Day Trip to Camp

On Wednesday night I was up late making a gazillion hand cookies for a Friday night devotional at Girls Camp. They were even better once they were all done... flesh frosted and all :) I totally thought it was creepy making them... especially seeing so many hands on my counter :) I finished them off with frosting and M&M fingernails. I'm kinda glad I don't get to be at camp to watch the girls bite off the fingers.


On Thursday my friend Madelin and I drove up one of the YW up to camp at Clark Fork in Stanislaus National Forest.

It was fun to reunite with the group of girls from my ward and hang out for the evening. The theme for camp was B.O.O.T. Camp (Build Our Own Testimonies) and our group was called the Super Troopers (Paratroopers).


Everything is better at camp- especially the food... bc for some reason you get so famished after walking around in all the dust and dirt.

The skits were awesome. Especially the one put on by all the men showing their version of the Director's cut of Twilight... Michael Jackson + a hairy Jacob + a pasty faced Edward + a very very unique looking Bella... was pretty hysterical. I didn't take any pictures though- just to preserve the dignity of the men that were involved.

One of the cute girls in our ward getting ready for her skit

The views from the campfire as the day got dimmer were gorgeous.


We ate heaping plates of potatoes at dinner (so you know I was in heaven)... and this might've been the prettiest dessert I've ever seen served at a Girls Camp... and it was delicious too.


After dinner, and campfire, the girls went on a beautiful Faith walk and had a nice devotional... and then Madelin & I said our goodbyes and went home around 11pm.

The drive back through the completely empty Stanislaus Forest was a little creepy at times... especially since there was no cell phone coverage, but we survived and made it home a little before 2am. I am exhausted! Six hours of driving in one day was tiring- my little baby girl seemed to LOVE hanging out with all the YW though... she was awake, alert, and kicking the entire time we were at camp and on a good chunk of the drive home.

Glad to relax at home today and avoid being in the car. So grateful for my friend Alice who kept Andrew happy all day yesterday so I could go to camp. I was so sad I couldn't stay up for the entire week... but after getting to sleep in my own bed last night (away from the bugs), I was kinda happy I only did a day trip.

Beatboxing Fun with Radio Disney

This morning we went with my neighbor and the other kids from our Virtues class up to Blackhawk Plaza for their free weekly Camp Blackhawk with Radio Disney.

First we got free fruit snacks from Funky Monkey...


The kids weren't huge fans of the snacks... so we fed them to the ducks and hoped that we didn't do any damage. Last thing we wanted to do was kill all of the ducks.


Next we did a little dancing to Radio Disney tunes.

Andrew with one of his best little buddies.
So glad she lives next door!

Then the fitness instructor from CRUNCH came and warmed the kids up and did some exercises with them. I was impressed that Andrew actually did some of the exercises- must be all those workout videos we've been doing lately :)

Arm circles

Running in place

Stretching with the boys from Virtues class (there are only 3)

Jumping jacks!

Reaching for the sky!

Squats (I think this one is so darling)

Lunges!

High knees

When little man got bored (bc they tended to repeated the workout for longer than his attention span could handle), we went to the playground. I turned around for one second, lost him, and this was where I found him two seconds later.

What do you mean I'm not supposed to be up here?

The fountains at Blackhawk Plaza are beautiful and so fun to splash in. I need to take Andrew up there more often!


After the workout with Crunch, we met DC Beatbox from the Disney Channel's show Choo Choo Soul. He got us all primed to learn how to break dance.

Started off with a little stretching

and arm hugging/swinging...

and then he taught the kids some of his moves.

Andrew weaseled himself right to the front.

Little man was in awe of these cool moves

But took a few breaks from break dancing to run around some poles

He really wanted a turn to break dance in front of everyone... but wasn't picked :) Kept saying, "my turn?"


After dancing, we learned how to beatbox. Kevin can do some of this vocal percussion too... so Andrew loved it!

After almost two hours of fun, we hunted for the baby ducklings in the fountains and then finally went home for lunch!


I am exhausted! Andrew is of course, NOT... and is running around our backyard playing soccer and t-ball.

Tuesday Morning Adventures

This morning we joined some friends for a trip to the Free Summer Family Film Festival at a local movie theater. They were showing March of the Penguins, which I remember to be a somewhat slow moving movie, but I figured... it's free! So why not?


Little man was enthralled by the previews... (there was a rocket in one of them... if only we were there to see a rocket movie)


Very excited about his kid movie treats...


and REALLY happy to leave once the baby penguins hatched... We lasted about 50 minutes in the theater. I was surprised we made it that long. The treats helped. :) Andrew mostly just wanted to watch the penguin eggs freeze (the ones that didn't make it and died--- yeah, he's really interested in morbid things lately).

He was also really wanting to pose a lot outside of the theater afterwards for pictures. Weird kid! Kept telling me to take his picture so he could say cheese.


After all the sitting time at the movie, we headed over to a fun new park that we discovered.

Andrew- "I am the king of the world!"

