A visit to the Fravil Family Farm

Our last tip of the summer took us to New York to visit my parents. I was also able to visit with my friend Patrick and my friend Jill whom I have not seen in many years. It was a wonderful few days despite being sick. Paige finally got to go fishing, something she has been asking to do all summer. She and my mom caught three fish, Scott and I each caught one, and Patrick did not catch any. Mom offered him her lucky pole, but he refused. I guess he'll have to come back and try again.

We spent a day at the New York State Fair. Hillary Clinton was there the same day, but we did not see her. It was very crowded though. Paige enjoyed the 4-H building the most where they had lots of crafts and activities for the kids. It was like a stroll down memory lane since I worked in the 4-H building when I was a teen.

A fun time was had by all and Paige was crying when we left because she wanted to stay. Hopefully we can get in another trip in the fall and make it back to Cooperstown to see my grandfather.

Summer is now at an end and Paige will start preschool on September 8th. She is excited to be going back. We have been stopping in at her school and talking to her teacher. Paige has been practicing writing her letters and is doing really well. The only letter she has trouble with is "S". She can write both her first and last names as well as spell mom, dad, and mei mei without help.

Below are some pictures of our trip. I hope everyone has a great holiday weekend!

Amy

Grandpa, Paige, and Grandma

Scott, Patrick, Paige, and grandma fishing
Grandma and Paige with the first fish they caught. Paige would not touch it.
Paige and Patrick fooling around

Three years ago today

Enjoy this clip from August 15, 2005, the moment Paige was handed to us and we became a family.

Camping - the easy way

Last weekend we went "Camping". No we did not sleep in tents in the woods or even stray too far from civilization, but it was great fun. We went with other families with children from China to a local YMCA camp. Paige kept referring to our accommodations as the "hotel". It was actually a dormitory style building with shared bathrooms and a big common room. We took our meals in the large mess hall a short walk away. We arrived Friday night, got our beds made, and went exploring a little. We were rewarded with a beautiful view of a calm lake and a very colorful hot air balloon just over the trees. After a few crafts, get to know you games, and a review of camp rules we turned in for the night. At 5:30 am the next morning a little voice asks "Mom is it time to get up yet?". Some one was very excited about camp. When I finally answered that it was time to get up (6:45am), we got showered and dressed and headed for breakfast. After a wonderful meal we headed for the Zip line. I'll be honest and say both Scott and I were a bit disappointed. It was a great setup, but it was over too quick. We did get to go twice however.

Next we returned to main camp to do tie dye shirts. Paige did one for her and a onsie for Mei Mei. I did the rubber bands and Paige did the dipping. You can see our results below. After removing our gloves we had a quick lunch before participating in a kiddie carnival with water balloon toss, face painting, obstacle course, and pony rides. Paige did not want to ride the pony, but did all the other games.

After playing around we were ready to go change into our swimsuits and head for he beach. After a quick dip we took a canoe out on the lake. This was Paige's first Canoe trip and she loved it! She did a good job sitting still int he bottom of the boat while Scott and I paddled. Hopefully I can take her out again soon. Our boat ride was cut short as rain moved in. We were supposed to have a campfire after dinner, but it got rained out. Instead they built a fire in the fire place and we sang songs and roasted marshmallows that way. We danced off the S'mores doing various group line dances. Paige had a great time even though she missed most of the steps.

After our experience maybe next summer we'll try to rent a cabin for a few nights and go a bit more rustic with our camping. I don't think you'll ever get us to tent camp so we'll just have to enjoy our nature by day and a comfy bed by night.

Amy

Our room

Lake view with hot air balloon
Tie dye
Scott on the zip line
Amy on the zip line

Dragon Boats and Broken Dishes

It's been an eventful weekend here! Saturday Paige and I went to a picnic sponsored by our local FCC (Families with Children from China). There were fun games, face painting and relay races. One of Paige's favorites was fishing with your feet. It was a large tub of water with bubbles on top. The kids had to sit in a chair, put their feet in, locate a ball, and pick it up with their feet. Paige though it was a blast! I can see that it will be a new one for bath time. We had a wonderful time catching up with old friends and making new ones. Scott meanwhile came home to a mess. One of our kitchen cabinets fell off the wall breaking plates and glasses all over the counter and the floor. He had the floor cleaned up before Paige and I got home and when I came home we finished rescuing and washing what was left. What a mess!! The insurance man will come sometime this week then we'll have to get estimates for getting a new cabinet as the old one was in pieces on the floor. Fun fun fun!

That's all from here. I hope everyone is enjoying their summer.

Amy

Moving marbles with chopsticks

Blowing the "Dragon Boats"

Racing Dragon
Swinging my friend

The mess we came home to.