Our first day in New York we had a wonderful picnic and visit to Sarah's local town pool. Here Claire and Julia look for the map (a la Dora) before a little walk through the woods.
The town pool had a great splash park and kiddie pool which helped us keep cool!
Claire's cousins Sam and Will are great with her, and she loves to get their attention.
We took a day trip to the Bronx Zoo which has wonderful exhibits and great architecture too. Here we decided to enjoy our lunch by the oldest section of the zoo (from the late 1800s) instead of sitting in a snack bar. Wise choice!
Claire and Julia had lots of time to play dress up, princess, dolls, and all kinds of girly games.
On the 4th of July we all headed to Massachusetts to spend the holiday at Nate's mom's house and enjoy her pool. We had a great barbecue with the family and other friends.
We had several outings with Grandpa Charlie, whom Claire adores as is clear by the look she's giving him. Since it was so hot we stuck to indoor activities--seeing Toy Story III one afternoon and visiting the wonderful art collection at the Smith College Museum another day.
When the heat broke a little we had a dinner out and a scenic drive to the top of Mount Sugarloaf (a tall 632 feet!) where the vistas of the Connecticut River Valley are lovely.
A highlight for me was a trip into NYC with Sarah and Bruce (adults only!) with ample time for strolling the streets, eating dinner, and seeing a Broadway play. I have to say, the food, service, and vibe of the city is really a fun treat for a country girl from Montana!
Wagon made for two--no chance of looking up for a smile when a juice box can be had.
Another big event was the girls only trip to American Girl in NYC. Nema spoiled Claire with her own new baby doll, and we all loved the lunch in the restaurant.
They also came home with matching outfits for all their dance routines--favorite music of choice, the Disney Princess Soundtrack, of course.
