At the Top of the To Do List
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Summer is almost over. I can't even begin to wrap my brain around that fact, which is good because thinking about it makes me a little sad.
For the first 3 years of her life, Alexis had it good. We routinely visited some of Pittsburgh's best places to be . . . places like the Children's Museum, the Zoo, Phipps Conservatory, the Carnegie Museums, etc. But then we bought a new house, a beat-up foreclosure to be exact, and it all came to a crashing halt. Gone were the free weekends. They had been filled with long lists of things that needed to be done, and wallets had to be closed as we sought to pay for those projects.
As we near the end of Alexis' fourth summer, there is one place that we haven't visited for a while, and it is a travesty. Kennywood. When last Alexis visited Kennywood, she was a toddling little monster who was scared of most of the rides. In her place we now have a thrill-seeking, roller coaster-loving little beast who would love nothing more than to ride every single thing in the place.
2007--The Last Time We Visited Kennywood
Alexis knows what Kennywood is now. She's been told they have roller coasters. She wants to go. Soooooo bad. Every single time a commercial for Kennywood comes on the radio, she starts with the begging. "Can we go to Kennywood today?" she'll ask. "Pleeeeeease?" she'll add.
It is the one thing I am going to make sure happens before the summer ends. Oh, yes, it will happen. Somehow, some way, we will wake up early one of these weekends, grab some bowls of cereal, and make the trek to Kennywood for the day.
Tell me the one thing you want to do before the summer ends in the comments and you could win a $100 Visa Gift Card, courtesy of the Mom's Breakfast Club. Official rules for the giveaway can be found over here, and you can find additional opportunities to win over there.
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Wednesday, August 11, 2010
Reader Comments (296)
We also have Kennywood on our To Do List! With the wedding closing in quick, I don't know if its gonna happen though : (
Fishing with grandpa. We're super late :(
We're hoping to make it to Kennywood, too. We took Emma last year, but she wasn't even walking yet, so we think she'd love it this year!
Spend one day relaxing in the sun (seriously, hasn't happened even once yet...)
Swimming at the BIG pool! The hubs and I have yet to take the kids, and we're running out of time b/c it closes after Labor Day! All summer I've cheated and just pull out their little swimming pool, which they both LOVE. But it's just not the same and *I* know the difference...
I'd like to make it to the beach one last time before the summer ends.
the zoo, definitely.
we let our membership expire last year.
i miss it.
I just want to get the flowerbeds in the backyard re-planted! Being in California, if I can get them planted, they'll still bloom well into "winter" if not until next spring!
I am hoping to get my back-to-school shopping done before the summer ends! (the girls' bts shopping, I guess.) We made it to Idlewild and Seven Springs and Erie, so otherwise, we're good!
I *just* want *one* day at the community pool before Labor Day. Laying on the beach towel in the sun, reading a good book, with the occasional dip in the water.
Have a picnic. I keep promising the kids but the weather has been a total suckfest. Either too hot or rainy. Keeping my fingers crossed for a nice weekend soon.
We have really crammed a lot into this summer. Mostly because we did NOTHING last summer but try to survive. We have done everything on our to do list except one. We will go to the county fair. One of our very favorite summer pasttimes. :)
Well, we have always ended every year with a trip to the beach just to relax and not worry about a thing. But being that I spent most of this summer in school, that really wasn't a reality. I thought we could still possibly get one in before the kiddo starts school again...but now a new plan is in the making. My family does an annual bbq, get together that I usually don't get to go to due to work. My grandparents work all year trying to get this thing together and getting the grandkids to come out at different times during the summer to help get the farm ready. It is such a great time to see everyone and since everyone in the family plays music, they added in the non-stop music (although usually gospel and bluegrass) fest to it. I have missed it every year so far, but this year during that same week my boss is closing the business down for a week for a forced vacation. So since I'm off of work for a week (with NO pay) I think we're going to skip the beach to spend some much needed time with the family. So, that is what I want to do this year...finally make it to an annual family/jamboree weekend and actually being in the pictures instead of only getting to look at them.
We have to find time to go camping before summer ends!!!
Hmm...let's see...we did the beach, fireworks, The Vacation of Yes, swimming lessons, slip'n'slideFest... I think we've hit all our biggies! Maybe one more Splash Day at home - Super Soakers, Slip'n'Slide, the pools, the sprinklers and maybe - MAYBE - I'll let my kids in on the secret that the Free Music Truck really sells ice cream (shout out to Look! Daddy for teaching me that trick).
