Perry the Platypus

In my first week of the Wilton cake decorating class, we learned how to make frosting, how to tort and frost a cake, about different consistencies of frosting, and we practiced making stars.  The expectation after week one is that we'd bring in cakes, cupcakes, etc., along with our own mixed frosting for subsequent weeks...

Doing my homework before week 2 of the class, I learned the importance of remembering to cream the shortening before adding dry ingredients... but rather than start over, I crossed my fingers and hoped for the best.  What I found is that the frosting seemed a little dry in spots and so it cracked in unexpected ways as I created lines and zig-zags and every so often, a little clump of something - shortening or maybe powdered sugar - clogged my tip.  But it was mostly workable as I frosted my cake and learned how to trace a design with piping gel, transfer it to the cake, and then decorate.

If you couldn't guess from the title of today's blog entry, I chose Perry the Platypus.  When I showed the picture to the kids, Cathy's first question was "Where's Perry's hat?"  So it's important to point out that he's not Agent P, just a family pet.

But here it is... start to finish.

First step, frosting.  Best done with a large tip and #16 bag.

After the cakes were frosted, we set them aside long enough to 'crust over', or get a little hard.  Once the frosting is crusted, we were able to smooth the appearance.  

Parchment paper and a spatula smooths the finish.

I found a picture of Perry the Platypus on line for the cake... at class, we used piping gel and parchment paper to trace the design and then transfer it onto the cake.  One thing I will have to remember (even though it really didn't matter in this case) is that when the paper is facing up, the tracing will be in the opposite direction when transferred onto the cake.

Perry has eyes!  Well, the whites of eyes.

Blue frosting added

And now a tail, feet and the duck bill

The (almost) finished project!

I added a fancy dot border at the bottom of the cake.  Project officially complete!

At this point, I am pretty certain I will still spend countless hours making cakes for the kids, but I can see ways in which I can make them better, be that in actually squaring off the rounded tops of my cakes as I pull them out of the oven, in how I frost and fill, or how I decorate them.  Regardless, it was fun and the kids were so excited with the cake when I brought it home.  Cathy decided very briefly that she wanted Perry the Platypus for her birthday cake next year before electing to just have us pretend it was her birthday and sing to her now.

And then she asked for Dr. Doofenshmirtz instead.

A Trip to Pittsburgh For Preseason Football

Looking at the calendar, I realize there are just 10 days left in the Summer of Fun.  If this summer was a 'marathon', then I am clearly in the home stretch now and I am approaching it with mixed emotions.  I could talk about the down side to my summer with the kids (believe it or not, there's been a down side too), but I prefer to focus on what has been so great about it...

The slips of paper we added to the Jar of Fun at the start of summer vacation are mostly gone now and we've had some amazing adventures, starting in early June with the Children's Museum of Pittsburgh  and ending in Philadelphia next weekend on my 41st birthday  (and yes, for those who know I often like to lie about my age, I did just write that) when the Phillies play the Florida Marlins at Citizens Bank Park.  In between, I've given my kids what I hope they will always remember to be a fantastic summer of fun and travel and most importantly, time together.  This is, by far, the silver lining to losing my job last winter and I will always be grateful for the opportunity unemployment gave to me.

At the start of the summer, when we made our original list of places we'd like to visit and things we'd like to do in the summer of 2011, I included both the Eagles and Steelers training camps.  At the time it seemed optimistic at best given the player lock-out.  But, when the NFL's labor agreement ended that four-month lockout late last month, I started thinking it would be even better if we could take the kids to Heinz Field for the Steelers' first preseason game against the Eagles.  My brother-in-law is a season ticket holder, making it pretty easy to get our hands on tickets (thanks Greg), and so we took the kids to their first NFL game Thursday night!

Since the game had an 8:00 kickoff, we spent the day with college friends (the Kepes and Kelley families) before heading down to the stadium.

