Back at home

To my wonderful summer hosts,
It seems like ages since we stayed with you or visited but I just wanted to let everyone know that we are back at home in Atlanta as of last night. It was wonderful to visit everyone, meet new family members and catch up. Sometimes I think about how fantastic it would be if I could take all my favorite people from places and times in my past and assemble them in one place so we could be a part of each other's lives in a more consistent way. But alas I realize that will never happen so I content myself knowing that you are out there doing incredible things with your lives, having your own life experiences so we can learn from each other and appreciate each other all that much more when we have those brief visits, phone calls or emails.

In case you are interested, here are the final tallies
Kids visited-17 including Anne's friends also in town, 13 boys and 4 girls (thanks for the extra x chromosomes, Craig and Kathryn)
Gas fill ups-10
Money spent on gas - $540 (thanks Dad for the NJ fill up)
Movies watched-4 in car, 1 in theater
Movies Bram watched-4 in car, .5 of Journey to Center of Earth, .5 of Mama Mia
Toilets clogged-2 (problem resolved after first two stops, sorry Pam and Anne)
Ice cream eaten- uncountable, priceless

On a serious note, you are all wonderful spouses and parents and I'm awed by all those beautiful children I saw along the way. In a day of too much acquisition and commercialism, it was heartening to see how we are all trying hard to fight it off and raise polite and appreciative children. It didn't escape me that this is a value that we all share, despite how we have geographically dispersed since we met in high school, college, or thereafter.

Off to get kids (and myself) ready for school tomorrow. Yes, it's true. Kids in Georgia really do go to school on August 11. Please stay in touch and let us know if your work or travels take you to Atlanta. Or plan a road trip that includes Atlanta one summer. It's great to be home but part of me is already missing the adventure of a new day, a new place.

Life's a beach (and kid comments on fine dining)

Life has been a beach this summer that's for sure. For Eli and Orly it's been Memorial Day at the mountains, nights at the pool, a month at camp, a week on a trip to national parks out west with grandma and pop, a week at LBI and then a week at Virginia Beach. For Bram, it's been time alone with his mom (at home and on the road) in addition to a few weeks at Paideia camp back in Atlanta. For me, it's been a chance to relish in time with the kids, relaxed time with little agendas and deadlines. It's been a phenomenal road trip to see old friends and family. And it's been a chance to fall in love with the beach again especially the late afternoon sun and playing in the water for extending time. For Ross, it's been all about holding down the fort (at work and home) and preparing the new fort, that is the chicken coop.

For our final week of vacation and beach time, May Lynn found some great camps. Orly went to Cape Henry for theater camp where they learned three songs from Annie and performed them on the last day. Eli became a surfer dude at the Wave Riding Vehicles camp down on 5th street where he went each day from 8 am to noon and learned to ride a surfboard. How cool is that! With his body glove shirt, short haircut and summer tan, he looked the part and he did great as well. Bram went off each morning to Summer Solutions, a more general camp that suited him just fine.

Our time in Virginia Beach coincided with May Lynn's birthday which we celebrated not once but twice. Bram is still trying to figure out how she pulled that off. On her actual birthday we went to a great middle eastern restaurant for a casual dinner and then back to the house to meet up with the Steins for birthday cake. The next day Ross came in town and we went to Terrapin, a very nice restaurant. This would probably qualify as the nicest restaurant that we've ever taken the kids to. So much so that Eli wanted to order number 29. Turns out number 29 was beef tenderloin and the 29 was the price. It was not an order by number type of restaurant. He couldn't believe it. Between that and the shirley temple with real cherries, the kids were pretty happy. So were we.

Dual crossings

A bit out of order but realized that I never documented the transition from NJ to Virginia and two fantastic crossings that punctuated that trip. A short drive down the Garden State parkway took us to the Cape May Lewes Ferry a wonderful car/passenger ferry with a departure lounge that rivals any airport. We split our time on the one hour plus, 17 mile trip between playing cards in a comfy booth indoors and standing by the stern feeling the summer breezes. On the other side we emerged in Delaware and spent the next few hours driving down the eastern shore, a land lost in time. The only other time I made that trip is with Ross on my first trip to Virginia Beach during his senior (dead) week from Yale. This time, I was without Ross but with three kids, the product of the last nearly twenty years together. We were treated to a spectacular temper tantrum from Bram, perhaps his most dramatic ever. By the time we reached the Cheasapeake Bay Bridge tunnel, a 20 mile crossing, Bram had exhausted himself and gone off to sleep. We rolled down the windows and drove across the bridge/tunnel with late afternoon sun and those wonderful breezes again. Eli summarized it best. "I"m about as happy as a 12 year old can be right now. This is awesome!"

