terrible twos!

We are now a week and a half away from the terrible twos! Why is it that for some reason my little angels little brain does not understand that. She is going to be very advanced because it seems she has started already! Almost hourly she has a screaming fit about something or another. She won't stay in her bed, she won't eat, she won't share, she won't wear pants, she won't wear shoes unless she knows for a fact that we are going somewhere. Then it is over and the world is fine again! Isn't that amazing how the little mind can work? I know that Wynter had the same trouble but really do we have to go through it again with the second child? Isn't the second child supposed to be the perfect one that can do no wrong(speaking from a second child of course!)?

I hope everyone had a great 4th. We spent the day at the Edina and Chanhassen parades. My mom is on the minnesota equestrienne team, they do a few parades throughout the summer. My husband is the pooper scooper so we brought the kids along to enjoy the fun. They have never seen so much candy! Who knew that parades were all about getting as much candy as one can fit into a bag. We were fortunate enough to have someone give us a bag with a program and a flag in it at the beginning of the parade so we just happened to have a bag for the bazillians of pounds of candy that the girls were thrown. Fun was had by all until 2 am when we had dueling vomiters. Ahh, the joy of children that are too young to make it to the toilet. When does that happen anyway? I am pretty sure it is from the sandwich we had for lunch because only the girls and I had problems and we ate the same thing. Bummer!

In talking to people I know lately they are not sure what to think of me that I am not planning a three day celebration with as many people as I can cram into my house for Autumn's 2nd birthday. I haven't even really thought about it. I mean she is only two. Aside from looking back at the pictures is she really going to have any idea that there wasn't a great big celebration? I know people who make such a huge deal out of birthdays and then they spend more money than they have every year to make it a bigger and better party. I don't even know what to get a two year old. She doesn't really care about any specific toy right now. The things she likes she is done with in two minues anyway. She saw a doll she loved at the thrift store and just had to bring it home (thankfully, there was no tantrum involved in that one) and when things are less than $2 at the thrift store I thought why not. She hasn't touched her since! So really, why do I want to have a big extravagant party for a kid who is in the midst of the terrible two's who will be too overstimulated and probably just cry and scream most of the day? Doesn't sound like a great plan. So, I will bake her a cake. Wynter will decorate it. We will have pasta, the only thing she readily eats these days without putting up a fight and let the grandparents figure out what to buy her for gifts! :)

have a great day.

camp

We had an amazing week at camp. We didn't have very many kids but they were amazing! For those of you who don't know our camp here is some background. The camp used to be called Summer Assembly, a camp for senior high youth. Both Blaine and I attended camp in paynsville, mn when the camp was huge. Now the numbers have dwindled for an unknown reason and the name has been changed to Ultimate Challenge camp but, Blaine and I continue to be on staff and pray every year that the camp will grow. We have an amazing staff that just dedicates a lot of their time, energy and money into this camp. This year Blaine was a co-dean and I was again the counselor in training coordinator. The camp had 33 kids, I had 10 CITs and we had 18 staff. If anyone is looking for a camp to send their junior/senior high youth or your college age student(for CIT) to, please let me know. We will send a group to their church and do a great presentation. We hope to double next year!

For the first time this year, the weather cooperated. Many years we have had thunderstorm warnings or worse. Shane Burton was our speaker and he did an amazing job again this year. He always has something that the kids can relate to. He had more than one teenager dedicate their lives to Christ and I believe 5 kids who rededicated their lives and were re-baptized. Go God.

Wynter and Autumn came with and had a blast. They got to play in the water all but one day. Only because the chiggers came out at the end of the week. Blaine and Autumn got them really bad all over their legs. They were pretty miserable. Aside from that, the girls did a great job and Wynter can't wait to go back again next year.

I am not sure how kids do it with no sleep all week long. One of the staff, college student said that he had gotten about 15 hours of sleep for the week! Okay, being a mom you don't get much sleep but these kids do this on purpose. Imagine that!

water park

We spent the weekend in Brainerd, Mn. Blaine and I had our first inline marathon to compete in for the season. This happens to be my favorite marathon. Rolling hills, not a lot of people to get in my way and I won a prize last year and this year! We both completed the race and were happy with our times. Both got medals for our age classes. If only the rest of my races could go that well!

We got to spend a lot of time at the water park as well. At first the girls weren't so sure if they wanted to play in the water. Then...look out. They were sliding and splashing and didn't want to get out. Wynter was running around trying to make friends with everyone. If you know my daughter this is not typical behavior for her. She tends to be pretty shy. Autumn really enjoyed sitting in the the tube and floating in the mini river they have. We even got to play after we raced. Helped with the sore muscles.

Now, I just have to deal with the crabbiness of the kids and their mom for a few days until we get back onto our normal schedule. None of us do well when the girls don't get good naps and mom misses her break in the middle of the day. They are already whining and it is only 8am! yikes. Wish me luck.

new world for me!

The world of blogging!

I must be honest, there are less than 5 blogs that I go to. I do enjoy them, because I get to see pictures of friends and family and don't have to clog up my sad, pathetic dial up computer downloading them into my e-mail! So, I will now be sending my own updates of our family via blog. enjoy!