Visit to Uncle Golden's

Yesterday morning we woke up and told Eli we were going to see Uncle Golden. He got really excited! He totally remembered who Uncle Golden was! Both kiddos were really good in the carseats for the two and a half hour drive down. We met up with Uncle Golden and then drove to the Smithsonian Air and Space Museum.

Before we left home, though, I snapped this shot of Dora... she totally rolls now onto her stomach and then back onto her side. She doesn't like her stomach so she spends most of her time on the ground on her side.


Doesn't she look cute all twisted up!? I like this one because it's sideways and you can see her little toes all curled behind her.



Here are the Baker boys on the top floor of the Air and Space museum. Eli was very enamored with the airplanes hanging from the ceiling. He was also VERY excited to see Uncle Golden. When we first arrived at Golden and Julie's apartment in downtown DC, he kept jumping up and down and squealing with glee. Julie is home for the summer from Yale Law School--she just has one year left until she's done. We are happy to spend as much time with them as we can while they're close.

I like how his reflection shows up here... and you can see the planes above it.

Of all the Baker brothers, I think Whit and Golden look the most alike. Maybe it's their big muscles and ripped abs!

Here we are on our way to Whit's fav memorial--the Jefferson Memorial. It's really pretty and so is the walk there. Also, the quotes inside are FABULOUS, I think. Two of them are about how important religion was to him... fitting since every idiot cites Jefferson with the "wall of separation" they think is in the Constitution (but really came from a letter he wrote).

Alright, I tinkered around with this photo. I like adding contrast... and changing the color a bit. Eli was obsessed with holding Golden's hand whenever we made him hold someone's hand to be safe. (He isn't a fan of hand holding in general...)

He also loves rubbing Golden and Whit's heads when he sits on their shoulders. It's really funny to watch! Those are the steps of the Jefferson Memorial.

Behind the Memorial, you can see accross the lake to the Washington Monument.

Also of note is that FDR is the President to laid the foundation for the Jefferson Memorial. I am guessing he didn't lay the 2 ton marble himself... I think the wheelchair was the least of his problems there.

Eli was pretty happy to be there. The ducks all around the Memorial might have had something to do with it though. Also, he fed his yogurt bites to some very happy and enterprising squirrels! I didn't think they would eat them, but they went to town.

Golden even helped out with Happy Baby Dora.

Here is a shot he snapped of the four of us on the steps, but of course Dora would be hungry so she was eating through our chance at a photo. It was only about 5 pm here, but a storm was rolling in...we just barely missed it. The heavens opened up just after this photo (right after we got everyone loaded up) and rain literally dumped in buckets all around us.

Julie joined us for dinner, but due to the rain, we didn't get any photos. (I didn't want to get my camera all wet.) We went to a GREAT burger place called 5 Guys. Yum.

ZooAmerica and Ice Cream

We had a fun day yesterday before Dad left for work at 5. We went to ZooAmerica and then to a local ice-cream place for a treat. ZooAmerica admission is free with the season passes to Hershey Park...

Here's the brown bear exhibit.

The groundhogs were really cute!!

These ducks were hilarious!! Looks like mom and dad managed to escape! Who needs daycare when you can just ditch your kids on the ledge below!?

Eli loved the ice-cream!

Yum! What a messy face!

This is from this morning--Dora in her new little silk church dress. That's right--it was the first thing I bought when I found out I was pregnant... I was so sure it would be a girl, and I was right! Totally impractical, but a pretty little pink silk dress. Can you tell Whit's been working nights? He looks tired...

Miss Smiles...

Money and Politics

I have been reading two books simultaneously lately, alternating which I take with me to the gym. One is The 5000 Year Leap by Skousen, and the other is The Millionaire Next Door by Stanley and Danko.

Obviously these books cover vastly different issues. I have found reading both to be delightful! I am learning a lot, and relearning even more. I just thought I would share a quote from each that I particularly liked.

First, from the 5000 year leap. The book attempts to pinpoint the cause of our 5000 year leap forward that followed the establishment of America (to greatly dumb it down). It does a great job of explaning a lot of phenomena that slip through the cracks in the current political discussions of our day. For instance, the founding fathers worried a great deal about big versus small government. Today that debate has largely been forgotten, consumed by the debate (a worthless one) between the right and left parties, or communism and fascism. BOTH are a tyrannical government. The difference to the people governed is nill.

It also explains an issue Linsey and I took an entire class on during law school... the separation of church and state. This concept has been WIDELY misunderstood (or pardon my french, bastardized) in today's political circles. The founders intended to set up a government that fostered multiple religions, and encouraged religious freedom. They understood how much good could be done by strong religions. The planned to do this by setting up what was later referred to as a WALL of separation (in a LETTER) between church and state at the federal level. In fact, as people seem to forget, 8 states actually had established religions! This wasn't proscribed at all by the founders. They wanted to encourage religions and indeed in many cases religions used public buildings to meet. This was also encouraged, as long as all religions were afforded the same opportunity.

