Great Wolf Lodge!

After Hurricane Irma messed with our plans for Disney World (which was supposed to happen this week), we scrambled and found a Groupon for Great Wolf Lodge. Our family and Uncle Jon and Aunt Meghan's family ended up there for a few days, and it was a wonderful family vacation!

First Day - Wednesday -

The kids loved the Kid Kabin room we booked! We stuck Daphne's pack n play in between the bunk beds and the twin bed, so they all got to sleep in there.

Meredith and Ella in the wave pool:

Jason, Russell, and Meredith loved the water slides! Meredith was not tall enough to do them all, but she did this one (below) and a few others. Uncle Jon loved the water slides too :)

GWL had great kids' activities in addition to the waterpark, like face painting:

Our Groupon came with $100 to spend in the restaurants, so we ate dinner ate the Lodge both nights. It was delicious!

After the show at the clock tower and story time in jammies. (Ava has really started to gravitate to Russell, and he loves it! He loves babies!)

Second Day - Thursday - 

We got all of our kids wands for MagiQuest - an interactive scavenger hunt with adventures and duels. Russell and Ella (whom we let borrow Daphne's wand) loved it the most!

Russell slayed the dragon!

Paige was scared of the dragon, so she and Daphne and I met Brinley Bear :)

Arcade time:

Down time - reading by the fireplace. I love the bond these cousins already share:

Family picture!

More face painting (and silly faces)! Meredith and Ella were both "rainbow kitties." Paige was a Monarch butterfly. Daphne got a heart on her cheek (even though you can't see it!)

 Third Day - Friday - 

The girl cousins all met up for early morning yoga:

 Then, more water park fun before checking out!

Bye bye, GWL! The kids are already talking about "the next time we go!"

Field Trips and Fall School Work

We went to an amazing science museum with friends a couple of weeks ago.

The kids LOVED the dinosaur trail and digging for fossils - probably their favorite part.

There was also a small pond where they had a blast steering toy boats.

I've been trying to make spelling more interesting for Russell and Meredith. Meredith loved this texting spelling list game. (She loves all things phone-related; 6 going on 16.)

We made cereal box viewers and watched NASA live coverage of the solar eclipse! We had 93% totality, which I thought would be darker than it actually was. They all really enjoyed it and Paige asks every other day when the next one is coming :)

School Days

Daphne began the T/Th 2s preschool class today! She might look skeptical in this picture, but it was only because she didn't want to stop and take a photo! She and her "little Bogie" (dog) walked right into class with no tears. She will have fun doing her own crafts while we're upstairs in the same church for CC on Tuesdays, and on Thursday mornings, I'll get a little extra time with the big kids while she has a fun preschool day!

She gets out just in time to eat lunch with us and our CC friends! See that smile? She loved preschool and she also loved joining us for lunch :)

Paige and Cataleya sat together during lunch :)

Meredith and the girls in her class (like Noelle) always stick together and have a good time!

Meredith and her class with their mirror image (symmetry) artwork:

Paige and her class learning about Columbus:

Daphne is 2!

Daphne also had a small family party for her birthday. She loved it! We all did :)

At 2, Daphne loves Paw Patrol, hot dogs, goldfish, pretending anything is a phone, reading board books, her paci, and doing everything her siblings do! She is speaking very well in simple sentences, and is very loud (probably so she can be heard in this family!) We love you, Daphne!

CC Ice Cream Party

So fun to have a party with (some of) our school friends! The kids loved it, and it ended up being on Daphne's birthday, so everyone sang to her :) 

First Day of School/First Day of Tae Kwon Do

We began our school year mid-July. Russell is in 2nd grade, Meredith is in 1st grade, Paige is in Pre-K, and Daphne is in preschool.  Russell, Meredith, and Paige are each in a Classical Conversations Foundations class on Tuesday mornings, and Daphne is about to start a 2s preschool class on Tuesdays and Thursdays (at the same church where our CC meets).

Along with all of our curricula for the year, we are continuing some extracurricular activities and starting some new ones. The kids are still swimming 2x/week, and Meredith is taking piano lessons with me. Russell has decided to start drumming again, so he is taking lessons with Jason for now, but will probably move on to online lessons within the next few months. Russell is joining a group called Royal Rangers at our church, and Meredith will be joining a similar group for girls called Keepers of the Faith. They are both scouting groups. 

Also, Jason, Russell, Meredith, and Paige are doing Tae Kwon Do together once a week and enjoying it!

So, we are keeping busy and grateful that we can!