Sunday, May 17, 2015
Tuesday, November 11, 2014
Veteran's Day at the Washington Monument
Wow, it's been a long time since I posted. Probably should have posted something about Anastasia's birthday party, or the University of Maryland football games we've been to this fall, or Halloween on the Hill, or the dinner party for 16 that we hosted last weekend. Maybe I'll get to those later. But, while it's fresh, here's the story of our Veteran's Day visit to the Washington Monument. Sadly, Orlando had to work, but Myney, Anastasia, and I were eager to check out the views from the tallest point in Washington.
As per usual, our trip began with a ride on the Metro.
Because of the Concert for Valor planned for this evening, there were a lot of street closures and Metro was more crowded than it would usually be on a federal holiday. Metro was prepared, though, with trains running about every 4 minutes, so we didn't have to wait at all. In fact, we got there so quickly, we had time to take a quick walk through the Smithsonian National Museum of American History. It was a nice chance to show Anastasia the original Star Spangled Banner. We should go back soon and spend more time. But today was about the monument. We had a few minutes to wait when we arrived. Enough time to take in the views of the Capital, White House, and Lincoln Memorial.
The elevator ride takes you 500 feet up to the observation area within the monument. From there, we had some really beautiful views of the District. It was really fun watching Anastasia capture her own views.
If you look closely, you can see people claiming spots for the Concert for Valor (just 6 hours before it began).
Anastasia was curious about how much the monument weighs. Fortunately, the museum below the observation deck had the answer: 81,000 tons. There, we also learned how severely the monument was damaged during the 2011 earthquake. This crack extended through the 7 inch thickness of the block.
On the elevator ride down, the glass in the elevator cleared and we were able to see some of the memorial stones that line the interior of the monument. We weren't able to take any pictures of the stones, but Anastasia had a front row view of the stones and was very proud when she found the "Maryland" stone. As we walked away, we paused to take one last picture of the monument. It was a beautiful day to visit the National Mall.
As per usual, our trip began with a ride on the Metro.
Because of the Concert for Valor planned for this evening, there were a lot of street closures and Metro was more crowded than it would usually be on a federal holiday. Metro was prepared, though, with trains running about every 4 minutes, so we didn't have to wait at all. In fact, we got there so quickly, we had time to take a quick walk through the Smithsonian National Museum of American History. It was a nice chance to show Anastasia the original Star Spangled Banner. We should go back soon and spend more time. But today was about the monument. We had a few minutes to wait when we arrived. Enough time to take in the views of the Capital, White House, and Lincoln Memorial.
The elevator ride takes you 500 feet up to the observation area within the monument. From there, we had some really beautiful views of the District. It was really fun watching Anastasia capture her own views.
If you look closely, you can see people claiming spots for the Concert for Valor (just 6 hours before it began).
Anastasia was curious about how much the monument weighs. Fortunately, the museum below the observation deck had the answer: 81,000 tons. There, we also learned how severely the monument was damaged during the 2011 earthquake. This crack extended through the 7 inch thickness of the block.
On the elevator ride down, the glass in the elevator cleared and we were able to see some of the memorial stones that line the interior of the monument. We weren't able to take any pictures of the stones, but Anastasia had a front row view of the stones and was very proud when she found the "Maryland" stone. As we walked away, we paused to take one last picture of the monument. It was a beautiful day to visit the National Mall.
Monday, August 25, 2014
August 25 through the years
2006 - Little girl makes her appearance after 18 hours of induced labor. The "prize fighter" eyes healed up pretty quickly as she blossomed into a beautiful baby.
2007 - Year one, little girl learned to walk, started to talk, liked pretty much everything she ate. The first birthday party was all about the cake, of course.
2008 - In her second year, Anastasia discovered The Backyardigans (still my favorite of all her favorite TV shows). She learned a bit of sign language, which helped her communicate with the two deaf children in her daycare class, learned her colors and numbers and started to hold her own with the dogs. And apparently, she is the only child on the planet who can look sad with cake and a Popsicle.
