Hanami 2011

One of my favorite things about Japan was the cherry blossom viewing, and we're lucky to have moved to a place where we can continue to go and enjoy the trees in the spring. The National Cherry Blossom Festival opened this week, and we went to check it out, despite the very cold weather, on Saturday. Here's what we saw:

Did I mention it was cold?

Of course, we've been following the news about Japan since the earthquake. I joke that I've been keeping track of the news via facebook instead of a major provider. At first, this was true because I was out of town when the earthquake occurred and I also was a little afraid of what I'd see. I was able to use the articles posted by NPR and friends to find out generally what was happening, and also to confirm that the people I know there, who thankfully are mostly in the south of Japan, away from the really scary stuff, are completely fine. I pray for those who are not so lucky.

So the Hanami this year has a kind of bittersweet feel to it, wondering how much anyone in Japan can celebrate the beautiful season. The flowers are lovely, but they do make me a little homesick for the country where we had such wonderful adventures. The people there are what made the trip so delightful for us, and I grieve for them in this time of crisis. It does my heart good to hear of all the ways that the world is helping out now, offering support in a variety of forms. We, too, have done our part as best we could, and I enjoyed the trip down memory lane that seeing the cherry blossoms allows. There is something soothing about all those pink and white blossoms. Also, it wasn't nearly as crowded as last year, when Hanami coincided with Easter. There were lots of people, but it wasn't just a mob, so that was nice. We might try to head back again next weekend.

The next day, it snowed, so spring is not quite here yet, but at least we know it'll be here soon.

Spring Fever Meets Third Trimester

As the weather has gradually gotten warmer around here, Ela and I have been enjoying more and more chances to get outside and do, well, anything. We play in her sandbox, take her for rides on her tricycle (which she just sits on and I push), and we've even made it to the park once. Last weekend, I got really enthusiastic about the nice weather we'd been having and reorganized my clothes, winter out, summer in, which was quite a process since I keep it sorted by maternity (what I can wear now) and regular (what I hope to be wearing by mid-summer). I wanted to do Ela's drawers, too, but I didn't get that far. I'm glad about that now, though, since it's a bit colder again this week. She can keep on wearing her long sleeved stuff, and I just pull sweaters from my closet, where they live year round.
Not getting as far as I expect is kind of a common trend for me just now. Baby is getting quite bulky, and I wear out much faster than I used to. Since the last week or so was pretty busy, I'm purposefully taking it slow this week, mostly hanging out at home, but the weather was begging me to get out and do things, and the contrast between what I want to do and what I really can do gets frustrating at times. I've gone back to my habit of napping with Ela when I can, and I'm always amazed by just how deeply I sleep in the middle of the day.
Thankfully, Ela's night sleep is getting better and better. I still usually have to go in and comfort her about once a night, but there are occasional times when just calling when she cries is enough to convince her to go back to bed. This is especially good since it's getting harder and harder to sleep comfortably with the bulky belly. I don't take very kindly to being forced out of bed when I've finally gotten comfortable.
So we're adjusting to a slightly slower pace for the next few months. I'm learning what I can do without over extending myself, and Ela's getting used to doing a little more for herself. I'm enjoying watching her gain a little indepence. She's going to be a good little helper before we know it!

Girl's Weekend

Last weekend, Ela and I went to the annual Girl's Weekend hosted by my Mom for the ladies of our family. We leave our poor men at home (and often the kids, too) and hang out for a weekend. It's nice to reconnect with our family like that. There's lots of talking, eating and laughing.
This year, Mom's celebrating a big birthday (I won't say which one, just that she looks a lot younger), so we rented a beach house in Holden Beach, NC, for girl's weekend and took our show on the road. It wasn't exactly sunbathing weather, but it was nice enough to go out and get a little sun and enjoy the feeling of being at the beach, which everyone associates with vacation and relaxation. Ela wanted to "see the water" all the time.

She also learned the value of sunglasses.


It was a really nice break for me, too, because she spent a lot of time playing with her family.

