Daffodil Lane: Travel and Vacation Archives

March 31, 2007

DC Cherry Blossom Adventure

This morning we set off on one of our adventures. The plan was to drive into DC early, let Alexis see the cherry blossoms, take some pictures and then get out of there before lunch, which in reality we did, but a bit faster than we had expected!

When we arrived around 7:45 am this morning there were already NO PARKING SPACES ANYWHERE AROUND THE TIDAL BASIN!! Apparently we weren't the only ones with the bright idea to get in early. I have never in my life seen anything like it! Jamison and I went in to DC before Alexis was born to see the cherry blossoms and drove in early on a Saturday morning and it was nearly deserted! But today was much different.

We finally found an empty spot, that wasn't really a spot given it was a permit only space, next to the tidal basin and we parked for about 20 minutes and snapped some pictures. Then we high tailed it out of there! The estimated crowd today was supposed to be somewhere between 900,000 and 1,000,000 people! So given we aren't crowd people we knew we wouldn't be hanging around all day, but still!

Alexis enjoyed our little jaunt, we got some good pictures and we had a wonderful, if abbreviated time. You can't ask for more than that! Next time we'll take the train in! ;o)

Happy Saturday everyone!

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Spring In DC

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January 6, 2007

A Busy Warm Saturday

When I saw the forecast for today called for weather in the 70's I knew at some point today we'd have to go outside and do something in nature. We had decided last night to take Alexis to the library this morning, since she had never been before and she's majorly into books now. When we left the library we decided to take Alexis over to Lake Waterford to see the ducks and to check out the path around the lake to see if it was conducive for Alexis and I to use on a regular basis so I could get a little exercise (turns out it isn't really for just the two of us, but the three of us had fun!) We looked at the ducks and walked around a bit then headed home for lunch.

After lunch we promised Alexis that if she'd take a good nap we'd take her to the playground. She was ecstatic and went right to sleep. I woke her up around 2:30 (on the days Alexis actually naps she usually takes a 3-4 nap and I knew if we waited too long we'd loose the sun) and we got ready to head over to the playground. When we got to the playground it was completely packed! We took one look at all those people packed in together like sardines and knew it wasn't going to happen. Alexis thankfully is very laid back and changes path in midstream pretty easily, so when we asked her if she wanted to go see the ducks again instead she said "Sure!" and off we went.

Lake Waterford itself had a lot of people milling about, but it was no where near as crowded as that playground! We decided to walk further around the path than we had this morning and we walked to the top of the lake and back. It's a nice little walk, with lots of roots, so sort of difficult, but it's a nice work out for your legs. Alexis and I had a ball and well Jamison tolerated it and that's about as good as you're going to get with Jamison and nature! ;o) We spent a couple of hours walking around the lake and then headed home.

When we arrived back home I decided to take a picture of my daffodils in front of our house, which have sprouted:

They are a little confused! It's been warm lately and today we reached 74 degrees...In January! And while it was nice to have a warm day to explore with, it begs the question...If it's this warm in January how hot is it going to be in July?

Anyway, overall we had a very nice day. Sure we didn't really find a nice walking area for exercise close to home for Alexis and I, but we found a nice little adventure area for the three of us, not far off the beaten path. We'll conquer hiking soon enough, but for now we've got Lake Waterford!

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October 13, 2006

In Which We Turn Midstream Again and Ended Up At Mount Vernon

When we first started talking about going on a few adventures for my birthday I immediately started looking for a lighthouse. Those that know me well know that I'm all about lighthouses and Alexis has grown to adore them too. So our initial plan for today was to go to Assateague Lighthouse in Virginia, but when I Googled the directions last night I realized that though it didn't look that far on the map, in the grand tradition of back roads it was going to be a 4+ hour trip one way. I started thinking about it and that was just nuts. We'd drive for 4+ hours and then spend maybe an hour or two there and then spend 4+ hours in the car back. That is not the ideal trip with a three year old, especially one that doesn't usually sleep in the car, so I went back to the drawing board. I tried to find a closer lighthouse, but they were either closed for the season, I'd been there (Havre de Grace), or they were just a let down in terms of size and condition.

