Gravelly Point on a Warm Winter Day

Sunday was warm here in DC. Forecasted temperatures were 53 and the actual temp was more like 60. So....we went for a walk!

I could take this very same picture every Sunday. This is my Sunday School classroom and where Lang and I gather the kids before leaving. The only thing that changes from week to week is their clothing.


The birds were everywhere when we arrived at Gravelly Point and John was camera happy. John took, count them, 90!!!! pictures before we even started our walk. These birds are noteworthy because one of them pooped on the head of the boys' friend, Tanner.


My boys and Tanner all glad to be outside and able to run around.


Gravelly Point is one of my favorite places. It is a paradise for boys. Here is the Amtrak going over the trestle bridge.


And the Metro crossing the Potomac on it's own bridge.


John took this picture. Lang and Kim had a lengthy discussion about his picture choice. Kim said that John has perspective. Lang said that John had best not be artsy. Kim replied that John would grow up and do ballet, to which Lang scoffed that John would be too tall. Kim is Tanner's Mom and our friend. I have known Kim since 9th grade.


This freight train is crossing the George Washington Parkway.


My guys under a bridge. John using some "perspective" for his next photo shoot.


My guys were simply trying to dam up the Potomac. Tanner is trying to skip a pebble. All were unsuccessful.


Lang and Kim discussing the porn industry's request for $50M in the stimulus package. Will they get it? Puh-leeez!


James was kept harassing Tanner. He somehow doesn't get that Tanner is nearly 11 and twice his size. Tanner finally took him out, nicely. Not that that changed anything.


I LOVE this picture!!


I made FIVE attempts at this picture and here is the best I got. The Washington Monument looks great, though.


John found this tree and asked that I take a picture of him.


So then we got one of Tanner.


And then one of all three boys.


The Navy/Marine Memorial was our destination.


Personally, after what happened earlier, I found it kind of ironic that Tanner would climb under the birds...


On the way back Joseph walked in mud and I had to remove his shoes. He then removed his socks. There is something psychologically wrong to a mother for her son to not be wearing socks on the first day of February.


James wore out on the way back. He rode on the back of the stroller, in the stroller and walked for the return trip.


Ducks...and these are important because...


"Hi Ducks! Hi Ducks! Hi Ducks! Hi Ducks! Hi Ducks!...."


I have saved the best for last. Most people go to Gravelly Point just to see this plane..


...fly over our heads...


...and land!


Lang held Joseph to see the planes overhead. I put Joseph's shoes back on him. Both Lang and I were filthy when we got home.


I love great head shots of the boys, and this is a great one, although a bit off center. I still haven't mastered taking pictures when I don't hold the camera to my eye.

Indian Summer - 2008

As I go back through all of these pictures, it is with a sense of longing. You see, I am COLD! I can wear my regular clothes, a sweatshirt and sit in front of the heater and I am still cold. It is amazing to me that we ever dressed like this and weren't freezing!

This series of pictures all took place on lazy fall afternoons and evenings in September. I really regret that I am so far behind because I am sure there were great specifics to tell with each picture.

John, being the super big brother and helping Joseph up the stairs in front of our home.


When we returned home from the beach, Joseph was still in the midst of an eating frenzy. Bananas are a favorite, but the peel must be ON the banana!


Both boys played fall ball. John ended up on a team of mostly 4th and 5th graders. He was in way over his head. We set up the hurricane in the back yard and he did faithfully practice quite a bit at the beginning of the season. Note that John is swinging right-handed.


Now he is swinging left-handed. John is actually left-handed but fancies himself a switch hitter. According to Lang, he hits more consistently right but with more strength left.


I would not want to be the recipient of the look on his face! He looks like he is about to wallop that "ball," and I'm sure he did!


Joseph was glad to be back in his crib. It is much larger and softer than the play pen he uses at the beach. He loves his bed and will play in it happily until I arrive, at least most of the time.


I couldn't help but put in two of these pictures...he looks grand!


Here I am trying to work while the boys get their Kumon done. Neither of them are necessarily thrilled with the work, but they both love the results.


James, on the stairs leading to our basement playroom.


Joseph has really begun to like books. I think this is because Lang spent so much time reading to him this fall. He lets Joseph pick out the books he wants to read, which is great. I generally pick them out for him.

Friday Adventures: Dig It!

Well, today is Friday and you know what that means...another Friday Adventure!

At the pace we are going, we can probably spend another two, possibly three Fridays at the Natural History Museum. Now the boys want to see the Oceans exhibit, dinosaur bones and the gems and minerals. I got a glimpse of an orchid exhibit that I just might be able to get the boys to let me see.

I would also like to visit American History and Air & Space. We'd best hurry because warmer weather and tourists will soon be upon us!

Today our goal was to see Dig It! We learned about Dig It! on a field trip with John's school. On that field trip I was able to run the boys through it really, really quickly...just long enough to get the impression that the boys might want to come back.

Well, the idea didn't sit too well with them. Who wants to see DIRT! The only one who was excited was Nicholas. James complained for the first half of our time there.

The first thing the boys saw when they got to the exhibit is this "chef" reality show. The two chefs are competing to create the best soil. It is neat to see what "ingredients" are part of the two soil types they made: soil found in a coniferous forest and soil in a bog. The only bummer is that they ran the same loop over and over. My boys would have watched about ten of these.


