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Dear Holly: Meeting Your Great-Grandparents (2016 Toyota Highlander Family Road Trip)

11 weeks.

Dear Holly: Meeting Your Great-Grandparents (2016 Toyota Highlander Family Road Trip)

Dear Holly,

You met all of your great-grandparents in one weekend, in the midst of our family’s 1st road trip as a family of four; in which we drove from Nashville to Atlanta.

2016 Toyota Highlander Limited: 3rd Row Seat Space & Child Car Seat Placement

Granted, you were asleep during 95% of the drive, in the 2016 Toyota Highlander. But you woke up just in time to meet everyone and were able to get your picture made with them.

Dear Holly: Meeting Your Great-Grandparents (2016 Toyota Highlander Family Road Trip)

First we drove through my hometown of Fort Payne, Alabama; where you met your Mexican great-grandmother, Lola Mendez Metallo; whose parents moved here from Michoacán, Mexico and settled in Buffalo, New York. I’m pretty sure she thought it was a dream that we stopped by, as we kept it a complete surprise we were coming.

Dear Holly: Meeting Your Great-Grandparents (2016 Toyota Highlander Family Road Trip)

She was married to my Italian grandfather Albert Metallo, whose father moved here from southern Italy and settled in Kenosha, Wisconsin. I wish you could have met him too, but you were born about 8 years too late to meet him.

Dear Holly: Meeting Your Great-Grandparents (2016 Toyota Highlander Family Road Trip)

Dear Holly: Meeting Your Great-Grandparents (2016 Toyota Highlander Family Road Trip)

We stayed the night at Nonna and Papa’s house that night. Your cousin Calla brought some leftover fireworks for Uncle Andrew to light and shoot off in the front yard, while I helped supervise for safety.

Dear Holly: Meeting Your Great-Grandparents (2016 Toyota Highlander Family Road Trip)

Dear Holly: Meeting Your Great-Grandparents (2016 Toyota Highlander Family Road Trip)

It was quite a show. You were never once scared by the noise or the minor explosions. In fact, you took it all in with a straight face the entire time.

Dear Holly: Meeting Your Great-Grandparents (2016 Toyota Highlander Family Road Trip) a6 a7

We spent the next couple of days in Atlanta, where visited the Atlanta Aquarium as well as the Delta Flight Museum. On the way back home though, we stopped by Flintstone, Georgia, right outside of Chattanooga, Tennessee, so you could meet my dad’s (Papa’s) parents; which is who we get our last name from.

Dear Holly: Meeting Your Great-Grandparents (2016 Toyota Highlander Family Road Trip)

Dear Holly: Meeting Your Great-Grandparents (2016 Toyota Highlander Family Road Trip)

Since we were just passing through and didn’t know what time we’d get there, it was a quick visit; as opposed to having a big family reunion. We’ll have to save that for a day when we aren’t in transition.

Dear Holly: Meeting Your Great-Grandparents (2016 Toyota Highlander Family Road Trip)

Dear Holly: Meeting Your Great-Grandparents (2016 Toyota Highlander Family Road Trip)

Your Great-Aunt Rosa was there though, as she kept your brother Jack busy as she wrestled him.

I’m so glad you were able to meet your great-parents this past weekend. You are quite a big deal to them!

Love,

Daddy

Dear Holly: Meeting Your Great-Grandparents (2016 Toyota Highlander Family Road Trip)

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Dear Jack: Our Trip to the Delta Flight Museum in Atlanta, Georgia

5 years, 7 months.

Dear Jack: Our Trip to the Delta Flight Museum in Atlanta, Georgia

Dear Jack: Our Trip to the Delta Flight Museum in Atlanta, Georgia

Dear Jack,

As we journeyed on in our family’s first road trip as a family of four (in the 2016 Toyota Highlander) last week, we made our next stop the Delta Flight Museum.

Dear Jack: Our Trip to the Delta Flight Museum in Atlanta, Georgia

The funny thing is, I really didn’t what know to expect beforehand: I’m not sure I had ever been to any kind of airplane museum before.

But once we got there, I realized what a great fit it was for our entire family!

Dear Jack: Our Trip to the Delta Flight Museum in Atlanta, Georgia

Dear Jack: Our Trip to the Delta Flight Museum in Atlanta, Georgia

Dear Jack: Our Trip to the Delta Flight Museum in Atlanta, Georgia

I loved seeing how excited you were by everything surrounding you- there were planes hanging from the sky, planes for us to walk through, a small plane for you to get in, and a tunnel… all for you to explore.

