Charlie and the Chocolate Factory

D's Birthday wasn't the only thing we were celebrating this summer. Just days after school ended we were informed that D had been selected for a gifted program in school! Letting the proud mama moment soak in for a bit :)

Earlier in the year D had completed his first big chapter book 'Charlie and the Chocolate Factory' all by himself and when we discovered that Willy Wonka was coming to Broadway we knew we had to go see it. It was his reward for working so hard throughout the school year and doing so well. But before we went to see the show we took a trip down to Hershey's Chocolate Factory in Pennsylvania to make some chocolate. M's sister had come to visit with her husband and kids and it was a fun way to spend the day. Though I do think they went a little crazy with the hairnet requirements.

and then earlier this month we took D to watch Charlie and the Chocolate Factory on Broadway. 

It was a fantastic show.. a great first experience for D. I couldn't have imagined a better way to introduce him to the magic of theater. He sat at the edge of his seat, the performances magnificent. I was a little unsure of how they would translate the book in terms of book design and surprisingly they went with a very minimalistic approach and yet it worked perfectly. 

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D's High Flying 7th Birthday

For the last 2 years D has wanted to go parasailing.. the first year he was to small and the last it was too windy and our trip got canceled. So when his birthday came around we decided to take him along with two of his best friends parasailing.

       

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lately

I haven't blogged in a bit. Since the summer vacations started things have been busier that I had expected. Ramadan ended and we let off some steam by having friends and family over, then being invited by friends.

Also pretty much immediately started D's crash course swim class.. he hadn't been making much progress with all the years of classes he has taken so when someone recommended a crash course they claimed worked wonders with their child I signed him up.. it was a bit of a drive which meant I lost 3 hours every morning but D learnt how to swim.. So I am a believer and we will be doing this crash course every summer. 

We have been trying our hand at growing a few things this year.. my mother in law is growing mint and coriander while I'm growing strawberries. It has been an inconsistent crop.. we get like two red strawberries every few days and most have so far been consumed by H so we can't be sure if they even taste sweet.  

D turned 7 and more post about that will follow. He requested a homemade confetti cake with orange frosting.

      

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Friday Photography

Saved - In the Vatican City, inside St. Peter’s Basilica among the extravagantly ornate ceilings, the statues and paintings, above the Throne of St. Peter was a stained glass window with a dove also known as Bernini's 'Holy Spirit'. Simple by comparison but stunning none the less.

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Washington DC

The 10 hour drive from Myrtle Beach to home seemed far too long especially at the end of a trip when crankiness starts to emerge. So we decided to stop a night in DC before heading home. We left Myrtle Beach early in the morning grabbing breakfast on the go and we were in DC by the late afternoon. We spent an hour driving around pointing things out to the in laws.. making a stop here or there. Having already been to DC twice we were not as inclined to do a more a detail tour of the National Mall.

After settling in at the hotel we walked towards dinner.. we have a Nando's back home and my taste buds have such fond memories of the chicken.. when I found out DC had a Nando's and it was a three minute walk away from our hotel I knew we had to go and it did not disappoint. nom nom.. sorry no pictures.. too busy devouring it all.

The next morning we packed up and were ready to hit the road.. with just a detour or two first. When in DC breakfast must be done at Founding Farmers.. we love the place and tell everyone about it. Unfortunately they were booked solid that Easter Sunday :( and we had to make other plans. Instead we stopped by Busboys and Poets love the name! 

Eggs Benedict with Crab Meat 

Our second stop was the Air Space Museum. I wish we had time to do more museums but we barely had enough time to fully explore one if we wanted to get back home at a reasonable hour.

and then home sweet home. 

       

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Myrtle Beach

From Charlotte to Savannah and then to Charleston, finally we found ourselves in Myrtle Beach. With the way the weather has been we weren't sure how warm it would be so I tried to find a resort the had enough indoor activities in case it was too cold outside. With two indoor water parks Dunes Village seemed to fit the bill. While through out the trip the 6 of us for making it work in a single room with double beds here we were finally able to enjoy an apartment style room with two bedroom and two baths.. !! :) 

The Water Park

The Beach.. we got amazing weather :)

We had lunch at Rooster's in Broadway at the Beach, a boardwalk style promenade with shops and rides. For dinner we had Shawarma Company delivered to our room.. there is something so satisfying about being freshly showered eating in your pj's after a day of fun. The next morning we ate the breakfast buffet at the hotel.. seriously lacking in all departments but very convenient. We ate lunch at the hotel as well.. at the Captain's Cafe.. surprisingly so much better than breakfast. For dinner we thought about exploring the Myrtle Beach Boardwalk.. so sketchy! We couldn't get out of there fast enough.. but we did find a great little thai place, Thai Lao.. so it wasn't a complete loss. 

We had a great time.. the boys loved it..
       

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Friday Photography

 

Rippled Road - Inside the intriguing Howe Caverns, in Upstate New York. A sepia toned photograph of the narrow winding caves. To read more about our trip click here

You can buy this print here. Get Free Shipping with code BLOGGER

Prints also available in larger sizes. Contact for more information and special requests.

I am open to wholesale and licensing opportunities. Get in touch for more information.

Love this print but don't think your wall is ready just yet.. how about this print on other things?! Check these beauties out.

     

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