How could I possibly have another week-long vacation only a month after the last one? What mother of young children gets almost 2 weeks away from her kids in one summer? Seriously, my family loves me and wants me to survive.
Best Things About This Vacation:
1. I read a lot of books. Don't believe me? Here's the list:
- Rick Riordan - The Red Pyramid 516 pages (he's branching out into Egyptian mythology, which is interesting and his main characters are compelling, but I missed Percy Jackson)
- Stephanie Laurens - The Perfect Lover 389 pages (it was a re-read, so I mostly skimmed)
- Robin McKinley - Dragonhaven 342 pages (her writing has changed in the years since her marriage--more experimental, more risky--but I still like her books)
- Robert Harvey - American Shogun: General MacArthur, Emperor Hirohito & the Drama of Modern Japan (first 112 pages - just getting started)
- Robert Harvey - "A Few Bloody Noses:" The Realities & Mythologies of the American Revolution (approx. pages 68-189 - made it up through the skirmishes at Concord and Lexington)
- The Collected What If?: Eminent Historians Imagine What Might Have Been - ed. Robert Cowley (first 580 pages out of 827 - lots of fun!)
Granted, the fiction went quickly, especially since Riordan, Laurens and McKinley are favorite authors of mine so I tend to read them quickly the first time through and then go back and read them again. But I was also devouring the history books. Probably because I could concentrate and there wasn't anything else I had to do or anyplace else I needed to be. Marshall also read at least 3 or 4 books himself and we would sit together in the same room, reading passages to each other like we were kids at university again. Yes, this is my idea of a fun vacation. But then if you read this blog regularly, you already know I'm a bit bonkers.
For some strange reason, there are no used books stores (that we can find) in our neighborhood. So, when we go on vacation, we visit every one we can find and fall upon their shelves like ravening wolves. And buy more books than we have shelves for, since our shelves are always full. We actually had to get rid of the contents of a 4 level bookshelf to make room for Miranda before she was born. And that doesn't even count the library for our children.
2. Lots of new pictures up at our Smugmug account.
- Here are the new formal family pictures.
- Here are the vacation pictures, most photos by my mother, Lorita.
4. We did the usual fun things with the kids once they arrived, like swim in the big, indoor pool and visit a couple of cool playgrounds. We also returned to Claws 'N' Paws (which we found last year) and climbed around Bushkill Falls. The Falls were very pretty, but, remember, I grew up within a stone's throw of Yosemite.
While at Claws 'N' Paws, Miranda was running over the uneven ground and inevitably fell and scraped her hands. I picked her up, cleaned off the dirt and held her while she cried. I walked over to the Gibbon cage where, last year, we had watched for almost half an hour while the two Gibbons played and romped and generally entertained both kids. Well, this time, one of the Gibbons imitated Miranda's cries and then tried, through the fence, to cuddle with her. It was the cutest thing.
5. I haven't been able to get to the movies for weeks. Marshall and I tried to see Salt while in the Poconos but the theatre's air conditioning was broken. And I now think I want to see Scott Pilgrim vs. the World.
6. While on vacation I finally finished page 4 of my cross stitch. I haven't been stitching much all summer and really need to get back into it.
7. I have the strangest pumpkin vine growing out of my compost heap. It should be fascinating to see how many actual pumpkins it produces.
Jen didn't post last Friday, so that's all, folks!
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