Discovery Grove

For the past month or so we have been hearing chain saws, seeing wheelbarrows of wood chips passing by our back windows, hearing drills, seeing lot of ladders and caution tape. Why you say?

Discovery Grove

The Discovery Grove Kids Course is now finished and open! The girls are so excited about this new challenge here on camp and right below our back yard. Could a kid ask for anything better than a climbing wall, bouldering wall and a challenge course out their back door?

Sydney was asking for weeks when it would be done and if she would be able to be the first kid on it. Having your Dad be the Director of Adventure and Recreation has it perks (see The key man post) Sydney was a part of the measuring, the height placement and the fun factor of the planning. Well, finally she was able to test it out.



Stella's 'Tough face'.





Loving Life.

 Stella was encouraging Sydney the whole time. Watching and jumping up and down for her. We asked her if she was ready to go on the course. She just replied. " Not yet".

 Syd was feeling so comfortable up there she was hamming it up for the camera. Love that kid.



This was the beginning of the tough part. She had already done the beginning twice. She was pretty tuckered out. She tried and tried to get across this part. She was showing a little fear on her face, but she was determined.




Nate trying to help Sydney out.



She absolutely loved it. She took to it like eating a piece of cake. She couldn't get enough. She was so confident and adventurous.  This is the look of pure joy.  After it was all over, we asked her what her favorite part was.
"Well, that wood cookies part was really really hard and I got stuck. but Dad and Nick helped me. I think that was my favorite part."
She is such an amazing kid that she loves the challenge. Sees how it pushes her, and loves it.

Reading

Sydney is a BIG time reader! She really can read just about everything. She has been reading to Stella before nap time, reading chapter books, magazines, e-mails. You name it. Last night she was reading a book to Nate about owls, which included the words; species, nocturnal, Australia, and talons. She read them all like cat and the hat. It is so fun to see her love of reading grow even more.

dirt

A little dirt never hurt.

My girls are off making fairy cakes, mud soup, and collecting rocks, pinecones and leaves. There is lots of dirt. Lots of laundry. Lots of dirty fingernails. Lots of fun. Lots of imagination. I wouldn't want it any other way.
Some of my favorite childhood memories playing at home are in my backyard. Playing in the tiny creek. Pretending to fish with a stick. Making damns, digging in the dirt. Walking through the 'jungle' down the creek.
So happy my girls get to make the same sort of memories.

CAUTION: Lots of Potty talk below.

We have started to do potty training with Stella. I really wish I remembered more of potty training Sydney. I just don't. It just seemed so easy. So I feel that I am at such a loss with Stella. She wants to go on the potty, she doesn't want to go on the potty. She pees in the corner, she pees in the potty.

Today she was in undies for the morning and was doing great. She went pee pee 2 times and was SOOO proud of her self. We were playing and she ran into the bathroom saying, "I have to go poo poo!!!!!!". Sydney and I ran in cheering. Stella wanted some 'privacy'. So we left and I told her to tell me when she was done so I could help her wipe. She came out of her bedroom ( one of the bathroom doors lead into their bedroom) and said, "momma, I need you to get a Kleenex to pick up my poo poo."

I was very confused. i heard her get on the potty. My mind in now spinning. I go into her room and find a little poo poo sitting halfway on halfway off a wet wipe on the floor.

So many things to say about that,

Stella you pooped on the floor!

Good job for not going in you undies!

It is on the carpet!

Thank you for putting a wet wipe down.

Ahh potty training...... maybe I need to wait till she can run pantless outside?