Tuesday Travels: Local Fire Station

Welcome to Tuesday Travels, a summertime series at Traveling with Baby.  Now that the weather’s warming up and we’re about to launch into summer, my son and I are excited about sharing some local daytrips and field trip ideas with you.  This year, we’d like to share about local options, most of which  are places and activities that are available at almost any community or town across the country.

I enjoy hearing about your traveling adventures, too.  If you have an idea for Tuesday Travels, please e-mail me: drgarnecki[at]gmail[dot]com.

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Do you have kids who are fans of fire engines?  There’s just something mesmerizing about the shiny read trucks with flashing lights and whirring sirens that makes kids squeal with delight.

We recently visited the local fire station in downtown Charlottesville with two of Calvin’s friends who were ages 2 (almost 3) and 4.  My son’s friends pretend to be firefighters every single day.  They have drills where they quickly dress up in their boots, coats, and hats and ride off to fight the fire.  Before bedtime, their mom tells them to get in their bunks and rest up because firefighters need their sleep to have strength to fight fires.

So, we took our crew of 3 young boys to the local fire station for a tour.  It turns out that Calvin’s friends had a cousin who was on duty at the station that day.  The firefighters were in the middle of routine testing of ALL of their water hoses to make sure that they work appropriately.  However, they were kind enough to allow Firefighter Steve to sneak away from the testing to give our little guys a grand tour.

Each of the kids got their turn at the driver’s seat of the big fire engine.  Even the oldest had at least 2 feet to go before his feet could reach the floor.  Although Calvin may not have fully absorbed the fact that this was a special type of truck (because he kept calling it a “car”), he was livin’ large at the wheel of the fire engine.

Firefighter Steve showed us all of the buttons, pressure gauges, and switches on the side of the fire engine.  The boys were especially impressed with the hydraulic lifts on the steps leading up to the doors–they close automatically once the doors are shut.  We also learned that a firefighter’s uniform and gear weigh an additional 35 to 45 pounds.  That doesn’t even include carrying things like a water hose, axe, or other special equipment for fire and rescue.  I told Calvin that it was almost like carrying around two of him (he weighs 26 pounds).

Just so you can appreciate the size perspective on the wheels of the fire engine, check out my 2 foot 7 1/4 inch toddler next to one.  Wow!

Now, you can see a 1.5 year-old, almost 3-year-old and 4 year-old next to a wheel and engine.  The two brothers were doing their best to hold Calvin’s hands prevent him from running away while I was snapping this photo.

Inside the garage, the engine and water truck are parked very close together.  We wanted a chance to capture the boys next to the engine and Firefighter Steve.  The boys are also looking at the ginormous ladder truck that’s the length of both the engine and water truck combined!  It is so large that I couldn’t possibly capture it in a photo while so close to it inside the covered garage.  But, I did get to catch the logo on the ladder.

Ladder trucks aren’t very common.  Firefighter Steve has served at the local station for over 7 years, and in that time, the ladder truck has only been used 4 times.  He said it’s mostly for times when they need to get on top of a roof to fight a fire.  The massive ladder can span up to a 3-story building.  The truck is SO large that it requires a driver in the front AND the back.  Wow!  Let’s hope they both know where to go.

Each of the boys got their souvenir photo with a brave firefighter in front of Engine 7 which has emblazoned on the front grill “America’s Bravest.”  There’s no doubt in my mind that each of those men and women are indeed among some of the bravest Americans who cheerfully and dutifully serve and put their lives on the line.  It was such an honor to meet Firefighter Steve and to learn more about their role in fire fighting.

The boys were ecstatic to receive a special tour of the upstairs quarters where the firefighters eat, sleep, and relax on duty in some very cozy recliners.  The walls of the upstairs quarters were painted with murals of popular childrens’ characters along with fire safety tips including how to use a fire extinguisher and smoke alarm safety.  The word on the street is that the kid-friendly approach to fire safety at Charlottesville’s downtown fire station inspired the Liberty Mutual “Where’s the Fire?” exhibit at Disney’s INNOVENTIONS at Epcot.