Our first stop for the day: the wave pool at Setters Cabin Park in Oakdale.  Setters Cabin was a terrific choice for an inexpensive afternoon with kids ranging in age from 5 up through 15.  Admission to the park was $5.00 for adults, $3.00 for kids ages 6-12, and $1.00 for kids 5 and under.  We had a such a great time at the wave pool, spending a few hours in the water, jumping into the deep end of the pool, over the waves, or just splashing and swimming around when the waves weren't rolling.

Afterwards, the Kepes family joined us at Joe's Crab Shack, someplace I'd never been but had heard good things about.  We ordered the Sunset Fired-Grilled Steampot for 2 and wow, was it good.  Crab, sausage, shrimp, corn and potatoes, all with really great seasoning.  The only thing that would have made it better is beer, but with a LONG night still ahead of us, I knew that wasn't a good choice.  We sat outside on the deck and let the kids play on the playground while we all waited for dinner.  Then we donned our bibs and enjoyed the feast.  Perfect!

With bellies full and miles of traffic awaiting us, we climbed into the car and set out for Heinz Field... someplace I hadn't been since November 2004 (the last time the Steelers hosted the Eagles).  I was nearly seven months pregnant the last time, was up and sick most the night before the game, and the Eagles were down 21-0 before the first quarter was over.  I can still remember my husband asking me on the way out of the stadium if there was anything fun about it... I told him "No".  And I meant it.  Even now, the only good thing I remember about the day was that it was very warm for mid-November and I never had to wear my jacket.

There wasn't much better about Thursday night's game except that it didn't count.  The preseason is just a way to see how your guys work together, to set your game roster, etc., though it was still disappointing to see Michael Vick have such a poor performance.  But the kids, though pretty tired from a BUSY day, had a great time.  The cheers of the crowd were a little tough for them to get used to, but they danced around and chanted "Let's Go Steelers" with the rest of the Steelers' fans. 

Rich with Big Ben and Hines Ward!

I should mention that I am not a Steelers fan, but will cheer for them on most any occasion.  The only exception is when they play my hometown team.  Matt and Cathy will also cheer for both teams on a Sunday afternoon... This was the first time they've needed to come down on one side or the other, and as you can see, the Eagles lost out, mostly because we only have Steelers clothes for the kids (they're pretty easy to find here in Central PA).  I wore my green in support of the team and found that in Pittsburgh, green was a lonely way to go.  Certainly the opposite of our trip to PNC Park earlier this summer when the Phillies fans outnumbered the Pirates fans...

These seats have me thinking about John Denver... "Almost heaven..."

Almost as soon as we sat down in our seats, Cathy said she was tired (she even took a nap on the car ride into the stadium) and she alternated between resting her head on my shoulder and watching the game.  Just when we thought we could stretch the night into the third quarter, both kids started asking if we could leave... and so the decision was made.

Halftime... the end of our night!

Being a sucker for a city skyline at night, I grabbed one last picture before heading down the ramp and off to the car.

The drive out of the city was much easier than the drive in and we pulled into the driveway a little before 1:00am...

And after a half-decent night of sleep, and a day of doing pretty much nothing, I am ready to dig in and finish the race.  Philadelphia, look out... the Cropp family is on the way!
  

Discovery Space of Central Pennsylvania

With a questionable weather forecast last Wednesday afternoon, the kids and I decided to check out  Discovery Space of Central Pennsylvania, the long-awaited science center targeting kids ages 2-12 right here in Central PA.

If you've learned anything about Central PA by following our Summer of Fun, its that most of the fun activities are somewhere else.  Sure, we've got two fantastic community pools and a few state parks that we can drive to in about 30 minutes or less.  But if the weather is bad and I am looking for indoor activities for the kids, the choices are very limited.  There's Fun Unleashed and Northland Bowl and that's about it for age-appropriate kids entertainment.

So, Discovery Space of Central Pennsylvania is a pretty welcome addition to the area... at least in theory.  I can still remember their initial marketing literature, long before it started to become a reality.  With plans to purchase the old Verizon building downtown (which is a much bigger space than where they ended up) and an artist's rendering that showed a big dinosaur in a very big window, I had very high expectations for the place...

