We had a couple of free zoo tickets that were about to expire so it was time to see another zoo!
The zoo had several birthday parties going on and there were lots of kids running around. According to the zoo’s website, a birthday party package runs $125 and covers admission, a goodie bag, and two hour pavilion rental for 20 individuals. I suspect that in a few years we will be much more familiar with the one upping birthday party scene.
Moving on, we spotted this fuzzy rodent. I was impressed that it was able to sleep through the noise.
The meerkat guard kept an eye on Frugal Boy.
The petting zoo goats were looking for handouts. They lost interest in us when we failed to produce any food for them.
The tiger also paid little attention to being poked and prodded.
Seeing all of those animals tuckered out Elmer Fudd.
On a completely different note, here is part of a recently completed home improvement project. Can you guess what it is?
This weekend we did not do any extensive traveling. Instead, we stayed home and finished up some projects. A walk to the library revealed other people working on home improvement projects on a much larger scale!
How would you like to paint the top of that turret?
It was a cold day, so we broke out some of the Fall clothing. Thanks Auntie Rachel for the blanket!
It was cool enough that Frugal Boy just stayed in his pajamas all day. They are really soft pajamas.
We decided to spruce up our kitchen with a giant whiteboard. That way we could plan out what is for dinner and easily shuffle recipes around depending on how many leftovers we have and what we are in the mood for. Large white boards are pricey, and with it being back to school season, small whiteboards are sold out in many local stores. Being DIYers, we decided to make our own “whiteboard” from scratch. Here is the result.
DIY “Whiteboard”
If you want to make your own, all you need is a sheet of acrylic (commonly referred to as plexiglass) and washable markers. Glass is a superior writing surface, but it also weighs more and is easier to break and cause a safety hazard (especially with little kids). We made a frame from 1″x2″ pine and stained it. The acrylic fit into rabbeted grooves in the back of the frame and then we used glazier points (used for holding glass panes in wooden windows) to hold the acrylic in place. A yard of fabric was glued onto the back of the frame to provide a white-ish background. A couple of screws and 20 gauge copper wire hold the whole thing up on the wall. The advantage of using wire to hang things is that it is very easy to adjust and level. You should use washable markers instead of dry erase markers on acrylic because they clean off better. Finally, our calendar grid is drawn on the back side of the acrylic so we can easily reuse it each month.
So with all of that said, here is what’s for dinner for the month of September!
Labor Day weekend seemed like an excellent opportunity to get out of the Midwest and do a little traveling. We decided to meet up with family and camp out in West Virginia’s New River Gorge for three nights. It is a full day’s drive for us, and the first extended trip in Frugal Boy’s new car seat (he outgrew his infant seat).
We only have a three day supply of cloth diapers and the total trip duration was six days, so we had to break out our emergency supply of disposable diapers. It was weird seeing Frugal Boy in paper diapers.
With the car all packed up we took off on Thursday morning and by the afternoon we arrived at our first destination, the Cincinnati Zoo & Botanical Gardens.
Second oldest zoo in the country.
Frugal Boy’s cousin loved the giraffes, so we walked over to check them out and see if he had the same reaction.
Watching giraffes
The giraffes were a strike out, but would the lions be more fascinating?
Lions are just as boring as giraffes apparently
What about the African painted dogs?
Either in deep thought or completely tuned out
Okay, so the zoo was kind of a bust in terms of exposing Frugal Boy to some biodiversity. It is a nice zoo and if you are passing through the area or live nearby it is probably worth a stop.
Leaving the zoo behind, we navigated our way to the outskirts of Cincinnati and to a motel. Seeing the room doors open out to the street stirred many memories of childhood road trips and some real dives that I stayed at growing up. On the plus side, these types of establishments are generally pretty cheap.
easy come, easy go
Using Yelp, we checked out the nearby eateries to find something tasty for dinner. It wasn’t long before we were satiating our appetite at a nearby grill.
Food & Sleep!
The next morning we needed to cross over the Ohio river and complete our drive to West Virginia. Instead of taking the fastest, most direct route, we opted to drive along the scenic byway and take in some of the river valley sights.
neat bridge spanning the Ohio river
Welcome to Kentucky!
After connecting back up with the interstate we had to make a pit stop to stretch our legs and play.
It wasn’t long before we crossed into West Virginia and sped past the capitol in Charleston.
Kanawha County
We rolled into Army Camp (campground) around 2:30 on Friday. Army Camp is so named because in the 50s(?) the United States Army had a small training grounds set up there to practice building pontoon bridges. The army is long gone and now the area has been converted into a campground by the National Park Service.
Setting up “home” for the next three nights
Frugal Boy helped supervise.
One of the perks of traveling with a baby is that it is incredibly easy to meet people. As we waited for my brother and his girlfriend to arrive we had a long chat with the couple camping next to us in an RV. Apparently they had been camping there for the past two months and were locals to the area. Not only is socializing a good way to pass the time, it can be invaluable for information, and provided some genuine local flavor to our whole trip.
It was late in the afternoon, and we all needed a rest, especially Frugal Boy.
sweaty and tired
Later that evening, our campsite companions returned from their own day’s adventures. Frugal Boy wasted no time in making acquiantances.
gentle is not in Frugal Boy’s vocabulary
Thankfully, his new friend was good natured.
All in all, we had four tents set up for four families. This wasn’t even a full reunion!!
Late that night, the occupants of the blue tents arrived. In the morning we could say proper hellos. Frugal Boy’s cousin took to camping like a fish to water.
Meanwhile, Frugal Boy was getting tips from his Aunt on how to be a male model.
Blue Steel
Once everyone was dressed and fed, we loaded up in the cars and drove to Thurmond. Thurmond is an abandoned coal town (West Virginia is well known for its coal mining industry). The town and old train depot are now managed by the National Park Service.
