As mentioned in a previous post, we crammed in Aunt Sarah and Uncle Kevin's wedding, playground trips, picnics, flower picking, museums, the zoo, indoor playground fun, watching Daddy playing ice hockey, get-togethers with Lauren's dance class, a water park, a trip to Hershey Park, inpromtu ice cream breaks, water fun out in the sprinklers and on the deck, a trip to the Outer Banks, and multiple trips home to Salisbury!
We also managed to add some last minute fun before the summer ended.
Visit With The Peters Family!
One of Chad's oldest friends, Scott Peters, was in town with his family, for a visit and we were able to arrange a little get-together at the Salisbury Zoo! It was hot, but the kids seemed to enjoy the small zoo and the playground. Obviously we have kept up with the Peters family, but this was the first time the kids met!
Charlie Can Now Sit Up Front With Lauren At The Grocery Store!!
It was nice for a few shopping trips. Lauren enjoyed the novelty of having her brother up front with her. She took great pride in showing him how to turn the steering wheel and honk the little horn. But once Charlie began reaching for her steering wheel, the fun wore off and now she is not as happy with this turn of events! But look how cute they are?! I love it!!
Maryland Fan Appreciation Day!!
At the last minute, Chad and I decided to take the kids over to the University of Maryland for their Fan Appreciation Day. We picked up some chicken salad subs and a cheese sandwich from our favorite Deli, and found a nice shaded spot in Lot 1. We had a few tailgate chairs and ate a quick lunch before heading out to watch a little of the Men's Soccer Game. Lauren really liked sitting up in the stands and watching the players kick the ball around.
Then we headed over to Byrd Stadium to see some of the football scrimmage. Charlie and I could not go in, because they did not allow strollers, so I walked him around outside while Chad and Lauren went in. They picked up some posters and Lauren declared that she wanted to come back to watch the players.
From there, we walked through a dark Cole Field House and stopped at the student union. We took a photo with the Kermit and Jim Henson statute and checked out the bookstore. Charlie got a new Maryland hat and Lauren got a great pride ball!
We finished the day with a walk to the Mall. Lauren and Charlie loved the big fountain in the middle and had fun running (and crawling) all over the grass.
Finally, it was getting late, so we picked up some ice cream (off campus...since the Dairy was closed), and took the kids home. Needless to say we all slept really well that night!!
Fun In The Fountains At Virginia Gateway!!
There is a shopping center near us, called Virginia Gateway, that has an amazing little fountain pad for the kids to play in and cool down. Grammy and Grumpa came up to visit, and after a nice lunch at Firebirds, we allowed to kids to run through the fountains. They LOVED it! I have since taken them back multiple times, because it is an easy way to cool down and be silly. Lauren especially loves to stand over the fountain, so that it looks like she is peeing! ha ha ha
Bird House/Bird Feeding Making With Daddy!
Lauren and Chad had been talking about hanging up a bird house and a bird feeder for a while now. So one weekend, Chad took Lauren to Lowes and they bought all of the supplies they needed for the bird house and the bird feeder. Lauren was especially excited to help out with her set of toy wooden tools, but she quickly decided that dancing to the "Despicable Me" soundtrack was more fun than building, and Chad had to finish the project on his own. They both turned out great!!
And within a week, the birds found the feeder. It has been quite a popular spot these days!
Charlie's First Chili Cheese Dog At The Vienna Inn!!
One weekend we stopped at the Vienna Inn for some chili cheese dogs. This was one of our favorite places, when we lived in Fairfax, and we could not resist stopping on the way home to Gainesville. Lauren always orders the grilled cheese, and Charlie usually shares her meal. But this time, we decided to order Charlie his very own Chili Cheese Dog, and he LOVED it! The customers at the other tables also got a big kick out of his reaction, which you can see below....
A Visit to Dad's Office!
One Monday morning, Lauren, Charlie and I decided to pick up some coffee (and a cake pop for Lauren and Chad), and head over to Chad's office for a quick visit. The kids always love to visit Dad at work, and now they especially love it since they discovered his office chair. They both can fit in it together and it spins around and around and around!! Luckily, Chad works at an office where they welcome the occasional visit from family. We don't do this all the time, but every now and then is a special treat!!
Lauren's First Video Game Night!!
Since Lauren has been so good this summer, and she has put up with her little brother commanding our attention and constantly bothering her, Chad and I decided that it was time to introduce her to Mario Kart. She had never played a video game before, so we put Charlie to bed, and went down to the basement for a Video Game Party. We brought down snack foods and spent the evening letting her play. She had a blast, and soon I imagine we will have some competitive video game nights!
It had been a while since Chad and I played Mario Kart, so we had a great time as well. Since that night, Lauren has constantly asked to play the driving game, and we keep having to explain that it is a special treat and she is not allowed to play video games very often. We seem to have created a monster, but I am glad she enjoyed herself!!
Making Homemade Ice Cream!!
We ate so much ice cream this summer, that it was clear we needed to make our own. Both kids have had homemade ice cream at Mee-maw and Grandpa's house, but we have never made any for them. So Chad and I got the ingredients and made a vanilla ice cream with crushed Oreos and chunks of bananas! Charlie loved eating the ingredients. It was his first Oreo and he he made quite a mess. Lauren had fun bashing the Oreos to pieces but lost interest in all of the steps. She came around when it was time to eat the ice cream though!!
It turned out great, and was fun using our Family Cookbook and creating something delicious as a family!
It has been an exceptional summer. I am sorry that all of these adventures and fun times have come to an end, but I am looking forward to all of the fun we will experience this fall and winter. And I know that time will fly by and it will be summertime before we know it!
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