What Luke Did...

Well, it hardly seems fair for the girls to get to go to American Girl camp and for Luke to do nothing...so he and I spent a few of the mornings of last week out and about and on the go! I was fortunate enough to have a friend from church whose children were attending classes at the Academy too, so we carpooled. That saved us both some time and very precious gas money, however, on those days that I did drive, Luke and I went 'exploring.'

It is hard to believe how little I know about downtown San Antonio after living here a year already, but anytime I have gone downtown I either rode in a car with someone or followed someone - hardly the way for me to learn how to get somewhere! Last week I began to get my bearings and really had fun finding some of San Antonio's landmarks on my own.

The 'big' kids classes started at 9 a.m. at the Academy and so on Tuesday I dropped them off and headed over to the San Antonio zoo (which opens at 9 a.m.). It is only about 5 mintues away from the Academy, so we got there just as they were opening for the day. It was already getting hot, but it wasn't very crowded...so I pushed the umbrella stroller while Luke walked/ran from one exhibit to the next. It was early enough that alot of the animals were up and around...several even eating their 'breakfast.'

One of the new exhibits at the museum is Africa Live - I think that they have been working on it every time we have gone for the past couple of years. Well, it was worth the wait! The building you are in looks like a cave...and all of the exhibits - several fish, snakes, frogs, alligators/crocodiles... look like they are built into the walls of the cave. They have an AMAZING hippo exhibit now. It is like they are in an aquarium-like tank and you can actually watch them swim. In the past, you always looked at the hippos from above...and truthfully, it wasn't very much to see...they spend most of their time under water...but now you can really enjoy them! Although Luke believes they are elephants...and doesn't really accept anything to the contrary! ha! A couple of hours was really all we could take...by 11 a.m. we were sweating...and fortunately for us it was time to pick everyone up again.

On Thursday I drove again, and Luke and I went to the Children's Museum. I didn't even know San Antonio had a Children's Museum until my friend Lisa and I drove by it on Monday and she began telling me about it. Turns out...it is right across Houston Street from the Texas Ranger Museum...which if I am recalling correctly has the largest collection of antlers in the world?? All I know is that they have antlers hanging from the awning outside and it looks like wall to wall antlers on the ceiling when peeking in from the windows outside. Now who wouldn't want to pay money to see that!?! Forgive the sarcasm...I am sure that there is great Texas Ranger memorabelia as well.

ANYWAYS - the Children's Museum was fabulous. There were a lot of hands-on exhibits that I think the girls would enjoy as well. Some of Luke's favorites included the large Brio train cars, the front end loader that you could 'drive,' the cow that you could pretend to milk, the fish aquarium, the trolley car, and the bubble room.

I was surprised that Luke didn't want to get on the airplane...they have a HUGE airplane on the second floor. You can pretend to be the pilot or you can be a pretend air traffic controller in their control tower. Luke didn't want to have ANYTHING to do with it. He didn't want to get in their little boat either...but he did get in the trolley car and drive...several times! ha!

O.K. - so now that I am finding out more and more about the sites of San Antonio...we need some visitors that I can try out my new locations and sense of direction on. I think I could even get us all down to the riverwalk in one piece! (but I'm not making any promises...ha!)

Life As An American Girl Camp...

Well, I mentioned before that we have been busy, busy, busy! Part of that is the Life As An American Girl 'camp' that the girls attended last week. There is a private school in San Antonio's Monte Vista neighborhood (historical district close to downtown) called the San Antonio Academy...they put on weekly mini-camps all summer long in the mornings or afternoons. The topics range from art...to science...to math...to reading...to history...to make-believe/pretend...to cooking...to...do you get the idea? If a kid could want to do it or learn about it, they probably have a mini-camp for it at the academy. (ha!) A couple of friends suggested the program to me and we decided to check it out...it was well worth the drive and the money!!

The girls were encouraged to bring their dolls with them, and they decided that they would just bring their historical dolls and not their 'Just Like Me' ones. Summer has Kit. Kyla has Felicity. Each day, they were taught about the different time periods of 5 of the dolls...one doll each day of the week. This is what they did....

Monday - Felicity...they learned about colonial America, how to cross-stitch, and how to make butter from cream

Tuesday - Samantha...they learned about the history of the teddy bear (and other things pertaining to Samantha's time) and the proper manners for a 'real' tea party

Wednesday - Kit...they learned about the Great Depression and how resourceful the people had to be...the girls made dolls out of yarn...just like Kit would have done (Summer was hoping they were going to learn to type, since Kit loves to type on the typewriter she has...ha!)

