National Aquarium in Baltimore

The National Aquarium in Baltimore is the real deal.  Monster sting rays, killer sharks, a 4 story high indoor waterfall that makes a home for Australian crocodiles, and dolphins that wave on cue.  Couldn't ask for more. 

    Liam was running between each exhibit. His only complaint was "Maybe next time we can pet the sting rays and Nana can come."

Liam was mesmerized by the dolphins. This wide-eyed picture says it all. At the dolphin show he would pump his fist in the air and shout "Yesssss!   Backflip!!" every time the dolphins would make a jump.

 Liam said :
"These jelly fish wanted to be my friends. They liked me.They would have given me a hug but they were in cages."
          I love the healthy self-perception of a 3 year old.

Egyptian Tomb, phase I

 D.C is such a colorful place to live. Simultaneously swanky and shabby. Sophisticated and surprisingly free. It was ranked the 3rd best city for college age students (behind NYC and San Fransisco) In the past few weeks we've taken our kids to a free bluegrass concert at the Kennedy Center concert hall,  window shopped Georgetown, ate lunch by the white house, went to the national zoo (as pictured ), and explored the Maryland suburbs.
       Brady has been successfully constructing an Egyptian tomb for our playmobil toys. This is phase I.  Being the detail oriented researcher that he is, all the hieroglyphics are totally true to form. He even has included our family in one drawing, Liam debuting as a green Alligator.  Too bad the Maryland School of Business doesn't grant Phds in Ancient Egyptian Studies.

 

  

Just when I thought I was getting too old for bubbles, Liam got a super-duper Buzz Lightyear bubble blower. The plane is at the Air and Space Smithsonian, which we frequent. The other picture Liam has staged so Diego is surrendering after a long stand off with the fire engine, rocket, and U.S. army.

Elsie pics

Brady's mom Leisa took these skillful pictures when we were in Utah. She has a great eye and really captures the sweet, little sprite nature of Elsie. 

Oh, and a few funny Liam quotes:

        1)Mom: "Liam, you need to just hurry up and eat your dinner."

            Liam: "Mom, I have a great idea. You should just sit back, relax, and act natural."

        2)Liam: "Mom, I'll never give up on you (as he looks sweetly and lovingly into my eyes)

         3)"We got to be quite so dad doesn't hear us. because dad wants us to be kidnapped (He thought "kidnapped" meant a kid taking a nap)

  

         4)Mom, you're a "jerp."

                      (Yes, he kinda got in trouble for that one even though he really had no idea what "jerk" means)

Click Click

Although there have been 6 break-ins, 1 hold up and 1 vehicle theft in the past month  within a 3 block radius our single family home neighborhood in Riverdale so far, is safe enough. There’s plenty to love about being in a big city with so much history, and industry but this aspect is only sad.  It’s a place where different worlds can exist just streets apart. In the past 12 days, there have been 5 homicides within a 3 mile radius of our home, and 12 total in the county. Happy New Year!? Last year, there were 91 homicides in our county (Prince George’s). Sound bad? That’s almost half (down from 173) of those in 2005.

Here’s a map with this year’s damages; shaded part is our county. http://burgersub.org/murders2011.htm?lat=38.961719&lng=-76.883464&zoom=11&county=4&town=45

Below are links to maps with all of the homicides for the area plotted for 2010.

http://burgersub.org/murders2010.htm?lat=38.961719&lng=-76.883464&zoom=12&county=4&town=45

  

Everyone needs their own space. A place where you go to feel inspired, to be yourself, to think and expand. A bedroom, a studio, a garden, an office, a bathtub, a corner of the back yard, where you feel most at home. In Michigan it was my garden, the partially sunny spot next to my hydrangea.  I haven't really found that special place in our new home yet, and I'm not sure if it's even possible to stage. That said, I sure do love Liam's room. Maybe it's because of the overflowing dress up box with pirate hooks, tutus, & fireman hats.  It could be the dinosaurs that he makes eat up all the fairies, mice and cats. . . .  It's probably just the cute kids that give it the cool vibes.

Over the past year. . . . .

A year’s worth of memories is a lot to think about. As 2010 winds down and a 2011 clean slate arrives I want to look back and remember what I experienced this year. I want to trace my life and see how I’ve been marked by the passage of another year.  I want to be able to convince myself that I am qualitatively better than I was 12 months ago. ....

Over the past year I:

•  Experienced the beautiful birth of my second child.  With Elsie's arrival has come an unexpected renewal of life, motivation, and energy.
• Kept my house clean , clean, uber, clean for 6 months straight (Yes, since moving I've lapsed a bit but I'm still on top)
• Let go of:  3 station wagons full of junk, a few unrealistic expectations and insecurities, (non)exercise induced guilt, & "what if"s 
• Was introduced to: city life, being a racial minority, sushi, the LDS "bloggernacle," C-SPAN, Whole Foods, berry cobblers, crab cakes, and paper plates (my new 'secret' weapon in house keeping)
• Grieved over: the loss of my grandmother, the dejected Michigan housing market, and the death of my rabbit, .
• Said goodbye to: supportive friends in Michigan, a flexible job, my deliberately nurtured perennial flowers, my kitchen & its expansive counter space.
• Cherished the memories of: playing in the park with Liam, having family visit our home, going running with Liam beside me on his scooter, exciting D.C. weekend family field trips to sophisticated, yet free destinations.
• Celebrated:  Brady's masters degree, selling our home, Elsie, Liam's Birthday (it's consistently the funnest day of the year)

 2010 will be a year that my memory will selectively archive.   The sweet, even euphoric, times I plan to cherish and recollect for years.  The stressful memories will be banished.

In 2011 I plan to be a more creative, loving, individual. I plan on relinquishing excess baggage (both real and psychological ) and being more thoughtful.  I plan on chopping more vegetables and doing fewer Google searches.  i plan on frequently enumerating blessings and being more accepting of myself and others. I plan on doing less looking ahead and more reveling in the here and now. 

This picture by Cassandra Barney is named "Stand Where Your Feet Are," a reminder to enjoy the moment.

Christmas Magic

As we enter adulthood it's easy to loose the magic of Christmas. Then as we have children and experience Christmas with them we find the mystery and suspense returns.
     Our favorite parts of Christmas were watching Liam open his presents, giving his gingerbread man offering to Santa, and listening for Santa's tip toeing.

Elsie at 7 months couldn't care less about Christmas. In her naive oblivion she crawled into the middle of the present opening and sucked on a spatula, smiling and happy as can be.

There are few annual experiences more blissful than squeezing around a big dinner table with family on Christmas Eve and enjoying the aroma of good food and the anticipation of Christmas morning. It's a soul- comforting feeling. I wish I could get a dose of it every day of the year.

Thanks to Brady's mom, Leisa for the fantastic photos!!