We're hoping to make it fishing one time this year...normally we spend a lot of time at lakes, the river, making day trips. This year = 0. Hopefully just once.
And for breakfast on those trips...we usually stop at Cracker Barrell!
Kennywood is on the schedule for Labor Day...one last hoorah!
We were at the beach already- but in my perfect dream world, we would go for at least one more weekend. Doubt that will happen though! I would like to go to this indoor place filled with bouncy stuff called BounceU and also to a minor league baseball game yet this summer. Mostly, I just don't want summer to end :(
Kennywood was on our list as well! We took care of that a couple of weeks ago. For me? By the official end of summer (9/22) I'd like to GIVE BIRTH. ha
I would love to go the beach before the summer ends, but we went last year so that will have to tide us over for another year or two.
I did want to take my kid to her first Pirates game, and we are doing that for her birthday next weekend. Yes, I know the Pirates are pretty awful, but I really want my kid to experience PNC Park, which is beautiful, and get to run around the bases, something I never got to do as a kid.
We are going to Idlewild on Friday if the weather cooperates. Other than that, I would like to go swimming one more time.
Get to the zoo again...
I want one more day to lay out in the sun with my girlfriends with a fluffy drink...or a case of beer, whichever. :)
See you at the Brew at the Zoo this weekend!
Hit a beach! We've been so busy running around this summer that we've had NO lake/beach time -- and sadly, the older boy starts kindergarten in two weeks! :'(
Every year we pass this candy place, Gene and Boots on our way up to Farmington, PA. We have a Summer Bucket List that includes Gene and Boots for some sweets for lunch and then to Laurel Caverns for some cave dwelling.
Go camping! We got a pop-up, but every single weekend has been too busy for us to find time to go.
I'd like to take the kids to Erie for an overnight.
I would like to have a family and friends cookout. We try and do one every summer but it hasn't happened yet this year.
Hang out in dahntahn Pittsburgh for two days going to Podcamp!
I would like to go to Kennywood with my friends, and again with my neices.
I would really like a trip to the zoo, haven't been there since April 2009. But also, I really want to find more time to hit the trail and ride bikes down the river with my boyfriend. Last year he got frustruated with me because I was a chicken when riding my bike over a bridge, but this year I really want to show off my skills. Summer needs to slow down so I can have the chance!
we are going to see a movie on flagstaff. one more chance to make it!
Before the summer ends, I definitely want to hit up a farmers market! I know they have them around Pittsburgh in the fall, but something about fresh summer fruit has relaxation written all over it!
Splash Lagoon in Erie
I am hoping to go to the wave pool with my sister like we did when we were younger. We've been apart for about 6 years and now we are practically neighbors and it is great!
I've wanted to take a trip up the inclines since I moved here last year... it still hasn't happened. I'm determined to do it before it gets cold, though!
I want to go visit some wineries up towards Erie. And possibly drink the wine.
beach vacation... first time with the tot (who is two and a half). We leave Friday!
I would like to take Julia to phipps during my vacation this Sept. I have never been inside phipps either....
Students arrive tomorrow - so the fun will have to happen in the fall. We'll head to Cape May for a few days.
i really want to go to a water park before the summer ends. also paint the window frames before it starts raining nonstop again.
songyueyu at gmail
I am a teacher so my summer is officially over. The teachers started back yesterday. :( Our last-minute adventure was to head down to San Antonio for the weekend and go to Sea World. It was a blast!
annie@thepurcell.com
We'd love to head over to Idlewild...it is in our backyard and it's a shame we've been so busy that we can't take a day and head over.
Before summer ends, I want to make another trip to the used book store to get some more fabulous books!
We're hoping to drive up to the cool temperatures of Flagstaff yet this month. Every weekend, something comes up and we can't make it. Maybe this weekend will be the one...
At least one more beach visit!
One more swim in the pool for Dagny! Maybe even to blow up the little water play thing I bought her at the beginning of the summer and actually use it! This year!
I want to break 75 on 18 holes of golf this summer.
SeaWorld San Antonio! I bought tickets in April and it poured down rain. I've been meaning to take my 7 yr old since then and haven't been able to. We've got to go soon!
Allison Fuller
Summer fun at the beach is the plan for the family!
We just took a our kids on their first beach vacation. It was GREAT!!!:)