Weekend Getaway

Last weekend Craig and I went to Washington, DC. It was really nice to spend some time together before school starts. (Big thanks to Nana & Papa & Grandma for watching the Doodlebug and Ladybug!)



Neither of us had ever been to DC and it was a lot of fun. We went to a few of the Smithsonian museums. I can't believe the stuff that they actually still have, all in one place. It's incredible. They had Abraham Lincoln's top hat and suit, the original star-spangled banner (the one that inspired the song), Julia Child's kitchen, and Archie Bunker's chair. Of course Craig wanted to visit the air and space museum. He was interested in the WWII planes, but I thought the most interesting thing was the Wright Brothers' original plane.



Me at Mount Vernon. We spent over half a day there and it was great. For such a heavily visited place, it didn't really feel "touristy" at all. We also visited the Capitol and the Supreme Court. We didn't have enough notice in our (very) last minute plans to make arrangements to tour the White House (you have to do it six months in advance), which we would have loved.



Supreme Court (top) and White House (below, obviously)



It was a lot of fun to travel together again. We each only took a small backpack, so it was just like old times. (Except for also transporting 4 days worth of pumped breastmilk through the airport and back home. That was a new experience.)

So now we're back and ready to get into the swing of things. The kids are doing great. Franny's tooth #4 is peeking through but she's handling it fine...

Atticus' haircut. I know this picture is blurry, but I was having a hard time getting him to hold still. Doesn't he look grown-up?

Edit: I suppose I should also mention that the reason he is holding his hands like that is because he is petting a pretend cat. Ha, ha.




Ladybug had her 9 month appointment. She's weighing in at 18.6 lbs and everything went well. She was quite a trooper during the checkup. Of course she cried when she got her shot but got over it quickly. This was our first time with our new doctor for the kids and I think we will like him.

Fun in the...shade

Just a little splashing in the backyard this afternoon...

Sweet Franny's hair is finally long enough for a little 'do:




The only thing more fun than swimming IN the water? Dumping it out!



My handsome husband, lifeguard on duty:

Atticus' "big boy" room. Note the absence of a crib. (He has been going back and forth between bed and crib for six months now.) We were lucky to "inherit" a dresser and nightstand and I think we will be painting them soon to match the bookshelf.





Finally Ladybug has a room of her own (as opposed to sleeping in the Pack 'n Play off the dining room.) My grandma did the painting for me when I was a baby.



We have an iron bedframe that belonged to Craig's great-grandmother that we will be painting and using here in Franny's room. The toy crib was mine.



Franny's closet. This shelf is one Craig made for our living room in our old house. We bolted it to the wall so she can pull up on it.

So much to say, so little time!

We are getting settled in and adjusted. This morning we went to storytime at the library with Atticus and Franny and they both loved it. (There were bubbles!) I'll have pictures of us in the new house soon, but for now let me just give the highlights of the past few days, with pictures from Before the Move.

-Ladybug is mobile! She is crawling everywhere and is very busy exploring. She thinks it is very funny that she can go from room to room on her own and laughs as she is doing it. She is pulling up on EVERYTHING.



-Yesterday as we were sitting in the new house, we asked Atticus, "Guess where we're going today!?" and he said, "Go home?" Uh...no. This is home, buddy.

-I got my class schedule today! Yikes, it is seeming real. And I'm thinking, what have I gotten myself into? :)

-Atticus has added the phrases "waaaay up high," "right there," and "Franny choke on that?" to his vocabulary. Let's just say on that last one that Franny's newfound mobility has brought with it that ever-so-fun stage of "investigating" everything. I can't even identify some of the things I have pulled out of her mouth.



A picture of the Doodle on his last day of baby gym class. I know he will miss it!!

Happy Birthday Doodlebug!

I can't believe the Doodle is two years old. On his first birthday, he was still kind of a baby. Not now. He is officially, well, a kid.

We had a fun birthday party with family and a few little friends. The kids played in the kiddie pool and in the sprinkler and he had a pretty good time. We have been talking about his upcoming "birthday party" for quite some time now and every time I mentioned it, he reminded me, "Balloons?! Cake?!"

At two years old, Atticus:

-still LOVES balls. Likes to kick the soccer ball and watched the World Cup games, enthralled.

-can name a cardinal, a hawk, and a dolphin (as distinct from another bird or fish).

-loves mayonaise, ketchup, sauce...anything that involves dipping.

-adores his baby sister and cracks her up continuously. (Only gets a *little* jealous.) :)

-is quiet and "serious" in unfamiliar situations but is a total goofball when he warms up.

-can ask for or say pretty much anything he wants to and understands almost everything.

He's such a sweet boy and it is so awesome to watch him grow. We love you so much, Doodlebug!

Happy Father's Day!

I think this might be the first picture of the four of us since Franny was born.


Atticus about to go down the GIANT homemade water slide at Nana and Papa's house.

So much fun! They did it over and over again.

Ladybug had a blast splashing in her own little pool.