Art camps and Shark Week

This week was the last camp of the summer for the girls. They did art camps at VSU every morning this past week. Ellie did a fondant making and decorating class, while Emma took a class titled, "Awesome Artists at the Seashore." They both got to explore their creativity and learn art mediums at the same time, and they loved it. It has also been shark week on the Discovery channel, and all 3 kids have been obsessed with it. We even headed to the Mix (froyo place) to get Shark shakes this past Friday. Highlights from the week include a visit to the grand opening of our new library in Valdosta which included a butterfly release, allowing the kids to eat the sweet treats Ellie made, Ellie vacuuming without being asked, and much quality time between me and the kids this week (b/c Worth worked and had meetings until late literally ALL week long!)

In addition to the fun activities this week, it has been the onset of a full moon. In our house this equates to every behavior that can be presented from respectful talk, helping out around the house, and loving hugs, to exhaustive temper tantrums, crying episodes, and arguments for no particular reason. So, that's been fun.

We are taking it easy this next week. I have to work and the kids are just going to hang out and enjoy their last week before 2nd grade, 4th grade (really?!) and Pre-K start. 😢

First day of Fondant camp - Ellie made a garden!

Emma made  Toucan

Mack went to spend a little time with the neighbor, so the girls pulled out all their slime making gear (this can't be done right now when Mack is around) and made glitter slime. 

I have been working on teaching Mack how to make up his bed. This is a new chore in our house once you turn 5. Since he will be 5 in a few weeks, I thought I would work on preparing him for his new household duty. He did this all by himself the other morning without me even asking him to. He's getting there. 

I tried to get a picture but he yanked it off at the last minute. He wore his "junkyard dawgs" hat and his sunglasses the entire trip to the grocery store Friday. It was hilarious, but he was being so good! The sunglasses and hat are allowed anytime in the grocery store from now on! 

This was fondant sushi day. 

Emma came home with tons of drawings and artwork, all sea related. 

Shark week shakes at the Mix. Ellie's favorite moment of the week. 

You can barely see the blue shark dummies shoved in the top, but it was cute. 

It gave them great blue stains on their tongues and teeth as well. 

Library grand opening! All of the group pictures I took included Mack holding himself. I didn't notice it when I took the pictures. When I asked him about it later, he said, "mommy! I had to go potty!' 

The butterfly release was great!

Yesterday Mack got into some trouble. His punishment was that he had to sit out of the pool for our afternoon swim. He was beyond upset about it. You can see him in the background of this picture pouting on the monkey bars. 

He moved his pouting to the lounge chairs. He kept begging us  and bargaining to get into the pool.  I guess he thought we may renege on his punishment, but we held firm. At one point, he actually came up to me and said, "Mommy, Daddy said it's ok if I get in the pool now, but he said you don't have to ask him about it." I just died laughing. No, Worth did not say this, and unfortunately for Mack his mommy was on to him. 

#13, Gymnastics Camp, and Hardy's Baptism

The kids and I travelled to Athens for part of this weekend to attend Hardy's baptism. (Worth is on call this weekend, so he missed out on the fun.) We headed up Friday afternoon and spent the evening with the Berrymans before the baptism Saturday morning, then headed back to Valdosta after the baptism reception. The baptism was a small, private, family baptism and was so precious. Hardy did so good and didn't cry once - no big surprise there as he is ALWAYS happy.

Earlier this past week all 3 kids got to participate in gymnastics camp. They had a great time and Mack is now begging to take gymnastics. (I think he just enjoys jumping in the pit!) Anyway, they were all pretty exhausted heading into the weekend. Add in a weekend full of cousins, family, little sleep, long car rides, and last night was, what shall I say, less than an ideal behavior night for all parties involved. I even felt like I needed a meltdown by the time I got everyone in bed last night. Everyone has seemed to recoup today, and we are all just hanging out in the AC, relaxing, playing legos, American Girl dolls, and crafting.


Another milestone this week was that Worth and I celebrated our 13th wedding anniversary last Monday. We actually got a date night that night - just the two of us BY OURSELVES!! It was so nice. I'm so thankful for dinners with our kids, friends and family, but I cherish the [few] nights out a year that we are able to be together one on one.



Most afternoons last week were spent in the pool. It's really too hot to do anything else outside.

The three musketeers lining up for a run on day 1 of gymnastics camp. 

Happy 13th Anniversary to us! Ellie took this picture before we left for dinner. 

