The lifestyle of a small town lake girl at heart!
I can not believe its already been 5 years, but i also dont remember life without my amazing nanny kids. The last five years have been the most amazing years in my career. I have never been happier to wake up and go to work. But lets be honest, they are truly just family!!!
Final full week of summer
Well summer has sadly come to an end. It was the oldest nanny kids last full week of summer so we made it her week. She picked our daily activities. We checked out a new library, had daily picnics, had a tea party and visited our favorite spots.
We spent one morning making tie dye shirts and it was so fun. All three kids were amazing with the dye. They were also so careful and we didn’t have any mishaps. I was very proud of them. Their shirts turned out awesome!!! We made them for mom and dad and myself. Family tie dye shirts are the best!
I’m so sad summer is coming to an end. The kids are definitely ready for the structure of school but can’t we just do that from home 😂!?
Monday was a little gloomy out so we started our day at the library. It was also a big day because the oldest competed her 2nd reading long. That means she read 32 hours this summer. She is amazing and so determined! Her prize was another chapter book!
They’ve recently added this cool interactive table which kept the little one entertained while the big kids played an educational game on the computer. After they enjoyed some time inside we headed out to the large castle playground.
While at the library i jumped on the app and registered the little one for several story times, a teddy bear day and music classes. The library has so much to offer for children (and adults) of all ages. We are blessed to live in a county with such amazing programs!
Tuesday we found a hidden gem. The weather was very iffy. It was gloomy and lightly raining. It wasn’t supposed to last all morning but it sure wasn’t clearing up fast. The oldest and i were googling indoor activities and we discovered one of our favorite parks has an indoor area. WHAT??? How did we not discover this before? So needless to say we jumped in the car to check out this nature center! It was awesome! Dinosaur themed and so many things to explore. They also had a play area which is exactly what we needed. After we played inside for quite awhile, we went for a hike outside. Very successful day!
Wednesday the weather was beautiful. We decided to pack a lunch and head out for the day. We haven’t been to the playground near the lake in forever so that is where we went!!! Couldn’t ask for a better view while eating lunch!
We ended the week at a small playground on the metro parks trails. We also helped clean up our toys to help mom prepare for this weekends celebration. Another week of summer is gone but we are making the most of the days we have left!
Week 6
This week started off with a lot of rain. The oldest still had swim practice so the littles and i played in the car. Sounds terrible but they actually had fun sitting in the back seat playing. Once it started to monsoon they released the kids a little early. I was as wet as the oldest just from walking to get her. We ran home so she could dry off and put on warm clothes, then we headed to the library. My nanny boy finally reached the half way point of the reading challenge, so he was able to pick a prize from the treasure box. So proud of him!
All 3 of the kids picked out new books for the week. My nanny boy picked a drawing book and he couldn’t wait to get home and draw a robot. Very impressed with his art skills!
This week we worked on potty training with the youngest. She is a few months shy of her 3rd birthday and we have a goal of getting it done before summer break ends. She is doing really great and fingers crossed 🤞 we are nearing the end of diapers!
We ended the week with the swim team championships. I was beyond thrilled it was on Saturday so i could finally see my girl compete. All of her meets have been on Thursday nights when i coach. She did relays, backstroke, butterfly and freestyle. This 7 year old can swim and i am so darn proud of her!!!
Week 5
Vacation Bible School is here and we are all so excited! This is a favorite of ours and we look forward to it every summer. The local Methodist church puts on the most amazing camp for the kids. Both of the older kids participated. It’s every morning so it gives me some one on one time with the little one!
The little one and i basically spent the week at different parks. We played on the playgrounds and walked the trails. It was a fun week!
In the afternoons we read, colored and did some school work. It was a busy week but we enjoyed it!
Week 5
Monday was the Fourth of July. This has to be one of my favorite holidays. Fireworks, family, good food, parades, beach day and of course we celebrate my fathers birthday!
Tuesday morning i was woke up by the sound of thunder. It was a pretty intense summer storm and of course it arrived early in the morning. We took our time packing up and heading home. On the way we stopped at Cabelas to see if we could get a life jacket for me to use on our friends boat. We DID NOT buy this ridiculous coat guard life jacket but we thought it was funny how huge it was on me!
After dropping the older kids off at camp, the younger one and i walked around the trails. We just love this metal sculpture of a bee and a flower!
The president was in Cleveland on Wednesday. The next day my nanny boy and i saw this awesome plane coming in for a landing at the local airport. It was so big and flew right over the playground. He was amazed! We think it was a Boeing C17 Globe Master III (large military transport aircraft)
Softball Saturday!!!! Absolutely love watching my niece and her travel team play ball! They have grown so much individually and as a team this season!
