Where did the summer go?

The kids are off to school today. I'm not sure I am entirely ready for it.  I am looking forward to the regular routine again. But this summer has been so wonderful. The weather has been perfect. I'm afraid that by sending my kids off to school, this beautiful weather just might come to an end, and I am certainly not ready for that to happen.The summer has been so relaxing and crazy all at the same time. I wish we could have squeezed in one more camping trip. But oh well, we had plenty of adventures to fill our summer days. The kids have been super excited to get back to school.And now it's just James and Ella and I...what shall we do first?

Kathryn, Grade 6; Tansley, Grade 3; Kymberly, Grade 1.

Super Mom, or so they say.

I have to give a huge shout out to my amazing kids. We went camping this past week, just me and the kids We packed up and drove 5 minutes or so down the highway to our little prairie oasis, Goldsprings Park. The weather was perfect for hanging out on the newly improved beach, which we did every day, all day long. I met a number of people who were amazed that I would go camping with five kids all on my own. Then they would find out that we were in a tent and not a trailer, and their jaw would hit the ground. "Why would you come out on your own, with a baby, in a tent?" some would ask. "It just what we do, not usually on my own, but we've always done it this way, since I was a kid."  Then they would tell me I must be super mom, or something of the sort. If I am super mom, it's all because I have super kids. And I'd tell them just that. I couldn't do it if they weren't so awesome.
When it was bedtime, they went to bed, they helped with the dishes, they helped with the baby, they helped with the meals. It wasn't all perfect, we had a few rough moments, like our last night, when we got back to the tent late and there was weeping and wailing and gnashing of teeth from three of the five kids, and I am sure our new neighbours were super glad to see us pack up and leave the next day...it's too bad they hadn't been there the nights previous to see just how good my kids really were. We had a wonderful get away, and I would do it again in a heartbeat, or next summer for sure.

Those darn aliens

I just had this conversation...

James: "My back hurts"

Mom: "Let me see, oh, you have scratches on your back. I wonder where they came from."

J: "From outer space."

M: "They came from outer space? Was it an alien?"

J: "Yes, they came from there." pointing towards his closet.

M: "The aliens are in your closet?"

J: "Yes, they are scary. And I have snakes in my room. Under here." pointing under his bed.

M: " You have snakes in your room too?"

J: " Yes. Can I have a peanut butter sandwich?"

And just like that the conversation was over.

A Geocaching Road Trip

We have always enjoyed a good road trip. We love to drive to small little towns on back roads through the middle of nowhere. This summer we have discovered the fun of geocaching. Geocaching is a global treasure hunting game using GPS coordinates. Caches can be found in cities, in towns, in parks, and best of all, in the middle of nowhere. This game was meant for us. Currently there are approximately 2,173,442 geocaches hidden worldwide. We have found 43.

Wednesday we planned a little day trip around three of our favourite things. First, a good road trip to nowhere. Second, a magnificent dam. Third, the hunt for geocaches. We headed south to Conrad, Montana and then west to a little place called Dupuyer where we made our first two finds. One at the local campground and one at the rest area just outside of town.

We then headed further west to the Swift Dam. Just before the dam we found a cache in a pile of rocks and then near the base of the dam we found another one in a tree. While we were there we checked out the dam from the bottom, from the top and from the side. Kymberly attempted to make her own little dam from rocks and moss. Tansley played with rock snot and Kathryn and dad took a trek right up to the base of the dam. There was also this awesome rustic campground that would be great for just getting away and relaxing.

Next we headed off in a somewhat northeast direction past a place called Valier. We wanted to stop at the rock city to grab a couple more caches but it was getting late and kids were getting hungry and the two at the rock city would require a little bit of hiking.. These two would have to wait for another day when we had more time. Instead we headed out on another backroad to find two quick park and grab caches. The first was down by the river in this amazing picturesque valley. I didn't go along for this one because Ella was starving, But the kids all went with dad. The next one was just up the road, with an incredible view of some awesome rock formations.

