Yoo 720 - Antietam and Harper's Ferry

She kept trying to get the balls...

He didn't like the grated staircase down from the bridge. Dylan came to his rescue.

Totally a lucky shot. I lasted about two steps carrying her. I can barely make it half-way across the slackfline without her!

We spent last weekend camped along the C&O Canal towpath near Harpers Ferry, WV. The first night was awful! Bugs and humidity and hot temperatures and nearby trains playing bumper cars all night. And pouring rain. It took 70 minutes to get Skylar to go to sleep. And that was the easy part of the night. We woke up and I swore I was never going to camp again. We were fully planning on letting our tent dry out that day and packing up for home in the evening.

But the day went really well. We drove to Antietam National Battlefield and thoroughly enjoyed their living history presentation and then talking to the historians for over an hour after. Their passion was contagious and it was fun to pick their brains about life during the Civil War. Plus the battlefield is peaceful and beautiful and it was a relaxing place to explore and enjoy. Then the Appalachian Trail through Harpers Ferry and hiking along the Potomac/Shenandoah confluence during golden hour.

The temperature had actually cooled to a comfortable level by the time we returned to our campsite and we decided to build a fire, roast marshmallows, and give camping another try. The second night went much better! I'm still a camper...for now.

Have a great day :-)

Yoo 719 - Kiddie Pool

I bought a $9 inflatable pool for the backyard. It's some of the best money I've spent this summer.

Dylan agrees.

Coolest street ever. I pass it on my way to Costco.

We went thru the whole commissary this way. It took hours (slight exaggeration). She bought cake mix, peanut butter M&Ms and bananas. A successful Friday night while dad was on duty!

My garage gym! Also some of the best money I've spent this summer...though it was a little more than $9. Still a few little things I'm adding as the weeks go by. And I will definitely be getting a treadmill. But not until after our next move! Smil and I take turns in here every morning.

Greg had to get some shots in Alexandria, VA for a photo assignment he was working on so Smil and I tagged along and we made an evening of it. We bought expensive ice-cream and walked around the town. The historic homes and cobblestone streets are super cool. As is Val Proudkii's photography. We found his studio in the Torpedo Factory and I spent most of our night rifling thru his prints. So amazing.

I love her.

Helping Dylan do yoga!

Sunset on Burba Lake. We go on a walk every evening. Mostly for pups. But also because I made a goal to get 10,000 steps everyday this year and I haven't missed it yet. I felt it was important now that I work from home since some days it's 6pm and I'm at like 200 steps. Those nights our walks are really long...

Ugh. She has my social skills. I captured several frames at the park as this little boy came up and asked if she wanted to play and then proceeded to play by himself in front of her. She's making this exact fact in every picture as he tries to play with her. She just stared at him until he left!

Greg was on duty last weekend so Smil and I were planning on spending Saturday in DC visiting a few places we haven't seen yet. But then pups got sick Friday night and all into Saturday morning and ruined our plans! Pups...between him and Skylar (who uncharacteristically woke up a few times during the night), I didn't get much sleep! I spent Saturday morning and early afternoon at the vet with him trying to quell the vomiting and get him hydrated. I kept a close eye on him Saturday afternoon and evening and he was much better by Sunday and almost 100% Monday. Poor buddy. Still not sure what it was but he was vomiting a lot and having terrible coughing fits.

Have a great day :-)

Yoo 718 - Trips to the ER and Baltimore (Not On The Same Day...)

When I moved to Fort Meade in April, I had a long list of things I needed to do to get us settled. I found a new doctor, a new vet, changed our address on the billions of accounts we have, updated our insurance, and so on. But I didn't figure out where to go in emergencies. And this kept bugging me at inopportune times. I'd think, "I really should look up the nearest ER that accepts our insurance...just in case." Except I wouldn't be near a computer or Skylar would be demanding my attention or whatever. So it didn't get done.

And then two weeks ago I really regretted that decision as I tried to comfort my baby, screaming and bleeding, while searching for an emergency room on my health insurance website. Skylar had knocked over a 35-lb weight that was momentarily being used to prop open a door so I could move stuff around. I saw her approach the weight and just couldn't get there in time. Her poor big toe was smashed to pieces and our house quickly resembled a crime scene as I ran around trying to get things together and figure out where to go while holding her and attempting to slow the gushes of blood. And call Greg. Miracle of miracles he wasn't on duty and his chief gave him permission to come with me to the ER. Still, the ER made for a rough afternoon! I know people talk about how tough it is to watch your child in pain...but then you experience it and it's SO TOUGH. She was a little champ though and we had great nurses. Luckily the toe wasn't broken and 3 stitches later we were told it should heal up just fine. Skylar got her first popsicle and a little stuffed bunny from the ordeal. She clung to that bunny for the next few days! It was so sweet. And I'm probably never going to wash the popsicle stains off of it.

So that happened and the actual hard part was keeping her off her feet for the next few days. Struggle of struggles: not letting a very active toddler walk! I wore her around in her carrier and we went on a lot of walks. But we survived and things are almost back to normal. It's amazing to watch the body heal itself! I doubted the doctor when he told us that in a month we probably won't even be able to tell that anything happened but he might be right...though I'd be surprised if her toenail has grown back by then...

Other exciting news: Dylan is here!! Words can't describe how convenient it is to have a nanny again. She's the best. I'm already dreading her departure later this summer.

At some point, I think it was Memorial Day, we went hiking at Catoctin Mountain Park. So pretty!

Last Saturday we took the train into Baltimore to explore. We'll definitely be going back! Greg's main objective was to get pictures for a photo story he's doing on the USS Constellation so we spent most of our time around the Inner Harbor and then eating food in Little Italy. There was a street festival going and one of the booths had a cooking demonstration. The chef was assembling a margherita grilled cheese and he added shredded parmesan on top of the buttered side he was grilling. I think our lives changed. That makes the sandwich! We'll be passing that tip on to posterity.

We also found a dog beach on the Chesapeake Bay and spoiled pups one morning. Then tested out one of Greg's MREs on the way back. They pack 1200-1600 calories a meal! But there were some fun surprises like Tootsie Rolls, an oatmeal cookie, and peanut butter. Not too shabby.

It's so fun being in a new place with soooooo much to explore in a small radius. Every weekend is full of possibilities and I have a long list of places I want to see before our time here is up! That will most likely be late September. It's going so fast.

Have a great day :-)