DEEP

Each spring, our kids take the private school equivalent of the TAKS standardized tests - the ITBS (Iowa Test of Basic Skills).  If your child scores above the 95% overall, they are invited to participate in a summer program for children who are gifted and talented.

Back in Dumas during my elementary school days, I think that consisted of flower arranging and a here's how to count to 10 in French!  We were extremely proud of Will for making such high marks and qualifying for the three-week camp.

They had 47 courses in which to choose (wow!) and Will's top choices ended up making the cut.  We didn't give him any limits, we just told him to choose what he loved.  I suppose we could've told him to only choose science or math courses, but as providence would have it, Will's courses were quite well rounded and included a little history, a little math and a little art.

For three weeks, he studied Greek Mythology, Young Architects and DEEP Memories.  For camp first-timers, he also enjoyed a "Perspectives" class which focused on how people learn.  He loved every class.  On Fridays, they were able to participate in four different "mini-classes".  His included Fundamentals of Sport, It Matters, Mystery Class and Watercolor Techniques.

"Thank goodness I didn't get Jewelry Making, Mom.  No offense," he added.

"None taken, my dear.  Just remember, your uncle owns his own jewelry business and designs beautiful pieces.  There's nothing unmanly about that," I replied.

Honestly, I think there was a three-way tie for his classes.  But, if I had to declare a winner, I'd say Young Architects.  In the class, they designed their "Dream House," calculated the square footage and the price for flooring, molding and other construction components.  Once designed, they drew it to scale and then calculated its current market value.  At just over $400,000, and complete with a pizziera, basketball court and ice cream parlor, Will's house would be ANY person's dream.  Outstanding job, buddy.

In Greek Mythology, he was thrilled to have his former Texas history teacher.  He was already totally into the Percy Jackson series, so this class was right up his alley.  But, it did remind me I need to brush up on my Greek gods and goddesses :)  Persephone is why we have seasons, right?!

DEEP Memories was probably the most meaningful and heartfelt choice.  The students were asked to scrapbook something of importance...Will chose his 10-year-old trip to D.C. and then presented the book to Scott as a surprise for Father's Day.  What a big heart.  And, the book was so well done!

He's already excited about going back next summer (this spring's scores qualified him again) and we are extremely proud of his growing imagination, love of learning and happy spirit.

Golf Camp!

Last week, the bigs went to golf camp.  Truly, it's one of my favorites.  The coaches really focus on the fundamentals of the game - both the physical and the mental.  Golf is a polite sport and Coach Lonny and crew really *drive* that home.  Sorry, couldn't help myself.

Will was BEGGING me to not take this picture.  Hasn't he learned anything?  He got the stank eye from me and promptly smiled because he knew the sooner he did, the sooner the agony would be over.  Someday he will thank me for this, right?  RIGHT??

We are grateful for their wonderful coaches, namely Head Coach Lonny and his wonderful assistant, JB. 

After camp on Friday, we headed around the corner and enjoyed some really wonderful pool time.  For the better part of the hour, it was just us, one other family of two and the lifeguard.  That's it.  I was able to get in the pool with the kids and watch them all and know that everyone was safe.  We all had a great time playing.  It was really lovely.  You know, one of those good mom days.  We need those every once in a while, don't we?

What a weekend!

I don't know about you, but we had a really wonderful weekend doing all sorts of things and a little bit of nothing.  It was quite nice.

I will say, 0600 came mighty early this morning as we tried to get going for our last week of school.  Come on Friday!!

Our sweet, sweet babysitter Emily Frances graduated high school on Saturday and hosted an open house later in the day.  She is A&M bound this fall.  WHOOP.  She has a younger brother and sister who are equally wonderful with our kids.  There just aren't enough complimentary words to go around for Emily Frances and her family.  We love 'em.  To pieces.

On Sunday, we enjoyed a visit with some mighty fine sisters.  It was bittersweet because that lovely one second from the right, Sr. Thomas Aquinas, is heading to a new school next fall in Mill Valley, California.  Now aren't they are a lucky bunch?  STA, we love how you are an amazing example of faith for the kids at school.  You are fun and prayerful and totally hilarious.  And, I hear you play a mean game of soccer.  You will be in our daily prayers.  We consider it a privilege and an honor to call you friend.  Surely we can come up with a reason to bring you back to Texas someday.  May Cali take good care of you.  VERY good or in they're in big trouble.  Sr. Maria Rosario, Sr. Mary Elizabeth and Sr. Elizabeth Ann...we'll see you in the fall!

