2nd and 5th Grade, Here We Come!

 

We now have a second grader and a fifth grader!  On August 17, our kids headed off to their first day of  the new school year. 

While we took pictures at the front door, like other years, this year the kids are starting off as distance learners.  But for them, the distance learning is taking place on campus, as their after school program (AKC) is running a full day program, helping them log into all their zoom meetings and generally get through the school day.  The nice thing is that they each have a few classmates and can enjoy time with those friends during the breaks during the school day.

While not a perfect start to the year, it is exciting to have a second and fifth grader, and so far this year is going better than the spring!

Pandemic Summer Camp Fun

It was a very different summer for our kids, with the pandemic changing almost all of our summer plans, but it was also an opportunity for us to make last minute summer camp plans.  Summer camps were such a great part of the summer, because they gave the kids a chance, after months of isolation, to connect with other kids. For the first week of the summer, Liam did a Bike Camp and Elsa did a Lacrosse Camp.

The next two weeks, they kids got to play in a our community pool at the Rinconada Swim Camp.  It was a lot of fun for both of them. 

After a 4th of July holiday trip, Liam spent 3 weeks at the Jr. Museum Down By the Bay camp, enjoying learning about nature and hanging out in the Baylands. 

During those weeks, a friend joined Elsa for another week of Lacrosse camp, then Elsa spent some time with my sister in Santa Cruz, and then did the Shoreline Windsurfing and Sailing camp. 

The next week was spent in Oakland, where both kids went to a Trapeze Camp. At the end of the week, they did a Zoom show for the families. 

We then spent a week up in Tahoe, and for the week before school started, Liam did a week of Soccer Camp.

Overall, we were able to have a good summer of last minute planned adventures and camps, in stable groups of 12, while wearing masks!

  

Tahoe Adventure!

For the first week in August we headed up to Lake Tahoe for some time in the Mountains with the kids and friends. Once we arrived we headed over a block to Liam's friend Lucas' cabin.  His parents made us burgers and the kids played.  The big excitement was we saw a bear! The bear wandered by the house and then got chased into a tree by a dog.

The next morning we headed up to Cascade Falls for a hike with friends.  It was a great hike and the kids did well.  It was fun to explore the falls.

That afternoon, Elsa went bike boarding with Maya and Liam and I played at the lake.

The next day started with a Treetop Adventure.  The kids were fearless.  I was overwhelmed by some of the courses.

That afternoon we played at the beach by our cabin.  The kids dug a big hole and had fun jumping off the dock.

The next morning we headed out for a float down the Truckee River.  It was super fun activity with Lucas' family.  In the middle of the float we switched it up to have a girls boat and a boys boat.

That late afternoon Arne took the kids to get pizza and play mini-golf.  

It was a great trip and I felt like the mountain air and time with friends made it really feel like summer!