Our Jones Family Experience

Sunday, July 31, 2011

Fair Season

Everywhere else I’ve lived schedules all of their fairs at the same time, so there are a few weekends in August/September when you can visit the fair. In New England, they have a fair season. Fair season starts in July and runs through October. We started our fair season yesterday with a visit to the North Haverhill Fair.


As a kid I loved riding all of the rides, but now we leave that mainly to Hadley. I still enjoy fairs though to watch Hadley and for the food of course. We were a little disappointed with the barbecue stand we chose, especially since we saw later that out favorite barbecue stand was there. We were thrilled to find a stand selling funnel cakes though. In New England, they usually only have fried dough and while it is good, it is nothing compared to funnel cakes.

Besides the food, we visited the animal barns where the girls got to pet cows, sheep, goats, bunnies, and chicks. Hadley also rode the rides. Her favorite was the big slide as usual. She surprised us though with her desire to ride the Wacky Worm, which was a mini-roller coaster. Hadley is usually much more timid, but she tried it out and loved it.

I’m not sure which fair we will go to next, but I know I’m looking forward to it already.








Monday, July 18, 2011

Billings Farm

As you’ve probably figured out, I’m always trying to find new things for us to do as a family. This weekend we decided to try Billings Farm. As well as wanting something to do, I also wanted to see how Billings Farm compared to Shelburne Farm. Without a doubt Billings is better and where we will return in the future and where I would like to organize a field trip for play group.


Billings Farm is located in Woodstock, VT. We had never been to Woodstock before and were pleasantly surprised to find that it is a very cute, tourist town with lots of places to eat and things to see. Billings Farm starts out with a small museum. Even Hadley was interested by it, repeatedly asking “What is that?” and “What is that for?”




After a quick tour through the museum we headed out to the barnyard. Hadley’s favorite was the chickens, even after one mistook her finger for food. Malia seemed to like the cows a lot. I think due to the fact that she could pet them as much as she wanted and no one told her gentle like with the cats.


Watching the chickens

Come back chickens!


This calf was born the morning we visited.  She was 3 weeks premature and only weighed 20 lbs.

Watching Hadley with the chickens


Billings also has activities scheduled throughout the day. Hadley got to help make butter and participate in a stenciling activity. Maybe next time we will get to see them milk the cows. We all had a lot of fun, and I think we are all looking forward to going back.


Waiting for her turn to churn butter

Making butter

Stenciling activity

Proof that they had a lot of fun

Saturday, July 16, 2011

Rock of Ages

As my stir craziness was reaching near record levels, we decided to check out the local attraction Rock of Ages. It is a working granite quarry that produces monument quality gray granite.

The quarry is a very impressive site and the pictures don’t really do it justice. It was interesting to learn about the mining process and the different types of granite.
Along with viewing the quarry, Gideon and Hadley sandblasted a piece of granite and bowled on the outdoor granite bowling alley. It was a lot of fun and just what I needed for getting out of the house.

One of the derricks looking down into the quarry

Right behind the two red buildings in the middle of the picture is a man (small spec).  It really helps to give an idea of the massiveness of the quarry.

Hadley was more interested in the rocks

A 40-50 ton boulder of granite

Sandblasting a piece of granite

Checking out her work

Pulling the template off

Look what I did

Outdoor Granite Bowling Alley

Gideon setting up the pins while Hadley retrieved the ball

Gideon setting up

Hadley bowling

We moved her a little closer

When all else fails, kick the pins down


Thursday, July 14, 2011

Malia is 11 Months Old

Dear Malia,


Today you turn 11 months old. I can’t believe in a month, I will have a one year old. I do not know where all the time has gone, but I love watching you grow and your personality develop.

You seem to be almost fearless, which may get you in trouble if you are not careful. You love to climb on everything. The couches are no longer a safe place for Hadley to play as you learned to push a toy next to the couch, climb on it, and then get on the couch. Hadley’s rocking chair is one of your favorite places to be. You like to climb on it, sit in it, and dangle over the arms of it.

We have said the word “no” a lot this month. I’m pretty sure you know what it means, but you usually choose to ignore it. You think giving me your dazzling little smile will make me forget that you are doing something you are not supposed to be doing.

You love to chase Hadley or have her chase you. Right now it is a crawling chase, but I don’t expect it to stay that way for long. You figured out your balance and can stand for long periods of time by yourself. Two days after learning how to stand you took your first step.