On Monday, it was all about the home improvement honey-do's and some pool time.  I'll let the pictures speak for themselves.  All in all, a pretty amazing weekend.

Swim Lessons / Lifeguarding

And so the season has begun.  Last summer, we lucked upon a really fantastic teacher, Haley Whatley.  She held lessons in her backyard and did a beautiful job teaching my older three the fundamentals of swimming and perfecting their strokes.  Haley has been a swim instructor and lifeguard at the Northwest YMCA of Austin since 2006.  Presently, she is a senior Art/Spanish major at Texas Tech University (hey, they can't all be Aggies!).  She speaks Spanish (awesome)!  I was impressed with her patience, her fun approach to teaching the fundamentals and her graciousness.  If you're looking for a great teacher, give Haley a call.

CERTIFICATIONS:
Certified Lifeguard/Waterpark Lifeguard
Red Cross CPR/AED
Oxygen Administration
First Aid, Waterpark Upgrade
Red Cross Water Safety Instructor*

She is also available to lifeguard private parties, just contact her for rates.

CLASSES
30 min private/40 min semi-private swim lessons for children.

Private lessons
5 lessons ($75); 8 - ($112); 12 - ($156)

Semi-private
2 students/5 lessons ($70 per student); 2/8 ($104); 2/12 ($144).
3 students/5 lessons ($65 per student); 3/8 ($96); 3/12 ($132)

Tuition is due in full the first day of class.

CLASS TIMES / DATES
9am-1pm Monday-Thursday, beginning June 6, 2011
6pm-8pm Monday-Thursday, beginning June 6, 2011
**all classes must be finished by 8 for safety reasons **
contact me for special scheduling

LOCATION (it's just down the street from the old St. William's church building)
1400 Lime Rock Dr.
Round Rock, TX 78681
Easily accessible from Mo-Pac, I-35, and 620

There are no refunds for missed lessons.  If you want a make-up lesson, you must call and cancel 24 hrs. prior.

TO REGISTER
(512) 484-9511
h.whatley@ttu.edu

Art Camp 2011

I love, love, love art!!  Especially spectacular art created by my children. We have it hung all over our house. It is a reminder that little people can make beautiful things with simple mediums.
For the past few summers we've had the honor of attending Art Camp, led by the fabulous Celeste Ingraffia. She was formerly the art teacher at Will's school, left for a year, and now she's returned as the fine arts chairperson at St. Dominic Savio HS.  You won't find a more creative person.

If you're looking for a spectacular camp to send your kids to this summer, look no farther.  You don't need to be Catholic, just a lover of all things plaster, oil, charcoal and paint.  She does camps for kids, ages first to eleventh grade (entering grade as of Fall 2011).  The best part is the art show at the end of the week!

Here's a few shots from past years.  Information about the camps is below.  Happy creating!

2010

(Wow, am I prego there or what?  I delivered Clare just 3 weeks later!)

SESSION 1:  JUNE 6-10

1-3rd grades

9:00 am-12-noon

SESSION 2:  JUNE 6-10

4-7th grades

1:00pm- 4:00pm

SESSION 3:  JUNE 13-17

1-3rd grades

9:00 am-12-noon

SESSION 4:  JUNE 13-17

4-7th grades

1:00pm-4:00pm

SESSION 5:  JUNE 20-24

4-7th grades

9:00am-12-noon

SESSION 6:  JUNE 20-24

8-11th grades

1:00pm-4:00pm

Each session has a MAX of 12 students.  Camp is held at St. Dominic Savio.  Cost is $185, includes snack and all art supplies.  For more info:  Celeste Ingraffia, cingraffia@saviochs.org, (512) 507-5473.

Van / Table Talk

Here lately, the kids have been cracking - me - up with their conversations amongst themselves.  Just last week, here's how one went between the two boys.

JP:  Will, what's that stuff that we used in Art Camp?
W:  The white stuff?

JP:  Yeah, the stuff that looks like milk.
W:  Oh, that's paper meche.

JP:  Well, it might look like milk, but don't drink it.  That's what our teacher said.  I wonder what would happen if you drank it.  You'd probably die.
W:  Yeah, your veins would fill up with it.

