We have been home for a week now after some major living it up, with TWO weeks worth of vacationing. Since our return, we are trying to adjust to life back home in the city which hasn't been too difficult because we have been staying busy with several visits to the pool, different playground excursions and even a special trip with Kathryn to an arboretum out in the 'burbs which has a special exhibit of 17 tree houses. It turned out to be a hot day in the sun but beyond fun.
So about our vacations, the first week we drove up to the Pocono Mountains and shared a place with my brother, his dear wife, and their three fabulous children. What a pleasure it was to spend some real quality time with them! The rest of our immediate and extended family stayed in two other places, and we would get together with them for a few hikes and every night for dinner. One day, Bryan took Victor white water canoeing with the rest of the family. It seemed to be a nice bonding thing for the two of them to have a little adventure together, without mommy and baby brother.
What a ball the boys had all week playing with their cousins! They kept busy outside exploring and finding creatures, absorbed in their own little worlds. I'll tell you, it was a glorious sight to behold.
As refreshing and fun it was to get away from out normal lives, there was not a whole lot of sitting back, unwinding on my part. No, not much of that at all, not with a new toddler on the loose, whose curious fingers must grab at everything at record speed. The boy is on a mission to examine everything in his sight every waking second, and in the process, he can create some dangerous situations for himself and the people and/or things around him. Thank goodness, our "destroyer baby" is still on two naps a day. I think there is still some sanity in me because of them.
Victor, on the other hand, was not much trouble at all, in fact, he was a purely delightful child almost the entire time we were away. As long as he has some food in his tummy and enough sleep under his belt, he was good to go, with bursting enthusiasm for the natural world around him. I can't get over how outrageously imaginative and inquisitive he is. He was determined to have fun with his cousins every chance he could. When he wasn't off in the woods earnestly trying to find some interesting creatures, or really any creatures at all, to put in his "bug habitat", he was sitting down, quietly cutting out something or coloring. I was so proud of him.
Our visit to Michigan was as lovely as it always is. We had the most amazing sunny weather, did lots of swimming and boating, and eating tons of delicious food that my sister-in-law, Betsy, prepared for us. She is an amazing cook.
Their beautiful home is located right on Lake Michigan, so they have their own private little beach, along with a woodsy section in the back, a gorgeous garden, a trampoline, a hammock, different types of swings (even a baby one for Ivan), and a tree house. So, yeah, it was basically a week of heaven for us. And this year was extra exciting because my sister-in-law and her husband just adopted three siblings from Russia. We happily welcome Peter, who is 8, Madeline, 7, and Amelia, 5, into the family. They are such great kids, full of exuberance and goofiness, making them oh, so fun to be around! Victor and Ivan especially enjoyed having other children around to connect with.
I will be posting photos of them and other summer vacation photos in the next day or two.
For now, I must sleep...
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