Unfortunately, high expectations typically lead to disappointment and that was certainly the case for me.

We initially saw the space during First Night State College.  At the time, it was hard to envision how the space would evolve - it was mostly an open floor plan with areas marked on the walls and floor indicating what you'd find in different areas.  They had a number of the 'exhibit' pieces at that point in time and I can still remember the kids playing with them. 

The official grand-opening isn't until October and until that point, admission is just $3 per person.  They're in the process of formalizing their membership with the Association of Science and Technology Centers and so, eventually, the membership we purchased in Pittsburgh back in June will get us in here.  After the official opening, admission will increase to $6 per person and I am not sure that I'd spend that much to take the kids there again... there's just not enough for them to do to drop $20.

So, just what is there?

There's a studio room that had a few "medical experiments" that the kids had no interest in.  I stayed in the room long enough to try and get my heart rate, but with results of 122 and 154, I am pretty sure the equipment is faulty.  Despite the fact that my mileage is down significantly over the last two months, my resting heart rate is typically in the high 50s or low 60s.

"Dig It"

There's a flight simulator program (a Microsoft product  like you'd have for your home PC) that crashed each time we tried to fly it... it had been installed just a few days prior and they were aware of the technical difficulties. I think the kids found EVERY item in the archeology dig table in the first 30 seconds they were there (bones, building materials, food, etc.) but they skipped over the sorting bins located behind the dig table. The beaver and dam, shadow puppets, and kiddie play areas were passed over all together, as was the 3D movie on constellations (though I watched a little and this was kind of cool).

Cathy tried to video blog the weather, and she certainly got a kick out of seeing herself on the computer screen (not realizing she was also on the TV screen on the opposite side), but this exhibit isn't really geared toward kids her age and since she refused my help, she never really figured it out.

Matt's favorite spot

The three big winners? The electronic circuits, building straws and connectors, and wood pieces that the kids could connect and race marbles down.

The circuits are neat - you can build ones that make noise, turn on a light, or launch a spinning disk into the air.   This was their favorite thing last winter too, so I was not at all surprised to see them spend so much time at this table.  Matt's now asking for his own circuit making kit for Christmas.

All told, we spent about two hours there and I was surprised it was that long.   If it weren't for those three things, we would have been out the door in half an hour.

I don't mean to be too down on the place.  I think it's a great idea and certainly something that was needed in the area.  It's just that this summer alone, I've been to the Children's Museum of Pittsburgh, Please Touch Museum, Franklin Institute, and Hand-on-House - all places with so many activities that we spent an entire day at each and could easily go back and do it all again.  And over time, with donations, admission fees, and membership fees coming in, I am sure that it will grow into the kind of place its founders and supporters envisioned.

At least I hope so.

The Jar of Fun takes us to...

... Knoebels Amusement Park in Elysburg, PA.  

If you've followed my adventurous summer from the start, you may be having a sense of deja vu right now.  After all, I've already been to Knoebels this summer, back on Day 3 of summer vacation. 

A (gasp) working phone booth

That trip was pretty brief though - just a few hours.  And, it did not include the kids.  But now, thanks to Matt's reach into the Jar of Fun, that's all changed; The kids have, happily, had their day of fun there too.

One of the things that I love about Knoebels is that there's free admission to the park.  If you have kids under the age of (maybe) eight, you know as well as I do that adult park admission is wasted money.  For example, I've been to Hershey Park a number of times with the kids, but I have yet to get on any of their steel coasters.  I look longingly at Fahrenheit, with its 97 degree first drop, but haven't touched it in its nearly four years of operation.  Instead, I ride the Kissing Tower, the Monorail, and the Twin Turnpike.  And while I have fun with the kids, there's no way those rides justify the $54.95 gate price (although I can't remember the last time I actually paid a summer gate price). 

