Week 3 Part 1 Cousins and More Cousins

Again intentions get the best of us.  Figured this would be the last post of vacation...not so.  I had forgotten how much we crammed in.

Day after DC, we met my friend Chelsea for a picnic lunch at our favorite stomping ground...Gillie Lake.  It is a short beautiful walk for us, as I promised Amelia we would lay low for a couple days after all the travel.

Amelia quickly remembered Chelsea and after our picnic we conjured up a campfire complete with pinecone hotdogs.  Chelsea is a teacher...she knows all about pretend.  She also shared some fantastic news ... pregnant with twins...couldn't be happier for her and her husband Jim. 

Next day a playdate with cousins Conor, Cal and Ciara.  Not sure why my kid was wearing pants...and black at that.

And 2 days later...more cousin fun at The Wild. This time with my brother's kids Abby and Dylan.

There has been a lot of hoopla surrounding this park.  I have wanted to go for the past couple years.  I was disappointed.  Maybe because I felt the animals weren't in the best surroundings...maybe due to the gash on one of the zebras legs...maybe because hundreds of people (including my kid) just tossing food didn't seem quite right to an animals diet (you could buy carrots for the giraffe and pellet food for others) and not a zoo attendant insight to keep an eye on things.  The Fort Rickey Children's Discovery Zoo was a much more rewarding and enjoyable experience a couple years back..that post is here.

Regardless...Amelia had a great time..although quite concerned about the zebra cut. 

On the 4th ... cousins came together at my niece Kate's house for some summer craziness...

All was fun and games until someone grabbed a pail.

"Of course you know this means war."  - bugs bunny.  The fun kind of war of course.

I am pretty sure everyone would agree...Olivia might have lost a battle ... but certainly won the war...and little did anyone know the war wasn't over.

Until they all wanted to show off their driving skills....

and bother the Uncles and Aunts (cousins to Amelia).

All as Captain Cole watched...and learned.

If some of the older cousins didn't come back with Amelia in the car that night,  it would have been nearly impossible to get Amelia out of there...it was that much fun.  

Kate...need to make this an annual practice...your place...4th of July.  It is on my calendar.

Next...the final chapter of this summer vaca.