Fun Fridays 1, 2, and 3!

We're three "Fun Fridays" in to summer.  What a perfectly fitting name I chose for these days of adventure.

Fun Friday #1:  Pool Day and Family Date Night!  This was our first official day of summer vacation, and the weather was simply glorious for a day at the pool.  We splashed and played all morning with friends, cleaned up in late afternoon, then headed out for a celebratory end-of-school dinner at our favorite beer and pizza restaurant.  Total success!! It was a wonderful day and an even better family date night.

Fun Friday #2:  the plan was to go to the swimming hole at the river and float our wooden toy boats (say that tongue twister five times fast - toy boat; toy boat; toy boat; toy boat!) but apparently early June is monsoon season here.  It poured buckets of rain all day long, so after much internal struggle with myself and my resistance to going to Bounce n Play in town, I reminded myself whose idea it was to do these Fun Fridays and what the whole point of them was.  We packed up the car and headed out.  (I also coerced friends of ours into joining us - a genius idea on my part). Although the place was very crowded with overly excited children, the kids had so much fun and there was not a single injury, hurt feeling, or tear shed.  I have real admiration for Pax and how well he holds his own against the big kids.  Oh, the perks of being the baby of the family!

Fun Friday #3:  A trend is emerging.... always have a plan B in mind.  After driving an hour and 20 minutes into Richmond to spend the day at Maymont, we arrived at the gate only to discover that the huge storms we'd received earlier in the week knocked down big trees and they'd closed the park for the day.  Quickly, and with the help of my trusty GPS, my mom and I decided to take the kids to the Children's Museum of Richmond, which was mercifully close - just 1.1 miles away.  Seamlessly, we transitioned to the museum and spent the day there.  It was fantastic.  I don't think I've ever seen my kids enjoy a museum more, and it was so un-crowded that I was easily able to keep track of them, making me able to enjoy the museum, as well.  I took tons of photos - here are a few from our day:

Digging for dino bones

Whoa, there, Triceratops!

E tu, Bronte?

"I'd like to make a deposit, please!"

*MY FAVORITE PART* = the one room schoolhouse (also lovin' the huge grin on Aidan's face)

Star Student (seriously. This kid knows *a lot* of letters and numbers, especially considering he's the third kid and I've kind of been slacking in this department lately...)

I love their focus and concentration in the art room!!

I find it hilarious that Pax chose to ride on the deer... since this is a "bucket list" dream of mine... yes, that's right - to ride on a (real) deer.

I love that this captures the two of them laughing and enjoying each other!!

Look what hatched from these eggs! (And I love what they are saying instead of "cheese" or "strawberries" or whatever - they're saying "Plan B!" as in "This museum is an awesome alternative to Maymont!)

The "Edith Ann" chair with my loves

Pax is totally photo bombing this pic!!

More photo bombing - love it! (Also love the sweet pic with my mom)

"We're rolling down the river..."

nearly capsizing on the white caps!!

These are the snakes that were, unfortunately, *not* too expensive at the gift shop. 

Fun Fridays are exactly as I'd envisioned.  We await their arrival with eager anticipation throughout the week, looking forward to the week's end in a whole new way.  And, truth be told, it's a good thing we plan them in advance and I hype them during the week, because otherwise, I am quite certain these adventures would not be happening.  Summer is fun, adventuresome, happy -- and utterly exhausting. 

Yet much like the delicious newborn days - when days and nights blur together interrupted only by the frequent demands of the sweet milky-scented beautiful new being - I trust that the weariness and exhaustion I feel now will similarly fade into the background, replaced with the memories etched like stone into our hearts and minds, these days of smiles and giggles and wonder and curiosity and joy that cannot be bottled or saved or even photographed, only savored in the moment.