Labor Day Trip South, Part 1: North Carolina

Having a three-day weekend and all, we decided to go visit old friends further south. This was a wonderful plan, except for the part where we drove... over 650 miles each way... with a toddler. We'll just consider it practice for the trip to India, mmkay? At least someone else will be flying the planes.

The way Sam travels best.

Friday night, leaving rainy Virginia after Mark's class ended, we drove down through Tennessee to North Carolina in the dark. It was very surreal; at one point the darkness just seemed more dark, and a bit hilly. Yeah, that would be the Blue Ridge Mountains. We had dinner in a small Virginia town (Sam likes succotash), stopped for raisin toast and coffee at an East Tennessee Waffle House, and arrived at David's house in Asheville at almost 4 AM (on less than a tank of gas - go Prius!). Sam decided that it was now morning and he wasn't sleeping any more, but we finally got him to go down, and we all slept for a few hours.

After a great bagel breakfast, David took us on a tour of lovely Asheville, including a really neat minor league baseball stadium (home of the Tourists), and a bird sanctuary that Sam loved. His favorite part? Collecting rocks.

Then lunch at a NY-style pizza place, and back to David's beautiful house (built in 1926) for a rest. It is easy to see why David is so happy in his new home, and we're really glad we got the chance to visit him in Asheville.

Mmmm... pizza!

Weekend

It's been another great summer weekend here in Virginia. Yesterday we met friends for a picnic on the grass next to the FDR Memorial, and spent a good amount of energy keeping Sam from running into the "pool" (otherwise known as the Tidal Basin). Then it was up to Silver Spring for a birthday barbecue with Jonathan, Michelle, Joanna and Sage, along with Mara and her family. Sam loved following the big kids, pointing to the baby, and eating eating eating.

This morning we went to the Original Pancake House with Mary from Mark's class. After that, Sam and his daddy got haircuts, and then we came back home for naps and a dip in the pool. Cap it all off with chili dogs (homemade veggie chili courtesy of Mark), and the fact that neither of us had unfinished work hanging over our heads... Yay!

"Wow," you say, "we'd like to see a photo of any of those things!" Of course you would. But not only did I drag the camera around all weekend without taking a single snap, but I left it in Maryland at our friends' yesterday. Thank you very much. :)

Chase

Sam really loves his great grandmothers, Buba-Gigi Miriam and Chase.

This is Sam's Buba-Gigi Miriam:



Chase was here last weekend and made a lasting impression. Sam was very happy to say her name repeatedly (Chiz! Chiz! Hai, Chiz!) and give her lots of hugs. It doesn't hurt that her name is similar to that of his favorite food (cheez!). Now that Chase has gone back home, Sam has named a Sesame Street Muppet in her honor.

This is Sam's Chase:


And this is Zoe the Muppet, now also called Chiz:


I'm sure you'll agree that the resemblance is striking.

Rhymes with Molasses

We were fortunate enough to have Chase (Sam's great grandma) visiting from New York this weekend. Taking advantage of the fabulous weather and the Virginianess of our current home, we spent the day at the Manassas Civil War Battlefield (aka Battle of Bull Run). Even without Mark's all-encompassing love of American history, this would have been a great outing. Rolling green hills, a well-read ranger, lots of space for a toddler to toddle, new people to bug, and cannons.

Mark's taking the photos, and Chase is staying in the shade. Do you get the feeling that I wear that sun hat a lot? Like in almost every photo on this blog? What can I say, it's summer.

Zuma Zooma

Lori sent photos to prove that the day before we left Los Angeles, Sam finally went to the real beach (we're not going to count the tashlich ceremony in Santa Monica last fall where he spent the whole time in the Baby Bjorn):

We had a great time with Ariella, Magnolia and Max, Lori, Anna and Drew, David and Gabriel, and Ariella's other mommy friends whose names I don't remember. :) Sam was completely baffled by the sand, loved loved loved the ocean, and got to see 5 dolphins, including a few moments when we saw the dolphins swimming inside a cresting wave.

These photos are after his second session in the ocean, when he was worn out from wading in the waves and just wanted a shoulder to rest on.

Thanks for including us in Beach Day!

The Zoo!

We had a fabulous time at the Zoo today! Mark, his classmates, and their two generous instructors talked all about the animals in a language we don't speak. Sam and I nodded along... We saw female lions, tigers, a macaque, orang-utans climbing down cables (one was three feet away from Sam, who was unsure what to make of this huge hairy orange creature), giant pandas, an elephant kicking a ball, a hippo, giant tortoises and regular size ones, crocodiles, lots of snakes and lizards, prairie dogs, and birds/chipmunks/yellowjackets (those joined us at lunch).

Watching elephants!

The elephant leaving after kicking/trunking a ball.

Inside the Reptile Discovery Center.

It's important to keep hydrated.

Water was spilled, the little guy begged to get out of the stroller and be allowed to climb every set of stairs he saw, frozen lemonade was shared, and it was an all-around good day. Then we rushed to get our passport pictures taken before the office closed, despite having walked around in the heat while wearing hats all day. Yup, those are some attractive photos. At least I know that I will always look better than my passport, even after 22 hours of travel. Sam is pouting in his; he smiled after the photos were taken.

The day ended with family swim time and settling in to watch the Olympic opening ceremonies. Man, I love summer. :)

Virginia says "yea"!

The title of the post is a reference to the musical 1776, which Mark watches every July 4th, and also to the fact that Sam and I arrived in Virginia, safe and sound, on Friday. So far we have settled in to the apartment, gone to the Original Pancake House, swam in the pool, gone to a BBQ, checked out the playground, had friends over for dinner, set up Skype (although the tempermental internet connection leads to annoying delays, sorry!), met up with the Foreign Service Playgroup in a park, found sources of kosher meat, and received our airfreight.

And tomorrow, the Zoo! Mark's class is going there on a field trip to practice their language skills, and Sam and I will be along for the ride. I've thought about answering them in Hebrew/Spanish/Latin, but most likely I'll go with English, Sam-ese, and laughter. Photos to follow...