2009 - As she neared her third birthday, little girl learned all of her letters, loved helping out in the kitchen, and went to her first baseball game. She also paid visits to the West Virginia and New York cousins, and had her first trip to the beach. Her first day of public school was the day before her birthday. The Scooby Doo party featured papier mache masks for the kids to paint and ghosts and clues to help them solve a mystery.
2010 - Before she turned 4, little girl had surgery to repair an issue that caused her to have infections regularly. After the surgery, no more infections! This year also had Snowmaggedon, a trip to Texas, and visits from Grandma and Papa Allen, and cousins Ashley and Andrew. Her "yellow" party featured a butterfly cake made with love by Myney.
2011 - Leading up to Anastasia's 5th birthday, Anastasia started reading on her own and she was named student of the month at school. Little girl proved herself an excellent traveler as we went to the Caribbean and Sweden. Ballet lessons, planting in the garden, and her first ride on a tilt-a-whirl (also Mommy's last ride on the teacups). We got crafty together for her slip 'n' slide birthday party and made personalized cupcake toppers, paper flowers, and other decorations.
2012 - On the way to 6, little girl took on chapter books and explored her love of animals. Easter in the Caribbean, a visit to the beach, and a few sad moments, too. We visited Texas when Papa Jack got sick. She learned to swim, and do somersaults underwater, and built up her confidence. Her birthday party featured painted birdhouses and a decorate your own cupcake bar.
2013 - This was the year that Anastasia's 6 year old portrait was painted. Summer vacation to Alaska, followed by a week in the North Woods of Wisconsin (she's a maniac on a jet ski), and a trip to the Jersey Shore. That was a full summer. Anastasia fell in love with Harry Potter and the Magic Tree House series. Her swimming went to a new level, and in the kitchen, she learned how to follow a recipe by herself. The bowling party with friends from school was a ton of fun for everyone.
2014 - This year, we will be celebrating with a birthday party in a few weeks. But today, little girl started third grade. In the past year, she has grown out of the shyness that seemed so powerful in the early years. She performed in a school play, danced the "Kingdom of Sweets" with her ballet class, and took pride in all of her academic accomplishments. Puzzle solver, budding engineer, avid reader, computer addict. I look forward to seeing what the next year will bring us.
2007 - Year one, little girl learned to walk, started to talk, liked pretty much everything she ate. The first birthday party was all about the cake, of course.
2008 - In her second year, Anastasia discovered The Backyardigans (still my favorite of all her favorite TV shows). She learned a bit of sign language, which helped her communicate with the two deaf children in her daycare class, learned her colors and numbers and started to hold her own with the dogs. And apparently, she is the only child on the planet who can look sad with cake and a Popsicle.
2009 - As she neared her third birthday, little girl learned all of her letters, loved helping out in the kitchen, and went to her first baseball game. She also paid visits to the West Virginia and New York cousins, and had her first trip to the beach. Her first day of public school was the day before her birthday. The Scooby Doo party featured papier mache masks for the kids to paint and ghosts and clues to help them solve a mystery.
2010 - Before she turned 4, little girl had surgery to repair an issue that caused her to have infections regularly. After the surgery, no more infections! This year also had Snowmaggedon, a trip to Texas, and visits from Grandma and Papa Allen, and cousins Ashley and Andrew. Her "yellow" party featured a butterfly cake made with love by Myney.
2011 - Leading up to Anastasia's 5th birthday, Anastasia started reading on her own and she was named student of the month at school. Little girl proved herself an excellent traveler as we went to the Caribbean and Sweden. Ballet lessons, planting in the garden, and her first ride on a tilt-a-whirl (also Mommy's last ride on the teacups). We got crafty together for her slip 'n' slide birthday party and made personalized cupcake toppers, paper flowers, and other decorations.
