Here's a collection of videos from April.
Katie in a sack race during Easter festivities at Bull Run park.
Katie swings Peter at the farm.
Katie sings her Easter song.
Hunting for Easter eggs
The Space Shuttle Discovery flies over Alexandria.
Sunday, April 22, 2012
The Space Shuttle
Last week was an exciting one in DC. Katie went to her first non-Nutcracker ballet and we got to see the Space Shuttle paraded around in the sky.
On Saturday, Katie and Nancy went to see a ballet performance of Cinderella at the George Mason Center for the Arts. Katie loved it. When she got home she talked excitedly about all the jetes, plies, and pirouettes she saw.
On Tuesday the Space Shuttle Discovery flew from Cape Canaveral, Florida to DC for its retirement home in the Smithsonian Air and Space Museum. The parents and teachers in Katie's class decided at the last minute on Monday to gather at a park in Old Town Alexandria to watch the Space Shuttle. It was an amazing feat of last minute planning and coordination.
But as we were on our way to the park however, we heard the shuttle was 30 minutes ahead of schedule! That caused for some panicked driving to the park but everyone made it in time to see the shuttle zoom overhead attached to a big 747 airplane. It then turned around and zoomed by again! It was really neat. After it passed us, it then went upriver to DC to do several scenic loops around the Washington Monument and Capital building. Traffic came to a standstill as cars stopped or pulled over on the shoulder to watch it. Luckily, we avoided most of the traffic in Old Town.
There were a lot of people in the park in Old Town. The entire DC area was energized by the shuttle. Lots of people left work for an hour or so to watch it and the local tv and radio stations covered it live.
After the shuttle left the area, the kids sat down to have class in the park and discuss what they saw. Then they went back to school to finish their day. It was a memorable event for everyone!
The kids anxiously wait for Mommy to come home.
A self-portrait
Katie at the Center for the Arts after the Ballet. It's a statue of marionnettes and she's pretending to be one of them.
Waiting for the shuttle in Old Town Alexandria
Where is it?
You interrupted my nap for this?
Katie scans the skies for signs of the shuttle.
There it is!
It's coming back!
Katie and her school friends get a good look.
After the shuttle left, the kids discussed what they saw.
On Saturday, Katie and Nancy went to see a ballet performance of Cinderella at the George Mason Center for the Arts. Katie loved it. When she got home she talked excitedly about all the jetes, plies, and pirouettes she saw.
On Tuesday the Space Shuttle Discovery flew from Cape Canaveral, Florida to DC for its retirement home in the Smithsonian Air and Space Museum. The parents and teachers in Katie's class decided at the last minute on Monday to gather at a park in Old Town Alexandria to watch the Space Shuttle. It was an amazing feat of last minute planning and coordination.
But as we were on our way to the park however, we heard the shuttle was 30 minutes ahead of schedule! That caused for some panicked driving to the park but everyone made it in time to see the shuttle zoom overhead attached to a big 747 airplane. It then turned around and zoomed by again! It was really neat. After it passed us, it then went upriver to DC to do several scenic loops around the Washington Monument and Capital building. Traffic came to a standstill as cars stopped or pulled over on the shoulder to watch it. Luckily, we avoided most of the traffic in Old Town.
There were a lot of people in the park in Old Town. The entire DC area was energized by the shuttle. Lots of people left work for an hour or so to watch it and the local tv and radio stations covered it live.
After the shuttle left the area, the kids sat down to have class in the park and discuss what they saw. Then they went back to school to finish their day. It was a memorable event for everyone!
The kids anxiously wait for Mommy to come home.
A self-portrait
Katie at the Center for the Arts after the Ballet. It's a statue of marionnettes and she's pretending to be one of them.
Waiting for the shuttle in Old Town Alexandria
Where is it?
You interrupted my nap for this?
Katie scans the skies for signs of the shuttle.
There it is!
It's coming back!
Katie and her school friends get a good look.
After the shuttle left, the kids discussed what they saw.
