Another (not quite as) Big Blow Out Summer Vacation

School starts on Monday. Thank God. Summer time was so much fun when I was a kid, but now I’m a grown up and it is…well,… it is still fun, but it is a lot of work too for the parents. I can totally relate to the mom’s who post pictures of themselves celebrating when their kids go back to school in the fall.

This summer was packed full of activities (and some drama) just as much as last year, but perhaps not quite as much. Ivy was a little more content to do nothing for stretches at a time and just play a video game on her iPad or watch cartoons. That made life a little easier for me. Still, I didn’t want too much idle time, so she got plugged in to several camps and VBS’s, as well as trips to the Museum, swimming pool, and a water park. Some of the highlights…

• SkyZone Trampoline – Romeo and Ivy spent a couple of hours jumping around like crazy people.
• Downtown Library – We got our cards and spent some time reading and playing games. Also rode a mechanical shark.
• Robot Camp at Museum – The very first week of summer was spent at HMNS at Robot Camp and learning how to program a robot.
• Impact VBS – As always, Impact Church had its 6 week VBS which is more like a summer camp. Fun and learning every single day from 9 to 12!
• Texas Oil Ranch – At the end of Impact’s VBS they took the kids to the Texas Oil Ranch for a day of fun.
• Splash Town Water Park – I took Romeo and Ivy to Wet-n-Wild mostly because I wanted to go! LOL! All 3 of us had a good time. 🙂
• Gymnastics classes – Classes continued as always Monday and Wednesday.
• Dog Show – Holly and Ivy spent a Saturday at a Dog Show in Houston.
• Rollerskating – We went skating more than once! Ivy is getting better and better each time. I’m getting worse.
• A Broadway show with Grandma! – The 2 ladies got to see “Wicked” at TUTS!

Sky Zone

Father’s Day at Dave & Busters

Fireworks downtown

Mom visits

FunPlex video

Swim classes – link to other blog of gold medal winner
gymnastic classes –

Landed a role on TV twice!
Two times this summer Ivy ended up on local news, although not in any starring role. Just as an extra in the background. We heard “Great Day Houston” was doing a live broadcast from the Summer Street Art Studios near our home, so we hustled over and placed ourselves in the crowd. We got to cheer and make noise as they had a little art contest and gave away some prizes. We walked away with 2 t-shirts and some sunglasses.

At the end of summer, though, we just happened to show up up at swim class at the same time as ABC13 arrived to do a story on Simone Manuel. The night before Simone had won a gold medal in Rio Summer Olympics, and it turns out she got her start in swimming right here at the Houston Swim Club where Ivy is taking classes. Ivy was on camera in the background as they interviewed staff such as the woman who actually taught her how to swim as a child. Later, we finished up swim class and, as it turns out, Ivy completed her class on the same day anniversary as her very first completion of a swim class several years earlier.

More Drama than a Telenovella

This summer we also saw some drama from our neighbors and friends, as well as the death of our own dog Fifi. First, Romeo (the boy across the street) and his momma moved away to Sante Fe, Texas. That kind of put a hole in some of our summer activity plans because many activities included Romeo (like going swimming or bike riding). Ivy was upset for awhile when she learned he was gone, but she didn’t have to stay upset for very long because Romeo and his Momma had to return in late July. The house they were staying in caught on fire and burned down! No one was hurt, but the damage was severe. So they had no choice but to return to their house here on Summer St.

Fifi’s death brought on some sadness in June. It was the first living creature Ivy has known fairly well that has died. She cried, of course, on the first day. Then continued to cry at random moments in the week or so ahead. We were even at Home Depot one afternoon when, for no apparent reason, she starts crying in the aisle. I asked what was up and she said it was about Fifi.

Ivy’s friend Karma also had some difficulties enter her life and impact our summer activities as well. I didn’t really know what was going on for quite awhile, but eventually we learned Karma’s mom landed in jail. In mid-August, we got the not-so-great news that Karma had moved away to Florida to stay with relatives. Will she be back? I hope so. But it may be awhile. 🙁

We ended the summer with a day-trip to Galveston and took along the Chihuahua. It was his first time to the ocean. He was not impressed! He didn’t care much for it at all.

Then we also went to the annual downtown Theater District Open House and checked out some of the shows and exhibits. We got an hour of Houston Orchestra, plus a sample of the show “Stomp”, and also a sample of the kids day camp at Alley Theater. Good stuff!