Thanksgiving Adventures, Part I

We went up to Maine to see Jeremy's family for Thanksgiving.  I was nervous about the length of the drive (Rhys's longest car trip prior to Thanksgiving was 3 1/2 hours), so in an effort to minimize Rhys's carseat time, we decided to break the trip up.  Luckily we have some great friends between here and Maine who were kind enough to let us come visit, so breaking up the trip also gave us and opportunity to see and introduce Rhys to a bunch of fun new people.

First Stop: Connecticut

In Connecticut, Rhys got to meet our friends, Alex and Kelly, and their daughter, Natalie. Always enraptured by "big kids," Rhys was very happy to hang out with 2 1/2 year old Natalie, and check out all her toys.  

To thank her for all her kind sharing, Rhys showed Natalie how to shake and knock down her baby gate (sorry, Alex and Kelly!):

The next day, before it was time to get back in the car, Natalie and Rhys had a lot more to do:

Fun times at breakfast followed by some silliness with their dads:

A little cooking (Natalie making ice cream and Rhys making coffee) followed by some outdoor adventures:

 And then it was time to hit the road ...

Second Stop: Massachusetts

In Massachusetts, we saw our friends, Dave and Cammy, and their daughter, Eliza.  Eliza very kindly showed Rhys all sorts of exciting things...

She took Rhys to one of her favorite playgrounds,





showed Rhys some of her books,



welcomed him into (and out of) her play area,                              shared her toys,

       








                     and invited Rhys to several tea parties!

And after all that, there was still time for dinner with their dads

and bath time!  (Rhys quite enjoyed Eliza's bath toys and was impressed that she even reads while bathing!)

Our trip was off to a good start!