End of summer round-up!

Ellie's birthday signals the start of the end of summer. After her birthday we are bustling to get everything done that we wanted to. We made a big long list at the start of the summer and when I look at it now, we didn't actually do much on the list. Though we had plenty of fun!

Ellie's birthday was right before camping, and she waited patiently until we came home for cake and presents. This year's big hit was Legos!

One of the things that we did a lot of this summer was swimming. Everyone is old enough now that it was much easier than it has been in years past, and so we spent a lot of time at the pool.

Mad floating skillz

'Dis my sad face'

Another thing that wasn't on our list at the start of the summer was to go and see the space shuttle! We went while Jeff's parents were in town, and I think that everyone had a good day. Even if I also think that the boys collectively enjoyed it the most!

The kids were excited to see the space shuttle up close after they saw it fly over their school on it's final flight last year. Ever since then we've been talking about going to see it, and we finally did. It came as quite a surprise to me. Given the amount of technology and science and the sheer amount of money that goes into it, you kind of expect it to present itself well.... but it looks all beaten up and dilapidated and quite haphazard, frankly. We talked to one of the guides in the museum who had worked in the space program and he was a mine of information. I learned that the ratty looking white panels that are all over the top were made of quartz fibre - who knew that there was such a thing? Or that they could make such a thing? - and the haphazardly placed black heat shield tiles are made of spun silica - whipped sand, essentially. 

Adam read every single piece of information in there. He's turning into as much of a museum nerd as his Dad.

And even though it looks a little dilapidated, it was still a magnificent thing. I'm glad we went to see it!

While everyone else was looking at the space shuttle, Nicholas amused himself by running around all over the hangar... I particularly enjoyed this sequence of three pictures! Nicholas is the king of silly faces.

Growl for the camera

Smile for the camera!

Kiss for the camera!

And on the last weekend of the summer holidays Ellie was baptized, which was a perfect way to finish off our summer.  I was about to write something sweet about her, but right at this moment she is giving me lip about putting her homework away.... summer is definitely over!