"jump the river" was a hit again this year. Ellie won one round. Mack didn't do so bad himself for one of the smallest kids out there. 

Emma brought the speed to the game. 

Ellie was like a gazelle every time she jumped. It looked effortless for her. 

What happens at the Berryman's, stays at the Berryman's...sometimes.

Before Hardy's baptism. Mack INSISTED on suspenders and a bowtie. 

Getting ready to receive the sacrament of baptism. 

The initial blessing

First anointing. 

Mack had lots of questions...during the prayer. Imagine that. 

Baptism with water

Hardy wiggled but didn't cry. He did so good!

The godfather lighting the candle. 

Final blessing

I'm so glad I captured this moment during the last prayer. 

The witnesses and Godparents

These are Anna and Amos's friends that were witnesses.  

Tift/Whitley family shot

Aunt Telie and Uncle Dale also came. 

Hardy and Anna were starving. 

Amos and Anna hosted the reception at their house and it was delicious. 

Hardy will never walk if Ellie and Emma have anything do to with it. 

Camp Week

Ellie went to her first sleep away camp this past week. It was Camp Connect at Epworth in St. Simons Island. She left Monday afternoon and came back Friday. Although we missed her SOOOOO much, Emma enjoyed a week of mommy daddy camp and one on one time with Mack. One night during the week, Mack went to Tifton to spend the night with Mia and Dubs. He had a great time swimming at the neighbors' pool, eating pizzas, and watching a movie with his grandparents. While he was gone, Emma and I had a sweet day together one on one. We rarely get time individually with the kids. Emma wasn't really sure what to do being the only kid in the house, but I think she enjoyed the attention. We rounded out the week with a quick trip to Tifton for dinner with Grandma for her birthday. My dad (Papa) has pneumonia so we took them dinner and cake and celebrated at their house.

Ready to load the church bus to head to SSI

She was determined to carry all of her own stuff. I was so proud of how light we packed. There were some girls there with ridiculously huge luggage. 

She claimed a seat on the bus. There were only 3 rising 4th graders that went. 2 boys and Ellie. The rest of the kids were rising 5th graders that Ellie didn't know that well. She was a little nervous. 

I wouldn't let her leave without giving her siblings a hug. 

I wasn't sure if Emma was going to let her go. 

I cried when I looked back at this picture. The windows on the bus were tinted so all you could see was her sweet little shadow waving at us. 

And they were off! 

The Camp Connect crew that came from Park Ave. PAUMC! 

One of the moms had to ride along with the driver to help with the kids. She sent us this when they made it to the camp. 

Mommy-Emma day included a trip to Walmart to spend a gift card that had been burning a whole in Emma's pocket. 

She picked some accessories for her American Girl doll. (I had no idea Walmart had a version of the AG doll and the clothes fit her doll perfectly!!)

We ended up our afternoon having a snack at the Mix (Froyo) 

Emma with her Walmart loot. It all fit Isabelle perfectly!

Wednesday, before Mack came back from Mia and Dubs' house, I had to run some errands. Emma came along and we had a lunch date at chick oil a. She was so excited about it. We used to go all the time for lunch when she was in preschool. Now, I can usually only take Mack during the school year for lunch. So, she got her time Wednesday. 

Mack finally made it home and jumped right in with bossing Emma around. 

This was Friday when we were waiting in the car on Ellie to arrive at the church. It was a bazillion degrees outside, so we opted to do most of the waiting in the AC of the vehicle. 

Mack and Emma made signs. Mack wanted to take his with him to hold up. Emma hung hers up in the playroom. Mack traced the letters, but did write his name at the bottom of the poster. We are working on his letters. 

He was so excited to see Ellie, or at least the idea of it. 

The bus ended up parking lower in the parking lot that we thought they would. Mack went chasing it with his sign. It really was so sweet. 

Waiting on their sis to get off the bus. 

She may not have bathed that much during the week, she may have only washed her hair (somewhat) once,  but she made it and had fun. 

Ellie teaching Emma a trick she learned with her name tag lanyard. 

We headed straight to Tifton to take Grandma dinner and birthday cake. 

The kids had all made her cards. They were so excited for her to read them. 

She really got a kick out of Emma's that said, "you are asome!" 

Mack worked really hard on his card. 

His masterpiece was a hit. 

The kids worked together to paint grandma a birdhouse. They did the same for Mia's birthday as well (her bday was on our SSI trip and my phone was dead at the time we gave her gifts.) They honestly teamed up well to paint the birdhouses and surprisingly didn't fight once during the process.