Wrapping up Mom and Abby's visit

So Mom, Abby and Rowan all returned to Canada this past Saturday.  We will be joining them this coming Saturday.

In the meantime we tried to do as many fun things as we could around while they were here.  We took advantage of the Kids Bowl Free program again and went bowling a couple of times.

We went to Belmar Beach in Belmar,. NJ for a day.  What a great beach, just over an hour to get there and clean and nice.  Really had a good day there, will definitely go to that beach again!

We introduced Abby to the wonderful world of hibachi which I think she enjoyed!  Turns out she is a pro with chopsticks - who knew?

We went to the Friday fun day at Giggleberry Fair again.

And on the day the girls were leaving the neighbourhood had a yard sale - I did not get my stuff together in time so we bought instead of sold.  Lily was right into it buying rock em sock em robots, a cheerleader outfit and an inflatable afro.  Yeah, that happened.

Then is was time to bid adieu until a week later - now only 3 days away and looking very much forward to being reunited with everyone again!

Philadelphia Zoo

A few years ago we had a zoo membership but we let it lapse - this year I got a deal on not only the zoo membership but the one that gets you access to all the rides/attractions they offer as well.  Since Mom and Abby are here it seemed like the perfect time to go and use it since it lets us take guests in as well.  We saw a few animals but the girls were more interested in being able to do the fun stuff like the swan boats, the carousel, riding a horse and riding a camel.  They also have a tethered hot air balloon that I have always wanted to try but the weather has to be *just right* for them to send it up and it seems like the weather is never right and yesterday was no exception.

Summer Fun

Ah summer - when the kids are out of school and both their parents still have to work leaving a lack of summer fun for a majority of the time.  Enter, me.  I hate working during the summer and feeling like my kids are missing out on having one so I work longer hours Monday - Thursday so I can at least have Fridays off and give them something fun to do.  Trying to do it all on a budget is not easy however but thanks to things like Groupon and specials run by places like Giggleberry Fair it is possible!  In no particular order things we have done this summer:

Giggleberry Fair at Peddler's Village - Fridays are only 10$/kid and include food!  Can't beat that and the girls love it - we take friends and meet friends there.  The best of both worlds!

Olivia is in the same position as Rowan is in terms of having to be at camp all summer so I made an effort to take her with us every Friday just to give her a break as well - sometimes we went places, sometimes we went to the pool, once we went back to school supply shopping and found dragon costumes that had to be tried on!

We tried a new bounce place called Jumpin' Jacks in Hatfield thanks to Groupon - and again, came with food - with kids in tow anything that includes food is a bonus!

And of course, rock climbing.

Bike rides with me - got Rowan to go just over 7 miles, begrudgingly.

And the most monumental thing that happened this summer - Lily finished daycare at Kindercare for good on July 30.  I cried, well not full on crying but I certainly welled up.  Private kindergarten here we come, ready or not!

A rough start to the morning

 A better end to the day

 8+ years at the same place

But there's no looking back now!

Mom and Abby came on August 2 and are here for two weeks - we'll see where that adventure takes us in the coming weeks!