You know it's bad when even the soap needs to be washed...

After 2 weeks away, Zachary and Joey are home from Camp Kennolyn! Yesterday, less than 24 hours before picking them up, we finally received a letter from Joey. (excuse the hideous penmenship. Joey's writing is as bad as Zach's!)

My heart sank when I read the last sentence. He's been crying??!! I felt terrible and actually cried myself. This was the only letter he sent us, but we did get one from his counselor early on saying how great Joey was doing. I had images of him quietly crying to himself in his pillow at night. I was heartbroken.
Also, how were Pete and I ever going to get time away from the kids if they get homesick at camp?!! We have been counting down to the day when they will all 4 go away for 2 weeks. (3 more years!)




Needless to say, I wasn't sure what we were going to see at pick up. Thankfully Joey was all smiles and said he had a great time and definitely wants to go back next year (phew!). Not sure what to make of the letter, but I think he was a bit homesick in the evenings.


Pick up day started with all the cabins introducing themselves. The dark haired boy to the right of Zach is Keaton, the boy he met last year and really hit it off with. Zach is already looking forward to seeing him next summer. I love that about this camp--the same kids come back each year, giving the boys friends to come back to.

We spent the morning getting a glimpse of the boys doing the activities they had chosen. Zachary had riflery, swimming, tennis, archery, outdoor cooking, and hand built pottery.

Joey had archery, swimming, carpentry, outdoor cooking, riflery, and junior ropes.

I was happy to see that Zach and Joey had swimming together. I was also happy that they both chose swimming since they tend not to shower frequently at camp (2 or 3 times the entire 2 weeks. Blech!)
It was fun to see how they have improved in some of the activities compared to last year. They both did so well in archery!



Joey was so much more confident on the ropes course this year!

There was no hesitation as he climbed up the tree, then rode the zip line down

We then enjoyed a nice lunch together, before heading home.

As expected, the state and smell of their footlockers were beyond bad. All socks went straight in the trash. A few pants and shorts were also sacrificed. The rest went through the steam cycle.

Even the soap needed to be washed!

The Reality of Four

Last Thursday, with the older 2 still at camp, I decided to take the younger 2 to the Children's Discovery Museum.


The 3 of us had a great time, exploring all the exhibits. I had forgotten how much fun this museum was! Then I started to feel bad.

Before Christopher was born we had a membership to this museum. We came frequently, and the kids loved it. We haven't been in a very long time though. I doubt Vinnie even remembers it, Christopher certainly doesn't.

Why don't we come any more? Because Zachary and Joey have outgrown it. They would spend the time moaning that they were bored, blah, blah, blah. It can be challenging to find activities that entertain a 3, 6, 8 and 11 year old, all at the same time. It really got me thinking about how different things are for Christopher than they were for Zachary.


With Zachary, and even Joey, bedtime was a serene affair, which ended with Pete or I reading them a few books in bed. Now? Chaos. Christopher is usually running around and it is all we can do to get him in bed. Forget a story, I am just too tired.

And remember the almost forgotten birthday party of Christopher? I do.


The younger boys are usually stuck watching what the big guys watch. I have no doubt that Christopher can name the cast of "Suite Life on Deck" or "iCarly" , but probably couldn't name half the Sesame Street characters (or maybe any of them except Elmo!)


With the older two we did all the typical things families do with young kids--days at the park, seeing the Wiggles, Blues Clues, and Sesame Street, when they came to town, children's museums, Happy Hollow. Now? Big kid activities, mostly sport related.


What can Christopher do? He knows the Little League fields like our own backyard and has no problem marching up to the snack shack with a dollar bill in hand as he asks for a ring-pop. He can walk through the campus at the elementary school and high five the big kids, half of whom know him. He can also call his brothers names that a 3 year old wouldn't typically know if he didn't have older brothers using those names (I am already anticipating a few notes from preschool when he starts this Fall. I am sure he will be known as "that Contini boy"). Forget knowing any of the Wiggles songs (or any other kid group). Christopher and Vinnie can sing along to Lady Gaga and Ke$ha though. Great.

