Miscellany

So I think I’m going to have to blame Facebook for ignoring ye olde blog. I mean, by the time I’ve updated my status 12 times in 24 hours there’s really only so much more I can relay. But here’s a brief effort to jot some random doings down in no particular order or relevance…

Starting with the biggie... The Inauguration of our nation’s 44th President was pretty much words cannot describe. I was so very happy and moved to be in town one week ago today. Yes, my view of history was had from a cozy law office with beer, buffets and legitimate bathrooms, but had I stayed home I would not have gotten to see the glowing smiles first hand, join in spontaneous chants of Obama, watched the cold crowds break into the electric slide to stay warm, taken dozens of fuzzy birds eye pictures of Suburbans are armored limos etc….

The Weather - Why does it seem that the colder winters get, the less snow seems to fall? It appears to have started lightly again and I guess we may have/get a couple inches out there, but I want a legitimate snow day! As in the school cancellation is made the night before and I get to lay around in sweats all day and take my kid out to play. If there is ice tomorrow as called for, I’m simply not having it. I don’t even own snow boots since our winters have been such duds for so many years now. No way I’ll be sliding down our two hills to the main road in the car to get Leila to school or on my feet/ass to get to the bus stop.

The Kid – is “bright.” ‘nuff said. We seem to be easing off some of the 3.5 year old attitude and maybe moving into a pleasant pre-4 stage. Fingers crossed. I’m enjoying discovering Anime with her. Geek that I am probably should have gotten into Anime long ago! I still love Pixar for visual effect, but aside from the exceptional Wall-E, the art of Anime storytelling is so much richer. We have thoroughly enjoyed The Cat Returns (w/ voices by Anne Hathaway and Carey Elwes) and Spirited Away. I’m also really enjoying that Leila will now sit quietly with me at night and listen to me read a chapter of a Narnia book. Harry Potter can’t be far behind.

The National Harbor – just across the river from us is quickly becoming a new favorite lets just get out of the house for a few hours weekend spot. Will be great in warm weather when we can take water taxi from Old Town. Nice to walk around the marina and play on the relocated “Awakening” statue. Some good restaurants (Rosa Mexicano!) And the Gaylord hotel/convention center is impressive. The baby Bellagio dancing sound and light fountains that play at 6:00, 7:00, 8: 00 and 9:00 are a HUGE hit with Leila (OK, I kind of dig them too.)

TV – SO glad to fall back into the rabbit hole of Lost. Don’t get the time travel at all, but totally game for the ride. 24 really hit its stride last night and had me breathless at the edge of my seat. Grey’s Anatomy reminded me what a dramatic wallop it can punch last week (RIP Erik Stoltz.) And I’m consistently 3 week behind on the Walker Family antics.

Vacation – is on the horizon! Leave is approved and tickets bought for Nicaragua 3/13- 3/23. Flor de Cana, here I come. We have an Abarca family wedding, which tend towards all night affairs, and I’m hoping to get some beaching and touring in too.

That’s all for now.

Baby Jude

Is already 4+ weeks old! He looks pretty much like Carter and this is about the only state I've ever seen him in.

Leila loves raspberries

Enough so that I find myself spending $4.99 on a teeny tiny container for her in the dead of winter. So we were at my mom's house Friday night with the Armands for a Louisiana fish fry (I'm glad baby Jude has arrived b/c now we should get to see more of Danielle's family and the truckloads full of cajun food they travel with!) After I ate 3 pounds worth (literally, that's how much my weight was up on the scale Saturday morning) of fried fish, shrimp and jalapeno hush puppies I scooped up Leila's berry dessert for her. Her signature way of eating them is to stick a berry on each finger. Danielle asked her who taught her how to do that and she looks up at us w/o skipping a beat and responds "I'm bright." We were rolling after verifying that was indeed what she had said. That smirk there is a very self-satisfied one, no?

The only good in Grey's right now...

... is Kevin McKidd. And a psychotic guest turn by Erik Stoltz. I've really missed Erik Stoltz in my life. I think I'll have to dig out my VHS copy of Kicking and Screaming.

But back to McKidd. I don't know how I missed that he was in Trainspotting. Yeah, that's him third from left with the purdy hair. How young does Ewan McGregor look? That's yet another movie to add to my re-watch list.

..

In follow up...

The kid came home from visiting the Abarca family in Connecticut with a 5 foot tall Sleeping Beauty doll. OK, perhaps it's 4 feet tall. And she talks. In a frightening automaton voice. Leila calls her Susan. After Susan from Narnia. Go figure. We'll have to get her a bow and arrow set I guess.