June & July
I haven’t updated the photos in a while, so here’s a quick written preview of what will be coming your way, hopefully soon.
We have been quite “local” this summer, with only two long-weekend trips so far. (We’re planning our “big” vacation for September, when we’ll be going to Germany again.)
Our June travel adventure was to Iowa, where we spent a whirlwind weekend visiting family. It had been almost a year since we had been back in the Hawkeye State, so there was plenty of catching up to do. In addition to visiting with aunts, uncles, cousins, and grandparents, we also celebrated Simona’s third birthday in Iowa! She was VERY excited to turn three at Grandma & Grandpa’s, and Grandma even made her a special “orange and white and pink” birthday cake. (Those are Simona’s favorite colors– especially orange and white.) Though I’m sure you can purchase an orange and white and pink cake somewhere, I’m also pretty sure that it would be a rather disgusting dessert for anyone over the age of 6. However, Grandma outdid herself, and the cake was attractive and delicious.
And, as I’m in the habit of making the travel portion of my trip just as exciting as the destination itself, I decided that simply flying as a family from Iowa to Baltimore via Chicago would be downright boring. So, in Chicago, I opted to “volunteer” Simona’s and my seats in exchange for two free roundtrip tickets on a future flight. (Caleb had to get back to DC for work on Monday morning, so he traveled home as scheduled.) Simona, Andreas, and I also got a free night in a hotel and two free meal vouchers. . . plus an upgrade to first class for the flight home! The fellow passengers in first class were gracious, despite Andreas’s crying from being tired and Simona’s removing her shirt mid-flight because she spilled water on it.
The local excitement for June included Andreas learning to sit up, Simona’s joint birthday party with a friend from her playschool, and my sister Linda’s move to Maryland (with her horse Nate and dog Bo) to live near her fiance just outside of Baltimore. The DC Metro crash that you may have heard about also happened outside of our stop, which was jolting. Our hearts go out to those who lost loved ones, as we were filled with the sense that it easily could have been one of us on that train. Caleb’s commute has been affected, but regular, complete red line service resumed as of today.
Other than the trip to Maine, we have kept a low profile this month. Andreas cut his first two teeth while we were in Maine, and he is getting closer and closer to crawling. He also can pull himself up from a sitting to standing position. Simona is growing into such a little girl, complete with an occasional burst of attitude worthy of a teenage girl. She is starting to recognize letters, and she loves asking us to spell everything she sees. She also adores hearing stories and is constantly asking us to tell her about when we were little.
July has been mercifully mild this year, with very little of the steamy, humid weather that typifies DC summers. The clear, crystal blue skies and temperatures between 65-85 degrees have been perfect for spending hours at the playground. We’re sure our luck won’t last, though, and wonder whether we’ll be “paying for” this with an unbearably hot, sticky August. Until then, though, we’ll be here enjoying the summer. Stop by if you’re passing through the District anytime soon!
