Summer Field Trips

While Mommy has been working this summer, Em has gone on several fun field trips with Grammy and Aunt M. We are very thankful that Aunt M includes her niece on these outings with Zander and Maddox! With Grammy's back seat installed with three car seats, all of the cousins can ride together on these adventures. On Monday, Em got to go to the Greensboro Science Center. The Science Center is an aquarium, a zoo, and a hands-on museum for kids of all ages. After a couple of hours of looking at the exhibits, the crew met me for lunch at one of our favorite places, Freddy's. It is extra special when I get to spend an hour in the middle of the day with Emmy and my family. After lunch, the gang headed back to Kernersville, where Emmy was a bit wiped out from the morning's activities. I love the picture of her sprawled out in her pack-n-play. 

Another field trip this week was accompanying Grammy to the grocery store. For the first time, Emmy sat in the cart like a big girl. She loved looking around at all the people and food!  She is still a little wobbly, so Grammy secured her with extra belts and straps. Em is getting better and better at sitting up and staying balanced. It seems that gone are the days of keeping her in the car seat and cramming items around her in the cart. 

One last field trip was on Thursday to Arbor Ridge to visit Great Gma and Great Gpa. Arbor Ridge had a special 4th of July Celebration with a meal, patriotic songs, and even an Elvis impersonator! Luckily the dinner was after work hours, so Mommy and Daddy were able to go, too.

 

When she is not on field trips, Emmy continues to have lots of fun at Grammy (and Grandpa!) Daycare. Grammy is now doing three 'meals' a day, either rice cereal or fruits and vegetables. The meals are usually topped off with a bottle, so Em is still taking a total of about 30 ounces of milk a day. During their time together, Grammy also helps Em practice her sitting and even standing (!) I'm so thankful for the photos I get from my parents during the day; I love seeing what Emmy is up to. Each day seems like it is something new. This coming weekend is the 4th of July holiday. We are heading to the lake tomorrow morning, and we will come back Sunday evening. July 4th usually seems to mark the halfway point of the summer -- it is hard to believe how fast it has gone by! We are packing in as much as we can, and there are still a lot of fun things to look forward to in July and August!

 

 

Emmy's 1st Trip to the Zoo

By special request, Megan wanted to celebrate her [34th] birthday with a trip to the zoo. Her birthday fell on a Saturday this year, so it was the perfect activity for our crew of 9. After going to the Dallas Aquarium just a few days ago, I knew Em would likewise enjoy the NC Zoo. With all the colors and movement, our curious little girl would have lots to look at! We met up with the Houstons, Grammy and Grandpa around 8AM, and our caravan pulled in to Asheboro just after 9AM, when the zoo opened. The zoo has two sections, broken up into continents: Africa and North America, with all the different animals and wildlife for each. Boomer recently went to the zoo with a group from his school, so he was a great tour guide as we first took the tram to Africa, navigated through that continent, then had lunch at the Junction, and finished by walking through North America. We got to see a lot of animals: giraffes, elephants, baboons, gorillas, alligators, snakes, otters, and fish. The boys even got to play at the play area and put their feet in the 'stream.' Em had a lot of fun riding in the stroller with her cousins. She took a short nap on the way to the zoo and also in the afternoon, but mostly she was awake and taking it all in. There were some funny moments throughout the day, like when we unloaded for the tram and were ripping kids out of the stroller, and also when Mom got the attention of the entire food court to sing 'Happy Birthday' to Aunt Megan. It's a bit of a circus with this group...or perhaps, I should say a zoo! :)

 

Grammy and Grandpa were troopers: Grammy was generally holding a child or a bag throughout the entire day, and Grandpa manned the [loaded-down, very heavy] stroller. The picture above is just after we exited, and I suppose it is a good sign that they are still smiling! While at the zoo, Zander and I recreated a picture we took two years ago. The picture on the left is from 2015, and the picture on the right is from 2017. By coincidence, Maddox wore the same shirt that Z has on in the first picture. The years are going by so fast, and these photos are a reminder of that!

By another request of the birthday girl, we ended our fun day with dinner at a Japanese steakhouse in High Point, called Fire and Sticks. We were probably quite a sight rolling up into the restaurant, hot and sweaty from our day at the zoo; but the food was yummy, and our chef kept the kiddos entertained so the adults could enjoy their meals. We were all a little pooped, and everyone was home by 6:30PM for bedtimes.  

Here is just one more photo from our weekend. On Friday night, we had dinner with our friends Jared and Ashley and their little boy, Harrison. Harrison will be a big brother soon, and he was so sweet to Em. We tried out his jump-a-roo, which will soon be used by his little brother, Griffin. It was no surprise that our little jumping bean liked it!

Kennedy Ballpark Tour: Texas Edition

The Kennedy Ballpark Tour lives on!

