Lucy and Creatures of the Night

We went to the Delaware Museum of Natural History earlier today to see the new Nature Nook and the Bats and Other Creatures of the Night exhibit. Lucy got to make some crafts - a clothespin bat and a possum stick puppet. We all checked out the fun new things in the Nature Nook. Lucy sat in an Eagle's Nest with a momma and baby eagle. She got to pet a real live snake and turtle! They also have a cool cave that you can carry lanterns in as you enter. Lucy was a little nervous about this cave (as you can tell from the pictures). She didn't really want to join me, but we coaxed her into it. I thought it was cool though. Lucy also saw a hissing cockroach, small dragon, toad and a tarantula. Luckily, these were out of their cages for petting. What a fun outing for Halloween weekend!

Wonderful Inner Harbor Weekend

Our Labor Day weekend was just perfect. The weather was fantastic - on the cooler side and very low humidity! We decided to take an overnight trip to the Inner Harbor to enjoy the long weekend and wonderful weather. We couldn't have asked for a better way to spend some fun time together as a family. Lucy loved having an adventure with her sister and parents, and we loved sharing the wonder with her. We headed down mid-afternoon, checked into our hotel and walked to Inner Harbor to get some yummy Maryland crab cakes - so good! Lucy loved the crab, so I reluctantly shared my sandwich with her... We went to the Maryland Science Center from there. It is such a great place for a little explorer. There is so much to do and so many hands-on activities. Lucy and Kenzie both enjoyed themselves and the exhibits. Kenzie got to lay on a bed of nails (and she survived!), use pulleys to pull her own weight and play tug-o-war with Brian. Lucy loved the musical harp with no strings, all the puzzles and especially the dinosaur exhibit complete with a child-friendly archaeological dig! She loved brushing the dirt away to discover the bones beneath! Then we had a tasty dinner at Hard Rock Cafe.

Sunday we made our way back to the harbor for a fantastic walk and then visit to the Aquarium. Although it was crowded, Lucy was able to wiggle her way right up to the tanks to see all she could. She loved the fish and turtles, the sharks and rays... We also took time to see the dolphin show, which was the highlight of the day. I think we all enjoyed the show, but Lucy was in awe of the dolphins. She was a good audience member, providing hearty applause and squeals in appreciation of their fabulous feats! Then on to the jellyfish exhibit, which seemed to be high on her list as well. As a reminder of our wonderful trip, each of the girls took home a dolphin - Lucy's a toy and Kenzie's a much more suitable decorative dolphin. I hope they both have fond memories of our fun getaway when they see (or play) with their dolphins. I know I do!

Enjoy these pictures from our Baltimore adventure.

Museum Tour with Friends

Lucy and I met Heather and Isabel for some Starbucks and a trip to the Delaware Museum of Natural History a few weeks ago. We usually go to Longwood Gardens where the girls can splash around and run through the maze, but it was way too hot! So, we decided an indoor adventure might be a better bet. The girls loved the museum (this was Lucy's second trip) and had a great time both in and outside. Lucy was nervous about the in-floor coral reef display again, but after watching Isabel cross without a care, she finally decided to give it a try, then she was back and forth across the display more times than I can recall. Both girls enjoyed the bronze animal sculptures outside and had fun running around for a short time before we decided it was time to get in from the heat. We had a great time and both look forward to our next adventure with the Nolan girls!

End of June Update a Little Late

Kenzie was with us for the first couple of weeks of her summer vacation. Lucy is always so happy when her sister is in the house. She gives Kenzie the biggest hugs and looks forward to her very special sister time.

Kenzie enjoyed Coach Tina Martin's basketball camp at UD the first week she was with us. She learned some great new moves and got a chance to perfect her game with help from Elena DelleDonne and the other lady hens.

Then Nana Jean came to visit for the week, which made things twice as much fun! We all enjoyed spending time with Nana Jean, especially Lucy. Lucy thought it was pretty neat to have her Nana here. On the way home from school she would start saying "Nana" a few miles from the house in anticipation getting home to have lots of fun. We spent some of our time just relaxing, but we also went to the Brandywine Zoo one day. We learned all about pollinators while we were there and Lucy made some very "buggy" crafts, including butterfly wings and antenna for her head. There are a few pictures below. I think Lucy really enjoyed all of the extra attention and was quite sad when Kenzie, and then Nana left the house.

In other news regarding that week, Kenzie (with Nana's help) cooked dinner for us almost every night that week! I must say she is becoming quite the chef. We had some very tasty meals including meatballs and spaghetti, tuna melts and taco pie. Kenzie also had Lucy's dinner ready when we walked in the door from school. She sure knows how to spoil a little girl! Kenzie also cleaned the house on her last day with us. It was so nice to come home to such a sparkling clean house - a real unexpected treat!

Those first couple weeks of the summer were such a great way to start enjoying the summer fun and we were all looking forward to Kenzie's return - especially her little sister!

Lucy watches as her butterfly wings,
which she colored, are put together to wear

Lucy is sporting her very fancy wings!

Every proper butterfly needs antenna to go with her wings.

A WILD Adventure!

Today was a beautiful day - it was sunny outside and in the 70s - who could ask for more? We had a great day full of outdoor time. We spent the afternoon at the Philadelphia Zoo. This was Lucy's first trip to America's first zoo. As we expected, she loved it! We got to see polar bears swim, lions roar and zebra run. Lucy visited the petting zoo and loved watching the wandering peacocks.

Later in the day, Lucy watched with excitement as Daddy put her new slide from Poppa and Nana together. She had lots of fun sliding. She also helped out by watering the flowers on the patio for Daddy. Here are some shots from our great day.

Daddy & Lucy with Daddy & baby hippos?

I think this is the closest Lucy Girl will ever get to petting a hippo!

Lucy followed this guy around for quite some time...

This isn't a real cow, but it was still neat to see Lucy try to milk her!

Brushing a goat in the petting zoo.

Kenzie with a zebra in the background

Back at home sitting at her table from Nana and enjoying a well deserved drink!

Supervising as Daddy assembles the Lookout Treehouse Slide from Poppa and Nana.

Wheeeeeeee!

Using the "lookout" to see Kenzie.

Watering the patio flowers.