And it's like the fog has lifted...

So, this past weekend I headed back to PA to see my dear friend Amanda, who was visiting home from Texas. Amanda's family has a huge shindig every July in which they roast a pig and invite everyone in the tri-county area up to the farm. It's great fun and much delicious food is consumed.

This year, we set off some luminaries. Think that scene in Tangled where the whole kingdom sets off lanterns for the lost princess and the soaring notes of "At Last I See the Light" (the song which clearly should have won the Oscar last year) emanate from the screen as I cry uncontrollably and try to shield my face from my little niece so as not to scar her.

You know, like this. Rapunzel and Eugene 4eva!

These luminaries were a little less "Tangled lantern" and more "Pope's hat." But still very cool. Check it:

Amanda had to whip the luminary around to fill it up with air.

At this point I'm just praying it doesn't go up like a Roman candle.

Pope's hat, about to launch.

Up, up, and away...

They're very cool because once they fill up with air and the air heats up, they just lift off your hands...

This green luminary gave us a bit of trouble. It lit and took off fine, but then things got complicated. It started to lose altitude, like Carl's house when he and Russell sailed into the storm (what is with my Disney Pixar references today?) and came down on Amanda's parents' roof. Then it scraped, flame-side down, along the roof like Russell across the windshield of Charles Muntz's zeppelin, and up over the top and down the other side of the roof.

Imagine this portly child is a flaming luminary.

I'd have taken a photo, but my mouth was agape and I could only think "I can't believe we burned down Amanda's parents house." All the kids screamed and ran around the other side of the house. Amanda, Gena, and I took the shortcut, in the back door and out the front. Amanda chased the lantern as it floated into the trees and down into the clover field. I just stood on the porch and thought "I can't believe we burned down Amanda's parents farm." Just before it could ignite the greenery, I guess it got enough hot air to lift off, because it took flight as the kids squealed in delight and we sighed in relief.

Can't wait to do it again.

"Little more than half a day's journey. Yes, I call it a very easy distance."

And we're off! For the next nine days I will be visiting my dear aunt and uncle and cousin, and indulging in indolence and delight and sunning and swimming. Jen is driving. Maggie is sleeping. Jules has her bubble gum, swim floaties, and Dora the Explorer doll and she is all set to go.

I write to you from the PA Turnpike while listening to a song with the lyrics, "Take a right at my parents' house on 869, goin' straight on to Bedford till you start seeing signs for the Pennsylvania Turnpike, then you'll know what to do. And once you're out on the highway it's all up to you."

Indeed.

Idlewild

Well, I survived Idlewild. I survived it by shotgunning 143 ounces of liquids and dunking my head in the Storybook Forest water fountain, but I did indeed survive.


We started out in Storybook Forest, where Jules and I did our award winning impersonation of the Raggedy siblings.


Julia quickly decided that, fence or no fence, she was going to see that ceramic mouse up close.



Until Aunt Missy intervened and explained the importance of barriers...


...which Julia immediately forgot when we entered Little Red Riding Hood's grandmother's house, and she slipped under the chain and ran right up to feel the wolf's fangs.


She was a little frustrated when she couldn't pull Excalibur out of the stone, and I remember being incensed about that myself about three decades ago. *Note the "pirate's booty" she scored on the Good Ship Lollipop.


Hugs from a little pumpkin in the Big Pumpkin.


She had lots of fun climbing on the big blocks and jumping off of them.


Then we headed to the rides section where she wanted to ride "The Spiderman" with me. She admitted that she was scared, but she bravely rode it and we spun and spun and spun.


Riding the balloons with Mommy...


...and the big slide with Aunt Missy.


She loves the paratroopers...


...but not as much as the cotton candy.


After swimming for 5 hours (she loved the wave pool, BTW), we came back to her favorite ride:



Then Aunt Missy decided she was big enough to try the Rollo Coaster.



To my surprise, she came off the ride with a huge smile and immediately ran back to get in line again.



This is her pulling the reins to make her horse Maximus* slow down.

*See Tangled. No, really, see it. It's awesome.


After all the rides shut down, Jules squeezed in a whack-a-mole game and Aunt Missy won her a teddy bear.



And then, of course, we made a pressed penny.


Fun, fun, fun.

La dolce vita

Made possible by the cuteness of my niece and the hospitality of my aunt and uncle.

And I'm off!

I've decided to embrace summer, so I'm headed here:


...for a very awesome, very lazy, very long weekend. Later taters.

Spent 12 hours in the pool today...

Aunt Linda tells me that's a new record.