Photo Bomb

Since I am clearly awful about keeping up with the updating picture posts here instead of doing this one by one I'm just going to photo bomb you with the rest of our summer.  I got all the way up to the last day of our vacation to New Hampshire and then just stopped sharing again.  Shame on me.  So maybe it will be better to just finish the summer off in one post.  So here you have the rest of the Barnes Bunch summer 2012...

Shortly after returning from New Hampshire we attended a fishing event put on by the local fish and game and our towns park and rec department.  It was free and they provided everything.  Turned out people from fish and game actually remembered Joe's father from years ago when he used to be a fishing instructor.

A few weeks before school started I made plans with a friend of mine for a play date at her house and in her pool.  She has a son in Kindergarten in the same school as CJ so we were hoping to help our boys have a few extra friends to start the school year.  Turns out they did not end up in the same class though, but that's okay.  They still see each other on the playground and give a little wave.

The boys had enough swimming so they had fun on the play scape instead

And as summer draws to a close we of course needed haircuts for the children.  Clearly Alyssa was in need of a cut bad.

Alyssa Before

Natalie Before

Both girls After

And that's all the pictures I got this summer.  It was an enjoyable time and I think we got some really great memories.  Now we're back to the routine and hustle and bustle of another school year.  The break is nice, but it's good to be back to a routine.

First Day Of School 2012

I know I'm still going through all of our summer pictures and adventures because I have been just awful about getting those posts up.  Sorry about that, but I'm taking a break from our summer to share with you back to school.

The kids started school today.  Natalie's in 8th grade, Kaitlyn is in 5th grade, and CJ is in Kindergarten.  Natalie really did not want to go so I'm hoping she's having fun.  Kaitlyn couldn't wait to get back and I actually won't even really get to hear about her first day until late tonight or tomorrow because she is going to a football game with a friend after school today.  And then there's CJ who is starting Kindergarten.  Oy, how does this happen?  It's a transitional year for all three of them and I think it's going to be great.

8th grade for Natalie is starting out a little bumpy as I don't agree with her course schedule.  We will have to wait 4 weeks to see about changing that though.  5th grade for Kaitlyn isn't exactly what we had hoped for as far as a teacher goes, but I am pleased with who she got none the less and we'll make the most of that as well.  I'm relieved that CJ didn't get the mystery teacher this year because up until oh about yesterday they had no idea who was teaching the other Kindergarten class.  So he had at least had a chance to meet his teacher before school started which I'm hoping was helpful for him.

So today we had 3 nervously hopefully excited kids heading off to school.

Natalie all ready to start 8th grade

My 3 school kids

CJ was looking at Daddy

Got him to look at me, but he looks petrified

Gosh, she's so pretty

Everyday, I swear she looks more and more like my mom

There's my happy handsome boy

CJ and Kaitlyn ready to go on the bus together

Walking to the bus stop

Deep in thought at the bus stop

Little social butterfly

And off they go on the bus

CJ will actually be home very soon and I hope he's feeling chatty.  He wasn't allowed to sit in the back of the bus with his sister which I'm hoping he's okay with because Kaitlyn said he could sit in back with her.  Last years bus driver apparently allowed that.  This year she said no, but Kaitlyn could sit up front.  So she sat with him on the way to school.  Well, at least until she was out of our sight.

Looking forward to a really great school year.  Now to research local magnet schools for Kaitlyn.  Just trying to explore all of our options.

New Hampshire Coming Home

We left on Joe's birthday.  Came home, but before we did we made a pit stop at the beach in New Hampshire.  A beach we have been to before, but always the end of June when it's too cold and there's no one on the beach.  The end of July is a completely different story though.  The beach was packed.  We didn't stay for long, but the girls had a blast playing in the ocean.  CJ and Alyssa didn't care for the waves much, but they had fun walking the beach looking for rocks.

Natalie and Kaitlyn catching some waves

Alyssa trying not to get too close to the water

CJ watching Alyssa pick up a rock

Adding to the collection

Can you tell he was a little cold?

Alyssa walking down the beach

Gotta get all of the rocks

Maybe next year we can parasail

We didn't stay for long.  We had to hit the road.  We did stop for 77 cent ice cream cones from Friendly's along the way.  Got home just in time for dinner.  As much fun as we had it was good to be home.  We are debating if we should rent that house again next year.  It really was a nice house and we had a good time.  I think we really would benefit from getting a boat though.

New Hampshire Vacation Day 7

Our last full day in New Hampshire.  It was a little chilly still and since everyone had so much fun letter boxing we decided to do it again.  We found one that had more than one letter box you had to find.  Two were missing, but it appears other people had the same problem.  It was still fun none the less.

View of the mountains

CJ liked this car

Had to have his picture with it

Natalie and CJ at the start of the walk

It's a fitness walk

Natalie doing the fitness challenge

CJ doing the fitness challenge

Kaitlyn doing the fitness challenge

Found the first letter box

Just a mini box

Moving along

Heading back

 After we did that we decided to stop on the way back at some of the shops to do a little shopping.

Tried to get a picture of the 4 kids in front of this old fashioned car

3 modern age kids with an old fashioned car

 Then it was back to the house to prepare a boat that Joe had made to set out to sale.

Joe's boat with a few sacrificial <strike>lambs</strike> toys taking a ride

Natalie went out into the river to send the boat off

Floating down the river

It's going to hit that rock

Maybe not, looks like it wasn't going to make it far though

On our way back Alyssa looking at a flower

Here, want the flower?

Natalie is such a good big sister, giving her brother a piggy back ride.

And that was how we spent the last day.  The next day we packed the car, but the fun wasn't over.  We made a stop on the way home.  Check back later to see what we did before we made it home.