Sunday, July 28, 2013

Random Pictures from our NY Trip


Reagan got pretty good at Chinese jump rope.  It's funny, I haven't seen one since I was a kid, but it all came back to me so quickly.  

 This bakery was SO GOOD; we ate breakfast there on Wednesday morning.  Everything was delicious.


We spotted nineteen different states on license plates during our trip!

We all enjoyed our trip to New York.  It was nice to spend time with family.

Thank you Karen and Mark for inviting us to stay with you, entertaining us every day (all day long), cooking for us, and letting us make a mess in your house!!!

Thank you Papa for driving and for coming along with us!  It was so nice to have you with us the whole time!

Fish Hatchery

 Later in the day on Wednesday, we visited the fish hatchery to feed the fish.  We have done this before, and the kids always enjoy watching the fish jump for food.








Sam Patch Packet Boat Ride on the Erie Canal


On Wednesday, we all went on the Sam Patch boat ride on the Erie Canal.  This is the first time the kids and I have done this, and it was very cool.



There were only two other people on the boat, so the guide spent some time talking to us.  We learned about Sam Patch (he's famous for jumping off of things including jumping into the Niagara River near the base of Niagara Falls).  I missed a lot of what the guide had to say because I was busy trying to entertain Kate - she was a bit cranky for the first part of the ride and wanted to grab the fire extinguisher.  My sister told me that while I was busy with Kate, the guide asked Collin where he thought the engine would be on the boat in 1825.  Collin quickly responded that there would not be an engine in 1825 - smart cookie! - not sure I would have picked up on that so quickly.

It was very interesting going through the lock.  I have read about how they work, but this was the first time I actually got to see it work in person.













Strong National Museum of Play


On Tuesday morning, we all drove over to the Strong Museum.  This is another tradition; we always visit the Strong Museum.  It is one of the coolest children's museums I have ever been to.





Remember I said this museum is a tradition?  Well, here is a picture of Tyler and Auntie Karen in that same Big Bird nest about eleven years ago!
They both look so young!  I'm glad I found this picture - too cute.

The coolest part of the Strong Museum is the mini Wegmans grocery store.  Reagan could not wait to get in there.  It wasn't the first part of the museum we explored, and that was a mistake because she kept asking when we were going there!  All of the grocery items are in real packaging and the cash registers print real receipts listing the actual items rung up by the child because the upc codes actually scan correctly!!!






The conveyor belts work too!  The whole process is so real.  I wish I enjoyed grocery shopping as much as my children do!


 There are many other fun and exciting parts of the museum to explore.




 Collin played Fur Elise from memory for Auntie Karen; that is his favorite music to play.

 Kate may not like real sand, but she played in this fake sand (tiny plastic beads) for quite a while.  It was in the arcade, and she played in it the entire time Collin and Reagan played video games.  Reagan liked the "sand" too.


The museum also has a butterfly exhibit that is very nice.  It was a bit stressful with Kate though!  She kept pulling at flowers and leaves, and trying to grab the butterflies.  She also wanted to get in the water with the turtles.




We spent five hours in the museum and I don't think we saw half of what they have there.  I also think that is the longest amount of time Kate has ever spent anywhere out in public!  All of the kids were great there, and they had a lot of fun!  The adults had a good time too; it's a fun place!