Joseph does not have the attention span of the older boys and was ready to wander. He enjoyed manipulating these cubes...good preparation for Montessori School next year. Note that he has his sippy cup. He is starting to insist on having "lovies." At least we managed to keep the green blanket in the car.


Not that you can tell, but there is a video at the bottom of this periscope...note that the left arm is in position to guard the sippy cup. This becomes important later on...


John and Nicholas had to right the cubes...then they messed them up again. James wouldn't leave the display until they were all right again. See Joseph trying to help, one handed? That is because the left hand still has the sippy cup.


James watching John and Nicholas, plotting his turn at the cubes.


It didn't take long before a bathroom break was required. The bathroom was inconveniently located at the far end of the early civilization exhibit. As we came out, James and Nicholas sat down to watch a video on the Egyptians. They are studying early Egypt in school. James, Joseph and I found a monitor and track ball to keep us entertained until they were done. Note the positioning of the sippy cup, next to Joseph's left hand.


Throughout the early civilization exhibit, there are displays which give the average heights of men and women in different regions of the world. Here the boys started singing, "Walk like and Egyptian!"


Here are all four boys in on the action. Joseph is actually just saying, "CHEESE." Note...there is no sippy cup in Joseph's hand.


Back at Dig It!, James got involved with the questions on the interactive displays. He probably spent 10-15 minutes learning and answering questions. He loved it and never found his complaining again. Nicholas did the same thing. John found a video called SSI: Soil Scene Investigation where we learned the fate of an award winning pumpkin names Linus.


See what Joseph still doesn't have? Of course, we left Nicholas' coat in back at the Egyptian video and went back to get it. According to the pictorial evidence here, we were as close as 4 feet to rescuing the sippy cup as well! I didn't figure out we had lost it until we were going back through security...and then it was too late since they were closing the museum.

A Busy Day...

We canceled our Friday Adventure this week because John was scheduled to spend all day Friday on a school field trip to Goddard Space Center. Then he got an invite for an overnight with his buddy Nicholas. Now, what do I do to make the afternoon special for James? I took him ice skating!

Sadly, I forgot my camera, but I don't know that I could have provided a picture of this scenario anyway. As a child growing up in Illinois, figure skating was my sport. I am confident on skates. Nonetheless, it has been TEN years since I have worn skates and I was a tad bit concerned. This was James' first time on skates. And, as a mother hen, I worry a bit about him breaking a bone as a result of bone thinning from his medication.

I wanted to take a practice lap around the rink. James was having nothing doing with that. So there I am with a first time skater hanging on me as I make my way around the rink.

James did well. He laughed as he lost his footing and only cried (probably a fake cry) once. He was a really good sport and managed to do a bit of solo skating. Next time I'll bring the camera.

Now...for the busy day...

On Saturday morning James had tae kwon do at 9:15am.


I spent the 30 minutes chasing Joseph from one end of the Lee-Harrison shops...


...to the other.


I was trying to get a picture of James looking all handsome in his tae kwon do uniform. Joseph kept jumping into the picture and saying, "cheese." This distracted James but he finally managed to look at the camera and not at Joseph. Note that James has a red stripe on the end of his belt. He earned that on Thursday.


John's swimming began at 10am. Thankfully Nicholas and his Mom (Betsy) took John to swimming directly instead of waiting for me to pick him up. We never would have made it. In this picture he is recognizing that I am at swimming and that he is having his picture taken all at the same time. He never looked at me again!


John giving me a pose after his hour of swimming.


After swimming we grabbed lunch at McDonald's and headed over to the Justin Roberts concert at Jammin Java. Concerts are starting to be one of our favorite things to do. The boys love his songs, "My Brother Did It," "Pop Fly," and "Yellow Bus." So do I!


A little cooperation would be nice when Mom is trying to take a picture. That is Sam behind John. He is our Jammin Java buddy...and our favorite beach friend!


Joseph jumping up and down...or is this when he tried to pull the plug on the feedback monitor?



This was supposed to be a picture of James (see to your left) but John was in the mood to be photographed and swung around hitting my arm in the process. Thus you see John.


Sam dancing and playing with some rubber bands he found. Sam is a collector.


James, Sam and Joseph patiently waiting for the next song....


Sam and Joseph clapping during the break between the concert and the encore.


After the concert, James and Sam had to be at baseball at 2pm. Jana drove the two of them while I made my way over a bit more slowly. Joseph fell asleep on the ride. When I got there I was faced with a daunting task, get the stroller inside and upstairs. There are about 12 very wide steps to get in the building. This is about 2/3 of the inside stairway. There are several miracles at play here, including that Joseph slept through it all. Must have been too much jumping at the concert.


James, with Coach Binns in the background.


Sam, and if you look closely you can see James in the ready position for the popfly Coach Binns is about to send his way. Ironic they practiced popflys after dancing to the song Popfly!


John fielding a grounder and throwing it to the target. John's clinic isn't until 3pm, so he had lots of time to get some homework done...which he actually did! Way to go John!

Would you believe we did all this and were still home by 4:20pm?