Virtual Guestbook :: Mama Buddy from Our LA Days

My friend J and her family were in DC to take part in the White House Easter Egg Roll, so I got to spend an afternoon with them as they toured some of the monuments. 

We became friends through a mutual friend when we all had wee little ones (my second, their first), and she and I bonded over our love of children's literature (she's a former teacher and now an Elementary Education professor specializing in literacy). Coincidentally, her husband and I briefly worked at the same non-profit and he was ahead of me in the Urban Planning program at UCLA. 

Anyway, she's another friend I don't get to see very often. After they moved away from LA, she and I met a couple of times at an education conference she and my husband were attending (and I was tagging along to), but I missed seeing her this spring when the conference was in Philly. So I was really thrilled she made another trek to the East Coast. Besides catching up with our kids' lives I absolutely love "talking shop" with her because she doesn't mind me going on on and on about children's literature. And I learn so much from her because she comes to the topic from an academic perspective and she is more well-read than I am.

Virtual Guestbook :: Lil Sis & Her BF

When we first moved out here, my sisters and I were hoping that they'd be able to visit together so we could do a Sisters' Weekend in DC. But with two busy career women (not me!), their schedules just didn't work out for a trip out here together. So, my younger sister planned her trip to coincide with the last weekend our mom was here. She brought her boyfriend along, and our dad babysat their dog back in LA. :)

[My sister, her boyfriend, and I got separated from the rest of the group during a Metro transfer so we walked from the Metro Center station along the Mall to the Tidal Basin where we met up with the rest of the family.]

Even though it was my sister's first time in DC, we didn't do too many touristy things besides going to see the cherry blossoms in DC. Since my mom wasn't feeling well, I took her (and Maya) back home early from the Tidal Basin while my sister, her BF, and my boyswent to a couple of museums. At night, my sister and her BF went exploring around Bethesda and Chevy Chase for dessert, but they were happy to hang out with us most of the time. 

On Sunday we went to C&O Canal National Historical Park and finally discovered Great Falls (the Maryland side)! We'd been to this park before and never walked in the direction of the Falls. Boy, we felt silly missing out on the view until now!

We also took my mom out for her first taste of Ethiopian cuisine. 

I really hope my sister comes out to visit again. I'd love to take her around to other museums and do some shopping and eating in DC.

Virtual Guestbook :: My Mom

I don't want to reduce my mom's visit to cooking and cleaning, but she really could not help herself, despite the fact she told me she was on vacation and was looking forward to taking it easy!

[Making her specialty: okonomiyaki]

[Like my mother-in-law, she couldn't resist the temptation of sweeping up dust bunnies!]

[She helped me cook 10 pounds of teriyaki chicken for Maya's school's Multicultural Night.]

[What I suspect will be a tradition when my parents come to visit: sushi night!]

One of the reasons for my mom's visit was to see the cherry blossoms. Luckily, the peak bloom was late this year and coincided not only with my mom's stay, but with my sister's weekend visit. Unfortunately, my mom was feeling under the weather that Saturday and was going to forego our outing to the Tidal Basin. But, after taking some medicine, we convinced her to make the trek into DC. Yes, it was super crowded and it was pretty warm, but it was absolutely lovely to see so many cherry trees. I'm really glad I got to share this experience with my mom. 

Virtual Guestbook :: Former Co-Worker

What a wonderful place to meet up with a former co-worker from Japan who now lives in NYC. She helped guide me through my 10-month stint in Tokyo, truly living alone for the first time, and in a country that felt like home but always wasn't.

It's been over 15 years since then, and we've only seen each other on a few occasions, so I was really quite excited that she and her husband decided to come down to DC at the last minute to see the cherry blossoms.

National No Housework Day

Today is National No Housework Day! I don't really need an excuse or a "holiday" to not do housework, but I will gladly take it. And, since my mom is here, I'm sure she'll pick up the slack! ;)

updated April 10, 2014 :: See, I told you she would do the housework I don't!

Virtual Guestbook :: College buddy

[The Capitol Columns in the background at the National Arboretum]