How was your weekend? Just like last weekend, we were busy from start to finish…and mama needs a break!
The kids had a track meet on Friday, and we didn’t get home until late. On Saturday, Hadley played a couple of volleyball games, and then both kids had the final cotillion dance of the season which meant another late night.
Tis the season for “all the things!”
Since April is wrapping up, I’m sharing some memes that made me laugh this month:
1.
As you know I get up early, but at this point in the school year, I’m definitely pushing it to the limit being on time for school.
2.
This one just made me chuckle:
3.
Relatable: (haha)
4.
For real!
5.
Current situation:
6.
Tell me it’s the end of the school year without telling me it’s the end of the school year:
7.
This one really made me laugh out loud:
8.
*Sigh* we’ve had a few car repairs, Homer’s vet check up which is always costly, and then we just had to get a new grill and a new dryer.
I hope these start your week off with a laugh!
It’s another busy week around here, but I hope to have a few posts this week.
How was your week? Ours was good, but I think the end of the school year fatigue is setting in!
As always, I’m linking up with Erika and Andrea for this week’s Friday Favorites.
Here are some favorites from the week:
Track meets!
Friday night, Hayden ran in a very competitive mile race in Louisville during the Eastern Relays meet.
Hayden came in 3rd with a PR for the mile.
Since I wasn’t there, and Travis is too busy cheering/coaching him, I loved seeing some professional photos of the race.
Hayden sent me this pic which made me smile.
While Travis was with Hayden in Louisville, Hadley was running in a meet in Lexington. She ran the 400 and had a PR as well as the 4×200 which had a state qualifying time. The Friday night track meets can go past 10:00, so we were happy she was finished running by 8:30.
On Monday night, she ran the 100m dash for the first time ever, and won her heat and came in 3rd overall. She was happy with that run.
Over the weekend, she had a volleyball tournament. Her coach had her play libero for the first time, and Hadley was excited for that opportunity. She typically plays back row, but the libero can be subbed in and out with more freedom and gets to play a bit more.
Her team saw some tough competition, but still made it to the gold bracket. They had a fun weekend.
I saw this on Facebook, and loved it. What a cute idea for a book display this time of the year.
My trusty slow cooker that I’ve had for years had to be replaced. The insert cracked quite a while ago, but it was finally time for a new one. I ordered this one for Drew Barrymore’s Walmart line, and so far I like it.
I drink a few protein shakes a week, and I usually stick with the Premier Protein brand. We’ve tried Core Power recently, and the kids like it too. Honestly, the chocolate tastes like chocolate milk…so good, so we ordered a couple of packs from Amazon since our Kroger doesn’t always have it.
Travis and I were able to get to Keeneland yesterday afternoon which was nice. The temps were cool, but the sun was shining…and he “broke even” on the day which is a win in my book. 😆
Remember the Lego flowers I gave Hadley for Valentine’s Day because she thought they’d be cute in her room?! Turns out…Hadley doesn’t like putting the Lego flowers together. My mom saved the day. The bouquet turned out really cute.
Favorite Mom Meme:
Well, this one doesn’t make me laugh…but it is relatable. *sigh*
Bonus Fave: Flashback Friday:
This pic from 2014 has always been a fave. Hadley having no boundaries…and Hayden wishing she had some!
Weekly Recap:
Here are my posts from the week in case you missed one:
Where has the month of April gone? I always love Patty and Holly’sMonthly Musing link up answering questions on a given topic.
This month’s topic is “all things spring.”
I’ve shared before that spring isn’t really a season on my radar. By spring, I’m just ready to skip to summer!
That being said…
1. Favorite thing about spring?
More sunshine! I do appreciate when it stays lighter longer, the weather warms up and the grass turns green.
I love track season with the kids. Truly, until the kids started middle school, I never thought much about track. It’s really turned into a family affair with Travis helping coach the kids, the kids running, and I bring snacks and cheer from the sideline.
Something else I really love is that the kids run different events. Hayden loves distance, and Hadley runs the shorter races.
I also love spring break. One of the things I like about spring break is that we have some time at home, and we usually try to spend a few days somewhere nearby but also new to us. This year, we had a longer trip to DC, but we still had some days at home.
…and another favorite is spring traditions….
2. What are your spring traditions?
Keeneland in the spring is one of my favorite traditions. Oaks/Derby time is really special too.
