Watch out, Junior Preschool . . .

. . . 'cause here comes Peter!

With Batman along for the ride, of course.

Grand fun in Grand Rapids and Grand Haven

The week after Camp NanaB, we took off for the western side of the state for a quick visit with Stephanie, Don, Quinn, and Maisie at their new house in Grand Rapids.  The house is gorgeous and perfect for entertaining a wild group of toddlers/preschoolers.

We started with a ride in the gator.  Quinn is really good at maneuvering that thing all over the terrain.  His backing up skills are especially impressive.

Peter couldn't quite get the hang of driving and Charlotte preferred being chauffeured, so Quinn did most of the driving.  On one of the trips around the yard, he and Charlotte packed up some shovels and headed to the vacant lot next door to help dig the basement for a new house.

Story time with Aunt Stephanie!

Water tables are always a hit with this age group.

The next morning, we headed out to a beach in Grand Haven on Lake Michigan.  The sand was sugary soft and the water was nice and warm.

COWABUNGA!

WAIT FOR MEEEEEEEE!

The whale spout hairdo slays me.

Poor Maisie -- never a fan of group shots!

The kids spent an inordinate amount of time dumping bucketfuls of water on a huge sand pile that a previous beach visitor had built.

We headed back to GR for lunch on the deck and then hightailed it back to Rochester to get ready for the big move into our new house.  Thanks for a fun time in Grand Rapids, Aunt Stephanie and Uncle Don!

Scenes from Camp NanaB 2012, part 2

The camp fun continued at a bridge construction site.

The campers hoped to be hired as day laborers, but no such luck.

Unfortunately, Maisie was never interested in sitting still for a group shot.

I love this shot of my sweet little guys running at full tilt together.

We made slime out of glue, liquid starch, and food coloring.

And the corn pool made another appearance!

We may need a bigger pool at some point if their legs all get as long as Charlotte's.

Diving in to the pool is always a big hit.

We packed up the corn into a smaller bucket, and the boys had a miniature corn pool experience.

We danced with scarves . . .

. . .and we played with masks.

Everyone got a little soggy when outdoor playtime was interrupted with a sudden rain shower.

The camp bus was bursting at the seams.

Cheesy cousins!

Group shots are never easy with teeny kids.

We finished with a camp trip for ice cream at the Paint Creek Cider Mill.  Quinn, of course, had his beloved chocolate.

Charlotte is also a chocolate fan.

CHOMP!

Where did my ice cream go?

Goofballs, goofballs, goofballs.

Sweet shot of GrandDad and his little Maisie.

Thank you for another wonderful year of Camp NanaB!  See you next year!!

Scenes from Camp NanaB 2012, part 1

Camp NanaB went by in a blur, mostly because it was the week that we closed on our new house in Michigan.  We had loads of fun and the cousins really bonded.  We were most proud of the three older kids all being able to sleep in the SAME BEDROOM together, all night long!  It may sound like no big deal to anyone who is not currently parenting a toddler or preschooler, but trust me, this was HUGE.  Anyway, here are some shots from our adventures:

Someone was a little excited about the start of Camp NanaB.

We read lots of books, of course.

We played "train" in laundry baskets.

We swam in a little pool (accompanied by Connie dog, the camp mascot).

Camp Counselor Granny Great served as a lifeguard.

Glamor shot!

Action shot!

Another action shot!

Everyone was surprised when Quinn dumped an icy cold bucket of water on his head.

Copy cat!

Granny Great hosed down the kids, too.

There was a TON of swinging on the tire swing.

Cousin love!

Time for an adventure to find a dinosaur campsite.

Any woodchucks in the culvert?

Cheese???

More to come!