MIS Outdoor Education at Sky Ranch

Cadie and I had the BEST time at 5th grade outdoor education. We left bright and early at 6pm Monday morning and got back home late Tuesday evening. Cadie rode the bus there and rode home with me. There were 4 other chaperones for our cabin and I was able to walk around with Cadie and her learning group. The weather was beautiful and I loved getting to spend time with Cadie and get to meet some of her classmates.

A few highlights:
- I played the role of Doctor in a real-life game of clue on Monday evening
- Getting to know two moms really well - Lauryn Bradford (daugher Larsyn) and Susan Worrel (daughter Emma) who were just delightful
- Bonding with Cadie - she slept on the bottom bunk in the chaperones room and I slept on the top, we shared some snack on Monday afternoon at freetime, and I got to encourage her to step outside her comfort zone and sit with Mrs. Conner one day and sit by other classmates
- Getting to know Mrs. Conner - she is really funny, opinionated and compassionate. I really like her.
- Seeing Sky Ranch Outdoor Ed program - all the counselors were great
- Taking pics of friend's kids and texting them updates (Rebekah Jameson, Lee Sun Lee, Haley Crain)
- Helped Cadie and her Team win the rocket launching contest - ours went the farthest
- Being outside for two days with minimal distractions and demands on me. It was actually a pretty low stress 2-days.

I would definitely volunteer again for Outdoor Ed!

Jack Ranger is 9!

Jack Ranger knew exactly what he wanted to do for his birthday! A party with all his best buds at SPARK! He invited about 30 boys and I was a bit worried about going above our party guest max, but just under 30 showed up and it was perfect. There was an option at the party to do a craft, which I declined because I knew all the boys would want to do it run around and that is exactly what happened. Grant saved the day by walking to a 7-11 and getting pizza for the boys. I had brought snacks, but I under-estimated the hunger of a bunch of 9-year-old boys.

JR's actual birthday was pumpkin day at school and I loved getting to meet him for a picnic at lunch. DD, Parker, and Peyton Naomi also surprised Ranger at lunch! Austin made a tree house pumpkin for Ranger and a pirate ship pumpkin for Colton. The pumpkins were super impressive and the boys loved them.

Jack Ranger is an amazing 9-year-old. He is trustworthy, gets up for school and gets ready by himself, he is inquisitive and loves to learn new facts, he is still a picky eater but has recently ventured into fajitas which he now loves, he is a bit cool during the day but still wants cuddles and new dog at night, he wears only athletic shorts and says he never wants to wear pants in his whole life, he had tons of friends and I think he knows the names of everyone at UP Elementary, he loves hot wheels and legos, he is a pro bike-rider, he loves to play block tag with his neighborhood friends after school, Hudson from next door his is best friend, he does not like getting haircuts, and I just love him soooo very much.

Cadie is 11!

Cadie picked her own party which we did on Oct. 5 - her actual birthday. And then she caved to my request and we hosted a party for all the girls in her class on Oct. 12. Her party was way better than mine.

Her party included a special dinner at the Magic Time Machine with Nina, Stephanie Noonan (Cadie's 2nd and 3rd grade teacher), BFF Kamryn, and me. We went to the Magic show, purchased the crazy picture with our faces swapped, the girls drank fizzy drinks, and we sat in the tiki hut. Kam then spent the night and we had cupcakes made by Nina. It was a lovely evening and just Cadie's style and pace.

My party included all the girls from her 5th grade class and we made crafts at JoAnn's. Some of the girls picked shirts and some picked shoes. About 1/2 the girls were a bit sassy, the bathrooms were not working properly at Joann's and only about the 1/2 the girls really enjoyed the crafts. I thought it would be an opportunity to be inclusive and for the girls to spend some free time together on a Saturday afternoon, but I was wrong. It was overly stressful for both me and Cadie and we won't be doing that again. Lesson learned by Mom. Cadie handled the Joann's party in stride and she was a gracious hostess.

At 11, Cadie is funny, responsible, sensitive about being "embarrassed", reliable, hard-working, loves her room, loves reading. does a good job sharing her feelings, and she might be taller than me by the time she is 12. I love her so much and hug her every morning and every night and am so grateful to get to witness the beautiful young lady she is becoming. I love you Cadie! You are one of my greatest blessings.

Back to School

The transition to back to school has been a bit easier than I expected. Cadie has been riding her ride to McCulloch Middle School and Nina and Papa have helped get the boys to school. We did a few practice rides with Cadie and then I rode to school with her the first day and Nina or Papa rode with her the rest of her first week. She really loves the independence and likes to meet her friends before school in the cafeteria for breakfast. Ranger seems to know everyone in the school and has lot of friends in his 3rd grade class. Colton is pretty tired and hasn't quite adjusted to the long days, but his teacher said he is doing well with comprehension. Colton's bedtime has moved up to 7:30pm to try to get him enough rest.

Colton - Mrs. Everett
Ranger - Mrs. Larkin and Miss Norris as long-term sub
Cadie - Douglas house with Mrs. Conner

We did some back to school shopping at the Gap and the kids posed as mannequins. 

Colton is 6!

This cute 6-year-old has wanted to have a birthday party at Safari Run ever since we went to a birthday party there two years ago for his friend Knox Mullens. I think all Colton's birthday dreams came true! He wanted a puppy dog themed party and he even brought his own favorite stuffed dogs to decorate the table. He wore his Dalmatian shirt and he liked his Bolt cake. The party continued for the next few days with cinnamon rolls for breakfast and a family dinner at Uncle Julio's where Colton broke the chocolate pinata dessert. Colton is great a building and loves to build anything with legos or hotwheels. He is super friendly, loves to ride his bike, and loves to play dress-up. Even though he is 6, he still comes in to cuddle me most mornings before school. We love you Colton!