Things I Love Thursday v3

This week has been a crazy week of hospital visits for both my father and my father in law, in the spirit of staying positive, here are some things that I'm loving.
Yup, we were awake. R didn't get the memo.

This song and this band forever and ever.

Credit

I know there was a GG reference last week, but how can you not love this quote?

My aunt makes something similar to these and they are AWESOME.

This wanderlusty little piece.

Mindgames?

So true. I love getting lost in a good series.

This husband did a pumpkin themed dude shoot for his wife, and the result will make your heart beat faster.

These 16 dogs are heroes... they are also pitbulls. Check out this Huffington Post article.

Speaking of the Huffington post, check out these 10 spots, perfect for Stargazing.

I'll leave with this quote:

"A ship is safe in harbor, but that’s not what ships are for."- William G.T. She'd.

Anddddd, our throwback Thursday post: tips for littles at Harbor Park for the Norfolk Tides. 

Click here! 

This feature is done by lots of bloggers, including Kaelahbee, and I decided to give it a try. What are you loving this week? 

Oak Grove Lake Park

Since the leaves are changing we have tried to spend as much time as possible outside enjoying the cool weather and the views. A friend suggested that we try Oak Grove Lake Park in Chesapeake, just off of Volvo Parkway. The 65 acre park has a playground, walking trails, forest, wetlands, and a lake. 

After playing in the little play area, R was happy to run around and explore. There were several toddler sized people there who were also running around. Our friend Nancy brought her dogs, and they loved chasing them around. This park is dog friendly, but they ask that you keep them on a leash. 

After the boys wore themselves out some we started on the 1.5 mile walking and biking trail. This trail goes around the perimeter of the 65 acre lake. There are six outdoor fitness stations along the trail and picnic tables and benches everywhere. There were also some smaller little trails that went off of the path that the boys enjoyed. 

There were also docks everywhere. They do allow fishing. R's favorite part of the whole day was running up and down the docks. Whatever makes him happy, right?

 

The lake was beautiful, and there were lots of people out. Some were running or walking, others riding their bikes. There were lot of kids and dogs out. I'd defiantly love to bring our bikes back one day. There was this sign up with lots of events, but all of them were old. It gives the kind of info that they do at the park over the summer, but I wish it had updated fall information. I'll check back if we go again in case it's updated. 

Sugar Shack VB

This morning was cool and windy. With all of the stress happening around us, we needed a sweet escape. (Thanks for those who have asked; my dad still isn't doing great, but we are trying to stay hopeful.) I had heard that the Sugar Shack had a kids' room... I'll be honest- from their Facebook where they called a mom out for leaving it a mess. A little controversial, but hey, respect. I get it! It's not fair for their employees or the other families. My friend Christine accompanied R and me while Neil was on a cold, early morning fishing trip. 

The Sugar Shack is a small batch bakery based out of Richmond. They have a few locations, but the owner lives and works out of Richmond. They offer several vegan options, and all of their dough is vegan. We got the Butterfinger, the Babe Ruth, and the Sea Salt Carmel. R liked everything. By that I mean, he shoved everything into his mouth constantly. When I tried putting them away, he would open the box back up! 

The kids' room is a small enclosed room with books, a coloring table, and some toys. Heads up: no food allowed in the room. There is carpet in there, so that's probably why. I really liked that it was enclosed to keep R in a cage. He's a runner! 

Tips: 

• Check their Facebook; they regularly have specials where you can get a free house donut. Like I always say... if it's free, it's for me! 
• There is no changing table! I thought this was strange from somewhere with a room for kids. I did ask the employees and they said that they were planning on getting one soon. Let's hope that's coming! 
• We went Saturday morning around 10. There were no actual empty chairs inside, only stools at a long table which I knew R couldn't sit at. We ended up sitting outside. It was okay since R could run around. 
• This is a great place to meet a friend. It was awesome because R could run around while we sipped and snacked. We were able to chat because R was occupied. 
• They sell onesies and t-shirts for kids. 