JP:  What are veins?
W:  They are those purple things on your arms.  You have arteries, too.  I bet it would fill those up too.

JP:  Yeah, and then you'd die.  Guess I better not drink it.

Boys.  Who woulda thunk it?

Poolside

ALG had swim lessons the last couple of weeks and really did a fantastic job.  Last summer it was all nuts, so nobody got swim lessons.  This year, we were blessed to find a great college student, home from Texas Tech, that taught lessons at her home pool.  There was only one other girl in the class, so they were practically one-on-one.  I was so proud of her.

I did have to crack up on several occasions when Ms. Haley would ask ALG to do something and she would start negotiating.  Case in point:

H:  Okay, let's float on our back twice.
ALG:  How about we float once and THEN play the monkey game?

She's a negotiator, that one.  That and a wee bit opinionated and headstrong.  I keep telling myself those are good traits to have as an adult.

Clare and Luke just hung out while she learned the ropes.  Our little ER visit has derailed us some on practicing the skillz.  But she'll be back in the pool in no time.

Way to go pretty girl!

Joe Knows Kids

Call us groupies. Call us crazy. Just don't call us late for a Joe McDermott concert.

This Austin kids' musician is really, truly fantastic. The younger set enjoys his interactive concerts and us adults appreciate his adult humor. As usual, he did not disappoint this week. We caught up with him at St. Thomas More Catholic Church - yeah, us and like 400 other moms and kids (for real). Can you say, ka-razy?? We met up with Alexis and her son, Nate. Thanks for scoring sweet seats you two!

It's been longer than I'd like to admit that we've seen him "in person," although he lives in our van's CD player...alot. I mean, anyone that can make a mom sing things like these is a hit in my book...

"If you drop a brick on your foot, it will hurt..."

"Get yourself a baby kangaroo, hey you know what a kangaroo can do..."

And, my personal favorite...

"Everybody plays air guitar" (must be accompanied by stellar air guitar performance)

This time around the boys decided (actually, Will did, but JP followed) they were waaay too cool to do the motions. Clare and ALG took over just fine. Made me realize, looking around the room at all those kids under 5, that the older ones might be nearing the end of "Oh, Mom, let's go to a Joe concert!" days. Dang. Guess I'll just have to go to the next one without them...

7th Inning Stretch

Last weekend, we had a blast at the ballpark. I'm a fan of the diamond, but especially a fan when my 6-month pregnant self is watching it in air conditioning. We were invited to enjoy the game at the Dell Diamond in one of the suites and it was, well...sweet

Will and one of his buddies from school

Just after nap, I noticed my usually bouncing-off-the-walls #2 son was not, in fact, bouncing off the walls. After a hand to the head, I realized he had a fever. Gametime decision. We gave it a couple of hours and then decided to go to the game with a little children's motrin in hand. We didn't quite make it to the seventh inning when he started complaining that his head hurt and he promptly fell asleep on my lap. The motrin was wearing off. So, I said adios to Scott and Will, loaded up the other three and drove like a maniac to get home.

Good thing #1.

As soon as we walked in the door, I ushered him to the bathroom.

Good thing #2.

He threw up in the toilet.

Bad thing #955.

After getting the girls to bed in lightning speed (and I do mean super-human speed...I clocked it at 90 seconds to change both, gives kisses / hugs and lights out), I tended to the sick and injured. That was his only occurence, thank God, and he slept like a champ. 24 hours later fever was gone and he was back to the bouncing.

Even though the night was cut short, the kids rocked it at the ballpark. It was some fun times. Man, does summer really have to end?

Remember the Alamo!

Oh how Scott and I LOVE San Antonio. It's the perfect blend of Tex-Mex, great food, history and, last weekend, time away with each other. Scott had Friday off, for the Feast of the Assumption, and we spent the day in San Antonio with the kids.




We started off with lunch at the Grist Mill (a family favorite for 4 generations!) and then headed to the Riverwalk for the boat ride. It was incredibly hot, but the kids had a great time and we didn't have to have any heroic water rescues. Score in our book. Then, we skipped through the Alamo for a quick history tour.
(Just an FYI, later in the weekend Scott and I went back and did the audio tour. Amazing stuff. Next time you find yourself on hallowed ground, spend the $5 bucks and go on the tour. Yes, you'll feel like one of those obnoxious tourists, but you'll gain a greater appreciation for the Lone Star State and her heroes.)




