Homey-ing it up

Since we'll be here another 3 months, thought it'd be fun to warm Ceiba's room up a little.

Her room back in IL was filled with colorful plants and animals. Her room here is very...WHITE.

She had a lot of fun helping decide where each animal would live.

And especially nice - they can come with us when we move, because they're just stickers.

Best pets ever!

Local craft store + $12 + 10 minutes = one entertained kid

 

Very missed... today and everyday.

Kenilworth Aquatic Gardens

Today we journeyed out to the Kenilworth Aquatic Gardens (http://www.friendsofkenilworthgardens.org/explore).
It was a bit of an excursion to get there, due to construction giving our GPS a hard time and having to make a few detours in the ghetto of south DC.

Once we arrived, we made painful choice of taking the "scenic trail" down to the Anacostia River. We second guessed ourselves and should've realized a noon walk with a 3 year old wasn't the best idea. It wasn't exactly scenic, I was corralling Ceiba to the center of the trail as there was poison ivy EVERYWHERE and poor Chris had to play pack mule for 2/3 of the hike after Ceiba's shoes rubbed the side of her foot. But we made lemonade by singing songs while we hunted for snakes, enjoying nature and finding a dead click beetle who Ceiba carried around for 3 hours.

Chris and Ceiba played in the bookstore/museum for about 1/2 hour, while I got the luxury of taking a photo op walk through the ponds alone. There were lotus, lilies, turtles, fish, frogs and crabby Canada geese. When I returned to the trailhead, anticipating them in the car with a/c and a movie, I instead found them playing in the water and the seat of Ceiba's pants covered in goose poop. But what a HAPPY kid!

We grabbed lunch, skipped a nap and stopped at our favorite park to play in the creek on our way home.

Had to take a pic of my henna work from yesterday. Got creative while Ceiba napped by painting my right foot and left hand. Then last night, Chris painted a lotus on my back, and I continued the design on my hand up my wrist and arm. Think I'm hooked! The middle eastern waistress at lunch asked where I got it done and complemented when I said that I drew it. Hope that's a good sign!

 Got home and headed to the pool for 2 hours. Ceiba is now SWIMMING INDEPENDENTLY around the pool in her lifevest!! Hooray- our necks were getting tired! We barely got her out of the pool tonight.
Dinner and to bed - what a FULL and happy day!

Photo Catch-Up

Posting to catch-up for family on what's been going on:

GRADUATION: It was a rainy day, but a great day! So proud of our guy for the long road to get here!

GRANDMA & GRANDPA'S VISIT IN MAY: We had a nice week exploring DC (instead of on the beach in FL... darnit for the vacation, but not the post). Went to museums, out to eat and lots of parks.

Mt. Vernon- George & Martha Washington's home & estate

Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Air & Space Museum

Beach Shack & Ceiba showing Gpa the alligators

SWIMMING: we have been swimming almost every day!

 

 

MEMORIAL DAY PICNIC: Papa had to do a detail (ALL day and several more days), so Ceiba and I went to a picnic uptown. It was VERY hot, but she enjoyed the rides and playing.

 

FRIENDS: Ceiba's best buddy "A". They were in bed at Ikea a few weeks ago and now holding hands

at the mall... Papa is getting nervous. We are enjoying time with

his family until they leave for Africa next month.