Bowlin Beige

This past weekend was just a typical weekend at the Bowlin home. Friday night we visited our friends Jenn and Kyle and saw their new baby girl, Emma. She was a week old and adorable. And tiny. I forget how small they are when they are born! Little Bug and Chunky Monkey are now 38 and 23 lbs, respectively. Little 7 lb Emma feels like a feather! [Mommy points lost for taking two germy kids to see a newborn: 2]  I did lecture Ainsley about not touching ANYTHING. She was pretty good. And we used a lot of hand sanitizer. As a reward, we all went to Cheese House for dinner (aka Noodles & Company). [Mommy points earned for a fun dinner out: 1] Ainsley had dance class Saturday morning - she will not tolerate pictures these days, but she looks adorable in her little pink tu-tu!   [Mommy points earned for braiding her hair the way she likes: 1]  Meanwhile, Parker played peek-a-boo in a Diapers.com box. It was bitterly cold outside so the whole family went to the Children's Museum.

Last weekend we were lucky to get away for a few days to rest, catch up with friends and eat a lot. There's nothing better than enjoying the sights and tastes of D.C. during Restaurant Week. We actually didn't plan the trip around that, but it worked out nicely. Nana and Papa graciously agreed to come entertain the kids while we were gone. We used Eric's Marriott Gold status to get a free suite at the JW Marriott next to the White House, which put us in prime location for sight-seeing and restaurant visiting. Some highlights from the weekend include: - Visiting the Smithsonian's Museum of American History and Museum of Natural History, the Newseum, the Library of Congress, U.S. Capital Building, and U.S. Supreme Court. - Dinner with the Swearingens and O'Neills - first visit without kids in a long time! - Famous Sunday brunch at Old Ebbitt Grill with the Thornes. - A fun Italian dinner with my college roommate and her husband (the Chistolinis). Apparently wh

Parker is so close to walking these days I can hardly wait! Part of me really loves the fact that he still crawls because it means there are fewer bumps and bruises, and I still have an excuse to carry him around. I know it won't last much longer. But I'm also anxious for him to walk so he can start enjoying more activities with Ainsley - playing in the yard, running around the zoo, and upgrading his status to 'partner in crime.'  He has definitely learned a few tricks from his big sister already. He climbs on everything, learned how to pull the tray off his high chair, and does this crazy monkey-walk ('crawls' on his hands and feet instead of his knees). Ainsley gets annoyed with him at times, but she also loves sharing her Cheerios with him and having him chase her up the stairs. I don't think he'll be walking before his birthday (8 days away) but it certainly won't be too much longer. In the meantime I'll just try to enjoy every minute of my &