Lazy long weekend…

So, I woke-up with a horrible headache that continued most of the day.  I ended up taking a long nap this afternoon – leaving Anna to her own devices.  And here is one of the results (we won’t discuss the disaster of all her toys everywhere in the living and family rooms).

After my nap, I felt better.  We headed back into town to the local bike store, where I back the proud owner of a new bike for me.  This evening we took a quick bike ride around the neighborhood behind us.  It was fun for both of us.

Another Glastonbury Park…

So, Glastonbury has several different parks, some with just playing fields, others with walking and hiking trails, and still others with play grounds.  Our goal is to check out all the parks with playgrounds.  We first visited Addison Park, which was very large and very busy.  Addison Park has it all – playgrounds (three different structures plus sand box), soccer fields, ball diamonds, and swimming pool.  I was not a fan of how busy it was, because some parents were busy at one part of the park and not overseeing their children on the playground structures (kids were riding bikes and scooters up onto the play structures).  So, I was very happy to find Ross Park – which is a small park tucked back in a neighborhood.  Ross Park has a play ground, ball diamond, and the community gardens, where residents can rent garden plots for $40 a summer.  The best, Ross Park was not over run with kids – in fact, Anna had the park to herself.  We played and then checked out the gardens.

Notice the sandbox full of toys?  Those toys are always there and don’t grow legs and walk off.  I don’t think I have every lived somewhere in which such toys remain in the local park.

    

When we checked out the local community gardens, there was a nice gentleman was harvesting some of his crops.  He had flowers along with veggies and was nice enough to cut Anna a bouquet of flowers.  We are considering planting our own garden next year.  The park is about a mile from the house – easy walking or biking distance.  The town plows up the field in April each year and there is a water source (actually, several areas to hook in hoses are there). 

 

Weekend trip to the Children’s Museum in West Hartford, CT

Granted we have been spoiled having lived in Indianapolis, which has the nation’s (if not world’s) best children’s museum (look it up if you don’t believe me).  So, for me at least, the locate Children’s Museum is somewhat of a let down.  Luckily, Anna doesn’t remember the Indianapolis Children’s Museum and thinks the Connecticut Children’s Museum is the bee’s knees.  She greatly enjoyed a trip, which included a visit and show at the planetarium for a showing of Sesame Street’s One World, One Sky.  Here are some photos – I still think the giant light bright is one of my favorites – but the flight simulator was very cool (even though I kept crashing my plane).

The Children’s Museum has a large turtle room with dozens of different types of turtles and tortoises.  It also has a small wildlife sanctuary with a snakes, a raccoon, a lynx (bobcat), fox, lizards, etc.  Anna could spend hours watching the animals – even those that are sleeping.

 

      

why yes, I am wearing two skirts…

In the whole nature vs. nurture concept…I am giving this one to nature. 

Please ignore the messy kitchen in the background.  I finally finished unpacking all the kitchen boxes this morning – but I am still trying to figure out where everything is going.  Needless to say, we have about half the storage space and counter space of our old kitchen.

Exploring the local Glastonbury Parks…

Since we are back to average temperatures here in Connecticut, Anna and I decided to check out one of the local parks, Addison Park.  Let’s start with the fact that this park has it all – baseball diamonds, basketball courts, tennis courts, a pool, soccer fields, and a very large playground complex.  The playground was the big draw for Anna and I.  Actually, there are three playground structures (two wheelchair accessible) and a sandbox area also.  Addison Park is a Boundless Playground park – meaning it is accessible to children who not as mobile as Anna. 

Addison Park is actually the closest park to our house, so we will probably visit often (as long as the temperatures cooperate).   Anna had a great time checking out all the play structures and swinging in one of the seat swings.  There is so much to do between all the play structures, that she shouldn’t get bored.

I do have one complaint – which would be other parents failure to monitor their children.  Since the play structures have ramp systems, there were several kids who thought this was an invitation to ride bikes and scooters up onto the structures.  Obviously, neither they nor their parents read the posted signs that prohibit skateboards, bikes, scooters and roller skates on the play ground. 