3. Favorite spring outfits?
After spring break, I’m all about wearing dresses when I can…
…and cardigans. I have this one in three colors, and it’s still my all time fave.
4. Favorite springtime meal?
I like when we grill out in the spring…the summer too, but it’s hotter outside then. Side dishes for dinner seem easier in the spring….veggies, fresh fruit, pasta salad, and baked beans are easy and our faves.
My kids always request these “asparagus fries,” and we all love them.
5. Spring rain…love or loathe?
I love rain anytime of the year. Of course, days and days of rain isn’t ideal, but I like a cozy afternoon rain where I can watch a movie or read a book. If it’s not raining too hard, I like to sit on my front porch and read a book while it rains.
6. Favorite spring flower?
Peonies! I love when I can find these at Trader Joe’s.
7. Do you get seasonal allergies? Remedies please!
Yes! Everyone in my family has them. When I first moved to Kentucky twenty years ago, I kept getting sinus infections because of my allergies. I still get sinus infections, but now I’m pretty good about using nasal spray and allergy medicine year round.
8. Favorite springtime beverage?
I’m kind of boring in the beverage department. I like a glass of white wine, but once the weather warms up, I will start drinking White Claws or Trulys.
Trader Joe’s has the Rose’ “Simpler Wines” which are refreshing as well.
9. Do you change your home decor for spring?
I decorate for Easter…
…and then I change out of a few things after Easter for Keeneland and Oaks/Derby.
I also put out fresh flowers whenever I can…
…and switch my candle to light, fresh, seasonal scents.
10. Lemon meringue pie or strawberry shortcake?
Strawberry shortcake all the way!
These questions definitely have me in the mood for spring. Thankfully, our weather has been pretty nice the past couple of weeks!
This time of the year, it’s crazy to think that the next time I write a Monthly Musings post, school will be out for the summer!
Last week, Sarah linked up with Joyce for her weekly “Wednesday Hodgepodge” series, and I thought it looked like a fun post to write!
For the first time, I’m linking up with Joyce to share my answers.
1. When did you last have cancelled plans? Were you happy about that or disappointed?
Me:
Also me:
Off the top of my head, I can’t think of a recent time we’ve had cancelled plans. That being said, some of that is our schedule and just knowing if we want to do something, we probably have to make it work.
Depending on what’s going on, determines if I’m happy or sad about cancelled plans. haha
Over spring break, we had tentative plans to go to Keeneland, but a family matter came up that took precedence which was totally understandable.
2. On a scale of 1-10 how much of a planner are you?
I’m a level 10 planner….and I have all the things to keep me organized. I use the phone on my calendar, I have a calendar on the fridge with weekly activities and dinners, I have my school planner and school calendar, and then we use the Cozi app as a family.
I guess these things are both about having a plan and staying organized. For being in a busy stage of life, we need to have most days, weeks, and meals planned out.
That being said, I don’t enjoy planning vacations, and usually tag Travis as “it” for planning those things.
3. Do you have a menu plan for the week? If so, tell us one or two things that are on it.
This is what I use for the calendar on our fridge. I write down our meals for the week, kids’ activities, appointments, and the grocery list. I’ve purchased this magnetic meal planner three or four times. I like that it has the days of the week and a shopping list all on one pad.
This week, we’re having:
Sunday – chicken pot pie and bagged salad. I knew we were having a busy day with volleyball, so I wanted something quick and simple for dinner.
Monday – shredded BBQ chicken sandwiches, baked potatoes, and fruit. The chicken was just in the slow cooker with chopped red onion, BBQ sauce and some Italian dressing. I cooked it on low for six hours. Again, we had a busy evening with a track meet, so I wanted something ready for when we got home.
Tuesday – I made this Cheesy Taco Pasta, and we will have it with green beans.
Wednesday – Leftover taco pasta after the track meet.
Thursday – TBD – but either grilled cheese and tomato soup or taco pizza.
4. The Hodgepodge lands on National Bucket List Day. Do you have a bucket list? Is it written down or just in your head? What is one thing on your bucket list? If you don’t have a list, what is one thing you’d add to a list if you did?
I don’t really have a bucket list, so nothing is written down. Honestly, I don’t have activities that I really want to do…I don’t feel the need to jump out of an airplane or hike Mt. Everest. There are some places I’d like to go and things I’d like to see. At the top of my list is that I hope to go to Nantucket one day.