2012 - On the way to 6, little girl took on chapter books and explored her love of animals. Easter in the Caribbean, a visit to the beach, and a few sad moments, too. We visited Texas when Papa Jack got sick. She learned to swim, and do somersaults underwater, and built up her confidence. Her birthday party featured painted birdhouses and a decorate your own cupcake bar.
2013 - This was the year that Anastasia's 6 year old portrait was painted. Summer vacation to Alaska, followed by a week in the North Woods of Wisconsin (she's a maniac on a jet ski), and a trip to the Jersey Shore. That was a full summer. Anastasia fell in love with Harry Potter and the Magic Tree House series. Her swimming went to a new level, and in the kitchen, she learned how to follow a recipe by herself. The bowling party with friends from school was a ton of fun for everyone.
2014 - This year, we will be celebrating with a birthday party in a few weeks. But today, little girl started third grade. In the past year, she has grown out of the shyness that seemed so powerful in the early years. She performed in a school play, danced the "Kingdom of Sweets" with her ballet class, and took pride in all of her academic accomplishments. Puzzle solver, budding engineer, avid reader, computer addict. I look forward to seeing what the next year will bring us.
Monday, July 28, 2014
Deja Vu All Over Again
Before our visit to Sweden ended, Anastasia put in a request for a visit to the super cool playground that we'd gone to on our last visit. With no great plans for our last day, I figured this was the perfect time. While Orlando and Myney visited IKEA (spoiler alert, it's remarkably similar to IKEA in the US), Eva and I took the kids down to the playground. I was pretty proud that I remembered exactly where it was, though I'll confess, about 3/4 of the way there, I was starting to doubt my sense of direction.
Three years ago, the weather was warm and sunny, and Anastasia was the first kid in the splash pool. She fit in well with the locals, even if she couldn't understand what they were saying to her.
Bonus points for picking her out in this shot:
This time, the weather was much cooler, so we opted to stick with the drier options. The piggies were out, and they immediately drew the interest of all three kids.
Next it was off to the slide and climbing.
Then, Anastasia climbed onto the big swing, where she and the boys took a swing together just like she and her friend Ivar did 3 years ago.
Before heading home, we had to hit the merry-go-round. Last time we were here, Anastasia got dizzy all by herself. This time, she had the help of 2 boys who were having a ton of fun!
After a brief couple of hours at the playground, we headed back for a quiet afternoon of watching the World Cup and reminiscing with Kalle, Eva, and Christer while the kids played on the trampoline, the ring swings and in the playhouse. Anastasia wants to know how she can get one of these:
Very early the next morning, we said "Hej då" to Sweden. It didn't take long before Anastasia was asking when we're going to be back again. Many thanks to Eva and Christer, Lotta and Janne, Viktor, Kalle, Hedil and the rest of the friends and family that made our visit so lovely. We couldn't have asked for a better vacation.
Three years ago, the weather was warm and sunny, and Anastasia was the first kid in the splash pool. She fit in well with the locals, even if she couldn't understand what they were saying to her.
Bonus points for picking her out in this shot:
This time, the weather was much cooler, so we opted to stick with the drier options. The piggies were out, and they immediately drew the interest of all three kids.
Next it was off to the slide and climbing.
Then, Anastasia climbed onto the big swing, where she and the boys took a swing together just like she and her friend Ivar did 3 years ago.
Before heading home, we had to hit the merry-go-round. Last time we were here, Anastasia got dizzy all by herself. This time, she had the help of 2 boys who were having a ton of fun!
After a brief couple of hours at the playground, we headed back for a quiet afternoon of watching the World Cup and reminiscing with Kalle, Eva, and Christer while the kids played on the trampoline, the ring swings and in the playhouse. Anastasia wants to know how she can get one of these:
Very early the next morning, we said "Hej då" to Sweden. It didn't take long before Anastasia was asking when we're going to be back again. Many thanks to Eva and Christer, Lotta and Janne, Viktor, Kalle, Hedil and the rest of the friends and family that made our visit so lovely. We couldn't have asked for a better vacation.
