Oh hey, February

Well good golly, January has come and gone, and here we are now approaching Valentine's Day. But, I quickly sum up that January was rather cold and also super fun.

I celebrated my birthday with a visit to the only east coast branch of The Bruery, went roller skating, out to an amazing dinner, received a massage, and for the first time, got over a foot of snow!

 Kids have definitely got their fill of snow play. And I finally resigned to buying a snow shovel.

We visited the College Park Aviation Museum on a particularly dreary Saturday, and had the best time, learning about early flight achievements in the area, as well as dressing up in period wear, and experiencing quite a few hands on activities.

Watching the effects of the shutdown was tough here. We had friends and neighbors impacted, as well as businesses who were suffering from the 35 days of people not having an expendable income. What was so great to see, were those who stood up and shared meals, invited people out to activities, and found creative ways to support neighbors.

During this time, only the independent museums were open since the Smithsonian museums were not funded. It turned out to be a great opportunity to see the National Museum of Women in the Arts, which blew me away. I saw the first fashion exhibit from California-based designers Rodarte, who created the costumes for Black Swan, and many beautiful gowns and pieces straight from the runway. I also saw works by Frida Kahlo and Amy Sherald, whose most famous may be Michelle Obama's portrait hanging in the National Gallery.

 We've spent time with friends and lots of indoor play to combat the cold.

After living in the shadow of the Capitol for nearly 2.5 years, I finally made it inside for a tour, which was really cool. We had a terrific tour guide, who reminded me so much of my sister-in-law, it was hard not to love her humor, stories, and excellent knowledge.

If January came in like a lamb, it went out like a lion with the Polar Vortex descending on us. It wasn't as bad as places in the midwest experienced, but certainly the coldest we've ever experienced. The roads were treacherous, the wind chill frigid--I'm actually surprised school wasn't cancelled. When it warmed up enough to eventually leave the house, it coincided with the government reopening, and it was really energizing to see how many people were excited to be back at their jobs-from the security guards to the docents. Sometimes the east coast gets the best of me with its lack of friendliness and angry drivers, but on that day, everyone was all smiles, and it was really heartwarming to experience.

As I write this, snow is on the horizon for the weekend, but it was a GLORIOUS 70 degrees today-temperatures I don't think we've seen since early October-and we spent much of it outdoors soaking it up.

A Darn Good Birthday

As of Thursday, January 11, the last three weeks of DC temperatures have been at or below freezing. SO DARN COLD! We've all had the most awful colds, flu, stomach viruses--on repeat no less--and forced indoors for the temperatures. Yet, it was like the all mighty Mother Nature knew we needed some slack and the temps rose into the low 60s on Thursday and nearly 70 yesterday, just in time for my birthday. Temperatures have dropped dramatically back into the 30s today with snow flurries, so I find it quite interesting that both this year and last, January 12 has been a random winter day we've been able to enjoy-and that we did yesterday.

Scott took the day off so we could have an entire family day together. Birthdays are a big deal for me-I realize not everyone feels the same way, and as such, I've taken matters into my own hands and plan my own so that expectations are managed. Really it's a day that I want to take full advantage of-from morning to night-and not be idle.

We started out our day at Pinstripes Bowling in Georgetown. I had taken the kids previously but it was the first time we had bowled as a family and what great fun it was. We had the entire alley to ourselves and the kids enjoyed waffles and the adults, beer.

 
After bowling we walked down to the Georgetown waterfront which has been on my bucket list for a while. We were treated to a really cool phenomenon-the temperatures rose so suddenly from the previous three weeks that the Potomac was still frozen, but a combination of steam was coming off and fog from above made for an eerie sight. We watched the seagulls skid to landings on the slightly thawing river and simply enjoyed being outside. Rain was scheduled for the entire day, but (again, thanks Mother Nature!) it rained only overnight and the forecast moved the showers to evening. On our drive home, we even got to see Julia Child's DC home.

After our Georgetown jaunt, 3/4 of us headed home for naps. I took advantage of the opportunity for some solo time and jogged to the Capitol during a beautiful break in the clouds. I made some phone calls and even caught my mailman during his delivery to inquire and receive a much anticipated package from my parents (thanks mom and dad!), and to discover it was his birthday too. (We have the WORST mail service out here. Another post for another day, but basically there are a handful of awesome USPS workers out here and if our particular mailman, Adrian, is not delivering mail but supervising at the facility, we may not see certain packages for days...or ever.) So, it was great to be able to wish him a happy day too.

After returning, the kids and I were also treated to a genuine bike messenger flower delivery-super cool points on that one!

That night, we headed back to northwest and took in a performance at the Kennedy Center, as Scott hasn't been yet. The Millenium Stage has free performances every single night of the year with varying entertainment, so you're always guaranteed something cool and interesting. We were treated to a Congolese soul and funk band and all got to dance. We capped off the night with burgers, beer, and grilled cheese nearby and then brownies at home. Combined with thoughtful messages and calls from friends and family, it was probably one of my best birthdays in a few years. Also, Henry's enthusiasm for my "day long party" was pretty contagious :)