5. Rain buckets, a drop in the bucket, couldn’t carry a tune in a bucket, sweat buckets, cry buckets…which ‘bucket’ idiom applies to your life in some way currently?
“Couldn’t carry a tune in a bucket” could definitely apply to me. I can’t carry a tune to save my life. I will sign along (quietly) to the radio in the car, and I love to watch American Idol, but that’s about it as far as singing in concerned.
6. Insert your own random thought here.
It’s hard to believe, but including today, we just have 24 days left of school.
What’s even harder to believe is that we’ll be celebrating the kids with their 8th grade promotion/graduation…and I feel like they just started middle school!
How it started:
How it’s going:
This was a fun post! I hope to share more “hodgepodge” thoughts now that I know about this link up.
Well, spring is officially “springing” and in the past year, I’ve shared the ABC’s of summer, fall, and winter. So, of course, I have to wrap up this series with one more post…the ABC’s of spring!
A-April: While March is the beginning of spring, April always feels more like spring to me.
B-basketball and baseball: March Madness and opening day for baseball are big spring time events.
C-chirping: birds! In the spring, we have chirping birds outside our window as alarm clocks. If only they knew which day was Saturday!
D- dances: There are so many dances in the spring. My kids have their last cotillion dance soon, and then in May, they have an 8th grade dance for their school.
Of course, the high school students have prom.
E-Easter: Easter is a great way to kick off spring. It’s one of my favorite holidays.
F-flowers and ferns:
In March and April, I start buying flowers at Trader Joe’s. Mother’s Day weekend is when we plant flowers in the porch planters and hang ferns on the front porch.
G- graduation: The countdown is on for 8th grade graduation for my kids.
I feel like they just graduated from 5th grade…
…and of course high school students have their graduation too.
H-hats (Oaks/Derby)
In April and May, Oaks and Derby fashion include hats and fascinators.
I-ice cream: Well, we eat ice cream year round, but in the spring, the kids will bike to get ice cream, and it’s a treat we turn to more often.
J- Jokes(for April Fool’s Day): I’m always thankful when we are on spring break and not at school for April Fool’s Day. We have enough jokes year round. haha
K-Keeneland: The spring meet at Keeneland is one of my favorite times of the year. We love to get out there a time or two each meet.
L-leaves on the trees: The green leaves start to grow and the trees fill out.
M-Mother’s Day: I always love Mother’s Day as we usually go to church and out to lunch. Then, we spruce up the yard and plant flowers.
N-nest: Every year we get a nest in one of the ferns on the front porch. I always have to check it before watering, and I’m always sad on the day I check the nest, and it’s empty.
O- Oaks: We love going to Oaks on the first Friday in May. What a special tradition in the Bluegrass State.
P-patio dinners: We just ate outside last weekend, and it was perfect. I like when we are able to grill out because it’s an easy dinner, and it’s nice to just relax for a bit.
Q-quiet: …mornings on the front porch and evenings on the patio.
R-rain and rainbows:
April showers bring May flowers!
…Even better when we spot a rainbow after the rain.
S-St. Patrick’s Day and spring break:
We all look forward to St. Patrick’s Day and our traditional meal.
We usually do a “low key” spring break trip for a few days not too far from home. This year, we took a bigger trip to DC.
T-trackseason: Track season is a family affair. Travis helps with the training, the kids run, and I cheer from the sidelines. I love that both kids do this sport together…but do different events.
U-umbrella: for when it rains…
V-Vernal Equinox – The first day of spring in March.
W-warmer weather: While springtime weather can be hit or miss, we know there are more warm days than not and summer will be here before we know it.
X-eXtra daylight hours: Amen!
Y-yard work: Last year was Hayden’s first year mowing our lawn. So far this year, he and Travis have taken turns.
Z– ZZZ: …needing more sleep because of all of the sports and end of the year activities.
Ok, some of these I had to make work, but this was a fun way to wrap up this series. I’m ready for consistent springlike temps and then summer!
This week, I feel like we’ve gotten into more of a routine which has been nice, but we all definitely have school-itis…and are ready for the weekend.
As always, I’m linking up with Andrea and Erika for this week’s Friday Favorites.
Here are some favorites from the week:
The kids’ track season is finally in full swing.
