Saturday at the County Fair

Today we let Simone suggest what we should do and out of nowhere she said, "I really want to go to a fair."  She wasn't even sure exactly what a fair was, but she wanted to find out.  So to the internet we went, and learned that Prince William County was having the last day of its annual fair (supposedly the largest in Virginia). In no time we were off to the fair!

Needless to say, after a short while looking at all the farm animals, we spent most of the day riding the rides.  

Simone went on this drop-tower ride without a second thought, not totally realizing what was going to happen.  She loved the climb to the top, but turned as white as a ghost on the drop down.  She said it hurt her belly, and that was the end of that ride for the day.  We were proud of her for trying it, because you'd never get me on it! She told me if I went on this ride, it would make me throw up! lol!

Tony pondering the universe.

And that's it.  We shared a funnel cake and then went to dinner at restaurant where not everything was deep fried on a stick.  It was a nice way to spend the day. And we were happy to introduce Simone to a piece of Americana -- her first county fair.

A Late Summer Adventure

A quick post from this past weekend.  Two of Simone's cousins came to our house for a short visit, and the three of them spent Saturday afternoon on an adventure with daddy and Pop.  

First they obtained proper walking sticks from the forest and then went on a rock climb down along the Potomac River.

Also took  a ride across Harper's Ferry.

Ended the day with a short swim.  

It wasn't the hottest day for swimming, so all three of them were shivering by the time they got out of the pool.

Disney Dreaming...

This summer we decided to spice up our disney vacation with a short sail on the Disney Dream.  It was nothing short of awesome, and all of us loved it.  Simone reports that her favorite parts were the kids club and building a sand castle on the beach in Castaway Cay.

This was our stateroom.  The virtual port hole was pretty neat -- it let us see everything and entertained us with surprise character appearances.

OK, I lied.  Simone's real favorite was riding the Aqua Duck water coaster on board.  It was one of the first things we did before the line got really really long. 

 Here's a peek inside the kids' club.  Simone spent the better part of one full day here all by herself.  She LOVED it-- we had to coax her to come out.  Mommy and daddy barely knew what to do on our own.

The Animator's Palate dining room, where we ate on the first night, was super cool. Crush from Finding Nemo made a special appearance at our table to talk to the girls.

Tony in the main atrium, styled on Beauty and the Beast Castle.  Very impressive.

All dressed up for pirate night.  The evening ended with a fireworks display at sea.  Way cool.

Mommy and daddy took the opportunity to dine in the adult only Palo restaurant.  It was scrumptious, relaxing, and had a KILLER view of the sea as we sailed. 

On Castaway Cay, posing with Donald...

...and of course, Mickey was there too. 

Simone's masterpiece castle.  She built it all by herself and even added the flower.

We took a great bike ride around the island.

 We then followed up the cruise with four days at Disney World.  In addition to all the usual rides and events, this time we checked out the Fantasmic show at Disney Studios; explored the new Fantasyland; ate at the new Be Our Guest Restaurant (which I do not recommend); and enjoyed a very nice tea party at the Grand Floridian during an afternoon thunderstorm.

So there you have it in a nutshell.  We got back to home sweet home on Friday to this crazy heat wave.  Who knew the week was actually cooler in Orlando! We spent the day at a local waterpark which was a nice way to unwind from vacation.  We can't wait to have some more summer adventures.

Kindergarten Graduation

Well, there is simply no way to be ready for this.... Simone is on her way to FIRST GRADE!!!  Today we went to her kindergarten graduation-- a truly bitter sweet event.  As daddy puts it, it was the biggest thing to happen to Simone since she was born, and the biggest reminder yet that she's not a baby anymore.  She was ecstatic about performing all of her songs, accepting her diploma, and of course eating the graduation cake!

 The ceremony was so sweet.  They processed in, pledged allegiance to the flag, sat quietly while the Director gave some remarks, performed a whopping seven songs (impressive), received their diplomas, and posed for what seemed like endless pictures.  Simone felt so special, and we were so proud to watch our little angel reach this milestone.

Some of the artwork in Simone's classroom.... 

After the graduation, we drove over to Simone's new elementary school and registered for first grade.  She got to see the big new building, and peek into the classrooms and the library.  She says her favorite parts of first grade will be the cafeteria and recess!  For now, we'll enjoy the summer break before we all start adjusting to elementary school.  WOW, what a day!!!