We're Heading Back to England... And Plan to Stay Awhile

As you may have read, a couple of months ago my husband and I traveled to England without our sons. And while it was a kid-free getaway, it also involved househunting, school touring and attempting to learn to drive on the other side of the road.

Because we're moving to England!

My husband works for a large, Fortune 500 company. And while working for "the man" (as I like to tease him) has its drawbacks, one of the perks was that we might have an opportunity to move internationally for a period of time. We've desired that kind of experience for our family for years. With facilities all over the world, we didn't know where or when something would come our way. And then I got the text that changed our lives back in November when he was there on a routine business trip.

(Please note my husband's calm, matter-of-fact tone, complete with practical details like train ride duration. Then note my tone. It appears I'm having a panic attack. This is us in a nutshell.)

And now here we find ourselves, planning to set off "across the pond" for the next three years.

A little FAQ to sum up the situation:

Robert's Tree Farm (video)

One of my new year's resolutions is to take more video. Now that both the Arrows are mobile, it seems like the most realistic way to capture our life and our travels these days. Plus, I fully realize that in the blink of an eye they'll be cranky teenagers giving me the stink eye every time I take out my camera.

So when we returned to Robert's Tree Farm for our third annual Christmas tree selection, it seemed like a good time to practice being the official videographer of our family.

Besides spending time with our families, our visit to the tree farm is definitely my favorite holiday tradition. Just me, my boys and the great outdoors in the Indiana countryside. Here's a fun look back at our day there.



(I've decided that the best part about video is you can edit out some of the obnoxious, inappropriate behavior of your 3-year-old, plus you can cover up his whining with fun music!)

Crave more info about this place or the fun of picking your tree right from the field?

• 2010 Trip to Robert's Tree Farm
• 2011 Trip to Robert's Tree Farm
• The Joy of Homegrown Indiana Christmas Trees at the Indiana Insider Blog

This post is a part of Photo Friday at Delicious Baby and Friday Daydreamin' at R We There Yet Mom.

Planning a Visit to Trader's Point Creamery

There are so many little gems around Indiana to explore (some of my favorites are listed at my Indiana Adventures page). But I think that one of the most unique spots has to be Traders Point Creamery on the northwest side of Indianapolis. Despite organic food being all the rage these days, this is one of the nation's only all-organic dairy farms.

Tucked away on a twisty, curvy road, you'd never realize you're just about 15 minutes from the heart of downtown. A visit to Traders Point Creamery lets you teach your kids about farming, where their food comes from, and the beauty of how Mother Nature provides for us, all in an accessible and affordable way.

Here are my suggestions for a fun day at the farm:

1.) Take a self-guided walking tour. While more formal tours are offered, if you're bringing the kids, I suggest moving at your own pace. Upon arrival, just check in at the small store. Cost is $2 per person and they'll provide you with a marked map. It's essentially a 1.5 mile loop around the farm, although you can walk less if the little legs you're bringing with you aren't up to the task. You can walk the grounds anytime between 9 a.m. and 3 p.m.

Insider Tip: Bring your baby carrier (like this Ergobaby carrier I've donated to the Passports with Purpose fundraiser) and leave your stroller at home. The farm is much more manageable on foot than on wheels.

Insider Tip: Let the kids guide you with the map! (We had to steer these two in the right direction, but it was fun to let them think they were navigating...)

Insider Tip: Warn kids about the electric fences. The cows are free to roam the fields, but they are surrounded by a single electric wire fence. No one wants to end the trip early with a shock!

2.) Eat at The Loft. While you can find their products on the shelves of health food stores across the country (including many Whole Foods), in recent years the Creamery has expanded the operations to include a restaurant called The Loft.

The menu is full of options where most of the ingredients are either produced or grown on the farm.  And unlike some farm-to-table restaurants which can be a tad fancy, The Loft is very family-friendly and you'll feel comfortable dining there with kids of all ages. Their children's menu is healthy but fun.

The water comes in adorable mason jars.

