Memorial Day

On Memorial Day David went into work and Henry and I went to the Falls Church Memorial day festival and parade. This was Henry's first parade and he really liked the city bus. He was a a bit amused by some goofy-looking mascots (my favorite). I am still not sure who the Mascots were representing. It was just 3 characters walking down the street with no sign. They were showing quite a bit of wear and tear. I am glad Henry appreciates Public Transportation and goofy mascots. I really enjoyed this group of teenagers that marched. They were a Hispanic group that did this cool step/salsa march. They wore these great super ornate costumes that looked amazing in the sun (but were no doubt super hot). 95% of the people marching in the parade were total WASP so it was refreshing to see some diversity and to experience a different type of culture. A group called the "Republicans of Falls Church" were marching (reminded me of 40's Germany) and this woman next to me tells her grand kids "I promise I won't boo". I turned to her and said "OK, I will be good too and not boo". Henry and I watched the parade for about 45 minutes and then walked around the booths. I got us a smoothie but then he wouldn't share so I had to go back and buy one for me. Once we were home he stole my smoothie too. You will see in the below pic's that my smoothie was as big as him

Memorial Day pictures

Jam-packed day

Today I experienced what it could be like having two kids in the house. My friend Heather brought her 3 year old daughter Johanna over to the house around 8am and she stayed with us until we packed up and met Heather at the East Falls Church Metro where we then headed to the National Zoo. The morning with Johanna and Henry was busy but lots of fun (see the pictures). Henry was really hyper and whiny though. Johanna and I enjoyed playing dress-up with some of my vintage dresses and we had a tea party. Johanna was a very good helper and I was so impressed with how well she listened and helped me when we needed to get everything packed to leave the house. Henry had a wonderful day both playing with Johanna and at the zoo. When we first arrived at the zoo, he was a little overwhelmed by all the attention (my team members were all in town and this was our outing). My team surprised me with a farewell gift. They gave me a copy of the Giving Tree and a gift certificate to an Aveda Salon and Spa (ahhh, I will really enjoy a pedicure). I, of course, started crying when my supervisor presented me with the card and book and cried even more when I told everyone how much I have enjoyed working with the team. After all the crying, we enjoyed a wonderful afternoon at the zoo. Henry loved the Sloth Bear even though he thought it was a dog. I know he thought it was a dog because he was panting like a dog every time the bear came close to us. It was really cute (the panting, not the sloth bear). Henry also loved the Golden Lion Tamarins' and the Meercats. Since Heather and I had the kids (and strollers) we decided to have dinner in the Cleveland Park area to avoid the rush hour on the subway. It was a great decision b/c it was a beautiful night and we found a place with outdoor seating. The kids were still in great moods and had a blast. Once I got Henry home he had a quick bath and he was sound asleep in no time. It was a fun day. Here are pic's from the zoo

David Graduates from GWU Law!

YEAH! Today David graduated from George Washington University Law School. Here are some pic's. Although he still needs to finish his thesis, he has finished his course work for his LLM. It was a long ceremony but Henry was just perfect. David wanted to hold Henry as he crossed the stage but about 10 minutes before David was due to walk, Henry fell into a deep sleep. I actually tried to wake him but he didn't move. The little guy was so tired and deserved a good nap because the ceremony was really long and he had been so good all day. I had several people comment on how well-behaved he had been. Actually, Henry had been good all weekend. On Saturday afternoon, Corbin, Natalie and Gwennie Meek stayed with us for a night. It was great meeting Gwennie for the first time and seeing Corbin and Natalie. I know they are doing a great job because Gwennie is a very happy baby. She is 10 weeks old and is already smiling and laughing. She is a real cutie and Henry got a kick out of having a baby in the house.

My Little Helper

Henry was a great little helper today. I put him to work dusting and he really enjoyed it. Here are some picture's of Henry dusting his toy box and highchair.

Now if I could only get the cats to clean out their litter box!

Busy, Busy, Busy

Things have been hectic taking care of Henry and keeping up with work. Also, I am at a new vet with Geiger and am getting some great care for him but dealing with his diabetes has added to all the other stuff to do. If I wasn't busy enough I now have to follow Geiger around during the day and test his urine. Fun stuff! Yesterday I caught some great pictures of Henry lunching on refried beans and avocados. It was all real funny until I had to clean him. Note to new parents: Messy food should only be served at dinner unless you have the time for a mid-day bath or you don't care that your child has food in his hair and ears all day.

Cheap Toy

As I mentioned in yesterday' s blog, a bathroom tissue roll has been Henry's favorite toy--or rather, his favorite fashion accessory. Here's some pic's from this morning.

What a difference a day makes!

Tuesday was a tough day. Henry woke up crying which almost never happens--he typically wakes up pretty happy. On Monday he went to the Dr. for his 1 year check-up and got 3 vaccine shots and had blood drawn to check for lead and anemia. At the visit we found out he had a mild ear infection. The little guy had a rough night on Monday and woke up feeling pretty lousy. So, Tuesday was rough. I tried keeping up with work emails the best I could but eventually gave up b/c Henry really needed and wanted me. So, today Henry and I both slept in and at 8:30 he gets in my face and is smiling and laughing. The rest of the day was pretty much like that --I had my happy baby back. After we got out of bed, he played by himself while I made breakfast. In the morning we took a walk and he slept the whole time and I got to talk to my good friend Jessica Campbell from Seattle (check out Jessica's spa, Spa Scotta). After the walk he didn't fight me getting in his highchair for lunch and ate well. After lunch he played with a empty bathroom tissue roll for about an hour. He even took it with him when we went to the store. In the car on the way to the store he was pretty quiet. All of a sudden he makes this happy squeal. When I turned around he had this huge grin on his face and had his arm in the air with the tissue roll on his arm. He just got such a kick out of getting that on his arm. I have to get a picture of it. Luckily, in the late afternoon when we went to his follow-up Dr. visit he didn't bring his new favorite toy! Here are some pic's of Henry waiting for the train and pictures at the Dr. office. Also, Gieger has now been two days without getting sick. That is a big deal since he has been getting sick at least once a day for about a month. This Friday I am taking him to a vet that only treats cats. I am looking forward to getting some better care for Gieger and dealing with a Dr. that doesn't just send a patient home and let them figure out insulin dosages by trial and error. Gieger would have died last week if I wasn't home and it was b/c the type and amount of insulin prescribed was wrong. I know this b/c of research I have been doing and from a brief conversation with the office staff of the new vet. Friday will be a challenging day. I have no one to care for Henry so I will have to take Henry to the vet visit with me. Should be fun!