Ricketts Glen

Well, each time we go to Ricketts Glen for family camping, we get clobbered by rain. So, outthinking Mother Nature, we waited for the rain to fall before departing for the Poconos.  Our timing, as you can see, was good.  After we got home, Audrey announced "I like camping because we can be free."  Amen, sister.

Tristan on our hile to the lake beach.  Way to cold to swim.

Mommy returns from her 14 mile mountain run.  Audrey runs to fetch Gatorade.

Make way for little ducks.  The kids fed them, of course.

Fire.  Primal.  And toasty.

Audrey weaponizes nature.  Pass the conch, Piggy.

Mmmmm.  Piggy.

 

I like to get up early.  This is why.

And this.  Bambi's mother was nearby.  Spoiler alert...it doesn't end well.

Pancakes (not venison)

 

Harry Potter Weekend

It was a lovely fall day, and Hurricane Sandy is still well over the horizon, so what better way to spend the day than at Chestnut Hill's annual Harry Potter festival.  It was a little bit like an outdoor Con, with enthusiastic kids, goofy college students, and parents who were just a little bit too much into it.

Audrey looks very cool walking down Gravers Lane with her Muggle Posse Tristan. As fate would have it, she chose to be Hermione for Halloween this year, so she got double use out of her Hogwarts robes.

Dumbledore and Neville oversaw Audrey's sorting into Ravenclaw.  We all sort of knew.  Anyhow, the Sorting Hat sounded suspiciously like Neville.

I don't know who this kid was, but he was easily the most badass wizard out there.

The Pixar Lamp

Here's a little film Tristan and I made while Audrey was away on a playdate. The lamp is an homage to Pixar, of course. I think the omnipresent Zhu Zhu pet is supposed to be a tip of the hat to John Ratzenberger.

Knocked Over!

So we're at the Renaissance Faire today, and Tristan decides he wants to try his hand at tilting.  So he gets on this ride that's like a big ol' zipline horse, aiming a wooden lance at a ring hanging from a wooden dragon target.  Tristan misses the ring but demolishes the target.  Then the impact causes a ricochet, and the little guy gets a lance to the side of the head.  Some ice and a trip to the First Aide tent later, and he was still kinda grumpy.  Then he got stung by a bee.  Poor guy.  But then I told him that he took out a carnival attraction, just like Gru did in "Despicable Me," his favorite movie.  Much better now.

Knocked over!

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Fortunately, they did not practice Renaissance medicine in the First Aid tent.  Except for the leeches.

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What can happen when you turn the TV off

A hike in Valley Green

Tristan's Movie Preview

Tristan offers a look at upcoming films from Pixar in his inimitable style.

Puddle Jumping for the Win!