Today, the Smokers, our good old friends from Burnsville, dropped by for a visit! When they got to da 'Burgh, Britt asked Franco what the adventure happened to be for this day. To which we gleefully replied that they got to be today's adventure! How lucky for them -- and for us!!
We sat around on our deck and chatted. Some beer might have been drunk. It almost felt like old times, except we could not swim in the backyard. Also, despite the Smokers being present, no meat smoked in the smoker. Other than that, we did not skip a beat in our camaraderie and laughter. The kids enjoyed catching up, and we ordered pizza and wings and had a lovely evening.
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| It can be green, even in the city! |
June 27, 2017 -- Day 87:
Today, Franco skated and had a terrific lesson. Afterward, he played games in the game room with his buddies, which is always a highlight.
On the way home, I may or may not have been pulled over for speeding. But, I definitely did not get a ticket. So, there. The officer reminded me that, "We're always runnin' speed dahn here, so slow dahn." Given Franco's love of police-people, that was quite the highlight for him. Not so much for the rest of us. I did receive quite the lecture from Franco, so our adventures from there on certainly slowed, as you might say, dahn.
June 28, 2017 -- Day 88:
We headed to gymnastics class and then, because we are us, we booked it to Kennywood. It certainly made for quite the fun evening. We ate Potato Patch fries, rode the Log Jammer twice in a row without waiting in line, and ran from the Racer to the Jack Rabbit repeatedly before closing the park down. While we did not have exactly the same luck as regards to the crowds as the last time, we still got darn lucky in that department.
Our privilege does not escape us, and we truly appreciate our ability to enjoy the park as our playground.
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| Summer is the best.... |
Because we had such fun last week with Brad, Alyssa, and Ryan, we accepted their invite for a playdate at their house. Franco counted down all week on his calendar for this special day.
And it did not disappoint. The kids played hard for over four hours, and they had several Nerf guns, which officially put them at the top of the list! They had snacks, went outside and ate cherries, battled with various weapons, joined in some kind of tag, and basically all yelled at the top of their lungs to communicate. As they are want to do.
On the way home, Franco talked incessantly about all the cool toys he got to share and how much fun he had with his friends.
That is a good day.
June 30, 2017 -- Day 90:
I had to clean the house and get some things in order. So, Franco and Scott decided to take advantage of the rainy day and watch Cars 3, followed by a delicious lunch at BRGR. Later in the afternoon, I met them for a matinee of Wonder Woman, which turned out to be better than the hype and maybe the best movie I've seen all year. It kind of made everyone's day.
Franco and I walked around Charming Charlie for a while and picked out a bunch of sparkly gems for Auntie and me, and then the boys went home to do something other than that. I stayed at the mall and shopped before joining them at the homestead.
July 1, 2017 -- Day 91:
Auntie arrived in the afternoon to attend the best event of the year -- The Total Package Tour: New Kids on the Block, with Paula Abdul and Boyz II Men. Franco initially felt left out because, when Auntie and I made the plans, we never thought he would want in. (We invited Scott, who turned us down emphatically. Who woulda guessed?) I told Franco he could come to the next Total Package Tour, and he said he certainly would and we better not forget him. Alrighty then.
Anyway, before we headed downtown, we had dinner at Jose and Tony's. The food and atmosphere there is always a huge hit. Auntie and I went on our way, and Franco and Scott spent the evening playing the Wii and watching movies in a typical boys' night.
July 2, 2017 -- Day 92:
Auntie was around for a few days, so we all went to the Pirates game in the blazing hot sun. Sundays are kids' days, so Franco got to bounce on the inflatable obstacle course and stroll around for freebies. While getting a balloon sword, we happened upon Jesse, Brandi, and Franco's besties -- Ryan, Brad, and Alyssa. If we'd planned this meeting, it definitely would not have happened, making it extra fun! The kids battled each other with balloon swords for a long time before we went into the ballpark.
Although the sun felt merciless, we managed a great afternoon. The Buccos did well, right up until Tony Watson went into the game and we took our cue to vamoose. (Sorry, Tony. You are a really awesome guy and we are pulling for you, but you need to get it together if you think we are sitting in the 400 degree heat to watch you close it out.)
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| It's hot out here!!!!!! |
When we arrived in Lebo, we ordered food from Jade Grill, stuffed ourselves silly, played games, and watched Kennywood Memories until bedtime.
July 3, 2017 -- Day 93:
Auntie, Franco, and I planned a full day at -- you guessed it -- Kennywood! (Scotty P. planned a full day at -- wait for it -- work! Sorry, ol' Scotty P.) We got to the park around noon, with plans to stay until closing. Despite the upcoming holiday, it was not too crowded to enjoy all the things we hoped to do.
Having Auntie along made the day even more special and enjoyable than usual, and Franco loved showing her all the things he loves. Because Auntie and I have spent our lives growing up with/at Kennywood, it felt nice to see the next generation revel in the history and elation.
It did rain briefly and we sought shelter in the Penny Arcade. It's been maybe thirty years since I've been in there, and it turns out it's filled with the same old games I remember. It even has the old fortune-telling machines from the old days, and we played one for fun. The card we got could be described as "fun." Alternatively, it could be described as "creepy" and "too deep for a five-year-old."
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| I can't speak for anyone else, but I love crap like this. |
With all the years and numerous visits under our belts, on this occasion, we actually got to see a new area we've never seen before: the First Aid station. Due to an unfortunate decision to wave at Auntie from The Paratrooper with both hands, Franco banged his mouth on the metal bar, biting his lip and causing quite the bleed. (If you know nothing else about me, know this: I don't do blood.) He insisted on going to First Aid to make sure he could continue his evening unscathed, and I didn't disagree. Because, as you may or may not know, I don't do blood.
It turns out the First Aid is pretty nice and, after a bag of ice and a few kind words, we jaunted back into the park until the Independence Day fireworks were set to begin. (From the people gathered, you might think no one in Allegheny County had seen fireworks since, like, ever.) We made a choice to leave before the other million and a half folks, and still got to see the fireworks perfectly from our parking lot. So, win-win for us.
Once strapped in the car, Franco fell asleep almost immediately. He woke up once home to tell his dad all about his day, and we stayed up a bit before falling into bed, tired and happy.
July 4, 2017 -- Day 94:
Auntie left super early for a picnic and we all slept in super late. We had no real plans for the holiday because who puts a holiday square in the middle of the week? Someone should talk to someone about that timing.
In the afternoon, we did go swimming for a bit, then made hot dogs and corn on the cob. We discovered that we could not see the Lebo fireworks from our porch, so we just soothed poor Emma on this not-dog-friendly holiday and snoozed.
July 5, 2017 -- Day 95:
Franco enjoyed his gymnastics class and then we both enjoyed a lovely afternoon nap. Once we awoke, Scott and Franco decided to make pizzas and watch movies. Franco managed to play some sorts of battles with his dad, which made him happy.
It might not have been the grandest day, but sometimes even the best of us need a respite.
July 6, 2017 -- Day 96:
Today, Franco decided he wanted a lazy day at home, and I could see no reason to object. He played Legos, sold insurance (that's a thing around here) and made a huuuuuuge mess all around the house.
Being a kid is cool.
***To Be Continued.......
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