DC Day 2

On our second day in DC, mommy and daddy said we were going to go to the mall. I've been to the mall before, but this wasn't like any mall I've been to. There were lots of museums and places for me to play, but no playground equipment, sadly enough.

First stop was the Air and Space Museum.


Here I am learning about turbulence or something. I liked spinning the wheel.


And some planes. Daddy said they are very important airplanes, but they're not flying now, so I wasn't that interested.


Here is mommy with a mini McDonalds truck. Or maybe we all grew bigger overnight and the truck just seems smaller?

At one part of the mall there were all these police officers riding their motorcycles around. Daddy said it was some kind of motorcycle competition, but they were sure riding really slowly.


Vroomy vroom vroom

Afterwards it was time for lunch. We went to the National Gallery of Art for lunch and then we stopped in the bookstore. I got a new book! I like the National Gallery!


While mommy and daddy look at the pictures on the wall, I can see the pictures in my book!


Or maybe there's something interesting on the ceiling!

This is in between the two buildings of the National Gallery. Mommy said someone famous designed these. He's called I'm Pay?


Mommy is looking down on where we ate lunch

After the National Gallery we went to see some animals at the Natural History museum.


These are mini elephants

I was getting tired since I didn't have any nap yet, so I fell asleep on the way home. We stopped in the park across from the big white house so I could sleep.


Boy Scouts on patrol

DC is such a neat city. They have big buses all over the place. Here is one bus that daddy wanted to take a picture of.


Something just isn't right about this sign

Then we went back to Uncle Dan and Aunty Linda's place, but instead of going into their apartment, we went up to the roof.


I had no idea they have a secret rock collection too!

Back at the apartment, Uncle Dan read me another new book I got from the Gallery.


That's a big bunny!


Eating churros and gelato at the Argentinean gelato place. I like DC!

Tomorrow, more animals and a playground!

And... we're back

Last weekend we went to see Uncle Dan and Aunty Linda in a place called Washington, DC. I haven't seen them since my first birthday party, so it was good to catch up. DC was cool too.

We took the airplane down to DC, which was pretty exciting since one of my new loves is pointing up into the sky and saying "Pay!" which translates into "Plane!"

We took the bus and the train into town, and Aunty Linda met us and brought us up to their pad. There was all kinds of cool stuff to see.


I'm not sure what this slot is for. It looks like a good place to store my goldfish.

Since Aunty Linda has to take a nap in the afternoon, we went out to explore the city. First stop was this big white house.


Here's the back door


We couldn't get very close to the front, but it looked like someone important lived there.

Then we went to go see this rocket ship. Daddy said you have to wake up early to get tickets so you can go to the top of the rocket. I wake up early, but the whole time we still didn't get those tickets.


Yay rockets!

After looking at the rocket, we walked down the hill and went to this big pool with all kinds of columns around it. Mommy said it's called the World War II Memorial.


One of the important posts

Then we went to the Korean War Memorial. I don't remember it because I decided that it was time for a nap before we got there.


Here I am napping in my new carrier


The soldiers looked like they were leading the tourists up the hill

I was still sleeping when we got to the Lincoln Memorial.


This little boy was studying Lincoln's speeches


I was still sleeping


Mommy wishes someone could carry her while she naps

I woke up by the time we got back to Aunty Linda and Uncle Dan's place.


I checked out their new car seat to make sure it was safe for baby Emma

Then we went to dinner, bath, and sleepytime-- just like at home, except mommy and daddy got to fall asleep in the same room as me! I knew then I was going to like the trip. Day 2 tomorrow, where we go to the mall!

More fun with friends

On Sunday, Aunty Sarita and mommy went away for the afternoon to take a card-making class without Ronak and me.


Aunty Sarita and mommy at their card-making class.

Daddy stayed home to put me down for my nap, and ended up napping too. When mommy got home, she found the whole house super dark since daddy closed all the blinds. And both daddy and I were still asleep! We had been asleep for over 3 hours by the time mommy came home to wake us up to go to Ronak's house.

