Cherry Blossoms in DC

We've had an usually warm and early spring. I am sure you are having the same experience this year. I kind of wanted a little more winter, even a snow storm, but I am happy that spring is here, and the blossoms are amazing. I have had more daffodils then ever this year in my yard every day new ones bloomed. I loved driving around everyday looking for new trees that had opened. It seemed like this year it was a bit of an explosion, one two, then everything was blooming.
At the end of March a few of my favorite friends and I drove down to DC to the Tidal Basin to enjoy the early cherry blossoms. It was a very cool overcast morning. We struggled to find parking but finally found a great spot. We walked around for a while and then enjoyed a picnic on the grass. All of our kids had fun. Sophia did NOT want me to take her picture at all, but luckily I convinced her to take a few. It was a lovely day. I love this time of year.

March Birthday Girls

Do you know March is almost halfway over? I know because my little Sophia turned five yesterday. FIVE! What is going on??! She is totally five, and so amazing. I can't believe how grown up and funny she is, and so sweet and sensitive and so intuitive and aware. We have lots of fun together. I must tell you about the surprise birthday party that my oh so amazing friend and I threw for our girls. Thursday afternoon my oh so amazing friend calls me up on the phone and asks me, 'what are your plans for Sophia's birthday?' I basically told her we had nothing planned, no party, just cake and ice cream with family on Monday. We began talking and finally concocted the most brilliant plan, a joint birthday party to be held in 36 hours. And so it began, crazy planning for a 4 year old and 5 year old to be's birthday. It was so fun. We came up with a fun and sweet rainbow theme. The girl's loved it, and also, it was a surprise for the girls. Sophia was so surprised. Do you see her coming up the hill with her polka dot coat?

So surprised!

                   Hunting for magical rainbow gems.

                                 Cupcake time! Do you see our little friend next to Sophia? She was the other birthday girl. We love her. =)

We make these crazy cute rainbow cupcakes, painted rainbow manicures for the girls, had a gem treasure hunt, awesome goody bags, and other good things. I was pleased with our efforts for putting it together in 36 hours. She came home after the party and hopped on her scooter and brought the balloons along on top of her handle bars. Crazy funny.

Monday  her birthday day, we had a busy day. I was the co op parent at preschool, and we had a fun time learning about dinosaur fossils. We took a special treat to her school, ice cream sandwiches- which Sophia loved sharing with everyone, all the parents, anyone we saw after school... I think we fed 30 people ice cream sandwiches. I love her giving heart. Monday night she requested lasagna for dinner, and I made this crazy blue swirly cake a spin on an idea found on Pinterest. It reminded Chris and I of Van Gogh's Starry Night, and so it was named. It was pretty, the swirls almost looked like glass. I hated to cut it! =)

Great weekend of birthday celebrations. Here are some of birthday pictures I took of Sophia. As usual she wouldn't let me take very many, she was in a big hurry to play outside. What a silly girl. "Love that pirate smile."

Next up, my half marathon on the 17th, and Chris starts his surgery rotation at the end of the month. Ellie has another dance competition coming up and my parents are coming out for a visit. We have some excellent plans in the works. We are going to visit DC and Baltimore and something I have been dying for: we are going take a beach trip to the Outer Banks in NC for Spring Break. I can't wait. Lots of great stuff coming around the corner...

February

I love February! Love it. Hope you are enjoying your winter. We are enjoying lots of warm temperatures and no snow. Last week we thought we were getting a storm and well this is what we got. Total bummer. I am still hoping for one storm and a snow day before March. I just don't know if we are going to get it.

Onto the goods. Gradon is 18 months. How? I don't even know. I do know that he is tearing up my house and is into EVERYTHING. I thought I had a lot of work to do around here, he has totally been rocking the boy role in our home. I love him to bits. He is the funniest little boy. His favorite words are 'GO" (very loudly), cracker, shoes, MAMA (also very loudly) and Boom. Hilarious. He loves shoes, books, animals and music. He loves to READ! I sit down on the floor, and he backs his little self up onto my lap and expects lots of books. I love this right now. *so much* He also loves to hit and throw things. He thinks hitting is hilarious. We do NOT. We are working on that. His new nickname is 'Turbo', simply because that boy does not walk, he runs everywhere he goes. He is also ridiculously friendly. He says 'Hello' to everyone. Everyone. And has no idea what personal space is, he wants everyone's attention. Cute, cute boy.

Also, I have been shooting a lot! I had an incredible session this week at one of my favorite places with a new client. It was a dream. I will post some of those soon.

With all of this wonderful weather we have been having we had the chance to go on a afternoon outing with some of our favorite people to the Horse Center here in town. What a great place! I must go back. Sophia was in love, and so was the boy. He wanted to climb into the stalls with the horses several times. It was a good day.

Things are going well around here. I have about 6 weeks to my next race, another half marathon, this one in DC. Chris is finally finished with his OB/GYN rotation, one of the worst in my mind to this point except internal medicine. He has psychology next, which should be pretty low key, and after, probably the busiest one to come, with the worst hours, surgery. (Which by the way is something he is really interested in) so on we go.

This summer begins his optional rotations and we will really narrow down his specialty and make some big decisions.

Delaware Beach Trip

Last weeked a bunch of our fabulous friends decided to head to Delaware for a beach day. Both the kids had been wanting to go to the beach all summer, and Chris was finally home so it was a perfect opportunity to have some family time.

Gradon loved the sand. We called him the baby sand crab. He was literally covered in sand the whole day.

My girls spent the whole afternoon in the water. Atlantic beaches are not warm at all, in fact they are sooo cold. It didn't seem to bother either of them, they loved being in the water. Each of the families brought yummy food to share and we set up camp.

Everyone had a great day. As for me, I just wanted to hear the sound of the water. I love the ocean.

We all loved our trip. We hope to go back again next year and make this an end of summer tradition.