Saturday, July 11, 2009

vacation days


The past three years we've had this amazing hook-up with a free beach-front condo. The kids keep asking when we're going and I miss the ocean so much I can smell it. It seems that planning our own vacation isn't in the cards or the budget. But it's summer and there are lots of adventures to discover right around us. So we take one day a week and we take our own little vacations. Today, for the first time ever we went to Lake Winnie, our town's very own amusement park. I'd never gone before because amusement parks weird me out a little. I think that scene from Pinocchio left me jaded as a kid. You know, the scene where all the gaudy, over-stimulation goes awry and suddenly all the boys are donkeys. Anyway,when I was little, my mom used to occasionally take us to Clementon Park in New Jersey. I remember all the lights and sparkly plastic, the smell of chlorine and funnel cake, those were heavenly summer nights. So we went and the kids loved it and we enjoyed watching them take it all in. I loved sitting with my boy watching his eyes grow wide as our cart crested the peak of the ferris wheel just as the sun was going down. Ella informed me at the end of the evening that she would like to live there.





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2 comments:

Susan said...

How fun! I remember as a little girl Aunt Ruby and Uncle Ralph took me to the zoo, and to a little amusement park that had a carousel and little ferris wheel. It is so magical when you're little. But, the monkeys kind of ruined it for me - :-)! Glad to see these fun times you all are having - and I think spreading out your time is a great idea - extending the fun! Love, Mimi

P.S. if you do go the Knoxville zoo - I'd love to go!

anna j said...

Considering the depth and wisdom of your blog, I feel a bit shallow saying this, but I just have to tell you how cheery and delightful the color scheme is for this last post: the combination of cheery children's faces, lovely summer dresses, and the background shade of your blog just brightened my spirits . . . and reminded me how much I miss you!