New Years

We spent New Years Eve at the National Botanical Gardens. It was lovely. Warm, humid, and beautiful. I tried to be artistic with my point and shoot because the flowers were gorgeous!

Finally my favorite, a chocolate tree! YUM

Holiday Fun

Today is Boxing day! We survived Christmas and everyone is happy. Last week, cousin A, and Aunt T came to DC to visit. They came on the train and we met them at Union station. We had fun going to the Postal Museum and the National Art Gallery. B's favorite part of the day was riding back from the museum in a taxi. Lots of fun for a four year old boy.

Before Christmas we made a trip to the Great Wolf Lodge. We saw Santa, and played in the water park. I enjoyed the 84 degree and the kids loved the slides. They went on a 'quest' with their magic wands. By lunch time the next day, everyone was tired and we drove home. R seemed out of sorts and lucky her, she got a christmastime fever.

Christmas morning was fun, Santa brought art supplies for R, and a foosball table for B. There is no slowing a four year old boy in opening present, no savoring the moment and all presents were opened in a hour. The loved the clothes and toys, and had a great playing with them later. Unfortunately, R's fever got worse and coughing began. She was a trooper and still enjoyed the day.

Holidays are coming!

We are trying to create an environment of holiday cheer in our tiny apt. So last weekend, we went out to a local garden store and found a tree. Its a potted tree, and more round than the typical christmas tree, but it get's the job done. The kids had fun picking out decorations for the tree at target and we spend time placing the ornaments on tree in just the right places.... according to B.

B has been hard at work at preschool, practicing for his Christmas concert. The concert was Friday night, and he was ready. All dressed up in his "work" clothes like Daddy's, including a tie, and proudly showed up for his concert. The concert was adorable and they sang and danced, and I believe everyone remembered their lines. I was such a proud mama. He looked so serious, making sure he got the moves just right, played the bells at the right time, marched the correct direction, and for his finale, a well done cartwheel. It was all too cute.

Yesterday we went to a different Air and Space Museum and the kids got to see two of the planes that Grandpa C flew in Vietnam. Very exciting stuff for four year old boys! They also rode on a shuttle simulator and took a trip to the Space Station. Very exciting for my 7 year old girl.

Today we made salt dough, and are painting ornaments for the tree. Sugar cookies to be made still and Christmas cards to still mail. We are getting into the spirit around here. Glee Christmas soundtrack playing in the background....

Thanksgiving and stuff

I have been waiting to blog until I downloaded pictures and for the past week, I am unable to locate my camera. Three guesses to where the camera is and who is responsible? B, I'm sure of it. Do I have proof? Has he confessed? NO but it has to be him.! I now know why I was always the one responsible for all lost things in my house growing up. Blame the little one, they did it! SO sorry no photos.

R and I went to the Daughters of the American Revolution museum with 7 other little girls. It was delightful and they loved it. They dressed up in aprons and bonnets and carried little ragdolls with them. They learned all about the different rooms and how to serve tea to their guests. They had a tea party and played with the toys in the toy room. Hopscotch and jacob's ladder were the biggest hits. In the gift shop R spent her allowance on a Bonnet just like Little House on the Prairie. Now of course, we have borrowed the dvd's from the library and are watching it.

Thanksgiving was good. I made a large turkey breast and all the other stuff to go along with it. We had a late lunch and played Wii most of the day. We went to our friends O and R for dinner and the kids played. All and all it was a very nice time.

It has cooled off here and playing in the park required more layers and hats and mittens. NO snow, but definitely colder. We played at the park with B's friend from preschool and were not prepared, and got very red fingers, hands, noses and cheeks. It was worth it, since we saw a big deer (buck) come walking through were the kids were playing hide and seek. They loved it. They all took after it and it bounded through the trees and ran away. I am glad it didn't charge at them.

