Things to Do - Project 52, Weeks 29 & 30

Happy almost September (how did that happen so fast?)! Sorry for the lack of posts lately, we just returned from a month in Europe (10 cities in 30 days).

For the most part we had a great vacation, but that was A LOT of time to spend together and I think we're all craving time with friends and space from each other. So goes family bonding.

I took over 3000 photos (of course), which I'm slowly going through. I'm hoping to post some of Florence, Italy and Alghero, Sardinia (our first two stops) in the next week or so. Until then, here are some photos of summer at home . . .













WEEK 29

(1) Trees outside the apartment pool we join for the summer.
(2) Apple camp.
(3) An afternoon at the pool.
(4) T and P at the Smithsonian Museum of Natural History.
(5) P, T, and Cole at Kenilworth Aquatic Gardens on a really hot morning.
(6) F at the Kennedy Center before the King and I.
(7) Peak bloom at Kenilworth Aquatic Gardens.
(8) Before Dinosaurs Alive (IMAX) at the Natural History museum.
(9) P on the Kennedy Center's balcony.
(10) Sibling bonding at Yards Park.













WEEK 30 (not in chronological order).

(1) T waiting for the owner of our airbnb in Florence after 15 hours of travel time (9 hour flight to Vienna, 4 hour layover, then a 2 hour flight to Florence).
(2) Playing chess in the bathroom at the Mansion on O Street (such a quirky place).
(3) T broadcasting from the Newseum.
(4) An afternoon at the apartment pool.
(5) Self portrait at the Mansion on O Street.
(6) The view from our rooftop patio in Florence, Italy.
(7) T at the Mansion on O Street.
(8) The girls in my office.
(9) A few minutes after we arrived at our Florence apartment.
(10) Dinner out at our favorite neighborhood Ethiopian restaurant.

Things to Do - Interview the Kids (July 2017)

Once a year . . .



P (AGE 10.5, Rising 5th grader)

FAVORITE COLOR - Mint green.
FAVORITE BOOK(S) - Anything by Raina Telegmeier.
THINGS YOU LIKE TO DO AT SCHOOL - Lunch with my friends and Ms. English.
FAVORITE SONG(S) - Don't Stop Believing, Back in Black, Chained to the Rhythm.
FAVORITE FOOD(S) - Tacos.
FAVORITE MOVIES - Classics like Legally Blond, Adventures in Babysitting, Can't Buy Me Love, & Pretty in Pink.
FAVORITE TV SHOWS - Gilmore Girls, the Goldbergs, Parks and Recreation.
ACTIVITIES/THINGS YOU LIKE TO DO - Painting, basketball, and hanging out with my friends.
WHAT ARE YOU SAVING UP YOUR ALLOWANCE FOR? - A new phone.
WHAT FAMOUS PEOPLE WOULD YOU LIKE TO MEET (DEAD OR ALIVE)? - Amelia Earhart (I want to find out how she died); Katy Perry (I want to find out if she's actually mean); Taylor Swift (because she gives gifts to all her fans) and Audrey Hepburn (just because).
WHAT DO YOU WANT TO BE WHEN YOU GROW UP? - An artist and the US president.
WHO ARE YOUR BEST FRIENDS? - Paige, Laney, Allie, Nicola, and Mira.
FAVORITE THING TO DO AS A FAMILY? - Anything but hiking or backpacking; probably going on vacation.
FAVORITE PLACE TO GO AS A FAMILY? - Europe.
WHAT DO YOU LIKE TO DO AFTER SCHOOL? - Hang out with my friends.
FAVORITE THINGS TO DO WITH F - Annoying her is always fun; TV marathons and board games.
FAVORITE THINGS TO DO WITH T - Annoy him; shoot his bow.
DREAM VACATION - Hawaii (at a fancy resort with a helicopter).
FAVORITE MUSEUM OR OUTING - The pool; Nats games; Get ice cream and go to movies.
FAVORITE SEASON - Fall.
WHAT ARE YOU LOOKING FORWARD TO THIS SUMMER? - Have fun eating gelato in Europe and going to the pool.
WHAT ARE SOME OF YOUR FAVORITE MEMORIES FROM WINTER AND SPRING? - Xmas, the New Years party, our 4th grade overnight to Williamsburg, and the pool.



