Solo(ish) Adventures

While we love going on adventures with grandma and popop, sometimes we venture out on our own too. I try and find places to see or activities to do where I can easily manage having all three of them on my own. I don't always have enough hands to hold (though that happens even just while walking H into school!), but we manage pretty well. 

One gorgeous weekend morning in May, we finally headed out to visit the airport park. I'd heard really good things about it, but somehow we'd never been.  It was lovely! Part of it was the weather - it was a day that was hard to beat in terms of blue sky and perfect temperature - but the park was really fun. You could watch the planes take off or land, run around on a small sized runway, or play in the sand and do a little bit of climbing. We had a lovely time exploring all the different areas.

a plane!

wait for me guys!

here it comes...

watching patiently

there it goes

view of the play runways from the viewing deck

M tries to take off

excited face!

Right after preschool was over, Eliza, Molly and I headed back out to Jordan Lake to check out one more lake beach option before summer time. We found a nice little playground, a big grassy area and a nice long beach. The girls had fun splashing in the water and playing in the sand. We didn't stay long, but I'm sure we will be back!

Over Memorial Day weekend, we headed up to the museum to get a chance to play in the Build It! Bamboo! exhibit that was about to end. We weren't sure quite what to expect, but it turned out to be pretty cool. Hayden, in particular, really had a good time. Basically, the museum provided supplies of bamboo poles and rubber ties for visitors to create whatever sort of structure you could. Molly and Eliza preferred the professionally built teepee type climber that was strong enough for kids to climb on. Hayden and I worked to build our own smaller teepee version; Hayden was very intent on trying to add a swing to it. It was fun to watch her experiment with what sort of swing (a hoop? a rubber strap?) would be able to hold her weight. She did manage to pick her feet up briefly, but we definitely need a little more engineering training!

step 1 - tie these things together

testing her hoop swing

M and E play like monkeys

feet off the ground (just barely) on the strap swing

E wanted to try the strap swing too - we built that whole structure!

H finally on the strap swing on the professionally built climber

more monkeys

Adventures with Grandparents

This whole spring, Jason has been very busy finishing up his dissertation. This has meant staying at work late on weeknights and disappearing for long hours on the weekend. While the girls and I can manage on our own, it has been fun inviting Grandma and Popop along for various adventures as we've tried to entertain ourselves while Jason dissertates. We usually pick something outdoors, like a hike that's not too long with interesting features to keep the girls entertained, and head out in the morning.

Back in April, we headed out to Occoneechee Race Track for a bit of a hike. Though the weather was a bit chillier than we expected (and we had not dressed all that warmly), we had a fun time exploring the track and talking with the girls about the history of the place. Who knew Orange County, NC was once a hot bed of the racing world?! And the best part was heading up to a favorite local Mexican restaurant (closed in our neck of the woods due to a fire a while back) for lunch afterwards!

the map, so you can get an idea. we basically just walked the track.

heading down the old grandstand to the track

posing in front of the old starting line

the girls line up for treats from Popop

H grabbed the camera and insisted on taking my picture

The Eno River runs parallel to one side of the track, with several access pts. H wanted to document this. A man we met did not recommend swimming here, due to a sewage plant located close by upstream!

H took E's picture by one of the turn signs.

 At the beginning of May, we headed out to the West Point on the Eno for some exploration and water play. The girls were intrigued by the old buildings - Hayden really wanted to go into the one with the History of Photography exhibit, but it wasn't opened till the afternoon. It was fun to visit this area without the big Festival for the Eno going on; the spaces looked so different! The girls got their feet wet in the river, we did a little bit of hiking thru the woods, and even found a really cool teepee. Hayden will be doing a camp here this summer and I'm really excited to see how it goes.

checking out the old stuff/building

buttercups! (grip tightly or they slip!)

dipping toes in

pretty water over rocks

Even Blizzard got to come this time!

Checking out the view over the dam. What are they watching?....

Two chocolate labs having a BLAST chasing sticks into the water!

a little rock climbing (Popop took the long way around...)

the teepee we discovered in the woods!

This was the trip near Cinco de Mayo. We even let Jason meet us for lunch this time!

Our most recent trip we headed out to Jordan Lake to try and find a good beach spot for summer time visits. We went to one that had a short hiking trail that was accessible from the parking lot so we hiked first (just a mile) and then hit the playground and the beach. Despite cloudy weather, the girls had a great time playing in the water and the sand. We even managed a picnic lunch!We have been so lucky to have Grandma and Popop close by to join us on our adventures!

Heading off on the hike - wait for me!

a gorgeous old tree along the trail

find a bench? pose for a picture (with the map of course!)

somebody was being mean, and wouldn't pick up Molly

hand holding to make it to the finish line

playground by the lake

Aaaahhhh.... I'm slipping....!

tire swing by the lake

all suited up and headed into the water

splish splash!

somebody got cold really quick! (and someone else was really tired from the hike!)

Grandma snuggles warm you right up!

H even managed to make a drip castle.

Who knows where we will head next?!

Berry Season!

For any of you who know me, you know that I am minorly (okay, majorly) obsessed with berries and I am doing my best to instill that obsession in my children. So far, so good. They pick berries with me, they expect to have berry-themed clothing to wear on such berry picking occasions, and they can model berry beards with the best of them.

working on her berry beard

I was a bit apprehensive about strawberry season this year since it kicked off with an email from my favorite berry place saying that they were NOT going to have U-pick due to the cold winter and a problem with deer. That meant I had to find a new place to pick. Luckily I was up to the challenge - and truly there are no shortage of places to pick around here.

We have now been to pick four times at two different places. I have three bags of berries in the freezer for smoothies and a new batch of jam. I didn't quite get around to making strawberry bread, or even strawberry shortcake this year but we have definitely gorged ourselves on strawberries! I think we might be ready for blueberries - unless of course someone wants to go picking one more time for strawberries...

Cheese!

The first time we went to pick this spring, we enticed some friends to join us. It wasn't too hot, pickings were easy and we had a great time. Yes, Eliza did ask me to approve each and EVERY berry that she picked (after it was already off the plant, so it really wasn't necessary!) but I just tried to appreicate her interest in quality control. By the fourth time we went, we got the rules down to two simple statements - really red, and no squishy parts - and even Molly had learned that she could ask to eat it if the berry had a few (small) squishy parts. 

Is she ready or what?! Bucket and sunhat!

how about this one mommy?

what about this one?

sampling the deliciousness

showing off a perfect berry. (She really tried to find a big red one to give to Hayden who couldn't come due to school.)

come on, it's time to go! (They haven't quite developed the must-pick-one-more urge yet.)

posing with our haul! what a bunch of berry cute girls!