Inseparable.

We love it when Emma comes over. And an added bonus when Micaela brings over hot chocolate and pastries and we get to sit back and enjoy the morning while the girls go crazy.

It doesn't get more presidential than this.

We celebrated Presidents' Day by taking part in the free admission day at Mount Vernon. We ended up with fabulous weather this morning. When we headed out before 9 this morning, it was already 60 degrees. We actually broke a sweat walking around the expansive grounds of George's estate. We passed a Krispy Kreme on the way home and couldn't resist. And to top it off, we got some Chinese take-out and enjoyed it on the backyard patio. Some rain made its way through this afternoon so we settled down to watch a ridiculously funny documentary, "The King of Kong". It ranks right up there with "Trekkies".

For the Grandmas

So I realize this is a blatant "look what my kid can do" video, but really, isn't that what the blog is for? I try to post about other things, but it always comes back to "the kid". One of my favorite things to do with Amelia is snuggle up on the couch with a big pile of books and read. Some days I read the books to her, but some days I get to read my book while she slowly goes through her pile. The other day she really wanted to see what I was reading, and then read it for herself.

Trip #2: Italy

With the help of some very kind people (thanks Jeff & Rachel and Micaela & Phil!) who were willing to watch Amelia for a few days, Ben and I took an amazing trip to Rome. We were able to spend four days seeing some amazing things, walking a lot, enjoying some fabulous weather, eating a lot, and spending too many euros.

Some highlights...



Walking around the beautiful streets of Trastevere.



Climbing the 320 (sometimes slanted and cramped) steps to the top of Michelangelo's dome in St. Peter's Basilica...amazing view of the city.



Posing with the baby belly all around Rome.



Eating.



Checking out an Italian opera/ballet at a pretty cool opera house.



The pantheon. An architectural anomaly. Amazing.



Strolling around the colosseum, the roman forum, and palatine. So old.

Best husband ever.

I think that everyone should know just what Ben is capable of, culinarily speaking. We had a babysitter Saturday night, but felt like taking it easy with our recent and upcoming trips. So while I was taking Amelia to the babysitter's house, Ben created a fabulous multi-course feast at home for us. This is what was waiting for me when I got back:

A spring salad with tortellini (in an Italian dressing)
Butternut squash soup and warm bread
Lamb chops served with roasted red pepper and artichoke tapenade and a side of wild rice
And for dessert? Creme brulee with raspberries



And yes, it was all delicious. We even topped off the evening with a private round of mini golf (private because apparently nobody else wanted to go miniature golfing when it was 42 degrees outside).

Box.

Amelia was really into this box all day yesterday. She just wanted to get snuggled up in it. She even tried to convince me that she was going to take her nap in it.

Sledding. The movie.

Enjoying a snowy vacation

We had fun seeing lots of family that we hadn't seen in awhile. Amelia loved getting to know her cousins again. Ben even got to go skiing and when his ski boot (from his high school days) exploded at the start of a run and he had to finish the run "Better Off Dead" style, he decided it was the perfect opportunity to finally try out snowboarding. Amelia finally got to try out sledding a few times and she loved it. This made me happy, as I was on a sledding team in high school.





It was great to be on the Bronson Farm again and get a chance to hang out with Jenny and Gray and Naomi and Dan and Rachel, and Grandma of course, who kept us continually fed with delicious food. It's always such a relaxing place to be. And so beautiful with all that snow and the deer coming down the mountain.

Come on. Just one tantrum for dad?

The choice between flying with Amelia or flying by myself seemed like an obvious one. So I gladly sent Ben with Amelia and packed a very light carry-on bag for myself. But as I was running through the Chicago airport trying to find out why my connecting flight back to D.C. had been canceled and trying to make a flight that left in 2 minutes, I started to question my choice.

When I finally made it to Reagan airport and then got home and drove to the Baltimore airport to pick up Ben and Amelia (yes, our travel plans are always this complicated), this is the report I got from Ben:

"Right after we took off, I asked Amelia if she wanted to take a nap, and she said ok and closed her eyes and went to sleep for about 2 hours. When she woke up, she stared out the window for awhile and then I asked her if she wanted to watch a movie and she said ok. We got about halfway through the movie and we started to land."

I packed numerous books and snacks that were never even touched. And no messy diapers the whole time they traveled? Come on. But how do I know it wouldn't have been that easy if it was me. To be fair to Amelia, she is a pretty amazing traveler. We can drive for an hour in the car before she even makes a sound and I realize she looks bored and I offer her a book and she accepts and then reads it slowly and carefully.