July 22
We were on our own for the day; Opa had a class to teach and Oma had to "work." We had a slow morning and then visited the town library, which is incredible. Oma met us for a bit, had to go back to work, and then met us for a very late lunch (quazi-linner). The kiddy library activities -- not even the books -- kept them completely busy.
I've packed up the car for the second time. No more false starts. We leave in the AM for real....
July 21
We made a short -- ie 2.5 hr -- jaunt into MD today to see one of Oma's bffs, Madame. I think it meant a lot to her to visit, and we had fun exploring a new-ish place too. After having lunch, a short shopping trip (the kids picked out four coathangers of things), and a quick run around the playground, we went off on our own to a city park that was having a mass storytime. The storyteller was a bit...dramatic...for me, but the kids seemed completely engaged and responded enthusiastically at every chance. They got to experience a merry-go-round for the first time, as they are surely a dying breed, and we goofed around at a natural spring/duck pond that was so cold it was actually fogging over. When we got back Oma and Madame hadn't left their spot (well, it appeared that way; they actually returned there so we could find them), so we got icy drinks from DQ to cool down before the drive home. Elise chose to need to pee during a colossal downpour so we found a bypass to stop under. Opa had a lovely dinner waiting.
July 20
Today, we went to a butterfly event/garden. The kids, armed with a 'passport,' went to a bunch of stations that had activities (like making butterflies from coffee filters) and got stamps. Elise wore her butterfly wings from Aunt Shannon that were a huge hit. Jonathan answered a ton of 'trivia' questions about butterflies! Good for him; he's absorbing the Barony and our old Nature Center. While it was warm and sunny out, they had a great time, and it was fun to collect the stamps. The one station we didn't get to was making a bug net out of a pillowcase, which is actually quite a terrible idea. So, we modified it at home. Still too hard to catch bugs, but the kids had fun trying. Elise isn't afraid of bugs at all; she's picked up wormies and grasshoppers with no hesitation! too cute.
July 19
A massive change in plans!! We had planned to leave today, but after lengthy discussions, we decided to prolong our stay in PA!!!! I took Opa to see Red 2 this evening: good, funny, action flick. Before we left, we took a nice walk on the Shannon Curl and collected leaves; Jonathan, then, drew and labeled them all by himself. It was pretty cool! On the way back from our hike, I spotted the 5-foot rat snake below the blueberry bushes. oh joy.
July 18
Today, our last day in PA, we went to a motel, restaurant, pool combo. Oh what fun! So long as you order from the restaurant, you can use the pool from 10am-10pm! Elise had a blast floating around and getting the hang of kicking and doggy-paddling. She seemed to enjoy having goggles on too: maybe to shade from the sun or maybe to keep the ultra-chlorination out. Jonathan preferred to float on the rafts and noodles with an occasional dip, but no real "swimming." I had mild heart attacks, which was completely unnecessary, trying to make sure neither went under water. Oma and Opa played around too. I got to chat with GG for awhile too; that was a very nice surprise. The kids enjoyed one more night of watermelon slurping in the backyard.
July 17
I took the kids to a marsh/wetlands for a kiddy event this morning. Since we aren't used to getting up "early," we only had about 30 mins to get up and fed. They learned all about plant parts (which Jonathan already knew, the smarty!); then they read a book on the lifecycle of a dandelion; then went on a short walk through the marsh's boardwalk to hunt for plants (all invasives!); and then planted geraniums (J) and bachelor's buttons (E) to take home. After a nutella and peanut butter sandwich, E has been RESTING and J is going stircrazy.
We visited Oma/Opa's friend who raises turtles tonight for a semi-weekly fish feeding frenzy. It was super; the fish were jumping out of the water for the pellets. The kids were just stunned. By the end of the visit, both kids were dunking their toes into the pond to attract the coy, which were enormous, and rainbow trout. We also also got to play with one turtle, 6 dogs, and 4 horses. What neat friends to have!!
