My First Camp - Week 1

Our rec center offers "My First Camp" in the summer.  Every week has a different theme.  The camp is for pre-schoolers, and runs from 9-12 every morning.  Jon and I decided that we'd sign Hannah up for one week every month in the summer.  This week was her first week.  The theme was "Picnic" -- something that Hannah loves!  She wasn't so sure about going on her first day, since her buddy, Jake, wasn't going to be there, but we think she had a great week.  Although there were days where she'd say she didn't have fun (when we'd say "did you have fun at camp today?" we'd get a "nope"), she'd spend the entire car ride home with Jon talking about what she did.  Every day they'd sing songs, play games, play outside, and do arts/crafts. On the last day they had a carnival and she came home with a goodie bag.

 Hannah is reading her camp newsletter,
surrounded by some of her art projects from the week.

When they said in the parent materials that kids should wear play clothes, they weren't kidding!  She painted with tempera paints most days -- her favorite day was the day she painted with her feet!

 Hannah got her face painted like a lion!

 Mom, I will not smile anymore - stop taking my picture!

 The picture to Hannah's right with the purple & yellow paint is one she painted with her feet.

I'm glad she had a good time at camp this week.  When I picked her up today, she was helping clean up the classroom and her teachers were asking if she'd be back the next week.  They said they can't wait for her to come back.  Her next week is in mid-July!

Hannah's First Fish of 2011

Jon has managed to go fishing a few times this summer.  Every time he has left the house with his fishing gear, Hannah has reminded him that he promised to take her fishing and that she had a Dora pole in the garage.  This afternoon, he made good on his promise.  They grabbed her Dora fishing pole and hit a pond down the street from our house. She caught a fish right away!

Chilldogs in their Sunday Best

Just a few pictures of the Chilldogs in our Sunday Best....after we shocked the nursery of a local church with 15 kids for Sunday service!

It is REALLY difficult to get 15 children to look at the camera at the same time.  I think I have about 20 pictures of the kids, including Levi climbing all over the back row and Samuel standing up to "growl" in a few of them.

"Artsy" kid picture

The Chilldogs + Larsen

The guys always call their friend Erik in the middle of the night to give him grief about not coming each year.  He and his wife came to the first chilldog event (before my time), but haven't been back since. This year "Larsen" arrived via a cardboard cut-out as part of the white elephant gift exchange.

The Chilldogs

It was almost as difficult to get a good picture of the 5 guys as it was the 15 kids.  Again, I think I took about 20 pictures to get one of them standing nicely and smiling nicely. The "outtakes" will make some scrapbook page!

Lifelong Friends

Paul DeKruyter, Jon Woolley, Jim Rowley, Brad Mooney, Elliott Gilham

Just the 25 of us

(plus the Gilham baby-to-be later this summer)

Chilldog Weekend 2011

Time for another chilldog weekend.  This year we were in Columbus, at the Gilham's house on the east side of town.  It was nice to only have to drive 30 minutes this year.  This year we had 10 adults and 15 kids, ages 9 and under -- it is quite amazing that we can fit in one house! 

The girls are enjoying getting to know Lauren

On Saturday morning, we had a pool party in the Gilham's backyard. Sara found a pool at Big Lots and put it up for the kids to enjoy - we were amazed at how many kids fit into the pool!  Then, Jim brought a bounce house all of the way from Illinois...and someone had a slip and slide too.  It didn't take much for the kids to have a good time.

The infamous bounce house

Hannah was cleaning something up

Jon & Lauren

Anna (2 yrs) enjoys the slip n slide.

Thank goodness the DeKruyters brought their canopy so we had some shade!

Lots of splashing!
(minutes before someone fell over the edge of the pool....)

This year, we held the first ever chillpup talent show....most of the kids participated in some way or another.  Hannah, for one, did not. 

Spiderman (aka Porter - 3.5 yrs) playing the keyboard

The kids had quite the audience

The 5 oldest girls sing a song ("I know a chicken")

Jim entertains the boys with a laundry basket...

On Saturday evening we packed up the kids for a quick outing at the park at the reservoir.  I'm not sure who had more fun - the guys or the kids...

the "chilldogs"

Jon & Hannah

Getting 15 kids in a picture is a challenge

(notice Hannah's "cheese" smile!)

The best picture

Anna running away....it got worse from here : )

 Chillpups are using every swing

Saturday night we had group bedtime stories and prayers.  Good thing the hallway in the Gilham's upstairs is big!

Stay tuned for our nice pictures after church on Sunday.....there were some pictures taken during the adult white elephant gift exchange after the kids went to bed on Friday night, but I didn't have my camera out.

Splash Park

Jon and Sheri enjoyed a morning at the splash park today.  Thank goodness Sheri takes her phone and sends me pictures of the summer outings!  Enjoy a few shots that she took and sent to me.

Hannah had a great time at the splash park...until Jake threw a bucket of water in her face.

But hey, being friends with him will toughen her up : )

 

Unfortunately, there isn't much (any) shade at the splash park.  There are only 2 picnic tables with umbrellas....our only complaint about the place....so poor Lauren was stuck wearing one of Hannah's hats to try to keep her out of the sun.  Jon dipped her feet in the water, but apparently, she wasn't a fan.