Raleigh Days, From the Field, Fun Finds, Poolside

1. Route 220 South lies like a huge piece of ribbon draped over the hills to Hillsborough. Daughter #4 and I were Raleigh-bound to see Daughter #1 and family.
2. Farm stands dot the drive, particularly in North Carolina. They are loaded with locally grown watermelon and cantaloupe so we stopped and bought a cantaloupe on our way. Mari and Jack loved the "orange melon" and ate it entirely.
3. We all enjoy perusing second hand and antique shops. We found some fun treasures including a cute vintage summer dress for Tess, an ironstone pitcher (on the dollar table!), an adorable little bell shaped like a lady, and an embossed plate from Germany that I envision for serving dates at Thanksgiving.
4. Children make swimming a lot more fun : )

*Mari wore a swim aid HERE. It gave her freedom of movement while keeping her head sturdily above water. It's a good assist if you want your child to learn how to kick and swim, not just float. I would highly recommend it if you have toddlers around a pool.