3.) Pack a cooler. My friend who joined us was so smart to suggest we bring coolers to keep our purchases cold on the way home. Because this is a perfect time to stock up on their yogurt, cheeses and chocolate milk!

4.) End your visit with ice cream! Everyone's had a fun day already. But take it up a notch with some of their amazing ice cream. I'd share a photo, but I was too busy devouring it to stop and take a picture. (You understand, right?)

Insider tip: Order it in a cone. With a hint of cinnamon sugar, I thought the cone was just as delicious as the ice cream.

Suggested Itinerary:

Because they milk the cows at 4 p.m. daily (and you can watch!), visitors must clear off the paths around 3 p.m. So the staff at the Creamery suggested this as an ideal schedule for an afternoon at the Creamery:

2 p.m.: Arrive and spend an hour walking the grounds.
3 p.m.: Visit the Dairy Barn inside The Loft for ice cream.
4 p.m.: Watch the cows being milked.
Then you could either stay for an early dinner at The Loft or pick up some of their yummy products at the store and head home.

If you have little ones that typically nap in the afternoon like I do, then by all means visit in the morning. We missed out on the milking, but still had fun.

Christmas on the Farm:

Traders Point Creamery holds a lot of seasonal events (like an Oktoberfest in the fall and a weekly farmer's market in the summer). December 15 marks the 5th annual Christmas on the Farm. If you visit then, there will be sleigh rides, time with Old St. Nick, crafts, and hot chocolate made with the chocolate milk produced at the Creamery.


This post is a part of Travel Tips Tuesday at Suitcases and Sippy Cups / Walking on Travels and Wanderfood Wednesday at Wanderlust and Lipstick.

Zaharakos for the Holidays (video)

There are just some places that I struggle to really capture with the written word. (This does not bode well for my writing career, unfortunately.)

Zaharakos, the 1900 ice cream parlor and soda fountain here in Columbus, Indiana, where we call home, is that sort of place. I've written about Zaharakos here and for Visit Indiana, but I've never felt like I've done it justice. And during this season of good cheer, it's all decked out in its holiday finest, making it even harder to describe.

So this time around, I went with video and put this little ditty together for the Columbus Visitors Center, where I've been blogging regularly over the last few months. My video skills could use some work too, but at least its a new take on one of our favorite spots.



Yes, you saw that correctly, I do in fact feed my baby ice cream. These kids won't grow big and strong on fruits and veggies alone. In fact, a giant serving of their chocolate ice cream was the last thing I ate before having Little Arrow a year ago!

Here are a few other photos from our recent visit.

I think my favorite part of Zaharakos' atmosphere is the chairs. It makes me really nostalgic for the ice cream shop my family went to when I was a little girl. And I love that I'm giving the Arrows those same memories.

Mmmmm. Soda syrups!

Someday he'll love me enough to look at the camera and smile.


This post is a part of Photo Friday at Delicious Baby and Friday Daydreamin' at R We There Yet Mom?

Don't forget to check out my Passports with Purpose prize, an Ergobaby Carrier and Travel Pack!

The Making of a Corn Dog at the Indiana State Fair

Sometimes I'm a bit sheepish to get my camera out when we're off on one of our adventures. It's a bit awkward to take pictures of your plate of food at a restaurant. Or stopping in the middle of a crowded sidewalk just to get a good shot. And especially when trying to grab a picture of someone other than those you're traveling with.

But other times, I thank my camera for being a bit of a conversation crutch. Last weekend at the Indiana State Fair, my husband ordered a corn dog. When I heard the cook yell out from his cart, "It'll be a few minutes, we make 'em fresh!" I had to grab my camera and see if I could take a peak at the process of making a corn dog.

When he saw me trying to get a shot or two, he invited me to the back of the cart where he opened a window so I could get a great look at him making it. He was clearly so proud of their corn dogs and their process, and the time he spent telling me about how to make this classic fair food was a highlight of our trip to the fair this year.

He started off by mixing up the corn cake batter. It smelled heavenly, a sweet, right-off-the-cob aroma.