I had several other different ideas pop into my head...Gettysburg, but I just couldn't really get into that one, Spruce Forest Artisan Village, but then again that one was way over on the other side of the state and not really closer than the lighthouse and of course Amish Country, but they are still being over run by press and such since the tragic shooting and I didn't want to get mixed up in the chaos.

I was trying to figure out where we were going to go and thought about just going over to historic Ellicott City, but again that's not much of an adventure given I love that place and have been there many times. Then out of the blue I remembered...Mount Vernon!

I've been wanting to go back to Mount Vernon for years and had never made it over there. Unfortunately there is no good way to get to Northern Virginia from Maryland without using the Beltway and on the Beltway is some of the most horrendous traffic you've ever seen in your life! We usually go down the Baltimore Washington Parkway as far as we can, because it's usually not as crowded as the Beltway, especially when it's not rush hour, and that's what we did today, though we did shunt back over to I-95 this afternoon due to construction on the Parkway. We left here around 9:30 and we headed back around 2:00, which given it was Friday put us on the first wave of the afternoon rush. We still had to deal with the Woodrow Wilson Bridge and that's always a mess, especially on the way back, but we got off the Beltway one exit from the bridge so it wasn't totally unbearable, but let's not get bogged down with traffic and let's get to the good stuff!

Click on the extended entry below to see some more pictures and read more about our day.

We arrived at Mount Vernon at 11, which just happens to be Alexis' normal lunch time so we ate lunch at the Mount Vernon Inn, which was a completely charming little establishment! It was done in period decorations, tables, etc. and was playing the most wonderful instrumental music! Alexis and I loved it, and well Jamison isn't impressed with anything that is old, but he did say his chicken sandwich was pretty good! ;o) And I had the best Root Beer! It was Mt. Vernon Five Farms Root Beer, which was listed on a San Franciso Root Beer "A" list. Check it out if you get a chance!

After lunch we bought tickets and entered the grounds of Mount Vernon. Mt Vernon is open 365 days a year, which surprsied me. This sign greeted us next to the main entrance:

This entrance itself was closed as they are in the process of doing some renovation work and some reworking for the new museum that is supposed to open in a few weeks.

Alexis was fascinated by the various buildings. Here she is peering into the shoemakers shop:

One of the first places we went on the ground was into the gardens. We stayed for a few minutes before something in there was bothering Jamison's sinuses so badly we had to leave. The part I liked the most was the knot garden, which I wish I had the room for!:

I also got a lovely picture of a butterfly:

So after we realized Jamison wasn't going to be able to stay in the gardens any longer we walked around to the main house. Alexis, being just like me and drawn to the water and nature, immediately set out for a large tree overlooking the Potomac River:

This is a view of the back of the house from the river side:

The moon was out today and it just looked magical above the house next to the weather vane!:

Here's a view of the weather vane from the front of the house:

When we went to take the house tour Alexis got a little antsy so Jamison took her back outside to walk around the grounds and let me go inside and take the tour. They did not allow photographs inside the house. When I came out of the house 30-45 minutes later Alexis was thrilled to see me. The other people on the tour were very amused by her! She acted as if she hadn't seen me in days, she was so happy to see me!

From there we walked around to the front of the house and I took this picture from the gate:

On the way out, down the path to the car, I found this button on the ground:

The button struck me, but I'm not sure of it's meaning. Jamison says he thinks it had something to do with POWs, but I'm going to do some research on that and see what I can find.

Overall we had a very good day, no nap aside. Mount Vernon is magical. If you've never been there, you should plan a trip, especially with the new museum opening in a few weeks. I had not been since 1986 and didn't remember a lot of it, but the outside of the house was instantly familiar. The view of the Potomac alone is worth the trip! I would think with the upcoming fall foliage it would be breathtaking! And I'm am most definitely going to try to do Mount Vernon by Candlelight this holiday season!

