Autumn Fest

For a little Fall fun, we met up with the Curtis Family one Saturday and went to Autumn Fest in Bridgewater. This was the first year we went, and it was great!  They have a ton of food from local restaurants (including our favorite, The Chatta Box), and a lot of activities for the kids.  We decided to eat first, since hungry kids are grouchy kids.  The kids ate yummy pizza from Cape Cod Cafe, while Mommy had Thai food from the Chatta Box.  After lunch, we visited the reptile display.  Joe's Crazzy Critters was the name of the company, and they had a bunch of reptiles that everyone was very fascinated with.  They had the biggest bullfrog I'd ever seen, and a very large tarantula.  The biggest attraction was the snake, and we caught them just as they were taking the snake out of the enclosure.  Connor was able to touch all three reptiles and thought it was pretty cool.  It was too crowded to take Maeve out of her stroller, so she didn't get to touch anything.  I'm sure the reptiles are thankful for that!

After the reptiles, we played some lawn games, and then went to see all the rescue vehicles.  They were open so the kids could explore inside, and our crew seemed to like it.  Maeve liked it so much that when it was time to leave, she threw herself under the ambulance in protest.

There were many business that had tents set up, and many of them had activities for the kids.  They spent some time being creative and taking a break from the bright sun.  It was a very fun day!  

We took every advantage of the beautiful Fall weather this year.  We were very spoiled with the good weather, and were happy to be outside enjoying the fresh air!  We'll be sad to see Autumn end. 

Playhouse

For Maeve's first birthday, Grammy and Grampy gave us money to buy an outdoor playhouse.  We FINALLY bought it in the fall, only five months after her birthday.  We decided on a neutral color because we knew that Connor would love to play in it as well, and we didn't want it to be too "girly".  The kids immediately loved it, especially the "doorbell" that actually rings.  Connor set up two of his mini beach chairs inside the house so they could sit together.  It was nice to see them play so well together (well, for five minutes, anyway).  One of the best parts of the playhouse was the GIANT box that it came in.  We only recently threw it away (two months later).  It was a great box to hide in for the big and little kids alike.  It was sad when we had to throw it out, but it was soaked by rain, so it had to go.

 We're sure that they will have lots of fun with their new house for a long time to come!

Fall Fun

Early in the fall, I took the kids to CN Smith's Farm in Bridgewater, MA.  It's an orchard, farm stand, petting zoo, and pumpkin patch all in one.  We opted not to pick apples, but to take a hayride and visit the animals instead.  We were early enough that it wasn't incredibly crowded, and we were the first people on the hayride!  Maeve absolutely LOVED the hayride.  She was quiet and focused the entire time.  When it ended she even got mad that it was over.  The ride goes through the entire CN Smith property, taking you through the orchards, and then through the pumpkin patch, and then back to the store.  The driver played a game of "move the pumpkin" - we passed around the little pumpkin until he stopped the tractor.  Whomever has the pumpkin when he stops gets to keep it.  Luckily for us, Mr. Connor was the big winner!  He was SO excited to win!

After the hayride we visited the animals, scared the chickens and turkeys that were roaming free, and even took a pony ride.  I haven't been able to get Connor on a horse in years.  He loved it when he was little, but then developed a fear of them for some reason, and I couldn't get him to ride a horse for the life of me.  I may have possibly bribed encouraged Connor to ride the horse for $1.00.  It worked!  He got right on, rode the horse around, and then decided that he loved riding horses.  Go figure.  Maeve, of course, had to have a ride, too.  This child has no fear, so she was right up on the horse like she'd been riding for years.

We had a lot of fun spending the morning at the farm, with the best part being the cider donuts and cider to wash them down.  Delicious!

A Day in Scituate

Our good friend, Cam, turned one in September, and we were invited to celebrate with him and his family in Scituate, MA.  It was a beautiful afternoon, complete with cupcakes and a pinata!  Connor absolutely loved the pinata.  He collected quite a lot of candy, and even got some help from his little sister.

Connor's friend Jackson was at the party, too, so they got right to reading their Star Wars book!

Maeve decided Cam's chair was hers:

Did I mention there were cupcakes?

After the party, Mommy called up her friend, Maria, who lives just down the street from where the party was.  It turns out that Maria and her family were on their boat and invited us to come by.  So, we did!

We didn't take the boat out, but Maria's kids found a jellyfish and let Connor hold it (it's very hard to see, but it's there):

It's always nice to see a good friend! We had a great afternoon in a beautiful seaside community!

First day of First Grade!

On September 4th, 2013, Connor began his first day of first grade.  He was a little apprehensive about going back to school, but only because he got to spend the two months prior hanging out with Mom and doing fun stuff.  Even teachers have a hard time going back the first day, so I can't say I blame him.  His teacher's name is Miss Hodges, and I've heard nothing but great things about her.  I'm sure she'll be great and Connor will have a wonderful time!  I can't believe my baby is already in first grade!  Honestly, where does the time go?

End of Summer

As summer quickly came to a close, we made sure to have as much fun as we could.  I took Connor to the Manning Pool, which is a public pool located at the high school.  It's a great place for kids - it has a splash area and a shallow pool for the kids.  Connor loved it because he didn't have to go underwater (well, until he was jumping up and down, lost his footing, and slipped underwater, but you get the idea...).  We left Maeve at daycare that day so it could just be a nice outing for Mommy and Connor.  We'll take Maeve next summer.

We did go to the mall play area one day while we were waiting for the car to get an oil change.  Maeve loved climbing through the play structures, and Connor met a few boys his age and were playing for quite a while.  It's hardly much of a play area, but Connor always talks about it and how he wants to go back.  I guess it doesn't take much to entertain kids!

We spent a lot of time outdoors.  Maeve loves our big Adirondack chairs.  You could often find her sitting in them like a big girl!

We're sad that summer is at an end, but we know that Fall will have just as much to offer as far as family fun goes, so we're excited for that.  We had a wonderful summer and had spectacular weather.  I'm fortunate that I get to spend the summers with my children, and hope that the memories we share together will be remembered for years to come!

Duck Tours

After Connor's surgery, we wanted to take advantage of the beautiful summer weather, but needed an activity that was low-key as well.  Papa came up with the great idea of going on a Duck Tour!  We met Meme, Papa, and Paige at the Museum of Science on a beautiful, sunny day.  It was absolutely perfect for duck touring!  When it was time to get on the boat, Connor made it very clear he did not want to sit in the sun, so we made sure we were inside where it was shady.  Both Maeve and Connor loved the ride, in and out of the water.  I've been living in this area for 19 years, and I learned some things about Boston I never knew before.  It's a very informative tour!  The most exciting part, of course, was going in the water.  The kids loved it, and Paige even got to steer the boat.  There may have been a small incident when she almost hit two kayakers, but the boat Captain turned the wheel just in time!  Paige took it in stride, even laughing at herself afterward.  It was a great day, and a great way to get to know Boston.  It's such a great city!