In Charlottesville, the firefighters don’t slide down poles to get to the engines, rather, they have to run down 3 flights of stairs in the hopes of not tripping over one another.  However, their inspiration is an ever-growing mural comprised of the hand prints of the young visitors which reads “The Hands We Protect.”

If you’re in town, stop by Charlottesville’s station on Ridge Road and have your little one trace his hand on the wall, add his name, date of visit, and which color he’d like to have painted for his hand.

Calvin had one of the smallest hand prints on the wall.

As an extra special treat (as if this visit couldn’t be topped), Firefighter Steve presented each of the boys with their very own Firefighter’s hat (courtesy of Liberty Mutual) and a glow in the dark key chain.  Calvin’s been asking to wear his hat everywhere.

So, aside from the fact that these heroes train hard and work diligently when there’s a fire, they also teach little ones in the community about fire safety.  Charlottesville’s station sets up a some cool community education classes (click on “community education” in the sidebar) which includes a free smoke detector program, pre-school fire safety training, and home fire drills.

So, call up your local fire station to ask about a tour.  Or, if you live in Charlottesville, stop by the downtown station any time.  You can watch them wash down the fire trucks every day at 5pm.

–By Dr. Dolly

Attention-craving hug monger

It’s been almost non-stop with house guests for 2 weeks.  Steve’s parents blazed through for a few nights on their way down to Florida for a conference.  Two days later, my dear friend Dr. DeJeanne came into town from New Orleans to visit and to get intensive scoliosis treatment.  Then, Steve’s parents came back into town on their way up to Pennsylvania.  The result: Calvin’s used to much more attention from folks other than just Mommy and Daddy.

He’s going through attention withdrawal.  In fact, he started crying when he saw Grandpa pack up his suitcases into the vehicle.  He knew he was leaving without him, and that broke his little heart.

I was able to momentarily distract him by whisking him off to church with me so he could drive push pedal cars and play with his homies in the church nursery while I was at Bible study.  However, once he awoke from his afternoon nap, it was all downhill after that.  No amount of bananas or grapes could keep him happy.

Actually, I was at the office this afternoon working with a patient (we typically don’t see patients on Wednesdays).  Steve was going to join me to help, but the weather was nice, and his arborist skills were still in demand.  So, I was juggling new patient intake while listening to a very, very upset toddler who just wanted to be held, and he was quite mad that I was paying attention to someone else.

Daddy saved the day and called to tell me he was home from work.  I asked him to get to the office ASAP to rescue Calvin who was having grandparent withdrawal.

Steve’s timely appearance quickly stifled anymore yelps and red faced howls of desperation (which is only to be expected when one is missing his grandparents and really wants Mommy all to himself. RIGHT NOW.)

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Just to recap on the most amazing weekend ever.  We went hiking on Sunday. Only three miles from our home.  Just THREE short  miles to Ragged Mountain Trails in Charlottesville.

It was a short skip away, and I suddenly felt I was away from it all.  The calm, cool lake and hilly backdrop of leafless, matchstick trees left me reminiscing for the serenity of the Northwest.  But, Virginia boasts a rugged beauty that left me breathless.

We spied swimming salamanders, blue gill, turtles, and ancient hearths.

Calvin can point to the camera on cue.

Behold.  The perfect setting for a 68 degree Sunday afternoon hike.

We found an ancient hearth that had some pretty solid masonry.  It did give us a fun window for photos.

Just for some sizing perspective on these cool ruins, check out Steve and Calvin to the left of the hearth.

We had a decent hike for some steep terrain.  Calvin even managed to clear some large logs on the trail.  Next time, we’d like to try it with a backpack carrier for our toddler instead of the Daddy arm carrier method.

Pumpkin Boys

We had a weekend full of fall festivities, and very little napping.  Even so, Calvin had a blast, and we’re all going to catch up on sleep this week.

Weekend recap:

We met our dear friends from Richmond who have two adorable boys for some apple picking at Carter’s Orchard in Charlottesville.  We navigated some steep, muddy trails in the good ol’ Bob stroller and found some Fuji love.

