As this summer vacation comes barreling to an end, we are trying to fit in just a few more fun things before our noses turn back to the books. So, last Thursday the boys and I went to my second favorite place that makes me feel like I’m a tourist on vacation and that is Manitou Springs — the teeny tiny quirky town that sits at the base of Pikes Peak. 

There is a wonderfully vintage Arcade and Family Amusement Center located right smack dab in the middle of town. And, really….this place is soooo old. I wish I knew just how old. I may have to research that…

I thought that going there might be a delightful time to ride little quarter rides, play a little skeeball, eat deep fried corn dogs and hot dogs with sauerkraut and mustard from Patsy’s, followed by a smile for the photo booth!

Eli was a perfect size for this and felt the sure excitement of it all!

Perhaps the original Skee Ball! Just kidding, but maybe…!

Authentic…sorry I’m missing the pic of the corn dogs, though!

You can’t tell, but I was actually holding both guys up inside the photo booth! They aren’t exactly small-kid-friendly!

While the arcade surely delivered the fun we had hoped it would…we were really taken with something that we saw inside a little boutique just next to it. The boutique was called Wish and it was indeed lovely! It contained a very special treat in the back that we have never seen anywhere before!

A Wish List!!

Before our eyes was a wall of beautifully colored paper scraps upon which people had written their wishes on. The little table here contained paper, markers and push pins. Our brains started working almost immediately to come up with our own wishes to add to the collection!

Eli’s Wish

Eli asked me to transcribe his wish for him. A bat cave. Wouldn’t it be wonderful if, as adults, our wishes were always as simple as wishing for a bat cave…but the thing of it is…does he want a toy bat cave? Or perhaps the real deal? Might Chris and I have a back yard project on our hands?

Logan’s Wish

Again…a toy vampire castle? Or is there something going on here that I’m not aware of? I’m just kidding. I happen to know that the Vampire Castle is another treasure put forth by Lego. I certainly love the way he signed his wish, declaring himself, “Lego Logan.”

My Wish

Wishing for  a successful future for my button flower business can encompass a number of things…but it’s actually quite simple on the surface. I would love to see Jen Blossom grow and become a big success. What does that success look like? Well, that might be for an up and coming post, not today.

If I think about it for a long time, there are many different things I could have wished for. In fact, there were many wishes I saw up on the board. Here’s a few of the ones that still hang around in my mind a little: a happy life; love in life; safe return of friends and/or family members; for school to not start again; financial security…endless, endless.

But, what a sweet opportunity to capture a little bit of innocence in my children. And, also, a sweet reminder that life can be as simple as making a wish for a bat cave…

What would you wish for?