Harlem Globetrotters

Last night we went to see the Harlem Globetrotters play down in Wildwood.  Oh my gosh it was so fun!  They were great players--and their show was hilarious for kids and adults.  We had a fantastic family time :)

Swim Classes

Woohoo!  We graduated from level 2 in swim class.  We were in that that level for two summers--but he got all the skills he needed to move up to level 3 for next summer.  The really cool thing is that the pool is actually at his school-or rather the school he's moving up into to.  His last school was only Kinder and 1st grade.  This school is 2nd-5th and they have swimming for a whole trimester! Woot! 

Boardwalk!

I can't believe how much of the summer we let go buy without hitting the boardwalk!

Schmoo and I conquered our fears and rode the ginormous Ferris Wheel.

View of  one side of OC 

Schmoo's scared face :) 

 My scared face!

Then we had to ride it again later that night...

 

Other rides to be had...

OC is a wonderful place to be!

A visit to the Seaport

A group of us (9 kids and 5 ladies!) took the train into Philly, then subway, then walked our little hearts out to the Seaport Museum.  It was a day of transportation!  Train, subway, walking, avoiding buses and taxis, tour of submarine and warship then back again! 

Storybook land with T

Today we went over to Storybook land and we brought a friend!  Yay for me not having to ride any rides I didn't want to!  Schmoo's friend even helped him overcome his fear of the one ride he had never been on--and he LOVED it-they had to ride it about 5 times.  It was a gorgeous day on the Jersey shore!

Night in Venice

Every year Ocean City has a "Night in Venice"  which is essentially a boat parade on the bay side of things and a party all over the island.  We are lucky enough to have dear friends who live right on the bay and we got to enjoy the boat parade and little party of our own :)

The tooth from outer space...

Schmoo had an extra adult tooth come in and we had to have it surgically removed this morning. Tonight as I was tucking him in he said, "I'm pretty sure the Tooth Fairy brings more money for adult teeth since they're bigger. Probably fi... I mean ten dollars. Or maybe a gift card since this was a pretty big deal." Totally and completely forgot about the tooth fairy!

Up your nose with a rubber hose...

From last Thursday:

I totally have the heebie jeebies! Schmoo has had a congested cough for a couple of weeks now. I decided to take him to the Dr today just to check lungs. His lungs were fine and the Dr continued exam. Dr looked up his nose and said, "Hm, seems blocked. He got tweezers and pulled out a giant booger. (Are you still reading this?) Anyway, so he goes to look up his nose again and says "there's som...thing up there, come look." I look and about freak out. It looked plasticky, maybe blue-green colored. He tried to get it out but couldn't. So he is sending us off to ENT tomorrow. WHAT COULD IT BE?!?!?! Schmoo is 7, and has never put something up his nose--not even as a toddler. I am dying--alternately because I really want to know what's up there and because I really DON'T want to think about this anymore!

Then from Friday:

 

Announcement: the object has been removed! Cone shaped Lego piece. Dr estimates it has been up there approx 3 YEARS!

 

So last night before bed he remembered that he stuck a lego up his nose "a lot of years ago". He said it was when he went to Hess school-which was pre-k (4 years old). It was quite a painful experience for him to get it out today-crying, struggling, several instruments used to extract it and the ent had a tough time bc of the shape, material, position, etc. Getting it out caused a bloody nose and swelling so I haven't asked him about breathing yet. I seriously cant imagine having to breathe with that up my nose for years. Still freaks me out.

Apparently this problem runs in families...

One of these things is not like the other

More proof that I am out of my element here: Schmoo asks "what are those big suits that you wear to protect you?" Me "oh, that's a suit of armor". he says "no that's not it". My dear husband answers "you mean a hazmat suit?" Schmoo "yeah dad, that's what I was thinking of." What in the world? At least they understand each other!

This is only a test

So I finally joined the world of the smart phones and wanted to see how blogging from my phone is... Here's a pic Fromm phone at the Sting concert. 

Now how do I type under the pic?  

WE DID IT!

We survived this school year, that is.  I was quite stressed at the end of last summer knowing that we would all be out of the house all day 5 days a week--and I would have night class for 8 hours at night.  Ugh.  I had to take the class to get my teacher certification for New Jersey--and it lasted all school year, two nights a week.  Good lands.  Half way through the year we got called to go over to the Spanish Branch in Atlantic City and that meant additional changes as my dear husband was called into the Branch Presidency and to start teaching institute. We had quite a bit of juggling between his night commitments, my night classes, and full time work and school for everyone.  We were blessed to get through the year with few scars or drama :)  Now that the stupid class is over, next year should go even better :)  But for now we are basking in the joy of summer vacation...

We love the beach!

Something magical about the ocean!  I'm happy to be on a coast again--the beaches are lovely here.

 Checking out the water temp.  Yeah, I don't swim when it's 56!

My sweet guy!

 He didn't want the water to really touch him :)

 Waiting for 4th of July fireworks to start.  It was soooo awesome.  We went to Ventnor and were able to see the fireworks from Margate and A.C.  It was such an awesome evening-had pizza on the beach, saw the sunset, talked with people, and watched 2 sets of fireworks reflected in the Ocean. No bugs, cool breeze, happiness.