Week 4
It’s a short but full week! The oldest 2 had nature camp and the oldest still had swim team practice. Our mornings went very quickly as we prepared for the entire day before leaving the house a little before 9am. The oldest did half her swim practice and then changed like Superman in the telephone booth so we could get to camp on time. They stay at camp for 4 hours and ate lunch with their camp friends.
On day 1 they saw turtles, centipedes and 2 deers on their hike! Day 2 was all about snakes. I checked their backpacks before bringing them home just in case a snake got loose!!! Day 3 was caterpillars and bears apparently. I mean we have had bear sittings in Ohio so i guess it’s good to educate the kids on it!
On Friday the little one and i were asked to not be craft store by my nanny boy. He wanted bear crafts and the oldest wanted summer-y crafts. Michael’s was having a clearance sale on all summer crafts so we hit the jackpot!! They were so happy to see all the crafts after camp.
The oldest received all her ribbons from this weeks swim meet. She is doing so well and i am so unbelievably proud of her!!!
Week 3
We’re back and we all have a little bit of a vacation hangover. The nanny family was down south all last week and i was at home having a staycation by myself! The kids jumped right back into the routine. Monday morning we were back at the pool first thing in the morning to prepare for another swim meet. The oldest was the first one in the pool helping her coach set up lane lines. She loves being a helper!
After swimming we headed to the playground and had a picnic lunch. It was only in the mid 70’s and it was cold in the shade but we enjoyed the sunshine ☀️ and blue skies! We were at a playground near a library so before we ate the oldest read us the story on the storybook trail!
The quote of the week by my 2 year old nanny girl “that smells red!” She was referring to my hand sanitizer!
Tuesday we went to a playground in Avon that we haven’t been to in a long time. The oldest requested we go back there. Another beautiful day. Sun was shining and the temp was 71°. We played hard on the climbers before we had a picnic lunch. Afterwards we went for a hike. My nanny boy was excited to bring his camera to capture photos of birds. It was challenge for him because, well, birds fly when you approach them. He finally found a Robin that would cooperate!
Wednesday was a very special day for everyone. After our normal morning swim practice we came back to the house. Nana came to pick up the 2 big kids and they went and saw the new Buzz Lightyear movie. The littlest one and i went to meet Mr John for lunch. They are besties and talk everyday on the phone so they enjoyed real time together!
We finished the week strong. After the oldest finished swim practice we headed to the park. The temp was in the 90’s but that doesn’t stoop us. We went the playground with the swing zip line. They requested this playground. We played hard and we were hot. To cool down we did the historical walk in the woods. The oldest LOVES history and she was so excited. My nanny boy was hot and hungry but he was a trooper. We left the woods and headed to the pavilion for a picnic lunch!
After everyone rested we quickly headed to the library. My oldest nanny girl completed her reading board. Yes she read 16 hours in less than a month. She was so excited and could wait to turn in her game board for a prize. Now can she finish 2 game boards this summer??? she picked out a chapter book from the prize shelf. I’m so proud of this girl!
Week 2
We had a busy, but fun, week! My oldest nanny girl had swim team every morning and my nanny boy had safety town every morning. Two kids in two different places at the same time. No problem!!!
The girls and i check out the new playground in Olmsted Township. It was 85° outside and this playground lacks shade. The climber was hot to the touch but the youngest braved it and went on the slide several times. The oldest enjoyed the rock wall but there is not as much for the older kids. To cool off we went and explored the new trails just behind the playground. It’s a really nice new area but might be more enjoyable in the fall!
Tuesday was a very exciting for the oldest. She had swim team practice and i can’t believe how much she has grown in just 5 days. She was asked to help carry the lane line down the pool and hook it in. Usually the “older” kids help with this job so it was a big deal! She always was able to swim, freestyle, the entire length of the pool without touching the bottom or the wall. Another huge milestone. Lastly she was moved to lane 2 to swim with some older girls. She had been in lane 1 with all the new little kids. She was so darn proud of herself and so was i!
We made our weekly stop at the library to pick out some new books. My oldest has already read 8 hours this week which is halfway to tne finish of the summer reading challenge. Is there anything this girl can’t do???
This week has been so crazy but fun! The second half of the week we survived heat indexes over 100°, swim practice and the first meet, swim team picture day, safety town graduation, the AC breaking, splash pad, the park, picnics and a parade 😂! We jammed so much in just 2 days.
Oh and we also made lots of cards and notes for nanny dad for Father’s Day! We are all exhausted but it was a really fun week. The kids have been amazing and my oldest nanny girl is the best helper!!!
Today we celebrated flag day by discussing the meaning of the Stars and Stripes. The older two nanny kids are 5 & 7 and very intelligent. They love to learn. They also love art so we made our own flags.
Lake Girls Adventures 