britton: 12 years old!

Geez Louise, not only did I forget to post Britton's monthly picture, it was her birthday no less!  And I forgot Barrett's too.  So, let's remedy this, shall we?

Britton is now 12 years old!  She decided that this year, she didn't want a big party.  She wanted to go bowling with some friends and the family, do cake, open presents, go to In-N-Out Burger for dinner, then go to the new Jungle Cruise movie.  A full day of celebration!  

Birthday sprinkle pancakes - a tradition!

Britton may not have had a big birthday party (in fact, one of her two friends she invited had to cancel due to covid exposure), but that didn't stop us from decorating and theming it out.  Britton's favorite animal now is the jellyfish, and it was a surprisingly fun birthday theme for me to run with!

This week, Britton starts 7th grade!!!  Next month, she's also starting softball, which has her both nervous and excited, since she's never played before.  She reads more books than anyone (adult or kid) I know ridiculously fast, and remembers every book too.  She finds obscure bands on You Tube, falls in love with them, memorizes lyrics, and for that she is definitely her mother's daughter.  Britton is still playing the clarinet - she made it into the symphonic band for this school year!  And while she's still shy and because of that can come off as detached or uninterested, she's super silly, sweet, and loving with friends and family.

Likes:  Sanrio characters, her new phone, playing Roblox with Barrett (this might be his "like" more than hers)

Dislikes:  waking up early, having to ride the bus this school year

 

barrett: 98 months old

Barrett has been camp-happy this summer - I think I was trying to make it up to both him and Britton about every single thing ever being cancelled last summer.  He's been to "Mission to Mars" camp, tennis camp, and adventure camp which was entirely outdoors.  I think he's camped out, which is fine, because he's hanging out with Memaw and PawPaw for the rest of the summer.  This was Barrett's first season on swim team, and he learned the strokes really easily.  His best is the backstroke!  He's hooked on the swim meets (might have something to do with the snow cone truck) which is great, because both kids are doing swim team every year.  It's such great exercise, plus they learn to compete, set goals, and celebrate achievements!

Likes:  Super Mario Brothers, playing tennis with his new racquet, discovering new bike trails with me

Dislikes:  having his braces tightened 

143 months old

It recently occurred to us that Britton's 12th birthday is in a month!!  I feel like this summer is flying by (maybe just because last summer didn't?) and it snuck up on me.  She doesn't want to do a big party, and instead we're going to plan a fun day out, dinner, then cake at home, with family and her best friend.  It's been an intense summer of fun - Britton spent two weeks at sleepaway camp, then came back to softball camp.  I also enrolled her in a theatre camp, which she wanted nothing to do with after the first day.  Well, not every camp can be a winner, so I'm happy that the first two worked out so well!  Britton was excited to make it back home for the last swim meet of the season.

This year, Britton and I applied for and were accepted into the National Charity League (NCL), a philanthropy organization for women and their daughters.  We will be in NCL from 7th grade until high school graduation, and have to volunteer a certain number of hours per year, and attend monthly meetings.  My friend told me that it's a good idea to try and get a jump on your hours over the summer, when schedules are a bit less hectic than the school year.  We've volunteered at a charity resale shop, restocking the clothing racks, and also went to the animal shelter to read to the cats.  Britton and her best friend also made the animal shelter some fleece blankets, dog toys, and bandannas, last weekend.  

Likes:  reading to the cats, racing Barrett in the pool, sleeping in

Dislikes:  theatre camp that requires her to write a script and original song

barrett: 97 months old

Barrett finished up his soccer season this weekend, and I tell you what, it felt like the longest soccer season ever!  We tried out a new soccer org in town, and they have practice and the games back-to-back on Saturdays, which I thought would be really convenient.  But when that Texas heat hits, sitting out in the middle of a non-shaded field was brutal.

But while soccer is winding down, swim team is heating up!  Every morning I wake up Barrett at 6:30 am so he can get to swim practice at 7:00 am.  Next week he starts his first summer camp next week, and they include a golf and tennis camp, a "Mission to Mars" camp, a science camp, and an adventure camp!  I had to cobble together camps this summer, and luckily Memaw and PawPaw are helping out with transportation and watching the kids when they aren't in camp.

Likes:  Minecraft (especially when Britton will discuss strategies and characters with him)

Dislikes:  cold pools in the morning

 

142 months old

 

It's officially summer vacation for this girl!  She's living her best life right now - sleeping in, swimming every day, and getting ready for summer camp.  After researching forever, the hubs and I found a fantastic camp out in Hill Country, and Britton is going for two weeks this year.  I've planned on spending all day Friday packing her steamer trunk and ironing name labels into her clothes, towels, and sheets.  Every day she'll get to go horseback riding, swimming, and a rotation of tons of activities like archery, canoeing, riflery, pottery, and crafting.

But before she goes, she's got her first official swim meet tomorrow night!  Britton is in 7 events tomorrow, including the IM and relay, and her times were good at the practice meet.  She loves freestyle and detests backstroke, but in the IM, she'll have to do all four strokes.  Good luck!

Likes:  Nella the cat, Face Timing on her iPad with her friends, Arizona green tea

Dislikes:  the amount of different camps I've signed her up for this summer - sleep away, theater, softball, and art!

barrett: 8 years old!

Eight years ago, I gave birth to this amazing kid, who blazed into this world at 10 pounds, 10 ounces and 23 inches long, nicknamed "The Toddler" by the hospital nursery.  My gentle giant.  Barrett is an incredibly sensitive and loving second-grader, who loves every dog and cat he meets, and finds friends at every playground.  He's the most empathetic kid I've ever known, and has been known to cry as easily during movies as me!  He let's me snuggle him every morning in the "boogernook" (a term I think my mom made up, and which just means snuggling up real close).  

Barrett is funny, sweet, helps out without being asked, and if you think I'm making him out to be all sunshine and roses, well, I am.  If he has any faults, he came by them honestly, and inherited my knack for occasional laziness and his sister's reticence of doing homework until the last possible minute.  He's genuinely curious, growing carrots in our neighborhood garden and reading encyclopedias about ships.  Barrett's favorite clothes are his pajamas, and he knows how to get cozy and comfortable.   

Sprinkle pancakes for breakfast!

Barrett has a strong creative streak too.  He's been taking an Outschool Pokemon class, where he gets to make clay Pokemon figurines.  He draws and paints all the time, and loves hanging his pictures up around the house.  But his ultimate love is Legos, and he has a natural talent when it comes to creating characters and scenes out of Legos.  He does love the kits, but he also isn't beholden to the instruction manual.

The school marquee has his name up for his birthday, but the computerized sign is impossible to photograph

Likes:  Pokemon, Super Mario Brothers, Bruce Cameron books, swim team, riding his bike

Dislikes:  jumping into the cold water at swim team practice

 

141 months old

 

We're slowly creeping towards the last few weeks of school, and I mean slowly because it's not going nearly fast enough for the kids, and it's coming way too soon for me!  Now that I'm working from home, I've got to find day camps and fun activities for the kids, so they don't spend all summer staring at iPads and holing up in their rooms, and I can actually get some work finished without being guilt-tripped into endless drives to Target for snacks and park trips.  

Britton starts swim team tomorrow!  And halfway through the season, she'll be headed to sleep away camp in the Texas hill country.  Neither kid is excited about getting into a cold pool tomorrow, but I'm ready for them both to get back into the water.  The winter storm destroyed our pool heater, so it's been a while since we have been in the pool.

Likes:  the cat, reading every book she can get her hands on

Dislikes:  every single day camp I find in the local area (but not the sleep away camp - that's a like!)