summer vacation

You know, after you graduate, summer still brings excitement, but its just not the same. Gone are the days of laziness, a reprieve from the demands of school. Instead work is year round. We go on vacations, but there is no more 3 months of down time!

Gwen doesn't really know the full joys of summer yet. She enjoys the warmer days and more outdoors time. She likes that they often break out water games at her school. But since she's not in elementary school yet, and goes to the same place for preschool as she goes for summer session, she doesn't have the full school year experience. That will change as she gets old and summer becomes a time for camp vs. the school year and homework. However, we're changing things up a little this summer to get a bit more of that feel to it.

Gwen's daycare lets you sign up for whatever summer session weeks you want, and they can be 3- or 5-day weeks. So, we decided to do a bunch of 3-day weeks, with Trav and I taking turns on who spend those extra 2 days with her. This past week Trav had off on Friday and he took her to the Brandywine Zoo for the first time.

Its smaller, but a nice place!

Lots of cats and other creatures to view, but the big draw on the day they went was a bird show... they even had this adorable, tiny owl!

Gwen's favorite was this bird that was raising money for the Audobon Society. You handed him the money, and he put it in the box!

I have some ideas of my own. The Lehigh Valley Zoo, up near my parent's is a place I've been dying to get back to; as well as Linvilla Orchards and Longwood Gardens. Auntie Ro also has every other Friday off, so I'm sure we'll be heading over there once or twice.

Gwen doesn't know what's ahead this summer, but I'm really looking forward to enjoying and experiencing it all with her!