I love summer for the warm lazy days.  I admit it.  I’m not fond of planning big vacations, parties, or anything that requires more than a tote and snack!  

Life with kids makes for a busy school year with sports, homework, and hightailing it practices to participate in whatever given activity the kids are involved in.

So far, we’ve had an awesome summer, but maybe we’re in need of one last hurrah!  One or more fun adventures before we close the book on Summer 2014.

Some ideas I have are:

1. Let’s go down to the lake.  

Hey Rochester, it’s pretty neat to have Lake Ontario in your backyard.  For real, I know we don’t take advantage of this enough.  Charlotte Beach, Hamlin Beach, Durand Beach, wherever you like to dip your toes, it is a very worthwhile place to spend a couple of hours with the kids.  

I can get away with a blanket and a tote with a book, sand toys, & a couple snacks.  But be aware and call for lake conditions before venturing down to your chosen spot.  It can ruin a good day to get down to the beach and learn it’s closed for the day due to algae.  My impulsiveness and good intentions have been foiled by bad conditions a few times! Also some beach spots have lifeguards on duty and you may have to research beforehand to find those spots.

2. What’s more fun than chasing and catching fireflies at dusk!  Wow.  This               activity certainly provides laughter, thrills, and doesn’t cost me a dime!

3. Find a farm with pick your own fruit.  My kids love picking the berries almost as much as eating the fruits of their labor.  

4. Go for a family bike ride.  We took a bike ride along the Erie Canal and the     kids couldn’t believe I’d never taken them before.  I was all “Calm down we’re doing it now”.  Gees, summer guilt trip…not my thing!  Or maybe it’s my thin skin.  Oh yeah, sunscreen must be applied generously to avoid sunburn.  My kids called me a red dragon for a week after our canal bike ride!

5. Go to a baseball game.  Oh my goodness, summer and baseball is classic.  

6. Take the kids to the drive in theater.  So much fun and still affordable.  We like to head to the Vintage Drive in in Avon, NY and catch a double feature on a cool summer night.  Don’t forget the bug spray, just in case.

7. Buy a couple toys in Target dollar spot and let them loose in the backyard.  One trip to Target scored bubbles, jump rope, and bug catchers. 

8. Weather too hot, we head indoors and go bowling.  Ah, the satisfying crack of the pins because I requested the bumper guards.  Everyone wins!

9. Catch a movie on a rainy day.  Nothing better.  

10.   You can’t do this everyday at my house, but once in a blue moon, you hear the ancient call of summer.  Ding, ding, ding, it’s the ice cream truck!  You never know when it’s coming, so keep a few dollars handy somewhere close to the door.  We have had meltdowns when I couldn’t get money out of my purse fast enough.  Oh no, nothing sadder than to only catch the taillights of an ice cream truck going around the corner while you’re holding the hand of a crestfallen small child.  

I lied.  This last activity can be stressful if you’re not properly prepared.  So heed my words and experience, be prepared or the shame could haunt you!

Rochester is great.

While that is true and can be attributed to a diverse number of reasons, in my case, Rochester is great because it’s a large city with an astonishing number of events at any given time, but small enough that it’s very likely you’ll see a familiar face when you attend an event.

 

Case in point, Thursday night, we attended the Greek Festival at the Annunciation Greek Orthodox Church on East Ave.  

 

 It came on that night of the week, I could no longer serve the salads leftover from Memorial Day or grill up another hot dog or hamburger for my family.  They were done with my pieced together leftovers and chicken nugget dinners!  We were ready for amusement and someone else to feed us!

 

Luckily, I spotted that lovely sign announcing the start of the Greek Festival while driving down East Ave yesterday afternoon.  Wahoo!  Food and entertainment!  We were so there!

 

So last night, we piled into the car and drove down to East Ave. and parked on a nearby side street and followed the energetic Greek music to the Greek Annunciation Orthodox Church and it’s lively back parking lot.

 

There we were assailed with the delicious aroma of Greek cuisine.  We hurriedly grabbed a spot in line to order the Gyro dinner plate and a Vegetarian dinner plate.  Now these dinner plates come packed with food and I found my Vegetarian plate was enough to share with my two young children.  It included a crispy Spanakopita, Dolmades, rice pilaf, pita bread, and a Greek salad.  It was delicious.  I can’t make Spanakopita or Dolmades, so it’s a real treat when we find them!  

 

There was enough for us to eat including the fact the girls were sneaking slices of beef off dad’s plate.  We were content and not uncomfortably stuffed and that’s how we like it because we planned on finding the pastry tent and gorging on Baklava!

 

As we were exiting the dining tent, we saw some clients we had not seen for a while and it was great to catch up on what was happening in their lives after the purchase of a new home.  We were delighted to meet their new son and to wish them happiness!  

 

Then it was off to grab some rice pudding, Baklava, and something I have never had before, a Baklava ice cream sundae!  

 

Yes, my friends, this exists and now that I know, I am convinced I am a better person for it!  Chunks of Baklava are layered in a bowl with a generous portion of vanilla soft serve ice cream, and they pour chocolate syrup over it all.  YUM.

 

We adjourned to the chairs set up before the stage to watch some Greek dancing and dig into our desserts.  The sun was setting, the air was a tiny bit crisp, the dancing was fun, and everyone was full.

 

Rochester is a great city and last night solidified my opinion even more.  Great food, friendly faces, and family fun was had by all at the Greek Festival.