Dear Jack: Our Trip to the Delta Flight Museum in Atlanta, Georgia

Dear Jack: Our Trip to the Delta Flight Museum in Atlanta, Georgia

Dear Jack: Our Trip to the Delta Flight Museum in Atlanta, Georgia

Not only was there so much to see there, but Mommy and I loved the pace of the place.

Dear Jack: Our Trip to the Delta Flight Museum in Atlanta, Georgia

It was so open and spread out, and served as a non-intimidating environment for a family with a small baby. They have a theater room that plays a short film about the history of Delta Airlines.

Dear Jack: Our Trip to the Delta Flight Museum in Atlanta, Georgia

Dear Jack: Our Trip to the Delta Flight Museum in Atlanta, Georgia

Dear Jack: Our Trip to the Delta Flight Museum in Atlanta, Georgia

Mommy was able to feed your sister her bottle there in the theater while our family watched the big screen.

I also couldn’t help but notice how helpful and courteous all the staff was.

Of course it wouldn’t be an event if Mommy and I didn’t let you get a souvenir, so you find the gift shop and you were excited to adopt a white bear in a bomber jacket.

Dear Jack: Our Trip to the Delta Flight Museum in Atlanta, Georgia

Dear Jack: Our Trip to the Delta Flight Museum in Atlanta, Georgia

It was a wise decision to make the Delta Flight Museum part of our Atlanta road trip. Your attention was easily captivated the entire time we were there- and like I mentioned, it was very easily to manage a 2 month-old baby the whole time as well.

Dear Jack: Our Trip to the Delta Flight Museum in Atlanta, Georgia

Dear Jack: Our Trip to the Delta Flight Museum in Atlanta, Georgia

Dear Jack: Our Trip to the Delta Flight Museum in Atlanta, Georgia

Perhaps your favorite part was the little “photo op” plane for you and your sister to sit inside. You kept going back to it, even asking me, “Daddy, does this plane really fly?”

If it would have, I’m sure you would have been ready to take flight.

 Love,

Daddy

Dear Jack: Our Trip to the Delta Flight Museum in Atlanta, Georgia

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Dear Jack: Our Trip to the Georgia Aquarium in Atlanta

5 years, 7 months.

Dear Jack: Our Trip to the Atlanta Aquarium

Dear Jack,

As part of our family’s first road trip as a family of four (in the 2016 Toyota Highlander), we visited the Georgia Aquarium; you are particularly fascinated by whales and sharks.

Dear Jack: Our Trip to the Atlanta Aquarium

Dear Jack: Our Trip to the Atlanta Aquarium

Of course, the first place we checked out was the souvenir shop, where you found a beluga whale as your companion for the visit. You took my suggestion and named her Bella. She remained by your side throughout our entire Atlanta road trip.

Dear Jack: Our Trip to the Atlanta Aquarium

Dear Jack: Our Trip to the Atlanta Aquarium

I didn’t know this at the time, but the Georgia Aquarium is the largest aquarium in the western hemisphere! This fact is downplayed by how concise the place is structured, as all branches of the aquarium are virtually connected to the main court, which is connected to the gift shop.

Dear Jack: Our Trip to the Atlanta Aquarium

Dear Jack: Our Trip to the Atlanta Aquarium

It was even convenient for Mommy to feed and change your baby sister’s diapers, without having to go to the other side of the aquarium to take care of her.

Dear Jack: Our Trip to the Atlanta Aquarium

Dear Jack: Our Trip to the Atlanta Aquarium

Perhaps our favorite part of the Atlanta Aquarium was the underwater tunnel, in which we stood on a moving walkway as the ocean animals swam above us. I had always wanted to experience that. I finally was able to!

Dear Jack: Our Trip to the Atlanta Aquarium

Dear Jack: Our Trip to the Atlanta Aquarium

Something else I really liked about this aquarium is how we were able to see the entire place without ever having to feel rushed. We saw it all and it wasn’t too much or too little- it was the perfect amount!

Dear Jack: Our Trip to the Atlanta Aquarium

Dear Jack: Our Trip to the Atlanta Aquarium

Needless to say, you were thought it was so cool to see all the animals of the sea. I’m so glad it worked out for our family to visit the Georgia Aquarium this summer.

