Yup.
I'm that far behind.
The eighth month of this year was a crazy one filled with trips, visits and baseball. I was harboring our baby secret from many which wasn't easy (darn morning sickness!). We did our best to keep our busy toddler occupied and I think we were successful.
Nationals Game
We treated Grandpa Q. to some tickets to the Nationals vs Phillies game for Father's Day this year and we decided to join him at the game. This was James' first baseball game and I think he had a great time. His favorite part? The ice cream, of course. He truly is his father's son.
We took advantage of the beautiful August weather by spending lots of time outside. Many playgrounds were visited including one with daycare buddy, Rafa. The boys (and the parents) had a blast at the playground and at lunch that followed.
Dutch Wonderland
When I was a kid, my parents took us to Lancaster, PA on vacation a lot and we always had a great time. We decided it was James' turn to experience this rural, Amish-filled locale and what is a trip to Lancaster without a visit to Dutch Wonderland! Ed scoped out a really cute hotel called the Fulton Steamboat Inn which was a big hit with the little man. Not only is the hotel shaped like a true steamboat, there was a great playground to play in and a huge pond filled with hungry ducks offering hours of endless entertainment.
We began day one of our weekend away with breakfast at the Red Caboose Motel. Now, this is a place that is near and dear to Ed's heart. When he was a kid, he and his family stayed at this unique motel where you literally sleep in a train car. We decided to skip the overnight and settled for a yummy breakfast in their cafe car.
After our delicious breakfast we headed to the main attraction - Dutch Wonderland!!! This place is the perfect place to take an active toddler who needs to burn off lots and lots of energy. We hit the ground running and went on every ride that James was eligible to go on. He loved anything that had to do with cars, the spinning panda bears and the log flume which he was able to ride with Mommy and Daddy. Towards the end of our visit, we hit the water park and he LOVED it!!!
One of my favorite parts of the day was replicating a photo with James that I took with my sister back in 1980-something.
It seems that the pretzel has moved and has been slightly updated, but it was still a fun moment to share with my little man. Our day ended with an authentic meal at an Amish-run restaurant. The food was great, but I think they judged our allowing James to watch Mother Goose Club on the iPad during dinner. :(
Day two brought us a lot more fun with a visit to the Strasburg Railroad Train Station where we took a trip on an old fashioned train thought the Lancaster country-side. This was James' first real train ride and he loved it.
A Visit from the North
The last weekend of August brought us some guests - Grandma M., Aunt Adriana and Uncle John! It was a rainy weekend but we managed to make the best of it. Thank goodness for Chibis!!
So there you have it...August in a nutshell. I'm hoping that I will be able to update you on September by this Thanksgiving. :)
