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Road Trip 2011 – Day 5

TRAVEL

This sucker is draggin worse than something that drags a lot.  BUT IT MUST BE DONE!

So here’s the thing…I am updating you today and then I’ll do days 6 through 9 all at once because let’s just be honest, there wasn’t a whole lotta picture takin’ while we were with the Petersiks…because of all the fun-making we were doing.  Plus, 90% of the photos from day 6-9 were of Will & Clara…and me telling them to kiss.

We started Wednesday out with packing up all our stuff from the hotel.  Yes…that is a box fan on our luggage rack.  Yes it is filthy from when we used it in the old house to blow drywall dust out the window.  Yes we brought it with us because Will is addicted to it.  And yes….we need to just bite the bullet and buy a small soundmaker.

We reeeally wanted to go to the zoo.  This would have been Will’s first zoo visit – and since we heard that this one was faah-ree, we definitely wanted to hit it up on the way out of town.

The cats were out to play.  We were the only folks there to see them…I think it had something to do with it being a little wet.

Jer’s thing is crocs…not the foam shoes…the animal.  I think this marks Will’s first time seeing them not as a cartoon in a children’s book.

I kinda have a thing for turtles…I love the shells.  just gorgeous.  wish I could DIY one.  I guess turtles can do that.  Point for turtles.

The primate house cracked me up.  We got to choose ‘our primates’…as in…which primate represents us.

This was me.  running for my life.  from Will.

And this was Jeremy.  Perfection.

Whoa….get a room.

I was really excited about the elephants.  I was just hoping to see one.  The texturally beast out front almost came home with me….it would have too if it fit in my purse.

There that lovely hunk of lovin is….

We made it just in time to catch the trainer exercise him.  or her.  I have no idea about how to identify those parts on an elephant.  nor do I want to know.

Bucket list item: Ride an elephant.

That’s a whole lotta Panda Bear.  And we really had a couple hours of driving ahead of us so we hit the road…

past the lincoln memorial…

past the pentagon…

and onto Richmond….

It was the only time on the entire trip that we got any rain.  I don’t know why that surprised me.

And when we got to Richmond to visit the Petersiks, Will’s baby girlfriend was there to greet us with her sweet smiles.

So pretty with her blue eyes.  I want to have a baby with blue eyes one day…scratch that…I want to have a baby.  that’s it.

Okay – I just had to show this precious photo to prove a point…Clara can give kisses.  That will be important on future roadtrip updates.  She can pucker up.

The house tour was so fun…we got to see their new digs and hear their plans on all the future dreams.  I also got to crash little Clara’s closet – girl clothing is seriously the cutest thing ever.  Oh and then Sher and I spent a good five minutes talking about clavicles…Sher was convinced that she couldn’t stick hers out.  I definitely see a chicken bone there though…

Dinner time with two toddlers was an adventure to say the least.  We brought the books, toys, sippie cups, snacks….but Will wasn’t in the mood.  I think he was just ready for a consistent day.  you know – like with a nap that doesn’t happen in a car seat or a stroller.

We were all talking about how different our perspective is on resturaunt behavior now that we have kids.  Jer & I laugh at the idea of perfect kids in a Chili’s or Ruby Tuesdays.  It’s just not realistic.

So that was our fifth day…nothing too exciting.  Although I must admit, I get weirdly excited to be with Sherry, Clara and John…we just figure there are some friends in life that we love to hang out indefinitely….doesn’t matter what we are doing…or what’s planned or agenda’d….it’s easy.  and fun.

Speaking of fun – here is another slideshow (yup it has some additional photos of our fifth road trip day)….hope it makes your friday a little more fun 🙂

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Comments

  2. You should bring Will to the San Diego Zoo sometime! We’ve lived in San Diego for a year and a half now and I think I have been spoiled by our beautiful zoo. You would LOVE it.

