Mulberry Street

Friend push you to be better right?  Well, I could definitely use some more practice on family photos but this was fun anyhow.

We had a lot of fun dressing up in costumes this year.  Genevieve really wanted to be a princess this year, but I didn't want her to dress up as a princess.  She does that every day.  So, I pulled out our costume bag and tried to influence brainwash her into dressing up as something different.  Genevieve saw her clown costume and decided she would be a clown.  Great.  She was a clown last year and I didn't want her to be a clown two years in a row.  Now, I had to influence manipulate her into something else. After a visit to the thrift store, I found a witch costume.  We I decided that Genevieve and I would be witches and Emory would be our little black cat.  Gratefully, Genevieve bought into my idea.  In the end Genevieve dressed up in several different costumes because we had several Halloween Festivities to attend.  Genevieve dressed up as a witch, a clown, a fairy, and even a bunny.  I think sh...

Genevieve was fortunate to take a "Sprouts" class at the Botanic Gardens in the District.  Miss Lee and Miss Carolyn were fabulous teachers.  Each class we learned about something new.  When the kids arrived they immediately began a hands on activity.  The teachers taught them a principle about the activity they were doing.  Then the teachers read a book related to the topic of the day.  After that, we went for a walk through the botanic gardens to learn more about the topic ( World Deserts, the National Garden outside to look for birds, the Spuds Unearthed exhibit, and the Garden Primeval or dinosaur garden).  Then we returned to the class to complete a craft, try a snack, and get our hands stamped.  It was so much fun and a great way to get us downtown.  Cactus   We learned about cacti.  We learned that it takes many many many years for a cactus to grow.  We learned that cacti soak up water like a ...

I literally threw the kids in a pile of leaves today.  I took over 200 picutres in about 30 minutes.  I think they were pretty tired of me sticking the camera in their faces.  I guess that is why I got the following shots.  Somehow they say, "We're done mom."  And no, I didn't choreograph their faces, they pulled the same exact faces all on their own.

National Cathedral   We spent several hours exploring the grounds and interior of the National Cathedral but still did not see it all.  I would love to go on their tower tour, but have to leave the kiddos at home for that trip.  The building is very impressive.  The stain glass is simply amazing.  As the light filters through the windows and glass, the entire cathedral lights up in a warmth, casting a red hue along the walls.  Eric was able to meet us for lunch on the grounds.  We always enjoy seeing him in the middle of the day.  Genevieve spent a lot of time in the adjacent garden, finding her way through the plants like a maze.  She would have rather stayed outside in the garden, than go inside.  I thought the statue of T.R. dwarfed Genevieve's presence - now we have a new measurement!  I really enjoyed the details of the building.  It is always dumbfounding to learn about the time individuals spent ca...