Give your seashells the smell test before taking home

Miles of wide-open beaches, marshes teeming with life and live oaks draped in spanish moss.

Jekyll Island Georgia 

LOTS of learning about nature and exploring on this vacay. 

Summer Solstice
Strawberry Moon on the beach

Father's Day
Gatorology 101 

"Tiny"

Alligator Advocate 

Feeding marine critters brunch

Seining

Cumberland Island National Seashore

Sea Turtle tracks on the beach

Sea Turtle nest
Personal highlight of the trip

LDC received her Junior Ranger badge for Cumberland Island National Seashore

Terrapin Spa Day
A scrubbed carapace and toe nails clipped

No guidebook

"Whether it's potty training, involvement in sports, or academic excellence, parents sometimes struggle to find a delicate balance between setting high standards and pushing their children too far." -Karen LoBello

Right??

We wrapped up the city swim league in mid-May and started a club summer swim league.

So far I feel like I have been in mother-daughter therapy with this club summer swim league...

She loves practice but swim meets are a-whole-nother-story.

How do I get my kid to face her fears but not push her so far I stress her out and break her spirit?

"We complicate parenting.

We try 10,000 different methods and look for the perfect solution to help us to be more patient with our children."

Swim Meet #1

(FYI...which was almost an hour drive away from Aiken...one way)

No smiles, all tears.

Swim Meet #2

First event: All tears.  Refused to swim.

(Do they serve alcohol at swim meets?)

Second event: All tears but somehow she jumped off the starting block.

Rejoice.

Third event: LDC is sitting on starting block #1, cheering her friend on before her turn to get into the water.

She was ready and wanting to go.

Is this my child?

Yessssss

(Do they serve alcohol at swim meets?)

All smiles.

Through all the tears and snot she persevered.

AND so did I.

Whew.June 13, 2016

The Line Leader

Chesson Family Visit

Monkey See, Monkey Do

While the littlest one's were napping in the late afternoon inside, Drew was declared the line leader outside by the pool.
What he did, the older kiddos were to follow.
Front Flip

LDC

“Summer afternoon—summer afternoon; to me those have always been the two most beautiful words in the English language.” 
― Henry James

creepy-crawlies and a diploma

Aiken State Park

Memorial Day Camping Weekend 2016

South Edisto River
trying to stay away from all the creepy-crawlies in the trees

LDC's  Graduation

preschool graduation, with diploma in hand

sign language skit during the ceremony

Next up...
 Class of 2029