School is Back in Session! (A Month Ago!)

 These last two months have been a whirlwind for us! Look, it's already October and I'm just NOW posting our first day of school pictures. I'm so far behind!

 HD was anxious to get back to school to see his friends, but ultimately was dreading going back. His friend, Sullivan, who was in his class in kindergarten and 1st grade, moved across town and is now going to a different school this year and this has really bummed HD out. Usually every day is bad because Sullivan isn't there. Poor guy!

JP was excited to go back to school to see his best friend too. He was really sad they weren't in the same class, but they sit together on the bus and play at recess so it's not so bad. 

Can you tell how our morning went? Hahaha! They just really don't like photo-ops with mom! After pictures were taken, we rode our bikes to school. I took Ms. Gail around the turn that leads to the tunnel and HD passed JP and inadvertently cut JP off in the process and caused him to wreck. That was fun too. Luckily his soccer socks helped save his knee from too much blood. Because the bike trailer had a flat tire, I picked the boys up from school in the car. I'm thinking JP was set on biking home and that might have been why he didn't talk after school. I took them out to frozen yogurt as a special treat and that seemed to perk him right up! 

Ms. Gail started pre-school after Labor Day and was SO EXCITED! She's been waiting for it for a solid year. Perry took the day off to recover from our vacation to Seattle (which I should be blogging about soon!) and was able to take his baby to school. She did so well! I think it helped having her go to the childcare the week before since I started filling in at work. The following week didn't go over so well with mom dropping her off. She wouldn't let go of me, and cried all morning to me about not wanting to go. Eventually her teacher just had to take her from my leg. Ms. Gail said she had so much fun when I picked her up though!

A Weekend of Camping + Hiking

I had this past weekend off work and it lined up perfectly with or plans! Last summer we weren't able to do many family excursions because I was always at work on the weekends. It was pretty frustrating, so this year I asked to have a few random weekends off work and it's been wonderful!

We had been wanting to take another camping trip with the kids and Grandma was wanting us to come out for an afternoon to meet a gentlemen she's been dating for a couple months named John. Perry and I decided we'd go camp, and meet up with them on Saturday. Getting ready for this trip out was a lot less stressful than when we went in June because everything was already together in our camping tote. I however forgot a few kitchen things...oops!

 After we drove around for a little bit, we settled on a site next to some others, and it worked our just fine. Once the tent was up, we spend about half an hour getting sticks and branches to make a fire. Hunter played in the river during this but JP was quite the help!

Ms. Gail also played in the river and was torqued that her dress got wet. It didn't help that going potty outside isn't one of her strong suits either...

In the morning after tossing and turning all night, we cooked up some scrambled eggs and bacon for breakfast. HD didn't eat much because his stomach hurt. We then headed to the cabin to meet John and head out with him and Grandma to hike to Morrell Falls. On the way up to the trail head, HD puked in the car. That was awesome...

 Once he threw up he felt much better and enjoyed running up and down the trail hitting things with his stick. Ms. Gail took the easy way up the mountain by riding on dad's shoulders. 

 She walked occasionally, but not for very long.

 On our way up, we stopped at this little opening for the kids to rest a bit. 

 John spotted a few huckleberries and picked a few for the kids to try. 

 Some hikers on their way back from the falls stopped and offered to take a group photo. Yay! All my kids are looking!

 

The falls was beautiful when we finally arrived! So calming to watch!

 Ahhhh.....

 [insert shameless selfie here] 

 On the way back down, JP found two caterpillars, who were later named Fred and Lucky, and carried them all the way back to Grandma's cabin. Ms. Gail attempted to carry one of her own home too, but later opted to put it in the mesh pocket of my backpack and ride on dad's shoulders again. 

She ended up falling asleep in his arms. Shortly thereafter, her caterpillar made its way out of the pocket and onto my hand where I jumped and flung it off before I realized it was her caterpillar. I told her that was going to happen!

 At the cabin, John grilled us mooseburgers for dinner and they were delicious! Before heading back to our campsite a few miles down the road, we had a cherry pit spitting contest and roasted marshmallows down by the river while HD looked for crawdads. At camp we wasted a little time playing on Snapchat. Hahaha!

This one kills me!  

 The next morning looked a little rough for the kids. When I left the tent they were all nestled in their bags, but by the time I came back Ms. Gail was just waking up.

 Poor JP hates mornings! Lol! 

 Again while we were packing up the tent, HD was down looking for more crawdads.

I went down to check on him right before he found "the biggest one I've ever seen" and he was so excited that he caught it! We spent the rest of the afternoon at home unpacking and cleaning out my car. By evening we started (and finished!) a 1000 piece puzzle, taking break to eat huckleberry pancakes for dinner! 