At Knoebels, that's not an issue.  It's a pay as you go system, with most rides priced between $0.75 and $1.50 (though the Twister and Phoenix cost $2.25 each).  During the week, you can get a ride-all-day bracelet with two pricing levels for kids either under or over 48".  Because Matt is right at 48" and because he was spending the day with his much shorter little sister (who measured just above the 42" line!!!) we purchased under 48" passes for each of the kids through the Centre Region Parks & Recreation office for $16 each (they're $20 at the park).  We added $30 in tickets at the park to cover roller coasters, which are not included in the ride-all-day option (though you can add that feature to your pass for another $5), and other rides the kids might need a grown-up to accompany them.  And then we were off to have fun!

One coming, one going!

It's always interesting to me which rides will draw the kids back, over and over again... and this time it was the Hand Cars.  And the Kiddie Whip.  And the Ribbit.  And the Panther Cars.  And the... well, you get the idea. 

My passenger on the Antique Cars

While we spent plenty of time enjoying rides meant for the younger set, we also rode roller coasters... the first time since kids entered our lives that we've easily been able to do that while they were with us.  First up, the Phoenix.  Matt and I hopped in line while Rich and Cathy went over to ride the Antique Cars.  Not surprisingly, Matt asked lots of questions - how high is the hill, how fast does it go, will it be scary?  While I couldn't remember the specifics, I told him I'd be right next to him and I'd hold him tight and that's all it really took to put him at ease.  I hope my 'Mommy Power' always works that well!  Later, we swapped... Rich and Matt rode the Phoenix while Cathy and I rode the Cars.

We are in red shirts, arms in the air!

The Phoenix was great (it is one of my favorite wooden coasters), though Matt tells me he could have done without the dark tunnel that comes after you pull out of the station and before you climb that first hill.  But otherwise, the smile on his face was a mile wide, his laugh the best sound I've ever heard.  We also rode Twister together and Matt had a great time on that ride as well. 

My newly minted thrill-junkie also managed to get both Rich and I onto Galleon, a pirate ship swing ride.  Rich came off looking about as green as I've ever seen him.  And, while I expected to be equally green, I can happily say that it wasn't bad... maybe it was even a little fun.  Sometimes your memory of something is much worse than the reality of it.   

This summer has definitely been a transition for Matt at the amusement park.  He'll still ride the things that Cathy wants to go on and he even enjoys some of them, but he's clearly moving toward more of the high-thrill rides and I am so excited by that; it will completely change our amusement park experience going forward.  The little girl will be more of a challenge... rides are too high, too fast, too scary.  And for now, I am still ok with that because even though she's meeting the height requirement for some of these more grown-up rides, I just wouldn't feel comfortable with her on rides like the Phoenix just yet.  

We always close out a trip to Knoebels with a ride on the Pioneer Train, and this trip was no exception.  The ride is much longer than it looks from the train station, covering roughly three miles round-trip.  It passes under the Twister roller coaster, past the campground and into the woods where we've often seen deer (though not on this trip).  Once it pulled back into the station, we grabbed some ice cream before hopping on the tram car for the ride out to the parking lot.

When we finally made it back to the car, much later than I ever thought, we all agreed that it was a fun day.  I keep forgetting to ask the kids to rate things (they really haven't caught on to the rating scale anyway, so that's probably not a bad thing) but did ask what they liked best.  For Matt?  The Phoenix... no surprise there.  For Cathy?  It was the bumper cars, even though she only rode them twice. 

With summer winding down, I am a little sad to think that these great trips with the kids will be coming to an end.  At the same time, I am pretty excited to start focusing on what comes next.  Most importantly, my little girl will be starting kindergarten before the month is over... tomorrow we have bus orientation and Tuesday morning, her kindergarten assessment.  I've never been so proud, excited, and scared all at the same time... I am sure you'll hear all about it soon enough. 

For now, I promise I will back-pedal to last week's trip to Discovery Space of Central Pennsylvania in the next day or two before focusing on how we spend the rest of our summer vacation...

Stay tuned! 
 

