July 2013 . . .

Here's my top 5 activities thus far accomplished for July.

1 - On the 4 of July we announced we would be independent home schoolers.  We have left the parent partnership program we have been using for the last 4 years.  Schooling our boys just got a whole lot more expensive.

Here's some of the stuff I've bought over the years but have to give back. 

2 - To celebrate a decade of birthdays for my middle boy I organized a water gun war on one of the trails in Berthusen Park.  I didn't take any pictures but borrowed this one from a friend.  

That's my hubby, drenched from head to toe.  He took on a pack of well armed boys and came out soaked. 

3 - My oldest and I picked some berries this last week.

4 - My oldest boy went to summer camp this week with Papa.

The hardest part is not getting any updates.  There's no cell coverage, no text, no nothing!  My husband can go to India and China and I can Skype twice a day with him.  But there's no contact at camp. I sent a letter via snail mail.  I hope they got it.  I hope they use the self addressed stamped envelope to send me some news of how things are going.  I hope it gets here tomorrow.

5 - In June I put together a fun little activity I gleened from the Family Fun Magazine.  

I filled a small kiddie pool with sand and plastic treasures, marbles, craft stones and toys.  Then I poured water in it.  They had to pan for the treasure just like panning for Gold.

The only problem...

It looks like this a month later.

 Now, I get to clean it.

And here's a bonus just for fun...

In the 12 years I've been making the same banana, carrot muffin recipe I haven't until today messed up on the doubling of it.  I doubled everything except the flour.  It took me a while to figure out what I had done wrong.  They cooked up ok but are very dark brown.  The boys are not impressed.  I suppose they will eat them if they get hungry.