Football Lessons

Tanya's parents came for a visit, and we all had a chance to play outside. It was a rare day in PA, in that the weather wasn't oppressively hot and it wasn't actually raining. Noah had a chance to get a football lesson from his "Pop Pop".

Good kick!

Eva played football, too, but here she is leaping into the air while she waits for her turn.

Of course, there was also time for a trike ride around the parking lot. Eva shows off her impressive turning radius.



We had a really nice time at the townhouse. It was a fine place to stay for the summer, and the kids were sad to leave it.

Ocean City, NJ Vacation

David and Jamie rented a house for the week in Ocean City. They invited us down for a day with my parents, so we all had a wonderful mini beach vacation. We arrived in Ocean City on Sunday before dinner. Finding a restaurant to seat 10 people was a challenge, but we ended up at a place that had been open for only a week. Locating it was more of a challenge, as the place had no sign out front. The food was mostly fried fare, but was pretty tasty in the end. The kids even got to keep their plates, as their food was served on frisbees. We went to the boardwalk after dinner on Sunday evening, and the kids really enjoyed the games and rides there. Jake and Matty were good company for Noah and Eva, and they all conquered the amusement rides as fast as they could get in line.


Noah and I were up early the next morning, and we took a walk on the beach with my father. I'm not much of a morning person, but walking the shore collecting shells with them was the perfect way to start the day. The beach was quiet, and there were very few people around. Noah was so excited to find all the shells, and it didn't take long before he filled my pockets with an assortment. Around 11:00am we all returned to the beach to dig in the sand and play in the waves. Noah was convinced he wouldn't need a bathing suit as, "There is no way I'm going in the water," he stated. By the time we finished up on the beach that afternoon he wondered aloud to me, "Why didn't we bring my float vest so I could swim in the ocean?"

Eva devised a game where we dug a small hole, and she jumped it over and over again.

A rare opportunity for my father to share a family tradition with four of his grandchildren at once. The dribble castle lessons were a big hit with the kids. It didn't do my dad any harm either! He was loving every minute of it.



It was a terrific day on the beach, and we all went home tired and happy. We hope to go back next year for a whole week.

Bensalem Township park

There is a really nice playground near our home this summer. It has great play structures, with some fun cars arranged in a racing configuration. The kids really enjoyed them, and spent a while changing cars. It made for a nice afternoon break.

The Philadelphia Zoo

We met David, Jamie, Jake and Matty at the Zoo with my parents this Saturday. It was Matty's birthday. There were many animals to enjoy, and some were impressively close to the public. The plaque read that this zoo is the oldest in the country. Noah asked, "Is it the first zoo, or does that just mean it's one of the first zoos?"

Elephants

A very friendly peacock

Noah says, "I like peacocks because they are amazing. And, they walk really cool. They move around really quickly. So, I like how it walks, and it's true." Eva says, "I like tigers. And, Noah likes peacocks, and I love tigers."

The new tiger was prowling in front of the glass.

The Zoo has a balloon ride that lifts you 400ft into the sky over the park. There was a fairly long line, so we skipped the trip, but it made for an interesting backdrop for the photos.

A rare photo of the four of us.

Breakfast at Home

One thing I miss about PA, is Famous deli in our home town. They have the most delicious smoked salmon and lox, as well as really good bagel. The bagel is just chewy enough to have texture, but not hard or gooey. Put some fresh cream cheese on top, and the bagel beats any bread in SF. Eva quickly adopted my fondness for the combo, but I don't think she is quite as discerning as I. She clearly enjoys it wholeheartedly, however.

We went to Sesame Place in Langhorne, PA. We had a good time there with Noah, Eva, and my parents. We liked Sesame Place because they had a lot of water rides, which was important because it was over 100 degrees that day. Eva had a good time meeting the Sesame characters, but Noah was skeptical of the costumed people. Noah especially loved the roller coaster -- his first time ever. "Ever, ever," says Noah.










There was plenty more to do there, and we spent most of the day checking out the different activities.















There was even a live show of Elmo's World, which, critically, was performed in a cool theater. The kids were convinced it was the "real" Elmo.

Noah says, "They did a cool show.
And, it is cool that they could make the objects move by themselves. And, I liked how they made Elmo sound. Mr. Noodle (Mr. Noodle's nephew) was being crazy that day, and his dancing was crazy, too. I liked how Elmo was dancing because it was so cool."