My mom and Aunt Amanda (man, we love you two) met us in San Marcos for a kid exchange and Scott and I headed back to 'ol San Antone for a weekend sans kids. That's right 36 hours of hot food, sleeping in, uninterrupted conversation and no diapers. It was blissful. At first, I think we were really sad to leave the kids. I know that sounds a bit weird. Most people are like, "Seriously? 4 kids? And you're sad?" Hey, as much as we wanted time away, it's hard to extract yourself from what you do everyday and take a break. We did, though, and it wasn't until we got there that we realized just how much alone time we were needing. Strange as it sounds, it really felt like a weekend AWAY. Except for the Olympics (of course), we didn't keep up with anything else. I got a pedicure, Scott watched Cowboy's football, went to Mass (twice!), toured some things in San Antonio that we really love and ate some great meals. SOME GREAT MEALS. Oh my. My stomach is still paying for that food. Certainly the most lively was Rosario's on Saturday night. We watched Mr. Phelps grab #8, listened to some live music and had some awesome margaritas. My kind of night.

I simply can't say enough great things about last weekend. The kids had a superb time at Nana and Papa's while Scott and I enjoyed the time with each other. At Mass on Friday, I just knelt in the pew after communion ticking off the many blessings and in the process got a little teary-eyed. In this snowglobe of motherhood, sometimes (ok, a LOT of times) I forget just how good we have it. This weekend made me remember them all again.

Thank you God.
Thank you Scott.
Thank you Nana and Papa.

Snapshot: Rocks!

A week or so ago, the kids were all napping and Will was itching to do something fun. He dug out a rock painting book we had forgotten all about (courtesy of his Godmother "La"). I'm not sure who had more fun.

Top Ten: The Best Week Ever!

Us and the folks over at VH1 had "the best week ever" in Arkansas last week. Really, the many memories we made defy description. There was one night, Wednesday I think, when we were all scarfing down some Italian gelato and Scott looks over at me and says, "Has this just been the best day or what?" Oh man, I wanted to bottle that moment.

Every year, around our wedding anniversary, Scott and I have made the trek to a different state to celebrate the big day. This year, we decided to go to Arkansas with kiddos in tow. Yes, I know. Most people were like, "Oh, Arkansas? That sounds...fun." It was within the one-day drive requirement (you tell me, do you want to be in a car longer than 9 hours with 4 kids under 7??? I didn't think so.) And, neither of us had been there together. So, AR it was.



DISCLAIMER: Settle in folks, this might just be my longest post. Grab a Dr. Pepper, get a comfy seat and enjoy.

TOP TEN BEST MEMORIES FROM ARKANSAS! (in chronological order because deciding the best was just too hard)

1. Garvan Woodland Gardens. Even though we were already missing the AC once we stepped outside, we braved this 210-acre botanical garden with gusto. The kids HAD A BLAST. We HAD A BLAST. The scenery was pretty unbelievable, considering the garden is only in its eighth growing season. The kids ran and ran and ran, and Scott and I pushed that double stroller up and up and up. We got our workout for the week.



The gardens had a miniature train (broken when we were there, but still cool to see), tons of bridges, lots of rocks, fish, WATER, a great outdoor pavilion and the most stunning outdoor/indoor chapel and carillon tower I have EVER seen.





We even did a little Aggie engineering and figured out how to prop up the camera to take this family photo.



2. Fishing. The boys started talking about this adventure two days before we even left on vacation. They must've asked Scott about 53 times (no lie) when they were going. So, Tuesday morning, they headed out on their "big adventure" ready to catch the evening's dinner. They had high hopes of an 8-pound bass, but I made sure we brought along some hot dogs for dinner, just in case. Even though there was no catch of the day on the menu that night, they had a really good time. Scott says they skipped more rocks than anything. Sounds like fun to me.





3. Painting Toesies. So, while the boys were off skipping and fishing, Anna-Laura and I busted out the toenail polish. Pure glee. I hope that gives you a visual of her excitement. If not, see picture.




4. Camp Ozark! This place is truly amazing. Back in college, Scott was a yell leader with another Scott. I took this picture for 'ol Army's sake. Don't they still look the part?



