Camp Wakonda

This was the big kids' second year at YMCA camp Wakonda in the Ozarks. This year, Sam saved many hours of driving because they both went down the same week. While they were gone, Leah kept asking when she would be big enough to go - next year, she's sure. 

Here they are at drop-off!

Just like last year, we could write letters & emails to the kids (which they'd print out from the day before & pass out at meal time), but except in cases of emergency (or maybe extreme homesickness) we weren't in direct contact for the week they were gone.

Last year, someone wrote them every day, but they didn't write home at all - I told both kids I expected a letter! And for them to take pictures with the disposable camera! Amelie wrote a letter & James took pictures with the disposable camera (that we need to develop) so between the two of them they were one obedient child. 

Also like last year, the camp published photos daily so I could stalk them & see if I could spy the kids. There were pictures of James every day, but very few of Amelie. 

Amelie says this was during their campout - they were playing Mafia. She accused Natalie of being in the mafia as a misdirection because Natalie knew that Amelie was in fact in the mafia. 

Still playing mafia - passing out the cards that assign your role. 

Making S'mores. 

Here's James also roasting a marshmallow for s’mores. James complained that he didn’t get to sleep outside - even though every other cabin got to.

 

James says this was at closing campfire. 

He called this "Snack Craft."  

Standing around talking outside of the rec hall. 

Playing Apples to Apples. 

James was the lead in a skit about evil pirates who got shipwrecked. He was the Capitan.

He got a little sunburnt! 

Making totem necklaces. 

Pick up!

They had a good time & came back tired! & with very smelly luggage. 

Parent-Teacher Conferences

We did parent-teacher conferences with the kids back in March & I never posted about it. James got an absolutely glowing report from his teacher, Mr. Gray. 

Here is just a little bit of his work - a story called "Why I Was Late (very late)"  it's not quite finished (or it ends on a cliffhanger) and uses a surplus of quotation marks.

 

 

James had to fill out this reflection in advance - I am not sure what galloping is or why he's working on it. 

 

 

 

I'm not sure what this was work for, exactly, but it's Leah's and seems breakfast-related:

Leah's teacher let the kindergartners sit in her seat and lead the conference  - she felt very grown-up! 

Leah sat at the desk and drew this during James's conference. (A Circus?) Such nice attention to detail - and so helpful that she could amuse herself while we talked with the teacher!

I met with Amelie's social studies teacher & she talked me into supervising field day at the end of the year. And this is what 7th grade math tests look like, now - she got all of them right on the first page. They're doing basically the same things I was doing in high school in Algebra, Geometry, and Trig.

From a band competition:

Here is what a Kindergarten report card looks like in 2023 - actually just the first page of a three page document. James's is in the same format, too.

Leah's Birthday Party

(Back in March) Leah wanted to have a "ninja obstacle course" birthday party, which is what she did last year. She told her teacher very confidently that she was inviting her whole class, so we just went along with it. 

They did the parachute: 

And the monkey bars: 

I liked this photo because you can see her friend Mitchell behind her (& Amelie in the background, too).  

And here's a video of the parachute, too: 
  

I guess this is a ninja pose? 

They had as much fun with the balloons afterward, I think. (There were the same kind of ninja rice crispy treats I made James for his ninja party, too - but that was at the park.)

 

Youtube Channel

James has started a YouTube channel, and I'm sure he would appreciate it if you would like & subscribe & maybe go through and watch all of his videos. 

He is using a free program called Flip a Clip, which was recommended by his media teacher at school.

Here he is showing Leah the ropes. She's the voice of Bob the Frog on some of his videos.  

He didn’t understand why I laughed so hard at his audience demographics - or maybe these are just his followers? - (Sam had plugged it on his Facebook page):

I think I like the trampoline ones the best.

Trampoline 2: Revenge

Trampoline

The kids got a trampoline! They have been jumping and jumping on it. I especially like when they all three play together. 

Right when they first got it - back in March - it was pretty cold & Aunt Tara was tickled by the fact that they'd go out and jump in their coats. 

I guess I really have not taken many photos of them jumping! They still do a bunch! Sam had to go out & tell Amelie & her friends to stop jumping on it about midnight at her sleepover (not pictured). 

Amelie Birthday Interview

Teen Birthday Interview

 Amelie is 13!

I forgot all about this until I was at work yesterday - we could have done it before now (4 days late)

1. How old are you? I'm 13
2. What is your favorite color? Purple
3. What's your favorite possession? Carrot (a kangaroo Squishmallow from her Grandma Mary)
4. 
   
5. What is your favorite game? Stardew Valley Do we have this game? Yes

5. What is your favorite song? Run Away to Mars by Talk

6. Do you  have a favorite animal? Snakes
7. What is your favorite book? Iron Widow by Xiran Jay Zhao

8. What is your favorite movie? I don't know. Or what's a movie that you've seen recently that you like? The Tale of the Princess Kaguya

9. What is your favorite TV show? Bluey 

10.     What is your favorite thing to eat? Crepes 
11.     Where is your favorite place to go? Or if you could go anywhere, where would you like to go? I do not particularly want to travel. I guess South Padre Island. I mean I am going there, so. 
12.     Who is your best friend? Kaitlin 
13.     What is something you learned last year in the 7th grade? Did you learn anything at all at school last year? a method for finding percents in math
14.     What is something you'll learn now that you're 13 (or next year in 8th grade)? How to stay focused on my work
15.     What is your favorite subject at school? Social Studies
16.     Who is your favorite teacher this year? Ms. Watts
17.     What is something that is hard for you to do? Stay focused on work 
18.     What is your favorite thing to do? Clover chains
19.     What is your favorite thing to do with friends? Talk about our interests
20.     What do you like about Me (Mom)? (long pause) Think of something nice about me! You let me have a sleepover
21.     What do you like about Dad? He's not very strict. Is that true? I would say so
22.     What do you like about James? I can talk about stuff with him
23.     What do you like about Leah? She's cute And? There's no and 
24.     What do you like about yourself? I'm a good writer
25.     What do you want to be when you grow up? No idea
Bonus: What was your favorite part of your birthday party? I thought dinner was nice

Here's the link to last year: https://babybuffaloe.blogspot.com/2022/05/tween-birthday-interview.html

7th Grade Band Concert

 Amelie had her final 7th grade band concert. She got a new band dress!

She plays the clarinet. Her friend plays the trombone (like I did in high school!) and convinced her at the last minute to go ahead & sign up for next year, too. 

She wanted us to record this song: 

Here's a link to the last concert for comparison: https://babybuffaloe.blogspot.com/2022/12/7th-grade-band-concert.html

Hat Day (Throwback)

A never before published post! This one has been in my drafts folder for 4+ years it looks like! 

This is Spirit Week at the kids' school and Tuesday was Hat Day. Leah wanted to participate:

One of our friends commented that apparently it was not Pants Day for everyone, however.

Mother's Day

Happy Mother's Day!

Sam won tickets to see Bright Eyes at Rose on Saturday night, and his folks offered to have all three kids sleep over.

I got to eat lunch with my sister, mom, and grandma. 

Sam brought home these flowers:

The kids gifted me with these lovely cards and pictures. These are from Amelie & Leah (though James drew the flowers on the card last year - Amelie found the card & colored it in & filled it out).

Inside:

From Amelie:

Leah did this one at school. It says: My mom looks beautiful when she goes to work! And My mom is really good at fixing my hair. And finally, I love my mom more than ... ice cream.

This is from James - apparently it's a reference to the Big Bang theory. I didn't know! But now that I look at it, it does look like Sheldon Cooper.

 And then I had to go to work!