So that sums up our adventure for today. I hope you had a great day too! :O)

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Thanks for the tour, it sounds great!! I am glad you all had a another great adventure. I imagine the candlight tour will be awesome!!

Posted by: Joyce at October 14, 2006 6:50 AM

We had a lot of fun. There are so many historical things in this area. I want to go to Monticello next! :O)

Posted by: Dianne at October 14, 2006 7:53 AM

Adventuring We Did Go!

We went on another adventure today! For those of you who can see Flickr go check out some very cute pictures of Miss G. I will be posting where we went and some other photos here sometime this evening! Alexis hasn't had a nap so we're getting ready for dinner and to get her to bed! But much fun was had! Stay tuned!

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October 12, 2006

Let's Go To Annapolis! No, Then How About Baltimore?

We set off this morning to take Alexis to Main Street in Annapolis and let her ride on one of the boat tours in Annapolis Harbor, while letting me get some walking in and a good seafood lunch. I did not know when we set off that there was a boat show going on and already at 9:20 in the morning there were not parking spaces in any of the nearby lots, nor on any of the nearby streets. So we had to make a quick decision and as Jamison was navigating us out of Annapolis I started thinking.

At first I thought we might just go over to Arundel Mills to see the "big fish", but that was too dull given we were supposed to be on an adventure and we go to Arundel Mills all the time. That's not an adventure, so I suggested we go to the Inner Harbor and possibly take a boat over to Ft. McHenry. But Alexis had her heart set on fish, so we decided to go to the aquarium instead.

Tomorrow we set out on another adventure! More to come! :O)

Click on the extended entry below to see some pictures of the dolphins and such and of course go on over to Flickr to see some pictures of Alexis in action! :O)

This picture was taken in the underground observation area that let's you look into the tank:

One of the dolphins jumping:

Jumping through hoops:

Can you find Alexis?:

Thoughts on the trip:

1) Boys are loud. I am glad Alexis is a girl! There were various school groups there and the little boys were just out of control! Obnoxious in fact. Little girls can be catty, but for the most part they aren't beasts!

2) I go back and forth between feeling sorry for the fish/animals/reptiles etc. in the aquarium and marveling at what a learning opportunity is provided under one roof. Though the dolphin show always brings me to the verge of tears when I think about the fact that they are confined to such a small space in the grand scheme of things.

3) Food in those type places costs way too much and sucks royally. Ick!

4) Alexis' bladder of steel never ceases to amaze me! The child refuses to go to the bathroom in public, yet she makes it home dry every time.

5) Jamison did very well with the change midstream from having to leave Annapolis, to going to Baltimore on the fly. I was very impressed. ;o)

That is all! I'm off to post Flickr photos! :O)

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September 23, 2006

Traveling In Style

One week ago today we left the beach. Around this time I was taking pictures of the Bodie Island Lighthouse. It's amazing how fast time passes!

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Just a suggestion here... have you tried a watermark?? They look nice enough. I think it'd be more effective while you can still see the photo. It truly sucks that some people should go around stealing photos.
watch how to do it here:
http://www.good-tutorials.com/track/14713

Posted by: Gina at September 23, 2006 4:20 PM

Thanks. I don't have PhotoShop though. I think I'm going to have to purchase something like it in the near future though. I used to have photo software that would allow you to watermark, but right now I don't have the capablity. I think it's time to get it though. :O)

Posted by: Dianne at September 23, 2006 5:02 PM

September 18, 2006

Hanging With Pop

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Jamison,

I understand my black t-shirt ended up in your stuff; so, ask Dianne to wash it up for you for it ought to fit you.....I have a blue one that fits just as good.

Enjoyed our outing but it is sooo good to be home and to be able to sleep in our own bed....

Where are we all going next year?

Pop

Posted by: Lonepine at September 19, 2006 4:04 PM

I am not the only one that does laundry in this house. Jamison does laundry too.