Cake Decorating 101

Most of what I will write about over the next few weeks will be the things I do with the kids (a few more Jar of Fun days, a trip to see the Eagles and Steelers play preseason football next week, the Phillies and Marlins the week after, the Little League World Series, and who knows what else), but sometimes there are things that I do FOR the kids that I hope may be just as entertaining.

If you've been to one of our kid's parties over the last few years (and Roger, if you are reading this, I promise I'll get you back on the list next year), you know that Matt and Cathy have started asking that I make their cakes rather than buy them.  The first time Matt asked, I thought this was a great idea.  Cake mix is cheap; frosting is cheap... I'd save a ton of money.   What I clearly didn't understand was the time I was going to sink into one of those things, even though my designs, so far, have been pretty simplistic.  I needed to mix colors, load frosting into my seemingly cool Pampered Chef tools meant for just such a task, and decorate.  Not as easy as it sounds... and it takes a long, long time.  For as long as the cake-decorating process seems to take me versus the amount of money I would have spent at the store, I probably averaged $2.00 an hour on the labor.  This is why I've scratched this career choice off my list of possibilities!

My cake-decorating history goes back a few years, starting off with a road, a dirt pile, and some construction trucks from the Christmas tree for Matt's 4th birthday.  There were also trees from our GeoTrax set in the green 'grass', though apparently not in this picture.

Next up, Dora the Explorer for Cathy's 3rd birthday.  I remember making this the morning of her party, sending my brothers Bob and Dan, my husband, and all the kids out of the house so I could focus on this.  I was sure it wouldn't get done by the time guests arrived, but it somehow did.  I learned an important lesson though: never wait until the last minute to make the cake!

I got off pretty easy in 2010, slapping some frosting on top of a rectangle-shaped cake and then taking the kids to amusement parks to celebrate their birthdays.

But, in 2011, I was back at it.  First up: Matt's 6th birthday, with a request for Zhu-Zhu Pets.  These cakes are my favorites, at least in terms of how close they came to looking like the actual toys I modeled them after.

And finally, for Cathy's 5th birthday, it was Sally the Porsche (which I clearly should have made as a four-layer, rather than two-layer cake).  I am sure the only thing that helped people identify her was the trademark blue coloring (though in too light a shade for Sally) and the Carrera label on her backside. 

For the most part, I do enjoy asking the kids what they'd like to see and then trying my best to create it for them.  Nobody has asked me at a party what the heck the cake is supposed to be, so I guess I am not terrible at it.  BUT...

But, I'd like to be more skillful when I make their cakes and so beginning this week, I am going to take a class, Decorating Basics, in the Wilton line-up (available here in State College through Michaels).  The website tells me that I’ll learn to create icing drop flowers, rosettes, shells, pompom flowers, leaves, shaggy mums, and the ribbon rose. I’ll decorate cookies, cupcakes, and cakes.  And then I will bring home my work, sit down at the kitchen table and sugar up the kids just in time to send them to bed... brilliant!

So, in addition to reporting in on all those fun kid activities coming up over the last three weeks of summer vacation, I'll also be sharing my adult adventures (and all the fun pictures) with you.  If I survive this, there are two more classes in the series that I'd love to take before the year is over.  And then come January, I hope to make a knock-out cake for my son's 7th birthday!

Horseshoe Curve and Railroaders Memorial Museum

The Schaffer and Cropp kids

I can still remember the first time I ever heard of the Horseshoe Curve: I was in my final year of college, doing a community nursing rotation at the student health clinic for Penn State's Altoona campus.  The nurse I worked with talked about the Curve, about what an engineering marvel it was, and while I politely listened, I could not have cared less.  And I most certainly did not make the short drive out to the Curve to see what all the fuss was about.

I think it was at least 10 years later before I made my first trip out there, long before kids, when Rich's parents were visiting for the weekend. But, since that first visit, I've been there plenty.  Turns out, that nurse was right... it is pretty cool and it really is an engineering marvel.