Their flavors change regularly, so be on the lookout for new ones! We plan to go back one day when Neil can come too. Maybe a rainy day when we need to get out of the house! What's your favorite donut flavor or place? 

Things I Love Thursday v2

Back again for another Things I Love Thursday post. 

Solidarity!

Accurate for my wardrobe. Credit.

We have been listening to the new Brand New like crazy.

Ha! In 2000 Blink182 used this spot to make a parody video of cheesy boy bands. In 2011 One Direction a cheesy boy band, made a video in his exact spot unknowingly. 

This bath looks like it is every mom's relaxation dream.

This friendly reminder! 

Lastly, my favorite scene from my favorite show, Gilmore Girls.

OBX Aquarium: Roanoke Island

Everyone knows that as a teacher I love summer, but the Outer Banks in summertime is insane. Tourist season is over though. That means that everything at the beach is less crowded. Yay! We were at a friend's wedding in obx this weekend, R was the ring bearer... cue the tears! He decided to sit in the aisle rather than walk down it. At least everyone laughed?!

Since we were down here, we decided to head to the aquarium. Neil and I went once when we first started dating, but it's been a longgg time. Here is the best part y'all... if you have a Virginia zoo membership, this aquarium is FREE! We didn't realize that they were having a Halloween event going on. You can trick or treat there! It was all decorated and they gave R an eye patch coming in. 

*these are all pumpkins! 

What's cool about aquariums for little guys is that they can get right up to the tank and really see. We love the zoo, but sometimes it's hard to see inside the exhibit. R gets super excited because he can get the full experience. It's awesome watching him. It's like experiencing it all for the first time again myself. My aunt and uncle were kind enough to come meet us and spend the day with us. 

There was the usual touch tank type room which was crowded with kids and an area for sea turtle rescue that really impressed me. You could see the reasons that the turtles were there along with what they were doing to help them. On the other side, they had a room for kids to grab their own lab coats and a (fake!) turtle to diagnose. You took it over to the computer and it gave you a diagnosis. Kids had to figure out how to help their turtle. The kids in the room were really into it- too old for big R though.

 

There are four North Carolina aquarium locations: Roanoke Island, Pine Knoll Shores, Fort Fisher, and Jenette's Pier. The Roanoke Island location and Jenette's Pier are both in the obx. (The pier is being worked on now, so check before you go to make sure it is open. It's also not a typical aquarium; it's a fishing pier.) The aquarium is open from 9-5 every day except Thanksgiving and Christmas. Below is a list of some of the free programs, but the aquarium offers some fee based programs too. This includes stand up paddle boarding, aquarist for a day, aqua tots, Breakfast with the rays, Happy Otter Hour and so on. Check the full list here. We did see a group in the classroom where a man was playing a guitar and singing. This may have been the story time, but it seemed to be a private group.

The most exciting part for big R was the floor projector. Animals swam across and when you walked across it a big splash would show. There were kids jumping around on it and trying to catch the splashes.

Tips: 

• Use your zoo membership to get in free! **EDIT: They no longer let you in free. It is not 50% off admission price. 
• Free admission on Martin Luther King Jr Day 
• Free admission on Veterans Day 
• Shipwreck Stories- 10:30 a.m.- Employees answer questions about animals and talk about diving with sharks
• Check daily times for animal feeding
• Education Program- animal adaptations information (Hey! Third/Four grade SOL's!)
• Free movie- 3:30 
• Aqua Tots is a program that they offer where children 2-5 have hands on learning about animals, nature, crafts, and so on. It is advertised that parents get to sit back and relax during this time. Cost is $5.00. Upcoming date; October 31. 

Should you find yourself in the obx, we saw on the way home that they have a children's museum. If you've been- let me know what it's all about. I saw online that locals get in free right now. 

Exciting blog news- we finally have an instagram! Follow Toddlin Around Tidewater for updates!