Last Friday night, the kids had their first meet (after the first two modified meets were cancelled) in the cold temps! I had to wear my heaviest winter coat and gloves most of the time!
Per tradition, I got a quick pic before we headed to the meet.
What a night. They ran four races. Hayden had two PR’s and state qualifying times in the 1600 and 800. Hadley ran the 200 and 400 and had a PR and state qualifying time in the 400.
Hadley and I left before Hayden’s last race because it was getting late and she had a volleyball tournament the next morning.
At an invitational meet, the top three athletes in each event get medals. The kids got them earlier this week. Hadley was 3rd in both of her events, and was excited to show me her medals. Hayden’s medals are in the bottom of his backpack, I’m sure.
Hadley’s volleyball team played well this past weekend.
They played on Saturday and Sunday and ended up the runners up in the gold bracket. We still have a few tournaments left, but this club season is close to wrapping up.
The highlight of my weekend was going to my friend Sarah’s wedding. It was so nice to be reunited with friends and celebrate Sarah and her new husband on their big day.
The difference in weather in less than 24 hours was incredible. It was a beautiful day filled with sunshine.
Hadley and Sarah’s daughter have been friends since birth. Their birthdays are five days apart, and they grew up going to the same sitter until they started school.
The boys were busy, so we had a girls’ day at the wedding.
After Hadley’s volleyball games on Sunday, she went to Rupp Arena with friends for the press conference for the new UK basketball coach, Mark Pope. She had a good time.
We had more track this week with beautiful weather on Monday and Wednesday for their meets.
Hadley ran the anchor leg of the 4×100, and they ran a qualifying time for state and were close to breaking the school record.
Needless to say, we’ve had fun watching them run, and the season has just started.
On Wednesday, the kids had their annual checkups. Since they were little, we’ve always gone for ice cream afterwards. They didn’t let me forget this treat.
Last night, Hayden’s coach had the basketball banquet to wrap up the season. While the season has been over for a bit and a few couldn’t make it, it was nice to celebrate the boys one more time.
They ended up in the gym hooping it up at the end, but did let us get one more pic. These boys are a special group for the coach because his first year was as their 6th grade coach, and now he’s the head coach.
Favorite Mom Meme:
Y’all, this week has been hard. While we are in a good routine, we are tired in the morning.
Bonus Fave: Flashback Friday:
On the left, was the first track meet of the kids’ 6th grade season. Of course they are older and look different, but obviously Hayden has changed quite a bit! They’ve grown into those jackets.
Weekly Recap:
After a slow start to the week, I had a couple of posts towards the end:
Hello! It’s been a while since I’ve done a Thursday Thoughts post…
…and after reading John Stamos’ memoir…
I got to thinking about the title and…if you would have told me.
Here are a few if you would have told me thoughts from my life.
1. Moving away from KC
If you would have told me…that I’d move away from my hometown…
My homebody tendencies started young and run deep. I didn’t even want to leave home for college. I stayed home my first year, and then went to Columbia to MU for my sophomore year. Some people want to move away from their hometown for various reasons, but I never felt that way. I truly always thought I’d move back to KC and live there forever.
When people ask what brought me to Kentucky, I always say, “I was young, dumb, and in love.” Now, that’s not to take anything away from Travis and our relationship, but how many times are you 24 with nothing really tying you down, so that you can take a leap of faith? Today, Travis could get the job offer of a lifetime now, and I really think I would hesitate to move anywhere besides where we are. This is our home, but I do say that the word “home” is complicated for me. I feel “at home” in KC and in Lexington.
Also, guess I’ve always been pretty practical…and when Travis wanted to branch out of working in college athletics, and get into the horse business, the horses are in Kentucky. I could teach anywhere.
Obviously, things work out how they are supposed to, and we have a very blessed life, but it would be nice to be close to family.
A few KC/MO memories through the years…
2. Twins
If you would have told me…that I’d have twins, I think I’d be speechless. In fact, I was speechless when I found out. haha
Never in a million years would I have guessed that I would have twins. Thankfully, we knew pretty early on, so we had lots of time to prepare. Also, it’s kind of amazing that Travis and I each ended up with a little “mini me.”
Having twins is really special for us as parents, and I am grateful that my kids are boy/girl twins, so it’s easy not to compare them really. My kids have been different from day one, and it’s amazing to see their personalities stay pretty consistent through the years.
