One of the things we did on our recent trip to Chicago was visit the Museum of Science and Industry. There was a LOT going on there, most of it over Nora’s head (literally!), but there were a few things she enjoyed:
Jen scored some free tickets to the Toledo Zoo late yesterday so, somewhat unexpectedly, we found ourselves enjoying some lovely autumn weather in northern Ohio this morning. There are tons of good photos, but here are our favorites. As always, click for larger (or different) picture.
We all needed naps after our trip to the zoo; I think, if you’ve looked this far, you deserve one now too.
Nora recently went on a scouting/fact-finding mission to the dentist. She didn’t have anything done; she just watched her mom (whose teeth are the stuff of legend) get a routine check-up and cleaning. She absolutely loved parts of it (like being given a sticker, ransacking the box of toys, people fawning over her, and when we let her play with the crazy powerful handheld suction tube) and other parts made her leave little shoe-shaped skid marks as she leapt from the chair and ran to the lobby. It was too dark inside to photograph with our camera anyone who moves this fast, but here’s a shot on the way back home.
I forgot to post this here back in August. Nora found it earlier today, though, and laughed so hard she literally ended up rolling around on the floor holding her belly. Not shown, Nora tracing an unsteady parabola away from the spinny chair as she tries to run a straight line to the swings. :)
July & August may be unbearably hot and humid. December onward may be bone-chillingly cold. But in-between them, every year, comes the best reason I know of to own teeth. Cider mill time! (aka Autumn).
We took Nora to the Dexter cider mill and great fun was had by all (including the bees). Then we went to a quiet spot we know by the river to sit on a bench, watch the water, and hang upside down from playground equipment while making sugar-fueled monkey noises. A more bucolic scene you couldn’t reasonably wish for.
this was was really high! look at her in relation to Jen. Also note that she’s apparently conducting a wall climbing clinic during her ascent (she’s explaining how one climbs a wall as she climbs). Best part: as she crests the top and stands up she says, “kinda slippy” with her adorable little substitution of /l/ with [w].
It was the best of fruits, it was the worst of fruits. This first picture is a photograph of Jennie a couple of years ago holding a tomato her parents had grown.
This second picture is Nora a couple of days ago holding a tomato her grandparents grew.
I definitely see a strong family resemblance in the tomatoes.
This park is pretty phenomenal –the wet and dry parts were each probably the best such play spaces Nora’s ever been to. All the elders in attendance were jealous that these facilities weren’t around when we were kids (of course, we got to play with actual Lawn Darts so it wasn’t all bad).
We started the day on the wet part. Played until her tiny lips were nice and blue, toweled off for climbing and swinging fun, switched back into swimsuit for more water (is anything more pleasant than putting a wet swimsuit back on? ), and then it was off to Buddy’s Pizza where Granny treated us all to dinner. All in all a pretty spectacular day and it took at least another day and a half for Nora to calm down afterwards.
Last weekend we took Nora to a nearby spray park (a normal park, no admission, with giant metal sculptures that spray water on you — you’ll see). I’m going to put up a massive post with tons of pictures later today but for now I hope you’ll enjoy this video we shot of Nora realizing why it was, exactly, that she was wearing her bathing suit.
what’s that they say about never appearing with animals or children? Jen’s got the right idea. :)
I LOVE when she imitates my confused/surprised face at 1:51. If you watch nothing else (a) skip to that point and (b) why did you come here? Did you expect free cheese or something?