On the road again

When you've spent the past few weeks mostly on the road, it's amazing how quickly the urge to keep moving returns to you. A road trip was definitely in order and this time I decided to fly (or drive) solo. Off to Charlottesville to visit Uncle Tom at Groundhog Hill, his magnificent place in bustling Etlan, Va. Three plus hours was a piece of cake for this road traveler especially accompanied by an excellent audio book, Annie Proulx's Ace in the Hole. Arriving at Tom's in the late afternoon makes for an exquisite drive in that last half hour outside of Charlottesville where it's field after field of horse country. The photo here hardly does justice to Tom's place and was taken after I descended from the house on my way out and through the gate and was too lazy to go back for a snapshot. But the night before I was treated to a fabulous meal, one that unbeknownst to Tom, I've deemed my last supper - it's what I'd eat if I only had one meal left. Fish with capers and lemon, fresh bread and butter and, something new for me, black jasmine rice a wonderfully nutty rice that only Tom would have stocked in his kitchen. An evening of Brothers and Sisters on dvd was the perfect end to the evening.

Even better than arriving at Tom's in the evening is waking up at Groundhog Hill and having coffee on the expansive porch. I departed for Charlottesville just as the crew arrived to work on the shingles. Took a tour through the mall, pedestrian area, of downtown Charlottesville. Emerged from the shopping mecca with only a few used books for the kids and a new pair of shoes more appropriate for my new life as a student. Was hoping to connect with Kent Dougherty, friend from Pingry, and city planner but it didn't work out. Enjoyed a nice lunch at Revolutionary Soup and time alone before it was time to head back to reconvene wiht the kids, MayLynn and Charlie to celebrate May Lynn's birthday.

Surf's Up, Mom

A perfect beach day. The kind when it's not too hot but the breeze still feels good. The water is not too cold or too rough. And everyone -- including me -- goes in the water. Eli and Orly ride waves repeatedly. Even Bram shouts "Surfs up, Mom" and jumps on the boogie board for some shallow wave riding. Late afternoon reading on the beach. Corona and fish tacos for dinner with a special Grasshopper Sundae dessert made by Eli. Just doesn't get any better.

Everything tastes better in NJ

At least that’s what my kids say that I say all the time. It’s hard not to during the summer when I can relive my childhood favorites all on this on Long Beach Island. But really all the great food I miss about NJ year round is here on this island right now. Today, I introduced the kids to the Jersey sub. Sure the water park was cool. But stopping for a sub and a birch beer was the highlight of the day for me. Not sure why bread, deli meat (cheese for me these days) and lettuce taste better in NJ but they do. The kids agreed. If you really want to get me started, the NJ tomato and blueberries take my breath away. Bram has turned into a huge fan of corn on the cob this week, devouring multiple pieces at one meal. Is anyone going to eat that last piece we’ve taught him to ask before he reaches for it. Then there is the daily ritual of the ice cream which in all fairness is the same, just tastes better during the summer when eaten with a cool ocean breeze and with jimmies instead of sprinkles.

I didn’t want to leave things so one-sided however so I embarked on a review of great foods at some of our other hangouts and homes with the kids as we drove back from miniature golf. What’s better in Virginia Beach? Grammy’s desserts says Eli. . She makes the best zebra pie ever! Grammy’s 4^th of july jello, blueberry and cool whip says Orly. What tastes better in Atlanta? This one stumped the kids. Truth be told we don’t do a lot of BBQ. They like the smoothies that Dad takes them for. I like the grits and biscuits though they can hardly be mainstays of my diet the way blueberries and tomatoes can in the summer. What tastes better in the north Georgia mountains? That one was easy. First strawberries Memorial Day weekend, peaches a few weeks later. And the corn and tomatoes up there aren’t bad either. But they aren’t as good as the ones in NJ!

