(May): Best Buddies: Isaac and Megan

These two are best buddies.  I've never seen two kids get a long as well as they do.  When they were one, they both had some speech delays, so neither would talk much, but they would just follow each other around, giggling and hiding in closets or behind doors.  This last year, they both started talking more, and were so cute playing together.  Megan plays trains with Isaac, and Isaac is happy playing dolls with Megan.  Megan loves to be the little mother and direct their activity, and Isaac is happy to do whatever he tells her.  He's a bit possessive of her though, and won't sit anywhere else but beside Megan if we are ever anywhere with other kids.  For example, we go to music makers twice a month, and Isaac gets really anxious if there isn't a spot beside Megan to sit.  I can see it in his eyes as he comes into the room and realizes there's not a seat next to her - it makes him really nervous!  Sitting beside anyone but Megan is out of the question.  It is really funny.  The nursery leaders would tell me that he didn't know what to do with himself if he ever arrived at nursery and she wasn't there yet.  But once she arrives all was well in the world!  It's hilarious.  I'm so happy he has this special friend.  They are such a great team, and he adores her.  These two have to meet up again later in life!

(April): Visit from the Thomases

What fun to have this family live so close to us for about a year and a half.  We were sad to move away from the Thomases when we left Texas...but what a treat when they accepted a job offer in Richmond, Virginia, and followed us out to the East Coast just 6 months later!  This was our last big get together before our move to California.  They came up to DC and we did some exploring together.  We will miss these guys when we move to California....unless they follow us again! :)

  Here we're having lunch in the Sculpture Garden

We found the exhibition on transportation in the USA at the American History Museum.  Getting Isaac to look away from all the trains for a picture was quite the feat!  He was in train heaven!

Cuties Erin and Allison

Do you hear the ocean Elaina?

(March): Capitol Building

Mike and I took a daytime date to DC one day.  My wonderful friend Amber watched Isaac, and we went after the girls left for school and came home just as they were coming home.  We went to the Holocaust museum, and then for a tour of the Capitol building.  It was a nice day to do some things on our bucket list together.

I love this painting:  Trumball's Declaration of the Independence, which we saw in the Capitol Rotunda

A couple views of the dome

A plaster replica of the Statue of Freedom, which sits atop the dome of the Capitol Building

US Supreme Court

(March): Mike's Surprise Birthday Party

The girls were disappointed to learn that Mike wasn't going to be with us in Maryland to celebrate his birthday (he was leaving March 30 to start his new job in California).  So they came up with the brilliant idea to have a surprise party for him early!!  So they invited the neighborhood kids over - and boy was he surprised!!  We had cake and ice cream (all made by the kids!) and lots of party games: musical chairs (set to girly princess music!), pin the tie on the Daddy, and Bingo!  We had a blast.

Elaina came up with this game and made a poster of Daddy.  Each of us were given different ties to pin onto him.  It was great!

Happy Birthday to Mike!  What a lucky guy to have such great kids taking such good care of him!

(February): Snow

We had a brutal winter.  It was so cold and snowed a lot.  As a Canadian, I can't believe I've become such a wimp with the cold weather.  But I am.  

Lucky for me, the kids are old enough to play in it by themselves.  Since we don't have a fence, I don't like Isaac to venture past where I can see him, but with his sisters watching him, I'm ok not being out there with him if I can at least see him from the kitchen window.  And the girls are great helpers with him so that I don't have to get cold! :)  Isaac only lasts about 20 minutes, but the girls can stay out there for hours!

During this snowstorm in February we measured 19 inches!  The kids were in heaven - school was canceled, and while everyone in the city was snowed in, once they made the trek across the backyard, they were able to play with Neive in the snow all day!

(February): Love me some Erin

Cuddled up in my bed.

Erin informed me that if you wear your pajamas inside out and backwards your wish will come true.  She wished for snow, and wore he pajamas like this for 2 weeks!  And boy, did her wish come true this winter.  Maryland had one of it's coldest, whitest winters in history.  Thanks a lot Erin!!

(January): Philadelphia!

They wanted a picture with this guy

Independence Hall

The Supreme Court Chamber

The Assembly Room

where both the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution were signed

The Rising Sun Chair.  I thought this was interesting:

this is "the actual chair Washington sat in while presiding over the Constitutional Convention in 1787.  At the signing Franklin was optimistic about the document and said that now he had the happiness to know that the carving on the back was a rising, not a setting sun."

Inside the entrance to Independence Hall

The actual inkstand that was used in the signing of the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution

Our family at the Liberty Bell

Both girls learned all about symbols of the United States in first grade.  When I mentioned that we would see the Liberty Bell, Elaina exclaimed, "that's one of the symbols of the United States!...but I think it has a crack in it" :(

Benjamin Franklin's grave

We went across the street from Independence Hall to the Constitution Convention Center - a museum all about the constitution and what it's significance is

The kids had fun visiting with these founding fathers

chatting with Benjamin Franklin

Signing the Constitution

Future Ms. President

An original copy of the Constitution

Independence Hall in the background

Philly Cheese steaks at Geno's 

Philadelphia's City Hall.  What a cool building!

Philadelphia Museum of Art. 

It was huge, and had a great collection.  Not to mention, a beautiful building

Running up the stairs, Rocky Balboa-style

I allowed them to burn some energy before dragging them through the art museum with me.  I don't think they understand why we had them run up the stairs and then cheer at the top, but one day they'll see the movies and think it's cool that they did that!

What a supportive family I have, accompanying me through art galleries :) I think they liked it though, and I was nice and didn't stay as long as I could have. I sacrificed seeing the Rodin exhibit, which I would have loved!  So maybe I'll drag them back there again someday! :)

Celebrating with Rocky himself