They are very lucky to have each other, and I hope they realize that. I do think Hayden could work on appreciating his sister a bit more… but she does know how to drive him crazy. 😉
I think it’s special that they have their own friends, but those friend groups overlap. I hope that continues into high school, so they can keep each other in check.
I think it’s been fun for them (whether they will admit it or not) that they’ve had a couple of classes together this year.
Also, as busy as they are with their activities, and they each have their own interests, it’s really special during track season that they have that in common. That being said, true to their strengths and their personalities, Hayden runs the distance events, and Hadley runs the shorter distance events.
3. Blog
If you would have told me…that I’d have a blog, I might have believed you. 😉
I guess for being a pretty private person, it’s a contradiction that I share so much about my life. I am more of an introvert who is forced to be extroverted.
When the kids were babies, I remember someone suggesting blogging as a new stream of income for some…so that would be have 2010 or so. Who knows…had I figured out how to start a blog then, maybe this gig would have become lucrative. haha
That being said, I blog because I like to write. It’s my outlet, a way to have my voice heard, and a way to capture the moments in life.
As the kids have gotten older, I’ve tried to respect their privacy a bit more although they are pretty indifferent about what I write.
I’m really grateful to have this space as a scrapbook of the past few years; I truly wish I’d started blogging sooner.
Thoughts:
This was a fun topic to write about. Like most things, I’m really grateful that my if you would have told me examples are pretty light-hearted and not serious. I know many people have been faced with health issues, deaths, and other challenges in life that are much more serious.
How is your week going? I didn’t mean to take a short blogging break, but last weekend was busy from beginning until end, and Monday night the kids had a track meet. So, I just couldn’t find the time to write anything.
Anyway, I’ve shared parts one and two of our spring break trip to Washington, DC, and today I’m sharing the final part.
Wednesday:
Wednesday was the rainiest day of our time in Washington, DC, but we still had things to see, so we didn’t let that stop us.
When we were ready in the morning, it wasn’t raining, so we decided to get going.
We stopped in the hotel lobby for a quick Starbucks breakfast before walking to the Metro.
We were “pros” at Metro riding by this point 🙂
As soon as we exited the Metro and went up the stairs, we were met with a cold rain. The kids pooled together $8 cash to buy an umbrella from a guy selling them by the Metro.
(FYI – We’d brought a golf umbrella, but I’m not sure why Travis continued to leave it at the hotel!)
We headed straight to the…
…World War II memorial.
It was a really pretty memorial, and we took our time walking around it.
When I went to DC with my mom and brother in 2004, there was a kiosk where you could look up WW2 soldiers. I tried to find it again, but…it is twenty years later and 2024, so now, there was a QR code to scan that takes you to the website registry.
I looked up my dad’s uncles and showed their pictures to the kids. They thought that was really neat.
The cold rain was more than a mist at this point, but we were close to the cherry blossoms at the Jefferson Memorial.
Even though it was an overcast and rainy day, we were glad they were still in bloom.
The Jefferson Memorial in the distance:
Hadley took this pic:
…and this one…influencer in the wild 😆
Then, we started our walk to the American History Museum…and it was BeReal time, and this was Hadley’s post for the day. She sent me the silly selfie.
We all enjoyed a couple of hours in the American History Museum.
I loved the First Ladies exhibit…
…with the White House China. Then, we learned about the different wars and the Medal of Honor.
We spotted Dorothy’s ruby red slippers…
…and the Rockford Peaches! I love the movie A League of Their Own.
Travis checked out the beer display.
Hadley played Prince’s guitar, and we saw Archie Bunker’s chair and all about Micky Mouse Clubhouse.
Of course, Hayden loved seeing Muhammad Ali’s robe and Michael Jordan’s jersey.
The Star Spangled Banner exhibit was neat, and we were in awe of the original flag (but no pictures allowed in the exhibit)
Once we wrapped up at the museum, I’d hoped we could go to the National Archives, but it was still raining, and everyone was hungry. We still had Georgetown University on our list, so we rode the Metro…
…back to our hotel because the kids knew there was a Chipolte next door. At first, Travis and I tried to convince them to try somewhere new, but honestly, they’d been troopers, and it was raining pretty hard…and Chipotle makes everyone happy.
After we ate, we headed to the hotel to get our car, and we drove over to Georgetown University…
…because of course Hadley’s souvenir was a hooded sweatshirt. Hayden got a t-shirt.