Then he dunked the hot dog right into the batter. One plunge in, and it was coated at least a 1/2 inch thick. I couldn't believe how thick and sticky it was.

Then down into the bubbly oil of the fryer it went. (I think the little stick holders are pretty genius.)

And after a few minutes of chatting with him, our corn dog was ready. I probably could have tried for a better picture, but I was too busy eating (and pushing a stroller... and digging out a pacifier from my purse... and answering Big Arrow's 900th question...).

Many thanks to the kind man at Charlie's corn dog stand on the northside of the Indiana State Fairgrounds. He claims they're one of the few vendors at the Fair who freshly prepare their corn dogs. I can't vouch for whether that's true, but it definitely was the best I've had in a while. Regardless, he's certainly the most personable corn dog vendor I've met.

More posts about the Indiana State Fair:

• Top 10 Tips for Visiting the Indiana State Fair with Babies and Toddlers
• My 2012 Indiana State Fair Hidden Gems (at Visit Indiana)
• Little Hands on the Farm (at Visit Indiana. My favorite attraction at the Fair for young kids.)

This post is a part of Wanderfood Wednesday at Wanderlust & Lipstick.

Visiting Madison, Indiana with Kids

Forgive me. I sat down to edit pictures of our visit to Madison, Indiana to share with you. Then I realized that every photo I took was essentially just a portrait of one of the Arrows.

Good mom, bad travel blogger.

Well, while you stare at my kids (they are pretty adorable), I'll offer up some ways to enjoy one of Indiana's most picturesque towns.

Nestled right into the rolling hills along the Ohio River, it's such a lovely spot that we couldn't resist the temptation to venture into town more than once during our weekend camping trip to nearby Clifty Falls State Park. Earlier in the day when energy was high after a lunch at the Lighthouse, we let Big Arrow stretch his legs along the brick pathway that runs along the river itself.

Sky looks ominous, huh? Ten minutes later, we were safely in our car while it stormed!

There's plenty of space for kids to romp, and plenty of benches for parents to rest. Or giggle at your big brother, in Little Arrow's case.

For kids, a real highlight of the riverfront area is all the cool boats and barges you see making their way down the Ohio. You can get an even better view with the binoculars for a quarter.

Just north of the riverfront area is charming downtown Madison. Later in the day, we headed there for dinner at legendary Hinkle's Sandwich Shop. Hinkle's is famous for their hamburgers (which I wrote about for Visit Indiana), but Big Arrow really enjoyed showing off his strawberry milkshake mustache.

Unlike some historic districts, Madison was very stroller friendly. Little Arrow helped me out by demonstrating.

But truly, even if you don't have kids, Madison is a really special place for a weekend getaway. Lots of beautiful old homes, fun little shops, unique restaurants. Beyond Madison itself, you've got Clifty Falls (one of my favorite state parks) and Hanover College, a really pretty college campus.  But you'll just have to take my word for it on that.

At least I proved that it's a great place to take pictures of your kids.

This post is part of Photo Friday at Delicious Baby.

PS: This was my first trip where I took my camera off its automatic setting. I was pretty pleased with the results. If you're looking for ways to improve the photos you take of your own kids, I highly recommend this book (affiliate link):

Clifty Falls State Park

Our overnight camping trip to Clifty Falls State Park a few weeks ago didn't start out well. That morning, I was frantically combing through our camping supplies, trying to decide what we needed and what we could leave behind. I was nervous the boys wouldn't sleep well in the tent and that we'd give up and go home at midnight. I wondered if all the preparation would be worth it for just a 36-hour adventure.

True to form, two days later my husband and I agreed that it was one of our best camping trips yet. I returned feeling so relaxed and rejuvenated, like I'd been far away from home for several days.

Maybe it was just getting deep in the woods with my family. Listening to the falls drip on the limestone rocks. And snuggling into the tent as the last remains of our campfire crackled and hissed. Whatever it was, it was worth the effort and the nervous anticipation.


