154 months old

Britton is off to camp tomorrow!  She's really excited to go back, since the majority of the girls she bunked with last year are coming back for the same session.  She's signed up for jewelry making, leather works, piano, archery, pottery, and a host of other activities.  For the first time, horseback riding isn't mandatory, and Britton is relieved because she hasn't really enjoyed horseback riding.  I feel like the two weeks will fly by, and we'll be right back picking her up.  When Britton is away at camp, I like to take on a project for her room - she isn't there to complain that I'm messing up her room, and I can get done what desperately needs to be done.  Last year it was installing her bookcases.  This year, I'm cleaning out her closet!  I'm going to take all the clothes she never wears and put them in a box for 6 months - if she doesn't ask for them back, they are getting donated!  I also got a tower to put in her closet to hold her sweaters and sweatshirts - they take up way too much room being hung up.

Swimming is going well this year!  Britton's a natural swimmer (she didn't get it from her mother, let me tell you), and prefers freestyle over anything else.  She'll miss two swim meets while at camp, but she'll be back for the last two.  Unfortunately, missing meets means she won't be eligible for the Meet of Champs (she can't make up the point deficit), but she absolutely refuses to move her camp session because she already knows everyone in her session.  

Likes:  Nella the cat, missing two weeks of swim practice

Dislikes: packing for camp

 

barrett: 9 years old

Look who's 9!  Barrett had such a fun day planned out for his birthday.  We had to schedule his party for next weekend, since Britton was on a field trip all day today, and Mother's Day plans would mean a lot of kids couldn't attend a Sunday party.  So, instead, Barrett wanted to go to Main Event for some bowling and air hockey!  We did, and invited Memaw and PawPaw too, the came back to the house for presents and ice cream cake.  Then for dinner Barrett chose In-n-Out Burger.  By the time the day was over, we were all tired!  Barrett spent the better part of the afternoon putting together his Lego passenger train and his Lego Jurassic World boat - which floats!

Likes:  Legos, trains, airplanes, designing cruise ships on the computer and then sinking them

Dislikes:  losing the last baseball tournament game - he took that hard

 

153 months old

Tonight Britton had her last band concert!  She's decided that she doesn't want to stay with band in the 8th grade, and wants to try out something new instead.  I will miss going to her concerts and seeing her and her friends get excited for their band competitions.  But I also know that playing an instrument can be really time-consuming, and I don't want to force her into a class she doesn't want to do.  Such is life!

Britton is gearing up for STAAR testing and final exams, then she will officially be an 8th grader - I can't handle it.  How is she already getting ready for her final year of junior high school??  I've got a fun summer planned for her - she's going to her sleep away camp for two weeks, then some adventure camps in town (during the day, with Barrett), and a production of Cinderella!  If I can find a softball camp, I'll absolutely be signing her up.

Spring Band Concert

Likes: Trader Joes coffee bean mini ice cream cones, "Heartstoppers" series (tv and books - so good!), being finished with band concerts forever

Dislikes: standarized testing, when Nella the cat refuses to be cuddly

barrett: 107 months old

We're one month out from Barrett's 9th birthday!  Party prep is in full swing.  Barrett chose a "cruise ship" theme, which is actually kind of hard to make into a birthday party, since most inspiration photos are of retirement parties!  We decided on a pool party, and decorating with a cruise ship centerpiece, nautical flags, tons of beach balls in the pool, and captain's hats as favors.  I haven't gotten to throw a party at home for years (thanks to Covid) so all my creative juices are flowing!

As you can see from Barrett's shirt, baseball is in full swing!  He's got games throughout April and into May, and is really enjoying practicing with his team.  Every practice he learns something new, and improves just a bit more than the last practice, and I think he's finally getting the hang of it.  

 Likes:  Judy Moody series - he's re-reading it, "Because of Winn-Dixie," and the Roblox game where he can build amusement parks

Dislikes: being hit by the baseball - that took his breath away!

152 months old

We're cruising fast to the end of the school year, and I've now spent way too many work hours getting the kids into various summer camps.  Britton is going to her same sleepaway camp for two weeks, and then to the YMCA day "adventure" (code for outdoors, in the Texas heat) camp for two weeks with Barrett.  She doesn't want to do a theatre camp this summer - last year's was a bust - and is in that in-between age where she doesn't necessarily need to spend the entire summer supervised and entertained.  But I'm still working from home and need someone else to be in charge, so we'll see how we fare.  

We're going to a rose emporium tomorrow to pick out some new roses for the backyard - everyone gets to pick out one.  This might be the first time Britton has been excited about gardening!

Her junior high band just had UIL competitions.  They're letting parents attend, so I got to see the performance and the sight-reading portions.  They scored all "1"s which is the best score!

Softball is in full swing!  Britton is playing first base and right field this season.  Her batting has improved tremendously from last season, and she's made a few hits in the games!

Hitting that ball!

 Likes:  softball, biking to the library to get books, roller skating

Dislikes: 7:00 am band practice for UIL - good thing it's over!

barrett: 106 months old

Barrett is two months away from turning 9!  I can't believe it, time is just rushing too fast.  Barrett has started baseball, and is still doing tennis.  This makes Wednesdays a ridiculous riddle, as we need to get tennis done, then dinner, then off to baseball for almost two hours.  His team is the Pirates, so we've already ordered some Pittsburgh Pirate gear to wear to the games!

Barrett has been taking an art class after school on Tuesdays, and today was his last session.  He's really enjoyed it, and designed his own "Dogman" themed skateboard today.  

Southpaw, gets it from his mom

Likes:  "Dogman" series, "Cat Kid" series, spring break

Dislikes:  the pacer test in P.E. and curl ups

151 months old

Britton went to her first concert last night!  She got tickets from Santa at Christmas, and has been patiently waiting 3 months to see Marina live.  My only exposure to her music is from Britton playing it in the car (she hates anything I play on the radio), but it didn't matter - the show was so fun and beautifully set, and Marina is an amazing singer.  The opening act was.....ummmmmm......interesting.  Just a girl playing songs on her computer (not sure that counts as a "DJ") and two dancers in masks on either end of the stage.  Some of the dances were bordering on X-rated, and poor Britton had to deal with me cringing next to her and covering her eyes!  But they were only on for a few minutes before Marina came on, and she was who we were there to see.

Softball is in full swing!  Picture Day and Opening Day are tomorrow, though they have already had 2 games.  Britton played right field last year but has moved to first base this season.  She loves the girls on the team, though none were on her team last season, and everyone is basically new to each other. They've bonded quickly, and two of the moms are coaching.

Likes:  grocery store sushi for lunch, getting her first concert tee shirt (monthly pic)

Dislikes: waking up after staying out late on a school night