Watching a train at the Curve

The curve was built by the Pennsylvania Railroad (located in the Kittanning Gap near the summit of the Allegheny Front) nearly 150 years ago, enabling rail travel across the state.  Designed by John Edgar Thomson and Herman Haupt, the horseshoe shape lengthens the accent and decent of the trip, resulting in a more reasonable gradient over a much longer distance.  Several engines pull and push trains up and down the mountain and with more than 50 trains scheduled to pass through each day, you are virtually guaranteed to see multiple trains move through the Curve during a visit.  The Curve has three tracks, so it is possible that you will see three freight trains at the same time - on Wednesday, we saw two simultaneously.

Admission to just the Horseshoe Curve is $6 (regardless of age), while a combination pass ($10 for adults, $7 for children under 12) will also give you access to the Railroaders Memorial Museum in Altoona.  Once inside the gates at the Curve, you can walk up the 194 steps to the observation park - I didn't count them, I just read it on their website - or you can ride the funicular car.

the Funicular

I highly recommend the car, at least on the way up.  Especially if your lazy, 35 pound five-year old daughter is looking to be carried up the last 180 or so steps. 

Our four adventurous days in the Philadelphia area with the Schaffer family last month did not keep them from spending a few days with us here in Central PA.  In our original plans, we were headed to Delgrosso's Amusement Park for the day (FYI - WKSB radio is offering a Buy One Get One free deal through August 26).  But, in a surprising deviation from the weather that typically comes when we spend time with them (hot, hot, hot with a little humid thrown in), we were rain-out.  Instead, I decided to hand-pick the Curve and Railroaders Museum from the Jar of Fun as it was one of the few indoor (and open) activities still in play this summer. 

We grabbed lunch at the famed Hungry Howie's Pizza, made famous by the many times we've heard the Shaffer family talk about it, on our way out to the Curve, huffed and puffed our way up the stairs, watched some trains, and ate.  When the kids had their fill of trains (and pizza), we walked back down the steps to check out the small museum at the base of the funicular car... nothing too exciting here, though there was this great picture of the Curve that I really liked: taken on the 100th anniversary of the Curve back in 1954. In the picture, which required weeks of preparation, "6,000 synchronized flashbulbs took what must be the most elaborate nighttime railroad shot ever." 

After a quick pass through the museum, the kids did manage to squeeze in one ride on the funicular... I love that word (which is why I keep writing it) even though I don't call it that while we're there.  I call it an incline; it's not as good as one of the Pittsburgh inclines or even the Johnstown incline, but it's all the kids have known.  On the ride up, another passenger let us know that he had just seen a train along the tracks in Cresson and sure enough, as we were getting off the funicular, you could hear it beginning the decent down the mountain.

Before making a second trek down the steps, we took a few pictures and I especially love this one of me and the kids!  Even now, when I look at this picture, two things immediately come to mind.  First, I wish the sun were out.  I hate dreary days and Wednesday was about as dreary as they come.  Second, I was thinking this place will be beautiful in the fall... the only time I've been down in the fall, Matt was just a baby and I stayed in the car with him while it RAINED like nobody's business... ironically, we were with Schaffer's that day too!

After the Curve, we spent some time at the Railroaders Memorial Museum - a place I don't really recommend for younger kids.  Aside from a community room with several train tables, wooden track and every imaginable Thomas the Tank friend, there are very few interactive things for the younger set.  Just lots of history, lots to look at, and lots to read.  All that adds up to lots of reasons not to go back for a few years.  The Curve on the other hand, I'd have no problem going back to or taking the kids to.  Everyone loves to watch the trains and as an adult, I appreciate the Curve in a way the kids don't.

Amtrak's Pennsylvanian runs between New York and Pittsburgh once each day (via Philadelphia) and is the only regularly scheduled passenger train to go through the Horseshoe Curve.  If I am reading the train schedule correctly, we could board the train in Johnstown and ride to Altoona, taking us through the Curve.  The trip lasts for just under an hour and would cost less than $10 per person.  I have a feeling we'll have to do this one of these days... maybe in the fall!!! 

