What I Did Last Summer

As I've been back at work for three days (and haven't updated this blog in a month) I figured I would title this blog one of the most trite and overused activities ever to go on in a classroom - tell us what you did last summer.  Since I've last posted here we've had quite the summer - I debated breaking it down into smaller posts, but I decided to just combine all of our summer activities into one giant post, and then I'll write additional posts about all of the milestones Sarah has accomplished in the last month or so (though she didn't start walking before I went back to work, so I'll most likely miss her first steps, sigh).

I swore I was going to take her to the pool this summer...and summer came and went... and we never went to OUR pool.  We did however go to Ida Lee twice and a neighbors pool once, so at least she had some exposure to the world of over chlorinated water.  First thing I learned this summer, Sarah likes the taste of chlorine.  She would entertain herself for hours (ok, minutes) at a time by dipping her hand in the water and then licking it clean.  I figure there have been worse things that she's eaten, so I wasn't too concerned.  On July 17th we made our first trip to the pool, and though she was a bit nervous when we let her "float" (holding onto her of course, just not supporting her legs on our legs or the bottom of the pool) she appeared to have a good time.

At this point we still had not decided upon summer vacation plans, so, taking full advantage of having finished summer school the next day we packed up and went to Bethany Beach, thanks to the wonderful hospitality of the Brigleb family.  We were discussing going to the beach in Florida, but I was reticent to purchase expensive plane tickets and a pricey hotel if Sarah wouldn't like the beach, so I also viewed this as a trial run.  Things I learned about Sarah's first trip to the beach.

She loved having the wind blow in her face.

And she loved, loved loved to eat sand.  Carol had called her pediatrician when Jay was little and was told that sand would just "go right through them" so again, I wasn't too worried about this new item in her diet.  We tried going into the ocean on this trip, but after just holding her and dipping her toes into the water they turned purple (like actually dark purple) because the water was so cold, so we just stayed on the beach... and continued to eat sand.

I guess since the purpose of this blog is to chronicle her firsts, I should put down Sarah's first junk food... beach french fries.

When it comes to vacations, I am NOT a very impulsive person, but after having such a great time at the Delaware Beaches (where I would return just for the opportunity to shop at the Disney Outlet again!) we booked a flight to Sunny Isles Beach, Florida... for the following week.  I really did intend for this blog to be about all of our summer travels, but I think at this point the posting is getting long, so I'll dedicate another post entirely to our first family vacation.  Just no promises it will be up before our second or third. 

Two short weeks later (because I must have a death wish after the "fun" that was the plane ride to West Palm Beach... more about that later), we were off again, this time to visit T.J.'s family in the suburbs of Chicago.  For a short trip we kept very bush, a trip to the arboretum, the zoo, a visit to Great Grandma, lots and lots and lots and lots and lots of food, and of course, Kate beating Uncle T.J. at soccer.  After a July that was actually the hottest on record, the weather in Illinois was perfect.  We spent the first day at the Morton arboretum just enjoying being outside.  The next day we drove to Northwest Indiana to visit T.J.'s grandma.  Just days before her 94th birthday and she was looking fabulous! 

The next day was a Sarah's first trip to the zoo.  As an environmental scientist, I appreciate zoos for what they're doing with species survival programs, but sometimes they make me sad seeing big animals in small spaces.  The Brookfield Zoo though has done a fabulous job in really making the spaces seem large and open.  As much as her cousins kept trying to point out the animals, Sarah was more enthralled by things like fences, railings and people and dirt.  There was one great exhibit where you stood under an incoming tide where a very large quantity of water was dumped above your head - that got a rise out of her, as did the birds flying around in the penguin room and the dolphins (I think she was following them, either that or she was getting tired and her head was kinda just lolling around). 

I realize that this has basically become a vehicle to share a series of pictures... and I didn't even delve yet into the fun that was Florida, so perhaps I'll try to be better about updating this more often.  However, please indulge me with one more picture of the reason we traveled... two weeks after we travelled and 10 days after we travelled.  Family.