The bridge in the background spans the New River and by far the most popular activity in New River Gorge is water sports. Kayaking, rafting, and tubing are all common sights.
kayakers shoot the rapids
After soaking up some history, we went to the visitors center for a picnic lunch.
A short boardwalk later and you have an impressive view of an iconic bridge.
According to the information sign, you can fit the Washington monument and two statue of liberties stacked one on top of the other and still have a few feet of clearance. It is the tallest bridge in America.
After driving back to camp it was time for some water fun, but first we needed to play with some bubbles.
bubbles are amazing!
Army Camp is situated in a bend of the New River and has a public access beach that is suitable for toddlers. There are also some class 1-2 rapids that you can easily tube down.
Waiting for the ladies to shoot the rapids
Weeeeee!
On Sunday, we played in the river some more and two of my brothers and myself took an extended tubing trip. That afternoon we all went to the local pizza joint, Pies and Pints, for some tasty specialty pizzas.
Mmmmm, grape pizza
With our stomachs (overly)full we decided a hike was in order and proceeded to Kaymoor Mine. Kaymoor mine is another abandoned coal mine that is now under the stewardship of the NPS.
Mining is brutally hard and dangerous work. Due to the fragility of the mine shafts, the height of the passages were limited to just three feet tall. I cannot even begin to imagine working all day stooped over.
By the time we got back to our campsite it was raining and dark so we called it an early night. The next day it was time to pack up and head home! We only made it across the bridge and around the bend (essentially the opposite bank from the campground) when we had to stop for a poopy diaper. The view of the river was stunning though and I am glad we stopped.
New River in the Smoky Mountains
We did the entire drive back on Monday so we could spend all of Tuesday recovering and cleaning up. We had a great time and the trip was relatively inexpensive. Frugal Boy got to add two more states to his list and is turning into a well accomplished traveler.
With the end of summer rapidly approaching we have been trying to cram in a few last minute trips. I’ve seen a lot of kids sporting mohawks and I guess that is a sign of me being out of touch. Why?!
I can be cool too!
Yesterday we drove up to Rockford to visit with Frugal Boy’s Great Aunt. Since it was a longer drive, we tried out a new thing and checked out an audio book, War Horse, from our library. Listening to Joey’s adventures in France helped the miles pass by quickly. Upon arriving at our destination we decided that the best (cleanest) place to change Frugal Boy’s diaper was in the backseat of the car.
It’s a little cramped in here!
We walked around for a little bit while we waited for Auntie to arrive. It didn’t take long before we had to retreat back to the car to fetch the first aid kit. Shae had stepped on a broken beer bottle and had to patch up her foot. Yay, litter!
Nothing a bandaid can’t fix (as she hobbles on)
For lunch we went to a Vietnamese hole in the wall restaurant.
When eating at an ethnic restaurant, I always pay attention to the other customers. If the majority of the other diners are of the same ethnicity as the restaurant, then it is probably a good spot. In this case, the food was great!
While we were eating and talking I couldn’t help but notice the torrential downpour occurring outside. The short trip from the restaurant to the gardens proved to be an adventure as the car splashed through huge puddles. At one intersection, a car’s exhaust pipe was underwater, I’m not sure if they got out or not.
Soaking wet, we resumed our day at Nicholas Conservatory and Gardens. While the gardens and greenhouse were no match for Garfield Park a couple of hours away, they still boast to be the third largest in the state. Before even entering the greenhouse area, visitors are treated to a view of the immense mechanical systems required to keep the temperature and humidity at proper levels for growing tropical plants in northern Illinois.
The conservatory has an abundance of Koi ponds and for a certain six month old, that was pretty fascinating.
There are also many waterfalls.
This kaleidoscope bowl was pretty neat. You look through the eyepiece and then spin the planter bowl.
Benches are tucked away and provided ample opportunities to slow down, chat, and enjoy the surroundings.
This plant would appeal to many little girls egos out there.
Queen Emma’s Lily
Leaving the greenhouse we ran into the first little princess (with 7 escorts).
A Quinceañera is a traditional rite of passage from girl to womanhood for many Latin American cultures. In case your spanish isn’t too good, it is celebrated on a girl’s 15 birthday.
We left Princess Peach behind and strolled through the rose gardens.
2:45pm
Working our way back we stopped to take a picture of the pond and greenhouse. You know it is someone’s special day when they don’t bother to stop to stay out of your pictures.
Quince-zilla
It was starting to feel very Jets vs Sharks when we ran into the second princess.
This one had a photographer and a videographer.
It was a good thing that we went early in the afternoon. By the time we returned to the conservatory it had been closed for a special event.
I wouldn’t make a very good spy
Here was the third princess’ gang of lackeys.
They were notably older and not male. Princess Peach and the rest of the jets had finished their pictures and were crowding into a stretch limo.
The groom and groomsmen piled out of a stretch pick up truck. Why in the world would you ever need a stretch pickup truck?!
Just because you can, doesn’t mean you should.
Shae had grabbed a brochure, and the price to rent out the conservatory for an event was $3200. That did not include catering.
All in all, it was a very fun day. The people watching was extraordinary and we didn’t have to move much because the sights came to us.
The ride back was uneventful besides the fact that Joey got tetanus and was almost put down. Then he was almost sold to the evil French butcher. Mmmm, now I’m hungry for some horse meat. Can you tell I’m not a horse person and would rather feed starving human refuges.
Frugal Boy got to try out a brand new toy.
Village of the Damned anyone?
One of the reasons why we live frugally and try to cut costs in our lives is so that we can travel more and take Frugal Boy with us. Being frugal isn’t the same as being miserly!