Negotiating for sand toys
Andrew was of course willing to give the shovel he didn't like away...
but that wasn't what his little buddy wanted.

The awesome face I got when I gave him a 15 min warning until we were going home...
paired with a "No thanks Mom!"

Little dude is trying to give me gray hairs... he is definitely a climber like his dad

This slide brought back terrifying memories of when he got his toddler fracture last Fall. It wasn't as twisty, but still was a little too steep and a little too fast (for me)... so of course he had to go on it again and again.

Static hair!

Love this kid!

We also had a fun morning at Lowes trying to get paint samples. I think I am going to have a hard time picking blue & pink colors for the kid rooms... but I'll save that dilemma for another post though!

Time to get prepped for Camp Mom this afternoon! We have some friends over and we're going to do some fun activities focused on BUILDING... so check out Toddler Approved later if you want to see all the successful and unsuccessful things we did!

Happenings at the Buskirk Casa this week

- Work! I spent several day and evening hours doing work projects. Andrew loved bug hunting and playing trains with his super babysitter. I am really going to miss her when she returns to BYU in a few weeks.

(part of the exciting science textbook I have modified)

- Did some much needed catching up with some old friends in Santa Clara & Redwood City that I haven't hung out with in 6 months or so. Andrew was a good sport until the too late drive home... and then even the Beatles wouldn't keep him happy anymore.


- Extra workouts. I feel like I am gaining weight a little bit faster this pregnancy, so I'm trying to work out a little more. The walk to the kitchen to dish up ice cream and scoop out cookie dough onto cookie sheets doesn't count as an extra workout anymore! ... at least most days. ;) I have tried out Zumba and am doing the 30 Day Shred (not to lose weight, but just to feel toned). I figure, once the belly goes, at least I can try to keep my arms in shape, right? :) It is amazing how much more you sweat with a few extra pounds.


- Pet owl! We discovered a baby owl hiding in our backyard today. Andrew has named him "Teamwork," inspired by all the Wonder Pet watching we've been doing lately.


- Spiders! Spiders have taken over our back bushes and have made some exquisite and large webs. We have a new rule that it is "too cold" to go outside until 9am, or else Andrew would be outside checking out the webs at 7:30am each day. I walked through one accidently this week. That was not a highlight.


- House Projects- Kevin has been working on lots of wiring projects around the house. He has spent a lot of time in the crawl space under the house.

heading down below!

almost done!

- Nursery- I have ordered girly pink nursery bedding and am starting to check out paint colors for the walls this week. We are also getting prepped to redo both closets in the kids bedrooms.


- Girls Camp prep! I spent two afternoons working with ladies from church to make cute handouts, gifts, and cards for the Young Women going to Girls Camp next week. My bow-making skills have definitely improved... and my paper cutter got use every evening this week while Kevin & I tried to catch up on our 24 watching.

One of the handouts I made... attached to a cute bookmark w/ a key hole that I also made

We have 30+ girls going to camp... so we had to make a lot of each handout/gift

- Camp Mom: Water Day!- We actually had one day where I did fun stuff with Andrew. He loved it. You can find all the deets on my Toddler blog. Hopefully it made up for the rest of the week when we played with playdough or watched TV while I did YWs or work stuff.

Snail art project

Iceberg painting

- Lots of Beatles Rock Band and Beatles sing-a-longs. I think we might need to stage an intervention soon.

watching "Please Please Me"

- Trip to the Farm- On Saturday I headed off to the LDS church welfare farm in Patterson with the youth from church. We raked/cleaned, moved huge irrigation pipes, painted poles, and weeded 50 acres of tomatoes. I am hoping my jeans recover. Right now they are green from all the tomato plants.



- Pioneer Day Picnic! We went to our ward Pioneer Day picnic yesterday. I forgot the camera, but Andrew "participated" in the tug-o-war and water balloon toss. He loved chucking balloons at Kevin but was traumatized when one hit his foot. He also loved playing with all the YW so that Mommy and Daddy could chat with their friends. :)


- We also spent some quality time running, playing at parks, and sitting by the baby pool this week. It was fabulous.

Dear Self-

You have a 2-1/2 year old and a bun in the oven. It has been almost 4.5 years. These pictures need an album to go in! Get yourself together and finish it!


Maybe if the photographer hadn't made you cry because it was sooo cold... you wouldn't have SO many pictures to choose from. You have one week.

Love, Me







This morning I had a little extra free time since little man is under the weather and we are just chillin on the couch. Looking at pictures of all my favorite people in one place is definitely helping me feel more happy and less sleep-deprived today.



I love this picture... especially that now that all four of them are off the market :) (so excited for Jeremy's wedding on Saturday!)

Best. Day. Ever.

The most beautiful couple ever-my cute grandparents. I aspire to be like them.

My goal is to wrap this album up this week. If you see me next week, ask how it is going :) It would be nice to have A SINGLE picture of Kevin & I on our wedding day IN my house... that isn't in a proof book.

Wish me luck!