Summertime Fun: Part 2

Many summer days are spent at the park nowadays since Linus requires constant action and adventure. Luckily, Arlington has bomb parks complete with toys that are left for all to share! Like this car.


If Gus is a good boy, and it's not too hot, he gets to come out to play too.


Last weekend we made a trip out to the Maine St. Fish Market in DC to pick up some crabcake sandwiches (peel and eat shrimp for me...) and then drove up to the Kenilworth National Aquatic Gardens. A bunch of artificial ponds were created next to the Anacostia River sometime after the Civil War, by a man who was fascinated by lotuses and water lillies.


First things first- those crabcake sandwiches and horsing around on the ground.

On our way back from the visitor center we snapped this papparazzi style photo of Linus getting ready for his diaper change.


Then we moved on to the main event- the flowers! Even though the waterlilly festival was just the weekend before, we caught the lotuses at their peak bloom. A sampling of Mattias' superb photography:


Then we took a stroll amongst the 20+ ponds on the grounds. Neat fact: since the Anacostia River is so close, they don't have to water the ponds and the grounds often flood. Even though we had to drive through the ghetto to get there, it was worth it. (Think of the low-rises on "The Wire.")





The following day we drove in to Mattias' work because he is in the middle of an experiment. Not wanting to waste the day indoors, we decided to head to many of Loudon County's agritourism spots-- The Grand Country Farm. The farm features well cared for farm animals (I say this because they are often not well cared for at such places), a giant playground with a multitude of attractions (broken down tractos, old tire mountain, and gigantic bouncy area) as well as berry and fruit picking.

Linus is lately fascinated with animals and grunts anytime he sees one. He can get more specific and pant for a dog, or meow for a cat, but in general he grunts like a pig.


For a mere $2 we got to ride on the Moo-moo train-- the cars were made from old chemical barrels and the whole thing was towed by a little farm ATV. Linus loved it!



At one point I looked around and realized there was not a one adult that was there without a kid and I thought, "OMG- we're parents now. And the kind that takes their kid to farm amusement parks to ride a cow train! We are old and definitely uncool." But again, Linus loved it, and if he thinks we're cool then it's worth it.

BUT there was a bright side to all this uncoolness! There was a winery up the hill that we wanted to visit, just for the view. Since we had paid admission to the farm, we were given each a free wine tasting. That's what I call family fun :)




We hope everyone is enjoying their summer to the fullest!

Summertime Fun

Living out here, summertime has a completely different meaning than it does back home. In San Francisco, we would prepare for windy and foggy days in the 60s and pray for a glimpse of the warm weather that the rest of the Bay Area is known for. The Mid Atlantic region is well known for its hot, sticky summer days, with warm and pleasant evenings. And after enduring 5 months of gray and cold weather I feel, more than ever, the need to take advantage of every warm day.

Mattias had the great idea of heading to Wolf Trap National Park for the Performing Arts- a beautiful outdoor amphitheater that features performances from broadway plays to comtemporary music (ABBA tribute band, anyone?) When we found out that the National Symphony Orchestra was playing Video Games Live, a collection of video game theme songs accompanied by graphics, we gathered a group of ex and current gamers for the occasion.

The Harris family made it out with us. Can you believe they had to pay a full price ticket for Finn?!? I told them to bring him in the picnic basket next time...

Neighbors and friends Matt and Andrea. I had told them to get together for a picture, and they bonked their heads together right before I clicked!


The best part about Wolf Trap is that you are encouraged to picnic and you can BYOB (with the exception of kegs, the sky is the limit!) We said "Yes, please." with our mini wine tap from Target.

This event almost sells out every year. My theory-- the only way to get most men to go to the symphony is to have the symphony play video game music. Or porn music (but that would be inappropriate.)

The next weekend we were invited to Maben's 1st birthday party. For those of you who haven't heard, Linus has a girlfriend and boy is she cute. I met Maben's mom Amy at the library and we have been hanging out on my days off ever since. A quick picture before we get to the party- this is the park across the street from our apartment where Gus does his business.


Maben getting ready to blow out her candles. She understandably had a bit of performance anxiety.


It was a beach theme for the kids indoors complete with beach balls, sand pales and shovels, and a sandcastle cake.



After the cake we moved to the backyard for a cookout. Mattias, the official party photographer snapped this amazing picture of Maben.


And remember that veggie garden that Andrea and I started in her backyard back in April? Well, our hard work is paying off and the squash, eggplants, peppers, tomotoes, basil, rosemary, onions, and carrots are rolling in.

Linus always wants in on the action. Later than night I put a good portion of these veggies in to a pasta sauce for dinner.