A Day Trip to the Lewis + Clark Caverns

The kids and I returned home from the round house after swimming lessons finished on Friday, and to stay it was a long trip would be an understatement. How many times do I need to say, "Keep your hands to yourselves!" Gahhh! Normally Hunter sits in the back by himself but with all the bikes I had to haul back, it just wasn't going to work, so the three kids piled into the middle row. It was a long ride home... but we made it.

I spent Saturday evening working at the hotel, and then first thing Sunday morning, all five of us piled back into the car for another road trip. I've been wanting to take the kids to the Lewis and Clark Caverns for a while and thought this would be the perfect time to do it.

 The hike up to the entrance was a little long for some short legs, but the view was perfect!

Ms. Gail was carried for most of the way, and when she wasn't, she enjoyed walking on the far edge of the trail. That girl.... JP walked/ran the whole way, where as HD needed to be carried because he was too hot. 

 Once inside we had to be extra quiet because the bats were sleeping. My nerves got me a bit when I glanced over this edge. Heights are not for me!

 The kids all enjoyed going down the Beaver Tail slide. (I think Perry liked it the most!)

 They always look so thrilled to have their pictures taken...

Perry and I managed to get a picture of us though! Aren't we cute though?

 The boys really enjoyed looking at all the cave structures. I was surprised to hear they wanted to go after that long hike at the beginning!

After we finished up at the caverns we headed down the road a short ways to play on the Ringing Rocks. Unfortunately we didn't make it all the way there. They are located up a winding dirt road, wide enough for about one vehicle. We were probably 1/2 mile away when we came up to a corner with a big hole and sharp rocks on the other side and I just couldn't make it over it. Not to mention it was starting to get a little stormy out so holding hammers wasn't a super idea. I checked the weather before I left to make sure that wouldn't happen too. Go figure. But at least we'll know what to expect for next time. 

Another Year of Swimming Lessons at the Round House

HD spent a week at the round house with Nanny and Papa, so we thought it was only fair that JP spent a week with them as well. I was a little nervous about leaving him there for a week, but he did fine. Nanny said he was really quiet, and didn't talk much. We FaceTimed a few times and even then he didn't say much, but when Ms. Gail, HD, and I returned the following Sunday, he was SO excited to see everyone. I think HD and JP really missed each other!

The four of us stayed for the rest of the week to do swimming lessons. (I stuck around so I could quilt a blanket I made for a co-worker!) 

 HD and JP had lessons together and both passed level 2, but they aren't strong enough swimmers to be in level 3 because they can't quite make it across the deep end yet. We're going to work on that this fall/winter. 

Ms. Gail wasn't quite tall enough for lessons on her own, so we took the Little Tikes class and she did amazing! She's a fish! I've taken her to the hotel to swim a few times, but she's always had her lifejacket on and would just float around, so I was surprised as to how comfortable she was swimming under the water. She'd jump in the pool and swim to me from 10-15 ft away without coming up for air first. Obviously she passed!

 We made a trip to Rudyard to see the dinosaur museum and the rest of place. The kids really enjoyed the old school house.

 JP even played a little number on his Great-Great-Grandma and Grandpa's piano (the one I was named after!)

 JP went to the dinosaur museum with Nanny the week before so he already "knew everything there was to know" about the museum. The kids even held a dinosaur bone, with Nanny's help!

 Ms. Gail wasn't too impressed with the museum. I think the dinos were a little to big and scary for her!

 We also wandered though the main museum and checked out the Canadian washing machine Nanny donated that was her Grandma's.

 As well as the sewing machine she donated as well. JP was really excited to show this to us!

 We also spent one windy morning flying HD's kite. I bought the kids kites a while ago, but it's never windy enough at home to fly them. The farm however... Ms. Gail took a turn flying HD's kite, and then immediately let go after I took this picture. I'm sure it would have been fun to watch Nanny and I sprint after it...

 HD was the one wanting to fly his kite, but one he did, he was over it. (It did take us a while to get it in the air...)

 JP seemed to enjoy it a little more. But not much more.

 I'm not sure we would have been able to fly it if Nanny wasn't around helping! Hahaha!

One night HD left me this note on his bedroom door. I went in and searched his room for him anyways. Turns out he wasn't even in there! He went down the hall and was sleeping with JP! Those two...

And one more blurb about the round house that needs mentioning - One morning early on in the week, Ms. Gail and I were heading out the door to go to swimming lessons, when she looks over to the bunkhouse where all the kitties usually are and says, "Oh mom! Look at all the kitties!" I look over to the bunkhouse to see not 1, not 2, not 3, but EIGHT (give or take) skunks running past! The rest of the week we were paranoid about the kids accidentally running into one. By the end of the week, the yard just smelled like skunk. Yum... I think they're down to two left. Glad it's them and not me! Hahaha!