    And your photo skills are amazing! I love that one of Clara kissing Sherry. And glad to see that a clavicle is in fact a collarbone, as evidenced by the comment above. That was my first guess but I’m not sharing guesses 2 or 3. 🙂

  3. We bring a fan (a large window srtyle one) with us wherever we go. My husband makes do with a little travel one when he goes away alone, but I NEED the big one. We have a sound machine that is AWESOME for our daughter. Im semi-addicted to just hearing it through her monitor at night! I love the looks on the security peoples faces when our luggage goes through the xray machines. They always say what IS that? When I tell them youd be surprised how many security people say “oh I need one to sleep too!”.

  6. Katie, I have so enjoyed your photos of DC! I’m heading up there in a couple of weeks with my six year old son so I’ve really been paying attention to the different kid friendly venues that you’ve posted about. Being a Richmonder, I’m really excited to see your upcoming Richmond photos (even if there are only a few since you were too busy having fun to photog!) and the fun that you and the Petersiks had in my town!

  7. If you are in the DC area again in the near future please let me know. I have a newborn granddaughter in Falls Church VA who needs a photoshoot. Alternatively, if you know any superlative photographers in the DC area, maybe you could pass on some names. Thanks.

  8. Katie:
    I also am addicted to fan noise and I have been using a fan for many, many, many years. I can’t tell you how many 15.00 fans I have bought from Wally-Mart. I use it at bedtime…on HIGH….365 days a year. I can’t sleep without it. When the electricity goes off…unhappy!!!

    So…I get it. It is OK!

    Love your blog.

    B.

  9. I love your blog. The diverse music selection tells me so much about you and I like it. Keep being you!

  10. Hi Aryn,
    If you have time for it, may I also recommend the American History Museum on the Smithsonian Mall… especially if he likes things that move (cars, trucks, trains, etc.). They have (or at least had as of two or three years ago) an AMAZING exhibition of vehicles through the 1900s and into today. Set up with fun people statues/mannequins, etc. Very enjoyable 🙂

  14. Hey Katie! I was just in DC in August and hit some of the same exact spots you guys did! Fun to see it again through someone else’s pics. Now, totally random but I live in NC where there is this store called “A SouthernSeason”–it is my favorite store. I ‘like’ them on facebook and today their post was about coming in to pick up “Captain Thom’s Slappin’ Fat Bacon Ketchup”. Even though I don’t know you personally, I thought of you immediately! I have no idea if you like ketchup but had to share since it contained bacon which I know for sure you do love! Love your blog!!!

  15. I love the zoo! And I love reading your blog! If you ever feel like crossing the elephant ride off your bucket list, there is a little bitty town in Oklahoma called “Circus City USA” that is home to a massive elephant sanctuary where you can… wait for it… RIDE AN ELEPHANT! I crossed that off my bucket list about a month ago.

    Dare I say it was even better than maple syrup drenched bacon? Keep the road trip updates coming!

  16. Last time I was at the Washington DC zoo they were weighing the elephants. One elephant did a number 2 on the scale, after he walked off the scale stayed at 10 pounds! It was a little bit gross and a whole lot of crazy! Sorry, had to share! 🙂

    Glad you guys had a fab time. Clara is adorable!

  19. You gotta push your the top front part of your shoulders forward and then relax them down so you don’t look like a hunchback. Also, that pose only works if your hands are either on your hips or in your pockets…oh the joys of clavicle-popping 🙂
    xo – kb

  20. Hi Katie! I’m a longtime reader and first time commenter! Your trip looks like so much fun – we live in Maryland, about 20 minutes from DC, so it’s always fun to see when people visit our area!

    Anyways, my question is sort of random. What sort of stroller do you have? I’m 13 weeks pregnant with my first baby and right now, I’m obsessed with strollers. I literally stop strangers and ask about their strollers when I see them. My husband gets embarrassed, but I’m a big fan of doing massive amounts of research. I also spend hours a day watching you tube reviews of strollers. It’s sort of a problem. Also, do you like your stroller? Thanks!!

