Summer Break

Melanie and Joey wrapped up their "summer break" on Friday, August 9.  I wanted to make a couple of notes about their summer.  First of all, the term "summer break" is being used in quotation marks because, about a month into summer, Melanie asked when her summer break was supposed to start.  I had to explain that this IS summer break, and when she challenged me by telling me other people had time off school for summer break, we discussed how much of a disaster it would be if I a) taught school and got my summers off with the kids, or b) stayed home with the kids.

At the beginning of June, Melanie started a 10-week camp program through the Monon Center.  Camp met at Creekside Middle School, and she would go to the Monon Center outdoor water park 2 days a week, with a field trip one day a week.  Field trips included the zoo, Children's Museum, downtown library, paint-your-own-pottery, gymnastics, Sky Zone, bowling, Traders Point Creamery, etc.  She had a great time, and really came out of her shell.  I joked that taking her from being one of the oldest in a Christian daycare to one of the youngest at a community-based camp taught her the ways of the streets!  The camp, while it had a ton of activities, wasn't as structured as she was used to, which achieved my goal of getting her out of her comfort zone.  She also got used to not napping every day, which seemed to be a pretty smooth transition.  The first Friday, she did fall asleep on the way home from camp and didn't wake up until Saturday....  After the 10-week "Carmel camp," she did one week through the Zionsville school system.  This camp goes on field trips one day a week and swims three days a week.  I was really torn between the two for the whole summer, and the main reason I chose the Carmel one was based on geography.  The week she went to the GROW program through Zionsville, I had my friend Amanda drop her off each morning, and she did great!  That was another test, because the first couple of weeks of the summer were a bit tough for the morning transition - especially if I took her, instead of Jeff.

As for Joey, he started at Funshine Children's Center at the beginning of June.  The original plan was to move him there indefinitely; however, right after we enrolled him, we learned that Universal Preschool would be opening a site at Melanie's elementary school, which just so happens to be in our neighborhood.  So, we proceeded with the plan to have him at Funshine for the summer, and plan to continue that plan in subsequent summers, since Universal Preschool doesn't operate at our school in the summers.  I cannot emphasize enough how thrilled we were with Funshine.  Joey learned a ton during his short 2.5 months there.  I credit the teachers themselves (Ms. Farah was his "drop off" angel, Miss Suzie & Miss Shay were his full-time teachers), as well as the fact that being with three-year-olds helped him a lot.  At his previous daycare, he hadn't moved to the 3s yet since he wasn't potty-trained - but I wasn't really pushing potty-training because I didn't necessarily like the 3-yo room there, and I knew we were moving...A vicious circle.  But, at Funshine, he went right into the 3s, and did great.  By the end of the summer, he is identifying letters and numbers, and is potty-trained.  I'd say we got our money's worth there!

Pictures of Joey with his friends on his last day.....

We will have Monday & Tuesday off before starting school on Wednesday 8/14.