We aren't going anywhere. :O)

Posted by: Dianne at September 19, 2006 4:16 PM

Ahh come on now; surely we can find someplace we can afford as a group.....what about "Peaks of Otter" on the Blue Ridge or Skyline Drive or a lodge near the Great Smoky Mtns. such as Fontana Dam area????or somewhere near Pickwick Dam on the Tennessee River where you can eat fish at the Catfish Hotel near Savannah????

Someone suggested Las Vegas or Alaska or Hiwaii or Mt. Saint Helens......

Posted by: Lonepine at September 19, 2006 4:48 PM

We'll pass. But thanks for the offer. :O)

Posted by: Dianne at September 20, 2006 8:38 AM

Wonderful pix, I hope you enlarge it and hang it somewhere.

Posted by: Pat J. at September 25, 2006 11:29 AM

Pool Time Fun!

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Alexis At The Beach

Click on the extended entry below to see more fun with Alexis at the beach!

Hanging out with Daddy

Dancing to the ocean waves

Jump!

Surf girls!

My little beach girl

More of my little beach girl

Sandcastles with Grams

Walking with Daddy

On the deck

Run!

Tada!

As you can see she had a ball! :o)

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Yet again- perfect fashionista in her beach attire. Dianne the outfits are so cute she looks like a print ad for a enchanting line of vacation wear

Posted by: Yolanda at September 18, 2006 2:35 PM

She's all about her hats. She's loved them since she was little and I always encouraged it since she's pale and it helps block the sun. :O) But overall she kind of reminds me of a JCrew ad! LOL

Posted by: Dianne at September 19, 2006 8:47 AM

General Ocean and Nature Shots

Other than the fact that I needed to clean my lens in some of these pictures I got some great nature/ocean shots while we were on Hatteras Island!

Click on the extended entry below to see more.

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You take amazing photos!

Posted by: Jamie at September 18, 2006 6:24 PM

Thanks! :O)

Posted by: Dianne at September 19, 2006 8:49 AM

The Banner I Was Supposed To Put Up Last Week

I got side tracked while we were at the beach and forgot to put up the beach banner I made:

So I thought I'd post it today so it wouldn't go to waste! ;o)

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Love it! We used to live in Havelock and drove up the coast. I loved NC. ;)

Posted by: TANYETTA at September 22, 2006 3:31 AM

Bodie Island Lighthouse

Yesterday we stopped at Bodie Island Lighthouse on the way out so I could take a few pictures.

Click on the extended entry below to see more pictures.

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September 17, 2006

We're Back

We're home! Leaving the beach is always a sad affair for me. I'm not meant to be away from the water. It's in my soul! And I always realize when I spend time with Darlene, how much I miss her. But regardless we're back. I will post some pictures and such tomorrow. Right now I'm planning on eating dinner, taking a shower and then going to bed!

Have a great evening everyone!

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welcome back!!!!!!! can't wait to see the photos!~
have you heard of picassa/hello??????

Posted by: tanyetta at September 17, 2006 11:57 PM

What a beautiful family you have! Welcome back :)

Posted by: Yolanda at September 18, 2006 2:11 PM

I haven't heard of Picassa, but I most assuredly will be checking that out! :O)

Thanks Yolanda! We had a lot of fun! :o)

Posted by: Dianne at September 18, 2006 2:14 PM

It looks like you had a fab time! Man, I miss the beach, too. I know that I will gravitate there someday. Both my hubby and I are really having a difficult time living so far inland :).

Posted by: Monica at September 18, 2006 9:47 PM

We had a wonderful time! I didn't want to come home. I'm so with you on living close to the water.

Posted by: Dianne at September 19, 2006 8:45 AM

September 14, 2006

More Hatteras

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Alexis on the Ferry

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Ocracoke

Since it was raining this morning Darlene, Jamison, Alexis and I decided to take the ferry over to Ocracoke...OK, well we decided to go and we dragged Jamison along with us as well. We got some touristy stuff, saw the lighthouse, ate lunch at Howard's Pub and then hopped the ferry back to Hatteras. Along the way of course I had to take some pictures of the lighthouse!