Thursday - Molly...the girls learned about what life was like for Molly...they made crowns and painted a terra-cotta pot

Friday - Julie...the girls learned about the 1970s...perhaps the funniest thing was hearing my girls talk about the history of the time and them being SHOCKED that I was alive...although, in my defense VERY YOUNG...at that time. ha! They made friendship bracelets for themselves and their dolls. Plus, each girl in the class received an American Girl paperback book.

I would never say that these descriptions include ALL that the girls did each day...this is just what they remembered to tell me and what made a big enough impression to be repeated. They had a WONDERFUL time and I wouldn't be surprised if we found ourselves visiting the Academy again next summer. I have heard hints about an art camp....or the lego-building camp...or even the American Girl class AGAIN!

Jess Wuz Here...

Well, so I didn't have 3 more posts in a week - but we have been VERY busy around here. But isn't that what the summer is for?? ha!

School is now out...summer has begun...and we have hit the ground running. I thought that our pace would be slower, but as I began to chart our summer out on the calendar, it quickly became apparent that we will be busy. I guess that is a good thing - idol hands seem to cause bickering between sisters in this house - so I hope that being on the 'go' will help us (the girls) keep our (their) opinions about each other to themselves -- we'll see! ha!

We were BLESSED with a visitor just after school got out for summer break. It was our good fortune to have Jessica come to visit from Alaska. She was scheduled to travel to Alabama, but due to a TDY assignment in August which will take her to Alabama for a few weeks, she decided to use the plane ticket that she had already purchased to come to see us! Sorry Brian, Cindy, and Mallory - we appreciate your 'willingness' to share her!

We were afraid that Jessica would 'melt' while she was here because she had left Alaska when high temperatures were only in the 50's, however, she quickly re-aclimated to the southern climate and we spent alot of time outdoors soaking up the sun...and trying to beat the 100+ degree heat! One day, we took the girls (Luke stayed with Granny) to a church outing where we played putt-putt golf and rode in bumper boats.

I never thought about it before, but Jessica told us that Alaska doesn't really have anything like that...it doesn't stay warm long enough to make a business out of warm outdoor 'sports'. As a matter of fact, she told us their 'water park'...if it can be called that...is indoors! Well, once we knew that, we had to take a trip to Schlitterbahn in New Braunfels. For the last 10 years, Schlitterbahn has been voted the best water park in the country. Now, I don't know who votes on these things...but it is a GREAT place to go and spend a day on water slides, water rides, or tubing on their many, many tube shutes. We were blessed with a hot day and not alot of people. There were actually rides and shutes that we walked up to and got on. We were there when it opened and we didn't leave until just before closing - it was a GREAT day!

When it was time for Jessica to leave there were plenty of tears - hers and mine! She has become like a sister to me - no offense Gracie Pie (ha!) - and even though she is living in Alaska, it was like a piece of Alabama came and stayed for a while. We hope she will be able to come back and visit next year - and perhaps one of these days she will even be stationed in San Antonio.

Locks of Love

I always have known that Kyla was a big hearted girl...but I didn't know just how far she would take it. She has always had the big hair to go with that big heart...that is until today. She did something that she has seen other children do...including her Aunt Grace...she had enough hair cut off to donate it to Locks of Love.

In case you haven't heard of the program, Locks of Love takes donations of human hair in order to make wigs for disadvantaged children who need hair pieces for one reason or another. There are several criteria in order to donate...one of them...the biggest one if you ask me...is that you must donate at least 10 inches of hair.

Kyla had about a foot of hair removed from her head. She SMILED the whole time! I thought I might cry. As strange as it seems to me, I had butterflies in my stomach over it. But it really meant alot to her to be able to do this for someone and as she told me in her 9 years of wisdom - "Mom...come on...it's ONLY hair...it WILL grow back."

Perhaps harder for me is the realization that this 'little' girl is not so little anymore and time has passed so quickly and time will continue to speed by. Each time she exhibits her will and her independant desires reminds me that in time she grows closer to being on her own. I know it is God's perfect plan and I am thankful that we still have 'lots' of more time 'in charge' of her care, but a day like today reminds me that it the grand scheme of things - it won't be long....