Jersey Girls (Still) Don't Pump Gas

It’s true. NJ and Oregon are the only states in the nation that still has mandatory full-serve gas. At least you get something for those $4 + tanks of gas! I love that fact that so many things about NJ and about the shore are still the same. Mostly I love seeing all this through my children’s eyes and remembering my own time at the shore as a kid. This place is a wonderland for the kids.

I’ve had a chance to spend one-on-one time with all the kids already this week. Love them together but nothing beats one-on-one time. Eli and I are studying for his bar mitzvah in the evening together. During the day, I love riding our bikes and taking him to the Foundation Tennis Club for his lesson where I can sit and read, write and just enjoy the ocean breeze. Orly is my roommate at the beach and we read side by side in bed in the evening. When she’s not reading, she’s started writing music and lyrics for pop songs. Her first is called Popular. Here’s a taste. “I’m the poor girl in town just sitting around, waiting for something to happen with my life. Popular, popular. It's everything I want to be. Popular Popular. Just doesn't seem to happen to me. Just because I'm poor. Not working out a mansion door." Watch out miley cyrus. We also spent yesterday morning at a mosaic workshop where we collaboratively made a mailbox. It’s not quite ready for prime time and will probably serve more as a place to keep garden tools than be featured on the street. But it was good practice and I’ve fine tuned my ideas what I want our mailbox to look like. Lastly, Bram is still recovering from not having me entirely to himself as he did last week. Truly, losing me as his roommate has been traumatic for him. But we’ve finally sat down and started working on the official book of our love sayings. I tell Bram how much I love him and then he one-ups me many times over telling me how much more he loves me. For example, he loves me and I am more beautiful than the white house x 100 white houses put together. Apparently that’s a lot. I’ll take it.

Spring Lake, The Other Jersey Shore

Exhausted and admittedly a bit hungover, we rouse ourselves and the kids for a quick stop en route to my parents beach house in LBI. For Ross, it’s his only day at the shore and a chance to catch up with college friends, Tom and Irina who live in Hoboken but own a house in Spring Lake. This is the other Jersey shore with Victorian homes and green lawns. No cheesy boardwalk a far cry from the Wildwood and Beach Havens of my youth. Tom and Irina have a great beach house with yet another front porch. I feel so privileged that every stop that I have made on this road trip has led me to a front porch. What better place to catch up with old friends (that’s old as in a long time ago, not friends who are old). Rain and serious thunderstorms prevent it from being a true beach day so instead we prolong the porch sitting, rejoice at Tom’s return to good health and enjoy an amazing lunch. Our lunch doesn’t come from the Martha Stewart Great Food Fast cookbook but I peruse it while at the house and decide it’s a must get. (Writing this a few days after the fact, I’m already the proud owner of the cookbook thanks to Amazon). Rain never clears so I take the kids and leave for LBI once they get a little stir crazy from being inside all day and Tom takes Ross to the train so he can make an evening flight back to Atlanta.

65 years, 7 continents

New character arrives in our blog. Actually Orly and Eli joined in the last posting and weren’t suitably welcomed. Trying to keep their presence to a minimum given that this is the mom and bram roadtrip blog. But alas that part of the trip is now over and we are into the next phase. A week at the shore (NJ/LBI) and a week at the beach (Viriginia Beach). Note that it is the same Atlantic coastline (give or take 300 miles) but one is definitely the shore and the other the beach.

