We love the National Zoo!

We especially love it when the animals are out in full force! It was so great! We saw so many animals that were actually being very entertaining! (I should have taken more pictures). We decided to go the zoo very last minute, and I texted a bunch of friends to see if anyone wanted to join us but no one could. Then as the day went on I realized that it was actually a lot of fun to just be there with my two little guys. It was a day at the zoo that I'll always remember.

Damon was such a good brother, always right there with Brixton ready to show him the next animal, and always wanting to hold his hand. (This picture is really them in full motion running up the hill)

snakes....can you see the dead rat?

This tiger walked back and forth for 5 minutes growling really loudly...it was cool

Had to stop for a cotton candy and sno-cone on our way back up. I love that this Zoo is free (since the definitely food isn't)

@ the pizza playground, pointing at the fake cow, and saying "mooooo"

got him. :)

The elephants were amazing! There were two out walking around, throwing dirt on themselves, playing with giant toys....Damon got bored, but I made him stay there for at least 20 minutes. What amazing animals!

Damon was an amazing sport. It's a walk from our apartment to the metro, then a walk from the metro to the zoo....then walking around the zoo for 4, yes 4, hours...then the walk back to the metro, and back home....it was such a long day....but I LOVED it.

See ya!

Picnic

Since we took down our dining table weeks ago (to make room for stacking boxes) - Damon's been planning a picnic for us. We finally got around to it the other day.

Brixton will FINALLY kind of look at the camera

not shy

Mike doesn't really like this "scrunchy" face....but I LOVE IT!

donuts...

just waiting for Costco to open.....these pictures just make me laugh. Who doesn't love mini powdered donuts!

Seems like yesterday....

It seriously seems like yesterday that Damon was headed into his new Elementary School, starting his first day of Kindergarten......

(first day of school) - August 2010

9 months later, June 2011, with his beautiful teacher

here he is with his morning crew of boys waiting for the bus (it's an interesting group)

Damon and I are down there early every morning, and the boys come running in from different directions, asking if Damon brought down his soccer ball. It sure would have been a boring year of waiting for the bus if we didn't bring the soccer ball down every day!

Damon, Leo, and George....just a sample of how the last day of school went!

Then walking back to the car a butterfly landed right on Brixton's leg. It stayed there for a while. It was so strange, but cool I guess.

Damon had a fantastic year with so many amazing friends. It broke my heart to pick him up from his last day of school and think about how far away we'll be moving. He and I have made some dear friends through his class this year, and we are so sad to be leaving Bethesda. You know who you are. :)

A Love / Hate Relationship

So if you know Brixton, you know that he loves stuffed animals, or basically anything with fur. But we have this small problem with our little friend Tickle Me Elmo. Well, he loves him....because he's little, and furry....but if Elmo's button gets switched to "ON" - it is another story. It literally is one of the saddest things I've ever seen. The look on his face when Elmo starts talking or moving is pure terror. It is seriously heart breaking.

Yes, those are tears in his eyes. We try every once in a while to turn him on and see if he'll grow out of this terror stage, but nothing so far. The crazy part is, that he really loves Elmo! He brings me Elmo books, he points him out if we are at the store/mall and he see's pictures of him...etc...He just can't handle the toys that laugh in your face I guess. If I was a bad mom I'd get the total breakdown on video....hhmmmm...

love

no words needed.....

(Thanks for the pic Shannon)

oh, and no, this is not our dog

One down....

Last weekend we were able to check one of our "to do before we move" things off of our list. We have gone down to the National Mall many times over the last 6 1/2 years, but it was definitely something that we wanted to do one more time before we leave DC.

It was really hot, but we didn't care. Damon brought his soccer ball, and we played pass all the way along the grass fields

see his kick?

what? a picture of Mike and I? weird. I think it was last year around Memorial Day that we had a picture taken together. (Thanks Damon!)

at the FDR Memorial

climbing trees around the Tidal Basin

whoa! What are the odds that the two states we are going to have lived in were right next to each other at the WWII Memorial?! Had to take a pic.

I love nice people who offer to take pictures for us. :)

the boys - Washington Monument

Living here has been amazing, and we have been so lucky to be 15 minutes away from downtown DC. Awh, we're definitely going to miss it. (but not the humidity, nope)