DC Weekend Part 1

Activity of the day: handstands.



Me: Clark, is that a big statue or a little statue?
C: Little statue.
Me: Really? I thought it was a big statue.
C: Nooo. The Statue of Liberty is a big statue.



Clark asking Dad if there are alligators in the Reflecting Pool.



Two hours past bedtime? Wah-hoo!!!

Old Town

Today's post is brought to you by Dora:

This weekend my family went to Washington, D.C. While we walked to our car from the ice cream place, we passed a man playing a flute. He started to play “Yankee Doodle”. I sang along. The man saw me and asked, ”Do you know this one?” He started to play “Grand Old Flag”! I nodded and started to sing. When we were done, he said, "You’re good!” He gave me a pair of cymbals. Then he played “Stars and Stripes.” I crashed the cymbals to the beat. After another song, I gave him his cymbals. He gave me a flyer. But do you know what? I never learned his name! I don’t suppose you know... do you?

This was Dora's best memory of the weekend. She journaled about it as soon as she could get her hands on paper and a pen, and today wanted to type out the story so she can read it to her class at school tomorrow.

I had been feeling nostalgic lately about our old home in Alexandria. Jeff and I got a little Wonder Years when we started talking about the days where we could walk down to Old Town or go out for one drink after work that would turn into many, many, many. (And also about how poor we were then, and probably should not have gone out nearly as much as we did!) We should take a trip back some day just the two of us, since there are about ten restaurants that I would love to have another meal at (and ten more places I'd love to go for a drink.) Anyhow, I really enjoyed the couple hours spent on Saturday, and I think the kids had a good time, too.

Shoes

So, I have this weird habit (actually, many weird habits, but this is the one that I'm sharing with you now) ... I take pictures of the kids' shoes. Now that they're at the age where shoes get worn out before they are grown out, they are usually immediately destined for the trash. But I always take a snapshot first.



The kids have a small selection of shoes at any given time: one pair of crocs, one pair of sneakers and Dora gets a bonus pair of Mary-Jane style sneakers to wear with dresses. So their shoes usually get worn to the ground before we get new pairs.



And after a year of everyday wear, their shoes have so much personality, that I hate throwing them away. So I take a picture.



I've been doing this since Dora was about three years old, these are a few of the pics that I happened to still have on my hard drive.



Today was new sneaker day for Dora and Clark.



So, I had to take a picture.

Friday Night

Our town holds a festival every year that I absolutely love. Along with the end-of-season picnic (which always happens way too early in my opinion), it is my favorite part about living in our town.



Inflatables for the big kids ...



... followed by a parade.



I love getting pictures of the kids watching parades. Their expressions are fantastic.



Candy!! I had no idea that throwing candy during parades was a thing until we moved here. The first parade we went to here was for Columbus Day five years ago, and it was like Halloween!



Now we look forward to it.



Dora got to march with her Girl Scout troop. So proud! (Check out the new sneaks ... more on that tomorrow.)

Stacked

I've been a big fan of Geninne's for awhile, I find her work absolutely enchanting and the amount which she creates inspiring. When she posted this little painting and promised to list it on Etsy, I was excitedly awaiting its arrival in her shop.



And it finally arrived! Five little birds ... five of us. (Though to be technically accurate, the second bird from the top should be the chirpy one, but number three has certainly been competing for most talkative lately.) This is my first art purchase and I absolutely love it. Now to get it framed and hung in a timely manner.

Found

... on the table this morning.

Baking Monday - Double Chocolate Cookies

Up today: My grandma's recipe for Double Chocolate Cookies. My sister always used to make these for our Christmas cookie trays, and this is the first time I've ever made them by myself. They're not the fanciest cookies, but they are deee-licous.



There would have been a dozen or so more if the dough wasn't so yummy.



And who gets the Favorite Parent Award in our house today? Me! Me! Me!



I found the elusive Silly Bandz on our walk today. The morning rain forced us to walk in the mall instead of on the Rail Trail and one of the stores had a big sign out front announcing that they had some in stock. At a very high price, of course. I wasn't going to knock myself out trying to find them, but had decided that if they came across my path, I would buy some.



Dora and Theo were very happy and are looking forward to trading with their friends tomorrow. And since we finally got our hands on some, I'm expecting the trend to end about .... now.