Fun Saturday

A few weeks ago we took advantage of great weather and went down to the national mall so Harrison could ride the carousel. It seems we always go down there for a museum, see the carousel, promise he can ride it "later," and then run out of time. It was time to give the kid a break :) After, we had some extra time so we hit up the Hirshorn modern art museum and shake shack (my first time-YUM YUM).

Harrison saw the dragon and had to have it.

I was trying to get the flag in this picture--you can barely see it. Way cooler in person.

Horses!!!
Bunnies in the sculpture garden!

Perfect day!!! Harrison is checking out his cool shadow.

National Christmas Tree

We went to see the National Tree last week and it turned out to be a lot of fun (I wasn't sure and hadn't been for a long time). Not too cold or crowded and we saw all the pretty state trees and the HUGE yule log. As a BIG bonus santa and his workshop were there so we saved an expensive and obnoxious trip to the mall and a likely long wait in line. We also saw TWO couples get engaged in a matter of like 20 minutes, one right next to us.

(PS- just in case you're wondering I composed these captions at 2:02 a.m. in "not quite" my right mind...)

An attempt to get 3/4 of us in a picture. Apparently my face is melting...
Man this kid is CUTE
Yep, that's the white house back there. I wasn't only taking a picture of the fence....
post-tree wrap-up dinner--guzzling water from a big cup while daddy looks on
Was Harrison's favorite part the huge tree? or the big flaming yule log? Or seeing santa? Or getting "rice and beans and chips" after??? NO--it was the train display of course.
That's the AZ tree-shout out to our AZ friends and family
All bundled up----thanks Alissa for making this hat for alesa a couple of years ago so I could accidentally steal it....

Harrison survived a santa visit without crying: WIN!!! (we were also actually allowed to take pictures unlike with the psycho elves last year who wouldn't allow a camera phone within 50 feet...)

YULE to the LOG
Nativity---the jaded conservative I am was grateful to see this. Also grateful that the choir sang a real christmas song AFTER that song about recycling...
and the BIG TREE of course

Fun Stuff

I've been working a lot of overtime saturday afternoons lately. This gives us good motivation to get out of the house and do something fun together in the morning. YAY.

We took Harrison on a "pirate" boat tour of the potomac in alexandria. He was SO excited to see the pirates and go on the "pirate ship" but then when push came to shove I think they made him a little nervous....

Lunch afterwards at BGR. Harrison's grilled cheese was delicious...my fries were great as was Cory's burger...my southwest burger...strange....

What? Isn't this what YOU do while waiting for your food?

Fireworks and Trains

So....we have been doing stuff I promise. First it was fourth of July and we took Harrison to see some fireworks at a local high school. He was SO excited waiting for the fireworks to start (sorry it's blurry cuz I'm not sure how to work the flash on my camera phone).

Anyway. We found a spot REALLY close to where they were shooting the fireworks off..so cool, right? Wrong. Harrison didn't 'freak out' but definitely did not like the loud noise and how close we were (plus all that ash falling on us). We strapped him in the stroller and headed away quickly. We got to our car by the end of the show and that distance was just about perfect :) Luckily, if you ask Harrison he has a positive memory of our fourth of july fireworks and will insist that the fireworks are loud but that "Harrison not scared anymore.."

Then we went to the B&O Railroad museum in Baltimore with Heidi and fam and Harrison's bff alesa june. I was SO happy to seek this kid play area :)

We put Harrison and Alesa in matching monkey leashes...SO CUTE

Alesa and I took a little break to run around the train area--amazingly she STOPS when I tell her too (props to Erin :))

Alesa dressed up as the train chef

Harrison has high hopes for a future as crossing guard

Waiting to ride on the BIG train

Harrison showing off the wrong side of his train ticket :)

Afterwards we let the kids go on the little blue train outside

And then some time on the playground--seriously gotta love places that are SO toddler friendly

Another train ride--seriously these kids LUCKED OUT :)

Thanks heidi for letting us tag along and thanks erin and dru for letting us steal your child for the day :)

Harrison's First Parade!

(waiting for the fun to start--no, we don't go anywhere without the monkey leash)

A few weekends ago we went downtown for the Cherry Blossom Festival parade and had a great time. The weather was cool but cooperated and Harrison loved watching the bands and ballons and other fun stuff in the parade--he was content to be held or on Daddy's shoulders for the whole first half (which is great for him) and afterwards we checked out the natural history museum for a bit. I love it when we get to do fun stuff like this!

Harrison and I passed the time before it started by making some silly faces for the camera. Luckily Cory's phone has a camera option where we can see ourselves which is about the only way I can get him to look and smile without saying..."I see it!!" and running around to the other side of the camera...

Dancers

A cool band from DC

Drummers--pretty awesome

My favorite was the revolutionary war era band

And of course no parade is complete without a huge balloon of yogi bear :)