the education of henry

Freya's Birthday or My Birthday?

2024-08-25

This week we celebrated Freya's birthday! First, though, we went swimming with some friends: my last trip to the pool this summer (it closes this weekend). The big fun started on Wednesday. We did so many things I love to do that Dad wondered if this was my birthday week or Freya's. This week and last week were our summer vacation, so it makes sense it was time to "treat yourself!" (Like Tom and Donna from Parks and Rec.)

One last day at the pool with Annika and Kellan.

Wednesday

We all had eye exams first thing in the morning. Then we packed up and headed to GG and Grandpa Kevin's to pick up some presents for Freya. We then went on to our hotel, with a stop at a Bricks and Minfigs we had never been to before. After we checked in, we went to the LEGO Store for some more LEGO fun.

Checking my vision.

At the newest Bricks and Minifigs in our area.

This is what I picked out.

And at the LEGO Store.

Building boxes from the Pick-a-Brick Wall.

After the LEGO Store, we got falafal and pita bread for supper and it was DELICIOUS!

Thursday

Staying in the hotel means hotel breakfast! They had waffles, but we didn't get to make them. Dad was happy they had oatmeal. After eating, we got ready and Dad and I went to meet Freya, Josh, and Kara at the amusement park. Our hotel was only 20 minutes away, so it was much easier than the 2.5 hour drive from home we've done all the other times this summer. Mom stayed at the hotel and worked on our next big adventure.

Riding the elevator down to breakfast.

At the amusement park with Freya.

Hair styled by rollercoaster.

Spinning the wheel for prizes!

We both won Fast Passes, so we could jump the line on the rides.

On the Extreme Swing.

The lines were starting to get long around lunch time, and it started to rain, so we made our way to the midway to play a few games before we left. After that, we went to a different BAM (Bricks and Minifigs) than I went to yesterday.

Dad and Josh both won a big prize at the Football Toss.

Dad and Freya both won big prizes at the Goblet Toss.

At BAM they had a big AT-AT - only $700.

I got a Sand trooper, and another Senate Commando. It was still raining when we left BAM. Dad and I went to pick up Mom from the hotel, and then we went to Freya's house for supper and presents and cake. The rain had stopped by then, the sun came out, and it was a really nice night to hang out in the back yard.

Dad enjoying a 1919.

Fun with gliders.

Time for presents! (Just pictures of a couple of them, not all.)

A cotton candy machine.

Some LEGO.

Taking a break.

Freya looking at old birthday pictures.

Strawberry shortcake for dessert.

Since the whipped cream can was out, we had to have a little more fun....

Didn't quite get enough height....

This was Dad's second try, the wind carried the first one away.

I still haven't got the hang of this.

Josh caught his.

We'll count this as they both got it.

She did it!

We went back to the hotel a little later and I played with my new LEGO.

Friday

More hotel breakfast! Yum! I've really missed this since our trip last fall. And then we went back to the amusement park for a second day!

Time for more rides!

We found some Ghostbusters!

On the North Star.

Wild Thing dropping down...

Running to get another ride!

Back at the prize wheel.

Time to say goodbye!

We did a few rides and left again as it was getting busy and wait times were going up. Freya and Kara went to get ready for her slumber party at the house, and Dad and I went to...you guessed it...another BAM store! I got another Sand trooper and Rey's speeder.

I need this shirt!

We got back to the hotel and decided to go visit the LEGO Store again! We had so much fun as a family picking bricks and packing boxes, we might as well do it again. And we got more falafal and pita bread for supper!

Back at the Pick-a-Brick Wall!

Look - we went somewhere in the mall other than the LEGO Store.

We were back to the hotel fairly early and had plenty of time to relax before bed time.

Saturday

We had our last hotel breakfast for a while, and then we packed up and went to visit Great-Grandma Muriel!

With Great-Grandma Muriel.

From Great-grandma's we made our way home, going cross-country to miss the traffic and construction going on all around the city. We were driving by the first BAM store we went to this weekend, so we stopped again.

Back at the BAM we started at on Wednesday. It was on the way home....

Talking LEGO with Rowan - who is only 14 and he has a job at BAM!

We made it home and unpacked and had supper while catching up on Time Bandits. A nice end to a fun week.

Sunday

Back home and back to normal, except Mom had an MRI in the afternoon. The clinic is so far behind they are scheduling MRI's on the weekend. This is some due diligence on the part of Mom's doctor, since she has had the parosmia for so long, and some of the other issues she's been might be caused by problems in the brain. Everything went okay with the scan, and someone read the imaging right away - Mom does not have anything wrong with her brain!

The Robo vacuum at the clinic. It has a name now: Dirt Reynolds.

School starts tomorrow - Mom laid everything out for the first day.

Watching The Office.

We finished off the day with some Deep Space 9 and starting to watch The Office.

And that was my week! What do you think - was this kind of a birthday week for me, with all of those LEGO Stores and the amusement park?

Take care!