Clifty Falls offers some of the best hiking Indiana has to offer. On this trip, we tackled Trail 7. I like this trail because there are several "destinations" you see along the way, like the falls themselves. Granted, given the extreme drought we've had in Indiana this summer, they were more like a trickle instead of a raging cascade of water like I've seen on past trips. But pretty nonetheless.

Another highlight of Trail 7 is a rock formation called "Cake Rock." Naturally, Big Arrow loved that it looked like a giant piece of birthday cake.

Little highlights like these give kids something to look forward to and ahead to, particularly if they aren't enthusiastic hikers. At 3, Big Arrow is a mix of both. Sometimes he loves skipping ahead and seeing what's around the corner, chatting all the way.

And then he gets tired and whiney, like all 3 year olds do, and fortunately my husband can still throw him on his back.

Regardless, hiking is a chance to spend some quality time with our boys in the great outdoors, and makes me feel like I've really escaped the rush of everyday life, even if it's just for an hour or two.

Clifty Falls has a lot of other amenities, even if you're not a big nature buff. I outline some of them in this video for Visit Indiana (which I also shared earlier this week, along with my tips for getting two young kids to sleep in a tent).




Another tip for camping with kids? Pick a park or campground near an interesting town or city to visit... that way, if everyone needs a little break or pick-me-up, you can enjoy what's nearby. So another reason I love Clifty Falls is that it's in Madison, Indiana, a really quaint river town along the Ohio River. More on Madison next week!

If You Visit:
Clifty Falls State Park
2221 Clifty Drive, Madison, IN
Note: As of August 2012, Clifty Falls is one of the Indiana state parks currently (and understandably) under a strict burn ban. So don't plan on a campfire or grilling out.
Insider Tip: It's not really a tip, but in the tent area of the campground you'll find the nicest campground bathroom I've ever experienced! I'm nearly certain the countertops were cleaner than my own bathroom.

This post is a part of Photo Friday at Delicious Baby.

Getting Two Kids to Sleep in a Tent

Two kids under 3 years of age. Both of whom are used to sleeping in their own rooms. In a comfy crib and/or bed. Put said kids in a tent, in the great outdoors on a hot summer night, and expect them to sleep well a few inches from each other. Recipe for disaster? Enough to give parents nightmares and scare them off from tent camping forever? No way!

Tips for Tent Camping with Two Kids
We successfully tent camped with our 3-year-old and baby a few weeks ago and lived to tell the tale. Here's how we executed a quiet night of slumber in a tent:

• Put them down one at a time. I'm not sure what bedtime looks like around your house. We always put our boys to bed separately anyway, so doing that while camping was nothing new. But I think it's essential that each kid gets a chance to settle down to sleep without the distraction of another kid awake a few inches from their face.
• Wait until your rowdy kid is really tired. Big Arrow is pretty noisy when he goes to bed at home. We'll often hear him talking to himself, singing and carrying on for 30 minutes or more at night. I knew while camping, all this noise would certainly wake Little Arrow. So we kept Big Arrow up far beyond his usual bedtime so that he would ideally drift right off to sleep once we got him in the tent. This is pretty much how it worked out, fortunately.
• Lay down with them. My husband and I have worked really hard at establishing good sleep habits with our boys at home. We very rarely lay down with them to get them to fall asleep. But all bets are off when you're trying to get two kids to sleep in a very strange environment. Plus, knowing I was right in the tent with him supervising helped to ensure Big Arrow didn't do anything silly to wake his little brother up.
• Parents sleep between the kids. My husband and I slept between the boys. This way, a nighttime feeding of Little Arrow didn't wake up Big Arrow.
• Try to make it comfy. We used a blowup mattress for Big Arrow and the mattress from a pack n' play for Little Arrow. I know I don't sleep very well directly on the ground, so I can't expect my kids to either. We're going to get some sleeping pads for future camping trips to save space and time (the blow-up mattress was a bit cumbersome). We'll continue to use the pack n' play mattress for at least the next year for Little Arrow.

