...don't you wish you could go back to those days! This year I actually DID have a summer vacation because I was on maternity for most of the summer. If I could go back to 4th grade I'd do it in a heart beat ;O) My mom, bless her soul, tried really hard to make summers interesting and desperately tried to occupy our time with something...anything...to keep us out of trouble. When you're a working mom, like my mom was, summers are just hard & stressful because you have to find something to keep your kids occupied during the hot, non-air conditioned, cramped, summer months so the kids won't kill each other and you don't wind up choking a child. But most of all you probably stress about keeping your kids out of trouble during the summer months. Some of the things that come to my mind from my childhood....
Summer Day Camp-this must have been so friggin expensive for my mom. I now appreciate her sacrifice. If I haven't said it before, THANKS MOM.
Trips to Peru-I get that this helped reduce mom's stress but who the heck wants to spend their summer in a cold country?? While it was a lot of fun to be there and be in a place where you could roam the streets with other kids and not have the fears that exist where you live in the inner city...but really it was no place to tan in July!
SIX FLAGS GREAT ADVENTURE-one of my favorite places on earth! The best times here were with cousins and aunts and have a full blown meal out of the trunk of my aunt's car stocked with rice and beans and pernil and spaghetti and a Peruvian fav....papa ala huancaina! Yes, this is how we rolled.
Pleasure Land-a long lost concept today, this was a public pool in Jersey & boy was it a fun place!
The Jersey Shore-the beach has always been a favorite for me and I plan to keep this tradition going with my own kiddos.
So now that Fall has arrived I'm compelled to document our summer vacation with the peanuts. I think it's my way of holding on to the warmth of summer as the weather in reality gets colder & colder around me.
Camila has clearly enjoyed the summer. I think she especially enjoys the fact that there's no need for shoes or socks!
As a kid, I went to a baseball game once. I think I was about 13 when I got to go to my first Mets game. This summer we took the girls to see the Mets & they got to meet my favorite big head, MR. MET!
And J took advantage of the batting cages to see if we have any small prodigies on our hands.
And I thought Val looked pretty cute in her batting helmet ;O)
This is probably not one of J's proudest moments (he's a Yankee fan in disguise) but it is certainly one of mine. It's such joyful moments like this that make me feel so lucky.
The Bronx Zoo
I think I went once as a kid to the Bronx Zoo. J has been wanting to take the girls for some time. So this year we did. The girls had a great time. Me, well not so much. I think much like folks in the Bronx, the animals were just way too hot to come out and entertain us. I'll give it another shot next year but if they don't straighten up their act we'll be going to Turtle Back Zoo in NJ.
The little hungry caterpillar. The girls love this book & it was fun to actually see one up close and personal. Thankfully it wasn't real :)
The highlight of the zoo, the merry-go-round. HUH?? I'll take it.
This is was some sort of zoo monorail. Not sure if it's just a contraption to keep the kids contained and get off your feet for a while or if it really is a way to see more animals. Here's what we saw....
Each other...
Some kind of ant eater??...the darn thing was moving too fast.
ELEPHANTS!...something we recognized.
Lion?...umm yes sounds good.
The 4th of July 2011
This is the first fireworks display we've attended...and this was Camila's first 4th of July. And she did so great and loved it!
Summer is truly for lounging...
Playing...
And lounging some more....
HAPPY BIRTHDAY AMERICA!
The Jersey Shore
Fist pump...or as Cati and Val say Piss pump!
With the Jersey Shore you can never go wrong...we ARE beach bums :)
And so are our cousins...
And favorite uncle Jeff!
And just bumming around....
So as not to forget their heritage we also celebrate the the 28th of July...Peruvian Independence Day.
Did I mention J hates the heat?...This is J hating the heat...and Camila too.
My littlest Peruvian Peanut!
The older peanuts deal with the heat a tad better...
Titi Ani loves the heat...little cousin David, maybe not but he's still hanging showing his Peruvian pride ala Elmo! ;O)
And as we wind down the summer...Pre-Season Football!! Due to the lockout we got to see our very favorite green team in Jersey this year as they prepared for the season.
Thank you JETS for provided some seriously FUN entertainment for the kids.
Big REX!
Revis on his island..
And our beloved cutie patootie...Mark Sanchez! Along with our recent acquisition Plaxico Burress.
What a great summer indeed. I'm thankful for these great summer days that I got to spend with my peanuts. Good-bye pretty dresses...and golden tans....
hellooooo Pre-K. YIKES!!
The girls didn't know they would be starting a new school this year. It was intimidating at first for them but mostly for me. It was not easy as an over protective mom to let my kids go into a new environment. I worry all the time. Will they be okay? Will they be scared? Will they need me? In the end I know they're ok. I have very independent, strong, and resilient little girls but they will always be my little peanuts and I will always worry no matter how reassuring a place may be.
My peanuts are growing up so fast....
And Camila enjoyed some quiet time at home. After a very busy summer it's nice to have a little alone time as we wait for big sisters to get out of school.
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