Spring Break 2012
For Spring Break we spent a week at Sue and John's farm dogsitting while they were away in St. Maarten (copycats). It was nice for Katie, Peter, and Rusty to have so much space to run around, indoors and out. The sleeping arrangements were a little cramped with 4 people and 3 dogs sharing the same bedroom but we managed. Katie has been learning about constellations and stars and loved seeing so many stars every night. Every night before bedtime we would go outside to find Orion and the Big Dipper and see which planets were visible.
During the week, Nancy kept the kids busy by going to an Easter egg hunt and a petting zoo. At the end of the week, Aunt Sara, Mike, Matt, and Grammy Butler visited for Easter. We were very glad they made the trip down and enjoyed having them there. We dyed Easter eggs, had an Easter egg hunt, went to Easter mass, and had a very good Easter meal of ham, mashed potatoes, and lots of other yummy stuff.
Katie feeds something that might be a goat
Katie feeds something that might be a llama
Katie feeds some things that definitely look like birds.
Katie the fire fighter
Peter the casual crime fighter
Peter decides to climb through the window rather than go in the open door.
Easter egg hunt
Peter finds some
Rusty loved lazy days outside at the farm
Katie pushes Peter in the swing
Junebug loved "sharing" Katie's bed, which usually left Katie without much room.
Katie slept in the loft one night without Junebug but barely managed to stay on the bed.
The kids playing outside
Dyeing Easter eggs
The farmgirl
The biker
The princess
Going on a hike with the kids and dogs
Aunt Sara and Peter
The Easter egg hunt at the farm
Matt shares an egg with Peter
Running on the driveway
Rusty loves the walks at the farm
During the week, Nancy kept the kids busy by going to an Easter egg hunt and a petting zoo. At the end of the week, Aunt Sara, Mike, Matt, and Grammy Butler visited for Easter. We were very glad they made the trip down and enjoyed having them there. We dyed Easter eggs, had an Easter egg hunt, went to Easter mass, and had a very good Easter meal of ham, mashed potatoes, and lots of other yummy stuff.
Katie feeds something that might be a goat
Katie feeds something that might be a llama
Katie feeds some things that definitely look like birds.
Katie the fire fighter
Peter the casual crime fighter
Peter decides to climb through the window rather than go in the open door.
Easter egg hunt
Peter finds some
Rusty loved lazy days outside at the farm
Katie pushes Peter in the swing
Junebug loved "sharing" Katie's bed, which usually left Katie without much room.
Katie slept in the loft one night without Junebug but barely managed to stay on the bed.
The kids playing outside
Dyeing Easter eggs
The farmgirl
The biker
The princess
Going on a hike with the kids and dogs
Aunt Sara and Peter
The Easter egg hunt at the farm
Matt shares an egg with Peter
Running on the driveway
Rusty loves the walks at the farm
Sunday, April 1, 2012
Kite Festival 2012
Yesterday we went to the Smithsonian Kite Festival on the Mall. We went in 2010 and had a lot of fun. There were tons of people there and it's an adventure trying to fly a kite in crowded conditions. But everyone had a good attitude and took the occasional dive-bombing kites in stride. Even the guy that had his neck wrapped in Katie's kite string didn't seem to mind.
We flew the kite for a while in various spots then walked around to look at the other kites. There were kites of all sizes and shapes. They were all very creative and fun to watch -- sharks, ships, fairies, and dogs were just a few of our favorites.
We ended the day with a ride on the carousel (of course).
Launching it
Peter tries to help
Peter can't believe all the kites...
...and then tries to grab them.
Nancy ducks for cover while being dive-bombed by Katie's kite.
Peter tries to fly the kite
Kites everywhere
Taking a break
(photo by Katie)
Katie with a giant bag of popcorn
We flew the kite for a while in various spots then walked around to look at the other kites. There were kites of all sizes and shapes. They were all very creative and fun to watch -- sharks, ships, fairies, and dogs were just a few of our favorites.
We ended the day with a ride on the carousel (of course).
Launching it
Peter tries to help
Peter can't believe all the kites...
...and then tries to grab them.
Nancy ducks for cover while being dive-bombed by Katie's kite.
Peter tries to fly the kite
Kites everywhere
Taking a break
(photo by Katie)
Katie with a giant bag of popcorn
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