Harbes Family Farm 2016

We took the kids to Harbes Family Farm this weekend with the intention of not picking any apples. Because we're played out on that. Kids picked berries this summer, and that's going to have to count for our fruit picking this year. Kevin also had the brilliant idea to drink wine while we were there because it's a family farm + vineyard. Genius!

Harbes Tomato Sign

Play chapel?

Treasure hunt

Goats!

Feeding goats

Fisher price farm- more fun than real farm?

Old-school rocking horse!

Tractor play gym

Tractor play gym

James and Kevin went on a hayride

Snoopy was there too! James was psyched.
Miranda was terrified of him.

Snacktime

Delicious apple donuts yum!!

Time to get wine! Woo! Vineyard up ahead.


Wine + huge pumpkins.


Multi-tasking with wine!

Chickens

Chickens

Carriage family picture

Inside the carriage

Bubbles


Bubbles with the runaway kid I returned to his mom...

Free-range bunnies!

Loving the bunny.

Washington, DC 2016

I dragged my family around the National Mall because I love DC so hard. They don't share these feelings, but too bad!

If you look carefully the Washington Monument is behind us!

Smithsonian Castle. See you later, Miranda.

We figured the National Museum of Natural History was the most kid-friendly, though we took them to the Air and Space Museum and the Portrait Gallery before. There was the most exciting development! After years of the dinosaur exhibit being closed- there were two dinosaurs on display again! There were also some other smaller fossils.

National Museum of Natural History NMNH

Whale!

Creatures camouflaged in coral

James looking a little worried about Tyrannosaurus

Three Irish peeps with Triceratops

Looking at mummies

Playing the bug information game

Holding a Madagascar Hissing Cockroach!

Fountain at National Gallery of Art Sculpture Garden

Moondog, by Tony Smith1964, 1998 – 1999, painted aluminum

Aida's Art Exhibit Opening Reception 2016

On Friday we went to Gallery North for the Opening Reception of an art exhibition where Pete's my wife Aida's abstract paintings are featured. Her work is great and the exhibit itself - featuring 4 artists- was very well arranged for maximum effect.

Gallery North

Rita and Jaz congratulating Aida

Pete talking to Marilyn and Pete and Aida's son 

LI Aquarium with Erika and Rob- July 2016

We've missed Erika and Rob since Memorial Day because she's been on a summer book tour for her book, The Book of Speculation! (I read it- it's great! Buy it! Read it!) So we were excited when they suggested going to the aquarium together. We love the Long Island Aquarium.

Group selfie! Unhappy faces due to heat outside the Aquarium

We had a fun afternoon walking around the inside and outside of the aquarium, getting lunch, ice cream, and playing a little Pokemon Go.

James outside the aquarium

Miranda petting sting ray

Rob and Erika laughing at these motionless fish

Miranda pointing out her favorite fish

People in the shark tank today!

Sea lion show!

Petting different sea animals

Miranda is excited

Rob told us about the Penguin bubble!

James is excited that he's big enough for the wading pool (Miranda isn't)

Walking with crabs

Checking out a shelled animal

Kevin and Miranda checking out the otters

The train captivated and enraged Miranda

Ice cream and shade

When we got home the kids made their own aquarium, stocked with kids instead of fish.

Miranda insisted the water table be inside the pool

James insisted on "swimming" laps around the water table