Click on the extended entry below to see more pictures of the lighthouse.

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September 13, 2006

Plotting

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Cape Hatteras Lighthouse

Darlene and I made a pilgrimage down to the lighthouse this afternoon and boy was it an adventure! Big mosquitoes, high tide flooding and some quick sand! Boy, do we know how to have a good time! But we got some great shots and we had fun to boot and that's all that really matters. ;o)

Click on the extended entry below to see more pictures.

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Beautiful!

Posted by: stephanie at September 14, 2006 10:34 AM

I Could So Live Here

Posted by Dianne at 2:32 PM | Comments (3) | TrackBack

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You and 250 of your "closest" friends! ;-D

Posted by: alice at September 13, 2006 4:45 PM

Does this house have curtains or all the windows free and clear to see the view? How many rooms does it have? Are they all chopped up, or are they large and open? How many bathrooms does it have? Does it have a lower level that is breakaway for storm surges? Does it have air conditioning. Does it have two or three stairways?

Posted by: mums at September 13, 2006 7:38 PM

The main top floor has no curtains, just big lovely windows pretty much from floor to ceiling all around. All the bedrooms have wood blinds. The bottom floor has a huge sliding glass door that looks out over the pool. You can see the ocean from the top floor and the middle floor.

The house has 8 bedrooms and 7 full baths and two half baths. Rooms total I'm not sure. Probably in the neighborhood of 20+ depending on what you consider a room and you count bathrooms and such.

The top floor is completely open. All the areas sort of blend together up here, including the octagonal room that I like to sit in and look at the waves. It's lovely! This level has high vaulted ceilings and a very airy, open feel.

The house is built up in order for storm surge. Most all the houses in this area are, especially this close to the surf. It all but eliminates most flood damage. We are literally right behind the dune and at high tide the water is very close to the other side of the dune.

Air conditioning is a must. Alexis would not be happy without it! And neither would Jamison! ;o) LOL

There is one staircase with 6 sections. They have it broken up into two sections for each floor. The house has a small elevator too. Alexis is all about the elevator. She insists on riding it if she is going from floor to floor. Luckily it's kid proof and she can't ride it by herself. :O)

It's an extremely nice house! I really hate to think of having to go back to the redneck ghetto and dealing with the Neanderthals next door. It's so peaceful and quiet here. It's just lovely! You can also hear the ocean most everywhere in the house and it's especially nice when sleeping. That is a definite plus for me! That is so calming!

In short (or long as the case may be) I can't say enough good things about the house overall! :O)

Posted by: Dianne at September 13, 2006 8:04 PM

September 12, 2006

March

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September 11, 2006

Sunset at the Pier

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Beautiful Waves

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Surf Chicks

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More View...The Frisco Fishing Pier

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More View...Hatteras In The Distance

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The View

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OMG! That house is gorgeous! I want one :)

Posted by: Moni at September 12, 2006 10:12 PM

Catch Me Daddy!

Posted by Dianne at 4:22 PM | Comments (1) | TrackBack

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tooooo cute what a great photo!

Posted by: tanyetta at September 11, 2006 7:53 PM

Currituck Lighthouse

On the way down we backtracked once we got to down to Highway 12 we went back up to to see the Currituck Lighthouse. In all of my trips to the Outer Banks I've never been to this one. I've gone to the Cape Hatteras Lighthouse many times and I've been to Ocracroke several times as well. But I have to say this is very easily my second favorite lighthouse, Hatteras being my first, but I was immediately smitten with this lighthouse. It might just have to share top honors with Hatteras, I haven't decided yet.

Click on the extended entry below to see more pictures of the Currituck Lighthouse.

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September 10, 2006

We have our boots on the ground.