The boys had fun in the pumpkin patch.

Calvin even sat still long enough for a family shot:

Immediately afterward, we ventured to the All Saints Festival at Trinity Presbyterian Church.  Calvin was a little too little for most of the games, but he did have fun splashing in the rubber ducky tub, pole “fishing” with magents, and doing the bean bag toss (which he’d rather hand to the lovely young lady than toss at the targets).  It was a great festival, but it had nothing related to anything regarding church history.  I hope they add some of the rich history of the Reformation as part of the festival next year.

We didn’t stick around for the band or the square dancing since our little man decided to forgo all of his naps for the day–which meant he needed an early bedtime, especially after all the apple-picking, pumpkin patching, bean bag tossing fun.

The best 2 costumes I saw at the festival: the hand-made shark costume (totally a crowd pleaser!), and the adorable toddler who was a skunk with the fluffiest tail ever.  Calvin’s costume?  Well, can’t you tell from the photos above?  He went as an x-ray!

Wordless Wednesday: Happy Fall, Y’all!

Great fall props at Michie Tavern made this photo session a must!

For more WW, please visit 5M4M.

–This is an original Traveling with Baby post by Dr. Dolly Garnecki

Trail Running Escape

On Saturday, Calvin and I ventured to Jefferson Parkway to enjoy the gravel trails and boardwalks beneath the towering oaks and ash trees.

Refreshing views provided a much needed escape from the daily grind and the daily search for office space.  It felt so good to run, to push 50 lbs. uphill, and to sweat.

The lofty trees sparkled like emeralds in the flickering glints of sunlight.  Even after breaking a sweat, the cool breeze was chilly, and I cooled off instantly.

I had a great time enjoying the day with my boy.  We loved it SO much that the THREE of us returned today for a walk on the upper part of the trail near Jefferson’s historic home, Monticello.  Next week, we’re packing a picnic lunch and actually touring the Monticello grounds.

Weekend Update

Friday, Steve got home from work early.  So, we were going to look at commercial properties for lease for the practice, instead we spent the rest of the afternoon at one chiropractor’s clinic . . . then hurried home to feed 2 starving guys.

Calvin got licked by a big, shaggy dog at the doctor’s office.

Then, he set-up a chiropractic table for his daddy.  Yes, he is the world’s youngest chiropractor.

Saturday, we went to the Farmer’s Market where I got a recipe from a friend for fresh, cucumber kim chee.  I forgot to add the chopped green onions, but I still think it turned out tasting pretty good.  I made kim chee and chevre (raw goat’s milk soft cheese) sandwiches on pita.  Sooooo delicious!  My friend, Mihaye, teaches me Korean cooking in exchange for hugs from Calvin.

Then, Steve went to the farm to work whack weeds all afternoon, while I got busy unpacking.  Calvin and I took a trip to the library where I picked up some board books including his favorite, Barnyard Dance! by Sandra Boynton.  I read it to the tune of Skip to My Lou.  Then, I cleaned house like crazy, even though we still have moving boxes everywhere, and Calvin and I played and played.

Sunday, we had fun at church because we met more people.  I love it when the world/town/church seems a little smaller because there’s another face in the crowd with a name.  When we got home, we relaxed for just a bit, then jetted off to yet another church to attend a friend’s beautiful baptism.  I was in charge of doign the video recording of the private event, but I couldn’t help but get choked up at the symbolism, the public profession of faith . . . it was so amazing.  Our friend became a Christian while living in America–it is not something that is publically prevalent or accepted in his home country.  When the ceremony was over, he hugged his friends and exclaimed that he was so happy to now be a part of such a big family!  Afterward, we celebrated with a cookout and a feast.

I had a wonderful weekend.  How was yours?

Weekend Update

I love weekends, and I believe my entire family does, too.  Steve is home Saturday mornings and all day Sunday, so Calvin revels in the opportunity to spend time with his Daddy.  Steve adores spending time with us, too.

