We finally bit the bullet and attempted a family road trip to Michigan this Thanksgiving. We had contemplated driving before but weren’t sure how the kids would handle the 12+ hour trip. Faced with steep airfares and limited time off, we decided to give it a try. Our original plan was to depart Tuesday evening and drive to Pittsburgh, and thus break up the trip. However, an early winter storm delayed our departure until Wednesday, and we drove the entire 555 miles in one day! Overall, the kids did fantastic. We rigged up a portable DVD player for the back seat and bought some lap desks for coloring. Despite everyone being in the car all day, there was remarkably little whining or squabbling. The last hour proved to be the most challenging, but the “Guess What Animal I’m Thinking Of” game saved the day. Once in Michigan, the kids had fun playing in the snow and checking out the Labrador puppies. On Thanksgiving Day, Mimi Pauline made a delicious roast turkey with all the fixings. The next day we picked out Mimi’s Christmas tree and stopped in downtown Howell for hot chocolate (see photo below). Later that night, we all went to see Frozen at the movie theater. This quickly became Vivian’s new favorite movie, and she has been singing the Elsa song (“Let It Go”) ever since! Before heading back on Saturday, we let the kids burn off some energy at the nearby Castaway Play Cafe. As we sat in the leather recliners watching the kids climb, slide and moon bounce, we couldn’t help wondering why there wasn’t a place like this in Alexandria! After dinner, we packed up the car and headed home. We made it as far as Akron, Ohio and then completed the return trip on Sunday. We managed to just avoid the worst of the post-holiday traffic but still felt plenty tired by the time we arrived home. Overall, our first long haul drive was an unqualified success, and of course, it was great to spend the holiday with Mimi Pauline and the puppies!
Although Henry and Vivian do relatively well in restaurants, we don’t dine out that often. For special occasions (Christmas Eve, Mother’s Day) we usually head to Clyde’s. In the summer, before it gets too hot, we sometimes eat on the terrace at Chadwick’s, near the waterfront in Old Town. But our go-to place for an easy weekend meal is Silver Diner. Although styled like a classic 50s diner, the menu is actually a touch more upscale, with lots of locally sourced ingredients and interesting twists on traditional fare, such as bison sliders or challah french toast. They have a great children’s menu and are one of the few places where you can order a bowl of strawberries (not just mixed fruit) for the kids. They also hand out coloring books and origami cars. Each booth comes equipped with a faux jukebox player with classic tunes like Michael Jackson’s “Thriller” or the Scooby-Doo theme song. Best of all, because the place is always bustling, we never worry about the kids disturbing other patrons. More often than not, we end up here after Saturday evening mass. Here we are (below) enjoying some old fashioned milkshakes for dessert.
Halloween got off to a shaky start when Bryant got stuck in heavy traffic and was late picking up the kids (next year we’ll take the afternoon off and avoid the holiday rush). After dashing home and scarfing down dinner, we hit the neighborhood to make up for some lost trick-or-treating ground. Henry went as a dragon/dinosaur (his interpretation of his costume varied from moment to moment) and Vivian went as Ariel (from The Little Mermaid). It didn’t take long before both kids had collected more candy than they needed (we always end up throwing out much of it after one too many sugar highs). Above are the kids dressed and ready to collect their loot.
The next day, the children at St. Mary’s participated in the school’s annual All Saints Day parade through Old Town. This required us to select and design a saint costume for Henry. He went as St. Columba of Scotland, the origin of his middle name Callum (see The Origin of “Callum”). Unlike your run of the mill Halloween getup, designing a saint’s costume requires some work and planning. We ordered a white nativity gown from Amazon as the base and then bought green fabric for the vestment. We used iron-on appliques—a Celtic cross and two doves (Columba means “dove of the church”)—to decorate the front. And since St. Columba is not well known in these parts, we stenciled his name on the back. As a final touch, we added some wooden rosary beads that Elise found at the local costume store. Overall, the end result wasn’t half bad. Several folks commented that Henry looked like a “natural” as a man of the cloth. Above is a picture of our little saint and below is a video of his class’s procession through Old Town.
Vivi followed in her brother’s footsteps and participated in an afterschool soccer program this fall. Despite the constant tormenting, she truly idolizes her big brother and wants to do whatever he is doing. Sometimes this leads to disappointment, like when she tries to join Henry and the other boys on the playground and they tease her. Elise keeps telling her that it will be different one day—then they’ll be begging her to show them some attention.
Vivi was amazingly focused on the soccer field—she listened attentively to the coach, followed instructions and never got distracted, pretty much the exact opposite of Henry and his friends during practice. We’re never sure whether to attribute this difference to having an older sibling or just being a girl. She was so proud when she received her trophy on the last day of soccer (see photo below). It is now displayed on her bookcase, next to the tutus and tiaras. Vivi also is continuing with ballet lessons, although this year she was old enough to participate without mommy or daddy. She comes home every Monday night, enthusiastically jeté-ing through the house. Below is a picture of Vivi and her friends from school as they prepare for ballet class.
Below are pictures from our annual fall excursion to Butler’s Orchard, near Germantown, MD. As always, the kids had a great time picking pumpkins, playing in the hayloft and riding the sack slides. In the evening we decorated our pumpkins (Frankenstein for Henry and a princess for Vivian) and carved a jack-o-lantern for the first time this year, at Henry’s insistence. A great day out and a fun night around the kitchen table for all of us.
Columbus Day weekend provided a quick family getaway to Philadelphia, PA. We considered visiting New York but decided that the Big Apple deserved more than a few days. By comparison, Philadelphia was closer and a little more manageable. We departed Friday night in a torrential rainstorm and didn’t arrive until close to midnight. Fortunately, the kids are good car sleepers. The next day we hit the Please Touch Museum. We had heard good things about this children’s museum, and it did not disappoint. Located in the spectacular Memorial Hall in Fairmount Park (site of the 1876 Centennial Exposition), the museum is HUGE. We started downstairs at the Alice in Wonderland exhibit and then made our way through the construction zone, shoe store, supermarket and, in a strange bit of foreshadowing, children’s hospital. After lunch, we rode the antique carousel and sampled the waterworks and space exhibits. After a full day of exploring, we were preparing to head home when Henry’s eye suddenly collided with his sister’s hand. After much drama, we decided to visit the emergency room, just to be safe. Fortunately, the real CHOP was nearby. It turns out Henry had scratched his cornea. He was fine but in considerable discomfort. It didn’t help that we had to wait several hours before being seen. After an extended odyssey to find an after hours pharmacy and secure some dinner, we finally arrived back at the hotel, exhausted from our evening detour. With the help of some children’s Motrin, Henry was back on his feet and ready to visit the Philadelphia Zoo the next day. We have a nice (free) zoo in Washington, DC, but we all agreed that the Philly zoo was far superior. Not only were the exhibits nicer (we actually managed to see some animals), but there were lots of other activities along the way, like paddle boats, camel rides, and several playgrounds. Henry had a particularly memorable encounter with a king cobra in the reptile house—the snake slithered over and arched its back right in front of Henry. For her part, Vivian was content with a pony ride. After another full day, we headed back to the hotel thoroughly satisfied with our back-to-back adventures in Philadelphia—so much so that we could almost overlook (if not forget) the minor unpleasantness in between. Below are pictures from the weekend.
