Dutch Wonderland!

Last Saturday we spent the day in Dutch Wonderland just outside of Lancaster, PA.  (How did the week get away from me?)
What a fun day!  We got there at 10:00 and if we had let her, Jocelyn would have closed the park!
We started the day with a train ride.

Then Jocelyn decided to go straight for the Turtle ride!  Daddy gets motion sick, so there was no way he was getting on there, so that left me to go on it with her.  Yippee.  Essentially this is the old fashioned tea cup ride with an update.  The turtle spins AND the ride goes in circles.  I was shocked that she wanted to try it, but somewhere in the last few months, Jocelyn has turned into a daredevil!! 

We went from there to driving a car.  Yes, Jocelyn is driving.  We'll be going to the MVA for her Learner's Permit next week.  Ha!

Then the slide (which I lost count how many trips she took down that slide) and the monster truck.  Yeah!  We let her drive again...  Daddy seems worried....  I can't imagine why!

We took a leisurely boat ride....  3 times...

And then we were off to the water park!

Including multiple trips down the tunnel water slide!

We ended the day with a few trips on the log ride.  We spent way too much money on the park photo, but what the heck!

Jocelyn had an absolute blast!  At 6:00 pm, the parents decided we were toast.  It was time to go.  We put Jocelyn in her stroller and went straight for the exit.  If we had hesitated for a second, I think we would have lost her to another 20 rides!!!  We had to tell her "Yes, we will go again another day".  It was the only way to get her out of there!

Forget it! I have no idea what day it is.... But....!

The Shed / Playhouse is finished!!!!

Yeah!  Yeah!  Yeah!

Ok...  well, we still have to paint the left side and the back, and the inside, AND level the ground around the porch, return unused building supplies and get rid of the giant junk pile in the back yard!  (Free scrap wood for the taking!  Just let me know before next weekend!)  AND make curtains, and find toys, and decorate.....  I think that's it....

But the playhouse is open for business!!!

It's been a busy few days.  Every surface of the outside had to be primed, then the doors needed to be hung, the floors and patio were stained, and then everything had to be painted a second coat of paint.  We really had a hard time picking out colors.  Every time we looked over the swatches, we asked Jocelyn what she wanted and consistently, every time, she said "Red!"   But there was no way we could stand an all red playhouse, that would have been just too much!   So we went with the beige - yellow walls and red trim and she is quite happy with that.
She's very excited to FINALLY get to play in her playhouse.  I think the rest of us are just happy the worst is over!
"Thank You" is not nearly enough to tell Pepere how much we appreciate what he has done, but Thank you Pepere!

Lucky Day 13!

Put down that hammer

 and grab a paint brush!!!

Other than putting on the doors and thresholds, the building is done!

Jocelyn couldn't wait to check out the ladder to her loft today,

 Not just once...

Not just twice...

But at least a dozen times, up and down, and up and down!

Poor, tired, Pepere will be back tomorrow to stain the floors and porch.  The good news is the temps should drop by 10-15 degrees by then.  Whew!  It's been a hot few days.