In late February we received the news that Chris would be needed on the East coast for a few weeks and that the Co. was arranging it so that our whole family could come along for the extended business trip. That was on a Friday night and by Monday the four of us along with 9 essential bags/items were boarding a plane to Baltimore, MD. It was a spectacle to say the least, but the kids were great travelers and if the people weren't stopped with their bulging eyes and disapproving looks, they were eager to give us a hand.
I was ecstatic about the spontaneous trip. I am adventurous, love to travel, and was more than thrilled to have a free trip along with my family to tour around all the historical sites, visit amazing museums, and explore the city and state!
Within no time we were already set out on a quick day trip to Pennsylvania. No we didn't go to the historically rich Philly, we went to sugary sweet Hershey! The town is like something out of your childhood dream. It is located just outside the capital of Harrisburg, but you wouldn't be able to tell as you drive down streets lined with Hershey kiss' and every road, building, and business is named after the chocolaty empire.
A new addition to the museum is the ability to create your own candy bar. It is an exclusive experience involving you in everything from the ingredients to the factory line and complete with designing your own wrapper. Everything in this place was interactive and fun for both adults and kids, not to mention they give out free candy after you get off of the free ride! Afterward we headed home with our stash of pre-race fuel for the next days race in DC.
St. Patricks Day 8k Race in Washington, DC!
Within a few days in the hotel I got antsy and decided to look into local races. Lo and behold there were dozens upon dozens, many taking place down historical Pennsylvania Ave. I signed up and was curious as to how well I would do with the cold and alongside the east coast competition.
Luckily for us the weather turned out to be the nicest in race history. I was still freezing but glad to know that it wasn't as bad as years past. The course was jam packed with monuments, historical buildings, and the nations capital building as a backdrop. It's not Hawaii, but I was awestruck just the same. As for as my competition....ooo blow to my ego, but I'm not in one. Now the running is for fun, and thats okay for me. The field is faster than anything I've seen. In a way it's relaxing to know that I'm not even close to podium so I can just enjoy the run for what it is, where I am, and why I actually love it.
Minutes before the gun went off Chris decided to register and push the kids in the loaded stroller. Crazy dude, thats why I love him! He rocked in his jeans and sweater outfit coming in under an hour and looking great!
Afterwards we stopped by Mr. Obamas house. He was definitly home (you could tell by all the secret service and inconspicuous snipers on the rooftop, but seemed busy so we grabbed some breakfast and headed home. Home....hmmm.
After a week in the hotel, the Co. put us up in a temporary furnished apartment and we all enjoyed the extra space to play and settle in a bit more. Being on the East coast meant that we were close to family and if not closer, cheaper, so the visits began and we all had a blast.
Marcy flew up from Florida and she brought SPRINGTIME!
All of the sudden the high 30s jumped to mid 50s and the blossoms bloomed overnight. I have never experienced anything like this and it's beautiful! We went to DC to show her the sights and what was twigs and bare branches days prior was now fragrant flower filled testimonials of what the change of seasons is really about.
There are a lot of pictures of this tree and they do it absolutely no justice. You could smell this tree from a distance and the massive soft pink wonder was like resting your eyes on an oasis in the middle of the Sahara.
People flocked to this tree...can you tell I loved it!
On to the white house...and the protesters.
The white house was surrounded this day with hundreds of peaceful protesters. Some are disgruntled vets, others are bible backed activists, and some were decked out in pink and had orchestrated a song to pledge their fight to bring the war home. Chris gets annoyed and thinks that the activities are rude outside the door step of our president. I disagree. I disagree with many of the protesters that I saw this day, but I do agree that they have the right and that is what this country stands for.
We continued on to walk the national mall and down monumental lane...well Jake ran and I ran after him :)
Love to feed the geese! Can you tell just how excited Jake is? His feet actually come off the ground with excitement!
On another beautiful spring day we enjoyed a day at the Harbor. We explored Federal Hill which has a picturesque view of the inner harbor as well as a fun park for the kiddos.
Marcy posing as the spirit of Baltimore! Tee hee hee. We had a great visit to include fun times at the zoo, the amazing train museum, and of course touring DC and Baltimore. Thanks for everything Marcy!!!
The next day another visitor arrived, this time my Mom from Cali! Although she got to enjoy the cherry blossoms blooming the weather quickly turned back to cold with mid 40s at best.
National Half Marathon in DC.
Mom arrived just in time to watch me run through history!