Dear Jack: Our Trip to the Atlanta Aquarium

I know there are so many fun family activities to do in Atlanta, but we made the right decision in placing the Georgia Aquarium on our agenda for our family’s first road trip as a family of four.

Love,

Daddy

Dear Jack: Our Trip to the Atlanta Aquarium

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2016 Toyota Highlander Limited: 3rd Row Seat Space and Child Car Seat Placement

2016 Toyota Highlander Limited: 3rd Row Seat Space & Child Car Seat Placement

This past weekend, our family had the privilege of being able to drive a 2016 Toyota Highlander Limited from Spring Hill, Tennessee (a bedroom community of Nashville) to Atlanta, Georgia. One of the specific reasons we chose this particular vehicle was to test out its 3rd row seat.

Now that we are a family of 4 (our daughter was born 2 months ago), we are considering buying an SUV for our next family vehicle. In particular, we are currently considering the ones that have a 3rd row seat.

It’s not that 4 people require 3 rows of seats. Instead, we would like the option of having my wife being able to sit in the back with the kids, while I drive up front.

Plus, it would be nice to have extra seats when my parents are in town so we can all fit in the same vehicle.

In the 2016 Toyota Highlander Limited that we drove for the weekend, the seat layout consisted of 2 captain’s chairs up front, 2 more in the middle row, and then a 3-seat 3rd row (which quickly and easily folds up or down with the pull of a tether).

The 3rd row’s child seat anchor is in the middle seat; meaning that an adult or older child would sit on the ends of the 3rd row while and the younger child’s or baby’s car seat would be in between them.

Obviously, child car seats can be put in either of the middle row captain’s chair as well; making a total of 3 different places that children’s seats can be anchored.

As far as how much space is in the 3rd row seat for an adult, I shot this video for your convenience.

In it, I demonstrated how an average-sized American adult (which I am, at 5’9” and 162 pounds) can easily fit in the 3rd row seat, given that you A) sit on either end of the row, but not the middle; B) lay the seat back further than a 90 degree angle; and C) move the middle row up a few inches so your knees don’t hit it.

Another thing I do in the video is the show how much cargo space remains when the 3rd row is up: I am able to lay down in that space, as you will see…

I also invite you to watch my other video which shows everything we packed in the back, with the 3rd row seat down. I explain how it was great having that space for our stroller and luggage.

Thanks for reading my blog post today and watching my videos. I hope you found this helpful in making decisions for your own family.

And if you’re looking for a child booster car seat similar to the one my son is using in the pictures above, here’s a link in case you’re looking to purchase one.

2016 Toyota Highlander Limited: 3rd Row Seat Space & Child Car Seat Placement

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Dear Holly: Nonna and Papa’s Visit while Mommy Went to Washington D.C.

10 weeks.

Dear Holly,

Last week, Mommy went on her annual overnight business trip to Washington D.C. Instead of me using my last two vacation days, Nonna and Papa came up from Alabama to watch you and your brother Jack while I was at work.

It was a perfect match-up: Jack had Papa and you had Nonna.

When I got home from work each day, I couldn’t help not notice that without him trying to, Jack kept entertaining you as he played with his toys.

You had a front row seat to Jack’s antics. The funny thing is, you just stared intently. You never really smiled while watching him, but you didn’t want to do anything else- just watch him.

Dear Holly: Nonna and Papa’s Visit while Mommy Went to Washington D.C.

In fact, you stare so much at your brother he complains to me about it: “Daddy, Holly’s staring at me again!”

Nonna took care of you during the night, which perfectly coincided with you beginning to sleep through the night, at 2 months old. I am so happy about you sleeping longer, and I know Mommy is too.

Dear Holly: Nonna and Papa’s Visit while Mommy Went to Washington D.C.

As I look through these pictures of you and Nonna together, it’s evident what a light complexion you have, especially in contrast to Nonna and Papa’s skin tone.

In particular, it’s interesting to see how such a pink-toned baby girl can come from a Mexican/Italian grandmother who is so much darker; knowing that even Mommy and I both have an olive-complexion, as compared to the lighter tone both you and your brother have.

Dear Holly: Nonna and Papa’s Visit while Mommy Went to Washington D.C.

Something else I’m thinking about as I see these pictures… it’s helping to confirm my theory that you may end up being my little red-headed daughter. How amazing would that be?

We’ll know for sure once your baby hair completely falls out and your new hair really starts growing in…

Love,

Daddy

Dear Holly: Nonna and Papa’s Visit while Mommy Went to Washington D.C.