I just booted up the computers, the WiFi is working awesome at the beach. Dianne is cooking dinner, my favorite Lasagna. The view is amazing with Hurricane FLORENCE kicking up monster waves. Dianne has got her camera out and I'm sure will be uploading some great shots later on tonight. The elevator is a back saver folks. The difference between carrying luggage and food up 6 flights of stairs, or popping Alexis wagon full of the same stuff and push the up button on the elevator and have Dianne unload it and send it back down so I can go out and get more stuff. Dianne is suffering from major kitchen envy. But I'll let her whine about it for herself.

Posted by Jamison at 6:25 PM | Comments (1) | TrackBack

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Watch the Hurricane Florence thingee. Love you, have a nice time. Hug Alexis for me.

Posted by: mums at September 10, 2006 8:39 PM

We are heading out again.

We are getting organized and preparing to head out again. Alexis was nice enough to wake us up at 4 am and pretty much keep us up until our gracious hosts awoke. So Dianne and I are dragging today. Exhaustion is the watch word for the day. Hopefully we can catch up on sleep tonight.

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Bubba's Crabhouse & Seafood in Virginia Beach

Last night we went over for dinner with our friends who we are staying with to Bubba's Crabhouse & Seafood in Virginia Beach. Much to Jamison's chagrin we sat outside on their pier dining area. Alexis LOVED it! There were boats and seagulls and ducks! So many things to look at! And it was a lovely evening with a nice breeze.

This was the view from our table:

The food was great! The company was great! And Alexis and I snapped a picture of ourselves with my camera phone:

If you're ever in the Virginia Beach area check out Bubba's Crabhouse & Seafood. It's a neat little place and the food was great!

Posted by Dianne at 5:31 AM | Comments (2) | TrackBack

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Jamison still uneasy around the sea?

Posted by: Royal at September 10, 2006 8:58 AM

I'm not uneasy around the sea, I just don't like it. All the dirty water in one place. Not to mention all the vermon that lives in it.

Posted by: Jamison at September 12, 2006 9:27 AM

Rarity

Alexis falling asleep in the car is rare. In fact I can count on one hand the times she's done that in her entire life. But she slept for about 40 minutes yesterday afternoon and it's probably a good thing given she's been up since 4 am this morning. I have a feeling it's going to be a long day. I wonder if she might go to sleep today? We can only hope!

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September 9, 2006

We made it to Virginia Beach, Virginia

It was a tough 5 hour trip, but we made it OK. I will save you from my commentary on the lack of driving ability that has become the norm in our nation over the years till later.

Posted by Jamison at 5:03 PM | Comments (3) | TrackBack

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As a engineer working in traffic field I propose sending the entire driving population back to drivers ed. Add to that let the all State Traffic Engineers write one national test so that every one has to take the same test and we all start out on a even playing field. Also for one ticket in 6 years you have to take driving school, two retake the writen test, three the driving part too and with four you loose your drivers licens for a period of no less than six months.

Posted by: Royal at September 10, 2006 8:55 AM

Totally with you on the bad drivers thing! ugh!

Looks like you are having a fantastic time!

Posted by: Moni at September 10, 2006 10:45 AM

I sent you an email, will you be able to access it.

Posted by: mums at September 10, 2006 3:52 PM

April 20, 2006

Paris

"Mommy...What's dat?" as she peers over my shoulder.

"That's the Eiffel Tower Alexis. Isn't it beautiful?"

"It's so pwetty!! Where's dat Mama?"

"It's in Paris."

"I go to Paris Mama?"

"One day Alexis. One day soon Mommy will take you to Paris."

"And we see the tower?"

"Yes we'll see the tower...we'll even go to the top and look all around Paris."

"Oh Mommy...I'm so happy!"

No one ever said either of us had small dreams. :o)

Posted by Dianne at 2:58 PM | Comments (7)

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Is Paris where you, jamison and Alexis are going in place of South Carolina?

Posted by: Royal at April 20, 2006 4:22 PM

South Carolina?