Breakfast on the Go

Our favorite Saturday morning activity is to walk to the City Farmer’s Market for our weekly produce, grassfed beef, and free range eggs.  Usually, we pick up a treat.  This week, we tried Croatian bread which is handmade phyllo dough pastry with ground beef and potatoes baked inside.  Tasty breakfast!  Sometimes, Steve snags a piping fresh donut, or we share a Bolivian empanada with chicken and delicious herbs.  I’ve also been known to try fresh mint tea (now, I brew my own at home) or organic lemonade.

We always hangout at the Wolfcreek Farms booth where Steve picks up some beef for the week, and Mihaye usually has a tasty Korean treat for us.  She’s teaching me how to prepare Korean food, and I LOVE her cooking.  This week, she brought me a package of dried seaweed to serve with rice and a Korean brisket marinade recipe.  Can’t wait to get Calvin hooked on seaweed–it was my favorite snack as a young girl.  I ate that instead of potato chips.

Later Saturday morning, I checked out a couple of yard sales for some potential items for Calvin.  They were all busts–hardly anything that he could fit and hardly any goods for sale.

Grocery Bag Marathon

I spent the rest of Saturday hanging out with Calvin and running errands.  It’s definitely difficult to have him and arms loaded with grocercies trying to get in and out of our apartment.  Every door in this place requires an electronic key that tends to be a bit finicky.  Plus, if I park in the parking permit-only parking garage, I’ll get towed unless I have my hazard lights on and am in the process of loading or unloading.

So, I had to keep putting him in and out of the car seat to run simple errands of picking up a couple of groceries, unloading the bags, and finding a parking space big enough for the pick-up on the side street.  All in all, running those errands took me 2.5 hours.  No kidding.  It’s rediculous.

In a way, I’m looking forward to moving to our new apartment.  Parking will be a cinch, and unloading groceries won’t be quite as cumbersome since I won’t have to walk half a block with bags and a baby in my arms.

Sore Toes and Nursery Woes

On Sunday, we put Calvin in the church nursery during the worship service.  We’ve opted to leave him in there every other week, so he gets some social time, and we I get a break.  It’s only every other week, because we’d like him to get used to sitting through church.  It’s a process–I know!  Anyway, Calvin’s usually completely content in the nursery.  The workers usually remark at what a happy baby he is and they enjoy having him in there since he never fusses.  Well, Sunday was the day that I got paged to head directly to the nursery.  I could hear Calvin wailing down the long hallway before I even got there.  Uh oh!

A woman was holding him, and he was inconsolable.  Crying to the point of hyperventilation, and they didn’t know what was wrong.  I held him, and he instantly quit crying, although he still did that post-hyperventilation crying quick breathing thing.  He knew, “Mama’s here.  She’ll make it better!”

I gave him his pacifier, snuggled with him in the rocking chair, and I tried to figure out what was bothering him so badly.  Turns out, it was my fault.  Of course!  I had quite a time putting his shoes on in the morning because he kept trying to crawl away.  When, I looked down at his feet while he sat on my lap in the rocking chair, I saw that his left shoe wasn’t velcroed on properly.  As I unwrapped the velcro to reattach it, I saw that his pinky toe was not inside his shoe, but it had gotten caught between one layer of the leather.  The poor little boy was in pain and discomfort which had caused the crying fit.  After I fixed his shoe and gave him a sip of water, he was already crawling off to explore other babies and other toys in the nursery.

Well, he must’ve been okay because I wasn’t paged again for the rest of the service.  When I went to pick him up afterward, he’d fallen asleep and was napping in a crib.  I couldn’t believe it!  He’s normally so excited to look around and explore that he couldn’t very well sleep in a large room full of 20+ babies . . .but, he did.  I think his crying fit from earlier just plumb wore him out.  I was happy he got somewhat of a nap during his normal morning nap time.

Wanna Sleep?  Fahgedaboudit!

I couldn’t WAIT for Calvin to take his Sunday afternoon nap because I desperately needed a nap, too.  I only get the luxury of a nap when Calvin’s napping.  Unfortunately, our little ball of energy didn’t take a normal 2 hour afternoon nap.  No sir, he woke up after only an hour and wanted to play with his daddy.

