First MLB Game! (Nats v. Marlins)

Claire, Ray and I went to our first National's game - and Claire's first-of-hopefully-many MLB games for Mother's Day! It was a little chilly and drizzly, but not too bad. The new stadium is beautiful! We got free hats with pink W's on them. We had a great time.

Oddly enough, you can go to a Nats game and not pay for parking - which was weird to us after paying through the nose for parking at the few Red Sox games we went to in Boston! We can park at RFK and the Nats have a ton of tour busses waiting to shuttle people over to the Nats stadium. Works out really well.

We have tickets for 2 more games this summer - both are also Sunday afternoon games, to try to work with Claire's schedule, of course. Today worked out pretty well, we were able to get Claire down for a nap a little early. We made it to the top of the 9th, at which time the Nats were down 1 run (thanks to a relief pitcher who blew their lead in the 8th inning), it was starting to rain for real and Claire was on the edge of Melt-down-town. Pretty clear our karma was turning on us and it was time to call it a day.

Trip to NC - zoo, grandparents!

We went down to Raleigh the weekend of April 26 to see the grandparents and go to the zoo in Asheboro. The zoo was great - but lots of walking and a pretty hot day. Claire got to see elephants swimming, and a lion sleeping, giraffes and ostrich. And that was pretty much it - did I mention it's a lot of walking at this zoo, with hills?

Mommy passed the Virginia bar!

"I have no idea what that means, but I'm very proud.....or whatever...did you see my ball? It's blue!"

Then and now

Claire at 5 months and now at 14.5 months!

Spring fever!!!

Claire and Rosa both have spring fever (as do Ray and I, but we have to work...), so its nearly impossible to get them inside after a good day of playground and walks. Claire's figured out how to climb the first BIG step going to the slide at the playground, so now every step in the entire world is fair game. Over and over and over and over again. Last night she was tired of walking so she just laid out in the grass for awhile, playing with Ray's Nationals hat (they finally won another game last night!). And after going running with Mommy Claire needed to drink from the big girl's cup...and at some point dropped it, but was very nice and picked up all the ice cubes and put them back in the cup for me. Yum, thanks sweetie.

Dance Dance Dance

Claire loves her Pooh chair - primarily because she can stand in it and dance and so give Ray and I heart attacks. But so far so good.

March Madness

Busy Month! Julia took the bar at the end of February and started her new job on March 12.

Ray's working hard and also starting on his spring race schedule - the Cherry Blossom 10-miler is next weekend, should be gorgeous down on the mall and around the Jefferson Memorial with the blossoms out! He's running the Frederick (MD) Marathon in May, and did a 20-mile training run this morning. Which makes me hurt, though he seems fine.

Claire got a couple of visits to the Natural History Museum (loved the walrus and the porcupine) and goes to the park daily (weather permitting, with Suzy the Sitter) to swing, climb up the slide(s) and walk...and walk...and walk! She's mastered the stairs....well, "up" .."down" is still iffy at best. At the end of the month we went down to Raleigh for Easter. Claire ended up with a fever for most of the weekend, so it wasn't our best trip, but that's ok.

Here are some pics - and since I can't figure out how to get the video strip to update, I'll put in the two newest productions - Random Sunday Morning, and Stairs....enjoy! And Happy April!

Claire's Easter Dress - made by Sharon, Claire's godmother. Sweet little purple tulips are smocked along the top!

And checking on the markets one morning!

xoxo