Wednesday, May 29, 2013

that time we went to Maryland

So about a million years ago a month ago, I had given myself a week's vacation from teaching and gigs, and a Jet Blue steal of a fare to Washington DC coincided with this particular week.  Since I have two good friends in the DC area, it was only natural that I snapped up that fare and decided to maximize on the time when Nell can travel with me for free as a lap infant.

This was the first time Nell had flown since our trip to California when she was just three months old.  I was a little nervous about how she'd do with the trip, but she was a champ -- even when our plane was delayed on the tarmac for several hours!





We arrived on Monday, and spent the first half of our week visiting my friend Brooke and her husband Daniel.

Daniel plays the bass trombone in The President's Own Marine band, which is an okay gig, I guess, but nothing compared to playing in his living room for Nell, I'm sure. 


She was really interested in the whole process, and kept grabbing the slide to help him out.

Brooke is pregnant right now (!!!), and unfortunately was still dealing with some morning sickness while we were there.  This made a couple of milkshakes from The Silver Diner a necessity (you gotta do what you gotta do, right?) during our visit.  We also got breakfast there one morning.  The Silver Diner is a chain that really ought to have restaurants in MA, because it's so delicious, and they partner with local farms for their produce, and they have lots of vegetarian options!  What more could you want?


Nell thought the table was delicious.  Ummm...

Another place for good food in MD is Busboys and Poets, where we had lunch on Wednesday before Brooke drove Nell and me to our next stop in Virginia.



I had the most amazing falafel.  The kind of falafel you dream about.  What, you don't dream about falafel?  We can't be friends.



Nell and Brooke got in some important bonding time...



And Nell impressed the waitresses with her cuteness.


As far as Nell was concerned, the highlight of the visit was Daniel himself.  She loved him so much that -- and I am not exaggerating, here -- she would cry when he handed her back to me.  It was actually kind of hard on my self-esteem as her mother.

Nell's second favorite part of the visit was a trip to the park -- her first time in a swing!


I know, I know -- what kind of mother doesn't take her baby swinging until she turns 11 months old?!  A mother who lives in a state where it is wet, rainy, and snowy from about October through March, that's who.  







Is it possible to take too many photos of a sweet baby swinging?  I say no.

{Thanks, Brooke, for taking the pictures!}

Nell's heart still belonged to her new friend Daniel that day.  So naturally, when she experienced the winning combination of interacting with Daniel while swinging, well, you can only imagine the squeals of joy that ensued.



Nell also obliged me by sitting in my lap briefly.  Such a sweet girl; I love these photos we got.





Next up is part two of our trip: that time we went to Virginia!

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