This is Sunday, people!  Daddy’s only home all day on Sunday.  Therefore he has to play with me!

Great!  So, Steve doesn’t get a nap, and he plays so loudly with Calvin that I didn’t really get one either.  But, we had fun with our boy.

I think after awhile, Calvin got cabin fever, since he’s used to at least a brief afternoon walk, which we didn’t do since we were exhausted (thanks to the NAP interruption).  He was pretty fussy, and needed a change of scenery.

BBQ and Playdate

Fortunately, we were all able to get out and meet new friends.  Another family had moved to CVille the same day as us back in June.  We had “met” through a local parenting forum and e-mail.  We had the Air Force in common, and young sons.  So, they invited us over for a cookout, and we had a blast watching our boys play together.

All in all, we had a great weekend.  How was yours?

Another Saturday in CVille

We spent the morning doing our regular weekly run to the CVille City Farmer’s Market.  This time, we met up with friends from church who happen to know EVERYONE in town.

I also found a running partner.  Yippee!  She sells soaps made from olive oil and essentials oils, and she has twin baby boys.  I told her my current running speed is more like running 200 yds and then walking and panting and then repeating.  Because, that is all this girl can do when there is hilly terrain and I haven’t been running since before I was pregnant.  Anyway, she is cool with that, so, we made plans for going running.  Sweet!

I enjoy workouts so much more when I have someone to suffer through them with me.  And, at this point, it’s suffering . . . it’s not pleasurable nor fun.  Fun is playing peek-a-boo with Calvin.  Not fun is pushing 20 pounds of baby uphill when it’s 95 degrees outside because THAT is the best time of day to take him on a walk with the whole nursing-solids-napping schedule.  Anyway, once I can go further, longer, and easier . . . THEN, it’ll be fun.  But, it’ll be fun having company while striving to get to that point.

OK, so back to my Saturday morning.  We got our weekly stock of grassfed beef from Wolf Creek Farm and co-owner Mihye generously gave us yummy Korean-style empanadas.  I can’t WAIT to get some live Korean cooking lessons from her.

Then, we strolled around the market with our friends and loaded down the stroller with eggplant, free range eggs, potatoes, and plums.  Calvin was looking cute as ever and getting lots of flirty looks from women of all ages. especially from those who were grandmas.

Then, we went to Revolutionary Soup for breakfast.  I, of course, had lunch soup for breakfast.  Because, that’s how I roll.  For breakfast, I tend to eat anything and everything except for typical breakfast foods.  So, I ordered up lamb curry soup and savored every drop of it’s spicy goodness–so many levels of savory complexity.  YUM!  Ok, when friends come to visit and want a good lunch place, I’m so taking them there!

President Bush at Monticello

Read Rick Sinerece New and Thoughts Liveblog of President Bush at Monticello for the annual naturalization ceremony.  Wish we could have been there.  Perhaps we can get tickets for next year’s ceremony.

Tuesday Travels: the Charlottesville Edition

We’re kicking off a new regular series here at Traveling with Baby because it’s summertime and that means vacation time for families.  To help you find the most fun and inexpensive family activities for babies, toddlers, and young children I’ve teamed up with some guest bloggers who will feature their grand cities and guide you through the ins and outs of family vacationing fun.  On occasion, there will be a cool, travel-themed giveaway in conjunction with your travel tour!

In the near future, you’ll learn about Seattle from Jenny at Absolutely Bananas; Portland from Kristen at Courterblog; Washington, D.C. from Chris at Rude Cactus; and Chicago from Stephanie at Adventures in Babywearing.  Don’t worry . . . there’s more.  I expect more blogging parents to participate in the fun and feature their locales.  Feel free to give me a buzz if you’d like to participate as a guest blogger in Tuesday Travels.

Charlottesville

We’re kicking off the Tuesday Travels series with Charlottesville, Virginia–my new home and a place that is fantastic for families.  Charlottesville was voted America’s #1 Community by Southern Living.  Family activities abound year-round.  View the schedule on the Southeast Getaway: Southern Vacation and Golf Guide.

