The Boys of Fall

So I am not sure how this happened, but I have found that I am totally into Country Music.  I don't know if it is living in WV or something else.  Either way, I find myself listening to the country stations on the radio and totally into country music songs.  Which brings me to this song...

This video is incredible...I am so in love with pre-game speeches or anything at halftime....which brings me to this....

 

 

I am ready for WVU football.......Are you?

Pictures, Not taking Pictures, and Mermaids

One of the things the girls did while we were at the Science Center was design their own dinosaurs.  Keep in mind they did this with a coloring program and a computer, but I thought I would share their designs. 

Charlotte's Dinosaur Design

Drea's Dinosaur Design

Recently, I was reading Parenting Magazine and there was an article about not taking pictures.  Strange right?  Well, not really.  The point of the article was that far to many times we worry about taking a picture to remember that special moment.  However, while taking the picture we are actually missing out on the real moment and it is better to watch without looking though a lens.  Last summer I took pictures of our park trips and other events.  While I took the camera with us on vacation to capture those special moments, I have refrained from taking it everywhere we go this summer.  And you know what the article was right, those moments are better without looking though the lens.

This brings me to my final story.  The girls and I went to the new Splash Zone in Clarksburg a couple weeks ago.  We went with about 5 other families and their children.  At one point Charlotte was swimming with one of my friends, Gwen.  This was their conversation about sunscreen:

Char:  "Did you put on sunscreen?"

Gwen:  "I think I forgot too after I put sunscreen on Reese and Emma."

Char:  "You are getting red, you should put on sunscreen."

Gwen: "Yeah, maybe I should, but I am leaving soon, so it'll probably be okay."

Gwen should have listened she ended up with a sunburn.  Then there was this conversation about swimming:


Gwen:  "Charlotte you need to move your arms over your head."

Char:  "Okay"

Gwen:  "Next you need to kick your legs like a mermaid."

Char:  "A mermaid, really?  How about I kick my legs like human."

Enjoying the Inner Harbor

After spending most of the day at the Science Center we spent a few hours checking out the Inner Harbor.  The kid's favorite part was the fountain that they were able to play in.  We rounded out the day with Rita's Water Ice.  I am not sure our trip could have been any better.  We spent plenty of time with loved ones and went on many adventures.  We hope to continue to explore different areas of the country and of course spend time with family and friends. 

Riding a bike

I think this maybe a bike rack

This picture should be familiar

Try to find Drea

Look who is coming

Having fun

Elijah finally joining in

In dry clothes after playing in the fountain

"Dad!"

Drea still playing in the fountain

Charlotte and Elijah crawling under stone benches



 

Drea and Isak running in the fountain



Drea's Commerical

The Fairmont Federal Credit Union recently made some commercials using Allegheny Imagine Factory.  Unlike most local commercials they turned out really well.  Drea had the pleasure to audition for one of the spots.  She did not get picked to have her own commercial, however, they did create a few commercials with the audition tape.   Her cousins Barrett and Tyler are in this commercial with her, they did get picked for their own commercials.  They both turned out really well.  Barrett's voice is at the end of the commercial.  For those of you on facebook, just go to the Fairmont Federal Credit Union's facebook page and you can watch all of them.  For those of you not on facebook, just go to youtube and search for Fairmont Fcu.  The auto video is Barrett and the boat 1 & 2 video is Tyler.  I believe there is one other commercial with Drea, so when it comes out I will post it without all these details. 

Maryland Science Center

One of the other trips we took while visiting the Hoffmasters was going to the Inner Harbor.  I have said this before, but I really enjoy the Baltimore/DC area.  There is so much to do.  On this day we went to the Maryland Science Center.  There was so many things to do at the Science Center, it was impossible to do them all, but we tried. 



This guy greets you coming in the door

Making a hot air balloon

Digging for fossils

Isak and Charlotte putting together a dinosaur skeleton

Hugging a dinosaur

Sitting in a dinosaur footprint...

Oops...she shouldn't have been on that

Making dino footprints

Help me!

Up close and personal with a tornado

The kids dressed in parkas

Isak was the only on who really wanted to have his picture taken in this parka

Petting a snake

There were 3 of these seats.  You could sit in them
and pull yourself up using a pulley.

In the tornado machine...

Cool picture of Drea playing with fog

Tug of War

Laying on a bed of nails

Playing in Space

The girls in the kid area

Pretending to be turtles

As you can see there was a lot of things for the kids to do.  I didn't even take pictures of everything that was there.  I'll finish this blog post with a video of the kids in the tornado machine...only one of them makes it though the entire experience...Can you guess who?

The National Zoo Redo

The very first time we visited with the Hoffmasters we went to the National Zoo.  Remember this?  http://wvniessners.blogspot.com/2012/08/we-went-to-zoo.html So if you know the girls, you know once you do something with them, they think that is what you are supposed to do every time.  This is one of those things that I don't mind doing over and over.  We have yet to see the entire zoo, so there will probably be another trip at some point in the future.  The main reason we have yet to see the whole thing is because it has rained both times we have been there.  One of the great things about the National Zoo is it is free.   I guess technically it isn't free since we ride the Metro into the city, but that is another aspect I enjoy. 

As a kid, we didn't take public transportation, ever.  I am pretty intimated with it.  I really want the girls to not be scared to take adventures and try new things, hopefully using public transportation as kids won't scare them as adults.  I should be clear, it isn't riding the train or the people or anything.  That doesn't bother me, in fact I had a great conversation on the Metro with some guy about Elijah.  The whole ticket buying part is what freaks me out.  It is really stupid if you ask me, but I don't want people to think I do not know what I am doing or get on the wrong train.  Enough about that, on to the pictures and the fun.



Waiting on the Metro to start the day

Drea, Char, and Isak on the Metro

Drea, Elijah, and Char on the Metro



Charlotte's view while she was riding the Metro

The girls playing in the fountain

This fountain is on the way to the zoo

Finally in the Zoo

Zebras



The cheetah sleeping

Elk

The red panda sticking out his tongue, probably because of this http://baltimore.cbslocal.com/2013/06/25/missing-red-panda-from-national-zoo-found-in-dc/



Complete with chips in hand posing with the red panda statue

Aunt Sarah, Charlotte, and Elijah saying cheese

Drea's Favorite

Charlotte's Favorite

This was during one of the three rain storms, I do not know if you can tell or not, but it is pouring while we are watching the seals swimming around.  Thankfully we are undercover and somewhat dry.



The sun came out for this picture, then it started to rain, again and
we headed back inside to see the octopus



The Octopus

We finally gave up and headed for home

This picture sums up the end of the trip, cold, wet, and exhausted

 There is an obvious difference between the beginning of the trip and the end of the trip, but it's hard to complain about a fun filled day at the zoo.  I am sure at some point in their lives the kids will look back and talk about the time they went to the zoo and it poured.  Here is hoping to many more zoo trips and fond memories.