July was a busy month for our family. We went camping at Lake Michigan for three days in the middle of the month. While we were camping, we swam, cooked meals over a fire, and ate yummy food like s'mores and hobo pies. 
     A couple of weeks after camping, we all went to Chicago for a whole week! We went to Shedd Aquarium, Millenium Park, and the Jelly Belly Factory. We stayed with family and friends that we don't get to see very often, so that was really special, too.
     August has been quieter. We did go to the raffle at Paragon. Elijah won two prizes! That was super exciting.
     Before vacation is over, we plan to go to Nixon park for swimming, Allskate, and Jellystone Park for more camping. I have really enjoyed my summer. Have you?

     I have already had a great summer. I have watched lots of documentaries (like nonfiction movies), started two new books, gone to the beach with my family, and gone on a mini-vacation without my kids!
     Last week, Mrs. Haldane and I went to a small town on Lake Michigan and spent three days going to the beach, visiting shops, and eating out a lot. It was splendiferous.
     I will be going to Grand Rapids this week for two days to learn how to teach new teachers how teach first grade. I will go back to Grand Rapids to work with those new first grade teachers.
     I also get to go camping twice this summer. In a couple of weeks, we will go to a park on Lake Michigan and in August we will go to Jellystone Park in Indiana. 
     How is your summer? What have you been doing?

I hope you rsummer is going very well. I thought we could use this blog to keep in touch with each other until school starts. Visit our class website (which will be changing a little throughout the summer) and write a post on the blog telling us what you have been up to. I will update the website with information about summer learning and the start of the school year, too.