Takaragaike Park - Kodomo no Rakuen

About 15-20 minutes walk from our apartment, we found a great playground, Kodomo no Rakuen (Children's Paradise). On the weekdays, we can play nearly alone and on the weekends, it's an incredibly popular place with tons of families enjoying themselves and a picnic lunch. Some people even bring along camping tents to provide some shade.

Vanessa especially liked the giant climbing spider's web and the hammock swing. Xavier loved the maze and the "mountain" in the middle of the park. Zoe insists the park had delicious rocks. Toddlers are weird, haha.

Time Flies...

Meriden Daffodil Festival

We met up with friends for some fun at the Meriden Daffodil Festival.

Japanese greetings from high up on the Ferris Wheel

William and family 

Mike and Sophie

Adorable mischief maker - deciding not to listen

Expert Driver of the #10 Pace Car - He was so excited to get the green one!

What you do while you wait for the big kids to get off the teacup ride

Daffodilly silly! 

Vanessa's Poetry Hour

The Swing

How do you like to go up in a swing,
Up in the air so blue?
Oh, I do think it the pleasantest thing
Ever a child can do!

Up in the air and over the wall,
Till I can see so wide,
River and trees and cattle and all
Over the countryside--

Till I look down on the garden green,
Down on the roof so brown--
Up in the air I go flying again,
Up in the air and down!

-- Robert Louis Stevenson

Deja vu

Introducing...

Vanessa Quinn Rasmussen

Born on July 10, 2011 at 8:51 pm

8 lbs. 5 oz. and 19.5 inches

She's a cutie and a beauty. We're all smitten. :)