winding summer down

[cassidyrose]

S. starts school next week. First grade. Hard to believe. It is going to be a big change, but I think it will be good.

This summer has been busy and challenging. We got sick a lot and L. and S. need different things when we go out and do things and L. is very challenging so it has been quite hard at times. But it also has been very fun and good. Taking it easy today...some shopping and lots of cleaning. This weekend is the Rail Fair at the farm, and Peter and I have the NOLOSE conference next weekend where not only am I attending, but I am performing in a big way as we are bring our ENTIRE most recent show (plus additional guests) to the conference as the Saturday evening entertainment. Good, but, well, it has been exhausting. We are incorporating three new dancers into some of the pieces (folks who have joined since June) and it is challenging but quite good and exciting. We will have ten dancers in some of our pieces and that is beyond where I thought we could be (one of our veteran dancers has a conflict so cannot perform at this one...we actually have eleven dancers now).

Anyhow, while opting to take it easy today I was kind of feeling bad for not getting S. out to do something big and exciting...but really, he is happy to have time to build with his LEGOs. To make myself feel better I recapped what he *had* gotten to get out and do this summer and the list is pretty epic. He has:

• Spent four days at my parents' for what he called his "summer visit". He swam everyday, rode his bike, went to the Castle Air Museum (highlight of his summer), the movies, and to work with my dad at the Friends of the Library store. He had a great time.
• Two trips to the county fair. Both times he dominated the kids pedal tractor pull, the second time being the only kid to make it into the fourth round
• He had one week of Wildlife Day Camp at a nature center/wildlife rescue facility. Great camp and he got to see owls and bats up close.
• He had six weeks of 4-day-a-week swim lessons. His swimming is looking so good
• An eight week (once a week) art class that focused on building structures. He really enjoyed it and built two cool houses.
• Six weeks (once a week) music classes with me and L.
• Visited the Tech Museum in San Jose
• Visited Fairyland in Oakland
• Visited the Children's Museum in San Jose (one of his favorite places) a few times
• Visited the Oakland Zoo a few times
• Visited several different parks with his friends and with just me and L.
• Visited the Monterey Bay Aquarium
• Visited the Jelly Belly factory
• Visited Ardenwood Farm many times, including for Fourth of July
• Visited the Palo Alto Junior Museum and Zoo
• Spent three days visiting Lassen Volcanic National Park
• Toured the Subway Cave in Lassen National Forest
• Visited Burney McArthur State Park and walked around and to Burney Falls
• Visited the California State Railroad Museum in Sacramento
• Been to both a LEGO brick show and the LEGO store
• And finally, he turned six and he had a big (for him) party last weekend)

Plus there have been bike rides, walks, lunches out, and plenty of LEGO building.

So, it's been a big summer. We will be going to Gilroy Gardens on a Sunday sometime in the next month or two and catzen will be taking S. to the Exploratorium soon for his birthday.

Comments

[lightning-rose.livejournal.com]

Was that the Stanislaus County Fair?

If so, do they still have the vintage engine display? I loved to attend the fair just for that when I lived in Turlock. :)

[cassidyrose.livejournal.com]

No, we missed the Stan Co Fair...I don't know if they still have the engines...I should asked my mom. I loved that part too...There is a group of folks here in the Bay that bring them to certain events at Ardenwood Farm and S. has seen, and enjoyed them, there.

The fair we went to was the Alameda County Fair with the EPIC model train display. The kids could spend all day watching them.

L. could have spent all day just watching the stacking robots at the Jelly Belly factory....he was CAPTIVATED!

[tracytreefrog.livejournal.com]

I went there once with a train buff I ended up spending two hours sitting on a bench while he went crazy looking at all the model trains & talking to the owners. They were very cool but for me not two hours worth lol

[ptor.livejournal.com]

And S went to two ARRL Field Day event. !

[tracytreefrog.livejournal.com]

Your kids have done more in one summer than I did in my entire childhood., very lucky kids