and there she goes...

... again!

So, the fireworks were on Saturday, Sunday we spent about 9 hours in the car driving home and Monday Clara was packed up and gone again for a week of sleepaway camp with her friend from ballet and church...

Here are the girls hanging out while we waited in the registration line...
We got registered right away and were off to set the girls up in their cabin. They originally picked a pair of top bunks (this camp has triple decker bunks)... but decided it was just too hot up there. The settled on a pair of bottom bunks so they could plug their fans in and have them near their beds.

Clara immediately started pulling out her stash of craft goodies and her and her friend started to make things...
Clara and her stash of "duck tape"....
... this was the big thing this summer at her other camp so I had to send her a care package or two of "pretty duck tape".

The girls were so ready for us to leave but we did get them to pose for one last photo in front of their cabin...
So Clara spent just one night in her own bed before going off to camp again! I had Alex at home with me though. We had a great week (that I have no photos of). I'm not sure that I've mentioned this, but Alex is starting school in the fall. He's going to be going to a brand new charter school that has a focus of technology and digital media. Starting last week, this new school is running a two week "camp" to explore some of the technology that they'll be using during the school year. Alex is in HEAVEN!! Last week his class was called Short Circuits and they spent the whole week building... you guessed it... circuits! This week he's in the video game design class. He just can't wait until September! As an added bonus, he's making friends with some of the kids he'll be in school with! Playdates (I guess he may be getting too old for that term) are already being scheduled!! Besides camp, Alex and stayed out of the heat and watched all of the Harry Potter movies in order to prep for going to see the final one. It was a really good week!

the faux fourth...

For the past several summers, my parents host their annual Fourth of July celebration on the Saturday after the kids get out of camp. The past years, it was early, as the kids got out of camp on 6/25. This year their term started later and didn't get out until 7/16. That was a Saturday, so we pretty much went straight from camp to the party!! The kids (especially Alex) LOVE fireworks!

I didn't take a ton of photos... it was hot, I was taking video as well and I was busy visiting with cousins I hadn't seen in a while!

Here are a few of the kids with their sparklers...

Clara was very intent on writing something here...
Alex (Mr. Ketchup and Mustard...sigh) appears to be casting a spell....
:-)

And then he started trying to write stuff too...
The boy...
That's all I've got! There was a lot more going on... golf cart rides, lots of fireworks, glow in the dark sidewalk chalk, great food, homemade ice cream, etc. But I either didn't get photos/video or they didn't quite turn out right (apparently it's hard to document glow in the dark sidewalk chalk).

But here's the video...

kamp... the videos...

Here is some of the footage I took of the closing ceremonies for kamp. As you can see, I have a lot to learn about using this thing properly. I need to make my little clips longer. Like the one you'll see of the note Clara left for us on her cabin's porch. It seemed ridiculous, at the time, to film it for more than a couple of seconds... but when putting the video together, it was entirely too short of a recording to actually read the note. I'll work on it for next time. I have to remember that back at home, I can always make the clip shorter, but I can't make it any longer.



Alex's cabin award ceremony....


There is no footage of Clara's cabin award ceremony because that is the time that I referenced earlier where I forgot that turning the flip on doesn't mean that it's recording. So... I guess I stood there, pointing a non-recording camera at Clara and her counselors for a couple minutes and then pushed record (when I thought I was ending my recording). I have a couple of seconds of footage of the floor as I turned the camera off... sigh. She received the "Gentle in Spirit" award. I'm very proud of both of our kiddos.

kamp!!!

Fast forward to 28 days later and it's time to see the kiddos at kamp!!

I honestly don't have many photos from kamp. I decided this year to take more video instead (remember my goal to learn imovie that didn't happen). That's a great idea IF I could consistently work my camera. But, alas, I could not and I missed a few key events while we were there (I need to remember that turning the thing on does not mean it is automatically recording... sigh). So I will work on putting together the odd collection of clips that I have into some kind of video to post here.... just don't expect it to make sense :-)

Friday night was parents' night. We got to see the kids, have a little opening presentation.. then it was time to go to their cabins for cabin awards and then to see the performance specialties perform.

Here's Clara and her kamp bff....
And Clara and her wonderful counselors...
I have video of Alex from the first night but no photos. I have to tell you that it is chaos on that first night (a good, happy chaos, but chaos nonetheless). It is nearly impossible to get many photos especially if you're running back and forth between the girls' side and the boys' side.

After the cabin awards and stuff, we left to go out to dinner while the kids had dinner at the kamp. Later we returned for K-Life which is their worship service.

The next morning we had to be there bright and early for boys' flagpole and awards (7:45, I think). At the awards ceremony, Alex won this....
Honor Tripper!!! At kamp they always go on a camping trip during the term. Alex loves trip! This year he went on Island, which just happened to be the same trip I went on my first year as a kamper!! He now has two paddles as he was honor tripper his first summer at kamp, as well.

After that, we headed over to the girls' side for their awards. If you look closely, Clara is wearing a Widow's Mite necklace she was given for being an "invisible hero" (someone who does good without looking for recognition)...
Notice how tired Clara looks and how awake and refreshed Alex looks. Apparently the boys' side all went to be on time like good little kampers while the girls' side went nuts on their last night!! Clara's cabin took their mattresses off their bunks and all slept in one big group on the floor (not until after they used those same mattresses to "surf" down their stairs).

They had an absolute blast and have already insisted that we sign them up for another month next summer!!

I'm back!!!

We got a signal booster yesterday and now I'm back in business!

Now that the kids have been back from camp in Missouri for a week, I figured it was finally time to post the "heading to camp" photos and video :-)

It was dark and stormy when we arrived at the parking lot for them to catch the bus to camp. If you look closely, you can tell that there was quite a bit of electricity in the air as both of them have hair that is standing up off of their heads!
This is the photo I got after Jeff told them to "show some teeth"....
... the next time I would see Alex, he would have two less teeth! He lost two baby teeth while at camp. I think he lost one the day we got there to see them.

The rain subsided so I was able to get one raingear-less shot....

And here is an overly long video I put together of our trip to St. Louis and sending them off to camp. I had higher hopes for this video. I had fully intended on trying to figure out iMovie on my mac, but didn't. It includes all of the footage from my arch video too so just skip through that and it will be a little bit more bearable in length...

**please stand by**

We are experiencing technical difficulties. :-)

After getting Kirsty's comment I realized that I should probably let you know that we're all okay. Well, all except my computer. The problems started when I upgraded my operating system when we got the iPad. But I was still able to edit photos and videos most of the time. Now things are worse. What Jeff and I tend to do every year while the kids are away at camp is rearrange the house. So, this year we moved my computer (again, we moved it last year as well). Now it is at the furtherest point away from our wireless router and now, alas, I cannot connect to the Internet on my computer. I have lots of photos to post and video.., plus I have the potential to add a ton more this weekend.. I just have to get my computer connected (on my iPad now). I will confess that having the kids at camp was the downfall of my project 365 again this year. I made it until last Thursday. Oh well... I made it longer than last year. :-). I'm going to try to figure this all out next week so hopefully I'll be posting again soon!!