Stuart had to work a 24 hour shift yesterday, so we celebrated Independence day with a quick trip to the Farmer's Market (it's the very best time of year for produce... cantaloupe, corn, tomatoes, peaches, blueberries, squash YUM. We also picked up some late season carrots, baby potatoes and baby beets for a low price!) and then an afternoon with Mema...
I have found that it works best for everyone to go early (before Samuel's first nap) and eat a breakfast picnic after shopping at the market - cheerios and market fruit for James, milk and pouches for Sam, and pastries, coffee and fruit for the grown ups. Going early means we get there before the market closes (at noon), and also get the best selections of everything right as the market opens at 8am.
After Samuel woke from his first nap, we drove to Raleigh to meet my mom at
Pullen Park (a beautiful old park in the middle of downtown.. apparently first opened in 1887!). We used to go here a lot when I was a kid, but I haven't been since college. They closed the park for several months and renovated a lot to protect some historical landmarks (like housing the carousel from 1911 to protect it from the elements, below). It's re-opened and beautiful!
We started with a pulled pork BBQ picnic that my mom brought. It just seemed right on the 4th of July :)
Next we bought tickets (only $1/each) and rode the carousel first. It was hard to get photos because we hopped on right before it started, and it went really quite fast! Sam LOVED it, but I think James was a little nervous. He was much more interested in the train...
Next, we hopped on the train, which has a real train engine, for a ride around the park. This was nice because it was shaded and a little breezy! (It was warm out...)
Next, James was able to ride these little kiddie boats. You'll noticed the playground in the background, which we didn't spend any time at. But even the playgrounds would be worth the visit - they have some cool climbing structures for older kids, lots of swings, and a big sand pit with cool structures for younger kids.
James wanted to ride the train one more time before leaving, and as you can tell from the photo below, everyone was ready for a nap. They both fell asleep before we were even on the highway and slept during the 25 minute ride home. Thankfully I was able to transfer them to bed with no problem, and when they woke, we had a laid back evening inside, enjoying our farmer's market finds for dinner!
Happy Independence Day!
