End of (Summer) Days

I can't even believe that it has been over a month since I last posted on Being Mangiaracina.  Don't worry...I've slapped my own hands.  :)  To be honest, life has been going about 100 miles an hour lately so I have been just too exhausted to get online and put it all out there.  Even with this post my head is not totally in the game, but I vowed to jump start the blogging again so here we go.

Our summer was jammed packed with activities - always a good thing when you have a very active toddler.  I thought I would share quick recap using a photo montage of our end of summer days.

Weekend in Richmond
We decided to take a weekend road trip down to our state capital to check things out.  We had heard that the Richmond Children's Museum was a "must see" and we felt compelled to check out the Carytown Watermelon Festival.  Neither disappointed!

Burke Lake Park

We happened to get lucky with some awesome weather one weekend so we decided to take advantage and hit Burke Lake Park to "hike" the trail.  Lucy joined in on the fun and only had to be held 15 minutes of the 2+ hour walk.  James had a blast looking at all the trees and the ducks and riding in his car.  We ended the journey with a picnic in the car.

Neighborhood Fun

We always try to make sure we have a plan to keep James busy and entertained during the weekend and that typically takes us outside the house (which is a good thing since he is likes to tear the place apart!).  We took lots of walks (kid is obsessed with trees and will point every single one out!), clocked lots of hours at the playground and made some fun new friends at Toys R Us and Old Navy!

Pool Days

We learned this summer that our little guy is a bit of a guppie - he LOVES the pool!  We took advantage whenever we could and invited Grandma and Grandpa to join in on the fun.

Before we knew it, Labor Day was here, the kiddos were going back to school and life was a little bit more back to normal.  There is lots more to tell - especially since it is already mid-September so stay tuned.  I'm just getting started. :)

Those Summer Days

So it's not officially summer, but it sure does feel like here in the DC region. It's going on what seems like the 100th day of 95+ degree weather with a heat index of over 100 degrees. It's hot. Brutal in fact. So much that all you want to stay inside and relish in the beauty of air conditioning. With the exception of a few Lucy walks, we've pretty much been prisoners in our home. The good news is that this intense heat is about to break...just in time for the weekend and for our visit with Adriana and John who are trekking down from NY to see us. The even better news is that we have a pool. And a beautiful pool at that!


It has been a while since I've lived in a complex with a pool ~ it's actually Ed's first pool so we made sure to take advantage of it over Memorial Day weekend. It was totally refreshing and 100% awesome. And the best part was that it was a manageable crowd. Not too many out of control tots or obnoxious...err...feisty young teens. :) The pool boasts a shallow section for young families, a main area for middle-aged farts like us, a lap lane for those looking to actually get some exercise out of their swim and a diving section.


And the best part is that the last 10 minutes of the hour are adult swim. I'm happy to see that this tradition has not changed since I was a lifeguard way back when. I have a feeling a trip to the pool will be weekend staple for the rest of the summer.