At first it was only one step at a time. Now you can take several steps at once and will even walk between things without prompting. The fact that you can hold something while walking seems to appeal to you.

You also started giving kisses this month. They are open-mouth, wet kisses that usually end with a tongue lick, but we all love them and always ask you for more. Most of the time you are willing to give kisses, but sometimes you are just too busy.

Next month you will be a one year old. I can’t believe the time has gone by so fast. I’m sure over the next month you will continue to surprise and amuse all of us.

Thursday, July 7, 2011

Gideon is 29 Years Old

Gideon delights in calling me old, but yesterday he turned 29, so we are once again the same age (even though I am 5 months older than him). In the past year, Gideon became a Daddy again, finished his second year of college, made some new friends, and was always there for us as a husband, father, and friend.


To celebrate another year of Gideon, he chose to have a relaxing, family day. While that is how we like to spend all of our days, it was extra special as we got to focus on Gideon and remember how special and important he is to all of us.

We spent the day in Burlington, where we went to Buffalo Wild Wings and the boardwalk. Once we got home, we enjoyed the strawberry cake Hadley and I had made and spent the evening relaxing.

Happy Birthday Gideon! We love you!

Watching the waves at the boardwalk


Chasing the birds

Both her and the bird got scared by each other

Present!

Star Trek Enterprise for his hidden Trekkie

Strawberry cake



Monday, July 4, 2011

Canada, Oh Canada

One of our favorite places to visit during the summer is Parc Safari in Hemmingford, Canada. It is a small zoo that has a drive through safari where you can pet and feed the animals. There is also a small playground and water park that is perfect for younger kids.

We went opening weekend, but the safari was closed because of the flooding. We ended up buying season tickets. We knew we wanted to go back early in the season to beat the crowds and weekdays are always better than weekends.

We planned to go on Thursday, but Gideon took leave Thursday and Friday. I carefully watched the weather and decided that Friday would be better as there was a high chance of rain Thursday. I planned everything, organized everything we needed to take, and scheduled when we would leave.

All was going well, other than the alternate directions taking us more out of the way than we expected, until we crossed the border and saw a sign saying “Happy Canada Day.” For those of you who don’t know, Canada Day is Canada’s Independence Day.

I knew then that the park was going to be very crowded, but we were 2 hours into a 2.5 hour drive. There was no way we were going to turn around at that point. So we told Hadley that it was going to be busy and emphasized the importance of her staying close to us and holding hands.

We considered going through the Safari as soon as we got there, but there was already a long line of cars going in. Instead we went to the Deer Trail, which was also closed our first trip this season. The Dear Trail area had been expanded and 24 baby deer had been born this year. Hadley was a little timid with the deer, but Malia was intrigued and kept calling the deer “dog.”






After walking through the Deer Trail, we had perfect timing to get the first elephant ride of the day. Hadley was cautious at first, but she quickly warmed up to the idea of riding the elephant with Daddy. And while Malia didn’t get to ride the elephant she was as fearless as ever when it came to petting it.





After our picnic lunch, we decided to brave the Safari. It took over an hour to get to the animals and the first ones we reached were not interested in being fed as they were full from everyone else feeding them throughout the day.

As we got further in, the animals were more interested in the food. Even though we went last year, we had just as much fun this year. Being able to feed a yak, reindeer and other exotic animals doesn’t ever really get old.


Waiting to get closer to the animals in the Safari

Eating the animals' carrots

She was hanging out the window like a puppy



He was drooling all over me


Fearless as ever

Next we headed to the water park to cool down. We all changed into our swimsuits and headed for the water. Malia was tired, so she didn’t enjoy it as much as I expected. And Hadley’s enjoyment diminished after we went down a water slide where I fell and dunked her under the water.

Malia needed a nap, so I changed her, in the process of which she peed on me. Hadley and Gideon played in the water for a little longer while Malia and I headed to the car for a nap.

After leaving the Parc, we headed toward the border. Canada Day wasn’t done interfering with my plans yet as it took us over an hour to go the quarter of a mile necessary to cross the border. Malia and I ended up walking alongside the car to minimize the meltdowns and the inevitable screaming that we knew was going to happen on our 2 hour drive home.


Walking beside the car to the border

Keeping each other entertained

Looking back over the day, it seems like more things went wrong than right, but we had a great time and are all looking forward to going back one or two more times this season.