Summer general catch up.

OK, so we are about half way through Oliver and Isaacs looooonnnnngggggg summer holiday.  Worked out that if we were on UK schedule, the boys would be going back next week.  Instead, they still have another 5 weeks of fun! Seeing as I have not blogged properly since Kiawah, I thought it was time for a catch up.  Cocktail Friday doesn't really count, as I tend to do those in advance.  It will probably be taking a vacation shortly too!

Thought I would do a photo drop with what we have been doing.  For those who care, I post a daily photo on my Instagram account, using the hashtag #CGis33.  Look it up!

So in no particular order.... We have been to the zoo twice so far.  First time Seb and I went after dropping the older 2 at camp.  Then I took the older 2 when Seb was at school.  Seb always loves it, but the older 2 really enjoyed it as well.  In the summer, they open at 9am, so we try and get there for just after that.  This normally means that most of the animals are active.  With all our visits so far this year, we have paid for our yearly membership, and some!

We finally made it to the BMW family fun day this year.  3rd chance, and we finally made it!  BMW hire out Carrowinds, a local theme park, for exclusive use for BMW employees.  Although our boys are still a little small for the roller coasters, they took full advantage of Snoopy Land, where they rode pretty much everything over the course of the day.  We also utilized the water park.  We put most of our stuff, other than shoes and googles in lockers.  We left these under a lounger by one of the kids pools.  The boys had fun in the wave pools and lazy river.  Unfortunately someone stole Isaacs shoes and all the googles, which put a bit of a dampener on our day.  BMW organized food in the form of buffet lunch, but the queues were horrendous, and nothing really to our boys palate.  They ate cookies and crisps......It was a good day out, better that we didn't have to pay for it too!!!!  We would not have gone if we had to pay for it.....

We met our good friend Liz at the splash area in Greenville a couple of weeks ago.  The kids had fun playing in the water, before it got too hot.  We  all walked down to Linky Stone Park to have a play.  By then it was super hot! We recently had a heat wave, where it was over 90 degrees every day.  Just how I like it.

As well as our trips out, of which there have not been many, we have been doing very mundane stuff too.  Given that Seb is still in school in the mornings, it gives Isaac and Oliver the chance to do things that are more appropriate for them.  Finding things for all 3 of them at the same time is HARD, and they are not even that different in age.  Thank goodness for the community pool.  We tend to be there at least every other afternoon, when the weather allows us!

So mundane things....... Oliver and Isaac have both been shown/ taught how to do the dishes.  Since Isaac was a baby, we have always had a dishwasher, and they will probably grow up knowing no different.  Unlike me!  I don't think we got one till I was about 12, and even after I moved out, my mum didn't get one....  My dad is a different story however!

 Ahh, school work.  Both the boys have a good amount of work required of them by school this year.  Admittedly, Oliver has a lot more than Isaac.  Isaac has only 1 math sheet left to do, Oliver has about 10.  They have been doing their school work and reading every morning before computer time when Seb is at school.  It has worked quite well.  They both also read for 10 minutes a night, while Seb is going to bed.  I think it has helped, I don't think they will have much of a learning slump because of the summer.  They both still have one more camp to do.  Jump start 1st Grade for Isaac, and Jump Start 4th Grade Math for Oliver.  Hopefully that will show them how much working over the summer has helped them. Hopefully.......

They have had fun baking cakes, making jelly and making freezer pops.  Isaac has also been a resident bug catcher.  So far we have kept cabbage white caterpillars and tomato horned caterpillars (I think thats what they were called).  The last ones grew to over 10cm.  We had to let them go.  They were just too big.  I was having to take tomato leaves off my plants twice a day to keep up with their appetites.

They do have fun though.  Paul bought some new golf clubs, and they came in a big box.  I had the idea to make a space ship out of it.  I started it, Paul ran with it, the boys loved it.  They played with it for a couple of hours, before repurposing it into a monster jam track.  Still obsessed with Monster Jam here.  Man, they are in for such a shock when we return to the UK.....

We have had a visitor in the form of slapped cheek.  Can't believe all 3 have managed to avoid this delightful virus until now.  So Seb woke up one Sunday with this rash on his face.  Over the next few days, we watched it spread to the outer reaches of his body.  I did my research, and saw that once the rash had spread he was no longer contagious.  School still wanted a doctors note, so I took him to the local MD360 ( like a drop in doctors clinic).  We were in and out within an hour, and the note was ready for school the next day.  It didn't really itch, but I gave him an antihistamine, and used some calamine lotion to help calm the red down.  It passed after about 5 days.  Isaac got it about 7 days later.  His face wasn't pretty, but the rash on his body was not too bad.  He was also very tired and grumpy with it, and feel asleep on the sofa at 4pm 2 days before the rash appeared.  It is pretty much gone now.  So on past experiences, Oliver should get it this weekend.  Hopefully it won't affect him too badly, as he is older.  The worst thing is, it is most contagious before they get the rash.  So who knows where Seb got it.  Could be school, could be the pool, who knows!

We also had 4th July the weekend just gone.  Because it was on a saturday, Paul had the Friday off.  3 day weekends rock!  Especially when all 3 kids are home!!!!!

We enjoyed a nice weekend at home, watching the neighbors fireworks.  It was great.  Even got the boys to watch Independence Day, so they can know the real reason why America celebrates the holiday (thats a joke....).  They really enjoyed it.  We stayed home all weekend, as we are off to Florida this weekend, for our holiday of beach and pool, beach and pool, restaurant, cocktail, beach pool, donuts, tacos and all the other great things about holidays............