Chiles Peach Orchard

I'm a sucker for all farms and all fruit picking. We have already visited Chiles twice for strawberry picking and this was our third peach picking adventure. I took the week off of teaching swim lessons. So we didn't have to worry about being back in town until nap.

We left the house around 9:30 (Olin's morning nap time) hoping that Olin would take his nap in the car. I knew this was a long shot, but wanted to give him the option. The orchard is about 25-30 minutes away. I chose to go through Crozet this time. What a beautiful place. I could see us living there at some point. Great small town feel.

We arrived around 10:00 and I let Calais play my IPAD while I gave Olin a few more minutes to attempt a nap. No go. So we loaded up the double stroller and went to sign up for the Come Grow with Us activity.

We have been here on a Tuesday before but never participated in the event. It was great. Tons of kids, great activities. They led with the art activity, coloring a peach with q-tips and paint, then a book, then peach picking and topped it off with peach ice cream when we were done.

We had met T & A there and they also enjoyed it. It's so great having Calais interact with her cousins and I'm happy they are somewhat near us (2 hours). They loved the peach picking and filled their yellow bags right up!

Olin stayed in the stroller the whole time never napping but was such a trooper! He loves walking now and I was worried he'd want to move around, but I think he was in that in between state and pretty happy to people watch.

While the kiddos were eating their ice cream (Olin got a peach shake!) I purchased some more peaches and hope to  make some peach cobbler today or tomorrow. 

I'm hoping we can go at least two more times and then of course a handful for apple picking on Carters.

On our way out, we were hoping to stop at Crozet Pizza (I've heard great things, but have never had it!) but they don't open til 4. So we hit up Slice at Barracks Road.

McIntire Wading Pool

Monday's weather was pool weather. So we decided to head to McIntire Wading Pool. This was only the second time we've been to this spot. Despite the horrible traffic and noise (the pool is situated right by 250) once you are in the pool you don't really pay attention to it.

I had hoped to get there right around 11, however Olin woke up from a short nap and wasn't happy to play by himself while I got us ready. So we rolled out the door around 11:20. The lifeguards clear the pool the last 15 minutes of every hour, so I wanted us to get in a for a short while before break.

The weather was perfect today, maybe low 80s. We swam for about 15 minutes then break. There is a shaded area near the back where we pulled out our blanket and had our lunch! Olin and Calais both ate well! Calais kept asking when the lifeguard was going to blow his whistle again, she wanted back in. After lunch we swam for the next 45 minutes, then headed home.

There is a small park right by the pool as well, but both times we have come we leave right before nap. One day we will stay at play there as well! Calais has her eye on the swings.

I had parked the car right by the relocated skate park and Calais LOVED watching the skaters while I buckled Olin and and loaded up the car.

Way too long!

And I'm back.

So many changes. The kids and I are now back in Charlottesville. Living in a great location (close to a park). I'd like to refocus this blog on all the outdoor activities that we try to do in town. I'll also sprinkle in some of the crafts and other activities that we do. Hopefully this will be a great outlet for me!

Painting on a Sunny Afternoon

It was 82 yesterday....today the high is 66. This is actually my favorite time of the year. I hope Calais learns to love it as well! Joe worked all day yesterday, so Calais and I were able to spend some QT time together. Google Reader has been a great resource of activities for BG. One of my starred items was make your own sidewalk paint (the actual blog was for fizzle sidewalk paint, you use vinegar and spray it on the paint and it fizzles!) We just ended up making regular sidewalk paint (1 cup cornstarch, 2/3 cup water and food coloring) I was pretty happy with the colors. The blog mentioned gel food coloring works better, all we had was liquid!Calais dove right in! She really enjoyed painting and then scraping her fingers on the paint. And of course what's painting unless you start painting on yourself! She ended up getting some paint on her by mistake and then realized how much fun that was. S0 needless to say she tried painting all parts of her body. I'm very happy to say that she didn't try to eat it at all.
Another one of Calais' favorite things was pouring it on the driveway. I have to say the brushes I used with her soaked up the paint more than letting you paint with them. So pouring it out was a much QUICKER was of painting. And stomping in the paint was a blast!
And the finished product!I got a rag out to clean her hands. She decided she would clean the paint up. Knowing that it was supposed to rain today, I didn't need to actually hose down our driveway. Thank you Mother Nature! All in all a successful afternoon activity!

Young Adult Dystopian Books

Since The Hunger Games and The Iron Fey I've gobbled up all dystopian type books! After visiting websites and browsing Amazon I came up with my own list. (cause we all know I LOVE lists of books!)

William Sleator’s House of Stairs

John Christopher’s The White Mountains

Robert C. O’Brien’s Z for Zachariah

Saci Lloyd’s The Carbon Diaries 2015

Lois Lowry’s The Giver

Gemma Malley's The Declaration

Susan Beth Pfeffer's Life as We Knew It

Cory Doctorow's Little Brother

Jean Ure's Plague 99

John Wyndham's The Chrysalids

M.T. Anderson's Feed

Patrick Ness's The Knife of Never Letting Go

John Christopher's When the Tripods Came

John Marsden's Tomorrow, When the War Began

Robert Cormier's I am the Cheese

Victor Kellehr's Parkland Kazuo Ishiguro's Never let me go

Nancy Farmer's House of the Scoprion

Pam Bachorz's Candor

Jill Hucklesby's If I could Fly

Mike Lancaster's 0.4

Lauren Oliver's DeliriumCaragh o’Brien's Birthmarked