While I'm a somewhat experienced tent camper, I'm definitely new to doing it with kids. (Our previous camping trips involved borrowing my parent's pop-up trailer.) Any tips you'd like to add?

Other Camping with Kids Tips:

• Things I Learned While Camping with a Toddler
• Camping with a Toddler Must-Haves

Our Destination:

Interested in hearing more about our destination, Clifty Falls State Park in beautiful Madison, Indiana? Here's a video I did for Visit Indiana (please watch just so that the awful freeze frame picture of me goes away...):





I'll be sharing photos on Friday, so be sure to check back.

This post is a part of Travel Tips Tuesday at Suitcases and Sippy Cups and Walkingon Travels.

A Day in Bloomington, Indiana

This spring we spent a day in one of my favorite Indiana towns, Bloomington. While it's best known as the home of Indiana University, it's a lovely spot to leisurely wander. So I wrote descriptions of some of my favorite walks around Bloomington for Visit Indiana here.

Our morning was full of science fun at WonderLab, the children's science museum in town. And for lunch we did up Yogi's, a Bloomington staple.

But our afternoon was my favorite part of the day. We tucked Little Arrow in the Ergo* to snooze away, and let Big Arrow skip, hop, run, walk, and ride on dad's shoulders as we made our way through IU's beautiful campus.

Talk a walk with us, won't you?

My husband showing Big Arrow his old stomping grounds, the graduate business school building.

Love the old limestone buildings...

... constrasted with modern public art.

This isn't our first trek through a college campus. We've walked around Notre Dame and Harvard, too. Maybe it'll inspire both Arrows to higher study someday!

This post is a part of Photo Friday at Delicious Baby.

*Affiliate link.

4 Tips for Visiting Farmer's Markets with Kids

It's almost Farmer's Market season around here (the Columbus Farmer's Market opens the first Saturday in June!) Whenever we're in town, this is always a weekly tradition for us. And we often visit markets when we're traveling.

Chesterton European Market in northern Indiana

Over at Visit Indiana's blog, I shared some general tips for farmer's market visits. But going with kids make a trip a little different, so here are four kid-specific farmer's market tips.

1. Seek out some kid-friendly activities. I have found that most markets have these. For instance, at St. Petersburg's Saturday Morning Market, there was a booth with baby chicks that kids could hold and touch. Kidscommons, the children's museum in Columbus, often has a booth at our market with bubbles and crafts for kids. My son is much more patient when we do the rest of our market shopping if he gets some play time too.

Saturday Morning Market in St. Petersburg, Florida

2. Let them select some fruits or veggies. This is a great idea if you have a picky eater. I do this at the grocery store, too. Big Arrow usually gets to pick out a produce item, and he's much more likely to try it at home.

3. Give kids a budget. Many markets offer a lot of tasty treats of the sweet, sugary variety. It can become a hassle if your children beg you for something everytime you stop at a booth. This year, we plan to let Big Arrow have a couple of dollars each time we go to the market to select the treat of his choice. He's going to have to earn the money by helping out around home. And it will give him something to look around for as we wander through the market.

4. Go on a scavenger hunt. It can be pretty simple, like finding something red, green and blue. Or if your kids are a little older, challenge them to find more obscure vegetables. Count the number of dogs you see or the tents. Simple tasks like this help to challenge kids and keep their minds busy!

Whatever you do, make it fun. Our weekly trip to the farmer's market is one of Big Arrow's favorite things to do. What do you love most about farmer's markets?

MORE: You can read about our visits to farmer's markets around Indiana here. I reviewed the Chesterton European Market in northwest Indiana for Visit Indiana here. Soon, I'll be writing about the St. Petersburg Saturday Morning Market.

This post is a part of Travel Tips Tuesday at Suitcase and Sippy Cups and Walkingon Travels. I'm also linking up to Wanderfood Wednesday at Wanderlust and Lipstick.

WonderLab in Bloomington, Indiana

I've often commented that one of the real joys of traveling with children is watching them make new discoveries. There was a lot of that happening during our recent day trip to Bloomington, Indiana, particularly at the local children's science museum there, called WonderLab. I wrote a more complete review of WonderLab at the Indiana Insider here.

