Philadelphia Trip, Day 1

I have been wanting to visit Philadelphia for a couple of years. Last weekend, we finally made it happen! The kids always get a Friday off in September for the local fair. We generally use that as an excuse to visit somewhere. The past few years we have gone to Williamsburg, but this year we decided to change it up.

We left around 7 on Friday morning and rolled into Philadelphia shortly after 10. We picked up our tickets for Independence Hall and walked to Reading Terminal Market for lunch. We enjoyed some New York style pizza and sandwiches and walking around to see the amazing offerings. Luke was funny, he didn't like how flopsy the pizza was, and he made me feed it to him. To be more accurate, I should say that he didn't like holding it, because he definitely liked eating it!

From there, we went to the President's House and saw the Liberty Bell. Then, we did our tour of Independence Hall. We had a great, enthusiastic guide and it was fantastic! We got to see the Rising Sun chair that George Washington sat in while he presided over the Constitutional Convention. It was pretty cool to think about all the amazing people who have been in that room. Unfortunately, Thomas had had a cluster headache the night before and he was still in pain. He decided to sit out the tour with Luke, while I took the bigger kids through. I felt really bad for him. After the tour, we debated heading to the hotel, but Thomas' little break served him well and he wanted to push on. We finished up at the visitor's center where the girls completed their Junior Ranger Books and collected their prizes.

With the Liberty Bell

Making notes in their Junior Ranger books about the inkstand that was used to sign both the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution (how cool is that???)

Standing where President Lincoln stood

Taking their Junior Ranger oaths

Fun picture from the lawn of the National Constitution Center

After the gift shop, we had just enough time to see the Constitution Center. They had a really good show that everyone enjoyed, but the rest of the museum was just okay (at least for the price).

One cool thing was a life-sized gallery of the signers of the Constitution. Luke insisted on having his picture taken with Alexander Hamilton, although Luke said he was "Luke". Luke didn't even know there was a bandwagon to jump on, yet here he is singling out the star of the hit musical.

Kara liked Mr. Wilson from Pennsylvania, for obvious reasons (could be a relative...)

Anna chose Mr. Livingston of New Jersey

When we left, everyone decided to take advantage of the giant frame (check out Luke in each photo, that kid moves fast!)

When they closed, we went to our hotel (which was across the bridge in New Jersey and then to Chick-Fil-A for dinner. It was an incredibly full day!

Labor Day Weekend & Luke's "School"

We were blessed with great weather for Labor Day weekend. There was potential for a tropical storm, but fortunately, it stayed far away, so we were able to enjoy the nice temperatures and finally get outside!

Saturday, we went to Mount Vernon. We got to see Washington's 16-sided barn in action! Every visit, we've seen the barn and heard about how it was one of Washington's inventions. I knew the purpose was to more effectively separate grain from straw. But, I never quite understood how it worked. It was not what I envisioned. Basically, they would put the wheat down on the inside perimeter of the barn and 2-6 horses would run over it and the grain would fall through the slats and be collected below. They let us sit in the barn and brought in two horses to demonstrate.

The horses in action

The "horses" were actually some type of pony, they were super friendly.

Choppy water, thanks to the tropical storm churning somewhere out at sea 

We walked around outside, had lunch and then decide to check out the grist mill and distillery--another place we hadn't been. Unfortunately, Kara (and Anna to a lessor extent) was in rare form, so Thomas stayed outside with Luke and the girls, while Jack and I did the tour. It was impressive! Washington sold his pure flour as far away as Europe and we got to see how the process worked. I was hoping that Thomas could do a tour after me and Jack, but the girls spirits (and behavior) hadn't improved, so we headed home by way of Krispy Kreme.

It's kind of hard to see, but here's Jack with the giant grist mill wheel.

Sunday we went to Fort McHenry. Thomas had been wanting to go back for a while and we decided to take advantage of the nice weather. We left shortly after breakfast. I packed a bag of treats that got lost between the kitchen and the car (and still has not been found). So, we stopped at a gas station on the way and let the kids pick out snacks, probably the highlight of their day. Actually, we all had a good time at Fort McHenry. It was our second time there, but I don't think we saw the movie the first time. At the end, they raise the screen and the blinds and you see Old Glory flying while our National Anthem plays. It was surprisingly effective at evoking some of the feelings Francis Scott Key may have felt. Of course, we toured the fort and everyone had a good time running around and exploring.

Making plans with Major Armistead

Jack guarding Kara

Quite the view!

