Airshow!

We live not too far from an Air Force Base, so a few weekends ago, we went to an airshow!  Now, Daddy and I both grew up with fathers in the Air Force, so we are no strangers to airshows.  However, this is the first one that we've gone to since we've been married, so it was also Little Guy's first! Knowing the airshow was coming up was one of the reasons I planned our preschool transportation unit when I did. 

If you've read this blog for a while, you may recall that a little over a year ago, Little Guy was in love with airplanes.  I wrote about it here and here, and his second birthday had an airplane theme!  After that, and three trips on airplanes, the interest started to dwindle.  Well, not anymore!  Airplane play is back in full swing at our house!

Little Guy had a really fun time at the airshow! We enjoyed watching many of the aerial demonstrations, but we also had a good time looking at the planes and other things that were on the ground.  Check out these pictures of what he did!

One of the first things he did was get to try on the mask and helmet that pilots use in jet planes! 

One of the cool things about the airshow was not only seeing the planes up close, but also talking to the pilots.  Here, Daddy and Little Guy were talking to this A-10 pilot.

Another plane we saw (and toured) was a KC-135.  This is the type of plane that can refuel other planes while in the air!  Or, as Little Guy likes to put it, its a big gas station in the sky.  He was talking to the pilot.

Not only were there airplanes there, but there were also hummers and helicopters.  Little Guy had a fun time trying these out!

One of the highlights of the day was watching the Thunderbirds.  This amazing group of F-16's did some spectacular tricks.  We had a great time watching them fly.

After they flew, the Thunderbird pilots were signing autographs.

At the end of the day, Little Guy was able to choose one toy airplane as a souvenir.  He chose a Thunderbird.  What a fun finish to our day!

Fire Station Field Trip!

Our playgroup went on a field trip to the Fire Station this week! It was a fun trip, and Little Guy really seemed to enjoy it.  On the way, he kept saying he wanted to talk to two firemen.

The highlight of the trip was sitting in the fire truck!

Litte Guy was upset that he wasn't big enough to drive the truck.

We enjoyed looking at the trucks.  Little Guy was so small compared to the truck.

I think he really liked when a fireman helped him into the truck, and even showed him the seat that folds down.

One part of the field trip that I thought was especially valuable was when one of the fireman put on his complete uniform, including his face mask.  While he did look a little scary, it is so important that Little Guy sees that so he knows that it is a fireman, in case we ever have a real emerengency.

What is your toddler's favorite field trip?

Going to the Zoo

I love to go to the zoo with Little Guy. Lately, it has been even more fun. Little Guy now is able to look for and spot the animals, at times getting excited when he sees them. He likes to walk around, not always ride in the stroller.
Now that it is fall and a little cooler, there are much fewer people there. Our most recent visit to the zoo was on Halloween. I think we saw between 10 and 15 other people there.
Anyway, the two tigers were very active, pacing around their enclosure and occasionally playing with each other. Little Guy was just tall enough to see over the window ledge. He watched them walk around, pointing occasionally. We must have stood there for 10 minutes watching them.

Little Guy likes to sit on the baby tiger seat.

Then we walked to the small animal kingdom. In this area of the zoo, there are things for kids to climb on and play in. Little Guy loves to check these things out now! There is a life size komodo dragon. 

Hmmm...I wonder what this is?

Of course, we must visit it before moving on!

I have conquered the dragon!

There is a tortoise shell that you can climb in.  Little Guy wanted to see what was inside, but never crawled all the way in.

What's in here?

One of the last things are some huge shells.  Glad I didn't have a baby big enough to fit in it!

My new seat!

We love going to the zoo!  What are your favorite parts of the zoo?

Giggles

Earlier this week, Little Guy and I took an afternoon to play at the park.  Where we live, the leaves have mostly all changed colors and are starting to fall.  Although Little Guy was around last year at this time, he was only four months old and didn't get to experience the fall leaves.  So I wanted to make sure we had some time to play in the leaves.

We went to a new (to us) park, one that has a swimming pool open in the summer, and still has big trees and a play structure open all year. Our first stop within the park was to play in the leaves.  I would throw the leaves up, and Little Guy just giggled and loved to see the leaves falling down.  We kicked the leaves, and tried to run through them.  We had fun.

I love being outside!

Look at all those leaves!

Wait, did I tell you about the weather   I think the high that afternoon was in the mid forties.  It was pretty cold!  We were bundled up.  Little Guy had on a puffy coat, a hat, and those cute little toddler mittens with no thumbs.  I just had on my coat; I forgot my hat and gloves at home.
Anyway, after the leaves we went to the play structure.  Little Guy really enjoys the slide and swing. We stopped at the swing first.  He looked so happy to be on the swing.  This is the sound that melts my heart...giggles!

 He loved going down the slide, and has figured out how to scootch his bottom so he will start to slide down.

At the top of the slide!

Down I go!

After a few times on the slide, we had to leave.  It was starting to rain fairly hard, and since I had forgotten my hat, I was getting very wet.  But we had a great afternoon at the park!

Pumpkin Patch

Now that it is fall and October, we needed to make a trip to the pumpkin patch.  Grandma and Granddaddy A. are here visiting us for about a week, so we made a big trip to the pumpkin patch!  This was Little Guy's first trip, as we didn't take him last year.

Before we took the hayride to the pumpkin patch, we stopped to play in the Corn Box.  This was so much fun!  It was just like a huge sensory tub filled with corn.  There were also some toy dump trucks, scoops, and other miscellaneous toys to use.  All five of us climbed into the corn box.  Little Guy was buried in the corn up to his waist!

Little Guy and Granddaddy hanging out in the Corn Box.  Little Guy is concentrating hard on filling the dump truck.

Uh-oh! Where did Little Guy's legs go?

After playing in the Corn Box for a little while, we went on a hayride to the pumpkin patch.  There were many varieties of pumpkins there, including your classic orange round pumpkin.  Daddy picked this one out almost immediately!

Daddy and Little Guy with our pumpkin!

Little Guy is investigating the pumpkin.

After choosing our pumpkins (we got three: a big one for Daddy, a medium one for mommy, and a little bitty one for Little Guy) we took the hay wagon back to the entrance.  Then we went through the corn maze!  That was pretty fun (the map helped).

Overall, we had a great trip to the pumpkin patch! 

End of the summer

Well, summer is wrapping up quickly.  Next week I return to life as a working mom, teaching morning kindergarten.  It is a job that I love, but I will miss all the extra time I have been spending with Little Guy.

Before I head back, I want to share some of the things that we did this summer.  We have been to the zoo many times!  Little Guy is in a pointing phase right now.  It's great because I can tell if he is seeing an animal because he points at the animal!  I think that the giraffes are his favorite animals, but the penguins are fun too because they swim right up to the glass!

Mommy, Daddy, and Little Guy at the Zoo!  Look at those elephants!

We also take time to play outside (almost) every day!  For his birthday, we got Little Guy a water table.  Its a pretty simple  table, but he really seems to enjoy playing in it.  We have some wiffle balls that we can drop down the center, some toy boats, and some plastic containers.

Little Guy and Mommy playing in the water!

 In addition to the water table, we also have a sand sensory tub that we can play with.  I had a shallow plastic tub that we put some playground sand in (bought from the Home Depot!) and then I bought some beach toys to add to it.  We try to head outside for at least 30 minutes every day.  We get really nice shade from the house, so we can play for a while.  I think that Little Guy's favorite outdoor toy is the lawn mower that grandma gave him!  It makes lots of noises, including a "glug-glug" sound when you turn the gas cap!