179 months old

 

Britton had so much fun at Texas A&M Galveston Sea Camp!  She was in the coastal ecology camp, with ages 12-15, and got to indulge in all things marine biology - dissections, wading through the marshes looking for specimens, riding in the boat, going to the aquarium, and so much more.  Unfortunately, a storm came through while she was there, so their beach bonfire got rained out, but I think she'd say she got to do enough to make it worth going (her roommate's boy drama notwithstanding).

Britton has been working on her volunteer hours this summer, making cookies and rolling silverware.  And she got to celebrate her friend's birthday with a fun stroll through the outdoor shopping center (while us moms went shopping too, just not with the girls).  She's officially halfway through her summer vacation!

Likes:  playing Roblox and Dress to Impress with her friend Jody

Dislikes:  the mildewy smell of her camp clothes - everything was damp!

barrett: 133 months old

                                           

We're knee-deep into June!  Barrett has fully embraced summer vacation.  He's having fun swimming in the pool, sleeping in, and playing too many video games. He's at his first sleep away camp, and while I worried about him going because Barrett does not like new things, he's acclimated pretty quickly and is enjoying himself.  Other than the choppy boat ride!  He's at Texas A&M Galveston Sea Camp (with Britton, though she's in a different camp group) and living in the dorms this week.  They are learning about marine animals, doing dissections, visiting the aquarium, strolling through marshes to collect samples and do experiments and science stuff, and going out on boat rides.  I hope he remembers his sunscreen!

Likes: cooking!  And he's getting really good at it!

Dislikes: when his bangs get too long and flop into his eyes

178 months old

We're squarely into June now!  School is over and summer vacation has taken over the house.  Britton immediately started sleeping in every day, which is fine by me because she spent the last year getting up at 5:30 am every morning.  She starts art camp next week with some clay and sculpture, then it's off to sleep away camp this year for a week.  June is going to go by so quickly!  

And she hasn't forgotten about softball. Britton and the hubs have started training at the gym together, and then they do batting practice together!

Likes:  Nella the cat, starting driver's ed this summer, Dress to Impress game on her iPad

Dislikes:  the Texas heat and mosquitoes

barrett: 11 years old

 

Barrett's birthday was on a Tuesday, so we had his party the weekend before.  We started the day with a soccer game, where Barrett scored his first goal this season!  

Then we went home and decorated for his birthday party - we finally got away from the pool party and did a video game truck!  It was so easy - they pull up, push the power on, and the kids could play any game they wanted.  I even took a turn at the driving game, but was so bad at it that I gave up pretty quickly.  

For Barrett's actual birthday, he picked dinner out at Mia's Table, then we had a Baskin Robbins polar pizza for dessert.  I'm a big fan of getting to blow out candles on your birthday, even if you already did it a few days before!  

Barrett got so many Roblox gift cards from his friends (it must have been his answer when anyone asked!) and we got him a Zeke Elliott Ohio State jersey, a Ceedee Lamb shirt, a Woobles Ravenclaw kit, a capybara lamp, and some other random fun things he's been interested in.  Memaw and PawPaw hooked him up with new clothes!  Aunt Jessica got him some fantastic Lego postcards, including London and Japan, and he's already almost finished constructing them.  Cammy got Barrett some new sketchbooks, which he's excited to fill up since he's taking art as his elective next year.  

Likes: reading!  We took a break from reading after some intense Harry Potter books, but we're back to reading together every night, then he requests more time to read before turning off his light.  We're currently reading "Ban This Book" by Alan Gratz - it's fantastic!

Dislikes: thinking about the end of the school year - it's his last year at his elementary school, and he's going to miss it so much.  Like his mother, Barrett isn't good with change.

177 months old

It's already May!  In just a few weeks, Britton will be finished with her freshman year of high school.  It has all truly flown by.  She's ready for exams to be over and the summer to start - probably most looking forward to not getting up at 5:30 am every morning and getting to sleep in!  

Britton had her softball banquet this week.  Her JV season is over, but the varsity team went into playoffs, so she and a few of her teammates went to watch the playoff games.  Sadly, they didn't progress, but it's been fantastic to see the JV girls supporting their varsity counterparts.  They cheered each other on at the banquet, and I'm still amazed at how close they've all gotten.

Likes:  iced coffee drinks, her weighted blanket (which I've borrowed to catch up on sleep), wearing hoodies despite the heat

Dislikes:  all of the last-minute projects and quizzes before finals

barrett: 131 months old

                                            

If you saw Britton's post, you know why I'm so late here!  It's felt like the busiest month in forever.  Barrett had his spring choir concert this month and the choir gets to perform the national anthem at a Rice baseball game in a week.  He's happy that early morning practices are over!  We are gearing up for Barrett's 11th birthday next month, and he's decided on a "gamer" theme because we got a video game truck.  This thing is so cool!  They bring a trailer to your house and the kids play video games on a ton of screens.  Barrett has had pool parties the last few years, so it was time to mix it up!  This weekend Barrett started soccer.  He would probably like soccer more if it wasn't so hot out, but that's Texas for you.  He really wants to do football, and I found a fun football camp this summer for him to learn the ins and outs.  Plus, both he and Britton are going to a sea sleep away camp where they get to learn all about marine biology and other fun sea-related topics!  This will be his first time at sleep away camp, so I'm glad Britton will be there to keep an eye out for him.

Soccer action shots!

Likes:  cold weather, baseball and football trading cards, drawing with Posca markers

Dislikes: having to get up early

176 months old

                                                      

Yep, I know I'm a bit late here, and honestly, if Memaw hadn't reminded me I might have forgotten April altogether!  It's been a busy month, let me tell you.  Britton is still in her softball season, which is wrapping up April 19th.  Cue my sad face!  Because I have found myself really enjoying her games and getting to know her teammates better.  They are such a fun group of girls!  Britton is ready for school to be over (not me!) and for the summer to start, but neither of my kids are self-starters when they don't have school so I like that school forces them to get up and get going.  

Some shots from Britton's games:

Likes:  salted caramel cold foam, Nella, softball

Dislikes:  her English class because her teacher irritates her to no end