    

Saturday Morning at Mystic Aquarium

One of the things we did when we were in Connecticut in May was visit the Mystic Aquarium.  While there, we purchased an annual pass, which we put to good use this weekend with another visit to Mystic.  We saw sea lions, penguins, and jelly fish; took a walk through a marsh, watch a sea lion show, touched sharks and sting rays, and feed birds of the outback.  It was a full day – some of which I captured on film.

Anna greatly enjoyed feeding the Birds of the Outback, as long as the birds remained on the popsicle stick and didn’t get on her hands or arms.  She was also fascinated by the jelly fish, which are part of the new exhibit at the aquarium.  But her favorite part was the sea lion show.

This will probably be a monthly trek for us, since the aquarium is about 50 minutes from our house.  It is a quick drive down.  Next time we might leave time in our schedule to make it to the Mystic Seaport.

View Full Album

     

Weekends one and two…

Our first two weekends in Connecticut have not been all that eventful.  We have been working on unpacking, settling-in, nesting and installing window air-conditioner units.  Seriously, I thought I moved away from this miserable, hot, humid weather when we left Missouri.  I am looking forward to when New England gets back to normal summer weather – until then, I’ll be breaking the bank paying my future electric bills because of running the window air-conditioner units.

The only event of note, was the meeting of the cats’ new vet.  Seems MuShu has a small urinary tract infection, most likely brought on by the stress of moving.  Luckily, after just two antibiotic pills he is already felling better.

We both survive our first full weeks of work (for me) and school (for Anna).  Anna keeps saying that she really enjoys her new school.  I am getting into the routine of making lunch for her each day.  Ok, so I haven’t been all that creative yet.

Next weekend we will be playing in Indy, so no New England explorations for us.

But future plans include the aquarium (once it cools off)

shhh…can you keep a secret?

Want to know what Anna and I will be doing at about 9:30am on December 15?  Hints:

If you guessed breakfast with Cinderella at her castle in Disney World, you would be right!  And possibly on facebook with me.  Last year I couldn’t get a reservation for this event to save my life.  This year Disney changed the rules a little and you can make reservations 180 days in advance (last year it was 90 days).  So, it is good to plan a little (ok, six months) ahead.

Also, I thought it might be fun to actually stay at a Disney hotel for a few days.  So, we are staying at one of the Disney Value Resort hotels, Pop Century.  From what I have read on one of my yahoo groups, this is a good choice and well liked by several other singles with kiddos from China.  I plan on us just going to Magic Kingdom the full time – probably three days.  I do want to get tickets to Mickey’s Christmas Party on December 16 (ok, the Party is several other nights, but that is our exact night).

Because I know my daughter well and because she cannot let anything rest, I think I’ll wait to tell her about all this fun stuff on the days it happens.  So, she will know about the hotel when we check-in and know about breakfast when we sit down to eat.  Yep, that is my plan and I am sticking to it.

What a great day!!

First – Happy Father’s Day to my Dad and my brother.  I would tell you this is Skip’s ## Father’s Day (but then I would be giving away my own age – not something I am owning up to at the moment – denial!) and my brother’s second Father’s day, but first as the father of two.

Second – since we couldn’t make the family father’s day event (sorry, 9 hour drive for a day is not in our schedule), Anna and I had a great day together.  We hung out at home, I took a nap (without Anna even waking me once) and then we hit the pet shop.  No, we are not in the market for a new pet, two cats are enough.  But Anna loves to go look at the ferrets, other rodents, turtles, snakes, lizards, fish and birds.  It makes her happy and is free.  A win-win if I ever saw one :).  After the pet shop, we went and saw Toy Story 3.  I highly recommend it – better than Toy Story 2 and as good as the first.

Here is the funny part of living in a small town – at the movie, we sat next to the people who bought my bedroom suite.  I had called and talked to the wife this morning, because they have a couple more pieces to pick-up.  I told her that we were going to the 4:30 show for Toy Story 3.  Lo and behold, they ended up going to the same show with their three kids.  Only in Jeff or any other same town :).

How do you know it was a successful garage sale?

When you make enough money to buy a new scooter….

Starting this year, we instituted a new house rule – Anna has to buy her own toys.  So, Anna made enough money selling her toys, books and movies to afford this great new Barbie scooter.  We went out this afternoon to buy her new toy and she tested it out in the garage during an afternoon storm.