From there, we went to Six Flags to activate our new season passes. They had an awesome Labor Day weekend renewal deal that we just could not pass up.  I still miss Kings Dominion, but Six Flags has been good to us. It is cheaper, closer and still fun for the kids. I am comfortable taking the kids up during the week while Thomas works in the summer, something I wouldn't want to do with Kings Dominion (just too far and over the scary bridge). Also, I am looking forward to their Christmas event. So,we renewed. We even convinced a few friends to join with us, so I hoping for even more fun in 2017. Anyway, it was on our way home and Luke had been begging to "ride the choo choo," so we braved the crowds, but did not stay long.

Kara was sick Sunday night, so we stayed home on Monday. Some obnoxious stomach bug has been making the rounds through our house. It has not made anyone terribly sick, but it is long-lasting and does make its victims uncomfortable. I think we may finally all be over it (about a month after it started). In other health news, I was convinced Kara had impetigo on Tuesday morning. I made her stay home from school and scheduled a visit with the doctor only to find out it was poison ivy! You'd think with as much poison ivy this family has had, I would learn to recognize the rash. At least I can recognize the plant, although that apparently didn't help this time. Since we were outside all weekend, there is no telling where she got it, but we suspect in the woods near one of her friend's houses. The worst part about it was I got stuck in awful bridge traffic...twice. Yup, twice. I am not smart enough to avoid the same mistake, apparently. I just assumed it would've been cleared up in time for our return trip home. Nope. Somehow a 300-pound manhole cover disappeared and brought traffic in our area to a screeching halt for over 8 hours as a new one was specially made.

It was a lot redder than it looks in this picture. 

In final news, Luke has his first day of pre, pre, pre-K today. I feel guilty about enrolling my two-year old in "school," but I think it will be good for both of us. I used my first 2.5 hours of freedom to go to the gym, take a shower (all by myself, with no interruptions!) and do a quick Target trip. It is only a few hours a week, but I am excited. Luke enjoyed his first day. When I picked him up, his teacher said she wished she had "10 just like him," he was just so "easygoing and happy."

End of Summer/First Day of School/Luke story

As per tradition, we asked the kids what they wanted to do their last week of summer break. Anna said swimming, Jack wanted Brewsters and Kara picked YoKool. Jack had actually said Point Lookout, but we had just gone a couple of weeks ago and I wasn't ready to take everyone back without Thomas. So, we made another pool trip and got our ice cream and yogurt. As a funny sidenote, while we were at Brewsters, we pulled in behind one of our neighbors and then another arrived a few minutes after us. The kids thought we had arranged a little surprise, but it was just a funny coincidence.

Overall, it was a good summer. We made lots of pool trips, a few beach excursions, trips to Six Flags and National Parks and we all enjoyed the 1.5 visits from the Koc family. That being said, I was ready for school to start again. I enjoy the more relaxed pace of summer and I hate packing lunches everyday, but I like the structure and routine school provides. The kids were also ready to go back. At least Jack and Kara were. I wish there was some sort of compromise, maybe 4 days on and 3 off year round with a random week or two off here and there. That's how I would do things :)

But, I digress. The first day came and the kids were very excited. We were pleased with the teachers they got.  Kara got Mrs. Lowe, who Anna adored last year. We didn't know who to wish for for her, we have had 3 out of 4 of the 2nd grade (one used to teach Pre-K) and we thought highly of all of them, so there was really no bad outcome. We didn't know the 3rd grade teachers, but knew their previous teachers had made specific recommendations. J & A are in companion classes. They put all the twins (3 sets, I think) with these two teachers. They assign the same homework and will do field trips together. They also share a wall/supply room, so the kids get to see each other a lot during the day. It's really nice.

Now, for the plethora of pictures:

Kara got a haircut for her 2nd grade year!

I can't believe they're in 3rd grade! Anna is in Mrs. Cieka's class.

Jack and this hat have been inseparable lately. He is in Mrs. Arthur's class.

I ordered everyone an extra large, but the men's extra large (Jack) is obviously much bigger than the girls. 

And, a Luke story (or three). We were at Aldi the other day and he insisted on pushing the cart. He has to stand on his tip toes and he can't see anything, but fortunately, it wasn't crowded, so I just gently kept him on course. On the second aisle, he abruptly stopped pushing and ran to grab something. He exclaimed, "Oh! I need this!" and attempted to put the item, a can of condensed milk, in the cart. That kid cracks me up! He also got several laughs from others in the store for his enthusiastic shopping. Yesterday, he said, "Mom, I have an idea!" When I asked what it was, he paused and then said, "ummmm, we can watch Umi."  (His favorite show is Umi Zoomi and he would watch it all day every day if we let him.) The final note about Luke is he likes to randomly ask us, "Yes or no?" That's it. There is no question before or after, he'll just run up to us and say "mom, yes or no???" and wait for a response. Last final anecdote, we were at Chick Fil A last week and a little girl asked his name and he said, "my name is Looty." I love it! Two year old speech is priceless! I think he is learning to say R a bit better, I will be so sad when he no longer calls Kara, Kaba. Then, he'll be able to pronounce his own name and baby speech will be gone from the Wilson household forever :(