I am glad both children are back at school and I am able to clean up around here. Two trash bags to trash, two laundry baskets of recycling downstairs, two trash bags of clothes to goodwill, and a shower stall full of backpacks and camping gear. In a small apt, one must find every bit of space that can be used as storage. I have also got a good handle on Christmas already, and have hidden presents all over the place. Yesterday I finally managed to send off my application to become a US citizen. Only took me years to do it. It's done! Hopefully I can pass the citizenship test.

Fall is Gorgeous!

Yesterday, we went to the "Mall" with friends. The kids had a blast on this beautiful fall day. It was warm and they ran around like horses, literally. R and her friends, decided they were in the World Cup Horse Show and pranced and galloped all over. B mostly practiced his Karate moves he saw on the movie the Karate Kid. Thank fully no one was hurt! We stood by the Supreme Court, Library of Congress and the Capital Building. We went into the Museum of American Indians. It was very interesting, the kids learned to weave, and made pictures of American Indian Art and items on the computer.

We have gone out hiking and checking out lots of state and national parks nearby. Veterans day we went to Mason's Neck State Park with the T Twins, and their Mother T. We had a lovely picnic and a nice mile walk in the tree, along a board walk, and by the beach. Nice Day! Yesterday morning before the National Mall, we went to Bull Run Mountain, and did some more hiking. It was truly gorgeous. The leaves are so amazing. The sky here seems to have a deeper hue of blue than Seattle. Loved it.

Point and Shoot Portraits

Saturday I finally had waited long enough for the 'family' portraits. J would always say he's not paying someone to take cheesy photos of us. He could do it himself. Well, our camera (the good one) is 8 years old, and in this day and age that means practically "VINTAGE" so at the best of times it struggles. We have also lost the battery charger for the camera so it's sitting in the nice camera bag with the nice lenses, collecting dust.

We went to Great Falls Historical Park, not to be confused with Great Falls National Park, which is on the other side of the Potomac River. Of course this was an impromptu kind of thing and no one was dressed in photo attire, mostly me! I had the biggest bulkiest sweater on you can imagine, I swear I looked at least halfway through a pregnancy. It was awful. Our four year old, being four, smiles so big, he has no eyes and is all mouth. Rory, loved getting her picture taken. Smiling, wide, half smile, tilt head left, right. She was a ham. J, just kept making faces. It wasn't exactly what I hoped for. Then again, when you have a point and shoot camera on top of a big tripod, can you really expect nice photos? Out of a hundred photos, one, which I cropped in ALOT (to hide my bloated belly, and no I'm not pregnant!). It will work to document we are indeed a family.

Halloween

Halloween this year was held at a friends home. They just moved into their new house and we helped them break it in for Halloween. The kids has a great time. B was a firefighter and R was a witch. They got loads of candy, and traded it all in for a toy. I love doing this, but realised this year that I could no longer just 're-gift' the candy to on coming trick or treaters. Living in the apartment, there weren't any trick or treaters except the ones we knew were coming. This leaves me with a big bag of candy and probably five pound on my waist to gain. Can't wait for that. I could just throw it away, but the candy lover in me has a real hard time doing that.

Our sweet little Sugar, who has been growing like a weed, has gotten sick. Today it's been five days of diarrhea and blood oozing from her poor swollen butt. One vet gave her de-wormer, which caused her intestines to be agitated. Second opinion, she's got colitis, third opinion, some infection. Poor 14oz baby, she's gotten two subcutaneous infusions of fluid, de-wormer, probiotics and now antiobiotic. I am really hoping something works soon, or else I'm coming at her with the Kaopectate.

I have started working on writing my novel, this being November and all. In the month of november there is a little gathering of writers called NaNoWriMo. (national novel writing month) and we all try very hard to get to 50,000 in 30 days. I have not succeeded the two previous years but now I am a stay at home gal, there should be NO EXCUSE. Of course, I am now blogging instead of writing. By the end of tonight I should be at 6700 words, but it's 830 and I'm only at 5080. Got a little work ahead of me. I can do it. Well at least this year I should get closer than the the 3000 I got the first year and the 7000 I got the second year. Third times a charm, right?!