Posted by: Dianne at April 20, 2006 4:43 PM

awwwwww......toooo shweet. hey, as long as you're dreaming, it's all good...
Or you could drive to Vegas and see the makeshift Paris from there.

Posted by: tanyetta at April 20, 2006 5:29 PM

Sorry the Outer Banks are in North Carolina. So have you considered taking a tour of Europe?

Posted by: Royal at April 20, 2006 8:30 PM

We've already booked and paid for the house in North Carolina so we won't be canceling now.

We do plan on going to Europe one day, but I don't know when. Alexis isn't quite ready for a trans-Atlantic trip just yet. We'll go to Ireland first though. Paris will be on a seperate trip.

Posted by: Dianne at April 20, 2006 8:33 PM

Ireland what time of year?

Posted by: Royal at April 21, 2006 6:26 AM

In the fall or winter when it's not tourist season. :o)

Posted by: Dianne at April 21, 2006 8:19 AM

March 28, 2006

Cherry Blossom Baby

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March 21, 2006

Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History

Today we took Alexis in to the Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History in DC to see the dinosaurs!

Click on the extended entry below to see pictures of our adventure!

We set off this morning at 8:15 to go to the BWI MARC station to take the train into Union Station in DC. We packed our lunches and went on our way. We arrived at the train station 20 minutes early, but the train ended up being 20 minutes late, but that's the way the trains work around here.

These are the pictures of our adventure...part of them were taken with my camera phone and part of them were taken with my Canon D20.

Let's go!

Alexis loves trains. And she was beside herself with glee as we sat waiting for the train to arrive. She stood on the pass over the tracks looking down at the trains headed toward Baltimore and the Amtrak train that was headed toward DC that arrived just before our Marc train.

"Dat's a long train!"

Our train was supposed to leave at 9:15, but it ended up leaving closer to 9:35 or so.

Riding on the train

When we arrived at Union Station we decided to purchase day passes for the Metro because they are easier than trying to figure out a fare when there are a ton of people waiting in line to purchase passes. Another reason we decided to purchase day passes was because the lady at the machine next to us was being unreasonable and bascially being a witch so we wanted to get out of there ASAP!! And it's a good thing we did, because I got Federal Triangle mixed up in my head with Judiciary Square and we got off there, but we actually needed to go to Judiciary Square. So we hopped back on the Metro and went to Metro Center, switched to the Blue/Orange line and made our way to Judiciary Square.

Waiting for the Metro

On the Metro

When we got off at Judiciary Square I got a bit turned around. Jamison thought it was funny in the "You've been here before right?" sort of way, but I stopped in the convention center and asked where to go and they pointed me in the right direction. Once we got out on the street I realized immediately where we were. I reminded Jamison that the last time I was at the Smithsonian was well before Alexis was born. It's been at least 4 years ago.

We walked over the the museum and Alexis immediately found a billboard she loved.

"It's a mask!"

By the time we got to the museum it was 11 and Alexis was very hungry after all the excitement and the walking. When we arrived at the museum they had changed their rules and you couldn't take outside food in to eat in the Atrium so we ended up eating outside in front of the museum on one of the stone benches. Let me tell you...that was a COLD picnic! But Alexis loved it even if Jamison was less than thrilled. She enjoyed looking at the birds who were gathering at our feet to see if we had any crumbs.

Lunch!

Pretzel!

After I finished eating lunch I walked across the street while Jamison sat with Alexis who was still eating and took a few pictures.

The Smithsonian Castle (I LOVE this building!!)

The Capital

The Washington Monument

Sprouting tree in front of the Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History

When I came back we headed inside and spent about an hour and a half looking around before Alexis was just worn out. The first thing that caught Alexis' eye were the water creatures...that's my girl!

"There's fish in there!"

Then we moved on to other things, but surprisingly the big, big dinosaurs bored her. She liked the other things much more than the dinosaurs, although that was what we went to look at.

"Look Daddy!"

"Wizards!"

"They're so cuuuutttteeee!"

