North Carolina

On Thanksgiving Day, we drove the five hours from Aiken (SC) to Durham (NC) to spend the remainder of our trip with Leif's Cousin Vivian, Uncle Erik, and Aunt Tami (a.k.a. Viv, Uncle Eck, and Aunt T). You'll notice similar themes in the photos below as in the South Carolina blog entry -- entertaining toddlers seems to be all about zoos and children's museums! The Museum of Life and Science in Durham was a big hit, as well.

Leif and Vivian hard at play in Erik and Tami's living room


Riding the nifty train at the Museum of Life and Science


Aaron and Leif getting their cars on in the "Go Zone" at Marbles (the children's museum in Raleigh)


A breakthrough for Leif: While at Marbles, he voluntarily put a hat on his own head for the first time EVER! And he proceeded to walk around with it on for at least five minutes before getting tired of it -- this from the kid who would not keep a hat on for two seconds all summer. We were stunned. Guess next summer we will just have to get him a big, plastic fire fighter helmet and we will be all set.


Tami, Erik, and Vivian -- what a nice family picture, and what a nice family!


On the last full day of our trip, we drove to Asheboro, about an hour and a half from Durham, and spent several hours with Erik and Vivian at the North Carolina Zoo. Aaron, Leif, and I then proceeded to Charlotte to catch our flight home (the next morning), while Erik and Vivian drove back to Durham. A good time was had by all at the zoo, and the rain we had been fearing might dampen our fun thoughtfully waited to begin in earnest until the very moment we were pulling out of the parking lot.

Communing with the plastic animals at the zoo






Erik later reported Vivian's take on our visit (which she declared while they were still in the parking lot at the zoo, just after we had left): "I'm afraid Aaron, Amy, and Leif will have to come visit us in North Carolina every day!" Fortunately, it's only a few weeks until we will be seeing each other again...albeit in Minnesota!