You were this close to getting a full "cherry blossoms" post, but I was able to convince Kim that we've already done that. So you get these pictures from our backyard instead.
Our neighbor Joelle made these hats for the kids. They are awesome. I'm going to have to finagle one out of her, too.
Shauni came out for a quick visit, and we had fun showing her around. Kim dragged Shauni and her parents around the National Mall in the freezing cold, and tried to cram in every sight that she could. Megan just loved making her aunt play endless games of Hide-and-Go-Seek.
Dan came out the week after Shauni for more work training, and since my upcoming travel to Liberia was postponed, we were able to spend the weekend together. We dragged him up to the Billy Goat trail near Great Falls. He also had to visit Ben's Chili Bowl again for another round of half-smokes and chili cheese fries. We topped it all of with an Iraq war movie marathon, watching The Hurt Locker and Green Zone in the same night.
In yet another addition for the "I can't believe that's hereditary" file, Megan LOVES climbing on rocks, just like I did at her age. She moans and complains about every step between the parking lot and the trail, but as soon as there are rocks around, she has an endless supply of energy to climb up each and every one.
And as if we hadn't already doubled the amount of family that had ever come to see us in D.C. -- Kim's parents came out the weekend after Dan! They stayed at the Willard Hotel next to the White House, and we spent Friday night with them. We all shared a room, so it ended up that we went to bed at 9:00 when the kids did, and Kim and I read books by light of my headlamp while her parents enjoyed their iPhones.
We got up the next morning, and after a nice breakfast at Cafe du Parc, headed over for our annual participation in the Kite Festival. I continued the tradition of not knowing how to put together these damn kites, and in not being able to get them to fly.
This new wagon from Grandma and Grandpa was a real life saver. We were able to drag the kids all over the place with only minimal complaint. This is not your childhood wagon -- this thing comes equipped with two seats with seatbelts, cupholders, and a roof for shade from rain or sun.
Since we all have birthdays between February and May, we decided to celebrate them together. Kim got another camera bag to add to our collection (I must admit, it's the best one -- I guess the third time is the charm), and we enjoyed this chocolate cake from Trader Joe's. Kim's dad was disappointed that we all nixed the apricot-almond tart, but was satisfied with our choice.
It's been a hell of a March, and we may need all of April to recover, but we love visitors, so plan your trip today!
P.S. To top it all off, Megan lost her other bottom front tooth. The one she lost in January shows no sign of coming in, so we've started a savings fund for child-size dentures.