Before the beach, however, enter Ross aka Dad (that’s for Orly who seems to be speaking in text these days, btw, lol, etc) Ross came up for the weekend specifically for mom’s 65^th birthday party. The party was not a surprise but the theme, Around the World with Lenore, was. What fun we had with the theme – how could we not given the guest of honor and the great material. Trips to all seven continents in 65 years! Here is a picture of the Memory Lane picture that we had created for mom on the theme and the great centerpieces that we put together. Creative inspiration compliments of Nancy Joffre who is my creative inspiration in life! Not easy though to find postcards of places far and near. Vintage ones yes but not new ones. Need to make a plug for cafépress.com which is where I was able to search and find examples of the places mom has been. Implementation flawlessly executed by my partner-in-crime, sister-in-law Amy who worked closely with the venue and catering team to put together an original tastings menu with food from or representative of the places mom has been. Check out this photo of the menu card. Not easy to find indigenous Antarctic cuisine so the team came up with milkshakes as a dessert and a snowy looking cauliflower panna cotta (milkshakes were the more successful item but both great ideas)

The other dynamic duo behind this great party was Andy Fisher, family friend who owns Astor wine, and my dad of course. We’re all so happy to see Andy’s enthusiasm for the new space that he built above the wine store. The tasting room and demo kitchen are also phenomenal event spaces. Amy has already hinted strongly about where she wants her next birthday celebration. But first thanks Andy. I know how much Dad values your friendship and I only wish that I were in NY/NJ more to see more of you as well. And, Dad. Thanks for giving Amy and I carte-blanche to work on the party for mom. I know you wanted to do something special for mom and I think we pulled if off. I knew you’d never make it through that toast without crying:) and I love you for it.

Special thanks to all of mom’s terrific friends and family who made it to New York during a busy summer (especially the Cohens and Benders who traveled the farthest) and for all of your wonderful toasts and kind messages!

Coming home to a Friendly place

We manage to relinquish our great parking space rather than get a ticket or towed and head to NJ. Still have things to do for mom's party and we need to unload the car so we can head to the airport to pick up Orly, Eli, Mom and Dad from their trip out west. Before going to the house in Chatham, I take Bram to one of my favorite childhood places, Friendly's. Must be a mid-Atlantic thing. I've never managed to live anywhere else with Friendly restaurants so I indulge along with Bram. Actually indulge is all relative. I have tuna salad and broccoli. Bram has the largest shirley temple I've ever seen, lunch and then an enormous ice cream. A huge make your own sundae. All for the low low price of $4.95. What a deal! We like it so much that we bring Eli and Orly back the next day.

While at Friendly's Bram and I reminisce about our trip. Or part one of the trip -- mom and bram travel to NYC. We still have two more weeks, a week each at LBI and Va Beach. Not to mention the big party on Saturday night.

Bram's favorites
Training Maggie, Anne's dog in DC
Eating lots of ice cream – 2 x in new york, once in hendersonsville, 2 x at friendly’s
Playing basketball at Blue Star before dinner
Telling jokes to Luke in Delaware
Going to camp in Pennsylvania
Seeing the White House
Playing in fountains a NMAA, at Longwood Gardens and in NY (Natural History and River Park)
Ordering his own dinner in DC at the Mexican restaurant
Playing pokemon with all the boys
Going to the baseball game in WB and doing Cupid Shuffle

Mom's favorites
Seeing all my friends and all those kids (in order of appearance: Daniel, Henry, Jamie, Max, Sam, Ben, Luke, Richie, Max, Teddy, Eliza, Aaron, Jason, Alex, Nora and Anna)
GPS (my new friend, badly needed in my life)
Fountains, fountains, fountains (see above-what a great feature during summer)
Watching Bram literally skip through the cities we visited
Lincoln Monument at night
Anything in NYC and DC

I could go on and on. It was all such a treat. To have the time to take this drive, see old friends and be one on one with Bram. And like I said, there is more of the road trip to come. Stay tuned.

NYC, what is it about it?

That's an Annie tune I used to love. Unlike our friends, Deena and Ben, however, when we go to NYC we don't actually do theater much anymore. I like to pretend, and that means pretend, that I'm a New Yorker when I'm in town. Fortunately, Jeff and Amy are real New Yorkers so I can hang around with them and the kids and pretend away.

Arrive in New York and discover that Bram has a fear of elevators. So we walk up 11 flights of stairs to the apartment. I vow not to do this again and throw him on the elevator next time, a vow I don't end up keeping. Instead, I call it much needed exercise for the next few days.

