D.C. Trip - Baltimore Day

Bags, as the family's social coordinator, arranged for us to spend Tuesday in Baltimore with Gordon and Liz Bryson, friends from home.  (Mr. Bryson taught English and coached football at HPA.)  They moved to Baltimore a few months ago.  We got a tour of their super-fun, super-tall, and super-narrow townhouse and then headed with Mr. Bryson to Fort McHenry, home of the star-spangled banner. 

Chow Mein got cozy with Mr. Giraffe:

The fort:

The Dalai, extremely tired but excited about America:

The cute fam:



NOT the original star-spangled banner:

Place where they stored ammunition:

Doting on the Wee:

Chavez gets a lift up the stairs in her chariot:

Big guns:

(I think we learned that the British ships never got close enough for the Americans to hit them.)

It's nice visiting historical sights with teachers.  Mr. Bryson imparted all sorts of interesting information:



Mr. Bryson carried everything for me while Pod looked on.  Mr. B:  "Who, me?"

Dolly likes to work on her backbends when she's being held.  If you lean her back once, she'll keep throwing herself back over and over:

We went back to Brysons' for a light lunch and then walked with Mr. and Mrs. B around the harbor to the Baltimore aquarium.  Funny how the ladies and the fellas always split off:

Talking politics, no doubt.

The harbor was lovely.

Federal Hill:
 

Apparently Baltimore's allegiance to the Union has always been sketchy.  In 1861, Confederate sympathizers rioted when a group of Massachussets militia passed through Baltimore on their way to Washington for Federal service.  That riot is considered the first bloodshed of the Civil War.  Afterward, 1,000 Union troops came in at night during a thunderstorm and set up a fort at Federal Hill, cannons pointing toward the central business district, in order to guarantee the allegience of Baltimore and Maryland to the Federal government under threat of force.  (Thank you, Wikipedia, for refreshing my memory.) 

The famous aquarium included large jaws (in which Mr. and Mrs. B posed) . . .

a dolphin show . . .

nifty jellyfish . . .

Cayman alligators (Mr. B said, "Cayman - where Romney keeps his money") . . .

and a cool, big shark tank of which no one got pictures.  We made it in perfect time to finish up just as they were closing. 

We ran into the amazing Barnes and Noble bookstore at the habor (former power plant) before heading back to the Brysons'. 



Brysons fed us a delicious crockpot dinner.  We chatted, took a group photo (instigated by Bags, of course), and then hit the road. 



'Twas a lovely day, and the Brysons were fabulous hosts.  There weren't even any skirmishes over politics!

D.C. Trip - Cakes, Coasters, and a Cemetery

Court, Anna, and my trip to Nashville last year was inspired by my decision that I should not have to stay home and work while Jim goes on his annual surf trip to mainland Mexico.  He vacations; I vacation.  The stars aligned this year:  Jim's surf trip coincided perfectly with Pod's ACTEC meetings in Washington, D.C.  Family members from different places uniting?  I had to go, too. 

Dolly Who is So Cute (yes, we really call her that) and I flew out of San Diego shortly after noon on Friday, October 12.  Jim's flight to Mexico left L.A. around midnight, so he was able to take us to the airport.  Jim got me to the sky cap with our stuff, so I didn't have to lug everything in.  I was so worried about traveling alone with Little One.  Turns out if you want your faith in humanity restored, you should travel alone with an infant.  People were so nice.  Two different ladies (one of whom appeared a tiny bit crazy) helped me get Chao Lin (from "Chavalyn") in the Baby Bjorn in the airport.  One man offered to carry my diaper bag.  A young lad on the plane helped me get a bag down from the overhead compartment during the flight.  Everyone near me was very nice and understanding, and they all told me afterward how great Dolly was.  (I tried to lay the groundwork for sympathy in the very beginning by telling the first guy who sat in my row how nervous I was and how I was going to try my hardest to make the flight as painless as possible for him.)  I had gone shopping for new toys and snacks to bust out on the plane.  A few things worked a little.  Snacks were very helpful.  Mostly she just dropped the other items repeatedly into other people's space.  The hardest part was getting her to sleep.  I had to put her in the Bjorn and stand and bounce and bounce and bounce forever to get her to sleep for a mere 30 minutes.  (Good sleepers = bad elsewhere sleepers, I hear.  Plus there was so much to look at!)  The short nap got her through, though. 

