Matilda

When we found out that Matilda was going to be at the Bushnell, well we just had to go. Ethan and I recently read this masterpiece, and couldn't wait to see it. We parked at Bushnell Park because we had never been to the carousel. We had a picnic and took a ride before heading to the show. Ethan's horse was Sir Galahad. Matilda was great, really fun and the kids in the cast were fantastic. Ethan was pretty shocked that they had a male actor play Miss Trunchbull.

Art Show

Ethan and I went to the Region 15 art show so that we could check out his entry. He made the life cycle of a pumpkin. He also got a little Mona Lisa photo op.

Rich Farm!

Of course we had to take Pa for ice cream before we sent him home. Unfortunately, the line didn't cooperate. Worse weather would have helped us out, but in the end we prevailed and got our treats.

Zoo!

We went to get Pa so we could take him to the airport on Monday. We met up with Gramps at the Quickway Diner to retrieve him. We thought if we took him to the zoo, they might just keep him there, but they sent him away with us.

Gramps is Home!

We're so glad to have Gramps back in the north! We went to visit, Pa was still here because he drove him north. We managed to find time to dig a ton of ramps (aka leeks), go fishing, catch salamanders, watch a hawk and eagle duel over territory, ride in the ranger, and climb trees. Uncle Tom and Pa caught really big fish. Well, the managed to get one trout big enough to cook with some leeks. Somehow Gramps escaped all the pictures, but we'll catch him next time.

Fun

 Ethan and I went on a quest for sports related items to use for our exhibit opening at work. He ended up with this lovely hat. We also made some time to play.

Oh, and look- now we have floors! It's hickory, which is why we can only do a room a year. This year we did the hall too. The paint in the hall is Woodrow Wilson Putty. Guess who picked that out.

Happy Birthday

We celebrated James's birthday with dinner at 121.

Work & Play

Ethan had no school today, but I had a SHRAB meeting in Hartford, so he came along. He sat there quietly enjoying his games and books, until the end. That's when the state historian decided to chat him up. He quizzed Ethan on the presidents, and when he named the first six, he gave him a dollar. Now we have to learn the rest so the next time they see each other, Ethan can name more.

After the work, we headed to the Connecticut Science Center to check out the DaVinci exhibit. Unfortunately the exhibit was all fabricated, no actually Da Vinci artifacts were present. I won't get into my views on that place, but Ethan likes it so I guess I'll be going there every now and then.

When we were nearly home, we encountered a couple of turkey vultures, so we circled back and had fun watching them for a while.

Three Colors!

We're getting there!

Healthiest Kid?!

In addition to the poster contest for nutrition week, the kids were encouraged to "eat a rainbow" and write down what they ate for the week. I have no idea how they reached this conclusion, if his friends survive on lucky charms and oreos, but Ethan won the "Golden Carrot Award" for being the healthiest kid in his grade. If you don't know, he's not exactly a fan of vegetables. I think there are five he will eat, mostly under protest.

Playing Hooky

Today Ethan and I played hooky to go to New York to meet up with our friends the Alexanders. We missed Vivian, but we really enjoyed our day with Naomi, Barbara, and Jonathan, even if Barbara did act like a tourist and take our picture on the street *GASP.* Ethan was pretty entertained by the Greek art- he snickered about all the butts. He was also thrilled to see George Washington several times. I was pleased to find Senator Elijah Boardman, whose ledgers are in our collection at work. You know, the ledgers IN the portrait at the MET. Our time together was short, but we loved every minute of it.

Do Over Disaster

When Ethan's half-birthday cake was a flop, I promised him a do-over. We gave it a try, but when I attempted to wipe a little stray icing off the plate, I managed to smash it instead. So, we made a third cake and put it on a normal plate. The upside is that he and I can go to the antique shop (yep, he likes that) and look for a new old one :) And, the third cake was delicious.

Working Hard

The painters are hard at work. Two colors are up, one left!

Winner!

His hard work paid off! Ethan was one of the winners of the poster contest. His prize was this awesome peas and carrot wiffle ball set.