Ducks & Trucks (and a squirrel)

Now that we have a constantly-on-the-move toddler, we're always looking for fun events to keep him entertained on the weekends. Luckily, we had a couple of them we could go to on Saturday. First stop was a downtown music festival, but Connor was more interested in running around so we went onto campus to feed the squirrels and chase (errr... I mean watch) the ducks.






After a great lunch with Auntie's Heather & Rachel, and a nap of course, it was off to the Touch a Truck event. There were all types of trucks including a fire truck, a bus, a dump truck, a garbage truck, etc. Connor will certainly get more out of the event in future years - some of the activities and opportunities to climb up into the trucks and explore were better suited to older kids - but he still got a kick out of it. His favorite, though, was a township truck that he could sit in and pretend to drive. He didn't want to leave the cab of that truck, telling Daddy "no!" everytime he tried to take him down.

Who's your Daddy?

Connor definitely knows who his Daddy is (dada actually). I hear the requests for him consistently throughout the day and when Ty announces his arrival home from work, Connor can hardly contain his excitement. For Father's Day, Connor and I made Brian a special breakfast, then that afternoon we went to the new Splashground at the pool, and out to Grammy & Pappy's to celebrate with the family. Connor did like the pool, but I think it was a little too chilly still and we'll need to go back on a nice, hot day. We had our most special family meal, stuffed cabbage, at Grammy & Pappy's along with Unlce Beej, Aunt Stacy, and cousin Olivia. These cousins are just too precious together! Happy Father's Day to all you fathers out there who give everything you have to your kids - just like Connor's Daddy and his Uncle Beej!

First Time at the Beach

Well, it was a man-made beach on a lake, but I'm sure that still counted as far as Connor was concerned. And did he like it? Absolutely! Keeping hold of him was hard because he wanted to take right off into the water. And he loved playing in the sand too - especially when alongside his "girlfriend" Madison in their cute matching Penn State shirts.

Carriage ride

A carriage ride through the countryside with our friends Phil, Rebecca, and Madison made for a perfect afternoon. The beautiful and absolutely massive Belgian horse named Rusty was quite a sight for us all, and our guide was an Amish farmer named Ray who was completely entertaining. We were even joined by their sweet dog Pepper who ran alongside the carriage - he definitely has about the best life a dog could ask for. If you're ever in the area, I definitely recommend Pleasant Valley Dream Rides.

Deep Creek for the week

We arrived in Deep Creek, MD on Monday evening, at a vacation home we're renting with friends of ours for the week. I decided to start the vacation off right by allowing Connor free access to a messy pasta dinner. The result? All pasta, veggies, and fruit were "sorted" into one bowl together, where they were then apparently appropriately mixed for consumption. Brian says that Connor is on his way to becoming a visionary fusion chef - he definitely mixes his food in unusual combinations. Last week we taught him to dip his quesadilla in salsa and there were two unexpected results: he began requesting to "dip!" his food anytime he sees an available condiment, and he ended up dipping his pear in salsa repeatedly - yes, he ate the whole thing that way!

NC goodbyes

Our last day in North Carolina. In the morning we visited Hill Ridge Farm (lots of animals and fun kids' activities) with Aunt Sandy, who also made a terrific picnic lunch for us before we got back on the road at noon. Here's a photo at the Hill farm with Connor's Great Uncle Dwight, Great Aunt Becky, Great Aunt Sandy, and Great Uncle Don. Although our visit was brief, it was so wonderful to see everyone. Connor is a very lucky boy to have such a great family! Tomorrow we'll make it to our week-long "home" in Deep Creek!

North Carolina family time

Friday morning we visited the Baker farm (Brian's Mom's family home) and Connor got to explore some of the property - and some wildlife. His Grandma Jean and Grandad Luke were there working on the house, so we got to visit with them too before heading on to Raleigh to see more family.
The next morning we went into Raleigh to another Children's Museum, and once again it was a blast. Lunch back at Aunt Becky & Uncle Dwight's (where we're staying) was a special one with all of Connor's North Carolina relatives attending. Unfortunately, Connor was ready for a nap by the time lunch started, but he was at least able to meet everyone briefly. Next time we'll plan for a longer visit. Thanks Dwight & Becky for your outstanding southern hospitality!!!
Connor was enthralled with the Dwight & Becky's pond, although we had to hold him back from diving right in!

Big Road Trip - Day #1

We started off at 8:30am for North Carolina, and eventually arrived at 9pm that night. It was a long, long day of travel for sure, but we tried to make it easier on Connor by planning some fun stops along the way. Our summer family vacation is a visit to NC to see family, then back up to Maryland for a week at Deep Creek Lake with friends, and finally coming back home about 12 days later. Lots and lots of family togetherness (and time spent in a car seat).

A stop at Richmond's Children's Museum was a huge hit. Connor loved being able to run around wherever and touch whatever he wanted.
Even with a few stops, he spent an awfully long time in his car seat, and the last few hours of the trip were, unfortunately, pretty miserable for him. We didn't realize that he wouldn't be able to sleep comfortably for any length of time, so by the time we arrived at our hotel that evening, he had "napped" just enough to be recharged and not ready to sleep. This was the scene as we tried to get him to wind down for bedtime. He wasn't asleep until 10:30!