Mammals

And Alexis LOVED the lady who was working on the fossils!

"What's she doing?"

Then we went upstairs to see what we could find up there.

Trees

Primates

My favorite part of the Museum of Natural History is the jewel section. I tried to get a shot of the Hope Diamond, but it didn't come out so great, but I did get a good shot of some earrings worn by Marie Antoinette.

Honey...I'd like these for Mother's Day!!

Alexis was not impressed with the sparkly jewels and this was as far as we made it into that room so we headed off for the reptiles.

Turtles

After the reptiles we decided to head back to Union Station. Alexis was tired and it's best to get her out of the stimulation before she becomes screechy.

Riding the elevator down to the first floor.

When we came out of the museum it was snowing and Alexis loved walking in the snow! We walked back to the Judiciary Square Metro station and headed back to Union Station to catch the 2:20 train back to BWI. We arrived home around 3:25 and tried to put Alexis down for a nap, but it was a no go, but Jamison and Alexis did lay down on the couch. He actually took a little cat nap, but Alexis was having none of that!

Watching "T.B."

Alexis and I think we had a very good day...Jamison would tell you differently though! ;o)

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Thank you so much for sharing your day. Its such a wonderful journey, and I am so proud of you for being her education with such a fasinating place. I could spend weeks there. It is just a great place, that that makes me proud to be an American.

Posted by: mums at March 23, 2006 6:34 PM

March 20, 2006

Adventure

We are going on an adventure tomorrow morning! Jamison has taken the day off and we are taking Alexis to do something fun! We won't tell you where we are going until we get back, but we're taking the camera with us so there will be plenty of pictures to tell the story when we get home tomorrow afternoon! :o)

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March 17, 2006

Capital Gazing

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December 29, 2005

I'm Excited!

It's official...we're going back to the Outer Banks in September. I booked the house yesterday! I can't wait! We booked a different house this time a little further south, with a view of the Cape Hatteras Lighthouse. Alexis is already excited and can't stop talking about the pool and teaching Nelson to build sand castles, which is funny if you think about it since all she does with the sand is pour it out, but it's cute none the less. The house has a gourmet kitchen set up, which makes me happy and Wi-Fi access and a home theater with stadium seating, which makes Jamison happy. The house even has an elevator so no slumping luggage, kids and groceries up 3 flights of stairs! My best friend Darlene is going and I haven't seen her in ages so we'll get to enjoy each other's company. It should be a lot of fun.

Posted by Daffodil at 12:40 PM | Comments (2) | TrackBack

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Sounds heavenly!

Posted by: Monica at December 29, 2005 9:39 PM

Now the hard part is being patient until September. :o)

Posted by: Dianne at December 30, 2005 9:43 AM

October 23, 2005

More Pictures from Havre de Grace

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Havre de Grace: Concord Point Lighthouse

This morning we traveled up to Havre de Grace, which is about an hour from our house, because I wanted to go take some pictures of the lighthouse there and quite frankly I needed a break from some of the stress in my life as of late. I wanted to be near the water so Jamison graciously agreed to take a little jaunt with me this morning.

The trip was actually a bitch as it always is when traveling with Alexis. As I've mentioned before the child does NOT travel well! I finally had to get in the back seat with her and it calmed her a bit, but she still wasn't a happy camper. I don't know that it helped my stress level that much in hindsight, but then again as they say hindsight is always 20/20.

Anyway, here are a few pictures I took of the Concord Point lighthouse and the surounding area. Even a picture of some "holy ground" which I think you'll understand once you see the pictures! Enjoy!

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Hello, I enjoyed your pictures. I grew up in Maryland and took advantage of visits to DC and eventually moved to Havre De Grace, Md for two years. I liked seeing pictures of those places on here. I now live in Sacramento, CA. Thanks for posting these pictures... :) sorry random I know.

Posted by: Katie at September 14, 2006 1:30 PM

Glad you enjoyed them! It's nice to see pictures that remind us of where we grew up. :o)