road trip

We're off!  We'll be back in a few days with plenty of pictures....  including Evyn's new smile!

last-blast wrap-up

I figured I had better post something before I fall further behind!  See, this blog is as much a memory-book for my kids (I have it printed and bound, periodically) as it is for sharing with all of you.  So here's how we rounded out our last week of summer vacation, and the first few days of school:

breakfast for three at Lititz Family Cupboard

a couple hours at Lititz Springs park- one of our favorite spots

bacon!  another breakfast for 3- at George's in Willow Street- before heading to Cherry Hill Orchards for peaches

Rita's!  Andrew wanted a picture of his boo-boo.

more fun at the Leola pool

and another day at the pool - the water was pretty chilly

The kids are still into all things pirate.  Andrew - literally.  He wanted to sit IN his pirate ship!

Of course there was a flurry of other things going on that week, that I didn't capture in pictures - visits with family, riding bikes, and baseball games in our back yard with most of the neighborhood kids that went well past sunset.  Evyn was eager to start the new school year- but we definitely made the most of our last week of 'summer!'

Second-grader

and just for fun..... here is her picture from the first day of kindergarten in 2009:

Dutch Wonderland - 2011

After we returned from vacation, we had one week left of summer break before Evyn went back to school.  We jammed each day with as much summer fun as we could!  More on our "last blast" week to come, but first a look at what we did in the middle of that week - Dutch Wonderland!

Poor Evyn had waited all summer for us to get around to taking her there (after we failed to get there last summer).   With the amusement park in our proverbial back yard, and Evyn still (barely) in the target age-range for the rides, I was determined to get there before summer ended.....  even if that meant taking them by myself!  And, if you've met Andrew in person, you know how tired I was at the end of that day.  But it was worth it - the weather was perfect, and we had a great time.

slide at Duke's Lagoon

one VERY tired boy- and our day wasn't even half over yet!

I wish I had pictures from the BIG water slides that we all went down together.  We even did the "black" slide - a tall (multi-story) slide you ride in complete darkness- wheee!

one-room school house

sky ride

The Sky Ride is a one-way trip, and after taking it across the park, Evyn wanted to ride it back to the other side.  I was NOT taking Andrew back on that one- the first time, he kept scooching up to the end of the seat and making me nervous.  When she asked if she could ride it solo, I initially said 'no,' but eventually agreed (I've been making an effort to give her a bit longer leash this summer).  So, after she boarded her car, Andrew and I took a brisk walk to the other side to meet her as she disembarked.  She was so proud to ride alone!

By the time we decided to call it a day, it was hours past Andrew's usual naptime, and he was out before we made it back to our car.....