We arrived in D.C. after 8:00 P.M., and Bagger Vance picked us up and took us to her place.  (The parentals had arrived a few hours before.)  She fed me a sandwich and then fed us all (minus Dolly) possibly the most amazing cake I've ever had, in honor of my recent 35th birthday (ew I'm getting old).  The layers, from the bottom up, were as follows:  chocolate chip cookie; cookie dough ice cream; chocolate cake; cookie dough ice cream; ganache; and a ring of cookie dough balls around the top. 

All lit up:

I'm so old (or weak lunged) that I couldn't blow out all the candles at once:

The masterpiece, with layers displayed:

Mamo decided that she wanted to ride roller coasters while we were there, so Saturday we went to an amusement park called King's Dominion.  Apparently Mamo and Papo remember it from their old D.C. days, and Bags went recently and was talked into buying a season pass.  Dolly was less than thrilled to be there:

We hit up a little store for Dramamine as soon as we entered the park.  The parentals and I all took some, which we regretted as soon as it kicked in.  It made us all feel weird and tired and kind of out of it.  It's hard to explain, but it was not good.  We didn't end up going on any twirly rides so may not have had any motion sickness anyway.  Next time we'll know better. 

Mamo and Papo rode the ferris wheel while waiting for the Dramamine to kick in.  They're in the third car from the bottom, and you can tell because of their hats:

We took turns riding rides and watching Dalai.  There were fun roller coasters, and it was a lovely day.  For formerly pretending to have a fear of heights, Bag Lady's fearlessness was impressive.  There is no ride she won't go on.  Those trapeze lessons really changed her life. 

Sunday the righteous went to Stake Conference.  I stayed back so that Dalai could nap.  Friday and Saturday nights were rough; she had to cry for a long time before falling asleep.  I have to assume it was because she was overtired from missing a couple of days of naps, although the new place may also have contributed.  Sunday eve, Bags made a feast consisting of Christian's roast, Anna's french bread, (fake) ambrosia salad, green salad, and a new mint chocolate cake (because heaven forbid we finish off the first cake before we make another).  She invited a couple of her favorite friends over to eat with us and the roommates.  The food was delish, and it was fun to meet everyone. 

Monday the plan was to let Dalai take her morning nap and then head to Lincoln's cottage.  We realized as we were leaving that we were going to have time to kill before the next cottage tour, so we decided to squeeze in a trip to Arlington Cemetery first.  That place makes me cry, especially where so many super-young boys are buried.  It was beautiful, though, and we enjoyed the changing leaves. 

The JFK area:

Eternal flame:



The view from Robert E. Lee's house:

We went quickly through the Lee house:

I didn't realize the connection between the Washingtons and the Lees.  Martha and George Washington raised her grandson, George Washington Parke Custis, at Mount Vernon after the death of his father (Martha's son by her first husband).  G.W.P. Custis lived with his wife, Molly, at the house in Arlington Cemetery.  To prepare the slaves for eventual emancipation, she established the tradition of educating them in both secular and religious matters.  Molly convinced G.W.P. Custis to free the slaves in his will.  Their daughter, Mary Custis, married Robert E. Lee.  Did I get that right? 

After that we headed to the tomb of the unknown soldier.  The walk through the cemetery was gorgeous:

Here I am making fun of the way Dolly always holds her hands up - possibly to feel the wind she so enjoys (although she's not really doing it much in this picture):



We got to the tomb in perfect time for the changing of the guard.  These guys take the "moonwalk" to a whole new level.  The precision is amazing. 



After our visit, we read a little bit about the guards.  I can't believe that they're out there overnight in the winter for two hours at a time, through storms and everything else.  The training they go through is intense.  They spend an average of six hours getting their uniforms ready for the next day's work.  The tomb guard badge is the second least-awarded decoration of the military (the first being the Army Astronaut Badge).  If they ever engage in conduct unbecoming a tomb guard, the badge can be taken away at any time.  As of early 2002, nine had been revoked.  Who knew?

After the changing of the guard, we took a peek at the amphitheater.  I want to know what goes on there, if anything.  Bags has not suddenly grown very tall but is on a step:



Then we headed back to the car.  I enjoyed the gray sky and cool headstones/monuments:

 

And I loved the colored trees.  Fall in the East is my favorite:

We decided to get some food (Good Stuff Eatery for delicious burgers and shakes) and head home to miss traffic, leaving Lincoln's cottage for another day.  We enjoyed a rousing game of Vicious Gin that evening - one of my very favorite Hastings traditions.