This morning was freezing, literally, but layers were worn and I finished in 1:43. I guess it's a personal best (7.8min/mile for that distance), but it was a personal worst for me as to how I felt during and after the race. I have lost my best motivator and running partner, Jaime, and been lazy about getting on the treadmill at any crazy hour to train properly. I eat Peanut Butter M&Ms by the second to stay energized as the kids and I fight through the wide array of never ending bugs that our bodies are not immune to. Seriously we've been sick since we arrived.
So I went out fast, no watch, but I felt fast. I kept up the pace to keep up the warmth and honestly felt great, suddenly I noticed a pace team pass me. I was running 6.5min miles. Shit. Shit, because I know my body and when I push too hard especially without training. It pushed back twice as hard. My flying speed ended at the 7th mile. Only half way through and the crippling stomach cramps tore my insides up every 3min or so. No was stopping or even slowing down, if anything they were going faster as I inevitably slowed to what seemed like a crawl. One foot in front of the other until the finish. Once across my body revolted. The shaking lasted about an hour and it was so violent that I could feel my organs reverberating against my body. Needless to say I was upset that I pushed that hard, upset that I haven't been training, and upset that I ruined the potential for a great experience and day in the city for everyone.
Not to be discouraged, I'm signing up for another one next month. The Maryland half marathon is on my horizon. Pacing, training, and something more than an M&M diet will hopefully prove a better experience for everyone.
Buzz about the beautiful cherry blossom festival was going around and although I was excited to see it, I had no idea that it was an extravaganza! We were here during this past summer and the crowds were crazy. This festival makes that crowd look like nothing in comparison. Braving the wind, the cold, and the crowds we went to DC to take a look. Once again pictures will not do any justice especially without any of my editing abilities, but we enjoyed and are still enjoying every blossom we pass by.
Our day at the "Mall". No shopping here, just majestic views that so far I don't ever get tired of seeing. Each time we visit a monument, the white house, or museum I see it in a different more revealing way than before. The cause may be due to having a toddler that runs through them like a Tasmanian leaving no time to soak in all the info. Nevertheless I get more and more out of the visits each and every time.
Museum of Natural History is one of the many free museums that make up the Smithsonian compound and always has something to interest everyone in the group.
Reflection of a US flag waving atop the engraved names of those lost in the Vietnam War.
The kite festival was canceled due to the threat of snow. I know it doesn't look like snow is looming in the pic and it turned out to be a beautiful day...in the low 40s.
Poor Colin, he would turn his head but his adorable bear hat would stay in place.
Another day of sightseeing lead us to the quaint capital of Annapolis. It was a small seashore town that has a capital that is so downplayed it almost looks like a lighthouse. A fun day was spent shopping and walking main street and enjoying a wonderful sushi lunch along side lobbyists and other important people :) The kids fell asleep once we loaded them up in the car so we decided to go across memorial bridge and out to love point. I saw it on the map and thought we could check it out. Well love point was a disappointing dead end of average sized homes, but the view wasn't! We pulled into an abandoned lot and shot some pics with the beautiful bridge in the background.
Colin is growing like a weed! He is 6 months and weighing in at 16 lbs! Our bundle of laughter is cruising around like a frieght train..on a turn table. He has the reverse crawl and the 360 spin down pat, but is still working out the coordination to make forward progress. He laughs and giggles endlessly and is learning to destinguish mama and dada when he calls for us. I swear I heard him say "ake" the other day :)
The brotherly bond between the two is something so precious I find it hard to describe. I think they love each other more than they love us! They play, share, giggle, and involve one another in everything they do. Jake still has that sweet soft voice making sure Colin is okay, has a toy, or isn't upset. Don't get me wrong, Jake is still an ordinary excited 2 1/2 yr old around my infant as well, but that is just what Colin loves to laugh at. Colin in turn will shriek and beem out the biggest smile at the sound or sight of his brother. He reaches out for him as Jake runs by and when he finally snags him he will rub his face into Jake (Colins way of giving kisses).
Jake has had a harder time adjusting to the new setting. For the first week or two he asked to go back to his "real" home everyday. He would name out his friends, aunties and uncles and think that everytime we went to a park or anywhere that we would be meeting up with them as well. Shrieking with excitment that his friends would be there too, we would have to burst his inocent bubble and what felt like his little heart and mine. He misses his dogs, his friends, his home. We get out everyday doing new and fun things, but coming back to a small confined space at the end of the day has been rough for our little man. Normal tantrums seem bigger when you are out of your normal surroundings and schedule. Here is a pic of one such tantrum outside a Borders down at the Harbor. He had had enough of our site seeing and descided to "take a break" right there on the front steps. It only lasted a few minutes, but was too cute to pass up the pictoral opportunity.
