night swim!

This is quite the tradition of ours... Toniel and her girls and the Carpers come over for dinner and drinks and then when it starts to get dark we bust out all the smores stuff (can't forget the Reese's cups) and then out come the glow sticks and the kids put on light shows and the squealing and giggling abound! We were a bit shot this day as it was also tubing and open house day... but we know how to get things done!

tubing

Tubing has been on my summer bucket list for years and years and quite unlike myself I waited until the last week of summer to get it done. We headed down to Sickman's Mill which is under new ownership and finally back open after the shut down and what not for our hour and a half of tube time. Eleven of us. Eight kids. Three adults. Only who of which had the physical capacity to use both legs. We tethered ourselves all together and then figured out how to get into the river... Quite the feat. We were slow going and got stuck quite a few times but all in good fun! And the yelling. The screaming. The shouts of our impending death. I pity anyone else within any proximity to the river. David was the only causality and even that it was just a few scrapes and bumps on his back... at the end they had a bus pick us all  up and back to the starting point for drinks and some snacks! So glad that we got to do this before summer's end! And so thankful I have friends who don't judge me for yelling at Dominic to SIT DOWN IN THE TUBE. 

a spa day…

A rare day if I may say so... One where I spend hours and hours away from my kids just relaxing and enjoying some peace and quiet? My friend Lindsey had wanted one last day before school started to chill out and she asked if I cared to join her and I mean, yes! We got into our robes and relaxed a little with their delicious hot cocoa before a lunch. In our robes. Loved that! Then we both had a body treatment with mojito smelling something or other.... We chilled outside in rocking chairs with Bellini's and just soaked in every last second before we had to go back to realty... 

just a typical august day….

You know me, trying to get all the things in while I still can... case in point? A super humid and not quite sunny day where I thought let us go for a hike! See an overlook! Have a picnic lunch! Then go to the mall's food court while mommy runs an errand! Then out to a late afternoon snack at a new local favorite.... Get in all the things people. All. The. Things.

wrapping up summer like...

Dinners and drinks out with friends... tea parties... family swims with a fun uncle who has once more returned... sleeping cats... ice cream runs and friend visits.... bike rides on the rail trail...fresh new hair cuts and ice cream trucks... swims with friends... mom's night out... matching bathing suits... rainy lunches and rainy swims and our final Tuesday with Nonna.... Pool swims and telescops... birthday sleepovers and open houses at the kids' schools....All things summer (or a tad bit school) in all the short time we have left!

a final hersheypark visit. for summer.

We haven’t been to Hersheypark since June and I find that fact a bit surprising. But I suppose I shouldn’t since we did all the things this summer. So we just had to go one last time before the fall version of the park makes itself known…. We headed up there in the middle of the afternoon knowing that we wanted to try the new restaurant there, The Chocolatier. We also knew there would be quite a wait and there was, two and a half hours for a party of ten. We walked the whole way out to the end of the park and rode whatever rides we could as we made our way to the front of the park. The lines were long this day. It was all perfectly timed as we got a text our table was ready and we were right there! The drinks and food in this place were so good, albeit a wee bit pricey. But what isn’t pricey at Hersheypark? Solid night people. Solid. Night. Hersheypark in the summer? Over and out. 

the in between

Somehow mid-July became mid-August in the blink of an eye. These few weeks full of birthdays and beach weekends tend to make this summer feel as if it is already over. Even if we have a few more weeks left. I shouldn’t count my summer days until they hatch I suppose but it cannot be helped. During the past month we have had countless swims. Lunches and dinners out. All the good food. Friends and family over on a rotation. Flowers. VBS for Dom and Lena. Church camp for Letty and a Sports World camp for David. Sleepovers. Oh all the sleepovers. Cuddles and pool side reading. Trying to fill each day with all the things before school and sports take over!

lena girl is seven!

