For Nathan's birthday we spent time with family. Cousin Jill is having her own first baby next month so we used the event to gather. Greg, Tim, Mom (and their respective mates and off spring) were all there. The hotel we all stayed at was right off 95, near Jill's house and near the Metro (and had delicious food there!). I think we will be staying there again as it was so nice to be close to it all.We were busy all weekend with lots to see and do. And at every turn there were two things: running and climbing (by Nathan and therefor Lily when she could keep up) and whining (by Benny when he wasn't attached to mommy, by Mommy who is still sore from a tetanus shot a week ago, and by Daddy who had to deal with all of us). So just insert those extra conditions to every event and come up with your own conclusions about how it all went!
Friday we got in around lunch at the same time as Greg, Danielle and Lily. The kids were so happy to see each other and proceeded to run around the lobby at top speed. We settled quickly and walked to the Metro station to get into the DC area. This is, in theory, awesome. Except that they make it really complicated to get tickets. Long story short, four of us couldn't figure it out and had trouble part of the way. And we did have to switch lines at some point. But overall it was a quick trip, the kids loved it (Nathan wanted to go back on the next day) and it was probably a lot easier and less expensive than trying to park in DC.
Once there we had a little something to eat before we explored a little. A speed bump here is the security you go through when going in and out of the buildings there. It was no problem but it's an extra hoop to jump through. We finally got into the museum to see the giant elephant at the entrance, the dinosaur bones and space exhibit. Truthfully, the kids were only so-so interested, we are all pretty tired and we were uninterrupted by bathroom visits and all the above conditions. There was a nice photographic exhibit that I enjoyed. We were all happy to move on though and see the sites outdoors. I almost wished we had done more of that. The mall is such a big wonderful place to run and the buildings of course are awesome. I would love to go back when the kids are older and get up close to the monuments, memorials and the White House. Or better yet, alone with my camera to enjoy the architecture. It's on the bucket list.The evening dinner was a necessity but, as stated the above conditions made it less than relaxing. But then again it was the kids in a restaurant or a cramped hotel room. Hhmmmm....
Let me just stop here and say I am sorry if I seem less than interested, engaged, funny or talkative if you have seen me in the last, say, four years. I am totally one of those moms who isn't fully present if my kids are. I feel like I miss out on good conversation, or even just conversations that are logical and made of complete sentences. It's motherhood and no matter how much you hate it and try to avoid it, you can't. It's just one of those things - like stretched out skin, shedding and uninterrupted sleep. It's awful. I'm sorry.
The following morning was better as we all had some sleep (not great since there were some immature teenagers on a school trip in the hallway making noise) and plenty of time to hang out. While we were sleeping the Birthday Fairy came too. She put balloons and crepe paper all over the room for the birthday boy. He was thoroughly surprised. I was super tired - I had to wait for everyone to finally fall asleep and then quietly blow up balloons in the bathroom. Totally worth it though.As mentioned, the breakfast was really good and the lobby area was open, modern, clean and relatively safe for kids to wander around. Benny even napped while Nathan and Lily played and I got to read a little. A little.
Jill's house was a quick ride up the road and it was wonderful to see everyone. There was really only a small smattering of Garrisons but we hadn't seen them in so long. And actually we had time for catching up - hard to do when there is a giant group. The sun came out and it was a lovely day. Nathan ran around with another little girl, Mackie. The two hit it off wonderfully and they were sad to say good bye at the end of the day. Aunt Mary and Uncle Lee made sure to have a little birthday gift for Nathan. It was so sweet and he really loved it.
One gathering spilled to the next and we prepared for pizza and cake and presents back at the hotel. 8 adults and 3 children in a hotel room is a tight squeeze but we made it happen and it was nice to be together. Again, I wish I could have enjoyed it differently. Benny is so very attached and simply isn't happy unless he is on me or distracted by something. And my wild child, Nathan is often running and climbing and pushing the limits of the furniture and our patience. I was so tired by 8:30, I hated pushing people out the door. But such is life with kids. And yes, I know it will pass. But I don't like to miss out or do things half-assed. In any event, Nathan enjoyed his gifts - the highlights being the glow-in-the-dark PJ's from Greg & Danielle (best PJ givers ever!) and the amazing cake from Tim & Jen. (Not to mention the bike from Gigi and Grandpa earlier in the week. Spoiled!)
Sunday morning we spent more time together and then parted ways. We were all pretty spent, even though I would have loved to see the downtown part of Alexandria. The above conditions would not have made for a pleasant time though so going home was the best choice.We were happy to not return home to any disasters - we noticed a leak coming from upstairs just before we left on Friday morning. No emergencies - just laundry.
Despite the madness of kids in hotel rooms, it was worth the trip. Jill looked fabulous with her cute little belly and seeing family is always a plus. It all made for a busy month. Especially for the birthday boy who got to go to a hockey game with Daddy and Monster Jam with Logan earlier in the month. He's going to be disappointed when we just hang around in the driveway on bikes for the next few weekends.
