Camp Aim for the Stars

I have to go backwards a bit. A few weeks ago the boys went to Aim for the Stars | Science and Math Camp at University of Nebraska Omaha.

I like that the camp is so parent friendly. What I mean by that is, is that they have a before and after care program, they have a self pick-up for kids that have been to the camp for more than a year - you just drive up to pick your kid(s) up and they get in, their registration is simple and online, you can pay for all of the camp or installments, and the family event is in the evening.

They've been going to this camp for years now. What I like is that they offer different camps within the camp. Examples: Isaak was in Stack it Up! and Mica was in Get Your Game On! The year before the camp names and content was different for the boys.

Family Night was the night before we went on vacation. There are options, so we do things different each year. You can go into the classrooms to check things out. There's also a choice of going into the planetarium for a slightly cheesy movie, or C.A.P.O.W. - Chemistry and Physics on Wheels. C.A.P.O.W. almost seems like a magic show, but it's science. They have their gift shop open. For the camp the kids get a $5 off coupon for anything in the gift shop. We always have gotten something small for the boys there.

Here's their camp t-shirts they got this year:

We actually opted to skip the big fancy presentations, and spent our time in the boy's classrooms this year.

Isaak was so excited to be in Stack it Up! with his cousin Elijah. They built a city with Legos. Isaak had a theater. He had a container where he was collecting fake tickets from people. 

Isaak was really happy that Mr. Miller was his teacher for the camp. He has worked at the elementary school when Mica still went there. He has a boy that's Mica's age and a girl that's Isaak's age. We've had their other oldest child babysit a long while back. We've hung out with them at different times. 

Besides stacking things up with Legos, they also played Jenga and were supposed to have a paper airplane contest, but it rained all day so that got canned. 

Mica wouldn't shut up about Get Your Game On! He was a little bummed that his cousin Evan wasn't with his. My sister Terra signed him up for a different camp. 

Mica's never really gotten into bored games as much as Isaak or I. With his birthday coming up he has been going on and on about games he wants. A few are $45 games! Yikes! He's talked about all these survival games: Risk, Pandemic, Settlers of Catan, and Stratego. 

I bought Risk on vacation to keep them occupied at Travis' Aunt and Uncle's house. 

I got Settlers of Catan on Amazon with a GC I won. 

I've contacted Z-Man in hopes that they'd give me Pandemic to review. I even laid out what kind of a post I'd like it to be. Where I'd go over board games for older kids, and ways they benefit them. I haven't heard back, so I'm betting that's a no go. I kind of wish they'd just email me saying, "Nope", so I'd know to just buy it. I thought with reviewing for ThinkFun, Goliath Games and Tenzi they'd be all over that. My life feels a bit full of rejection these days. Oh well. 

Mica even taught me Othello; saying it would now be my favorite game. It was good he was thinking of me. I did like it.

We spent most of our time in the game room battling it out. 

Isaak got a bit bummed the teacher kicked his butt in Chess. Ha!

What board games do you like the most? Are there any that you've played that we should try out?

Disclaimer: None of these products were given to me to review. I'm only sharing an experience.

Aim for the Stars

I feel so behind in blogging about the kids.

The week I had surgery Mica had camp at the university here. The camp is called Aim for the Stars. My sister and I enrolled Mica and his cousin Evan at the same time for their Astronomy class.

The camp is a full week camp from 9-4.

They are super organized! If all schools could have a drop off and pick up system like this camp does every mom and dad would be happy.

It was nice that Mica and Isaak got a break from one another.

Travis dropped the boys off in the morning, and my sister picked them up in the evening.

They did a lot of things, but talked mostly about the solar eclipse coming up, and their rockets that they got to launch.

This camp has a family night on Thursday. I went knowing that I'd have to get up early for surgery the next day. We were expecting to stay extra late that night because Mica's class was going to go star gazing. Mica said to his camp councilor, "Ummm I don't know how my parents are going to feel about this. They are pretty strict about my bedtime." LOL We  have them go to bed between 8 and 9 in the summers because we work, so they have to get up with the chickens with us. Every Saturday they stay up past 11 with their leadership camp. It's not like they never stay up late. Well they ended up canceling the star gazing due to thunderstorm warnings. I wasn't the least bit sad.

We did have a choice that night: Go to their planetarium to see a show about the solar eclipse, or go to a science show. We opted for the science show, since we've always picked the planetarium. It was a good choice! The scientist was older, had a ton of history stories, and tied it into science. The kids were very engaged.

Mica got to pick out a few things at their gift shop with a coupon the camp gives. He picked out a slinky and pink slime. The next day he applied pink slime to his jean shorts. Just so you know if you ever need to get slime off of clothing, soak it in vinegar. 

