What the Dieter Family did this summer - Beach & Burgers

This summer we spend some time at the beach, which in Iowa is lake side. It was a bit chilly that day so we didn't get in the water but we did get to build a castle and play in the sand. Jered got to spend some time with his Dad fishing too. Even though they didn't catch anything. 

After the beach we headed to downtown Des Moines to try out Zombie Burger. Max and Riley (and Jered) are a huge fan of anything zombie related so they thought the place was pretty cool. The food wasn't bad either. The boys got mac and cheese and milk shakes. Jered and I went half and half on a blue cheese burger and a double grilled cheese burger. We all split a basket of fries with zombie sauce. Delicious!

What the Dieter Family did this Summer - Adventureland

This year for summer vacation we decided to take the boys to Adventureland Park in Des Moines. It's not too far of a trip from Iowa City, about 2 hours in the car. This would be the first year that boys were big enough that they could to go on and enjoy the rides. Adventureland also has a great water park attraction so it's a really fun packed day of water slides and rides. Both Max and Riley (and their old parents, us) had a wonderful time. Since we went on a Monday the crowds were low and we didn't have to wait in line for rides most of the time. The only one that was pretty busy with lines was the Raging River, which I was just happy Riley was tall enough to go on!  As you can see we all got pretty soaked on that one.

Our plan for the park was that Max and Jered would go on the crazy rides and Riley and I would go on the little guy rides. Which, if you haven't been to Adventureland Park, there are a lot of great rides for the little guys. We also road a few rides as a family, and of course, we had to eat together, at every single chance. The water park was also super fun. I didn't take any pictures because I don't have a water proof case for my phone yet. 

The weather was beautiful and not too hot. The best thing is that we planned ahead what we were going to do and what the back up plan was if it rained or if it was super hot out. Having a plan makes the day a lot more fun for everyone. 

As for food, we did eat at the restaurants and kiosks at the park. They are a little pricey, but the Soda and Sounds restaurant has a live show with the meal, so it makes it worth the cost. Also the food was really good, so that helped too. You just need to be prepared that the bill is going to be a bit higher than normal.

Over all Adventureland was amazing for our first trip to an amusement park. It was just the right size for our boys ages and had tons of rides that they could go on. We learned what works for our family and what doesn't. When the time comes, and the boys are a little bit older, we will be ready for Disneyland. 

School Time - First day of Third Grade

Max had his first day of school on Wednesday. It's hard to believe summer is over and we are back to our regular routine. Max is in the third grade this year and really likes his new teacher and classmates. Jered is also taking a few classes this semester, so he is also hitting the books. My assignment (which I have given to myself) for this next week is blog posts on "What the Dieter family did this Summer". I have been going through and picking out the best photos from all of the camping, carnival rides, swimming pools, and ice cream cones. We went to Adventureland in Des Moines and had a great time. Max and Riley got to check out the Johnson County fair and discovered that cows are really, really big! The boys also did three days of camping out in a tent without any major break downs. It was a very busy summer! 

Letter Magnets Project

Wow! It has been a busy summer and I have about a million photos to go through. I promise I will post what we have been up to during the break, but first I wanted to share a quick craft project. This one is super easy and you might already have some of the supplies. All it takes is some of those cheap plastic alphabet letters and some spray paint.

 First lay out all the letters on a clean surface covered with newspaper or cardboard would work.

I used Krylon Fusion for the primer - because it "bonds to plastic" and Krylon Gold metallic for the finish. I like these paints because they cover nicely and dry super fast (15 minutes or less!)

After they dry carefully peel them off the paper so that you don't damage the edges.  All done! Super fun and cute magnets to hang up those pictures or art that you love.