My Review

I will only say one thing about the finale of the trilogy I started reading last year: It was worth the wait. Oh, and this time I paced myself and didn't stay up until 2 am to finish!

My Annapolis Treat

At the end of our week with BJ's parents we were able to "sneak" away for an overnight to near-by Annapolis (I actually think the kids never missed us they were having so much fun with Oma and Opa!). We stayed at the historic Maryland Inn in a beautiful corner suite. When I say corner I mean that we were in a triangle-shaped building at the tip of Main Street and our room was the top of the triangle. It was awesome! The historic area of Annapolis was beautiful, and not very crowded. We poked into coffee shops and wine bars, the old Capitol Building (which they used while DC was being built, and is-of course-still used now as the Capitol building for Maryland), and we had dinner in Eastport at a fabulous fish restaurant. In the morning I went on a run around the brick streets of downtown near the Naval Academy, and then we enjoyed coffee and the newspaper out on the balcony of our room. It was a great trip and one we're hoping to repeat sometime soon! (Did I mention that I ate an entire bowl of mussels? I look a little sick in this picture for good reason--I was stuffed!)

My Kids Visit Oma and Opa

We took the kids to Baltimore for a week of fun with Oma and Opa a couple of weeks ago. We relaxed with family and just enjoyed having down time together. But the week was also filled with exciting things for the kids, too! Toby got to ride a horse and played with Legos every day. Norah and Toby both loved taking care of the dog, Dickens. We visited the National Aquarium in Baltimore and saw a dolphin show. The kids took numerous visits to local parks, and trips to the mall for a carousel ride (and new shoes!!!). (BJ spent a few days in Baltimore with us and a long weekend in South Carolina for a philosophy conference, which is why he's mostly absent from the family photo-ops...)

My Horseback Rider

Toby rode a horse for the first time when we were visiting BJ's parents in Maryland last month.

I'm so proud! Larry and I took Toby to the stables near their house for a free lesson (they offer them weekly to the public). He rode a pony named Mack. He did very well and thought it was great fun!

My Family Paints Up

On Friday night we visited our local "Family Fun Night" for games, hamburgers, a bounce house, and obviously face painting. The city we live in hosts a fun night once a year and they bring out all the fire trucks and utility vehicles, open up the fire hydrants for water fun, and provide cheap food for the people. The kids absolutely loved the bounce house and the DJ, but Toby also got to play laser tag and we raced remote control cars and rode a mini train. It was a great diversion for the evening, and the weather was just right for spending an evening outside (no bugs!). The kids got foam swords and dinosaurs painted on their cheeks.

My Anniversary Picnic

BJ and I had the fortune of meeting some close friends at a winery in Massachusetts for our anniversary last weekend. Our friends packed a magnificent gourmet picnic and we enjoyed a bottle of the winery's sparkling wine. We couldn't have asked for better weather, scenery, food, or company to celebrate 11 years together!

My Freakin Fridge

I spent all afternoon on the phone today talking to service people about getting a fridge fixed at our old house (because BJ spent all day yesterday on the phone and I didn't want him spending a second day on it). First estimate: $600 to fix. Second estimate: "Well, the part is $250 and the labor... a couple of hours..." Thanks and goodbye. (Verdict: replace it. Question: what ever happened to the fridges that seemed to last so long you wanted them to break so you could get a new one that wasn't beige or avocado green???)
This isn't a rant about how crappy it is to have rental properties and dealing with them long distance. This is actually an observation that some of the people I dealt with on the phone today don't seem to remember what they should have learned in 5th grade: The abbreviation for Connecticut is CT, people! Not CN or CO! (I was talking with people in Colorado and giving them my Connecticut info.)