Frying Pan Farm

We went to Frying Pan Farm with our playgroup.  Out of the whole farm, Paige's favorite thing was riding the kid's sized tractors.  She had trouble sharing with other kids and cried when it was time to move on to see the animals. 

First we stopped in to see the pigs.  Paige looked for a second, and then reacted like this:

"Pick me up, Mommy!!"

She was a bit freaked out for the rest of the visit, but did like looking at the animals. 

New York, New York

We took a semi-spontaneous trip to New York City, taking advantage of Jake's time off between finishing the bar and starting work.  My company had a project at the Bronx Zoo and so I came up to do some data collection.  Jake and Paige came along.  We stayed with Caren and Carl Oberg (Caren is my boss) in Irvington, NY which is just a train ride out of the city.  We stayed on the FEE compound where Caren and Carl live (Carl is the CEO of FEE) in this amazing Victorian House. The house is the main building for FEE where their offices/dorm rooms are.  It's an old, kind of creepy, and all around really neat building. 

Paige enjoyed the outdoor space.  She got to kick around a basketball.

Learn to throw a frisbee

Play with Caren and Shisha (the cat)

And of course play with Jake.

We drove up to New York on a Tuesday morning.  That afternoon/evening we took the train into the city. 

Waiting for the train. 

We went to Grand Central Station (since that's where the train dropped us off) and then had some New York Pizza.

We ate right outside of the New York Public Library.  This was a "must see" for our trip because of it's starring roll in Ghostbusters.

We walked through Times Square, saw the New Year's ball and then saw Mickey.  Paige was so excited!  We were less excited when the Mickey posed with Paige and then held out his bag so we'd pay him.  But I guess he has to make his living somehow.  

We finished up the evening by visiting the M&M factory (where Jake bought me a bag of blue and turquoise M&Ms), then buying some Cheesecake.  

The next couple of days I spent working at the zoo.  We had parking spaces reserved for us at the zoo, and were pleased to see our names on the spot when we got there. 

Jake and Paige spent the days sight seeing.  One of the days they went into the city and went up the Empire State Building and walked around a little bit.  They spent the next day at the zoo (because if there's one thing Jake and Paige both love, it's a zoo).

We headed home the next day (on a thoroughly congested Jersey Turnpike). It was just a short trip, but we were really glad to be able to go on this trip.

Another Girl!

I guess I never really announced it, but....

It's a girl!  

Due November 18, 2012

Airplane Park

Gravely Point Park is one of my favorite places in the DC Metro area.  It has a big wide open field, with an awesome view of the Potomac and the DC skyline: 

It's funnest feature is that it's built right on the end of the runways of the Reagan Airport so airplanes fly RIGHT OVER your head.  It never ceases to thrill me. 

Spray Park with Daddy

On one of Jake's days off we hit our favorite spray park in Alexandria.  Paige's favorite thing this day were the fountains shown in these pictures. 

If you step on one of them, the others shoot with more pressure.  Paige especially liked these this day because Jake showed her how to strategically step on them to spray me in the face.

Luray Caverns

Since Jake had a few weeks off between when he took the bar and when his job started, we tried to do a few fun things in the area that we've always wanted to do.  One day we took a trip down to Luray Caverns.  

Luray Caverns is huge cave with lots of cool formations.  My favorite part is shown in this picture here: 

There is a shallow pool of water that is so still it perfectly reflects the formations above, making it look like the formation are on the floor of the cave as well as the ceiling.  It was awesome! 

Paige was in heaven because she got to ride in the hiking backpack.  The hiking backpack is one of Paige's FAVORITE things so she was absolutely thrilled to be on Jake's back. 

For months after this trip Paige kept telling me that she "needs to get in the hiking backpack and go through another cave." 

Out For a Walk

Jake and Paige like to take walks together around the lake.