100 Book Challenge

Our school has a program called the 100 Book Challenge. It is required reading for grades 1-5 each day. You don't really read 100 books but you read steps. 1 step=15 minutes of reading. The reading they do must be on their "fast, fun and easy" level. The goal of the school year was to read 400 steps (100 hours of reading) and I am proud to say that J made it! They have milestones at each "100" and they get an ice cream scoop on the wall. I took one of J when he reached 100 back in October, but forgot my camera for ht rest so I just took all four pictures in June1 You can see by the height of the ice cream cones that not everyone gets to each milestone. It requires a lot of extra reading. That is why I am extra proud of J and how he was determined to get to each milestone!

This is the hallways display, that is left up all year.

(Okay so I accidently deleted the 100 Step picture.....cannot seem to get it back in order)

200 Steps! (50 hours of reading)


300 Steps (75 hours of reading)

400 Steps (100 hours of reading and end-of-the-year goal)

J grew so much as a reader this year and I am so stinkin' proud of him! Way to go Buddy!

Scout Camp 2011

J spent his first week out of school at Cub Scout Day Camp. I don't have many pictures yet but his wonderful den leader took many and has promised to send them! I dropped him off bright and early each day and picked him up late in the afternoon, a tired, sweaty boy who had lots of stories to tell! He loves the obstacle course, partially seen below.

All but 3 boys in his camp Den were from our regular scout den, so it was nice that he knew the boys and made a few new friends.
They did so many fun activites:fishing, arts and crafts, woodworking, flag football, leather working, building, water games, BB gun practice (with the range master from the county's range), made and used a sling shot, cooked, and much more!)

It's What She Does!

Makes silly faces at the camera, that is. Miss M is such a bird! She keeps me laughing!

Mad face

Cheese face

Toothy grin Surprised face

Um, not sure

Surprised face part 2

That girl of mine....

Photo Shoot

My best friend's niece has taken up photography and needed to practice. I volunteered my kids and here are some of my favorites...

My babies

Look at da FISHES!

These were the first words uttered by Miss M on our visit to the aquarium this weekend. It was her first visit and boy did we have a blast!

Miss M and the Lion Fish

As this boy was in heaven because we saw the sharks. (Sharks are all the rage in first grade this year. It was dinosaurs a few years ago, now it is sharks)

and of course, if J does, Miss M has to do it too!

We saw the jellies exhibit. They are so stinkin' cool. Just sayin'!

More sharks, and muscle flexing. Not sure why he was posing this way. Now-a-days, I don't understand half of what he does.....

I thought this picture turned out cool. Of course, my pictures always are pretty cruddy considering the pictures from all of the blogs I read are so good. When I get a spare couple of grand, I will buy one of those fancy cameras, I tell you! But I digress......

Unfortunately, the dolphin show was cancelled b/c two dolphins just had babies. So we watched them from the big window/tank. As they looped a video of the dolphin calf being born. over and over again. and again. Poor dolphin mommy....displayed for all of the world to see....:)

We had a blast though. I always get a little bit anxious taking Miss M to a place like that. (No strollers allowed) But she was wonderful. J was wonderful and it was a fun day for us all!

Earth Day 2011

J had the opportunity to participate in a service project On Earth Day. He and two of his Tiger Scout friends planted trees. The picture is hard to see but in the background you can see tubes sticking up. These are all trees. This group of scouts planted 20 trees that day. It was pretty cool. The had to dig the holes, plant the sapling, hammer in a stake and cover it with a tube to protect it from deer and other critters. They all did something to help the environment and they learned something as well! So proud of my little man!

My Little CAPS Fan!

We have some pretty big Washington Capitals Fans in our family, including now, Miss M!

She calls them Birdie-Birdies!

Aunt Ju-Ju's jersey is still a little big, but she can pull it off!

GO Ovie!
A very proud Uncle Tim and Daddy!