We didn’t see much of the campus, but it looked pretty!
We went back to the hotel for a couple of hours to warm up, shower, and rest.
Travis and Hayden had big plans to go to the Wizards vs Lakers NBA game, so they left around 6:00 to ride the Metro there.
Hadley and I left about 6:30, and drove back to Georgetown to meet friends at Founding Fathers Fishers & Bakers.
Our good friends (Hadley’s bestie) were also in DC for spring break, so we made plans to meet up with them while Travis and Hayden were at the game.
Hadley had salmon (her fave) which was the special, and I had a Caesar salad.
Travis sent me this pic to tell me they’d made it:
…but Hayden worked his way closer to the action. haha
After dinner, the girls wanted ice cream, (of course they did!), so we walked to a nearby place.
Then, we drove back to our hotel around 9:30, and Hadley took this pic out our window:
We started to tidy up and pack and Travis and Hayden got back a little after 10.
Thursday:
Well, we had big plans for Thursday before we left, but the only real thing we accomplished was that Hadley was able to get an acai bowl from the nearby place she’d been eyeing since we got there!
Our plan was to go to Arlington Cemetery before heading home, but when we got there, there was a line a mile(s!) long. We parked, got out, and contemplated waiting, but we would have been in line for hours. I’m not sure if it was the fact that it was spring break or if because the weather was finally beautiful…or if that’s normal, but I was bummed we couldn’t make that happen.
We stopped in Charlottesville for lunch, but it was blustery and raining there, so we skipped Monticello (again!…I knew that would happen). We ended up driving through snow in West Virginia which was so crazy.
We got home around 9:00, and the next day was pretty cold and dreary at home. That gave us time to sleep in, do laundry, unpack, and be lazy.
Overall, it was a really great trip, and I’m so glad we made it happen. I was impressed with DC and how clean it was and how safe we felt there.
I do wish we’d planned a little better on a few things. I knew we’d need to get Holocaust and Air and Space tickets in advance, but I wasn’t really on top of that. So, if we ever get back there, we’d like to prioritize those two things and see Arlington Cemetery. Somehow, we missed the Vietnam Memorial, and I wished we’d seen that as well.
Anyway, I think the kids really enjoyed it, and will have great memories of our time in DC. Let me know if you have any questions about our trip.
TGIF! We survived the first week back after break. Of course, it helped that we didn’t have school on Monday! We did have a good week, but it was a rainy one around here.
I’m linking up with Erika and Andrea for this week’s Friday Favorites.
Here are some favorites from the week:
Monday was the Solar Eclipse day, and it was nice to have one more day of break. I guess because of the eclipse, we didn’t have school. One of Hadley’s best friends had her birthday party that day, and these girls had lunch while viewing the eclipse and then enjoying some cake! I think they had a great time.
Meanwhile…Hayden and I kept checking out the eclipse as the sun dodged in and out of the clouds. We were finally able to catch the eclipse a couple of times. Our area was at 96% coverage, and it was neat to see.
I saw this meme on Monday, and it made me laugh!
Hayden was “bored” the other day and organized our fridge. He sent this pic to our family group text:
Of course, I appreciate the effort, but I told him to maybe check out his bedroom too. haha
Also, please don’t judge the White Claw/Truly inventory. Most of these are from last summer. haha
He even unpacked my favorite snacks!
One of the things on my spring break “to do” list was to watch We Were the Lucky Ones on Hulu. I loved the book, and it was one of my Top 5 reads in 2021.
The series is so good, and I’m caught up on the episodes. There are two more to go I think.
Before our DC trip, I bought some new tennis shoes. My back was starting to bother me a bit, and when that happens, I usually realize that my tennis shoes are over a year old. I can say after logging many miles walking around DC and doing some at home workouts this week, I really do like these shoes.
I got mine at DSW, but I couldn’t find them on the website, but found them on the New Balance site.
It’s track season, and I was hoping to be able to say that the kids out running on the track is a favorite but… the first meet was supposed to be on Wednesday, and it was rained out. Yesterday was supposed to be the second meet of the season, but it was also rained out.
Fingers crossed the rain moves out by tonight’s invitational meet.
Favorite Mom Meme:
When they take out the trash without me asking, I know something is up! haha
Bonus Fave: Flashback Friday:
I feel like I went my whole life without ever hearing about a solar eclipse, but my kids have experienced two in a matter of seven years.
