Sunset from our room

kinda rare to get us all in one pic

Dubrovnik Wall

 Probably one of the most famous things to do in Dubrovnik is to walk on the enormous walls.  You can circle the old town from above in a 2 mile loop.  I'd been warned not to go during the day because cruise ships dock and it gets extremely crowded, plus its hot.  We waited until later in the evening to go.  It was still very hot, but the crowds were manageable and the views were incredible.  On one side you look down at the cliffs next to the ocean and on the other side, the red roofed homes and buildings that make up the town that the walls protected.  

 It really was unbearably hot, even with an ice cream break.  We didn't make around the entire loop, but we did get a pretty good feel for this historic wall.  There are several spots where you can go down and back into old town.  

 And made our way to a restaurant for dinner where we dined on pizza and spaghetti (definitely not the last time).

Big and Little

First time in the "walled city"

 Old Town Dubrovnik is a walled city that is 600ish years old.  The walls jut a 1000 feet up from crystal clear water and were used to protect the city.  Inside the walls are these narrow brick pathways lined with restaurants and shops.  There are hotels in this area as well, but we stayed in the newer part to ensure we had a pool, beach access and air conditioning (it was 100 degrees while we were in Dubrovnik with maybe 50% humidity).

 Our first full day we spent at the hotel pool and catching up on sleep (we all slept until 1:30).  We managed to get ourselves to the old town for dinner.  Parking was always interesting in Dubrovnik (big hills with a stick shift, very few parking spots combined with unclarity as to how or if we needed to pay).  Then it was a long walk up and down hills, but the old town was amazing and worth all the effort.  

I was prepared to not use high chairs, or sippy cups, or changing tables, but we did find that some restaurants had "baby seats".  

First night in Dubrovnik

 After a long plane ride, a very long layover, another plane ride and a short drive, we arrived at our hotel in Dubrovnik.  We rented a car for the trip and so we were able to find a yummy pizza place for dinner.

 Sunset from our hotel room.

View from the pizza place.

The Adventure to Croatia

 We left August 6 for a little over 2 weeks in Croatia.  Unfortunately Brian dropped his good camera in a river a few weeks prior to our trip and so all of our photos are from my phone or his (and I am no photographer).  Our babysitter had told me a pretty horrific flight story the day before we left and so I was slightly worried about what might happen once they shut the doors and we were trapped in plane for 11 hours.  Luckily all went well and the boys were incredible travelers.  

 I had made B lots of toys to play with and bought little trinkets to keep him occupied.  

 I got them all kid headphones and travel pillows.  I figured anything to keep them comfortable and happy.  

And they all slept, a little.  

Sunday Best

 The boys started school today (a few days later due to our trip).  They woke up at 3 AM due to jet lag, but were happy to see their friends.  I always thought it was silly to "dress up" for your first day of school and so its a battle I never fight.  So, I present you today's style (chosen by the boys).  If you look closely, Adler has one no show sock and one regular sock.  And below is Landon's fabulous hair. 

cement truck

One benefit of the landscaping work this summer was getting to see some of the heavy equipment the workers used. Here's Blane checking out the cement truck. 

ENT

 I spent a lot of my childhood at Dr. Cundy's office, our beloved ENT.  I remember the drugstore we would go to after each appointment, which seemed like weekly..., where I would get a special treat.  I remember each and every stuffed animal I got for being brave before each surgery.  I remember the antibiotics, getting my ears drained, and choosing which flavor I got for the laughing gas to put me under.   I saw Dr. Cundy so much that when I ran into him at a wedding a few years ago (20 years after the last time I saw him in his office), he said, "Hi Kari, how is your mom?"  He must have seen thousands and thousands of patients, but he couldn't escape knowing me (and my amazing mom who took me to each and every appointment), unfortunately.  

With 3 (live) children, I figured we would have hit up an ENT long before this week, but somehow we have escaped them until now.   In fact, I think we have only had 2 ear infections total.  Crazy.  I had 2 (at least) before I was 6 months.  B was the first Campbell to see one.  

 After a 2 hour wait, we were treated like kings (and a queen) by this wonderful ENT at Children's.  Luckily, unlike his mom, we are avoiding tubes and things seem to be OK.  Hopefully with some intensive speech therapy (whew, luckily the other two are in school...) he will be speaking in no time. 

They were so good with him, he didn't want to leave.   

Ice Cream Bars

Tired Guy with a Truck

Lego Ankylosaurus

Zoo Day

 I took the big and little one to the zoo last week while A was in camp.  We had so much fun together exploring, riding the train and eating ice cream.