I love this face! 

And I love this man ;) 

 All kinds of advertisement up and down the Jersey Shore.  Planes fly by with banners and now boats with giant screens.  It cracks me up! 

 We have to buy ice cream on the beach.  This kinda really old (BUFF) guy pushes a giant white cooler up and down the beach.  We feel it's an obligation to help him out :) 

Beautiful beach day in Margate. 

And they say...

I'm sure most of you already know this, but in case you needed proof that I live with a pair of geeks: (in car conversation) Husband: I've had abnormally large mucus production. Schmoo: just now or throughout your life? Me: please drop me off somewhere so I don't have to be a part of this discussion!

And he writes...

I liked it better when Schmoo used to leave me notes that said "I love you" or "you're the best mommy ever!" Now I get "please modify". At least he said please.

And he says....first day of summer vacation edition...

It's going to be a long summer. Trying to run errands today and *someone* would not stop talking. Highlights of today's questions: what is a tampon and why are they selling it in the bathroom instead of in the store? If Martin Luther King helped end segregation why do we still have separate bathrooms for men and women? If we had one cup of salt water and one cup of fresh water which would take up more space? Are you driving under or over the speed limit? How many things does Target sell? Aaaah!

And he says...last day of school edition.

We finished the 1st grade!  Yay!  On the last day of school I was going through Schmoo's papers and one of them was a survey.  When asked: Name 3 things you would change about 1st grade. His answer "1) no homework. 2) No learning. 3) The design on the bathroom tiles." Maybe that's why all his naughtiness was bathroom related.

Sting

For our (early) Anniversary present we finally went to see a concert in Atlantic City.  It's crazy to have so many good acts just down the road and not take advantage of them--except for that pesky little financial issue.  Anyway-we went to see Sting and he was so very amazing.  All the other concerts that I have been to have been in venues that hold tens of thousands of people...the seating at this one was 2500.  He still sounds soooo very good and his musicians were amazing as well.  We were so glad we went!

And he says....

We have a triple hitter tonight, all said this evening:

We are at a Baptism at the church.  There is chili, rice, cookies, drinks, fruit.  The kid gets all of it, even though he had dinner before the baptism.  Before I know it, he is back with a refill of rice and fruit.  He comes to me and says, "Mom, I think I have a tapeworm."  He was serious. 
*****

In the car, he is reflecting on the school year that is almost over and says, "The only times I got in trouble this year were related to the bathroom."  I agreed with him and we talked about the things he did.  Then he pipes up and says, "Oh yeah, I got in trouble one other time for talking.  That was the day we had a very sensitive substitute."  Lol! 

******

Still driving in the car, all quiet and pensive, and then... Schmoo says, "I am SO glad I am not a Hispanic woman." Me (SO very confused): Um, what!?!? Schmoo: I am SO glad I am not a Hispanic woman. Me: Um, ok. You want to explain yourself? Schmoo: I've heard things. Me: WHAT IN THE WORLD ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT?!?! Schmoo: Can we just drop the subject? Me: No. What the heck are you talking about?!? Schmoo just looks at me in the mirror for a minute and says, "I am SO glad that I don't have to say hello to people by kissing them!" Ok, little man, point taken. (I'm thinking he'll change his tune in about 10 years...)

Career Aspirations

Schmoo's other teacher emailed me today and when I saw who it was from I started wondering what the child did this time.  No problems, just funny...

They were having a lesson on economics and she asked them to write about/draw what job they would like to do to earn money when they are adults.  Schmoo's ambition: Target Cashier.  This is better than last year's "McDonald's Worker" that he wanted to be.  However, I think we have regressed since Pre-k, it was so much funnier then.  Read about it here :)   

Bells

I just put Schmoo to bed. As I was tucking him in, he has an epiphany, "MOM! You know those old bells that you shake to ring? I want one of those so that I can ring it and Dad can take my breakfast order and then I'll ring it and you'll bring my food to me. That would be AWESOME! And I could ring for the DS, and ring for my books, and ring for my..." I think my look let him know that the only ringing going to happen around here is someone's neck.

Bathroom

So Schmoo's teacher im'ed me today: "instead of asking to go to the bathroom during recess today, Schmoo went to the bathroom outside by the back fence." After I made sure that (1) he was not doing it for an audience and (2) we were talking pee and not poop, I promised I would talk to him after school. He has been properly reminded that playgrounds are not bathrooms, even when facing the woods :)

What we're doing these days...

School is starting to wind down.  We have another month left, but state testing is over, so you could say that everyone is kinda over the whole school thing.  My night class is over this week!  I AM SO EXCITED.  8 hours of my life every week are soon to be mine again!  SO VERY HAPPY!!!!  Besides school and work and class, here's what's going on:


We play

We play electronically

We sleep :)
(On a side note, that yellow bear that he is sleeping with...His primary teacher took him and all the 4 year olds out to dinner at Friendly's a couple of years ago.  She let them all put money in the crane game to win a toy.  He has slept with that yellow bear every night since.  So sweet.  Who knew?)

We play ball

We read scriptures.  Since Schmoo turned 7, we decided we needed to get the whole Book of Mormon read before he is baptized next year.  We printed out a schedule for each day and we are doing well :)