Jeff and I take the kids over to the Natural History Museum to the fountains just outside the planetarium. Free, clean, cool fun on a hot summer NYC day. What a great space. Wish I had pictures to share but alas the camera battery is still dead. Amy comes home from work and makes a yummy pasta salad and then Bram and I run over to Hilary's to see her boys. Meet Alex for the first time (cutie) and see Jason who is going to kindergarten in the fall. Wow time flies. Beg Hilary to send me a family photo for my blog since I don't have the camera. Thanks, Hil. And thanks for the great beach reading. I'll think of you as I devour some last good fiction before it's time to hit the books in the fall.

Next day we don't do much in the am but meet Amy for lunch. After I take the kids (Eliza and Bram) to the Morgan library. Great exhibit of hunting in manuscripts and we look for badgers, bears and other animals. We indulge in cookies and milk in the cafe. Eliza begs to see the pretty room which is what she calls Morgan's library in the old building twice! Madison Ave bus home is always a treat, for me at least. The ultimate in window shopping and what a bargain. $2 MTA card and I can only look at the windows! In the eve, Bram and I venture forth to Brooklyn to see Kathryn's girls. These are the only girls we've seen since Craig's in DC. Wonder why my friends, including myself, have produced so many more boys! Need to do final tally. Love Curtis and Kath's new place on Plaza St. Great light, great spaces. Quick catch up over pizza and legos and then back to the city. Ah, forgot that Bram has fallen for Yolato which is like Yoforia for Atlanta folks or Pinkberry for the LA/NY crowd. Great grapefruit sorbet. Bram is quite pleased with his strawberry and chocolate. We are both so happy with our treat that we go back two days in a row. It's summer after all.

Can't we stay another day?

Hats off to Wilkes-Barre again. Bram wanted to stay another day in WB instead of heading to NYC to see his cousins. I was quite taken by the life in WB but it was time to get to NYC, our northermost stop, to see everyone in the city and get going on the final planning relating to mom's party on Saturday.

It's amazing that NYC and Wilkes-Barre are just over two hours apart. A world of difference. Yet one similarity. I got a parking spot literally right in front of the door of Jeff's building on West End Ave just as I had on Charles St. Unprecedented. Bram says we can never leave. Alas, we must leave by 11 AM on Thursday when they street clean. Yet another similarity between WB and NYC. Regular street cleaning days. One crazy thing about WB I forgot to mention, though forward thinking I might add, is that they charge per bag of garbage for pick up. Actually you buy these stickers in advance and put them on your bags. You don't actually pay the garbage man directly. Wonder if this is a common practice I've never come across....

Wilkes Barre, in the middle of everything

You'd think Wilkes Barre is in the middle of everything based on our first night's gathering at Paula and Joe's house here in Kingston near Wilkes Barre. We arrived in time for dinner only one half-hour before Joe's friends from home (Granville, OH) also arrived en route to Baltimore from the Cape. Such a mid point. Such a rest stop. But alas, the draw is not Wilkes Barre. It's Paula and Joe, dear friends of ours from Chicago and their 3 boys who welcome us with open arms into their historic home on a tree lined street with yet another great porch. I'm starting to feel like I'm on a tour of great porches. Check out this picture of Paula and Joe's. Sorry I didn't get one of Anne, Lucy or Wendy's.

So Joe tells me Wilkes Barre/Scranton is the third largest metro area in PA. Certainly doesn't feel metro, much more small town. Tree-lined streets, welcoming porches, neighbors dropping by. You get the idea. Once again, Bram wins instant welcome when he enters carrying his official binder of Pokemon cards and his DS with the new Indiana Jones game. Richie ever so politely shakes his hand and informs me that usually when he does this, he ends up being good friends with that person. Baby Teddy proves more of a challenge and is none too happy to see a new face, suspecting that I am here to take his mom somewhere. Over the next 24 hours I manage to win him over and we are now friends which means that not only will he hold my hand and give me hugs but I am treated to the best great big smile I've seen in a long time. It's a winning smile. Hope he never loses it. Six year old Max befriends Bram and on Monday they are off to camp at the JCC. Bram jumps on the bus with Max and Richie with hardly any idea what state he is in, let alone where he is going. All he knows is camp and that means good things.

