We took this week off from work, day camp, and babysitters with two goals: work on some house projects, and have some fun family outings. We made progress on both, although, of course, not as much as we imagined. It was also a week of a historic heat wave, with at least two days over 100, which very rarely happens here. That nixed bigger outdoor adventures like the Philadelphia zoo, but it made for lots of languid afternoons in the pool.
One afternoon I came outside to see Henry mowing the lawn nude, wearing roller skates and one winter glove. This is the only picture I could get before he escaped. For some reason he didn't want the ensemble memorialized...Besides that trick, he also learned to climb our fireplace wall using only the mortar cracks. Seriously. He can pull up his body weight using just finger and toe-tips in half-inch cracks. We plan to take him to a rock-climbing place in Reading soon. I'm a little worried that he is in training to become a Navy SEAL.
One afternoon we went to the county park. Why hadn't we gone there before? It is beautiful, with miles of trails and streams and woods, and from the farthest point, where we waded in a creek and found handfuls of shells, it was only 15 minutes drive back home to our door. I guess we have been kinda busy the last five years. We vow to go more often now.
Agatha's new word of the week was "because," or as she says it, "cuz." She talks in a style reminiscent of a 1950s telegram: "I go for walk Gran's house. Cuz. I take baby for walk. Cuz. Baby want some chockie."
Tuesday we took a tourist outing to a pretzel factory, which Henry pointed out was not really a factory tour because they didn't show us any machines and we didn't get to go IN anywhere. But they did show us how to twist a pretzel. Did you know that 80% of the pretzels made in the USA are made in Lancaster County? And that 75% of those are also consumed right here? Oh yes, we learned some things. Then we went to the Choo-Choo Barn, a model train layout in the nearby town of Strasburg, which has several train museums and a real steam train. We also had lunch, but Agatha had no interest remaining in her seat and spent the whole meal on the little Thomas train outside.
I also had a birthday this week. Michael got me a great book on how to make my own dress patterns (copyright 1971), Henry picked out the silver peace earrings I am wearing above ("so everyone will know you like peace, Mom") and Agatha choose some bright yellow marigolds, perhaps my least favorite flower, but of course I loved them. My mom sat with the sleeping kids so Michael and I could go out for dinner. Lovely!
And here's the progress we made on the stairwell: we got pretty far along painting it a beautiful gray (the trim will be the dark gray you see on the crown molding). As I told my brother this morning, I was a little concerned about choosing a frosty gray color on the hottest day of the year-- how will it feel in February?-- but for now I am satisfied with the choice.
Tuesday we took a tourist outing to a pretzel factory, which Henry pointed out was not really a factory tour because they didn't show us any machines and we didn't get to go IN anywhere. But they did show us how to twist a pretzel. Did you know that 80% of the pretzels made in the USA are made in Lancaster County? And that 75% of those are also consumed right here? Oh yes, we learned some things. Then we went to the Choo-Choo Barn, a model train layout in the nearby town of Strasburg, which has several train museums and a real steam train. We also had lunch, but Agatha had no interest remaining in her seat and spent the whole meal on the little Thomas train outside. 
I also had a birthday this week. Michael got me a great book on how to make my own dress patterns (copyright 1971), Henry picked out the silver peace earrings I am wearing above ("so everyone will know you like peace, Mom") and Agatha choose some bright yellow marigolds, perhaps my least favorite flower, but of course I loved them. My mom sat with the sleeping kids so Michael and I could go out for dinner. Lovely! 
And here's the progress we made on the stairwell: we got pretty far along painting it a beautiful gray (the trim will be the dark gray you see on the crown molding). As I told my brother this morning, I was a little concerned about choosing a frosty gray color on the hottest day of the year-- how will it feel in February?-- but for now I am satisfied with the choice. 
6 comments:
Wow! I've been around here and I am so impressed with what you all have done this last week. The pictures are so wonderful - all of them. Henry's fort is great, the phot of Henry with roller skates, glove & lawn mower is priceless!
I love Henry's comment about the pretzel factory tour! He is right, of course, and I can hear other Rausers echoing down from the past, saying the same thing. The park photos are great and I also did not know about it.
Aggie's verbal skills are wonderful - love the "cuz"!
Love the gray paint (coming from someone who painted our entire house shades of gray), love the fun with the kids, hate the heat. Happy birthday!!
Oh, "c(h)ockie" = "chocolate." That's one mystery less.
Dan/Crispinus: it's two different words. Hot cockie is hot coffee; chockie is chocolate. Very important. She also likes "seemer," which is heated milk with a little sugar and vanilla in it. Just in case you are ever in charge of her hot drinks.
Catching up on your blog but a few blocks away from you seems kind of odd - or maybe, this is as it should be - anyway, I'd been meaning to tell you how incredible Henry's physical prowess is, how totally impressed I was (after our short stint at the playground) and now that I know he's literally climbing your walls, I am completely blown away. There's a climbing wall atthe rec center in Annapolis that you have to be 5 to try. October visit?
I stand happily corrected -- never let it be said I ditched my drinks duty!
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