The Historic Downtown Mall

FREE family fun begins with Fridays After Five (late April through early October).  At 5:30 PM, a venue of local music artists play at the Pavilion amphitheater located at the east end of the Historic Downtown Mall. Park your stroller on the grassy hill above the Pavilion to enjoy a great view of the stage and a great summer night; pack a picnic, and you’re ready for a fun, free evening.  There are vendor carts who sell everything from face painting and kettle corn to snow cones and sodas.  Alcoholic beverages are sold on the premesis.

Charlottesville boasts a lot of early American history which weaves its way into a lot of the modern day activities for the entire family.  The Downtown Mall also houses the Freedom Wall.  Chalk up your “I wuz here” or have the little ones draw stick figures of the family.  Take your family’s photo in front of the Downtown Mall post office with larger than life statues of the 3 famous Presidents: Thomas Jefferson (affectionately referred to as TJ by the locals) ,  James Madison, and James Monroe. There are a ton of local eateries, ice cream and java shops, a movie theater, and an ice park where you can cool off on a hot day ($8 admission + $1.50 skate rental per person, $3.75 admission and $0.25 skate rental for 5 years or younger, FREE admission/skate rental/and Large fountain drink if it’s your birthday).

While on the mall, the little ones can romp around at the hands-on, interactive museum for kids: Virginia Discovery Museum Tues-Sat 10am-5pm. Sun 1-5. $4 all ages, except younger than 1 are free; or it’s $60 annually for a family, or pay the $100 explorer membership which offers reciprocal membership into 140 different kids museums worldwide.

Ash Lawn-Highland: Culture for All Ages

Ash Lawn-Highland is the historic home of President James Monroe.  Museum events occur year-round.  On June 30th, celebrate Elizabeth Monroe’s 240th birthday, and learn about the lives and roles of women on the plantation.  On July 4th, celebrate America’s independence by working and playing on a 19th century plantation: craft demonstrations, colonial games and more. Bring a picnic and enjoy lunch on a historic lawn.  Tuesday workshops on July 15 and 22 feature crafts and colonial games ($15 adults/$10 children).

The Ash Lawn Opera Festival begins in July featuring performances of Carmen and My Fair Lady.  Tickets are only $5 for all ages during Summer Saturdays performances which begin at 11AM.  Ash Lawn is located at 1941 James Monroe Parkway.

Monticello

No visit to CVille is complete without touring the historic plantation and home of Thomas Jefferson which he designed and built for himself and his family.  There’s a special hands-on tour for children (ages 6-11) and their families from mid-June through mid-August.  Admission grants access to the grounds and 2 optional guided tours through the gardens and grounds, and the plantation.  Admission is $15 for adults, $8 for children ages 6-11, and Free for children <6.  

Michie Tavern

Don your three-cornered hat and prepare for some colonial-themed fun during a tour packed with activities and games for all ages including a treasure hunt with gold covered chocolate coins.  Tour by day, and dine by night.  Traditional colonial fare is served nightly, buffet style.  Michie Tavern tours occur daily from 9AM to 5PM.  Free for local residents.  Tour Michie Tavern, Monticello, and Ash Lawn-Highland with the President’s Pass and save $5: $29 for adults/$17.50 for children.

More Summer Family Fun

On Independence Day, check out the most amazing fireworks display in the county at McIntire Park.  Picnic, BBQ, moonbounce, slides, and games by day.  Skydivers and fireworks by night.  Admission is free.

Check out AlbemarleFamily for an ongoing list of family fun in the summertime.  Links to stores, events, festivals, daytrips, kids classes and activities, and all sorts of really good family goodness just oozing through this well-organized site chock-full of cool things to do.

For more information, discover Charlottesville through The Hook’s Review on Things to Do with Kids.  If you like the outdoors: swimming pools with loop-de-loop slides, springs, fishing, hiking, tennis, and more, then check out the Hook’s review on the amazingly assorted CVille Parks and Recreation.