The Fourth of July

For the Fourth of July 2012, we went to Brown's Berry Patch in Waterport NY.  It is a farm that originated in 1804 and is still producing today.  On kidsoutandabout.com (a website I highly recommend, it has lists and lists and lists of all the fun things there are for kids to do in the greater Rochester area, I wish every city had something like this) we were able to get coupons to get into the barnyard adventure for free. They have a lot of fun things for the kids to do along with meeting some farm animals.  There were goats, a baby cow named White Socks, chickens, a llama, and some ponies.  The goats have some ramps that help them climb up to the top of the barn and you can buy food, put it in a can that is attatched to a pulley and the goats pull the can up to the top of the barn to eat.  They are fast and it is pretty incredible to watch. 

They have a wooden train, and and wooden pirate ship to play in.  The pirate ship was definatly Toddles favorite thing.

Here he is noticing the goats on top of the barn.

With our coupon, we got one free ride on the barnyard express.  Luckily there wasn't a line, because Toddles saw it, and made a bee line for this chicken.  He climbed right in and was ready to go on his ride.

This little contraption was pretty neat, its called the twister.  You get and walk up the sides, and the whole thing turns.  So little ones slip and slide all over.  Toddles LOVED it.  He got the biggest kick out of it, and could not stop laughing.

Petting a goat.

We picked some cherries while at Brown's.  The fourth was the first day for cherry picking, but the pickin's were slim.  They say not to climb the trees, but there weren't any cherries low enough for us to get (curse our short genes) so Brett kinda sorta climbed a tree so we could get some really good cherries.  They are so good!  Toddles really enjoyed them too.  Luckily you don't have to pay for the ones you eat.

The fourth of July is my favorite holiday.  I love everything about it, the colors, the summer fun, and especially the celebration of our country's beginnings.  I love it!  And I love fireworks.  I don't like the little dinky ones you buy in the grocery store parking lot, (don't even get me started on how much I don't like those...)  but the big ones that you go somewhere, set up, watch, listen/feel the boom of big big fireworks.  Since this was our first July here, we didn't know where to go.  We also didn't want to go far, so I asked some friends and they said they were going to Buckland park.  So we joined them.  It was great, they were far enough away that they didn't scare Toddles (sadly last year he was terrified of fireworks), but you could still see/hear/feel them.  There weren't a million people there, and it was only 5 miles or so from home.  The coolest part was you could see 3 different presentations at the same time.  Henrietta's, Meridian park (the closest), and the city of Rochester's fireworks.  It was really neat.  Toddles was a little nervous and asked to go home in the beginning, but I held him tight and we watched together.  We ooed and awed and gasped over the ones we really liked.  We both really like the ones that crackle.  It is very rare that I get to hold him like that while he is awake so It made watching fireworks really special for me. 

Some things Toddles does right now...

Dinosaurs and animals are everywhere

He says "Exciting!" about a lot of things, but in a funny sarcastic voice

His favorite game to play is "Mommy, where are we going?"  asked over and over and over....

Everything is "let me do it!" if we don't, we have to start over so he can do it

He sings songs

He loves babies

He loves peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, pulled apart

He doesn't like to wear shoes, goes barefoot almost everywhere

He says... "maybe someday we can get/do that... but not today!" in a sweet whiny yet sing song voice

He is the joy of our lives.