Nothing means summer to me like pick your own fruit. Every summer while I was in school I would regularly go to Impossible Acres in Davis for my ration of cherries, apricots, peaches, nectarines, and berries. Since I feared the lack of fresh fruit out here, I was beyond happy to learn that berry picking is a regional summer tradition out here as well.

We braved the heat and drove north to Butler's Orchard in Germantown, MD.

Linus was impresed by the sweet and juicy goodness of the blackberry.


Lots of blackberries, not too many Germans in Germantown.


Me and my loot. I turn in to a migrant farm worker when I pick fruit. Mattias mainly sees the opportunity as an all you can eat blackberry buffet. What did we do with all those berries? I made 5 pints of jam, a tray of cobbler bars, and then gobbled the rest.


Coming up next: Summertime Fun Part 2: Kenilworth National Aquatic Gardens, Great Country Farms, and outdoors Arlington.

Just so you know...

... I'm not always happy and smiley.

When I get mad, I'm like my mamma-- I clench my fists until my knuckles turn white, wrinkle my face, and sometimes throw little baby punches. But like my pappa, it doesn't last very lont-- I never hold a grudge and may forget all about the offense with just a simple joke.

Mattias (I mean, Dr. Karlsson), the famous neuroscientist

Scroll to the bottom left, click on play button next to "The brain's 'replay' button."

This is a little podcast about his recent paper, published in Nature Neuroscience.

Peek a who?

Going back to Cali: Part 2

As a "favor" to Kerstin and Magnus, we decided to take 3 days at Kamp Karlsson, the family cabin up on the South Fork of the American River. We thought we should help them out by doing some "cabin maintenance" and invited the Tumer Family, Mel, and Willie to come along. What we thought would be total relaxation began with 2 hours of cleaning up mouse poop. It covered every surface and filled every orifice of the cabin- I guess that's what happens when no one's around for a year...


The river flowed and the ladybugs mated in all of nature's splendor.


Both mornings we took breakfast on the patio overlooking the river, and learned how to make coffee without a coffee maker.


It was pretty hot but we managed a short hike along an aqueduct.


Clariza and Linus sitting in a Pack-N-Play, k-i-c-k-i-n-g. First comes love, then comes a beating, then comes Linus at the crib side screaming.


Cooling off in the kiddie pool.


And when the babies went to sleep, we drank, took pictures, talked, and then fell asleep by 10:30. By the end of the getaway, we were pretty tired and ready for the comforts of modern living.


So the next day we made it back up to the city for some burrito eating in Duboce Park. That's some fine carnitas wrapped in tortilla goodness-- something that you can't find in the DC area.


We then met up with my good friend Basant, who I've known since I was pregnant with Linus. We met in prenatal yoga, had the same due date, and gave birth 12 hours apart. While they're not pictured, we took a walk to Alamo Square Park for some fun with the baby swings. San Francisco is really the only place where you can have a kid's park with this kind of view ;)

Then, to check off another item on our to-do list, we headed to one of our fave sushi spots- Sushi Zone. We spent too much money, but again, we can't get this kind of sushi back home :(


Linus checking out all the gay people walking outside- it was Gay Pride weekend.


My favorite guys in my favorite 'hood.


Then we were off to Yosemite for our good friends Lauren and Ed's wedding. This was a ranch affair, as you can see by the Longhorns below.


Lauren was gorgeous, and I loved watching her walk down the aisle barefoot.


This ranch was prepared especially for this big day, and the platform they stood on was newly built. We sat on bales of hay and laughed as Lauren forgot the vows she had written.


Then they rode off into the hills on this ATV.


Linus date, Auntie Tricia. This is their 2nd wedding together.
It was a beautiful night under the trees, stars, and string lights. Everyone laughed and smiled, and the positive energy present was an amazing start to these 2 lovebirds' lives.


Then for the main event: Linus' 1st birthday bash.


My mom and dad worked so hard to make the party happen-- and it was the best party ever.


While we didn't have the whole traditional lechon (roast pig) we were able to secure the head for the same festive effect. Because nothing says party better than a dead pig's head.


Dad and Alvin working hard at the grill. It was about 100 degrees that day, so they deserve extra props.


Auntie Amy came and only made Linus cry once.


For entertainment, we had this little baby stripper who specialized in pole dancing. He wasn't too happy about the tips.


And what better time for a family photo op?The cousins on my mom's side of the family (the Navarros)
And the cousins on my dad's side of the family (the Mangosings)

While our flight home was nothing short of horrific, we were just happy to be home in our own beds. Poor Linus was such a trooper, tolerating all the car time and sleeping in a different place each night. Here he is konking out on his favorite blanket in the middle of the living room floor.