Virginia (and DC) is for lovers

Last weekend we skipped out of town to celebrate Grandma Margot's wedding and to catch up with family.  We arrived late Thursday night and left mid-day on Sunday.  In that time we managed to not only attend the wedding (in Richmond, VA), but also take in the natural history museum, the air and space museum (Dulles location), the zoo, celebrate an early Thanksgiving, and see the White House.  It was, all in all, a crazy weekend, but an incredible one.  

One of my favorite parts about the weekend was Oliver's comment as we dragged him out of the natural history museum: "Take everything else off my Christmas list.  The only thing I want is a blue diamond."  Great.

I also loved breakfast in bed.  The bed was covered in eggs.  It is not clear if anyone actually ate anything.  But it was damn fun and the kids loved it.  Here's to more breakfast in bed (and someone else doing the laundry after.)

Another great part - the plane.  While we are a good solid year in to the kids being responsible for carrying their own bags (yipee!), and no longer needing to check bags, flights have still required a lot of parental attention.  While the kids are incredible travelers they always do seem to want something from their bag, or want to chat just at the good part of some trashy HGTV show.  This trip was different. The kids sat by themselves and had no interest in Davis and I at all.  It was lovely.

Four

Four years ago I distinctly remember sitting in the passenger seat of the Jetta, in labor, and crying about how we couldn't go through with having the baby.  It wasn't the birth I was worried about, it was Oliver.  I was feeling guilty that he had not been included in the discussion of having a sister, and that his (and our) life was going to change - forever - as soon as the baby was born.  Davis was calmly telling me that Oliver was going to love having a sister and that everything would be ok.  At a light we were next to a bus.  A kid looked down at me and gave me a look like I was crazy.  I was.

Oliver and Henni have become the best of friends.  When separated for a little bit, they start looking around and asking for the other.  They always want to know what the other is up to.  And, when together, they come up with the most elaborate and creative activities.

Henni is an incredible sister, friend, daughter, and mother.  She watches out for everyone - packing our stuff up for swimming, walking me through a check list, slipping things into a bag when I have forgotten it, and being VERY attentive with her babies.  Her babies are dressed each morning, given breakfast, given naps, changed throughout the day, and put to bed each night.  Bulldozer comes with us everywhere.  He wears a snowsuit in the winter, and he is always buckled into a car seat.  She is truly an amazing mother.

Henni is desperate for a little brother or sister.  Recently she has resigned herself to the fact that it is not going to happen.  She now calls Bulldozer her little brother, and she begs me to hold him like a real baby, or push him in the stroller.  

For her birthday Henni requested breakfast in bed, a walk on the beach, lunch at the Beachcoma, and then shrimp scampi for dinner.  Henni loves parrots.  He request for a cake - jungle theme with a parrot.

The day after her birthday is when we celebrated with friends.  We spent the afternoon at Merrohawk's Four Rock location.  It was incredible.  We made mud cupcakes,  ran in the woods, climbed trees, ate cupcakes, and made s'mores.  Perfect.

 

Henni also had her birthday celebration at school.  For each year, she walks around the candle (the sun).  She was very serious, but also amazingly excited about her special day at school.

Henni is creative, she loves to sing, she rides a two wheeler, she skis by herself, she loves paddleboarding, and loves to swim.  She is amazingly good at letters and numbers, and is starting to sound out words.  She is stubborn.  She would live on carrots, cucumbers, and broccoli if we let her.  Henni is also one of the funniest people I know.

October

Fun with Beatrix

More fun with Beatrix

Amazing, wonderful Linda

Last boat adventure of the season

Joy after passing the swim test (one freestyle lap of the big pool and 1 minute of treading water)

Pumpkin carving!

Our little wolf.  The wolf was a last minute choice, meaning Davis had several late night making the costume and having it ready for the big night

Chillin'

Our first snow.  November 2nd.

September

September was filled with new and old friends, new and old activities and skills, sun, sand, and, of course, apples.

Henni at climbing.  She's now a crazy climber and gets to the top in seconds.

She takes after her brother.

Yup, Henni's on the warthogs.

Always the organized one.

A super fun night at a fantastic wedding at the Crane Estate.

We got flocked!!