Charleston: Tooling Around

A few weeks ago, we headed to Charleston for a Petroski family reunion (my mom's side). And while I'm glad I packed painter's tape (see below) in our carry on (seriously - brilliant fun for hours), the girls were awesome on the plane. I think they were grumpy for about two minutes during the entire trip. 

After a great night of sleep at my cousins' Jim and Stacy's house - the coolest hosts in the world - we trekked out with borrowed strollers and bikes to tour the town. After visiting the amazing albino alligator at the Charleston Aquarium, we tooled around to admire the gorgeous architecture and beautiful live oaks. Despite the heat, we were all pretty smitten.

And hallelujah for cool fountains. Any excuse to spend an entire day in a bathing suit makes my girls happy. This wild fountain had us giggling along with tons of Charleston kids. 

And then we stumbled upon a giant pineapple fountain that blew our minds. How cool! Can you see those kids under the fountain. They can literally swim to the base of the fountain under the center. It's like a  little cave under there. 

Skeptical... 

... and sold.

(I so appreciate how Phoebe takes her time to warm up. Many people label her as shy, but I really love how she knows how to ease into a situation or a new environment. She may be slow to warm but once she's ready, she dives in with gusto.) 

I LOVE this shot. A good long day in a new city. 

And oh, the sweetgrass baskets. 

It's hard for this mama to resist this view. It never gets old. 

Sigh. 

Here Stella draws with cousin Charles. Considering he is an extraordinarily talented artist, we were thrilled to hear her sharing her vision and perspective with him like she was just one of the greats. I love the natural ease and confidence kids have at this age. They just know who they are. No filters. No hang ups. She's just Stella - an amazing little artist with a huge heart. 

This is just the beginning... more to come!