tradition

It has become a last-day-of-school tradition for us to take the boys to the boardwalk to reward them for their hard work all year long. We are sometimes joined by their little cousins, who live nearby, but unfortunately this year the older cousin was sick. The weather forecast was gloomy at best, but since time was already blocked out and plans were already made, we took a chance and went anyway.

(Sorry about the cell phone pictures. After taking the camera out to the barn that morning, you would think that I would also take it to a prime picture-taking place like the boardwalk. You would think wrong, but I was happy I didn't have to lug it around along with everyone else's stuff -- the perils of being the only one with a purse.)

Wisely, my LSH suggested we go on the rides first. There was a stiff breeze and grey clouds to our southwest, so the place was empty. The two older boys and I were on the bumper cars by ourselves; all four of the boys went on the Twister alone, too. I could not believe that Terzo was tall enough to ride this ride and I spent the whole time yelling at him to hang onto to the lap bar. Of course, he was in his glory to be on a big kid ride.

But he also wanted to go on the little kid rides...

Another tradition: our last ride is always on the carousel.

After a scandalously-priced pizza, we went to the batting cages, where Primo sent the balls sailing. I should have been bringing him here all baseball season! Even Terzo got in on the action, and firmly refused (in that annoying pre-schooler shriek) all offers of help from LSH. He managed to hit about 1 in 4 softballs, much to his brothers' amazement and pride.

Too early...

Too late...

Just right.

The drops were starting to fall, and we debated whether we could fit in a round of miniature golf. The boys pleaded, and we gave in (tradition!). The course started outside and then went under cover. We got inside just as the heavens opened, but the 16th hole was now a water hazard as the start was outside -- we took turns dashing out into the rain, hitting the ball as quickly as possible, then running back under cover. Terzo was playing a modified game, most closing resembling the sport of curling: after the initial tee-off putt, he would use the putter to usher the ball along until it went into the hole.

Amazingly enough, just as we finished up, the rain stopped. Our finishing places, from 1st to 5th, mirrored our family's birth order. I made a hole in one on the first hole, impressing the heck out of my kids (which is becoming an increasingly rare feat). Despite this amazing, and quite frankly flukey, shot, my LSH beat me by one point. We finished up with funnel cake (tradition again!), and made our way home for the start of summer vacation.