Robotics and Bunker Beach

We were very thankful for the robotics class the girls took this past week. The temperatures have been in the upper 90s which is hot for July. Besides getting to stay cool indoors, the girls built a variety of structures that used pulleys, gears and lots of programming. Both Emma and Ani came home raving about the class, and how much they enjoyed building their structures. Mom was glad to see their collaborative skills develop throughout the program.

After spending quite a bit of time programming indoors, we decided to visit Bunker Beach Waterpark. The girls enjoyed dolphin jumping over monsterous waves at the wave pool, while Mom stayed further back and enjoyed the waves hitting her knees. Ani was brave enough to try some of the "tamer" water slides this year. She and Emma enjoyed swirling down on the double tubes. Mom's favorite is still the lazy river located on the edge of the park next to the campground. Everything is more serene there. Next time we have to return with our bikes to go on the meandering trails throughout the park.

Human Body Explorations

Mom decided to purchase a human body kit for the girls this summer because Emma wants to be a surgeon when she grows up. She dissected a frog in her fourth grade class this year which resulted in her dissecting a dead toad we found on our front porch. She also loves to cut open her stuffed animals and sew them back up again (surprisingly she does extremely detailed repairs). If she doesn't become a surgeon she could become a great seamstress.

Unbeknownst to Emma, Ani found that the human body kit came last night and started her explorations while Emma was in her room finishing her 8th grade geometry book (We are moving onto high school geometry next week. Mom hopes she remembers how to do proofs). After about fifteen minutes of Ani playing serenely by herself, Emma came down gave a look of horror. Ani was getting to play with SKelo-guy first. Of course there was some pouting but everything was fine after she got to play with him too. Mom was fed up with the character when his pectoral muscles kept falling off. We are excited for the anatomy coloring pages that should be coming next week. So glad we can learn what we want to during the summer months. Analise has been reading her Tuttle Twins books on courageous people and logical fallacies.

Sand Competition

After limited hours of sleep due to a double sleepover, our family attempted to enter a sand building competition. We made a bear digging his way out of a hole trying to get an ice cream cone. Although we were all very tired, we managed to get 3rd place in the competition. Many of the families that were there had done the competition for multiple years. It was a fun activitiy to start the summer off. Analise's best friend's family won first place for their sand castle creation. The girls received a plaque and twenty dollars to the White Bear Center for the Arts. Way to go Team!

Team plaque for Sand Bear

Analise and her best friend Tessa hanging out in our backyard pool

Girls on the Run

Emma participated in her first 5K with Girls on the Run. The group is designed to teach girls how to build friendship skills and maintain healthy self-esteem as they move into their teenage years. Emma and her friend Evelyn participated in the group together and had a blast.