So Paula and I spend the morning touring Wilkes Barre, running errands and getting lunch. In the afternoon, we treat ourselves to pedicures at a nearby spa. We return just in time to get the boys off the bus, a bit of down time (DS for the boys, email for the moms) and have some dinner. A short rain almost derails our evening activity -- a trip to watch the minor league Yankee team face the Braves farm team from Richmond. Bram claims he's been to a Braves game in Atlanta. I can't remember but he's probably right. But neither of us have been to a minor league game. It's a bit more sophisticated than what I was thinking (Bull Durham of course) but still a refreshing change from the big league stadiums. The boys like the game, the french fries, the mid-inning crowd participation games and we last until the seventh inning stretch when it's time to come home and get everyone to bed.

Paula and Joe are quite the troopers having us here on the heels of three summer trips and many loads of laundry. Paula even has a song about the laundry. They make life with three young boys look as easy as it could be with their freshly painted house and perfectly hung artwork. In my world, rehanging art is something that takes at least a year after we paint. I'm inspired and determined not to drag out my own redecorating back home. I've learned a new recipe -- home made chicken nuggets with potato chip crust that Bram seems to love. And Joe has shared the first fruits of his tomato harvest with me. A real honor. (Where are we on the crop back home, Ross?) We are refreshed with new CDs and new books we've borrowed for the remainder of our trip. But mostly, we cannot believe it's been almost twelve years since we've seen each other and we're determined not to let another twelve go by. I'd owe some serious overdue fines on the books and CDs if so! Thanks guys!

Lists to date
Boys visited - 11
Baseball games - 1 (thanks, Joe)
Pedicures - 1 (thanks, Paula)
Pokemon cards acquired - 35 (30 thanks mom plus 5 from some good trades)
Toilets clogged - 2 (no new ones)

Porches, pancakes and papers

We spent most of Sunday with Wendy, George and Luke. A lazy morning of pancakes, paper and back porch was just what the doctor ordered for me the somewhat weary traveler and especially for Wendy and George recovering from colds and pneumonia. I rallied for a self-guided run/walk through campus which was really lovely and the Main Street area which had lots to offer in thew way of diners (I'm a big fan) though Wendy assures me it's lacking in any kind of international food.

Estimated departure for Longwood Gardens 10 AM
Actual departure 1 PM (oops)

We did get to Longwood Gardens which I've always wanted to see. Fortunately for the boys, there was a tree house exhibition there and we thoroughly enjoyed the treehouses. The boys especially liked an area set aside to build your own tree house and played happily for sometime while we lounged in the shade. The children's garden had great water features in a sophisticated but scaled down setting. George's 6 foot, 6 inch frame looked comical as he made his way through the space but Wendy and I were quite comfortable!

Quick goodbyes and time to hit the road for our next stop -- Kingston, PA where Paula, Joe, Richie, Max and Teddy await us.

DC to UD2

Upon awakening in DC on Saturday, Bram did not react kindly to the news that we were scheduled to depart that day. With four other boys to play with, he was in heaven. I, too, was in heaven in Anne and Curt's incredible welcoming house. We did manage to move on mid-day and made one last quick stop in the District -- at a gaming store that sold used Pokemon cards, 5 cents each. I splurged for 20!

GPS took us to Virginia for a visit with Lucy and her wonderful two boys, Sam and Ben. Jared was out on a long bike ride despite the 90 +degree heat. That's dedication. Once again, Bram was welcomed into the household of boys with Pokemon cards as his entry ticket. The boys played, Lucy and I caught up and we had a yummy summer lunch on the porch. Bram and I were both incredibly entertained by the cherry pitter that Lucy had received as a gift. Also loved the framed pieces of her grandmother's lace and couch pillows - a mix of Target and boutique that worked oh so well. Always practical that Lucy.

Late afternoon departure to Newark, DE and we are greeted on the steps of Wendy and George's bungalow by Luke (4 1/2) offering Bram his choice of fireman helmets as a welcome gesture. It took Luke only a short time to figure out that Bram was a cool older kid and they were off playing legos. Wendy and George both work at University of Delaware, Wendy on the faculty of the art history department and George in the international development office. When George told me he worked at UD too I thought he said UD2 and tried to figure out politely what it stood for. UD too. Now I get it. Wendy showed me around their house which as a great piece of property so close to the university. Wendy seems to be winning the battle with the resident groundhog and has some great flower and vegetable gardens going. She also has created a great outdoor room-like space with lights, a trellis and a table. We opted for the indoor dinner given the time of year and bug population. During dinner, Luke discovered that Bram has quite a knack for telling jokes. Especially ones with poop in them. They humored each other and all of us. An exhaustive bedtime routine for both boys left us little energy to catch up so we retired for the night.

