First Month of Summer Recap

Well, all the lovely plans and events I had signed the boys up for to occupy their summer have not gone, well, as planned lol.  Swimming lessons were first, and they did go well.

Ds4 practicing his kicks.

Ds3 and his class (ds3 and ds4 had different classes, but the same instructor.)

Ds2 in the deep end!  He had the same instructor as last year, and she remembered him.  He improved a lot this year in his side swimming and other strokes as well.

 

During the last week of lessons, ds4 took ill (with a virus acquired from the pool no less) and he missed his final three classes, and I missed the other boys' last lessons to stay home with ds4.  This illness lasted a while and spread, causing us to miss ds3's junior ranger camp, ds4's sea star camp, a building workshop at Lowe's, and the first two movies in the free movie series!  However, this week we had all recovered enough for ds3 to attend the second Junior Ranger camp.  It was a very fun day for all of us.  We had never been to the part of the Gulf Island Seashore area where the camp was held, the Naval Live Oaks.  Very pretty, quiet, relaxing area on Pensacola Bay.  We checked ds in and the ranger partnered him up with two other children and off they went on a scavenger hunt. 

Getting registered.

Off on the adventure!

The camp would last 3 hours, so I figured the other boys and I could hang out along the "beach."  I set up a chair and the boys took off for the water.  Now, this is not a beach like our area is famous for...no sparkling white sand, no green-blue gulf waters.  But the area was secluded, had some trees for shade, and offered a gorgeous view.  There was a sweet little breeze to keep us cool and the water was nice and clear. 

We were even treated to a "private" show by the Blue Angels!  They were practicing for their show on the beach later this month and we had a neat view of some of the maneuvers as they flew over and around the navy base.

The wonderful view.

The boys built a little house.

My muscle man!  What a cutie.

After a lot of sand play and swimming, we packed up and headed back to the main pavilion to meet ds3 (who had so much fun with the camp that he didn't even mind that he missed out on our fun lol!)  I had dropped ds1 off at a local store to fill out an application so we picked him up, headed to McDonald's for some lunch and went to a park to eat and play.

Fun in the tunnel.

Ds3 made even more friends at the park, and played with their Batman masks.

It was a wonderful day and I will definitely sign ds up for the camp again next year.  And they all want to go back and visit Naval Live Oaks again.  Now for the rest of our summer...we are going to visit dh's family for the 4th, we are signed up for the summer reading series at the library with meetings every Friday, and there are still a couple of free movie days left.  Also we will be celebrating ds2's 13th bday!!  Another teenager in the house, yea! LOL  And of course we will have some trips to the beach I'm sure.  Somewhere in there I have to buy books and make lesson plans.  Please, July, last longer than June. :)