Henry's 7th Birthday

We finally bit the bullet and hosted a birthday party at Chuck E. Cheese's.  Henry and several friends from school, summer camp and the neighborhood gathered on Saturday morning to celebrate turning seven.  Highlights included finding the 1,000 free tickets voucher in the ticket blaster, playing air guitar and enjoying some special Captain America cake.  Happy birthday, Henry!

 

  

 

 

 

 

 

 

Virginia Beach

We made our first family trip to Virginia Beach in July.  After enduring some of the worst I-95 traffic we've ever encountered (it took us six hours to drive to the hotel), it was nice to relax for a few days by the beach.  We had mixed feelings about Virginia Beach itself: the boardwalk and pier were nice, but the Atlantic Coast just isn't the same as Gulf Shores.  Still, the kids had a great time playing in the sand and splashing in the (chilly) ocean water.  Below are some photos from our weekend.

 

 

 

 

 

Summer Camp at Burgundy Farm

Henry spent his summer vacation at Burgundy Farm, a private school near our home in Alexandria, VA.  From June to August, the school operates a summer camp.  Burgundy Farm has a unique campus, situated in a wooded area with classrooms scattered around the property in cabin-like structures and a small barn with live farm animals.  Once or twice a week, the campers get to feed the animals, including (according to Henry) digging worms for the chickens.  The school also has a small pool, which meant Henry and his fellow campers went swimming everyday (sometimes twice a day). 

Several of Henry's former classmates from St. Anthony's, including his best friend Jack, were at Burgundy Farm this summer, adding to the enjoyment.  We could tell Henry was having a good time because he woke up and got dressed every morning with no complaints.  And after a long day of swimming, playing and, occasionally, drumming(!), he was usually ready for bed right after dinner.  One night, while having popsicles on the stoop, he feel asleep on the sidewalk (see picture below).  We were so pleased Henry enjoyed his first experience at camp.  There's no doubt he'll be going back to Burgundy Farm next year, and Vivian is already asking if she can go too.

  

Getting ready for camp in the morning;

crashing on the sidewalk after a long day of play.

Lion King

We made our first family trip to the theater in June (not counting multiple performances of Sesame Street Live or Disney on Ice) when we attended the matinee performance of Disney's Lion King at the Kennedy Center in Washington.  Even in the nosebleed seats, the show was great!

 

 

 

 

 

 

Vivian's Soccer

Vivian participated in a spring soccer session at St. Anthony's.  Both kids have done these afterschool clinics for several years now.  Run by Khary Stockton Soccer, they mostly focus on developing fundamental skills--there is very little actual soccer played. One of the highlights of every session is the parachute sprint, when each child runs around the field with a parachute strapped to his/her back (see the picture below).  The clinics are held in the park across from the school, making them super convenient.  And of course, everyone gets a trophy at the end. 

 

Dutch Wonderland

We celebrated the end of school (and the start of summer) with a day trip to Dutch Wonderland in Lancaster, PA.  We wondered if the kids might have outgrown the park, but as you can see below, they had a ball.  The new dinosaur exhibit was a nice addition to the park.  Henry's favorite ride was still the roller coaster (we rode three times), and the highlight for Vivian, curiously enough, was the diving show.  It ain't Disney World, but this little theme park still delivers a ton of fun.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Kindergarten "Graduation"

Henry's first year at St. Mary's ended with a concert and reception.  Henry and his classmates sang some special songs for their parents, including "Let's Go Fly a Kite," from Mary Poppins, "Do Re Mi" from Sound of Music, and for their grand finale, "In Summer" from Frozen. Afterwards, the children received their Kindergarten "diplomas" and enjoyed some playtime together before being dismissed for the summer.  We were really pleased with how the year went for Henry.  Despite some occasional hiccups (we learned to assess our days in colors--red, yellow and green...and every now and then, blue!), Henry seemed to adjust well to his new environment and made many friends.  With Kindergarten behind us, it's on to first grade and the start of homework.  First, however, Henry has a well deserved summer of fun lined up with camp at Burgundy Farm and an August vacation in Canada (more about those later).  Well done, Henry!  You make us so proud.