A Day at the Park

Murphy is big. And energetic. And playful. The combination of these three traits can be overwhelming when he's been cooped up too long. So, in an effort to help provide him with an outlet for some of his energy and playfulness, Anastasia and I have started taking him to a dog park on the other side of Capital Hill. Our friends Nathalie and Abby and her dogs Roxy and Boston are regulars there, and joined us on our first visit last week. There were the usual doggy introductions, followed by some serious playing.





Anastasia got into the action, too, teasing Roxy with a stick for a long time.





The fact that Murphy is three times the size of either Roxy or Boston did not stop him from pouncing on the two little dogs like they were his size.





The dogs weren't the only ones having fun. Abby taught Anastasia a time honored tradition of writing your name in dirt with a stick.



After all this playing, the dogs were thirsty, so when I poured some water into an old cup, they all dove in.





We spent a little over an hour there, and throughout the whole time, I don't think Murphy ever put his tongue in his mouth. He was so amazingly happy!



When we came home, Murphy was a much more relaxed animal. Still happy and occasionally playful, but chill and relaxed. Sunday was very much the same. Considering the outcome, I think we've found a new Saturday morning activity.

Photos courtesy of Nathalie Rothert

Student of the Month

My name is Anastasia Hitzig. I am 4 years old. I am the citizen of the month in Mrs A. Jackson's class. The people I live with are my daddy, my mommy and my grandma. The pets that live with us are Basil, Murphy and Chase (dogs). My favorite color is yellow. My favorite foods are spaghetti and macaroni and cheese. Some activities we enjoy doing together are playing Connect 4, puzzles and putting stickers on paper. My family has taught me that to be a good citizen, I should follow directions and always go to school. I feel I was chosen by my class for the citizenship award because I am focused.

Look Ma, No Cavities!

Anastasia was very excited for her 6 month check up with the family dentist, Dr. Silveus. This was her first time sitting in the dentist chair by herself. Up till now, she's always sat on Orlando's lap, which is not the most comfortable thing for either of them. This time, she took her big horse to sit in the chair with her, and she did great!



After the check up and cleaning were finished (with no cavities, of course), it was off to our favorite chinese restaurant to celebrate.

Daddy Daughter Day

We're lucky that Orlando's job offers some flexibility for his day off. He's often able to to schedule days off to coincide with days that Anastasia doesn't have school, but the rest of the world is working, like parent teacher conference or teacher professional development days. We've taken to referring to these as Daddy Daughter Days.

Orlando usually tries to plan an activity for the two of them. Something that will get them out of the house and give Orlando a chance to treat his little girl to a fancy lunch. A couple weeks ago, it started, as it usually does, with a ride on the Metro. She was pretty excited.



Anastasia had put in a request for a visit to the "car museum" which is really the Smithsonian Museum of American History. It didn't take her long to find a computer.



Then she posed for pictures with several historical vehicles. Anastasia took over the camera to take a picture of Daddy in front of his favorite mode of transportation.



Then she posed for a picture with a typical commuter.



After the full tour of cars (and trucks, trains and motorcycles), Daddy took his little girl across the Mall to the carousel.



The day's last stop was a visit to 701 Restaurant. Orlando's workplace for many years, this is a favorite destination for special lunches. On this particular day, Anastasia enjoyed a poached 1/2 lobster, and Orlando indulged in tuna tartare and a glass of wine. A happy end to Daddy Daughter Day.

Cooking Lessons

Anastasia has always loved to help in the kitchen. She started by helping with Shake N' Bake, and quickly graduated to helping with cupcakes. Since then, she's moved on to cracking and scrambling her own eggs and helping gather ingredients as we start cooking. Now, she's interested in taking the next step in our lessons in the kitchen, learning how to cut the vegetables of our meals. Recently, when I decided to make beef stew, Anastasia was super excited to get to cut some of the veggies.

I cut the onion and the carrots, then put Annie to work on the celery while I prepared the meat. A few weeks ago, I started her cutting broccoli off the stem and I was sure she was ready to take the next step. She did a great job. Orlando was very excited when he saw the picture.



When she'd finished cutting all the celery, I'd finished browning the beef so it was time to get all the vegetables into the pan. Anastasia was ready to help again.



I know Orlando loves that she's so interested in food. Yesterday, as she was helping him make paella (which she loved when she got to taste it), he questioned what she might be cooking when she's in college. Clearly she's moved well past ramen at this point.

Disney on Ice: Princess Dreams

When I got an email offering 1/2 price tickets to Disney on Ice: Princess Dreams, I knew it was too good to pass up. Myney, Nathalie and Abby were all excited to go, too, so we were all set for a real girls night out. Anastasia wasn't really sure what was in store, but she was certainly excited when we walked into the arena and she saw that they had princess dresses on display.



Then she realized that there was a real live princess. She was pretty overwhelmed.



Abby and Nathalie were pretty surprised that the arena was offering valet stroller parking for the show. I thought it was pretty smart given that the target audience for this show was the toddler set.



When we got to our seats, Annie couldn't contain her excitement anymore.



Then the show started, and the smile disappeared. It was replaced by serious concentration. Abby and Nathalie bought her a light-up spinning magic wand (every bit as crazy as it sounds). Anastasia kept it spinning for the whole show.



My favorite part of the show was the dance of the flatware for "Be Our Guest" from Beauty and the Beast. While they were dancing, Abby, who writes a style blog that features "Thursday's Tabletop", was inspired to create a place setting Halloween costume.



The show lasted just under 2 hours, which meant it was well past Annie's bedtime when we left. Still, it was going to be a while before we could get on a Metro train, so we decided to take Annie's snow-cone and head for a glass of wine while we waited.



Not surprisingly, Annie crashed while we waited. Myney and I decided that it would be better to pay for a cab home rather than carry her on the crowded train. It was a very snuggly end to the night and I found myself thinking back longingly to the days when she wasn't quite so grown up.

Superbowl for the Dogs

While the Packers were working on the field, Anastasia and I were taking a break from healthy eating in favor of buffalo chicken dip and pita chips at Abby and Nathalie's. It wasn't a party really, Annie and I were the only guests, but it was a planned break from the healthy eating plan I've been on since the first of the year.

And, while the grown-ups watched the commercials, the half-time show and the game, Anastasia played with the dogs. When they were finished playing fetch, and chasing Annie around, it was time to show off their tricks in exchange for pita chips.

Roxy rolls over for treats:



Boston gives high-fives:



Roxy and Boston are very active little beagle mixes, and Abby and Nathalie are always thankful for the exhaustion that follows a visit with Anastasia. Sunday was no exception. Anastasia was pretty worn out from the playing, too.



Many thanks to the ladies for a very fun evening.

All photos courtesy of Nathalie Rothert.