Boomer and I weren't sure if we would be able to continue our tradition of seeing a different baseball stadium this summer. Now that we have a little one, we debated taking a break for a few years or trying to find ballparks within driving distance. Turns out, there aren't too many parks close by, and since I'm a stickler about keeping traditions, we began planning our 2017 trip in early February. Here is a recap of the Kennedy Ballpark Tour up until this point: 

2011: Baltimore Orioles

2012: Atlanta Braves

2013: Boston Red Sox

2014: Chicago Cubs and Chicago White Sox

 2015: Seattle Mariners

 2016: Toronto Blue Jays

We were very strategic about our choice this year -- wherever we went, it had to be a direct flight from our Greensboro airport. With that in mind, Kennedy Party of 3 was heading to Texas! There are two teams in Texas -- Texas Rangers and Houston Astros -- so with careful planning, we could check off two stadiums. 

I've been known to make a long story long, so in true Lindsey-fashion, I will probably be too wordy with my vacation re-cap. If you'd like just the highlights, the bold titles and the pictures will probably suffice! :)

Day 1 (Friday, June 16th): Flying to Dallas - Emerson's 1st Time on a Plane

Prep for the trip started several months ago. I reached out to some of my friends that have traveled with little ones to get all their tips: 1) be prepared with extra clothes, 2) feed during take-off and landing, 3) use a small umbrella stroller, 4) bring a carrier to 'wear' the baby if necessary, and 5) request a car seat for the rental car. Boomer and I were realistic about having a slower pace this year and budgeting in time for naps, feedings, and diaper changes. In the days leading up to the trip, I was anxious with all the packing and preparations. As I stared down at our luggage on Friday morning, it seemed like I had packed our whole house in these two carry-on suitcases, two book bags, and diaper bag. In the end, I only forgot two things: dishwashing soap and baby bath wash. And it turns out, they have stores in Texas! There was a CVS very close to our hotel where we were able to pick up both of these items. 

Our flight on Friday wasn't until 4:30PM, so we actually had the morning at home in Kernersville. Since Boomer and I aren't ones to waste downtime, we fit in a visit to Emerson's daycare. In August, she will be going to 'school' where her cousins Zander and Maddox first attended. I had only been to the daycare once, and Boomer had never been at all, so I arranged a meeting with the director and an official tour. It was helpful to see the center together. It really looks a lot like a school, especially in the older classrooms, with tables, cubbies, artwork, and crafts, so that put my mind at ease. We have some paperwork to fill out, and then Emerson's official start date will be August 7th. After the visit (and brunch at Waffle House), we then gathered our things to head to the airport. Everything went pretty smooth on our flight to Dallas. Em did great on the plane; she even took a little nap. We only had two small mishaps: we didn't realize that, in the rental car, you had to install the car seat yourself (which was no fun in the 90+ degree Texas heat) and the crib wasn't in the hotel room when we first got there. No worries though; Daddy came to the rescue both times. He was able to wrestle the car seat in, and then he played with Emmy on the big king-sized bed while we waited for the crib. All in all, Day 1 was a success. We had arrived in Texas!

Day 2 (Saturday, June 17th): Tex Mex and a Texas Rangers Game

On that first morning, we found a routine that we then duplicated each morning after that. We woke a little before 7AM, which would be 6AM in North Carolina. After feeding Em, we would go downstairs to get breakfast for ourselves. (Gotta love that Hampton Inn hot breakfast!) Then, with Em in the stroller, we would go for a morning walk around our hotel. The heat wasn't too bad yet, and it was a fun way to see our surroundings. We stayed right in downtown Dallas, so there were lots of tall buildings, fun shops and restaurants, and spontaneous parks squeezed in among the skyscrapers. After our morning walk, we returned to the room to feed Em her rice cereal and baby food. Then Em would nap while Mommy and Daddy got ready for the day. We set out again around 11AM. On recommendation from our Dallas-native friends Matt and Virginia, we went to a restaurant called Mi Cocina in Highland Park Village. Em napped during most of our meal, and I enjoyed a Mambo Taxi, another recommendation from Virg. Yum! After finishing lunch, we walked around the shopping area for a little bit. There were a lot of high-end stores, so we mostly just window-shopped. We went back to our hotel just briefly before heading to the baseball game. The Texas Rangers play in Arlington, about 30 minutes outside of Dallas. The game started at 4:05PM, and it was a hot one! In fact, on the news that morning, the weatherman said that it was going to be the hottest day of the year so far. And I believe it! We did our best to stay cool and move into the shade. We even took advantage of the First Aid Station, which had a 'nursing mother's area', so all three of us could enjoy some A/C while feeding Em and changing her diaper. Two small mishaps on this day: we lost Em's pink sun hat (last seen in these photos) and our misting fan broke (after keeping us cool for several innings).  The Rangers won 10-4, and the Kennedy Ballpark Tour crossed off #8. 