I loved this quote on the issue. I am sure you all know who de Toqueville was, but in case you forgot, he's a frenchie who came to study the success of the American Experiment to explain to the French how America was doing so well (France was struggling with liberty in the wake of its bloody revolution) in maintaining freedom, peace and liberty. Ironically, de Toqueville found that religion, widely believed at the time to be the opposite of liberty, was the CAUSE of America's freedom. He says,

"I sought for the greatness and genius of America in her commodius harbors and her ample rivers, and it was not there; in her fertile fields and boundless praries, and it was not there; in her rich mines and her vast world commerce, and it was not there. Not until I went to the churches of America and heard her pulpits aflame with righteousness did I understand the secret of her genius and power. America is great because she is good, and if America ever ceases to be good, America will cease to be great."

This scared me!! I think to a large extent America has turned her back on being good. No wonder we are worried we may not be great for much longer.

Okay so the other quote I have is more a clever insight, but I really liked it too. The Millionaire Next Door is mostly about how to take a normal person's life and turn it into one of wealth accumulation. It's a really great book... but I loved this... "Have yo uever noticed those people whom you see jogging day after day? They are the ones who seem not to need to jog. But that's why they are fit. Those who are wealthy work at staying financially fit. But those who are not financially fit do little to change their status."

I had a lot of insight to share on this one, but my kids are both crying now, so I will leave it at that!

Mom's Day Off

Today Whit gave me the day off. :-) We all went to my favorite place for breakfast and the kids were great. Then I went to the gym, and around noon I left to get a pedicure, and then read at Border's all day long!! When I came home, I had flowers, and the kids were in bed! (Well Dora was awake enough to give me a little smile and then she went to bed too.)

He told me I should check out the phenomenon he witnessed (by camera.) He got some cute photos. Apparently Eli got it into his little head to help out. A few weeks ago I caught this same behaviour, but not on camera.

Whit thought it was cute, which I agree with... He apparently thought Dora looked hungry.

Here's the assessment. You can see he has her bottle in hand.


Now he's checking it to make sure it's safe. (Haha)



Deemed reliable, it is time to commence Operation Feed Baby. His angle of entry is a little off, but he works it out.

He's pretty proud of himself...

Success!!

Disclaimer: You may note Eli's crusty face or Dora's lack of a bow--that's what happens when Dad's in charge... That and he makes the kids assume tasks the adult should normally take care of, like feeding the other kids. Oh well, I got the day off!

Papa visits Hershey Park and Gettysburg

We took Papa to Gettysburg on Monday and Hershey Park on Tuesday. We all had a fun time (albeit a sleep deprived time... Dora has heard my grumbling and now gets up 5 times each night. You heard me right--5 times!! I am going to drown her, smiles and all!) and are so glad Papa came to town.

Here is Eli and Dada at Gettysburg. You can't really tell but Eli was rubbing Whit's head--funny!



Eli in front of a display at the new museum. He went to the old museum before it closed when he was about 6 months old.



Eli and Papa in front of a horse. Apparently there was some hostility between the infantry and cavalry, since the infantry was about 10 times more likely to die.

This was a wall of photos of those who died at Gettysburg. Obviously it doesn't include even a fraction of those who died. Sad...

Now we are moving on to Hershey park photos. Here was Eli with papa on the trucks. There are like 100 rides for kids Eli's age and he loves this lame one!! Oh well.

You can't tell but this is like 200 feet in the air. And it spins. I couldn't believe they let him on, or that he wanted to go!! He didn't cry though..

Dora (my non-sleeper) was still all smiles. Who says you need beauty sleep!?

Eli loves this one too--it scares me!! It's really high off the ground and just kinda moves along, like a ski lift or something. YES, you are seeing right, Papa let him STAND in it! *Shivers*

A nice fake smile for mom on the hot air balloon ride...

Papa--we miss you!! We are so glad you came. Come again soon!

Sleep

I love my kids--I really really really do. WHY CAN'T THEY SLEEP!?!?! Do any other parents of multiple babies (two under two) have this problem? I mean, Dora is 3 and a half months old and she still gets up 3 times every night--often for an hour at a time!! And since she goes to sleep sometimes at 10 pm and always gets up at 5 am, that leaves about 4 hours of sleep for whoever is watching her (usually me). HORRIBLE! Then throw in Eli's bad nights and I am exhausted all the time. She is SUCH a good baby, but I would almost take a whiny baby in exchange for one who slept...

I will be sad when they grow up, but glad to sleep through it... :P

Bridget

PS- This post should not be taken as a criticism of Whitney in any way. He stays up with Dora a lot, but he can't really do it most nights because he works. He always lets me take a nap, but how are you supposed to have time to work out and lose the baby weight if you spend all your free time sleeping!? GAH!

Papa and the Grands

My parents call their grandkids the "grands," which I think is really cute! We have been having a great time with Papa here. We went to the pool (where we met Nana while she was working) and went on walks, played with trains and went to church... Here are some of my favorite shots.

These are from when we were at the pool:

And one bonus shot of Dora just because I thought it was cute! :-)

Also, something funny transpired this am. My dad took Eli on a walk, letting him go whereever he wanted--and he made a beeline to Auntie Em's house. I go there on walks in the stroller with him sometimes. It was apparently enough that he knows how to get there. My dad called Emma to tell her they were outside her door... I guess I know where he will go if he ever "escapes", but it doesn't bode well for me, since there are about 3 decently busy roads between here and there! Ahh!