July has been a busy month around here. In addition to all the reading and bike riding we've been doing, we've been going to the water park a bunch, Amy has been to a Princess tea party/birthday party for our new neighbors 4 year old daughter, and we've taken a trip up to Chattanooga to see the aquarium and Discover museum.
We had a fun two day trip to Chattanooga. We got to see the seahorses and all the fish from "Finding Nemo" at the aquarium. Then the next day we went to the Creative Discovery Museum, where they have all hands on exhibits geared towards kids. There was a River Play area that was made up of all sorts of different water exhibits, there was an entire section on music and instruments, other areas where you could be an artist or an inventor, or dig for dinosaur bones. They also had a traveling exhibit called Busytown - based on the Richard Scarry characters. Amy had lots of fun up there until a person dressed up as one of the characters came out to visit the kids. Then she had to run and hide behind Dean.
She also seems to have gotten over her fear of getting her face in the water. On our latest trip to the water park, she actually tried to swim in the lazy river. While I floated in the tube, she first held on to my feet and tried floating while wearing her life jacket. Then she decided to put her face in and blow her bubbles, still holding on to me. Then she really got brave and decided to try letting go of me - and she surprised herself when she realized she was floating along, not holding on, and she was staying above water. We must have gone around the river 20 times during the entire day - most of the time spent with her floating/swimming by herself - always wearing her life jacket, and me close by.
And now in two weeks, school will start back - and we'll be back to our normal schedule again. It's amazing how quickly this summer has gone by. At first it didn't seem like it was, but now here we are at the end of July and buying back to school supplies and soon fall clothes. Here are a few pictures from our trip and of the princess. Amy took a few pictures while we were in Chattanooga. I'll post those on the next update.
Amy finally let someone paint her face. She has had many other opportunities to have it done, but never would let anyone do it before. But I guess this time was different. At a VBS kick-off, in addition to the inflatibles, and all the other activities and games, they had face painting and she had a butterfly painted on her cheek. It turned out really cute too.
She also likes having her picture taken again. Whenever she has something new she wants to show someone or a new outfit to model she wants us to get the camera so we can take a picture. A couple of today's pictures is her modeling a robe that Oma made for her.
And surprise of surprises, she is looking forward to going back to school. She has actually been asking lately when school starts again and is trying to count down the days on her calendar. Most times she's on the wrong month, but she's getting the idea.
She's learned alot over this summer and hopefully that will continue as she goes into the pre-kindergarten program this year. She loves reading and is practicing her writing too - trying to spell words, and sounding out words. One of her favorite things to do lately has been to say a word and then figure out what letter it starts with. About 80% of the time she gets it right.
Amy has discovered the fun of riding bikes together as a family. For Dean's birthday, he got a new bike. I also got one since I haven't had one in about 20 years. In addition, we got a ride along bike for Amy - which attaches to the back of one of our bikes, so she can pedal and ride along. So far we've put about 14 miles on them in three days. We've found a nice bike/walking trail at Berry College and have been taking advantage of that.
Also along the trail, especially when we go in the evening, there are lots of deer to see. Sunday evening we saw a whole buch, including what looked like a fairly new fawn. So not only is it great exercise, but it's educational and fun too.
And speaking of educational... Amy has finished all 20 hours of her summer reading program through the library. The program doesn't officially end until July 23rd, but we're suppsed to turn in her sheet once it's all filled up. She also has won another prize in their weekly drawing, so it will be interesting to see what this next prize is. But regardless of what it is, this program has given her the desire to read and read and read, so we'll keep on checking out those books and figure out a way to track all she reads on our own.
The rain has finally ended around here - at least for a while anyway. Now it's back to the normal summer weather we're used to having. HOT! Highs are getting back up to the low and mid 90's again, making it good weather to go to the water park. While the swim lessons didn't work out, she is putting her entire face in the water in the tub, which is further along than we were a few weeks ago. Maybe next summer we'll try lessons again. In the meantime we keep using a life jacket when we need to (at the water park) and limit our swimming to the little wading pools.
Enjoy the pictures. The artist at work and the bikers getting ready to ride. Oh yeah, and the picture of the "funny dancer, queen and daddy all rolled in to one. Enjoy!