Latest totals
Toilets clogged - still 2 (Wendy and George are lucky so far)
Poop jokes told - 8 (one joke told at least 8 times)
Boys visited - 8

At home in DC

It's been 14 years since I've lived in DC but this is still my all-time favorite city in the US. I don't know if it's the overall city plan, public transportation or solidity of the architecture that resonates with me. Or the seriousness of the work all around juxtaposed with the swarms of tourists that humors me. But I still love DC.

Bram has integrated himself right into the Large household along with their guests from Connecticut. The five boys are buddies minus a few Pokemon trading fights. Bram has really taken to Maggie the dog and loves that she likes to fetch -- something our own dog is deficient at.

We were the last out this morning and wandered our way down to Cleveland Park metro. First stop Museum of Natural History. We were looking for the crystal skull exhibit which turns out to be one crystal skull, a forgery, on display outside the cafeteria. Bram was still enamored and we had time to take in the bugs, rocks and skeletons as well. As usual, the highlight for Bram was a stop at the gift shop which yielded him a crystal making kit.

Next stop was the Spy Museum, again the gift shop. The museum is geared to 12 and up so we opted to wait until he's older despite the fact that PG-13 movies are a staple of his entertainment. I highly recommend the book and movie section of the gift shop. Bram added a monkey stuffed animal to his collection. Across the street, the renovated National Museum of American Art and National Portrait Gallery are now joined by a stunning courtyard. After a quick visit to the Hall of Presidents to view the presidential portraits, we set up shop in the courtyard and played several rounds of Harry Potter Uno. Right down the middle of the courtyard is a fountain of sorts, sheets of water that flow across the slate. Kids and adults are welcome to wade in it and Bram and I splashed with delight.

Off to meet up with Craig and the girls. Christie, Cara and Cate. Bram and Cate hit it off immediately when Cate showed him her collection of cars. She then spent the rest of our visit trying to convince Bram of the merits of the guinea pig vs. the hamster as a pet. I'm not personally a fan of either but the guinea pig does seem more substantial and less rat-like. Bram's been lobbying for a new pet for his 7th birthday in November. We'll see.

Jody (from NY, living in CT, moving to DC) and I are still trying to find our six degrees of separation -- we'll figure it out even though we didn't get to it even with the help of a pitcher of margaritas at Cactus Cantina.

Latest totals
Toilets clogged - 2 (Bram, not sure what's up with that)
Boys visited - 3+2 guests of Anne's
Girls visited - 1.5 (Cara, Cate stayed upstairs for most of our visit since she didn't feel well)
Gift shops visited - 3 (out of 3 museums)

The longest day

Arrived tonight in DC after what should be our longest drive of the trip. 9+ hours due to some heavy traffic in Virginia and an active bladder. Bram's that is. Thanks to Pam for suggesting that we defy the GPS, avoid I-85N and opt for a more scenic route on I81. Highlight of the long drive was the late evening hours driving through Virginia near Shenandoah as the sun was setting. Passed through rolling hills (including Paris, Va) where Ross and I used to go for day trips when we were first dating and living in DC.

Catching our first glimpse of the Washington Monument, I remind Bram that he learned a lot about the presidents this year in school. He told me he didn't know much about the monuments but he did know a lot about the Taj Mahal. I told him that if he thought 9 hours was a long drive, we wouldn't be getting to the Taj Mahal anytime soon. Made a loop around the Mall and showed Bram the White House and other landmarks. Parked and walked up to the Lincoln Memorial which I haven't done in years. It was swarming with tourists but we had a quick glimpse of Old Abe and the stunning view of the summer moon rising over the Mall.

