C & H in Saratoga in July

Last weekend C & H drove over from NH to spend a long weekend with us.  Unfortunately, C. is working this summer (summer school...) and didn't have a whole week to spare, but at least we squeezed in a weekend so they could do some of the things they just missed when they came in the spring.

Seems like every time we get together I take fewer and fewer pictures... I suppose it's because every time we are together are kids are running faster and faster... and are hardly ever in the same location-- even when they are, they are rarely still enough for photos...

We spent a lot of naked time in the yard:

And enjoyed time wearing clothes too:

We treated ourselves to a special treat at Stewart's:

We drove to Moreau Lake (no photos from the lake though... two kids + water was too much for a camera!)

The kids were happy just sitting around:

Or going grocery shopping:

We went to the playground at the Spa Park (and the pool, but again, my hands were busy keeping our kids from drowning):

We had to make a visit to Congress Park:

And you can't come to Saratoga in Racing Season without going to the track, so we did our first Race Track Breakfast of the year!

What's That, You Say?

It's almost August?  And I haven't posted since the 4th of July?  Oops?

I might have overbooked my summer.  MiniM.E. and I have been going straight...

I present:  OUR JULY IN PHOTOS

The Montreal Jazz Festival

Last year we took MiniM.E. to the Montreal Jazz Festival right after she started crawling when she was   8 1/2 months old.  Remember this post?  I was terrified to take her to a hotel in Montreal, but we all had a great time.

I was a little less apprehensive this time around, though I was a little worried MiniM.E. would be bored to tears, require us to carry her all over Montreal, and would only be happy doing things like climbing stairs or playing in mulch.  

Just like last year, MiniM.E. was a fantastic traveler and my worrying was for nothing.  We all had a great time.

Last year, MiniM.E. loved the hotel.  I have to say, between petting the fuzzy ropes at the check-in desk, climbing the stairs in the lobby and taking everything off the shelves in the gift shop, I'm pretty sure it was still her favorite part of the trip.

2012: Loves the bed

2013: Still loves the bed!

MiniM.E. enjoyed the festival a lot more than last year because she did a lot less napping and a lot more running, playing, listening, climbing, and jumping this year.  

The Festival had a really cute play area for kids that MiniM.E. LOVED and asked to go to the whole time we were there (we stupidly brought her there pretty early on the first day... from then on, it was "play the piano" and "go to the sandbox")

When we weren't at the kids' area, we saw a few concerts and walked around a lot.

2012 transport

2013 transport

We went to see a Canada Day Parade (which lasted more than 2 hours.... we lasted about 90 minutes...)

Played on the benches

Ate lots of snacks

Threw pennies in the fountain

And had some down time in the hotel

Even though there was so much to do outside, MiniM.E. still wanted to swim in the pool... multiple times a day...

2012: swimming with daddy

2013: swimming with daddy

And of course, the best part of the Festival was getting wet in the fountains.

2012

If this was an indication of a successful trip last year:

We succeeded again: