Wow! We just got back from a super excited week-long vacation in Pennsylvania and New York. I’ve added two states to my talley - I’m trying to catch up to my big brother who has traveled so much.
Here's my favorite picture from the trip! It's of me of course!!
But before I tell you more about the trip, first Declan Hercules has some news:
He has graduated from his Montessori School! Since we were gone the day of the official “stepping up” ceremony, they had a special goodbye circle for him and also sang him his happy birthday song early since his birthday is in the summer. He felt so special that day! Though I couldn’t attend, Mama and Dada were there - and they even got a bit teary-eyed seeing how big Hercules has grown! He’s off to enjoy a summer of camps and travel and then to Mount George Elementary in August.
Goodbye hug for my teacher, Miss Gloria
Blowing out my birthday candle
Declan's goodbye circle
So, back to me...we flew to State College, PA which is where Gran, Uncle Chris, Aunt Chloe, Cousins Laura, Harper, and Lexi live. Also my great aunt Ada and great Uncle Mike and other cousins live there too. I had never been to PA before, and I had a really nice time. I was (fairly) well behaved on the airplane, but I do not understand why they wouldn’t let me climb over the seats like the little monkey I am. We spent lots of time playing with cousins, eating yummy food, roasting smores, exploring the creek on Gran’s property, and taking in the sights of Bellefonte and State College. We even saw a parade that my cousins were twirling flags in!
I loved playing by Spring Creek!
At the parade Watching Cousins Laura and Harper do their twirling
Declan, Second cousin Kate, Cousin Harper with me, and Cousin Lexi playing in the yard
Cousins Logan, Kate, Lexi, Declan, Harper, and Laura
Uncle Chris is the best! Lots of cousins in the hot tub!
Declan's first sleep over. I only got to stay for a few minutes.
Declan, Laura, me, Harper and Lexi at the Children's garden at Penn State Arboretum
Family dinner: Cousin Jenny, Mma, Uncle Mike, Lexi, Dada, Gran, Harper, Declan, Kate, Emily & Mike
Me, Declan, Mama and Gran watching the fishies in Bellefonte's park.
At Gran's museum
The underground railroad exhibit at Gran's museum
Harper, Kate, Lexi and Declan
Cousin Harper and me - she was so great with me! An awesome babysitter!
Me and my gran
Great aunt Ada with me and Uncle Chris
Great Uncle Mike balances my second cousin Logan and me on a walk
Big brother made his own fishing pole
Say Cheese!
Declan and Cousins in Gran's playhouse - I even got to join them sometimes but Mama couldn't take a picture of those times since she had to make sure I didn't fly off the landing.
Cutting asparagus with Gran and my cousins
After 3 days in PA, we drove to NYC which is about 4 hours away. Holy moly! I am going to live there someday. There were so many lights and people and action. I perpetually waved out of my stroller or our taxi and yelled “hello” to all the people (which is my only word, so it worked out pretty well!).
The night we got there, Mama and Dada took Hercules to see Willy Wonka on broadway. Though I promised to behave, they didn’t believe me and left me at our apartment with Gran. She definitely needed wine by the time I was done with her!
Waiting in line at Willy Wonka
Show starts soon!
Declan picked out a special candy bar to ear
Showing off his Golden Ticket in Times Square
Day 1, we spent most of the day at the Statue of Liberty. I enjoyed the boat, mostly for the seagulls that followed us (birds are by far my favorite animal). The statue was cool, and while big brother was enamored with the whole experience, I couldn’t understand why no one let me walk on the railings 300 feet off the ground. Declan Hercules had a marvelous time, and was telling me all about how she was a gift from France and how she welcomes people into our country. After that adventure, we played in the fountains in Battery Park for awhile before enjoying a tapas dinner. There, I discovered my love for Dada water (pellegrino) - just like big brother!
Day 2, Dada had to work. Mama and Gran took us to the Intrepid Air & Space museum - a huge air craft carrier with an attached submarine (the Gunner). It holds the spaceship Enterprise which was HUGE! I enjoyed all the planes somewhat, but Declan loved them more than I did since he got to climb into all sorts of small places that I wasn’t invited. They even let him “steer” the ship! We then enjoyed New York Pizza (which I devoured) and then went to the Central Park Zoo where I focused on BIRDIES!!!!!! All kinds of birdies and I was in love!
Gran and DH by a stealth bomber
There were about 30 planes just on the top deck of this boat-museum!
Declan got to steer the ship!
Spaceship Enterprise!
Big brother in the Anchor Room - one line was bigger than I am!
Inside some helicopter-like machine
Brother loved the small crawl ports on the submarine
My favorite - birdies!!!
We loved following the peacock everywhere in the aviary!
Who's the bunny?
Two turtles
I love fishies too!
The penguin loved big brother and followed him for a LONG time
Day 3, we went to the Natural History Museum, which was Declan’s #1 place that he wanted to visit. He’s seen a movie where all the creatures come to life and night and he wanted to find them all. He loved the Teddy Roosevelt Statue and finding “Rexy” (a t-rex). The dinosaur exhibit was amazing, and I loved the momo about Humbback Whales. Hercules also enjoyed a show at the Planetarium, but Mama and Dada didn’t trust me to keep quiet, so Gran walked me around and bought me a cool dinosaur to take home! We did another super long walk through Central Park where I watched turtles in the pond, many woof-woofs, and lots more tweet-tweets!
Eagerly awaiting entry to the Natural History Museum
I've been waiting forever to take a picture with Teddy Roosevelt
Big Brother with Rexy!
Learning about dinosaurs from Dada
Getting fed to the megalodon
Brother suffered a similar fate
More dinosaurs!
At the park with Gran after all day at the museum
Hercules the climber in Central park
Gran and us at the park
At the turtle pond with my family!
I was a super good girl on the plane coming home, just like Declan Hercules.
All good things must come to an end, but I couldn’t wait for another adventure. So, when Mama and Dada woke me up early this morning, I was kind of excited. When we pulled up to a funny building and went inside, I was still excited. When they made me put on a gown with teddy bears, I was excited...and when a funny lady dressed all in blue and wearing a funny hat carried me away, I was still excited. However, when I woke up from a crazy nap, I was NOT HAPPY! Apparently, they put tubes in my ears without asking my permission! Mama has been looking in my ears for awhile now and she keeps talking about all this fluid in there, and how I’m not talking a whole lot...so this was her solution and I was MAD. But, after leaving the hospital and taking a quick nap and enjoying my bottle, I was all better. This afternoon, I barely remember anything and my ears feel good. Actually, noises are kind of loud! Yikes, this will take some getting used to!