T (AGE 8, Rising 3rd grader)

FAVORITE COLOR - Blue.
FAVORITE BOOK(S) - Goosebumps, Captain Underpants, the Notebook of Doom series, and Dragontails.
THINGS YOU LIKE TO DO AT SCHOOL - iPads, lunch, recess, and game day.
FAVORITE SONG(S) - S.O.B., 24K Magic, Getting Ready to Get Down.
FAVORITE FOOD(S) - Milk, cherry tomatoes, oreos, sandwiches.
FAVORITE MOVIES - Men in Black; The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly.
FAVORITE TV SHOWS - Arrow.
ACTIVITIES/THINGS YOU LIKE TO DO - Nerf guns and shooting my bow in the backyard.
WHAT ARE YOU SAVING UP YOUR ALLOWANCE FOR? - Another dog.
WHAT FAMOUS PEOPLE WOULD YOU LIKE TO MEET (DEAD OR ALIVE)? - Bill Gates; Michael Jackson so he could teach me the moonwalk.
WHAT DO YOU WANT TO BE WHEN YOU GROW UP? - Lawyer.
WHO ARE YOUR BEST FRIENDS? - Cole, Teo, Ian, Zakk, and Adam.
FAVORITE THING TO DO AS A FAMILY? - Go to Europe and adopt dogs.
FAVORITE PLACE TO GO AS A FAMILY? - Silver Diner and the beach.
WHAT DO YOU LIKE TO DO AFTER SCHOOL? - Nerf gun wars.
FAVORITE THINGS TO DO WITH P - Annoy her.
FAVORITE THINGS TO DO WITH F - Annoy her, though I like that she makes us lunch.
DREAM VACATION - Hunting in Africa.
FAVORITE MUSEUM OR OUTING - Museum of Crime and Punishment, even though it no longer exists.
FAVORITE SEASON - Summer because of my birthday.
WHAT ARE YOU LOOKING FORWARD TO THIS SUMMER? - I want a new laptop; I'm excited for Europe.
WHAT ARE SOME OF YOUR FAVORITE MEMORIES FROM WINTER AND SPRING? - Leaf piles with my sisters, pushing my sisters in the pool.



F (AGE 11.5; Rising 6th grader)

FAVORITE COLOR - Any shade of blue.
FAVORITE BOOK(S) - There are so many. Wonder is still probably my favorite. And the Mr. Terupt series. Maybe Life of Pi, but the end still makes me a little mad.
THINGS YOU LIKE TO DO AT SCHOOL - Outdoor lab, cello and music makers, my teacher.
FAVORITE SONG(S) - Hand Clap ("if I was a baseball player, Handclap wold be my walk in song"), the Hamilton soundtrack.
FAVORITE FOOD(S) - Mashed potatoes or potatoes in any form. Trader Joe's cookies and cream ice cream.
FAVORITE MOVIES - La La Land, Karate Kid, Breakfast Club, really any Molly Ringwald movies.
FAVORITE TV SHOWS - Gilmore Girls.
ACTIVITIES/THINGS YOU LIKE TO DO - Playing music, basketball, swimming with friends.
WHAT ARE YOU SAVING UP YOUR ALLOWANCE FOR? - I have no clue.
WHAT FAMOUS PEOPLE WOULD YOU LIKE TO MEET (DEAD OR ALIVE)? - Barack Obama, Malala, Marie Curie, Simone Biles, Lauren Graham, Scott Patterson.
WHAT DO YOU WANT TO BE WHEN YOU GROW UP? - A Supreme Court justice (just like RGB), author, lawyer, chemist, researcher.
WHO ARE YOUR BEST FRIENDS? - Mika, Avery, Alessandra, Natalia, Sophia, and Anya.
FAVORITE THING TO DO AS A FAMILY? - Travel, we bond a lot during travel.
FAVORITE PLACE TO GO AS A FAMILY? - Europe.
WHAT DO YOU LIKE TO DO AFTER SCHOOL? - Depends on the day of the week.
FAVORITE THINGS TO DO WITH P - Tease her. I like to play catch and board games with her.
FAVORITE THINGS TO DO WITH T - He's so creative, yesterday we invented a game. I like to see what he comes up with.
DREAM VACATION - I think I've already done it, wait, no Australia.
FAVORITE MUSEUM OR OUTING - I loved MeowWolf (in Santa Fe) and City Museum (in St. Louis).
FAVORITE SEASON - Autumn. Did you know that Rory Gilmore's birthday is October 8th?
WHAT ARE YOU LOOKING FORWARD TO THIS SUMMER? - Nerd camp (sleepaway camp at UVA) and Europe.
WHAT ARE SOME OF YOUR FAVORITE MEMORIES FROM WINTER AND SPRING? - The outdoor lab, meeting Sophia and Avery, Xmas, the last day of elementary school, the beach house.