The following week after my surgery it was Isaak's turn to go to Aim for the Stars with his cousin Elijah. They had NXT Engineering. So they made robots, programed them, and had them do things. 

Isaak was super excited about his camp. Even more so than Mica. Maybe it's his age. His partner in making his robot was his cousin Elijah. They had Mica and Evan drawing up ways to make their robots move faster on paper, then were testing those ways out in class. 

Everything was going great. Then all the sudden the camp had the kids switch partners. Isaak got a kid that was bossy. He missed having his cousin as a partner. That was the only flaw of the week. 

That Thursday night became my first big outing. I don't even think I put on actual clothes until then. Ha! Isaak was so excited to show us everything, so it was good I went.

Isaak picked out this rock with his Aim for the Stars coupon. He was super protective of it. I tried shoving it in his lunch box, so everything was together. Isaak took it out, and carried it. 

Did you go to camp when you were younger?

UNO Camp

Last week we sent Mica off to University of Nebraska - Omaha for camp. It's a day camp, but lasts all day.

I was nervous about it because last year he didn't really get into it. This year we made sure he signed up with his Cousin Evan. I dropped them off, and one of the workers at his elementary school was helping with the camp. Mica was super excited!
 
After the first day he was chatting up a storm about his camp.

They got $300 Lego robots to build. Then they got computers to program them to move, do circles, draw pictures on their screens and more. I kept teasing Mica saying, "So are they giving you those robots to keep?" ;) 

At camp there is a family night. That's when he showed us his robot car. We got to watch a cheesy video in their planetarium room. Lastly the kids get coupons for their store. Mica picked out an steel Atom science toy. Mica kept calling it an, "A Tom". 

If you have younger kids, did they go to any camps this summer?

WW: Writing Contest

This is a huge week for us. 

First of all my husband starts training for his new job. Go Dad! It will be an adjustment for sure. The boys will be at kid's club after school this week and next. Then they'll have before care and after care after that. Dad's work was a little lot more flexible before. This job will be more rewarding than his last job. I'm both nervous and excited.

Secondly we went to the University of Nebraska to see Mica accept his award for the Metropolitan Reading Council Writing Contest. Go Mica! The story was posted here.

Mica with his award medal and certificate. He got a book of all the stories that won - his included.

  
Brothers

Mica and I and Mica with Dad

 His Medal

It was pretty nice because the principle came from the school. His teacher must have forgotten, but the principle texted her, and she came in time to see Mica go up to accept his award.

The author and illustrator Bruce Arant who wrote Simpson's Sheep Won't Go to Sleep! came to talk. He talked about the process it took to get a book published, read the story, showed his comps, and did a drawing with the audience involved. He drew an animal body, and asked different kids to raise their hands to add different animal body parts to that. The boys enjoyed it. I got his book at the end. I gave it to Isaak because it's more his reading level. The author signed the book.

UNO Aim for the Stars Day Camp

Last week Mica attended a day camp at University of Nebraska Omaha called Aim for the Stars. He took a math | science camp. This was the first year he could be part of it. He wishes he could have done their Lego class, but that one got booked right away.

It's hard because we wanted to keep our kids busy this summer, yet trying to schedule everything was a pain. We just noticed that the more active our kids are during the days, the better they are behaved. We don't hear, "I'm bored!" all the time.

Which by the way brings up this photo I saw on Facebook:

I have no clue where the image came from. If it's yours let me know, and I'll site it, or remove it.

Mica says he enjoyed the camp, but got into the Community Playhouse camp the most. He likes to act.

I felt a little intimidated to send my 8 year old off to college. My sister kind of walked us through it. It was my nephews 2nd year going. She said that all elementary schools need to take lessons from the campus on dealing with parking. They were really excellent. They had people out there directing traffic.

I kept asking Mica how camp was going? He didn't have much to say. Isaak elaborates more than Mica does about how his day went. I know it's typical for a boy to not say how his day was. Mica did talk about the Community Playhouse more. University of Nebraska Omaha called Aim for the Stars had a parent night on Thursday.

We went to see the rooms, and watched a video in their planetarium.

UNO

We've been playing UNO with the kids. It's one game that we all can play, and have fun.

Mica does get irritated that Isaak has his cards so everyone can see. I have to remind him that Isaak is only 5. It drives Daddy and I nuts that Mica pays no attention to the reverses. He hardly knows when it's his turn.

Mica sometimes counts during the game, "Uno, dos, tres, cuatro..."

Isaak said, "Uno, dos, Grace."

I said, "Did you say, 'Grace'?"

Isaak said, "Ya, that's what Mica said. She's in Little House on the Prairie Mom."

In case you need the history of Little House on the Prairie, Grace is two characters. She's Mr. Edward's wife, and the Ingalls' youngest born daughter.