It's always so much fun playing at Ronak's house. It was especially nice this time because Ronak's grandparents were visiting from Texas. Ronak's grandma (Ajji) made a huge Indian feast. I really loved the paneer and paratha she made. They even got me a present! Ajji and Tata are so nice, I hope to see them again soon.


I wonder what they could be.


Ronak and I got matching school buses from Ajji and Tata.

On Monday, I had my 18-month appointment with my doctor. She's now reassured that I'm growing well since I'm now back on the growth curve. A funny thing happened when the nurse wanted to check my weight. Normally, the nurse would wheel in a big cart with a baby scale on it for me to sit on. But on Monday, the nurse told my mom to strip me to my diaper and walk me over to the big kid's scale that I have to stand up on to get the measurement. I was so surprised, I just stood there. Then the adults clapped and make a big commotion about how much weight I gained and how well I did on the scale. Weird! If you're curious, I'm now 32 inches, and 21 lbs 6 oz. According to daddy, I'm still on the thin side, but at least I'm making progress.

Later that day, Aunty Karna, Uncle Carl, and Aunty Joy came over for dinner. I was told that Uncle Carl and Aunty Joy are going to have a little baby in a couple of weeks. Yay, another playmate for me! After dinner, I showed Uncle Carl my set of wheels. Then Uncle Carl gave me an airplane ride. It was so awesome since I was high enough to touch the ceiling! I also got to chase him around the house, but he's too fast for me since his legs are much much longer than mine.


Uncle Carl playing cars with me

Yesterday, daddy had the day off so we took a long drive up to Kittery, Maine to meet Gina, a math teacher mommy used to work with in LA before I was born. Gina taught mommy how to use the sewing machine and how to make quilts. The first time I met Gina, I was only 6 weeks old! She said I am much bigger now.


Meeting Gina at the Kittery Outlet. Sorry for not smiling, I saw some flowers I wanted to play with.

Life is Good Festival

Daddy had to work all day on Saturday, so I took mommy and Aunty Karna to Fenway Park for the Life is Good Festival. I got to ride on mommy in a new carrier. It was so snuggly, I fell asleep on the bus ride to Fenway Park. When I woke up, we were inside the park. Mommy and I had never been to Fenway before, so we had fun exploring the stadium.

Our first activity was to design a new t-shirt for Life is Good. I had so much fun coloring that mommy had to distract me away from my art project with bubbles.


Mommy and me decorating a Life is Good t-shirt. Sorry if I seem glum, it was super hot and I had just woken up from a nap.

When it was time for lunch, we found some seats by the main stage to watch SteveSongs perform while we ate our lunch. What a treat! We have a copy of their newest CD, Marvelous Day. I even recognized some of the songs and danced along to it.


Aunty Karna and me listening to SteveSongs.

After lunch, I felt energized to run around the stadium. So we did just that, by doing a scavenger hunt. The questions were super hard, and we had ask a bunch of Red Sox fans for help. In the end, thanks to Aunty Karna's perseverance, we answered all the questions and figured out a combination to a lock on the treasure box.


I wonder what kind of prize is awaiting us.

It turns out that the treasure box was full of neat-looking rocks! How did they know I had a rock collection in my backyard?!! Aunty Karna helped me pick out an especially cool-looking polished maroon rock that I held tightly in my fist the rest of the day.

It was such an exciting day. Maybe daddy will be able to join us for next year's festival.

First Thursday in JP

Yesterday Aunty Karna, mommy, daddy, and I went to something called First Thursdays in Jamaica Plain. All these stores had artists' art on their walls and they were giving out cheese and crackers and funny smelling grape juice, which I didn't get to try. We had dinner and Aunty Karna bought us ice cream at the original JP Licks afterwards.


Mmm, spoon me some ice cream


I think I should use both spoons


You want some?