Greenwood Furnace State Park

Not long ago, a friend asked where I would go and what I would do if I could get away, anywhere, for a few days.  I immediately thought of the beach... I spent a lot of time at the beach when I was young and have such great memories of trips with family or friends over the years.  I imagined watching the sun rise during morning walks along the beach; I imagined reading books by the ocean; I imagined strolls along the boardwalk at night... what I clearly did not imagine in this scenario were two little people!

And while I am not complaining, I do in fact have two little people who seem to dictate how my life works these days...

I miss the beach, especially in the summer, and am just a little jealous every time a friend gets back from a beach vacation. I am salivating just thinking about our big group trip to the Outer Banks next June!  Until then, we'll try to make do with what we have here in Central PA, and that includes several nice state parks with beach areas along the lake.  Our latest destination: Greenwood Furnace State Park.

For all the years we've lived in Centre County, this is the first summer we've been to Greenwood Furnace (though we've been to Bald Eagle State Park and Whipple Dam plenty).  When a friend pointed out that it had the best bathroom facilities around, we deemed it worth checking out. 

I don't think you ever realize how important a good beach bathroom is until you take your child into the not quite (but pretty darn close to it) outhouse out at Whipple Dam. Where you walk uphill through the woods only to be overwhelmed by the stench of it before you've gotten within 50 feet of the place.  Greenwood Furnace's facilities are pretty good - only steps away from the beach, complete with water fountain, flushing (smell-free) potties, and hot showers.  It's only 15 or so extra minutes past Whipple and is totally worth the extra time in the car!!!

Emily, Cathy, Jaidon, Matt

Our friends Jaime, Jaidon, and Emily joined us on the beach, which was so great.  Emily is one of Cathy's favorite friends and I am always glad for the times when we can get the girls together.  And after seven months as a stay-at-home mom, I TOTALLY appreciate any and all adult conversation I can find! 

I keep getting reminded to NOT say this out loud, or at least not to put it down in print, but I am just about ready for the summer to be over.  Not that I am eager to send my baby to kindergarten (I am certain I will be a basket case that day) or am welcoming the cooler weather of fall (although it's been a really hot summer, so maybe I am).  It's just that I am becoming more and more aware with each passing day that while this summer has been a gift and I am having great fun with the kids, I'm just not cut out for this.  I am tired.  I lose my patience easily.  I have grown weary of the volume of laundry that comes from almost daily beach or pool outings. 

But... back to the beach.

Greenwood Furnace is great for what it is.  In our two visits, its never been crowded, even on the 4th of July with my brother Bob and his family.  It has nice picnic facilities.  The water is relatively clean (and cold) for a tiny lake.  It has a fun playground at the far end of the beach.  The kids can chase the little tadpoles that swim near the shore line for hours (happily without catching any of them) and build castles in the sand.  And most importantly, we can easily pass a summer's day here.

It's funny... it took the kids a good two or three hours before the playground hit their radar, but once it did, there was no place else they wanted to be.  Matt is becoming such a skilled monkey-bar climber, swinging across over and over again - stopping for pictures whenever the mood struck. 

The girls, meanwhile, had the most fun sliding down the slide together and swinging side-by-side.  I especially enjoyed Emily's lessons to Cathy on how to move her legs in order to swing all by herself... unfortunately, the lesson didn't stick and I pushed the whole time. 

I can't wait to see it in the fall!

As I sat on the beach looking out over the trees that surround the lake, I decided that if I am still unemployed come October, this is where you will find me.  I love fall with all it's changing colors and cooler temperatures.  It's my favorite time of year for running or hiking in the woods.  And soon, I think it will be my favorite time to grab a beach chair after I put the kids on the school bus and read quietly for a few hours (please feel free to comment away if you have any suggestions for my beach reading list)... a small part of that fantasy trip to the ocean, right here in Central PA.

By the way, if you decide to spend some time here, I have just one request: Please keep the beach clean... My summer oasis is no place for your bloated swim diapers!