Things to Do - Random Links

Happy weekend everyone!


RANDOM LINKS:

* I found this article fascinating.

* 10 fun attractions off 1-81 (from Winchester to Staunton). Who's up for a VA road trip?

* Photos of dinnertime across the United States.

* Pancakes and a new baby. Seriously, how cute is this family?

* This street art is AMAZING (and funny).

* 1950s American vacations in Kodachrome.

* This!

* The 21 best movies and tv shows to stream when it's raining on vacation (totally excited to learn that HBO has Don't Tell Mom the Babysitter's Dead).

* I want this t-shirt. And speaking of T-shirts have you seen Spiderman homecoming? F wants all of Peter Parker's t-shirts.

* I'm thinking of buying myself a subscription to this cocktail box for back to school. Or maybe this one.

* Some of the most beautiful secret places in VA. The Devil's Bathtub looks AMAZING!

* The 150 greatest albums made by women. Do you agree?

* 13 writers long listed for the Booker prize.

* The Friends from College playlist = lots of nostalgia.

Things to Do - Project 52, Weeks 27 & 28

It's funny, when I think about week 27 all my memories center around working during the day and T coming into my office every 30 minutes to tell me he's bored. And P watching TV. And F calling from sleep away camp. But when I look at the photos I realize we did a ton of cool stuff that week.

Summer is tricky. You go from so little time with your kids to SO MUCH time with your kids. I find it hard to strike the right balance between structured and lazy days.

Luckily, for week 28 Dan's parents took the kids and their cousins to Smith Mountain Lake for a week. I thought I'd use this time to take photos for myself, still lifes and neighborhood shots. But instead I put the camera down. And I edited and exercised and drank cocktails at night with my husband. And life was so quiet. Turns out I needed a week to miss them and to find myself.












WEEK 27

(1) Backpacking in Shenandoah National Park.
(2) The view from Skyline Drive. A storm blew in about 30 minutes after we finished the hike back to the car. #lucky
(3) Watching the Universoul Circus at the Smithsonian Folklife Festival (love DC's free events!).
(4) The circus.
(5) Our neighbor leaves a container of bubble solution and wands in her yard, so kids walking by can play. How fun is that?
(6) Sharks at the National Geographic Museum.
(7) T and Dan reading before bed.
(8) Watching DC's 4th of July fireworks from Columbia Pike.
(9) The kids always make horrible trades and, thus, let Dan win Settlers of Catan, which infuriates me. After this game P said, "There's a point where I just wanted to end it and let dad win, so we'd still have time to watch a movie before bed." #disappointedmom
(10) Fireworks after our neighborhood's 1st annual BBQ battle.



WEEK 28

(1) Dan picked the kids up from Smith Mountain Lake and bought T this sweatshirt on the way home. Then he ran over to see his friends and they all were wearing camo sweatshirts too. Unplanned. Keep in mind it was 90 degrees that day. I guess he's found his people.