Sports Stars

 

We headed to the golf course yesterday, and our take away thought was:  "What a difference a year makes!".   We couldn't believe how much the kids had improved since last summer in their ability to take turns, follow the rules, and endure through the 9 holes at the Par-3 course.  Luke took a six-week golf class after school this spring, and it was fun to see him incorporate some of the techniques that he learned.  Leah swindled sweet-talked Grandpa into buying her a set of clubs with a coordinating pink golf bag, and she was SO excited to have her own equipment this year.  The kids had great form, and it was a fun activity for all of us:

Daddy served as caddy, and besides carrying bags, he had the very important job of helping the kids choose the correct club, offering sage words of advice, correcting form, and removing the flag on each green. 

 

 

 

Mommy served as family photographer, outfit coordinator, snack & drink packer/dispenser, sunscreen applicator, and cheerleader, and proved indispensable in her duties as well... to capture moments like this and to equip our little sports stars with all of their nourishment, accessories, and words of positive encouragement:

 Continuing on with our sports theme, Luke returned to soccer camp last week, which is a morning camp held conveniently at his school (less than one mile away).  Last year, soccer camp was Luke's first introduction to potential peers and classmates in our new town, and this summer, it was fun to see how many of his friends attended and notice how much we've grown and integrated into our community since then:

 

 Even Leah had a buddy to play with as we watched Luke in his "World Cup" match yesterday:

Leah is going to play soccer for the first time this fall, and she was very serious about practicing her skills in preparation:

 

Luke's soccer camp was run by U.K. Elite, and Mommy and Leah were once again tickled by the coaches' British accents.  We perfected our own version of their dialect, and hearing Leah shout: "GOOD MORNING, SOCCER PLAYERS!" in a London cockney sent me into a fit of giggles every time.  Luke pretended that he didn't know us, and wore this expression:

It's tough to be 7, and have such an embarrassing mom/sister.

 

 Luke also attended basketball camp earlier this month (also known as "Snack Camp" last summer), and luckily, we negotiated a system of purchasing one treat from the snack bar each day, which seemed to please all parties involved.  He received a new ball at the end of camp, and has been telling us that he is going to play for Wake Forest some day, "since I'm going to be so tall, Mommy... about 7'11", I think":

 

Three Cheers for our little sports stars, and for the opportunities to stay active and burn energy this summer! 

Little Swimmers

One of the best parts of summer is swimming at the pool!  Each year, the pool becomes a little easier for Mommy to manage, as the kids get older and more independent:



 

 The kids become stronger swimmers each summer, and this year, Luke decided that he was ready to dive.  We've learned with Luke that he will try new things when he is ready, so we have not pushed this skill.  One day, he surprised us by showing us this: 

 

We applauded, cheered, and were generally VERY excited for our son, and not 30 seconds later, Leah did THIS:

 

 

Poor Luke.  Sometimes, it's hard to be a big brother.  You could see the wheels turning in his head.  The next day, Luke announced that he was going to attempt his dive off the diving board: 

 

 

"Hooray, buddy!"  Awesome!

 

And right away, "Me, Too" marched boldly up to the diving board.  Without hesitating a bit, our fearless BABY GIRL did THIS:



 

No words. 

 

Since these videos were taken last month, Leah has started taking swimming lessons and no longer needs her vest/floatation device.  She is swimming across the deep end by herself and is a little fish in the water.  Many of our friends are also members at the pool, and it is a great way to cool off on these hot summer days!

Battleship North Carolina

During our vacation at the beach last week, we took a short drive to Wilmington, NC, to tour the U.S.S. North Carolina.  This impressive World War II battleship has been dedicated as a memorial to American soldiers and was HUGE!  We couldn't believe the size of the missiles that lined the grounds:

The entire ship is open for the public to tour, so we were able to explore the exterior of battleship as well as the below deck area, where the officers and enlisted men lived.  The kids were amazed by the weapons and scope of the ship, and were able to crawl into the gunnery and examine the towers.  Mommy and Mimi loved reading the details of life aboard the ship, and we couldn't believe that there was a jail, ice cream parlor, movie theater, hospital, and post office on board.  The first hand stories of the crew and the World War II era relics that were displayed were fascinating, and we learned so much about the history of the battleship:  



 

Overlooking Wilmington.

The U.S.S. North Carolina was an amazing battleship, and we've passed it on our way to the beach for years.  It was so much fun to be able to tour it with our little guys and learn about this important part of our history!



Topsail Treasures

 

We returned home last week after spending a treasured few days at Topsail Island (also referred to by L&L as simply "Mimi's Beach House").  Once again, our children proved to be total beach bums, and played in the sand and surf for hours each day:

 

 

 

 

 

 

Luke pulled these dune buggies out of our sand toy bag, and I can not explain what the sight of my big boy playing with trucks (like he did when he was a little boy) did to my heart:

 

 

Winnie LOVES Topsail, and it's one of my favorite things about the beach, to see her so happy: 

We kept our kids close to the shore this year, due to a number of shark attacks at North Carolina beaches over the past few weeks.  They didn't seem to mind, and body surfed and splashed happily:   

 

Thankfully, Uncle Jef, Shark Hunter, caught this fierce predator and saved us all from imminent danger: 

 

Gawa had some luck fishing too, and the kids were eager to pet his catch:

 

Our little treasure hunters were excited that Gawa brought his metal detector again, and somehow, pirates always seem to bury treasure in the sand right in front of our beach house.  What lucky kids!

 

 

Some of our most treasured Topsail times were crafts with Mimi and Aunt Molly, and quiet moments to relax, read, and snuggle: 

 

Leah bonded with Uncle Jef's dog, Toby, and she calls him "my new best friend".

 

 We also visited the Sea Turtle Hospital at Topsail, and met many of the "patients" on our tour of the facility. 

 

 

We learned about the turtles' rehabilitation process and care in preparation for release back into the wild.  I especially appreciated the therapy pool and room for the turtles, and Leah was right in her element as Doc McTurtle, caring for her stuffed sea turtles as soon as we got back to the beach house: 

These kiddos came home with some pretty fun treasures from the Sea Turtle Hospital, thanks to an adoring aunt, uncle, and grandmother! 

 

Until next summer, dear Topsail Island...

How we treasure our beach memories each year!