Tuesday, July 22, 2014
Viking Island
After returning to Stockholm, we took a cruise to Birka, an island in Lake Malaren that was once home to a Viking city. Today, Birka is an active archaeological site and home to an interesting museum of Viking history. Runestones, weapons, and personal effects of the Vikings buried on the island are all on display. There are also models showing what archaeologists believe the city probably looked like during the time it was inhabited.
After the museum, we took a tour out to the part of the island where the city of Birka was in the 700s. The guide was very engaging and described both daily life for Vikings living in the city and the current status of the archaeological dig that is underway on the island. Anastasia had several questions for our guide, who seemed to like talking to her. We learned that when a Viking died, they were placed inside their boat along with many of their most valued possessions (including their comb and pets). The whole thing was then lit on fire and ultimately buried under rocks and soil, forming large mounds that remain today. After seeing the island, topped by a cross memorializing the monk who first introduced Christianity to the Vikings, it was time to head back toward the boat.
On the boat ride back, Anastasia had some one on one time with the guide and got a couple more details about Viking life. Meanwhile, the rest of us enjoyed a snack, and spotted a sunken boat on the way home.
After the museum, we took a tour out to the part of the island where the city of Birka was in the 700s. The guide was very engaging and described both daily life for Vikings living in the city and the current status of the archaeological dig that is underway on the island. Anastasia had several questions for our guide, who seemed to like talking to her. We learned that when a Viking died, they were placed inside their boat along with many of their most valued possessions (including their comb and pets). The whole thing was then lit on fire and ultimately buried under rocks and soil, forming large mounds that remain today. After seeing the island, topped by a cross memorializing the monk who first introduced Christianity to the Vikings, it was time to head back toward the boat.
On the boat ride back, Anastasia had some one on one time with the guide and got a couple more details about Viking life. Meanwhile, the rest of us enjoyed a snack, and spotted a sunken boat on the way home.
Tuesday, July 15, 2014
Going Home Again
It's been 21 years since I was a not so shy 17 year old falling off a train into the Brunö-Gustafsson household.
That may have been a long time ago, but the house in Töreboda still feels like home. We arrived on Saturday afternoon and were soon joined by Viktor and Hedil for a traditional Midsommar feast. Nobody cared that we were a day late with the herring. We had a lovely evening, ate a lot, drank a fair amount of snaps, tried some of Viktor's home brewed ale (it was delicious) and shared pictures of the puppies waiting for us back home.
Next day we were off to Hajstorp to see the locks and hand crafts market. We arrived just as a boat was arriving at the locks and watched as they were lowered in the water to continue on their way. Eva explained that the Göta Kanal is nicknamed the Divorce Ditch because when boats pass through the locks, one spouse is in charge of the lines while the other is responsible for driving the boat through. It's not hard to imagine the arguments that happen when someone drops the lines.
We paused in the cafe for a quick coco ball, then went on to the handcrafts market in the barn to check out the best Töreboda has to offer. Anastasia learned a bit about weaving upstairs in the farmhouse museum and spent time playing with the other interactive options. Then it was off to Norkvarn where a mini version of the canal serves as a splash park for kids when the weather is warm (it wasn't). The tall grey silo is the distinctive feature of Töreboda's "skyline".
Before we headed back to Stockholm, there was one visit that we all needed to make. Lina is the "world famous" ferry in Töreboda that I rode every day to cross the canal to get to school. She is the smallest ferry in Sweden, and quite possibly the world, holding only a few people with bicycles. The ride is about 15 feet and it's accomplished by the driver pulling on a rope, which is sunk to the bottom of the canal whenever a boat travels down the canal. We took the ride over and back with a special guest driver both ways.
On the drive back to Stockholm, Orlando spotted a sign that he'd like to hang in the bathroom someday.
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