Arrived at Anne and Curt's new fabulous place on Macomb and met up with their other houseguests, Jody and Phil, friends intown house hunting. All totaled, there are five boys here under the age of 10 who remarkably know all the same You Tube videos and were fast friends. Quick catch up with Anne before attempting to get Bram to bed. The 6-8 pm car nap are not helping.

Latest totals
Movies watched - 3 (including the same one two times in a row)
Gas station fill-ups - 3 (don't ask for the tab to date, depressing)
Nintendo DS games played - ? (not able to count, priceless-thanks Haley!)

Camp Blue Star and Asheville

Drive up to camp on 11, a gorgeous road through the country and North Carolina's state parks. Greeted by baby Daniel and Thimi (sp?) while Pam finishes call. Mountain weather is gorgeous just perfect. Bram loves camp other than that large looming lake which he declares off limits. Daniel is yummy and lets me hold him which thrills me since during our last visit he discovered stranger anxiety which I declared unacceptable.

Pam and Tom use our arrival at camp as an excuse to escape chow mein night in the dining hall and we head to Hendersonville to a pizza place, First West (I think). Delicious pizza and hummous. Daniel decides to show his parents a new trick and not sit nicely at the table (imagine that, a one-year old) so we make a quick exit. Pam and Tom head back to camp while we spend some time in Hendersonville getting ice cream and walking around before we head to their house in Asheville. Make requisite stop at CVS.

Bram immediately discovers that a) he can't figure out how to work the tv and b) there is a picture of his friend Ethan on Pam's refrigerator! I discover that a) Pam is amazingly neat and has very little of the large plastic stuff that cluttered my house when my kids were small b) Pam has great taste in art and I'm loving the folk art all over her house -- I'd expect nothing less in Asheville c) She has great paint colors - maybe I can get some tips d) she still has that great comfy black chair downstairs and e) she has pens in every room that actually work! Amazing what you can learn when you visit friends.

List of the day (with credit to Tom and Anne's blog for inspiration)
Movies watched (Bram not mom): 1
Toilets clogged (Bram not mom): 1
Ice cream eaten (Bram and a little for mom): 1

We're off

Estimated departure time: 12:00 PM
Actual departure time: 1:30 PM

Did an intervention with myself when we were in Target at 11:50 AM getting last minute things (had not packed car yet) and realized that we were not leaving civilization to drive from Atlanta to NYC and, yes, there would be yet another Target along the way. In all fairness, stuck around in the morning to do some last minute paint color selections for downstairs so that can get done while we are away. I'm seeing blues and greens in my sleep. Still can't believe that we chose Florida Keys Blue for Orly's room. Think robin's egg blue. Much better.

Bought GPS and still getting used to defying it. I hate confrontations. But she seems to recover well when I go off route. Maybe "recalculate" which is what she says when we veer off route should be my new mantra.

10 minutes outside Atlanta Kathryn G calls to say how much she is looking forward to having dinner with us in Brooklyn tonight. Oops, guess my scheduling wasn't all that great. Wrong week. We definitely won't make Brooklyn by 6 PM.

We're starting to plan

We've been in touch with the people we plan to visit and the itinerary is coming together. Used google maps to figure out distances from one stop to the next. Still need to get a navigator/gps since I tend to get lost pretty easily! Can't wait to get started. Here's the schedule (no need to read- this is for me to get organized):
Wednesday, July 16 - Camp Blue Star (Hendersonville, NC) with Pam, Tom and Daniel
Thursday, July 17-Washington DC with Anne and family
Friday, July 17-Washington DC (visit with Craig and sightseeing)
Saturday, July 18-Washington DC (lunch with Lucy) and drive to Newark DE to see Wendy
Sunday, July 19-visit with Wendy, drive to see Paula and family
Monday, July 20-visit with Paula, drive to NYC
Tues-Thurs-NYC, get ready for mom's party, pick up kids on Thursday
Friday, July 25-Ross flies to NJ
Saturday, July 26 - mom's party!
Sunday, July 27 - visit with Tom and go to LBI
Monday, July 28- August 3 - LBI
Sunday, August 3- drive to Va Beach
Monday, August 4-Saturday, August 9- Va Beach
Saturday, August 9- back to Atlanta!