More Summer Fun

We did a good job of breaking up the remainder of summer vacation with mixing up time at home, with family beach camping and summer day camps.

ADDISYN (8yr) went to "Extreme Art" half-day camp at the local YMCA and loved it.  Then she and her friend Kiersten went to their first Girl Scout "Mini-Resident" sleepover camp at Camp Whispering Oaks in Julian.

PIPER (7 yr) attended a full-day CYP theater camp through Girl Scouts, performing excerpts of "Alice in Wonderland" on the last day.  Performing was fun for her, and at home, we continued to listen to the sample CD for days on end.  Then she attended a different session of the "Extreme Art" half-day camp at the YMCA.

The heat was strong outdoors at camp, so we may look into a camp that is partially indoors next year (theater?).

MARISSA (3 yr) wanted to go to "camp" too, so while her sisters were at camp, I took Marissa to "swim camp" -- which was swim lessons at the local high school (West Hills HS).  I also took her to the YMCA about once per week and swam with her to keep her comfort level up in the water.  This helped her because when we went to our friend Carissa's birthday pool-party in August, we played in the pool for almost 5 hours, and she swam/floated in their shallow area all by herself for the first time, even after a near-drowning scare (she fell down through the inflatable ring toy in the center of the jacuzzi, and I grabbed her out).

Before her lesson: "Show me how you float on your back and hold your breath."

PSA: Always watch your child...this is the inflatable she slipped through an hour later.

OMG!!!! She doing it!!! First time all by herself.
Now she thinks she needs her "magic wands" in each hand to swim.

The summer Olympics were in Rio this year and we tried introducing the girls to the Olympic spirit.  We recorded as much of the games as we could on DVR and watched at our convenience.  The girls learned about volleyball, water polo, bicycling, track, gymnastics, swimming, and synchronized swimming.  The girls enjoyed performing their version of rhythmic gymnastics and synchronized swimming in the middle of our living room (leotards on, jumping off couches and putting their feet in the air), and we enjoyed watching it!  How do I NOT have pictures of this!? I swear I took video, but I can't find it now.  Maybe I was laughing too hard--it really was funny. 

Our summer camping tradition continues, with beach trips to South Carlsbad, Silver Strand, and even a mountain trip to KQ.

Chris' cousins, the Ireland family, visited San Diego on their big summer trip, and Erika
and Alex even stayed the night at Silver Strand with us in our MH one night.  It was fun trying to get the timers on our cameras to work while propping them on top of an upside-down trash can to get a group photo with everyone in it.

The Synchronized Swim Water Show was July 30, the same weekend as camping at Silver Strand, so Karen and Piper took some time away to perform.  Piper participated just in the summer program this year rather than a year-long commitment.  She and I sang the Star Spangled Banner as a duet to open the show, so Piper has now sang the national anthem at a sporting event at just 7 years old.  My masters teammates were busy this summer, so I taught our routine (a medley of "Just Dance" and "Dancing in the Streets" by David Bowie) to 14 yr old Delaney and did a duet with her at the show.  Then with red eyeballs from not wearing goggles, we beat feet back to the campground to get there before the gates closed for the night, and mom drove our Jeep for the first time in the dark with no doors, and a time constraint--and we made it!  Piper and I slept in beanies with Knox in our hair and used warm wet towels to get the gel out in the morning.

Mommy and Piper backstage, with way too much make-up on.

Piper and Mallory, summer swimmers, lined up for dress rehearsal.

The set: "Rockin' the '80s"

Miscellaneous fun.... Sometimes I think I don't take enough pictures, and then sometimes I have too many pictures to pick from.  I do like how the pictures help me remember all the fun things we do.

Addisyn learning guitar from Papa Dave one day.

Daddy is a customer at their end-of-driveway "Icee Stand".

Addisyn at Carissa's bday pool party.

Rec swim at the public pool.

Addisyn jumping off the diving board.

Doing handstands with Alli G in her backyard pool.

Karen and Marissa at Grondona's pool.

Alli G and Marissa.

Popsicles in the jacuzzi--courtesy of daddy.

Our pool. 

Flying kites at the park by Seaport Village.

4 cousins in a row

Jacob and Marissa are buddies!

Fallen Officer Procession--we had a close up view of respect:
firefighters standing at attention on top of their trucks during the 4 hour procession.