So are Vinnie and Christopher worse off? I don't know. I know they get to have lots of fun experiences , I just wish I had more time to give them all the things Zach and Joey got to do, not to mention more of me. I did promise Vinnie we would be back to the children's museum before too long and I meant it.

Absence hasn't yet made the heart grow fonder

I asked Vinnie to draw a picture that we could send to Zach and Joey at camp. This is what he came up with:




"It is me dropping bombs on Zach and Joey"


I am sure they are love bombs, right?

And then there were two...

Sunday was the start of summer camp for Zachary and Joey at Camp Kennolyn. This is Zachary's third year and Joey's second year. They have been so excited!

We had our traditional lunch stop at Carpo's before heading up the hill to camp.

Kennolyn is located in the Santa Cruz mountains. Kids come from all over the country (and some from out of the country) to attend this camp. We are so lucky to have it less than an hour from us. Contini cousins have been going to this camp for over 10 years.

Zachary is in Klamath this year. The same kids tend to come back each year to the same session, so Zach already knew most of the boys in his cabin from his previous 2 years. He was more than thrilled to find Keaton, his best bud from last year. As soon as we arrived Zach was off with his friends, without a look back.

Joey is in Big Creek this year, once again with his cousins Peter and Gian. I am sure they are having a blast (not sure about the poor counselors though! Sorry Jedd and Carlo!)

Christopher was bummed that he wasn't staying (so were we!). He is talking about when he gets to go. I think the youngest he can attend is six (do you want him earlier Kennolyn?). Vinnie is just so thrilled that he now gets the computer, xbox and wii all to himself for 2 weeks! Since the big boys left they have both been walking around the house saying "I miss Zachary...NOT!" "I miss Joey...NOT!" Deep down I bet they really do miss them though. (yeah, right!)

Palm Springs 2010

This year we headed to Palm Springs for our family vacation. We wanted to go somewhere where we could spend the days relaxing by the pool, preferably within reasonable driving distance. And yes, we were aware that the temperatures in Palm Springs are over 100 degrees on a daily basis.

We drove down to Southern California to get in a quick visit with my mom and grandma. We also picked up my 8 year old cousin Kelly, who joined us on our vacation. The following morning we headed to Palm Springs.
We were thrilled with the resort (Rancho Las Palmas) we chose. The kids were all in one room and we were in the adjoining room. The rooms were nice and spacious.

We had a nice patio to sit on and enjoy our morning coffee and after swim cocktails.

This was the view from our room.

The resort had a great pool area. There was a water play area.

My favorite was the lazy river. I could have napped just floating around.
Christopher and Vinnie loved the beach area.


The perfectly pristine sand went right into the pool.

Pete's favorite was drinking margaritas and daiquiris in the pool.

The big kids loved the 2 water slides ( I have to admit, they were a blast!)



They also loved the R bar-- A sports bar that was open to kids on Monday and Tuesday. There was games to play, Nicolodeon on the TV and Shirley Temples to drink.


Friday night they roll a huge screen poolside and show a movie.




There is an aerial tram in Palm Springs that we checked out. It goes 2 1/2 miles up while slowly rotating 360 degrees.


The views were absolutely breath-taking.


While the temperature at the bottom was 105 degrees, it was a beautiful 75 degrees at the top.

My mom and her friend Daryl came for a couple of days and went with us on the tram.

Apparently there is a lot of wildlife to be seen in the forest at the top of the tram. Unfortunately all we were able to spot was the ever present "whiny preschooler", several sightings of the "bickering siblings" and the usually elusive "bitter pre-adolescent". *



All in all, a successful trip. We were home by July 3rd, just in time to enjoy our neighborhoods 4th of July activities.


I kicked ass in the Fun Run, we watched the bike parade, then hung for a while at the cabana club.



*comments regarding the wild life courtesy of Pete while we were in the forest.