Big Arrow couldn't get enough of the hands-on exhibits there. Like floating a beach ball on a puff of air.

Or learning about the crazy ways mirrors capture our reflection.

We tested out the properties of gravity.

And ended our visit splashing in water.

Needless to say, on the way home Big Arrow learned an extra anatomy lesson: sleep.


If You Visit:
WonderLab
Corner of 4th and Madison Streets in downtown Bloomington
Open 9:30-5 Tuesday-Saturday, 1-5 on Sunday
Admission is $7 for everyone over the age of 1.
Insider Tips:
I shared several tips for visiting WonderLab over at the Indiana Insider.
This post is a part of Photo Friday at Delicious Baby. I'll be sharing another photo from our visit to WonderLab on Sunday (Mother's Day) as a part of The Mother of All Trip's traveling moms tribute, so check back.

Yogi's in Bloomington, Indiana

Since my husband had a rare vacation day last week for Good Friday, we went on a fun day trip over to Bloomington, Indiana (home to Indiana University). I've got a lot to share about our day there, but as with all things, let's start with what's most important in life: the food.

Bloomington has a great college-town atmosphere. You might think that makes it exclusively adult and party-oriented, but just the opposite is true. A good example is our lunch at Yogi's. Just a few blocks from campus, I've been to Yogi's many times (my sister is an IU grad and my husband got his MBA there). I got to see it in a whole new light while dining with a 4-month-old and almost 3-year-old last week. And you know what? It's still just as relaxing and delicious as it's always been, just with a few less beers.

I wrote about dining at Yogi's at the Indiana Insider earlier this week.

ATMOSPHERE

While at lunch, we sat near students, parents visiting for Easter weekend, professors and Bloomington professionals, along with a few other families. The enclosed patio lets in lots of sun and the colorful wall decor kept Big Arrow entertained while we waited for our food. (Side note: Big Arrow LOVES to "match" colors these days. As in, "Mom, your red shirt matches this red chair!" It makes for a perfect game to kill time when we're out and about.)

FOOD

My husband convinced me that we needed to order the broccoli poppers, and as usual, he was spot on. It was like a fried ball of broccoli cheese soup. I could have polished off the whole basket! (Big Arrow recommends the tater tots. He has a very refined palate these days. Mmmhmm.)

So if you're planning a visit to Bloomington soon, put Yogi's on your list of dining options. More to come on our beautiful day in this great Indiana town!

This post is a part of Wanderfood Wednesday at Wanderlust & Lipstick.

Share Your Outdoor Hobbies with your Kids

This is my sixth (and last) in a series of posts for Nature Rocks, a wonderful movement that encourages families to spend more time outdoors connecting with nature. It's an idea that my family tries to live out each and every day. This week, I'm their featured ambassador, so Nature Rocks will be posting some of my tips for enjoying time outside with kids, and I'll be posting more detailed posts that correspond with each tip.

Read my earlier posts here:

• Tips for Making Backyard Play More Fun
• Tips for Connecting with Nature in your Neighborhood
• Tips for Finding Nature on Vacation
• Babywearing in Nature
• Giving Kids Nature-Inspired Gifts

Today's tip is to share your outdoor hobbies with your kids.

I have no interest in raising little clones of my husband and I. I fully realize that my sons will develop interests and nurture talents that are different from my own. But I have found that being outside is a great equalizer. Long before we had kids, my husband and I discovered that we both really enjoyed hiking and camping. We grew up doing those things with our own parents and have fond memories of great family time in the outdoors.

So naturally, we didn't want to stop hiking and camping just because we have young children. So we bring them along on these adventures. And we have found that they thrive joining in the fun.

Hitting the trail at TC Steele State Historic Site

Regardless of what you enjoy doing outside, look for ways to involve your children. If you love to ski, enroll your kids in ski school on your next trip, perhaps they'll enjoy it too! If you love to bike, invest in a bike seat or trailer so that your kids can come. I've read posts about kids rock climbing, snow shoeing, and scuba diving.