One on One at Six Flags

Thomas and I have been making more of an effort to spend alone time with each of our children. We rotate through the kids and let them choose an activity. We have done movies and ice cream and restaurants. Thomas was off from work on Friday and I wanted to go to Six Flags. However, it was the kids' last day of camp and Jack really did not want to miss. So, it was determined that I would take the girls and Thomas would stay home with the boys. On Friday morning, Kara got upset that she couldn't find her swimsuit of choice and decided to stay home. I was feeling frustrated and ready to cancel the whole outing. However, Anna REALLY wanted to go. We decided we would count it as her next special outing and go with just the two of us.

We dropped Jack off at camp and left Thomas, Luke and Kara at home. After some issues getting gas, thanks to a giant dump trunk hogging the Shell parking lot, and a return trip home thanks to me forgetting my phone, we were off. I was still feeling kind of cranky, particularly after the additional difficulties, but we pressed on. And, we had a great time! We rode all the big water rides repeatedly. Anna was brave and tried Tornado, and she loved it! So, I decided to be brave and try Halfpipe, which I enjoyed. We rode my favorite ride, Bahama Blast 4 times, Tornado 5 times, Halfpipe 4 (well, twice for me), Shark Attack 3 times and Zoomba Falls 3 times. No little kid pools or attractions for us! We had a pleasant lunch and went into the wave pool, but it was cold! The weather was a little chillier than previous visits, which was nice because our feet didn't burn on the pavement and it wasn't super crowded.

I didn't have my camera this visit, but here's Jack on the Halfpike a couple of weeks ago.

Stock photo of the tornado.

After the water park, we had some Rita's ice and decided to do a few rides in the regular park. I wanted to leave by 4 so that Thomas could take Kara out to dinner for her special outing. Normally, we wouldn't do two on the same day, but the original plan was for Thomas and Kara to go to lunch on Friday, then I introduced the idea of Six Flags and then Kara didn't even go, so I felt bad that she was missing out on what should have been her special day, even though it was self-inflicted on her part.

I left my phone in the car while we were at the water park, so not a lot of pictures.

We rode about 4 rides and headed home. On our drive home, I turned off the radio and asked Anna what she wanted to talk about. She voiced some concerns about going into third-grade and we had a really good conversation. The entire day was fantastic. She was truly delightful. At one point she said to me, "mom, we've done what I want to do, what would you like to do?" She spoke kindly all day and was flexible and agreeable. I absolutely loved spending the day with her.  That is the best thing about these one-on-ones, we get to focus on just one child and it brings out the best in everyone. I can definitely see the benefit to having an only child (of course, I can also see the drawbacks and I am happy with 4)!

We got home and Thomas and Kara were all dressed up. Thomas had mentioned that they might have to wait for a table because, "lots of people like to get dressed up and go out on Friday night." So, Kara said they should get dressed up too. Thomas put his suit on and Kara picked out a dress. A little fancy for Olive Garden, but they were happy! Thomas said Kara's pearls got her a lot of attention. They had a great time.

Aren't they adorable?

It's my Birthday (well, it was 2 days ago)

On July 21, I turned 39. Yikes. One more year until the infamous forty. My first job was at a fast food restaurant called Hardees. To lure in the senior clientele, once a week they would host Bingo in the dining area. Apparently, I spoke loudly and clearly and became the regulars' preferred "caller".  Whenever I called N40, everyone would shout in a silly voice, "foooooorrrrtyy". Finally, I asked why and they said it was because after 40 it's all downhill. At the time 40 was decades away. Now, it is right around the corner <sigh>. But, I digress, this blog is not about getting older, it is about how much I love my birthday.

Once a year, I give myself permission to be completely lazy and selfish. Well, maybe I do it more than once a year, but once a year it is guilt-free (maybe on Mother's Day too, but to a lesser degree). I don't really care about presents, but I love the opportunity to dictate exactly what we are going to do and to not have to listen to any complaints. Everyone knows that in this house, on your birthday, you make the rules, within reason of course. This year, I wanted to go to Annapolis, see the State House and the Naval Academy and have lunch at PF Changs. Thomas took the day off from work, but we decided to do Annapolis on Friday and my actual birthday was Thursday, so I finagled two special days.

