Sat Aug 9 - Smithsonian

Wow. What a day. We got up at 7am to 'leave early' and started feeding kids, dressing them, and packing. We were in a big hurry to try to beat the DC traffic. To make a long story short, our get ready quick took over 3hrs. We left about 1030a.

- We make the long drive over to the Arlington Cemetery.
- Unpack the kids, put stuff in stroller, put Cody in stroller, head to subway.
- Take Cody out of stroller, hand all stuff in stroller to kids, go down escalator.
- Repack stroller, put Cody in stroller, go to get subway ticket.
- Wait in long line, for 20m, for the ONE vending maching, to get a subway ticket for EACH person, so we can get on the subway. You're a genius DC.
- Take subway ride under river where our ears pop, get off at Smithsonian stop.
- Luckily the Smithsonian stop had a handicap elevator.
- Quickly go to the History museum to grab some lunch.
- Holy Mother of Pearl lunch cost $40 for one wrap, one side, 2 kid meals. Smithsonina free: yeah right.
- We head out to the museum and look at tons and tons of bones, bugs, and animals. Was lots of fun.
- Move on to the Air & Space museum and look at tons of planess and space stuff. Was lots of fun.
- John meets us there as we're wrapping up.
- Once again unpack Cody and stuff from stroller to get back off subway.
- We head to Rainforest Cafe (LOVE IT) for dinner.
- WTH? Where is the Cafe? Drive around for a few min, can't find it.
- Smack Kim in the head for making me dream about Rainforest Cafe for the last couple hours.
- Head to Red Robins instead for dinner. Used to be one of my favs in Colorado. Not all that anymore.
- Make the long ride home, kids dead alseep.
- Instead of getting home about 4p or so like planned, we got home at 11p
- Note to self: Don't leave crockpot on for 16hrs - threw away blackened charred lump of meat.

All in all, it was a very fun, very exhausting day.


Elise, Ravyn, Cody, Greyson, & Nathan


Finally here. Cody loved that elephant.

Watch out behind you!


Ravyn in butterfly heaven. Nathan just happy to be near bugs.



Cody took a walk around with us.



In an old cockpit.



This is how much food they USED to serve. Man have they gone downhill.



The kids favorite place. This spot vibrated & shook like airplanes used to.




Cody's not too sure bout this.

Yeah. Thats right. We stopped & we stood. We're rebels!

Subway ride home. Hold on tight Cody.

Fri Aug 8 - Flush my pipes & change my pads

It somehow takes me 3 hours to pack up what little we brought with us. By the time I was done packing I wanted to call it quits for the day and take a nap.

Have to rush though. Car needs a 50k check up and a oil change. So I called Thurs to set up an appt for a Toyota near Kim's house. I have to be there by 1p...what was I thinking??

We jump out at Kim's house, throw everything in the garage, threaten the kids to move it, then rush over to Toyota just in the nick of time.

Ends up that they rotated my tires, changed oil, replaced air filter, replaced cabin filter, replaced brake pads and flushed out my sludgy transmission fluid for a whopping $571. Ouch. Shoot me now and get it over with.

On an up note, I got me a yummy Five Guys burger for dinner. MMMmmm. Five Guys rocks! Man I love that place. I think they mix cocaine in the meat or something.

Wed/Thurs Aug 6/7 - As One with the Downward Dog

Wed & Thurs we spend with Grandmama & Papa. We do a little shopping, relax a little, and just chill out. Overall, I think its the 2 calmest days I've had all summer. Loved it.

Tues Aug 5 - Heading Out

Today I packed up my clothes as well as Cody's and headed out. Were heading for Kim's house and my long lost daughter. 7.5 hrs drive with no stops, as if thats possible with kids.

For lunch Cody gets exactly what he's always wanted. Not wanting to waste any time, I put on him one of those bibs with the large pockets and shove them full of french fries. I don't hear a peep out of him for an hour as he happily basks in all the golden fried heaven a 2yr old could ask for.

Kim's planning to take her 2 older kids to the Jonus Brothers concert on Wed nite, and will be gone 1/2 of Wed & Thurs, so I decide at the last minute to pick up Ravyn and Kim's youngest, Greyson, and head to Grandmama's house instead. Grandmama & Papa live about 1.5 hrs closer, near Richmond.

We meet Kim and the gaggle of kids at Cracker Barrel where we have a nice dinner. Kim is willful & naughty and forces us all to order ice cream. Cody has found the new love of his life and enjoys his first hot cocoa.

Ravyn, Cody, Greyson and I head to Grandmama's for a nice little visit.

Mon Aug 4 - Potato Head Cody

So with my daughter gone having the time of her life, saying 'Mommy who?' I take Cody to the eye clinic to pick out some glasses. Just in case you haven't noticed, he's as crossed eyed as a drunken sailor.

The place was very nice and actually had a pair of those rubber glasses for toddlers there. So, while Cody screamed, we tried them on him. (he doesn't like strangers touching him) They look like the kind you see on Mr. Potato Head, thick, round, and bendable with a strap to hold them on. I picked out light blue.

They were not as expensive as I thought they would be. Ravyn's Disney wrap around the ears ones were about $250. Cody's Potato Head strap ons are $150. The good news is the lenses have a 2yr warrenty on them for scratches and breaking. Sweet.

Mon Aug 4 - Twinkle Twinkle Little Jaws

Ravyn's now on her big adventure.

So Ravyn takes off Sunday morning:
- Doesn't call me Sunday at lunch.
- Doesn't call me Sunday at dinner.
- Doesn't call me Sunday at bed.
- Doesn't call me Monday morning.
- Doesn't call me Monday at lunch.

Finally I break down and ask Kim to get her on the phone. She gets on the phone and says:
'Hi. Look what I can do.' and immediately starts pounding at the piano.
'Did you hear that? Wanna hear it again?'
Pound pound pound.
'Did you hear that? Wanna hear it again?' etc...

I realized I'm not gonna get anything else out of her, so I tell her to call me later.

1 hour later

'Hi. Look what I can do.'
Pound pound pound.
'Did you hear that? Wanna hear it again?'
Pound pound pound.
'Did you hear that? Wanna hear it again?'

And yet again, 1 hour later

'Hi. Look what I can do.'
Pound pound pound.
'Did you hear that? Wanna hear it again?'
Pound pound pound.
'Did you hear that? Wanna hear it again?'

There's no love there I tell you. Seriously though, she actually figured out how to play twinkle twinkle little star on there all by herself. It was impressive...except for the times where she played me the satanic version by using only the low-turn-around-theres-Jaws keys.

Sun Aug 3rd - My Baby Done Left Me

I decided since the entire summer was about moving and selling the house, that we would do a little mini vacation. My cousin Kim and her family were coming by for a nite before they headed home to VA. So I decided now would be a great time for Ravyn to take her first big adventure and go hang out with her cousins.

It's the first time she's gone somewhere without me. She went home with Kim, then I followed a few days later. I needed to stay and get Cody's glasses ordered on Monday. She's hasn't been away from me too much, I'm wondering how she'll handle it.