Watkin's Regional Park

Maggie and Stella were invited to their first birthday party for their friend Mauraya - Will's classmate's little sister.  So Grandma got a little time to herself and we made the short trip to the Old Maryland Farm in Watkin's Regional Park.  What a cool place!

There were things to see, pet and feed everywhere.  The kids all got seeds to feed to the peacocks, chickens, geese and ducks.  The llamas, Maggie and Stella all checked each other out.  We got to pet the horses and donkey.  It was a lot of fun and so quiet and relaxing.

Grandma's visit - part 3

Patti got a brief shopping trip by herself on Saturday when Grandma, Patrick and the kids went "hiking."  The weather was beautiful, the kids were perfect listeners and so kind to one another (constantly sharing acorns with one another), and we saw so many things in just over an hour - a fox, a water snake, a snapping turtle,a skink, a bittern, and an Eastern Box Turtle.  The girls thought it was funny that it could close completely, and Will wanted to be like Daddy so he picked it up for a second.

Saturday night we went out for Ethiopian food - another thing that's easier with an extra set of hands.  The kids ate their favorite (yellow split peas) and we gorged on everything else.

Then it was off for some ice cream!

Patti had to work on Sunday night so Grandma got to spend lots of time playing with the kids - including countless "horsey" rides of the kids around the playroom.  And she and Patrick got to spend a lot of time catching up after the kids went to bed.  It was so wonderful to see the kids take to her right away and want to spend every second with her.  Will's first question after Patrick got back from the airport was "when can we go visit Grandma?".  

Grandma's visit - part 2

On Friday, we visited the National Zoo.  What a gorgeous day!  We got to see all our favorites - the lion, elephants, lemurs, prarie dogs, chameleons, etc. - plus some new favorites - caracals, tortoises, sea lions.  Watching the gorillas and orangutans was a real treat, too.  Plus, we took a ride on the new carousel - it's beautiful, and the kids are proud to ride by themselves which is a treat in itself.

After Patti's delicious picnic, and a full day of walking around, we were all ready to get home and nap.

Our traditional family photo any time the whole clan visits the zoo.

Patrick took almost this same picture in the reptile house with Will when he was the same age.

Patti had to work Friday night so Grandma got to spend some quality time playing playdoh with the kids.  We all had a good time making animals we'd seen earlier in the day at the zoo.

Grandma's visit - part 1

Grandma came to visit last Thursday.  While the kids hadn't seen her since our visit to WI last October, they warmed right up to her and within minutes were reading on the couch.

After a quick tour of the new house, we were off for the Montgomery County Fair!  We've meant to go the last two years but something or another always seems to come up.  We're so glad we went, though.  There were rides, lots of food, the kids got to see and pet all sorts of farm animals, there were fire trucks and emergency vehicles, and, of course....

Monster Truck Madness!  Will brought one of his little monster trucks (Backdraft) and the real one was actually there so Will was over the moon - very cool.

We got the kids earplugs but it was no use. After 10 minutes or so, Stella absolutely lost it so Patti walked out with her.

About 20 minutes later, after the pop-a-wheelie competition and the first of many drag races, Will asked to leave too.  He had a blast, though, and the whole fair itself was a ton of fun.  We'll be back next year (with headphones).

Vacation in CT - part 4

It POURED Friday so we went duckpin bowling.  The kids weren't as in to it as we thought they'd be, but we still had fun (Will even got a spare).

Friday evening was spent visiting with friends of the family and on Saturday - much to the kids' delight - we got a chance to get them into the pool.  All three kids rocked their floatees and enjoyed the pool a ton in the 30 minutes or so that we had before cleaning up, eating lunch, and getting on the road.

The pool did the trick, because all three were out before we even got to the highway to head home...

Vacation in CT - part 3

On Thursday, we visited the PEZ factory and visitor's center in Orange, CT.  How fun!  We got to see them making the current line of Marvel superheroes, we got a free sample of just-made grape PEZ, and we learned a ton about PEZ.  For example, did you know it was invented in Austria and that PEZ is short for peppermint in German?

After PEZ, we gave the kids one of their first experiences of Pepe's pizza in New Haven.  They ate like champs and were treated with hats (we're not sure why but they loved them so who cares).

And if that wasn't enough, Will, Pop and Daddy visited the Prospect Volunteer Fire Department to see Pop's firehouse.  Will sat in all of the trucks and listened carefully as Pop explained what each of the different trucks was used for.

Vacation in CT - part 2

On Wednesday, we spent the day at Quassy Amusement Park.  It's a local amusement park but tons of fun for the kids and it has a lot of "rides" that are perfect for little ones.  The kids rode lots of things as a threesome but the girls got a chance to ride the boat together while Will and Daddy rode the rollercoaster.

This place had everything:  planes, boats, space vehicles, trucks, helicopters, rollercoasters (super small, medium and large), train rides, games, a water park, you name it.

The kids loved the "Giant Slide" and Daddy tried to make it happen with Stella but he chickened out.  Mimi was happy to oblige.  Everyone must have done this three or four times...

After another hard day of having fun, Will got his wish of playing in the dirt at Pop and Mimi's house.  The weather held out another day so he got to play Thursday too, and we have never ever seen him so dirty.

Vacation in CT - part 1

We just spent a wonderful week at Pop and Mimi's house in Connecticut.  We joked that the kids did more every day than they would do in a week at our place as we continue to unpack, arrange rooms, etc.  It was great to see them so, so happy.

On Tuesday, we traveled to Rocky Neck State Park and enjoyed an awesome day at the beach.  The weather was perfect for Maggie and Stella's first trip to a beach.  They were wary of the water at first, but Mimi and Daddy got them into the water eventually.  Will was too busy playing in the sand and surf and watching the very nearby Acela train to bother getting too far into the water.

Daddy snared a jellyfish out of the water with a bucket after it stung him and some nearby kids.  Will thought it was pretty neat to bury him in the sand far from the water.  All three kids yelling at the seagulls during lunch was a highlight too.  All the fun in the sun left the kids good and tired (Maggie was asleep in 7 minutes, Stella in 8, and Will in 13)!