Things are better now, he is settling into the new normal along with the rest of us. He is eager to meet new friends everytime we go to the park and his efforts have paid off with other little ones around the neighborhood. I have met a few new people with similar aged children and I hope to get out and about with them as the weather warms up.
I was ecstatic about the spontaneous trip. I am adventurous, love to travel, and was more than thrilled to have a free trip along with my family to tour around all the historical sites, visit amazing museums, and explore the city and state!
Within no time we were already set out on a quick day trip to Pennsylvania. No we didn't go to the historically rich Philly, we went to sugary sweet Hershey! The town is like something out of your childhood dream. It is located just outside the capital of Harrisburg, but you wouldn't be able to tell as you drive down streets lined with Hershey kiss' and every road, building, and business is named after the chocolaty empire.
A new addition to the museum is the ability to create your own candy bar. It is an exclusive experience involving you in everything from the ingredients to the factory line and complete with designing your own wrapper. Everything in this place was interactive and fun for both adults and kids, not to mention they give out free candy after you get off of the free ride! Afterward we headed home with our stash of pre-race fuel for the next days race in DC.
St. Patricks Day 8k Race in Washington, DC!
Within a few days in the hotel I got antsy and decided to look into local races. Lo and behold there were dozens upon dozens, many taking place down historical Pennsylvania Ave. I signed up and was curious as to how well I would do with the cold and alongside the east coast competition.
Luckily for us the weather turned out to be the nicest in race history. I was still freezing but glad to know that it wasn't as bad as years past. The course was jam packed with monuments, historical buildings, and the nations capital building as a backdrop. It's not Hawaii, but I was awestruck just the same. As for as my competition....ooo blow to my ego, but I'm not in one. Now the running is for fun, and thats okay for me. The field is faster than anything I've seen. In a way it's relaxing to know that I'm not even close to podium so I can just enjoy the run for what it is, where I am, and why I actually love it.
Minutes before the gun went off Chris decided to register and push the kids in the loaded stroller. Crazy dude, thats why I love him! He rocked in his jeans and sweater outfit coming in under an hour and looking great!
Afterwards we stopped by Mr. Obamas house. He was definitly home (you could tell by all the secret service and inconspicuous snipers on the rooftop, but seemed busy so we grabbed some breakfast and headed home. Home....hmmm.
After a week in the hotel, the Co. put us up in a temporary furnished apartment and we all enjoyed the extra space to play and settle in a bit more. Being on the East coast meant that we were close to family and if not closer, cheaper, so the visits began and we all had a blast.
Marcy flew up from Florida and she brought SPRINGTIME!
All of the sudden the high 30s jumped to mid 50s and the blossoms bloomed overnight. I have never experienced anything like this and it's beautiful! We went to DC to show her the sights and what was twigs and bare branches days prior was now fragrant flower filled testimonials of what the change of seasons is really about.
There are a lot of pictures of this tree and they do it absolutely no justice. You could smell this tree from a distance and the massive soft pink wonder was like resting your eyes on an oasis in the middle of the Sahara.
People flocked to this tree...can you tell I loved it!
On to the white house...and the protesters.
The white house was surrounded this day with hundreds of peaceful protesters. Some are disgruntled vets, others are bible backed activists, and some were decked out in pink and had orchestrated a song to pledge their fight to bring the war home. Chris gets annoyed and thinks that the activities are rude outside the door step of our president. I disagree. I disagree with many of the protesters that I saw this day, but I do agree that they have the right and that is what this country stands for.
We continued on to walk the national mall and down monumental lane...well Jake ran and I ran after him :)
Love to feed the geese! Can you tell just how excited Jake is? His feet actually come off the ground with excitement!
On another beautiful spring day we enjoyed a day at the Harbor. We explored Federal Hill which has a picturesque view of the inner harbor as well as a fun park for the kiddos.
Marcy posing as the spirit of Baltimore! Tee hee hee. We had a great visit to include fun times at the zoo, the amazing train museum, and of course touring DC and Baltimore. Thanks for everything Marcy!!!
The next day another visitor arrived, this time my Mom from Cali! Although she got to enjoy the cherry blossoms blooming the weather quickly turned back to cold with mid 40s at best.
National Half Marathon in DC.
Mom arrived just in time to watch me run through history!
This morning was freezing, literally, but layers were worn and I finished in 1:43. I guess it's a personal best (7.8min/mile for that distance), but it was a personal worst for me as to how I felt during and after the race. I have lost my best motivator and running partner, Jaime, and been lazy about getting on the treadmill at any crazy hour to train properly. I eat Peanut Butter M&Ms by the second to stay energized as the kids and I fight through the wide array of never ending bugs that our bodies are not immune to. Seriously we've been sick since we arrived.