By now it was really getting late and way past supper time, so we headed to Cutbank to get some Pizza before heading home. It was a beautiful day to be out exploring. Can't wait to do it again!

Broken

About a week ago, my girls were up at the school playing, when they saw this bird that looked to be injured. They were concerned, so they went a little closer, the bird hopped away, with it's wing looking hurt until finally it flew off. That's when they discovered a little nest made out of rocks that had three eggs in it. They were smart and left the nest alone. But they were excited about the possibility of watching them from a distance. They described what the bird look liked, so we did a google search. As soon as they saw a picture of a killdeer they were certain it was it.

Nearly every day they have gone up to see how things are going, but they have got increasingly worried as they haven't seen the moma bird since the first discovery. Yesterday they wanted to bring the eggs home so that they could take care of them. I told them that wouldn't work, for one you just can't take the eggs on the assumption that the moma bird is gone. Secondly we have no way of incubating the eggs and even if we did how would we ever take care of baby birds? I sent them with my camera so they could take a picture of the nest so they would have it as a memory, and assured them that this was nature and nature would take it's course.

They got a little closer than I would have suggested. They took a friend with them yesterday. It was the first time they had shared their special secret, a decision that would prove tragic. When they went to take pictures they had seen some bigger birds lurking in the area. They were concerned that the big birds would get the eggs. Once again I assured them that this was nature and sometimes nature doesn't seem fair. This morning they came home devastated and in tears. The eggs were gone. The big birds must have got them. Oh my poor sweet hearted children. I tried my best to comfort them. To once again talk about the circle of life, the ways of nature. That sometimes that's the way things go. It wasn't much, but that's all I could offer.

Their friend came over again today. They went on a bike ride. When they came back, my girls were very somber. I asked what was the matter. "The big birds didn't get the eggs." They began to cry. "Bradley squished them. I don't know how he found the nest. They didn't die right away, but they didn't make it." This is when their friend speaks up. "I tried to stop him, but he wouldn't listen." she says. And that's when I knew that my poor girls had been betrayed by their friend. She probably didn't mean to, she probably said something like "hey, you want to see something cool?" and then showed off the nest. And well, we now know what happened next. While out on the bike ride, their friend showed my girls what was left of the eggs and told them what had happened. Now I have nothing to console them with. This wasn't just nature taking it's course. This was cruel and heartless and selfish. This is mean and wrong and heartbreaking. It's the sort of thing that shouldn't happen, but sometimes kids think they need to be mean to be cool. Whether that's picking on other kids, or picking on creatures that can't protect themselves, it's all the same. I told my girls, that sometimes special secrets are meant to be kept just between sisters and not shared with those that you can't trust 100%, and this particular friend of theirs, unfortunately, has proven in the past to be one that isn't 100% trustworthy. What a crappy lesson to have to learn.

3yr old Hiding Places

I'm sitting here playing with Ella in the living room. The sound of James grunting slightly wafts in from the kitchen. I turn to look, he has the fridge door open. He is crouched down looking into the fridge.

Mom "James, what are you doing"
James: "Hiding"
M: "In the refrigerator?"
J: "No, not a refrigerator, just a fridge."
M: "Why are you hiding in the fridge? are you pooping?"
J: "Yes"
M: "You are pooping in my refrigerator?"
J: "No, not a refrigerator, just a fridge."
M: "You are pooping in my fridge?"
J: "Yes."
M: "Well, why don't you go hide in the bathroom and poop in there, that is where you are supposed to poop."
J: "OK"

and off he goes, sits on the potty and poops there. Why can't it always be so easy?

Kathryn's Contraption

Kathryn was looking at my summer fun board on Pinterest to get some ideas of something different to do. She got an idea and went to work. This is what she created with a few pop bottles, duct tape and some shish kabob skewers

a simplified version of the pin that inspired her

Yep, she's a creative kid.