Day 3 (Sunday, June 18th): Father's Day, BBQ, and a Houston Astros Game

When we first scheduled the trip, I did not realize that it would be during Father's Day. I tried to make it a special day for Boomer with two of his favorite things: BBQ and baseball. Another Matt-and-Virg recommendation was a barbecue restaurant called Pecan Lodge. They said to arrive early and be prepared to wait. I found out later that the restaurant had been featured on Diners, Drive-Ins, and Dives, one of my favorite shows! Knowing that parking would be difficult, we opted to take an Uber there. As we were getting close, we could see the line of people waiting on the sidewalk. The restaurant opened at 11AM, and even though we got there a few minutes before that, it wasn't until almost 1PM that we were eating. But it was so worth it! Luckily Em slept in her stroller for most of the wait and was very good while we ate. Boomer got a 3-meat plate with ribs, pulled pork, and brisket plus a side of mac-n-cheese topped with bacon. I got the "Pitmaster" sandwich, also with mac-n-cheese. It was definitely some of the best barbecue I have ever had. With full bellies, we went back to the hotel to prepare for the drive to Houston. Houston is about 3.5 hours away from Dallas. We knew that it would be a long day driving there and back, but we did not want to move hotels or fly out of a different (non-direct) airport. So a road trip it was!

Disclaimer: When we first purchased the tickets, the Astros game was originally scheduled for 1PM. Then, ESPN decided to feature it as its Sunday-night game, so the start time was moved to 7PM. 

When we found out the start time was moved, we were bummed. We considered staying overnight in Houston, but (again, because of the above mentioned reasons), we decided to make the drive back after the game. To my surprise, Boomer had splurged on club-level tickets, which meant the concourse behind the seats was enclosed, i.e. air-conditioned! With the game originally being set for 1PM, he thought it would be a nice treat for his girls. When we arrived, it was to both of our surprise that the Astros stadium is indoors! It was my first time being in an indoor stadium, and it was a whole new experience. The temperature, for one, is different! Boomer jokes that the Astros are my favorite team now! We shared a fried chicken and waffle sandwich and cheered for the 'Stros. The later game time was the only drawback. We changed Em into her pjs around 8:30PM, and then I tried to get her to fall asleep. She finally did, but it took awhile -- there was just so much for her to look at. We ended up leaving during the 7th inning. I don't think either Boomer or I wanted to leave; it was an exciting game, but we had to be realistic about the drive back to Dallas. We got on the road around 10PM, and Boomer and I kept each other awake as best as we could, singing to the radio and even playing 'guess the Sour Patch flavor.' We stopped for coffee and switched drivers halfway, with Em sleeping the whole time. We got back to our hotel just after 1:30PM. Whew! What a day! 

Since it was Father's Day, I have to include a funny story about my dad. I sent texts and pictures all throughout the trip to keep him and my mom updated on our travels. In one text on our way to Houston, I didn't clarify my use of the word 'blowout'...I'm pretty sure my parents were en route to Texas during the 30-seconds that he thought we were stranded on the side of the road! 

P.S. The family restroom at the I-45 rest stop was a lifesaver for this disaster!

Day 3 (Monday, June 19th): Dallas Aquarium and more Tex Mex

We had a slower start to our day as we were all recovering from our trip to Houston. Initially, we discussed going to the Dallas Zoo, but we opted for the cooler, indoor option: the Dallas Aquarium. We took the hotel shuttle to the Aquarium; we arrived around 2PM and spent a couple of hours walking around the exhibits and tanks. There was a lot of marine life, and there were other animals, too: monkeys, sloths, and even a panther. Em enjoyed all the bright colors and movement. We then had one more authentic, Tex Mex meal at Mia's on Lemmons Street. They are especially known for brisket tacos. We were about 3 miles away from our hotel at this point, so we started to walk back but then called the shuttle to take us the rest of the way. It was an early evening, which was much needed after our busy Sunday. 

 

Day 4 (Tuesday, June 20th): Making the Trip Home

The last day of vacation is always a little sad. Something you have looked forward to for so long is coming to an end. In some ways, I was happy to have the trip behind us, to say that we did it; we traveled with a baby and we survived. Even so, I always have the blues when vacation is over. On Tuesday, we basically did in reverse everything that we did on Friday: checked out of our hotel, returned the rental car, boarded our flight, and traveled home. It was a nice sight to see Grammy and Grandpa waiting for us at the airport. They welcomed us with big hugs, and they sure missed their little Emmy!

Just a few final thoughts about traveling with a baby: 

- the sinks in hotels are very small;

- on public transportation, hold on tight -- there are no car seats; 

- find the family restrooms -- they are great for pumping, changing a diaper, and just generally having more space; 

- everything is new to a baby, so even watching the cars go by in your jammies can be an entertaining activity.

Emerson was a great traveler, and I think we have many years ahead of us for checking off ballparks on the Kennedy Ballpark Tour! Only 21 more to go! :)