Why didn’t we do this earlier?

Now that we are weeks away from escaping…I mean leaving Missouri, we are just getting around to try some new things.  The other weekend we went to dinner at a local pizza/sandwich shop.  The pizza was great and I was like “why haven’t we come here before?”  After pizza we headed for the annual Relay for Life and Anna got her face painted like Hello Kitty.

more photo fun…

I love how the shadow is picked up in this photo of Dustin…

Really, is there anything cuter than this??

On this photo I did a color pop effect – it makes the dress color pop even more.

playing around with Windows Live Writer…

I have found an easier way to blog – Windows Live Writer.  Writer makes uploading photos so much easier.  I can work on a blog without having to be on the internet, etc.  It also has this fun feature that lets me play with photos – as seen above.  This is a photo I took last month – I really like the emboss effect with this photo.

Anna’s favorite movie..

I have no idea how this happened, but Anna’s current favorite movie would be Mama Mia!  Yes, you read that correctly.  My child is in love with this movie and its sound track.  I might have to download the original ABBA songs from iTunes.  She is constantly singing one of the songs from the movie.  On our way back from Glastonbury, CT last month, she watched part of the movie while waiting for the plane.

Did you know…

Did you know that the average four year old asks 437 questions a day?  This was a fact posted in the Magic House in St. Louis. 

Debbie and I decided that for Anna the numbers are transposed and it should be 734.  Anna’s little brain is like a sponge and she is soaking up so much information each day.  It is amazing the things she remembers and frustrating the simple things she doesn’t remember (like those things I want her to remember).  I will admit that I get tired of answering all her questions – but I just remind myself to be happy that she can voice those questions and this is how she will learn.  Of course, a little silence every-so-often won’t stunt her intelligence growth.

Financial lessons – Age 4

Anna is totally jonesing for the Radio Flyer My 1st Scooter as seen on the right.  Actually, Anna wants the pink and purple version, but I want the original red (easier to hand down to a certain boy cousin in about 3 years).

Anna hasn’t yet received this new toy, because we have a new rule in our household.  The only way Anna gets new toys (outside of holidays, birthday and Family Day) is to buy said toys with her own money.  Which means she has started doing chores (not consistently and not always correctly) to earn commission.  Feed the cats – earn a quarter; clean your room – earn a quarter if I had to harp on the cleaning or 2 quarters if done the first time I ask; put away dirty clothes – earn a quarter.  You get the idea.   I pay her immediately after the completion of each chore.  At her age, instant gratification is almost necessary.  In another couple of years, we’ll change up and pay weekly.

I have also told Anna that if she helps with the up-coming moving sale, I’ll give her a cut of money from the sale of her items (toys, clothes, movies, etc).  Since she really wants this scooter, she has totally gotten into the garage sale groove.   And I am not above using this possible purchase to motivate her to part with more items.

Weekend fun in St. Louis

With our time in Missouri running out quickly, I surprised Anna with a weekend in St. Louis.  Of course, it is always more fun to share with a friend, so best buddies Debbie and Dustin joined us.  You started our adventure Saturday at the Magic House (i.e. St. Louis’s Children’s Museum).  It was great, the kids were able to climb a giant bean stalk (ala Jack and the Bean Stalk); take over the Oval Office and a Courtroom; and then spend a little into in the Children’s Village fishing, running a pizza place, shopping for fresh veggies, serving up ice cream cones, or fueling up a real Smart Car.

        

To see all the photos from our time at the Magic House, see here:

View Full Album

That night we relaxed at a local Drury Plaza and did a little swimming.  Anna is working on becoming a little fish.  When she really tries, she can actually swim a few feet on her own.  If we really work on it, she’ll be swimming by the end of the summer

After a good night’s sleep, we headed off to the St. Louis Zoo, which is huge!  We spent a good 6 hours at the zoo and still didn’t see everything.  I asked Anna her favorite part, but the only answer was ‘going to the zoo and seeing all the animals.’  We tried to see as many animals as possible along with taking in the carousel ride and train ride.  Here are some photos of our adventure-

   

For all Zoo photos, see this album:

View Full Album