So I went out fast, no watch, but I felt fast. I kept up the pace to keep up the warmth and honestly felt great, suddenly I noticed a pace team pass me. I was running 6.5min miles. Shit. Shit, because I know my body and when I push too hard especially without training. It pushed back twice as hard. My flying speed ended at the 7th mile. Only half way through and the crippling stomach cramps tore my insides up every 3min or so. No was stopping or even slowing down, if anything they were going faster as I inevitably slowed to what seemed like a crawl. One foot in front of the other until the finish. Once across my body revolted. The shaking lasted about an hour and it was so violent that I could feel my organs reverberating against my body. Needless to say I was upset that I pushed that hard, upset that I haven't been training, and upset that I ruined the potential for a great experience and day in the city for everyone.
Not to be discouraged, I'm signing up for another one next month. The Maryland half marathon is on my horizon. Pacing, training, and something more than an M&M diet will hopefully prove a better experience for everyone.
Buzz about the beautiful cherry blossom festival was going around and although I was excited to see it, I had no idea that it was an extravaganza! We were here during this past summer and the crowds were crazy. This festival makes that crowd look like nothing in comparison. Braving the wind, the cold, and the crowds we went to DC to take a look. Once again pictures will not do any justice especially without any of my editing abilities, but we enjoyed and are still enjoying every blossom we pass by.
Our day at the "Mall". No shopping here, just majestic views that so far I don't ever get tired of seeing. Each time we visit a monument, the white house, or museum I see it in a different more revealing way than before. The cause may be due to having a toddler that runs through them like a Tasmanian leaving no time to soak in all the info. Nevertheless I get more and more out of the visits each and every time.
Museum of Natural History is one of the many free museums that make up the Smithsonian compound and always has something to interest everyone in the group.
Reflection of a US flag waving atop the engraved names of those lost in the Vietnam War.
The kite festival was canceled due to the threat of snow. I know it doesn't look like snow is looming in the pic and it turned out to be a beautiful day...in the low 40s.
Poor Colin, he would turn his head but his adorable bear hat would stay in place.
Another day of sightseeing lead us to the quaint capital of Annapolis. It was a small seashore town that has a capital that is so downplayed it almost looks like a lighthouse. A fun day was spent shopping and walking main street and enjoying a wonderful sushi lunch along side lobbyists and other important people :) The kids fell asleep once we loaded them up in the car so we decided to go across memorial bridge and out to love point. I saw it on the map and thought we could check it out. Well love point was a disappointing dead end of average sized homes, but the view wasn't! We pulled into an abandoned lot and shot some pics with the beautiful bridge in the background.
Colin is growing like a weed! He is 6 months and weighing in at 16 lbs! Our bundle of laughter is cruising around like a frieght train..on a turn table. He has the reverse crawl and the 360 spin down pat, but is still working out the coordination to make forward progress. He laughs and giggles endlessly and is learning to destinguish mama and dada when he calls for us. I swear I heard him say "ake" the other day :)
The brotherly bond between the two is something so precious I find it hard to describe. I think they love each other more than they love us! They play, share, giggle, and involve one another in everything they do. Jake still has that sweet soft voice making sure Colin is okay, has a toy, or isn't upset. Don't get me wrong, Jake is still an ordinary excited 2 1/2 yr old around my infant as well, but that is just what Colin loves to laugh at. Colin in turn will shriek and beem out the biggest smile at the sound or sight of his brother. He reaches out for him as Jake runs by and when he finally snags him he will rub his face into Jake (Colins way of giving kisses).
Jake has had a harder time adjusting to the new setting. For the first week or two he asked to go back to his "real" home everyday. He would name out his friends, aunties and uncles and think that everytime we went to a park or anywhere that we would be meeting up with them as well. Shrieking with excitment that his friends would be there too, we would have to burst his inocent bubble and what felt like his little heart and mine. He misses his dogs, his friends, his home. We get out everyday doing new and fun things, but coming back to a small confined space at the end of the day has been rough for our little man. Normal tantrums seem bigger when you are out of your normal surroundings and schedule. Here is a pic of one such tantrum outside a Borders down at the Harbor. He had had enough of our site seeing and descided to "take a break" right there on the front steps. It only lasted a few minutes, but was too cute to pass up the pictoral opportunity.
Things are better now, he is settling into the new normal along with the rest of us. He is eager to meet new friends everytime we go to the park and his efforts have paid off with other little ones around the neighborhood. I have met a few new people with similar aged children and I hope to get out and about with them as the weather warms up.