Thursday, I woke up and decided I felt like going on a bike ride. Jack was awake, so he and I headed to Three Notch Trail and enjoyed a leisurely hour-long ride. Jack was great company and we had a good time. Meanwhile, Thomas and the girls were at home making my requested cake--strawberry with chocolate frosting, all from scratch. When Jack and I returned, it was time for my second requested activity--the Six Flags water park. Me and the older kids rode my favorite ride three times in a row while Thomas happily watched Luke. And, I didn't even feel (too) bad about it! We spent about 3.5 fun hours there. Our plan was to have a snack and then spend some time in the regular park. But, after our snack, I decided I wanted to go home and have a family movie night. There was some slight disappointment, but everyone knew it was my call. And, I made it without really giving much consideration to anyone else's feelings. We told them we'd come back to the regular park the following day after our Annapolis adventure, and they were happy to go home and have cake, so it wasn't a huge deal.

We didn't bring towels, so everyone was laying in the sun to dry off. Luke saw the way Thomas and Jack were laying and decided to join in.

We got home and I picked the movie--Tangled. Again, I didn't ask anyone what they wanted to watch, I just chose a movie I liked and no one complained. We had our cake and ice cream. My wonderful neighbor brought me homemade cobbler and Brewsters ice cream. I can't imagine a better day! Obviously, I tried not to be a jerk or do anything that would be unpleasant for people, but it really was nice to just spent a day doing what I wanted to when I wanted to without having to consider everyone's thoughts and feelings. I certainly wouldn't want to be that way every day, but I think a couple of times a year is good. Plus, it gives the kids an opportunity to put their needs aside and be giving, which honestly is good for them. Thomas always works hard to make occasions special and my birthday was no exception, he changed all the diapers, handled the kids disagreements and worked hard to make it nice. He spent a long time making me an awesome cake and making sure I felt loved all day.

Friday, we did all my requested activities in Annapolis. I loved seeing the spot where Washington resigned his military commission and handed power back to Congress. I wonder what our country would be like today if he hadn't set that precedent? The state building was beautiful, the girls especially appreciated all the chandeliers and ornate fixtures.

The favorite chandelier.

Standing where G.W. stood. I only took one picture and didn't realize it was blurry.

After the State House, we walked over to the Naval Academy, toured the visitor's center and walked around the campus. The highlight was going to the chapel and seeing the impressive crypt of John Paul Jones (founder of the Navy). From there, we headed to PF Changs. Yum!

If you see a face cutout...

every single child...

even the littlest ones...

must stick their head in and ask for a picture.

 We were done by 2, so we went to Six Flags. It was a great day, but, it was HOT; the heat index was close to 100.  Ironically, they were celebrating Christmas in July.  We went to a Christmas sing-along and the kids posed with Santa. We got home around bedtime.

Daffy and Bugs came to the show!

This is actually a really good Santa photo. Too bad it is July and not December.

Thomas took some pictures with Luke. I can't decide which is my favorite, so here's the top 2:

Thomas took some pictures with Luke, I can't decide 

Saturday was Thomas' birthday, but we were neglectful toward him. He didn't want a cake and we spent a lot of the day cleaning the house. It gets pretty rough around here, especially in the summer. The lawn needed to be mowed and that was how Thomas spent his birthday morning. The kids made him cards and I had a small gift for him, but honestly, it wasn't the best day. His normal requested activities all take place outside and it is really too hot to spend an entire day outdoors. We will have to make it up to him.

His best friend arrived with his family Saturday night and now (Sunday) they are off in DC. Luke didn't fall asleep until after 10 last night, so there was no way he could do a DC trip today without making everyone miserable, so I volunteered to stay behind. Hence, I get to catch up a bit on blogging.

What to do, no School!

Six weeks from today, school starts. Not that I'm counting. Well, I am, but that doesn't mean I am wishing time away. Summer break has been great (yes, another weak "rhyme"). We scheduled our time this year with one week of an organized camp followed by two weeks of nothing on our calendar. A third of the way through, we have completed our first rotation. So far, I would say it is a success.

