  And he even answered our questions and gave us details about his day, it was very exciting than the usual response to our questions...  "I don't remember".  Today he had art and he came home with an amazing picture!  I am still do not fully understand how he did it.. but either way it is pretty cool!

  

And after the first day Kelly had the wonderful idea to go for ice cream to celebrate!  Can't pass that up!  So we had ice cream for dinner, and spaghetti and meatballs with garlic bread for dessert!  (Special meal request from the school kid!)

Big school kids!

Love all these kids!