Visiting the Firehouse in Fairfield!

Sorry for skipping yesterday, but by the time I got done, making the pumpkin pie, cranberry sauce, persimmon pudding and marinating the turkey it was already Thursday so I figured I'd wait! It's not so easy being the cook and trying to entertain that almost 3 year old!

To be honest, Henry was a bit under the weather and our adventure yesterday had to be short, but fun. What better adventure could there be for an almost 3 year old boy than to visit the local fire department? When Henry was in, in June, we visited the Westport Fire House where we saw beautiful new trucks, a rescue vehicle and a diving boat! The fireman on duty was super sweet and spent quite a bit of time with us. When we left, Henry got to take home a plastic fireman hat that he still has.

Since we were crunched for time, we went to the Fairfield Fire Department. I think that one of the requirements to being a fireman, is a love of children. The firemen in Fairfield were just as sweet as the ones in Westport and showed us some things we didn't get to see at the Westport Fire Department. Henry's favorite was the pole. Yes, they really do have a pole at the Fairfield Fire House! It's the first one Henry and his parents have encountered and you wouldn't believe the excitement on Henry's face when the fireman came sliding down...priceless!! The firemen in Fairfield wear leather helmets instead of the new composite style ones that are being used today. They were very cool looking and you could almost see all the stories that they could tell. This time Henry got to take home a fireman hat and a coloring book with safety tips.

From there, we headed over to Borders for a quick tour of their kids section. It's tucked away on the second floor and they have a very good selection of books and toys. If Henry had been feeling better, we would have crossed the street and gone to either Sweet Rexies, a kids paradise, or PinkBerry for a tart yogurt.

As for today's activity, we decided to head back to Compo for some more outdoor fun. This time the beach was packed with adults and kids of all ages. There were also plenty of dogs romping around and having a great time with their owners and the kids. Starbuck's was opened so we got a hot chocolate then headed home to finish up preparing our Thanksgiving Dinner.

I'm off to finish cleaning up and to plan tomorrow's adventure. It all depends on the weather...indoor or outdoor activity. We'll see when we wake up.

Happy Thanksgiving to all!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Stepping Stones is the Activity of the Day!

Day 3 of "What do with an Almost Three Year Old in Fairfield County" was spent at Stepping Stones Museum in Norwalk. Wow, what an incredible space! Stepping Stones was closed for a bit of make-over and it was worth the wait; they did a great job. This past Saturday was the grand re-opening, just in time for the Holiday weekend...phew!

They have revamped the water section of the museum and it is now part of the Energy Lab. They have lab coats at the ready and hand dryers to dry off those wet little hands when the kiddies are done. The wind display was cute, but it seemed to need a little more wind power while we were there. Climbing up and through the tunnel was still fun.

There is a toddler play area that was packed so we ended up heading towards the health area. Here Henry was able to wear scrubs, a white coat to brush a giant set of teeth like a real dentist, scuba gear and a helmet and knee pads to ride on a bike with a skeleton that mimicked his movements. Henry's favorite was the construction site. After we geared up, a vest, hard hat and tool belt, we filled a "paint" can with paint brushes, shingles and paint sticks and set to work.

The Rain Forest had "mama & dada gorilla" with several "baby gorilla's"...Henry thought they were very cute. We took a "ride" up a tree and saw a live web cast of an Ecuadorian rain forest. We didn't make the "Rain Forest Canopy" movie...maybe next time. The outdoor playground was closed for a movie shoot which was a shame since it's such a cool spot.

After a quick trip to the gift shop, we headed over to the Westport Library. The kids section is located on the 3rd floor and is filled with books, cd's, toys and videos. Depending on the day, you can enjoy crafts, story time and so much more.

If you have a little one coming in for a visit, they have a great service called "GrandKits". You can either call or email ahead of time, tell them the age group of your visitor and their "likes" and voila, when you come in, you have a pretty sizable bag of goodies to take home. I know that when I did this for Henry, it was a real winner!

Hmmmm, what could be on tap for tomorrow? Stay tuned for day 4's "adventure"!!

The Maritime Aquarium Wins Out!

The UBS Parade in Stamford was going to be our destination for the day, but The Maritime Aquarium won out in the end.

For those of you have not been to the Aquarium in Norwalk, you should really make the effort to visit. It's right on the water and has tons of cool things to do. You can take a 2 hour boat ride, although they do have a minimum height so make sure to check, build a boat, see a movie at the IMAX Theatre or get some energy out in the indoor play space.

You can see the penguins, pet the sting rays, count the hidden flounders and gaze at the jelly fish. They have seals that you can view from the exterior of the building or the warmth of the museum. The kids love seeing them swim in circles and the best part is feeding time, which they have posted so you won't miss it.

The turtle exhibit was interesting, especially the giant sea turtle. Henry could have spent quite a bit of time just watching him swim around and moving the large stones around. He got a kick out of seeing "baby" turtle hang out right next to "mama" turtle.

I think our favorite exhibit was of the meerkats. Boy, were they fun!!!! I couldn't believe how cute they were. At only a year to two years old, they were full of energy and themselves! There was a spot were kids could crawl into and then stand, that gives them the impression that they are in the exhibit with their four legged friends. The meerkats come up to the window and run around the kids. They stand at attention, almost as if posing then jump into their make-shift swing. Like I said, too cute!

With tons of things to do, the theatre and great restaurants within walking distance, The Maritime Aquarium is a winner!!!