Some evidence of all the fun and excitement Justin and Juma have been having together (while I study in Baltimore):


Kayaking and crabbing on Long Island Sound:




Finding a horse shoe crab floating in the ocean:




Riding a two-wheeler all by himself!

home!

Home!

Safe and sound, but exhausted.

We've been singing in happiness all day.

tomorrow

Tomorrow!

Tomorrow!

We'll see him

Tomorrow!

It's only a day away!

another week down, 4 days to go

Juma enjoyed his summer camp this week learning about sea coast ecology and preservation ("Did you know zooplankton create oxygen?").

But the week was marred by illness. Juma started out the week with a sore throat and fatigue, and I finished off the week with strep throat, fatigue, and grumpiness. I'm still recovering, but I actually had the energy tonight to actually cook dinner. Well, to boil some pasta.

In better news, Justin's coming home on Thursday! We couldn't be more excited about his return. It's been a long, tough summer without him, and now we can say we survived it. Well, just four more days.

Four days. We can do it.

summer camp 6: castles

This week Juma finished his very cool castle.



It comes complete with working draw bridge



and a shark to guard the moat




a jousting knight who can actually be knocked off his horse




and a variety of people--king, knights, a mummy--to guard, watch, and rule.






In addition to the bed and dining table featured on Wednesday, Juma also added a fireplace.




It was a really fun week.

summer camps 4 & 5: sports and castles

After a week off summer camp while Grandma Wilson was visiting, Juma went to a week of sports camp--rowing, squash, basketball, volleyball, tennis, fishing, baseball, yoga, calisthenics, and kickball. He had a pretty good time, but didn't much like getting a wasp sting or a sunburn when his spacey mommy forgot to put sunblock on him.

This week he's back at the same camp as the first three weeks of the summer, building things. And, oh, he loves it. Now he's building a castle.

Day 2:



The beginnings of a drawbridge:




Day 3, with the complete drawbridge:



The bedroom with kingly bed:



The dining room:

science experiment of the day

Corn starch. Water. Food coloring. Stir.



Play.





Happy, busy child for 30 minutes.



Happy mom.