During our two weeks of unscheduled time, we went to the pool, library, Ann Marie Gardens, and local parks. We met Thomas for lunch one day at Nicoletti's and we enjoyed not having to be anywhere at any specific time. We also had one amazing day at the Six Flags water park--the forecast was for rain, but we decided to risk it. The rain, and the crowds, stayed away resulting in a perfect (non)storm for an amusement park visit. We found something to do every morning and I think everyone enjoyed the more relaxed pace. The kids were left to the own devices each afternoon and forced to make their own fun, which most days they did. One afternoon, they spent hours reading through my old blogs. They were sooooo amused at all the funny stories starring them. Kara and Anna especially loved reading about the time I let Anna work on potty training with Kara. I had kind of forgotten about it and I am sure the memory would have been gone forever if I had not written about it. I am so glad that when we moved to Maryland I was encouraged by some friends to start the blog (Debby, Sarah and Cecilia have probably long since forgotten that fateful conversation at one of our book clubs, but I remember!). It makes me want to write more about the everyday little stuff.

For example, yesterday Anna and Kara put on a fashion show. They took laps around our upstairs, throwing kisses and striking poses. They named their looks things like, teacher's pet, vacation, fancy style, workout and going shopping. The grand finale was "sailor girls" where they came out together, each wearing something with a sailboat theme, a pink dress for Anna and a blue skirt with a white sailing shirt for Kara. They spent hours putting together their looks and practicing how they would pose. Luke got involved as well, mainly running in circles and waiting for Thomas to reach out and grab him. He would squeal and run past us, staring at Thomas, just waiting. Meanwhile, Jack was downstairs playing the newly purchased Minecraft. 

Now, the big kids are at their first week of St. Johns. Luke is in his second, and final, week at his future preschool--it worked out really well this year, his first week was during VBS and his second week was while the other kids had camp at St. Johns. Unfortunately, they don't offer anything in August, so it will be just him and me when the big kids do their final week of camp. Luke has not been as enthusiastic as he was the first week and he actually cried when I dropped him off yesterday. They said he quickly recovered and he seemed to be having fun when I picked him up. He always responds with a "yes" when we ask if he likes it and he was very excited to put his artwork on the refrigerator.

Luke rode the "fast choo choo" at Six Flags. I think he had a love/hate relationship with the ride.

Second time he rode with Jack. Then, he was done.

Antietam

Our little history buff.

On the 3rd of July, we headed to Antietam. For their birthdays, we generally let the kids choose between a party and going somewhere. Kara almost always chooses a party and Jack and Anna almost always choose to go somewhere. With their 9th birthday a few months away, we asked J & A what they wanted this year. Anna said Great Wolf Lodge and Jack said a visit to Antietam. We told him that we could do that without it counting as his birthday and asked him what his next choice was. He named another battlefield, the name of which escapes me (I just asked him and he said Chancellorsville and the Wilderness. I dare not tell him I have no idea what those battles are.).

Anyway, on July 3rd, we decided to make good on the promise. We planned a day similar to Gettysburg. We got everyone up a little early and headed out. We arrived just before 10 and watched the introductory movie. Then, we browsed the museum. It was small, but very interesting. There was a piece of a wooden fence rail with musket balls wedged in. There was also a long display case with items found from a neighboring farm. There was a picture of the farmer (I estimate it was taken in the 1950s, but I am not sure) and he was quoted as saying, "I must have gotten down from my tractor a thousand times to pick up some item or another." The items included a family bible, belt buckles, other uniform pieces and lots of weapons/musket balls. As most know, the Civil War is the first one where photography was used and of course there were pictures. The pictures changed the public perception of war forever, taking away the romanticism and belief that death was quick and bloodless.

After the museum, we explored outside. A church that was central in the battle was just steps away from the Visitor's Center and it was amazing to realize we were standing precisely in the spot where some of those pictures took place, complete with the small white church as a backdrop. We did the little walk around the church and a few monuments and then left the Visitor's Center.

The Dunker Church is in the background.

This was Thomas' favorite.

The draping was a flag, see the stars?

We drove a few miles to another central part of the battle--Burnside Bridge. It was also prominently featured in the pictures and we were very excited to walk on it, unfortunately, it was closed for repairs. We did walk down to it and because the area is still so untouched, it was easy to picture the scene.

We didn't get a picture, because it was full of construction equipment, but here's a nice one thanks to Google.

We had our picnic lunch and set out for walk.  There are several marked hikes in the area and we chose one that followed the Antietam (a creek). It was 1.7 miles and fairly level. Luke walked about half of it and everyone else held up great. We saw some people tubing in the river, but it was mostly quiet and peaceful. Again, it was easy to imagine the scene of thousands of marching soldiers.

The family who obliged.

Luke alternated between running ahead and lagging behind.

We were done around 2 and headed home, stopping at Wegmans on the way home because I wanted to see what the hype was all about (it was pretty impressive!).

On the 4th, we were all extremely excited to go to Stratford Hall, but the forecasted rain kept us away. We stayed close to home and enjoyed a quiet day. Thomas was home on Monday, the 5th and again it was rain.