Lydia Day

Selfie!

This year I decided that for each of the grandkid's (those that are old enough to appreciate it) birthdays, I would invite them to stay overnight and we would have a special day together. Lydia turned five last Thursday, so she came on Friday evening and stayed until Saturday evening. We had such a great time together and I think Lydia liked having Grandma and Grandpa all to herself.

We brought her home with us on Friday after the public auction for Steve's mom's house. We stopped for an ice cream cone at House of Pizza and were delighted to see my brother Les and his wife Marian there. We sat together at a picnic table, and caught up with each other while eating our cones.

On Saturday, we left Grandpa at home while we did a little adventuring. Our first stop was the Doll Outlet off of Route 30 in Ronks. This place has dolls and doll clothes and accessories all throughout the two story building. Upstairs there was even a nurse on duty and she let Lydia hold one of the "babies." The babies look pretty real and they are up for adoption. It was an amazing place and maybe even a little overwhelming for a 5 year old to choose just one outfit for her bitty baby. In the end, she made a cute choice of a little purple jumpsuit and then we also picked out a pretty dress for one of the American Girl dolls that she likes to play with at my house.

From there we headed to Ci-Ci's for a pizza lunch. Lydia had never seen a macaroni and cheese pizza and she looked at it doubtfully but did take a taste and even said she liked it! The next stop was the Choo-Choo barn in Strasburg. This is such a great place and we stayed there a long time just watching the miniature trains chug around the track. We admired all the other miniature people, animals, houses, etc. You can't begin to take in everything. Every time you look away and then look back you notice something that you hadn't seen before. Outside the building there was a kiddie ride with Thomas the Tank Engine. We took a picture and video of her riding it just to make her brother and cousin jealous!

After we left the Choo-Choo barn we drove around the Strasburg Railroad. We didn't get out of the car but just looked at all the big engines and railway cars. At one point we had to wait for the train to pass over the road in front of us, so we got to wave at the passengers and hear the train whistle as it whizzed by in front of us.

Back home we watched a video of Thomas the Tank engine that we had purchased at the Choo-Choo Barn and spent the rest of the afternoon playing dolls and games together. It was raining so we couldn't go outside but we didn't mind. It was nice and cozy inside.

Jay and Kristen and the rest of the family came for supper and Lydia shared with them the things we had done. As they were leaving to go home, Alexis informed me that in just three months it would be her turn! J

The "baby" the nurse gave Lydia to hold

At the Choo-Choo Barn

Lydia's cake (this was at her birthday party last Sunday)