Yay First Thursday! Thanks, Aunty Karna!

Night at the Museum-July 4th Style

After the race and the picnic, I took mommy and daddy home for a nap and then we headed right out for the Museum of Science. I wasn't sure what the big idea was at first but lots of people were camping out in the parking lot. We set up on almost the top floor. Good thing they didn't go all the way up because it started raining just as we got there.


Here's me and daddy having dinner with the Longfellow Bridge in the background

After dinner I got to run around the parking lot without worrying about big cars coming to get me. After running around for an hour, I fell asleep around my bedtime. This is what I missed. These flowers in the sky were at the end of the first half of the Boston Pops concert.


Big people's heads blocking my view of the "fireworks"

Mommy and daddy weren't satisfied with that view of the first fireworks so they bundled me up and brought me upstairs to the top floor for the main event.


It was raining upstairs, but it didn't dampen mommy's spirits

I woke up for the second half of the concert and the sing along. It was perfect timing because the real fireworks were about to begin!


Here I am with the top down on my convertible, waiting for the fireworks. Daddy is not so lucky.

Unfortunately the convertible does not come with windshield wipers. Also tall people stood in front of me so mommy got me out.


It was windy!

I like "fireworks" and staying up until 11 pm. Maybe next year I will stay up the whole night!

Happy 4th of July!

We started our celebration of the nation's birthday bright and early by heading out to Concord, MA. Daddy signed up for the 5 mile run, the Minuteman Man Classic. Huy and Hai also came to cheer daddy on.


Daddy getting ready to start the race.


Minuteman firing squad at the start line.

After daddy took off running, Huy, Hai, mommy, and I walked to the 3 mile mark to wait for daddy. We waited for daddy for quite sometime before he reached us. I got so bored that Huy and Hai had to entertain me by letting me sample their mung bean soup. It worked! And boy, was it yummy! I couldn't get enough of it. I'll have to ask Ah Mah to make me some when I go visit her next month.


Huy, Hai, and me waiting for daddy.


I love mung beans.


Daddy passing us at mile 3.

After daddy passed us, our cheering squad walked over to the finish line... but daddy almost beat us there even though he went the long way around!


Daddy at the finish line.

After daddy cooled down and rested a bit, we went to the Picnic-in-the-Park festival just beyond where the race started and finished. There was a Bike Parade where the kids in the neighborhood got to ride their dressed up bikes on the road. I wish I could ride in one too! Maybe in a few years.


Bike Parade.

After getting lunch, we all came home to take our naps. We're going to need all the energy we've got to stay up for the Boston Pops Show and Fireworks tonight!

Good Eats with Aunty Thida and Uncle Matt

Aunty Thida used to work with daddy in LA before Uncle Matt took her away to San Francisco. They came to visit us this weekend and we got to do some fun stuff like eating!

Mommy and I picked them up from the airport Friday morning. We stopped off at Sound Bites Restaurant for yummy breakfast.


Breakfast with Aunty Thida and Uncle Matt

Today we met up with them for Boston Harborfest's Chowderfest. The adults got their fill of calm chowder... and all I got was oyster crackers. Mommy did feed me a few spoonfuls, resulting in a chowder mustache.


Aunty Thida and I modeling our chowda mustache.

After the chowderfest, we said our goodbyes to Uncle Matt and Aunty Thida since they had to meet other friends for dinner. Daddy, mommy, and I walked to Fanueil Hall and watched street performers. I especially liked the Peruvian music played by the Inca Son. When they stopped playing to take a short break, I signed "more, please" to get them to play some more.


I like Peruvian music.

We had dinner at a new noodle place called Wagamama. Mommy and daddy had been to this place when they were in London before I was born. They were really excited when it opened up here in Boston. I must say the noodles were very yummy. I had a handful of yakisoba and some of daddy's chicken katsu curry. Next time, maybe I'll have to get my own serving.