Beach Baby Turned Nine Months

Dalai Lama (Dolly became Dalai - you get it) turned nine months in September.  At her checkup, she weighed in at 16 lbs, 1 oz, putting her in the 6th percentile.  She was in the 45th percentile for height and - ever the brainiac - the 75th percentile for head circumference.  She's following her growth curve just fine. 

We had some hot weather in September and went to the beach a couple of times within a week or so.  We pretty much NEVER go to the beach.  Well, Jim goes once in a while to surf.  I never go, and we never go together (aside from our brief visit on the 4th of July).  I don't ever desire to go because 1) I'm anti the sun, given my aversion to any more freckles or wrinkles or skin cancer; 2) the water is cold; 3) the air is cold; and 4) putting sunscreen on myself is bad enough, but putting sunscreen on an infant is one of my least favorite things in the world.  Nonetheless, Jim came home one day and said the water and the weather were unusually warm, so off we went.  And then we went again.  Both times, Jim hung out with Dolly while I went for a quick run down the beach and then took a dip in the ocean.  The water felt amazing.  I wondered if maybe I don't hate the (California) beach so much, after all.  (I know - I'm a big beach snob.  Blame my birthplace.)  Jim really wants to be a beach family, so he was very pleased.  

Dolly seemed to enjoy touching the water.

She also had her first sand-eating experience.  She wasn't sure about it at first but ultimately decided it wasn't too bad.

One of Dolly's favorite things to do is to crawl around (or otherwise move about) while sucking on my chapstick.

Drool gets everywhere.  Sometimes she sucks the chapstick in and out a little bit.  Mamo noted in DC (posts coming soon) that the lid could be a choking hazard.  Thus, maybe not the best toy, but she loves it so.  It holds her attention much longer than most things.  

Hastings Reunion in Ashton, ID - Part 6 (The End)

Friday was a relaxy-taxi day.  This is Dean upon waking: 

After a couple of nights, Jim and I moved into Bag Lady's room and shared the top bunk, leaving Dolly with her own room.  Weird, I know.  We liked not having to worry about waking her and not hearing her little night sounds.  For some reason, Dolly's room got extra cold at night.  Since she's not old enough to have loose things like blankets in the crib (or, in this case, the pack n' play), we had to bundle her up.  I put her in clothes, then her sleeper, then this yellow sweater knit by the wife of Neil Martin (partner at work), then a sleeveless sleep sack.  I also put a beanie on her head and socks on her hands, but those didn't usually stay on long.  She was so cold in the morning (and all through the night, I'm sure) but didn't fuss about it. 

The brethren played golf in the morning, and Lucy tagged along.  The rest of us hung out back at the ranch.  The kiddies entertained themselves by playing dress-up:

Then we went back to Mack's Inn and floated the river.  We left Mamo, Everest, and the Dee/Shandie fam here by the inn:

The rest of us intended to drive a short distance, find a little road that cut down to the river, and have a short float trip.  We had an unexpectedly difficult time finding a way to cut over to the river and ended up driving all over roads meant for ATVs, not cars.  It wasted quite a bit of time but was pretty funny.  Finally we found a place to park and put in, thanks in part to a group of pedestrians leaving the river who told us where to go. 

We had a nice, short float and met everyone else back at Mack's.  When we were ready to head home, Clarence had to be torn from her balance beam (inspired by the Olympics, apparently):

Saturday, Bags mandated a family photo (taken via the self-timer) before people started leaving.  Aside from Dolly's digging for lice, it turned out pretty well:

We got some shots of the grandkeiki:

Despite her diminutive size, Dalai tried to bully Betsy:

Then we finished packing up and said goodbye to the wonderul Mesa Falls Lodge:

Dee and Shandie had to head straight to Salt Lake to catch their flight out.  Mamo and Papo graciously dropped the rest of us off for one final river float near our cabin.  They met us at the end for a picnic. 

Dolly got to indulge her love of bags and crinkly things by playing with Doritos:

Practicing what he preaches ("Waste not; want not!"), Pod had packed the leftover ice cream in the cooler.  The two-plus hours we floated did not treat it well.  Nevertheless, Pod showed Lucy how to scoop it up with delicious cookies by Udon:

(Rob had brought six batches of frozen cookie dough to the cabin.  Bless him.)  No drop of melted ice cream was wasted:



Pod is nothing if not classy.

Our family is the best.