Ela and her second cousin Sammy (who she called "Sandy" by the end of the weekend) were good friends all weekend long, too. I loved having the time to visit with family who I don't see nearly often enough. Also, this was my last trip out of town before the baby arrives in May, so I enjoyed the chance to get away and just relax. It was a delightful time for all of us.

Ela's Birthday Party

For Ela's birthday this year, we decided to go to the zoo. She's really into animals right now. We were lucky, and the weather held out for us. It was cloudy, but fairly warm. Also, Ela had slept well and eaten a good breakfast, so she was in a really good mood. We dressed her in her birthday finest, armed ourselves with gift bags and cupcakes, and set out.

All the way there in the car, Ela said "We see lions! We see elephants! We see monkeys!" and proceded to make all the animal noises. As soon as we got there, we met up with a few friends, and the animal viewing began. It's early in the season, so the zoo was not very crowded at all. We were able to get up close to each of the exhibits and take our time watching without feeling like we were in the way.


Ela was delighted to get to see all the animals. She ran along between exhibits saying "Running! Weeee!" as we all trailed after her, just trying to keep up. She only slowed down to look at her favorites. The pandas got a long view, and I think she would have been happy to stare at the elephants all day. She watched a monkey who was hanging out right at the edge of his enclosure for a long time before announcing, "Bye Bye, monkey! I'll miss you!"
Finally, we all got hungry, so we took a lunch break. We stopped into the Mane Restaurant and got hamburgers, nuggets, and fries for everyone. Also, we had cupcakes. Here's what they looked like before I packed them up and they got hauled along in the stroller for several hours.


I forgot to bring the number 2 candle (which we had used on her cupcake the night before), but I suspect the zoo would have frowned on it anyway. So we just sang, and Ela was happy with that.

With renewed energy from all the sugar, we set off to the petting portion of the zoo. The kids were very excited about the chance to touch the cow. The also enjoyed having a look at the donkeys and goats.

Our final stop was to see the lions. They have cubs at the zoo right now, and they were out when we arrived. Ela watched them, as well as the grown ups, with a very serious look on her face for quite some time before announcing, "Simba!" They really were quite fun to watch as they capered around.

By the time we finished looking at the lions, all that walking and the fact that it was well past nap time was catching up with the kids, so we decided to call it a day. Everyone agreed that it had been a very pleasant visit. I love having a free zoo so close by, and it worked out really well for the party. Ela was finally ready to get back into the stroller for the hike back up the hill to the car.

I think she had a good time!

Happy Birthday, Ela!

March 4, 2009


March 4, 2010


March 4, 2011

One Last Snow

We had so much fun up at Wintergreen back in January, that we decided to do it again last weekend. This time, Zack's folks joined us. We all arrived on Friday evening and had a fantastic dinner at a local restaurant. Saturday, Zack, his dad, and his sister took off for the slopes, while Ela, her Grandma, and I headed back to the kiddie play area for one last romp in the snow before spring seriously sets in.
Of course, we went back to our favorite activity from last time...

...and Ela greeted a few old friends with hugs...

We made a new friend, too: Ridgely the bear was out and tubing with the kids. Ela got to give him a hug, too.

And Grandma helped Ela make a few snow balls with the snow ball makers that were available.

Notice she still won't wear mittens, though, so holding the snowballs wasn't as fun as making them.
The nice thing about this trip was that things weren't as crowded, it being the end of the season. When we arrived at the kiddie area, there were may be five kids there, leaving plenty of room for exploration and play. By the time we left, it was getting a bit more crowded, but still not as crazy as it was the last time we went.
We spent about an hour romping in the snow before we took off for a little shopping. We ate some lunch back down off the mountain, and then wandered the small towns in the area checking out interesting stores until dinner time. We met up with the skiiers for dinner. All in all, it was a very pleasant trip, and another nice chance to hang out with family, something we really missed when we were in Japan.
Now, though, I must admit I really am about done with winter. I like the snow and cold and all, but I'm feeling ready to take more trips to the park and walks with kiddo before I get too big to move. Luckily, the weather seems to be in agreement with me. Here's hoping the temperature continues to rise for awhile!