The 2017 solar eclipse was spent making crafts and hanging with friends after school was called off.
No crafts for the 2024 eclipse although now I’m realizing that was a missed opportunity!
What are your weekend plans? Besides track on the calendar, Hadley has a volleyball tournament this weekend, and we have a wedding to attend. Thankfully, I think the sun is actually going to shine this weekend.
Hello! I can’t believe it’s already Thursday. We’ve had really dreary weather which has made the early alarms feel even earlier!
Anyway, I’m picking up where I left off with Part 1 of our spring break in Washington, DC.
We were a bit late seeing about a tour, but through a contact of Trav’s she helped us get a private tour appointment given by an aide to one of the Virginia representatives.
We met him at his office in one of the other buildings.
Then, he got us passes to walk to the Capitol. We walked through the underground tunnels like the representatives do to get to the Capitol building. He told us that high school students can submit artwork to their representative, and then if chosen, their work hangs in the tunnel for a year.
I stopped and took a pic of the Kentucky students’ selected artwork:
Once we got to the Capitol, we traded in our tunnel passes for passes for the Capitol tour. Our guide was really good, and we learned a lot about him, and he asked us a lot of questions about Kentucky.
Some of our favorite pit-stops on the tour included learning about The Statue of Freedom, Abraham Lincoln, and the center point of DC.
The ceiling of the Capitol Rotunda was stunning.
The Rotunda included famous paintings and statues – Washington, Reagan, the Pioneers for Women’s Suffrage, and Henry Clay.
The Old Supreme Court Chamber (1810-1860) was really interesting…
…as was the Old Senate Chamber (1810-859)
Our tour lasted about an hour, and the last stop was at the 9/11 Memorial.
After we left our tour guide, we had access to the House of Representatives chamber of the Capitol. No phones or smart watches were allowed, but it was really interesting to see.
Once we left the Capitol Building,there was just a bit of light rain, so we walked around the National Mall since we’d only seen it at night.
A nice Duke fan took our photo and then gave Travis condolences on UK losing in the first round of the tournament…since Trav was wearing a UK zip up. haha
Hayden had seen his cousin “touch” the Washington Monument, so he wanted to do the same…which meant Hadley wanted to do that as well.
We planned to walk to White House but the rain picked up so we got a snack at the art gallery and then headed to the Natural History Museum.
We were there about an hour and a half. It was nice that the museums were free because we saw as much as we could, but also didn’t feel like we had to see everything. It was kind of crowded, but it wasn’t too bad. Hayden and I like museums a bit more than Trav and Hadley, but they enjoyed themselves too.
When we left, the weather was better, so we continued our walk to the White House.
My mom had sent me this pic of my brother and me at the White House in 2004.
This is what that same spot looks like now:
We’d spotted a Metro stop, and the kids were tired at this point. Well, so was I…haha…but I assumed we’d at least be able to see something on the other side of the White House. It didn’t take long, and we made it to:
…and ta da….
We got a couple of photos.
…for memory’s sake, of course.
The White House was pretty neat to see in person. The kids thought it was cool.
As we walked toward the Metro, we looked back, and the flowers were pretty even on the overcast day.
We made our way to the Metro stop.
Once back at our hotel, we relaxed for about an hour. Then, we headed to Georgetown. We went to the Metro station by our hotel, and the employee said the bus right outside makes stops in Georgetown.
So, we rode the city bus a short drive across the river, and walked to our restaurant for dinner.
We gave il Canale a 10/10. The atmosphere was great, and the food was delicious.
Then, we walked a few blocks to Georgetown Cupcake. I was excited to go there because I watched every episode of DC Cupcakes back in the day!
So many choices!
I settled on Lavender Early Grey, and it was so good.
At this point, it was probably 8:30 or so, and we were tired. Rather than figure out the bus situation, we got an Uber back to the hotel.
While we waited for the Uber, we saw our friends (Hadley’s bestie and fam) who were also in DC for spring break.
Once we were back at the hotel, the kids went back to the room, and Travis and I had a drink at the hotel bar.
It was an earlier bedtime for all…we were tired! I walked over 18,000 steps that day…and the kids and Trav had more.
I guess I will have one more post to wrap up our trip, and I will share that next week.
showmeandsweettea.com 