More summer fun...

Unlike our other camping trips this summer….this weekend, the weather was absolutely perfect! We were so happy that we chose this particular weekend, because it just doesn’t get any better!

We spent the weekend down at the Jellystone Park in Fremont, Indiana. It was a fantastic campground!!! They had so many activities for the kids, and we hardly even got into most of them! We spent the afternoon on Friday at the water playground and pool. The water playground is absolutely perfect for the little ones and so much fun! The water was very cold, but it didn’t slow the kids down much! There were waterslides, a teeter-totter, lots of fountains/sprinklers, a carousel swing and water everywhere! The deepest part of the water playground was only about 18”, so it was perfect for even the littlest ones! We spent a good part of the day there again on Saturday, but we also tried out 3 of the 4 playgrounds, visited with Yogi Bear, Cindy and BooBoo, made a craft and went fishing. We hit the pool and water playground one more time this morning before we drove home. The kids had a blast and I highly recommend this campground to any of you that have kids and like to camp! Well worth the trip down there, although it’s only about 45 minutes from our house! I’m sure we’ll go back! The kids sure are tired after a hard weekend of playing!

Another fun thing that we did this week was to buy Marina a big girl bike! She has been wanting a bike “with two wheels” all summer, and we thought this would be a good time to get her one. We actually found a Disney Princess bike with Ariel Mermaid on it, and Marina was beyond thrilled! She got the hang of it very quickly and is already looking forward to the day that the training wheels come off! Maybe next summer!!

We leave on Friday for a week of vacation in Ohio with my family and we are all looking forward to it! The kids will have lots of opportunity to swim in either the pools or the lake, along with lots of other fun stuff. And of course, we’ll take Marina’s new bike with us and I’m sure she’ll put on lots of miles in just that week! Mike and I are hoping to get some golfing in too, since I haven’t been out at all yet this summer!

I thought it might be time for a little update on Alexander. He has officially been home 3 months today!!! He is nearly 32 inches tall and weighs about 26 ½ pounds. So, he has grown about an inch since coming home and gained about a pound. He continues to be an incredible sleeper….he goes to bed (without a sound!!!) around 8:30pm and wakes up around 7 or 7:30am. He also takes a 2-3 hour nap in the afternoon. He is a pretty good eater, although we experienced the same thing with him as we did with Marina. While in Russia, he would eat nearly everything we put in front of him, but has become a lot more picky in the past 3 months. He still does pretty well, though! His attachment/bonding to Mike and I has been very successful and happened very quickly. He recognizes us as mama and dada and will go to other people but prefers us, especially when tired or hurt. He is starting to talk more and more, and will try repeating many of the words we say to him. He says quite a few words that we understand, and will still use sign language for “eat.” He has a pretty laid back personality, but is just as strong-willed and independent as his sister. :O) It’s hard to believe that in just 2 months he will 2 years old! We are looking forward to a big celebration that day! What an incredible blessing he is!!!

So, that’s a bit about us! We are all doing well and staying healthy! And of course, enjoying the summer! In just a few weeks Marina will begin preschool, and I just don’t feel ready for that! Can that really be possible? She will be in a 3 year old class this year, and will go on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 9-11am and three of her little friends will be in the same class. I’m hopeful that she will love being in school and meeting lots of new friends. And truthfully, once I get over the anxiety of having her in school for 4 hours a week, I think I will really enjoy the one-on-one time I’ll have with Alexander. At least she will be in a 4 year old preschool class next year so I won’t have to send her to kindergarten for another 2 years. That will not be easy!!! :O)

Sending our love to all of you and our wishes for happiness!
Love,
The Froehlich Family