We cannot forget that before the beach was my niece’s birthday party! Seven! I just can’t believe it! We had  delicious dinner and then gift opening of course (Tenley in particular found the sleeping bag to be the very best) followed by a yummy cake! And singing! Oh Lena! You are such a wonderful little lady! Watching you grow up is such a joy even if it does happen too fast! I hope you had the happiest of birthdays! We love you so!! 

our final beach day of the summer

You know it had to be dramatic like that. We have spent a fair amount of time at the beach this summer and it’s been amazing! And today was the last of those days. After our run Rhonda and I went to get an açaí bowl. Well deserved I would say. When we got to the beach that is when the real excitement started… Matt caught a shark! Like a shark shark. The crowds on that beach watching…. It was wild! The guys caught a ton of things this weekend but the shark takes the cake! After a dinner of all the weekend’s catch (not the sharks) Rhonda and I took Letty shopping. All the girlie things after a weekend of too many boys. We ended then night with ice cream!

the zoo and the beach

A combination that I have never done before! Up and feeling more like herself Rhonda suggested we go to the Cape May Zoo. The sun wasn’t out and it was sort of chilly so it was the perfect way to spend the morning! I mean, giraffes! After lunch we did make it to the beach and the sun did decide to peak out!

the day without rhonda

Saturday morning poor Rhonnie woke up not feeling quite herself. And she remained that way the entire day the poor thing! So it was just me and Letty and a ton of boys! I got my run in quick and then took the boys out kayaking which Dominic quite enjoyed! We took the kids to the park to blow off more steam before lunch and the beach. See also Aaron caught a shark! Right in the very same bay where the kids were swimming yesterday!!  All the catching of all the things this weekend! Later in the day there was a lot of scootering, some in the rain! Just trying to keep those boys occupied is quite the job but I would say it was a successful day… minus my sick friend of course!

stone harbor!

We had the honor of being invited back! We are loud and the boys are naughty but we were still wanted! Woohoo! Our friends’ family has a place on the bay in Stone Harbor and we went last year this exact same week and were so happy to go down to the shore once more! We left Friday morning and went straight to lunch just as we did last year… after which we headed to the house to unpack and get those crab pots set up, always with the crab pots! We got to the beach eventually and then got take out for dinner. Did I do two burgers in one day? Why yes. Yes I did. There was a good sky and some porch hangs and scootering and fishing and all the things! Solid first day!

letty’s actual birthday…

It was a Monday. And a day David had to go to camp. And I wanted to hit the gym… So after all of that I let her dictate the day. First she wanted to hide a rock she had painted in her favorite park so we did that… then we met some friends at Wayback Burger which was amazing! Then we had a little time before camp pick up so she built her new lego set. Harry Potter of course! After grabbing David we went to Fox Meadows for ice cream. Dinner was the birthday girl’s choice of Korean rice bowls followed by The Jungle Cruise. A full day for my girl! This is 11!

letty’s family party…

The very next day was when the family comes over to celebrate! The weather was lovely and there was a lot of swimming to be had before dinner! My dad brought pretzels which is quickly becoming something the kids look forward too! She chose lasagna and ice cream cake which of course Matt obliged. After dinner we opened presents before singing and dessert. Her gifts have gotten so grown up! Jewelry and a new field hockey bag? Time needs to slow down!

letty’s friend party…

As always for my kids and their birthdays they get to have a friend swim party… Letty’s was on a Friday afternoon and thankfully the weather cooperated and the sun was out! They swam of course, much calmer than her brothers’ friends (thank God) and had snacks and cupcakes and sang and then opened up the presents! It’s fun to see what all the kids are into as they grow up! 

who letteria is at eleven…

Oh how has she been my sun, moon and stars for eleven years already I’ll never know! She has taken over our world for even longer than that as well! And today is her day! Her birthday!

final day at the beach!

The sun was playing hard to get for a little while on our final day at the beach but eventually she came out and we ended up having quite the full beach day! With burgers which I mean how could that get any better?! We left the beach and packed up before an early dinner and then we hit the road for home... Until next time!