  21. You had me at “This sucker is dragging worse than something that drags a lot.” Fu-nee.
    Also, my husband Jeremy is Addicted to fans, yes with a capital A. He says it’s mostly for the noise (something about the ringing in his ears) but he also has a core body temperature of 120 so I’m sure the constant hurricane-force winds blowing on him is a major bonus. Now, he’s trying to get our baby addicted to the noise too so he can blame the baby for always having a fan on. Or at least have someone on his side when I complain about the stupid fan.

  22. I love John’s expression in the clavicle picture, like “What the heck are those girls doing?” hahaha

    Beautiful pictures!

  23. Girl, I’m just glad we aren’t the only new parents that pack the whole dern house when we go on a trip… I swear my 14 month old needs more stuff than I do! 🙂

  24. Katie- I’m in the market for a stroller similar to the one in the first pic – would you mind sharing what brand it is and if you like it or not? Thanks!

  25. It’s a Phil & Ted’s sport – and yes, we like it and yes we recommend it. You can find a link for it on the “OUR STUFF” page 🙂
    xo – kb

  27. It’s a Phil & Ted’s Sport…we love it but we even love the newer version more (our friends have it!)…so yes, I definitely recommend it. On the Our Stuff page there is a link for easy access 🙂
    xo – kb

  28. Werid fact about my husband. He grew up with PET MONKEYS! Who has pet monkeys?! Werid but true. His dad was a animal trainer. So while you and I may have had pet kittys and dogs he had goats, bunnys, peacocks, horses and MONKEYS! I think it is one of my favorite things about him. =)

  29. I love the black and white picture of Sherry and Clara – Sherry is so beautiful in any picture, but you captured it in such a soft way that I haven’t seen before. I hope she treasures and frames that one!

  33. I’m also a white noise addict… if you have a smart phone, most have free white noise apps available. I use one when I’m traveling and it substitutes my fan pretty well! I also have friends who use them with their little ones and they seem to like them too.

  34. Random comment, Katie, but we went to Athens, GA this weekend and I saw a sign for CornDawgs and thought of you!

    Brittany

  37. Will gets cuter every day!

    Still trying to figure out why on earth someone would want to make their clavicle stick out? Is it some weird New Jersey thing?

  38. Riding elephants = stinky, scary, and amazing. I took a spin on a giant, preggo one in Thailand. She took town a tree with just her trunk. Just took it down. It was in her way. I guess when you’re gy-frickin’-normous you can do whatever you want to do. Just being on top of that beautiful animal was a total bucket list cross-off. Good luck crossing it off yours!!

  39. Probably. It was just one of those things that crazy girls do when they get together…you know like comparing how you look in a particular color or you talk about how you can’t wear fat belts or how babydoll tops are super flattering.
    We just get weird 🙂
    xo – kb

  41. We’re just being weird 🙂 You know – it’s just one of those random things that friends do and nobody expects it to be announced to the world but since we have blogs it does 🙂
    xo – kb

  42. Couldn’t you just record the sound of the fan and then listen to that at night or do you need to feel the air flow as well?
    Just a thought:)
    A friend used to burn out many vacuums because her daughter would only fall asleep to the noise of the vacuum until I suggested she record the sound of the vacuum for her. it worked

  43. I have no idea what he needs – he is so unlike me (because I can literally sleep anywhere at any time!)
    Maybe a recording would work – but would I need a recorder? And a recorder player? I’m kinda dumb about these kinda things…
    xo – kb

  44. Hi! I think this might be my 1st comment 🙂 but I just had to recommend a sound “conditioner” that we use faithfully for falling asleep and staying asleep. I can’t fall asleep without the sounds of a fan — but not a ceiling fan, a table fan. I grew up with them and the oscillating air noise soothes me to sleep. I sound lame. Just try Marpac SleepMate 980A Electro-Mechanical Sound Conditioner – amazon has them for like $50, it’s so worth it tho, we take ours on vacation!

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