Gravelly Point Park

On a random Sunday afternoon, when the weather cooled down enough for us to be outside, we made a spontaneous decision to take Linus to Gravelly Point Park for the very first time. I had heard about this spot over a year ago from other moms and websites, but figured Linus was too young to sit still or handle the noise of all the air traffic. Gravelly Point is located just West of the Ronald Reagan National Airport, on the bank of the Potomac River.

Linus points at each plane and says "Biggest. Airplane. EVER!"

When the novelty wore off (just a little bit) Linus insisted on a game of "Chase You" in which he periodically couldn't catch up and screamed "Wait for me pappa!" And when that got old, Mattias started playing a father-son classic: "Airplane"

Father and son ponder modern day aeronautics...

...then fly off into the horizon.

While the visit lasted just 45 minutes (in adult time) our hope is that these experiences inspire Linus to dream for a lifetime.

A happy birthday, indeed.

For my 30th, my wonderful family threw me an outdoor BBQ. Mattias went all out by making his special BBQ sauce from scratch, and slathering it all over some pork spare ribs.


There were friends there to help us celebrate, both mine and Linus' age.



And more food and gifts.

On the following day (my real birthday) we took the train to the Smithsonian Natural History Museum for some bugs and dinosaurs. We also went to the National Aquarium, the perfect place for a toddler to run around (safely) for an hour. Some of you might have missed the link to the video below, but it's so cute we had to post it again.

Call me simple, but for our evening date, all I wanted to do was eat yummy food and stroll around the shopping mall. Kind of like we used to do when we were teenagers. So we hit up a seafood restuarant with a great happy hour menu and filled up on oysters and lobster sliders.


I walked around the mall looking to take care of a few things on my list, while Mattias pointed and laughed at under dressed mannequins with holes on the butts.

We may be in our 30s now, but on some days I swear I'm 30 going on 13.

Preparing for a sibling

A few months ago I found out about a "Sibling" class offered by the hospital. The purpose was to get the older sibling familiar with the hospital before mamma and pappa go there, and to give them an idea of where the baby is going to be born.

After showing us the maternity suites,we walked the kids over to the nursery to see the newborns. So tiny! I can't believe Linus used to be that little, and that we are going to have a new little bundle very soon.

Back in the classroom we did some swaddling and diapering. Linus learned how to do it, but it turned out that Mattias and I needed a refresher, too!

Then the nurse went over some do's and don'ts with the kids.

Do: help throw away diapers, wash your hands before touching baby, sit down before asking to hold baby, make funny faces at baby.

Don't: gouge out baby's eyes, try to carry baby while walking/standing,.

Here Linus is making a funny face to entertain the baby.

After I took this picture I thought that it looked vaguely familiar to one I took 2 1/2 years ago...

What can I say? He is his father's child :)

HOTlanta

Just before my birthday I had the pleasure of going to a veterinary conference in Atlanta where 1) I got to learn stuff and 2) explore a new city (read: eat my way around a new city). The best part was that I got to do it with 2 of my good friends from vet school. There are very few pics from the conference itself, since all we did was hustle from lecture to lecture. But we did steal an afternoon to check out Atlanta's most touristy of all tourist attractions: The World of Coca Cola!

We could've done the more educational Georgia Aquarium, but really, can it compete with the Monterey Bay Aquarium?

For only $15, you too can experience a 1 1/2 hour Coke commercial- complete with a "4D" movie, museum of artifacts (advertisements), and a tasting hall. I was a little disappointed that they made little mention of what put the "Coke" in "Coca Cola." I didn't even get a chance to ask any of the tour guides to explain Coke's role in childhood obesity.

The big emphasis was Coke's ability to create happiness. The tasting hall nearly gave me gestational diabetes, but boy was it fun! They had flavors from all over the world: to the right, South America, to the left, Europe.

I don't know what the little character below is supposed to be... but it looks like a turd that's wired up on too much soda.

On another afternoon we went to one of the best markets I've ever been to: the Dekalk Farmers Market. This place had every type of produce imaginable, plus a spice/tea/bulk grain section that would put Rainbow Grocery in SF to shame.

And the international deli/cafeteria was to die for!

From the looks of the dragon fruit, jackfruit, and durian, you'd think we were in the Philippines or Thailand. In total, we spent well over an hour just wandering the aisles. If I lived in Atlanta, this would be my happy place.

One of the highlights of the trip was running in to my high school classmate Karen. I had emailed her about meeting up and recommendations for good places to eat a few weeks ahead of time. When I found out she was getting married the very weekend I was in town, I knew it would be too much to ask to meet up. But on a Monday evening I just happened to be in her neighborhood for dinner, and she noticed me walking through the city square. Random! Awesome! We had just enough time for hellos and a hug and the picture below.

Another funny coincidence was that President Obama was in town. I haven't seen him in my 2 years in DC, but stood with the crowds to greet his motorcade in Downtown Atlanta. FYI- the house below is a residential home in Atlanta, not the real White House.

Not to worry, the boys had a pretty good time while I was away. Check out how Mattias entertained Linus:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O4a2MA8ppO0

And my little darling was glad to have me home. So happy in fact, he wanted to play his new favorite game: chase!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LkCqdB57q7Q

30, yes. Dirty? Not so much.

So what's the big deal with turning 30, anyway? For most young adults, I think it's a time to take inventory of one's accomplishments, to look ahead to unattained goals, and to celebrate the end of young adulthood. It's pretty official that at 30, you're just an adult. Trouble is, this happened for me and Mattias when our first child was born, and the "Dirty 30" moniker is applicable no more.

In my imaginary child-free life, I would have celebrated with a lavish trip to NYC and dined at a fancy restaurant. I would buy myself a fancy new handbag and a pair of Prada shoes, and I would drink myself silly while singing karaoke with friends. I can fantasize, right? But the thing is, my reality is so much better than the fantasy. Call it a recalibration of my expectations, or a greater appreciation for the simple things in life, but today and the past weekend have been amazing. I watched Mattias teach Linus a new skill in the swimming pool. We had a spontaneous afternoon outing that included both great food and a nature lesson for the whole family. Every watch a live cicada make it's call? My family threw me a birthday BBQ that surrounded me with many friends, both old and new. And after spending today with my two most favorite people in the world, I really can't ask for more.

More than anything, reaching the 30 year mark fills me with both pride and gratitude. I was lucky enough to find and marry my best friend. I followed my heart and became a veterinarian, and all things considered, have my dream job. My family loves and supports me, no matter how difficult my personality. I traveled the world, and will continue to explore places both near and far. I'm slowly learning (with Mattias' and Linus' help) to go with the flow.

Looking at the pictures below, I think "You've come a long way, Miss Ellie."



Here's a tiny sample of how wonderful today was:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R8-bzBt52-M