Lazy long weekend…

So, I woke-up with a horrible headache that continued most of the day.  I ended up taking a long nap this afternoon – leaving Anna to her own devices.  And here is one of the results (we won’t discuss the disaster of all her toys everywhere in the living and family rooms).

After my nap, I felt better.  We headed back into town to the local bike store, where I back the proud owner of a new bike for me.  This evening we took a quick bike ride around the neighborhood behind us.  It was fun for both of us.

Another Glastonbury Park…

So, Glastonbury has several different parks, some with just playing fields, others with walking and hiking trails, and still others with play grounds.  Our goal is to check out all the parks with playgrounds.  We first visited Addison Park, which was very large and very busy.  Addison Park has it all – playgrounds (three different structures plus sand box), soccer fields, ball diamonds, and swimming pool.  I was not a fan of how busy it was, because some parents were busy at one part of the park and not overseeing their children on the playground structures (kids were riding bikes and scooters up onto the play structures).  So, I was very happy to find Ross Park – which is a small park tucked back in a neighborhood.  Ross Park has a play ground, ball diamond, and the community gardens, where residents can rent garden plots for $40 a summer.  The best, Ross Park was not over run with kids – in fact, Anna had the park to herself.  We played and then checked out the gardens.

Notice the sandbox full of toys?  Those toys are always there and don’t grow legs and walk off.  I don’t think I have every lived somewhere in which such toys remain in the local park.

    

When we checked out the local community gardens, there was a nice gentleman was harvesting some of his crops.  He had flowers along with veggies and was nice enough to cut Anna a bouquet of flowers.  We are considering planting our own garden next year.  The park is about a mile from the house – easy walking or biking distance.  The town plows up the field in April each year and there is a water source (actually, several areas to hook in hoses are there). 

 

Weekend trip to the Children’s Museum in West Hartford, CT

Granted we have been spoiled having lived in Indianapolis, which has the nation’s (if not world’s) best children’s museum (look it up if you don’t believe me).  So, for me at least, the locate Children’s Museum is somewhat of a let down.  Luckily, Anna doesn’t remember the Indianapolis Children’s Museum and thinks the Connecticut Children’s Museum is the bee’s knees.  She greatly enjoyed a trip, which included a visit and show at the planetarium for a showing of Sesame Street’s One World, One Sky.  Here are some photos – I still think the giant light bright is one of my favorites – but the flight simulator was very cool (even though I kept crashing my plane).

The Children’s Museum has a large turtle room with dozens of different types of turtles and tortoises.  It also has a small wildlife sanctuary with a snakes, a raccoon, a lynx (bobcat), fox, lizards, etc.  Anna could spend hours watching the animals – even those that are sleeping.

 

      

why yes, I am wearing two skirts…

In the whole nature vs. nurture concept…I am giving this one to nature. 

Please ignore the messy kitchen in the background.  I finally finished unpacking all the kitchen boxes this morning – but I am still trying to figure out where everything is going.  Needless to say, we have about half the storage space and counter space of our old kitchen.

Exploring the local Glastonbury Parks…

Since we are back to average temperatures here in Connecticut, Anna and I decided to check out one of the local parks, Addison Park.  Let’s start with the fact that this park has it all – baseball diamonds, basketball courts, tennis courts, a pool, soccer fields, and a very large playground complex.  The playground was the big draw for Anna and I.  Actually, there are three playground structures (two wheelchair accessible) and a sandbox area also.  Addison Park is a Boundless Playground park – meaning it is accessible to children who not as mobile as Anna. 

Addison Park is actually the closest park to our house, so we will probably visit often (as long as the temperatures cooperate).   Anna had a great time checking out all the play structures and swinging in one of the seat swings.  There is so much to do between all the play structures, that she shouldn’t get bored.

I do have one complaint – which would be other parents failure to monitor their children.  Since the play structures have ramp systems, there were several kids who thought this was an invitation to ride bikes and scooters up onto the structures.  Obviously, neither they nor their parents read the posted signs that prohibit skateboards, bikes, scooters and roller skates on the play ground. 

    

Saturday Morning at Mystic Aquarium

One of the things we did when we were in Connecticut in May was visit the Mystic Aquarium.  While there, we purchased an annual pass, which we put to good use this weekend with another visit to Mystic.  We saw sea lions, penguins, and jelly fish; took a walk through a marsh, watch a sea lion show, touched sharks and sting rays, and feed birds of the outback.  It was a full day – some of which I captured on film.

Anna greatly enjoyed feeding the Birds of the Outback, as long as the birds remained on the popsicle stick and didn’t get on her hands or arms.  She was also fascinated by the jelly fish, which are part of the new exhibit at the aquarium.  But her favorite part was the sea lion show.

This will probably be a monthly trek for us, since the aquarium is about 50 minutes from our house.  It is a quick drive down.  Next time we might leave time in our schedule to make it to the Mystic Seaport.

View Full Album

     

Weekends one and two…

Our first two weekends in Connecticut have not been all that eventful.  We have been working on unpacking, settling-in, nesting and installing window air-conditioner units.  Seriously, I thought I moved away from this miserable, hot, humid weather when we left Missouri.  I am looking forward to when New England gets back to normal summer weather – until then, I’ll be breaking the bank paying my future electric bills because of running the window air-conditioner units.

The only event of note, was the meeting of the cats’ new vet.  Seems MuShu has a small urinary tract infection, most likely brought on by the stress of moving.  Luckily, after just two antibiotic pills he is already felling better.

We both survive our first full weeks of work (for me) and school (for Anna).  Anna keeps saying that she really enjoys her new school.  I am getting into the routine of making lunch for her each day.  Ok, so I haven’t been all that creative yet.

Next weekend we will be playing in Indy, so no New England explorations for us.

But future plans include the aquarium (once it cools off)