A lot of children love to try new things and are always up for an adventure. But I know my oldest son can be a bit timid when he's forced outside his comfort zone. Here are a few pieces of advice if you're worried your kids won't enjoy your favorite hobby:

• Start slowly. In other words, don't plan a 4-hour hike your first time out. Or camp in your backyard one night to test things out.
• Show your kids a YouTube video to introduce them to a new activity. I have a friend who often does this with her toddler, with great success. Many kids are visual learners, especially at a young age. This may help them to conquer their fears. 
• Don't give up. I remember that our son got pretty fussy toward the end of our first family hike. But we tried again a few weeks later, and he did much better.
• Keep it relaxed and fun. If you're having a good time, chances are your kids will too.

For more information on camping and hiking, I'm linking to a few posts I've written about each activity (some links will take you to Visit Indiana's blog, where I'm a regular contributor).

CAMPING:

• Things I Learned While Camping with a Toddler
• Camping with a Toddler Must-Have Items
• Improvements to the Indiana State Park Camping Reservation System
• Trip Report: Camping at Warren Dunes State Park (Southwest Michigan)
• Camping at Brookville Lake (Southeast Indiana)

HIKING:

• Hike at Tangeman Woods (Columbus, Indiana)
• Hike at T.C. Steele State Historic Site (Brown County, Indiana) 
• Trails at T.C. Steele State Historic Site
• Hike at Sodalis Nature Park (Plainfield, Indiana)
• Features of Sodalis Nature Park
• Hiking at Brown County State Park (Nashville, Indiana)
• Hiking the Lakes of Brown County
• Hike at Muscatatuck National Wildlife Refuge (Seymour, Indiana)
• More on Muscatatuck National Wildlife Refuge
• Hike at Indiana Dunes State Park (Northwest Indiana)
• Trip Report: Red River Gorge, Kentucky

That concludes my week as the featured Nature Rocks ambassador. I hope you have found my tips helpful. Please share a few of your own! I'm always looking for new ways to enjoy nature with my kids, and I enjoy connecting with others who feel the same.

If you've enjoyed my posts, please consider subscribing to Arrows Sent Forth, or keep up with my family's adventures on Facebook or Twitter.

Mr. Potato Head at the Children's Museum of Indianapolis

Whenever we visit my mom and dad's house, the first toy that Big Arrow digs out of their toy chest is Mr. Potato Head. Does it get any more classic or more fun for a 2-year-old? So I think I let out an audible gasp when I heard that the Children's Museum of Indianapolis was hosting the Adventures of Mr. Potato Head exhibit for a few months.

As you know if you're a regular reader of this blog, that museum is already one of my favorite places for adventure with little kids. So last week when my parents offered to watch Little Arrow for a bit, I decided checking out the exhibit would be a perfect way to spend some much-needed one-on-one time with Big Arrow.

As you enter the exhibit, you're given the chance to play with Mr. Potato Head.

They had more "accessories" than you could ever imagine. I just wanted to spend hours digging through the piles of parts!

Our finished creation. (Who needs a mouth and nose when you have a police belt?)

But playing with the toy is actually not the main feature of the gallery. It's really an opportunity to go on four different adventures with Mr. Potato Head. In one area, he's an archeologist, and you can learn to make tatoglyphs (which you can take home and show to daddy... hello free souvenir!).

In another, you board a space ship and blast off for the stars.

You can also go un an underwater adventure and a safari. We happened to visit while a little show was taking place in the Spud Studio. If you get a chance, do check it out. It helps the exhibit come to life and is really interactive. This is Big Arrow putting on his binoculars so he could *see* all the animals on the safari.

I wrote more about The Adventures of Mr. Potato Head at the Children's Museum of Indianapolis for Visit Indiana here.

And while Little Arrow missed out on the fun this time, much like Mr. Potato Head, he's holding his own head up quite well these days.

This post is a part of Photo Friday at Delicious Baby.