Visiting Atlantic City - Part 2 ---- The Steel Pier

I have always wanted to go to an Amusement park on a pier.  So we jumped on the opportunity to take the kids to the Steel Pier in Atlantic City.

What a fun and cold trip.  It was windy and about 40 degrees that day (in the wind though...it was freezing!!)

Enjoying our walk along to the boardwalk to Steel Pier.

 The kids were excited to see it in the distance.

Anyone remember the movie Wild Hearts Cant Be Broken.  This is where it took place.  The horse diving show.

 Joey looked down and saw the ocean underneath.  Now they have been on piers...but there's just something different about riding amusement rides on one!!

 That is my hubby in orange.....and they were not expecting it to go upside down.

Our ticket booklet

 The girls making a Bobble head video.

Riding the ferris wheel on the Steel Pier...very cold and very neat to do!!!

 You can see the other car where Joey is...

 Joey and Brayden riding Crazy Mouse.

 Final ride on the carousel.

 Enjoying a burger on the boardwalk.

 Then a quick chilly walk on the beach to collect shells.

 and chase seagulls.

 Caty and I on the ferris wheel.

 Riding the ferris wheel.

Ok....I wasn't overly impressed with Atlantic City.  We have been once, probably won't go back.  I didn't think the beach was clean.  It was very dirty.  And seriously....the amount of casinos was unbelievable.  What a waste of beautiful beach front property....oh well.  It was definitely fun to visit it once though :)

What we are up to this week....

Wellllllll.....I was hoping for an easy week.  Nope :( !!  I was just looking over the calendar and may cry a bit.

We have our last Adventure club and LEGO Clubs of this official School year.  Lydia has gymnastics. Joey has horseback riding.  We are all going to a Toledo Mudhens game Tuesday morning.  We have a playdate with some homeschool friends on Wednesday.  An Art Museum tour and American Girl club this week.  Also an Ice Cream Social on Friday....whew.  And I want to go to the zoo Friday afternoon to see the new exhibit that is opening.  Not sure yet how we are going to do it all, and cram in work.  But we fell a little behind last week, so playing catch up in a couple areas.

Joey
Math - Working on adding money
Science - Taking his test over Invertebrates and learning about the Desert
Grammar - plural nouns
Presidents - Learning about John Adams, James Monroe and Thomas Jefferson
States - Will be learning about 4 regions (basically the East coast areas)
4H - Will be keeping a food diary and also learning about (First Aid) poisonings and dog bites

Brayden
Math - Subtracting multiple columns and reading a chart
Science - Finish his unit on Frogs
Grammar - plural and possessive nouns
History - 1850s - 1860s  - acquiring lands in the West
Working on Reading comprehension and starting a new social studies book

Lydia
Math - counting/adding quarters and then mixed coins
Science - continue our earthworm projects
Grammar - working on proper nouns with Months of the year names
Phonics - A beka phonics 1
Reading - Next lesson...up to number 38
Finish a State Fair project
Cursive C & D

Caty
Science - earthworms
Math - continue practicing number recognition (add in simple addition)
Reading - Tale of Peter Rabbit (and  bunny themed activities)
Letters - Review (phonics dance)

Hope everyone has a great week!!!  See you on Friday!!!

Visiting Atlantic City - Part 1 The Absecon Lighthouse Tour

During our last trip to Pennsylvania, we decided to go to Atlantic City and visit Steel Pier and Absecon Lighthouse!!!  It was only an hour and half drive there, and it was great and yet freezing that day.

It was a beautiful and clear day.

The very interesting thing about Absecon Lighthouse is that it was built on a empty area and buildings were built around it blocking it's actual use.  So they had to build a second smaller lighthouse in order for ships to still see the coast.  Now all you can see is the casinos wrapped around the front, blocking the view of the ocean.  It was deactivated in 1933, but the light still shines nightly.

The original lighthouse

From the museum shop:

 Oil can

She is obsessed with pick dandelions and must stop to pick them up, no matter where we are.

They had a community garden originally, and were required to remove it by the Lighthouse Association.  They now have a community garden on this land in honor of the original attempt.

It was Lydia's second lighthouse climb and Joe, Joey and Caty's first.  They had fun...even in the cold wind !!!