Lake Tahoe

This past weekend we went on a family camping trip to Lake Tahoe.  I'm embarrassed to admit this but this is the first time we've been camping with all the kids.  I really like camping, but not so much with tiny babies or while pregnant.  So to all you who camp with teeny ones or while expecting, I commend you.  You are a better person than me.  Emma is big enough now to walk around and not fall in the fire, so we geared up and headed to the lake.  Tahoe is about 4 hours from our house.  Our gear barely fit in the car with all the kids in there.  It was a tight fit.  We might have to pack stuff on the roof rack next time.  Here are the kids helping us set up the tent.  I booked a site at a resort (Camp Richardson) with a beach and marina on the lake so we were really close to the water.  They also have a bike rental place and little ice cream shop.  The place was nice and it was fun, but I don't think I would recommend it or stay there again because of the beach situation.  I'll get to that.

Matthew and Anna came with me to buy some firewood from the little camp store.  

They did some exploring along the way.

Our first night we had tacos.

I was afraid I would forget something vital with the food, but it all worked out.

The kids playing Go Fish.

John checks out the fire.

Matthew brought his bird book.  He enjoyed identifying the different birds that we saw.

Matthew and Anna have inherited my love of well done marshmallows.

If it ain't black, put it back (in the fire).

Mmmm, s'mores!

Hot cocoa with breakfast.

We drove over to Emerald Bay.  We would have liked to explore more (Vikingsholm and some of the waterfalls and trails) but it was so crowded we couldn't find a parking space.  Lake Tahoe is so beautiful (I'd never been there before) but super crowded on summer weekends apparently.  In Southern California people go to Vegas for the weekend.  In Northern California they go to Tahoe.  We lucked into a parking spot at this lookout over Emerald Bay.  So pretty!

We need to come back at a less crowded time!

Grant tries to block Anna's view

After being unable to park anywhere at Emerald Bay we headed back toward our campsite (South Lake Tahoe area).   We stopped at the Lake Tahoe visitor's center.  I love visitor centers!  They were having a small festival there - the Native Species Festival.  Lots of plant displays - too bad my mom wasn't there.  We got to meet Smokey the Bear.  But the kids didn't know who he was and were all (but Anna) too afraid or shy to approach him.

At the visitor's center we were able to go on a short hike.  The visitor's center was gloriously uncrowded.  I think the hike was only a half mile loop but part of the loop was flooded so we went down one way until the flooding and then back the other way to the flooding, so I think we did a mile total.  Emma was getting a little tired by the end.

Here we are near the flooded part.  Part of the trail had a boardwalk over a marsh area.  This was taken seconds before Matthew fell in.  :(  He only fell in with one leg at least.  He was ok.

View of Mt. Tallac I want to say.

Part way through the hike was this stream profile where you could see under the stream.  It was so cool.  This was part of Taylor Creek.

And Taylor Creek from above.  All the rivers and streams we saw were bursting with water.

It's a high water year for California.

We found the flooded boardwalk trail again.

Time to head back.

Checking out a cool topo map of Lake Tahoe.

There were lots of fun activities as part of this Native Species Festival.  The kids got to climb through this blow up salmon...

Then swim up stream...

And hide their eggs in the gravel

They got to make bracelets.  Each color represented something about the salmon.

The rangers told the kids about it.

And helped them with their bracelets.

Later on we headed to the beach.  I thought this beach was private for guests of the resort only.  But that was not the case.  Anyone can use the beach.  And on this summer Saturday afternoon, everyone did.  It was so crowded.  Horribly crowded.  Like spring break in Florida.  I was disappointed about that.  But we braved the crowds for a few hours.

The trees go right up the shoreline so there is not a lot of beach to speak of and its actually shady in the water.  That's not something you find at most beaches.  At our campsite and in the lake there was a lot of yellow pollen from the trees.

We rented a kayak for a few hours. That was so much fun.

I haven't been kayaking in many years.

The boys on the beach

And some of the girls.  Emma did not want her feet to touch any sand or pine needles, so I held her most of the time.  I can't wait until she outgrows this.

John on the skinny beach.

Some of our kayakers

More kayakers.  Everyone got a chance to go.  And everyone but Emma went multiple times.  The kids really liked kayaking.  We'll have to go again.

And here we are on our last night having hot dogs.  The kids loved camping and want to go again soon.  I had a great time too but was not thrilled with the crowds.  Lake Tahoe is so beautiful and I'm glad we got to visit.  I'd love to come back again, but would prefer a less crowded time or place.  It was just too many people for me!!  But we still had fun.

Welcome Summer!!

Summer is upon us and we're trying to make the most of it.  We've been grilling out a lot.  Here is a recent grill meal, teriyaki chicken and grilled pineapple.  Easy and great for summer.  Here are a few pics from our recent summer activities.

Matthew just finished a week of cup camp.  It's mandatory here that parents volunteer two full days per camper.  So I was with the boys two days.  We had seven boys in our den.  They are Webelos so were a little more mature/better behaved than some of the younger boys.  They had a child watch place for my other kids to play while I helped the scouts.  Here's Matthew at the BB gun range.  The boys had a lot of fun shooting.

At the STEM station, exploding some bags with a baking soda and vinegar mixture.

Matthew with some of his den getting ready for their skit.

And at the archery range.  The camp was held at a private school in a neighboring town.  I thought it would have been more fun in the mountains but it worked out.

More archery

Matthew tying knots.

They had to wear the same shirt all week.  It was getting pretty stiff by the week's end.

On the last day they gave out a few awards and then went swimming at a local pool...for 4 1/2 hours!  I like the pool but don't usually spend 4 1/2 hours there so I had to psych myself up for this.  Five kids at the pool for four and a half hours.  We lathered up with sunscreen.  Here's Grant waiting to go in.  It was in the 90s that day so it was nice being at the pool. 

All my kids were excited to swim.

We survived the long afternoon at the pool.  It wasn't so bad but I missed a few places with the sunscreen on my back (must have Anna help me next time...she's always offering) and I realized I needed to bring more snacks.  Lessons learned for next time.

Grant was very excited this past week because he had a very wiggly tooth.  His first one.

And soon enough he lost it!  He was disappointed that the tooth fairy didn't come the first day (have I told you about our forgetful tooth fairy?) but he did get a visit from the tooth fairy the next day, so all was well.  The tooth fairy in our house is like Amazon prime - comes in two days.  (Forehead slap)

We got out the slip and slide and an old wading pool that we had from Illinois.  It took me a long time to clean the old pool, but eventually it was clean enough to use.

The kids found a grasshopper and Grant begged to keep it as a pet.  We made him let it go.

Here are the kids checking out their captive grasshopper.

We celebrated Scott on Father's Day.  Here is John asleep on him.  Such a nice place to fall asleep.

All the kids giving Scott a hug.  It's hard to spot all five kid heads in there.

A little bit better Father's Day picture on the front step.

Scott is such a great dad!

And swimming lessons!!  The kids had swimming lessons at the local high school last week and part of this week.  Last week they had to miss a day because of an accident in the pool and the decontamination that followed.  This week we got one day of swim lessons before another accident occurred.  And today we got a call that they are just cancelling the rest of the lessons.  So we only got 4 out of 8 days of swim lessons.  :(  The good news is they are refunding our money for all the lessons.  And we're going to use that to get a pool pass for a fun aquatic center at the other high school in town, which, as far as we know has not been closed for decontamination recently.  Fingers crossed.

Even though we didn't get a full swim lesson session, I think the kids learned something.  John wouldn't even get in the water the first day, but the second day he got right in.  And Matthew and Anna have improved on their different swim strokes I think.  More summer adventures to come.