The kids and I joined Dad and Bethany up at Parker Dam State Park Friday afternoon. Mom drove back to the house to try to get the Potato cat back inside….which ended up taking until the next morning. She and Tom and Granddad were out trying to call him, corral him, and catch him until they gave up at nighttime. Of course he decided when to return and simply meowed at the front door to be let in on Saturday morning.
Up at camp we went to beach. Friday was unbelievabley hot! I think it topped 100F! The water in the lake felt great. Parker Dam creates a nice little lake where the park service has built a beach with a swimming area, an nice playground, and a little store for snacks. We brought a ton of junk and set up for the day with two umbrellas, mats, blow up toys, and even my little boat. It was a blast. Zoe had so much fun swimming in the water, playing in the sand, wrecking Grandpa Joe’s castles, and hiding under the raft with Aunt Bethany. Avi was a hoot, too. He loves to crawl around in the surf area and then launch himself into the water. Got to be careful with him or he’ll just leap in! Then he swims and swims like a little frog – kicking both legs at once – and splashes and puts his face in. So happy and goofy. Like Zoe, he also likes to destroy any sand creations. His technicque is to crawl up and sit on the castle, though, instead of Zoe’s run-through-it style. We were there for a few hours until hunger got the best of us so we headed back to camp.
At mom and dads camper we got dinner ready….they eat way fancier than Bryan and I typically do. We’re used to ramen noodles and dried potatoes. Grandpa Joe and Nan create steaks and grilled veggies! After that it’s marshmallows on the fire….yep we still had a fire even though it was super hot. Once the sun set it actually cooled off a good deal and sprinkle rained a bit. Avi, Zoe and I slept quite comfortably in our tent. In fact it got chilly enough for me to use the fleece blanket over our sheet – with the fly on!
On Saturday we mostly hung out near the camp before loading the kids into the bike trailer for a bike ride around the park. We went around the lake and over to the cabin area. It was fun. The afternoon found us back at the beach with mom. Potato had finally surfaced! This time Zoe didn’t want her swim suit on, so she just played in the sand and seemed content with that. Avi on the other hand wanted in the water! NOW! He crawls right in and keeps going. Our evening adventure was participating in a birding demo and learning about intelligent crows…I guess they are kind of cool. The night was also cool so I took the fly off the tent for Avi and I. Zoe elected to sleep in the camper with Nan, so the little man and I had some space. He does great in the tent. The best part is that in the morning he just wakes and minds his own business while I get a bit more sleep. He messes around with the headlamps and plays with the camping junk. This morning he took all the wipes out of the contanier – so thats what woke me up. Moisture.
Sunday morning mom and I took the kids on a short hike while Dad and Bethany packed up. The kids took a nice nap in the car on the way home where we showered and then got in the pool briefly. The big event for the evening was taking Granddad out for his birthday dinner!