Bible Camp 2012

I'll have to post some Bible Camp photos later in the week (we used to call it VBS - Vacation Bible School - when I was little).  Claire is in year 3 and Max is there for the very first time!  Brody didn't go this year, he is going to visit Grandma Cindy and Grandpa Steve in Ely for the week!  One of my fondest memories of VBS was lunch (home-packed bologna sandwiches and a baggie of Fritos!), so I am making sure Claire and Max get to enjoy the treats they are given at Bible Camp.  Today was S'mores Mix - a cup of honey graham cereal, mini marshmallows and chocolate chips.  I'm sure the sugar was a major overload, but hopefully what they remember is the treat of it!  Claire did not want to go into the 3 year-old class, so she stayed with Max and I in the toddler room.  She sure showed him the ropes!  He loved the kitchen (of course), and the tray of gravel with shovels and pails and trucks.  They played with Play Doh and made a scrapbook page with cool paper and stickers and buttons.  They open our day with a prayer for the kids (both Claire and Max folded their hands and stood quietly), and then we go to a whole group session of singing and dancing and a bible story acted out.  In the toddler room we play in many different areas - the tent, the reading nook, the kitchen, the water table, the gravel table (Max's favorite - he was belly laughing as he dumped out the gravel), the Play Doh table, the craft table, the slide and balls area, the baby dolls, the snack area, the musical instrument area, the bubble area, the riding bouncing ball (Claire loved giving this a try this year).

 

 We played and played and played.  On the last day, we went to Target to eat, Omi was too tired to cook!
 The shopping cart was Max's high chair!  The straws they gave the kids were a big hit!

Maverick

I stopped to see Maverick on my way home today.  This is how he looked.  He has a perfectly fitting new hat from Great Aunt Sue and a silly shirt that used to be his big brother, Brody's.  He is SO cute, right!  1 week old

And Then There Were Four!!

Our FOUR grandchildren!  Above is Brody in a rare quiet moment reading his favorite book at Claire's house - no, the big dog is not real!

Here is Claire posing in her favorite pose with a little dress that Papa and Omi bought for her in Jamaica before she was even born - it finally fits her 3 years later!!
Max and Claire are watching a video (a new thing for them).  Max is really into "babies" right now!

Here's our newest grandson, Maverick Barrett, just a couple of days old.  We are truly blessed!

Beading Project

Today was the first day of summer daycare without Brody (besides the days at the farm).  Brody is spending the summer with his new baby brother, Maverick, and his mommy (and daddy some of the time).  I have some "projects" planned for Claire (the big girl) while the boys aren't there to "help".  Today during Max's nap, Claire learned how to bead a necklace.  She did a great job once she got the hang of it.  Sometimes it takes a little while for her confidence to kick in, but with a little attention, she gets right into it.  I take a lot of shots of every event because usually only one turns out, but this sequence really captures the project from start to finish!

More Overnight Fun

Had to wash off all that "farm", right!  They seemed to enjoy the bath!  The next day Claire kept busy for a long time "painting" everything - toes, fingers, elbows, furniture.  After Max's nap, she even talked him into a mini-pedi!

Overnight at the Farm

Note how tightly Max is hanging on to Claire's shirt!  She's a pistol behind the handlebars!

Max and Claire spent the night with Omi and Papa at the farm.  Don't tell Brody, but Claire rode his motorcycle ALL over!  Even Max gave it a try, but he really just wanted to push the noise buttons!  After all that fun, we went to the Tasty Freeze in Lonsdale with Auntie Heather.  Claire had an orange Slush and Max shared a fresh raspberry M&M blizzard with me.  Auntie had a fresh raspberry sundae.