July 16
We just can't seem to get our mornings going, but after "the diner's oatmeal," which is multiple bowls so Jonathan can mix it up himself, and egg with bacon for Elise, we did manage to get ourselves presentable...at least for a few Uno games on the living room rug. After Elise's quite unsuccessful REST, we went off spelunking. It was the kids' first time in a cave, so I was excited to see how they'd do. Gosh, it was actually cold inside (good thing Opa brought sweatshirts!). Neither particularly cared for experiencing complete darkness, but they seemed to enjoy the 1 hr/1 mile walking tour. Getting dripped on by the stalactites was pretty neat. The guide was good and engaged Jonathan, in particular, throughout. On the way home, we stopped at our favorite orchard/farmer's market for some ice cream and a few minutes in the corn (not sand) box. Elise took me to the blueberry bushes to collect some snacks, and we visited Mr Frog on the way; she actually held him this time. Then, she took a NAP and was a stinker well into dinner (may have been hungry b/c it seemed to get a lot better as the food shoveled in). Jonathan made corn on the cob for dinner (to complement Opa's "enhanced" pizza), and we concluded the night with a slurping contest of watermelon on the back porch! Bed time is sort of torture right now, since both kids seem to giggle and chat, and Elise wants to pee every 15 minutes. But, once they're out, they are out. And, now the grown-ups are working on 3L of tawny port. YES!
July 15
Another lazy day at the Barony. We went on a nice walk in the forest and picked some blueberries for lunch. After Elise's rest and Jonathan's tractor drive, we headed up for a dip in the lake. The kids had a great time and got a lot of energy out. Gosh, I could get used to life at this speed. There was some crashing --general snottiness -- at dinner time. At bed time, Elise wanted me to read "At the End of the Bridge," which is really known as "Where the Sidewalk Ends." As an evening treat, Opa shot a rabbit and Jonathan got to see from a distance how the dogs retrieve it; what a very cool peek at nature. Fits in so nicely with Oma's reading of "My Side of the Mountain" too. Jonathan seemed really interested in the process and certainly saw the dead bunny; didn't seem too traumatized...we'll see at 3am....
July 14
Jonathan is getting so good at Uno; we don't even try to loose; he wins on his own. Today we went to play putt putt. Jonathan really likes to play; Elise likes it because her brother does. They had ice pops afterward, which made the whole thing even more enjoyable. We caught a little (smaller than a quarter) frog in Opa's porchulaca flowers. Jonathan was very brave to finally agree to hold it. We rounded out the night with Dilly Pops on the back yard porch, where some honeybees have made a nest! great. I finally figured out that Elise needs to R-E-S-T (which entails building a nest and keeping your eyes closed but not sleeping and only for about an hour) not N-A-P (which is a bona fide sleep) so she can go to bed at a reasonable time.
July 13
We did absolutely nothing. It was wonderful. I just love that the kids can go frolic in the meadow and forest with relatively little oversight; I'm a little more gun-shy since the sting (and the reports of 6' snakes), but we take deep breaths and let them go. Jonathan also tried artichokes for the first time and liked them. It makes me so proud that both kids will try something new and keep an open mind about it.
July 12
We went into Boalsburg to see Opa turning wood and to enjoy the local art festival there. They had a nice kids section, so we goofed around with magnets and centripetal forces. The kids got faces painted (an evil pirate for J and butterflies for E). We rounded out the day with a ride on the golf cart back to the car (rather than the $$ train ride).
July 11
To get Jonathan's 6th year off to a roar, he got stung by at least one bald-faced hornet today! What a joy of free range parenting. He vacillated between an ice pack and swirling it in baking soda water. Neither made him particularly happy. Later, we visited the PSU art fair and ate at the Deli. Enjoyed a Monk's beer.
Hey love, glad you are enjoying time with your family before the final move. Promise to visit you in GA!
ReplyDelete-Laura