Anyhoo, Scott T.'s family owns and operates the most amazing Christian sports camp. We always knew it was top notch, but until we laid eyes on the place, we had no idea that it puts other camps to shame...and in a good way. I mean, where else can you: waterski, fish, canoe, putt-putt, fish, skateboard, ride horses, shoot skeet, swim, design stuff on Macs, do archery, shoot rifles, slide on one of 4 water slides, play soccer/tennis/lacrosse/football/basketball, run a zip line, jump on one of 6 blobs, do a ropes challenge course, or make something over in arts and crafts (stained glass, pottery making, pottery painting, t-shirts, mosiacs, paint wood crafts)? Seriously? Seriously. And, the best part was the camp was only a quick 15-minute drive from our condo.





5. Horseback Riding. Anna-Laura is a big fan of horses (please tell me what little girl isn't?) So, when we saw some stables I knew we'd found our "girl time." She didn't say much (except to ask 7 times - yes I counted - the horse's name) and never once got scared. She's been talking about her ride for a good week now. Oh, and in case you're wondering. Bonanza.





6. Bathhouse Row. Located in Hot Springs, this was THE place to be in Al Capone's day. At the height of the season, more than a million folks flooded to Bathhouse Row to...well, take a bath. This water is hot, and I'm not lying. After dipping our hands in for a millisecond, we were left wondering just how people actually bathed in this hot stuff. Nevermind the fact that you were bathing with a tubload (HAHA) of other people. It was cool, though. A good reminder that life hasn't always been as fast-paced as it is now. At one time, it was cool to drive to Arkansas and sit in hot water. Who knew?







All over the city, there are fountains and water fountains that you can fill up a jug or a bottle of water, all for free. Step back, because some of these people were professionals. Most of the fountains were the hot water, but one on the edge of town was a cool spring-fed fountain. We all took a sample - tasted just like chicken :-) Actually it tasted pretty good.




This was taken at the top of the mountain overlook, just before dusk. I love this photo of the kids.



7. Pottery Painting. The entire trip we were on the lookout for something that would commemorate the trek. A shotglass or a "I went to Arkansas and all I got was this lousy t-shirt" just didn't cut it. When we happened upon a pottery studio, we knew we'd found our winner. We walked in 30 minutes before closing and the store owner told us they closed at 6 that day. I think he had his doubts we could knock out a winner in 30, but he obviously doesn't know the Whitakers. We walked out at 6:03, thankyouverymuch, with one stellar piece. We can't wait to see it!!!






8. Putt-Putt. Let me just say this. Pirate's Cove putt-putt is not your father's putt-putt. This place rocked. But, I had my doubts. We passed up a couple of places on the way to this one and I kept bugging Scott to just stop off. I mean, the kids would love it no matter where we went, right? But, Scott was right. HE WAS RIGHT (did you get that honey?) This was the finale to our great Wednesday that the kids are still talking about. It was something his family did on every vacation and I think we've just added it to our tradition repertoire. Oh, I beat him by 4 strokes. Nevermind that he had a one-arm handicap shooting one-handed while holding Clare :-) Sadly, there are none of these in Texas. Shoot.








9. Diamond Crater State Park. There's a long story to this one, but let's just suffice it to say it almost didn't make the top ten. We got "directionally challenged" on the way and only after a screaming fit from the backseat, did we decide to turn around and find this place come h*#! or high water. Too bad that same attitude didn't help us find a diamond. This place is totally legit. You can actually dig for diamonds and keep what you find. A week before we went some 11-year-old kid found a quarter-carat diamond in just 7 minutes. No lie. The kids had fun digging...for about 5 minutes. The girls didn't want to get dirty (me included), so poor Scott stayed out there another 15 minutes digging and digging and came up with nothing except a calcite!





10. Seeing Friends & Family. On the way back, we split the trip into two days. Can I hear an AMEN? We took a quick pit-stop in Texarkana to meet with the Mayor. Promise. A friend of ours from college, Steve, was just elected Mayor and his family owns one fabulous furniture company. We got to tour the factory and the kids ran off some steam in the design room. At least they didn't break anything. Steve, Alison, Adyson - great, great to see you three. Let's not make it 12 years again, okay?



We spent the night in Dallas and spent some good times with the fam. Uncle Cory, Aunt Jennifer, nephew Alex and Granny all met us for dinner and then lunch the next day. As usual, alotta noise and not much chatting. But, we're so glad we got to see y'all!



Give yourself a pat on the back, you made it through the marathon post. Sorry to be so chatty. It was just one of those weeks :-)