October Mendez Update

Here is part 2 of our DC adventure!

The girls and I went to the Reston Zoo one morning. One very hot morning. The zoo has gotten fabulous ratings, mainly because they have this HUGE barn where you can go feed goats and sheep and then give bottles to all the baby animals. Of course I paid extra for that because it sounded so cute and so much fun! However, I guess when you're short enough that the goats and sheep are taller than you, it's not quite the great idea that I thought it would be. Abby had a total SPAZ-OUT so we didn't last very long in there. Oh well, I got to feed them anyway. 

Here we are on a "hayride" around the zoo. As you can tell, Lily's in the obstinate "I don't want my picture taken" phase. Whatever, I'll take the picture anyway. Take that you toddler.

And to celebrate surviving the zoo, we all got ice cream and push-up Popsicles, and I fed my own wild animals.

In the hotel, we were constantly looking to make our own fun and keep the girls entertained. That ummm, drove me to total madness. Next time we're stuck in hotel - I'm buying cases of "grown-up sauce" (wine) to keep it as entertaining for me. But one thing that did work well was dress-up. We played dress-up with our own clothes, and I hit the thrift stores and bought tons of dress-up costumes - old recital outfits, princess dresses, you name it.

(Notice how Abby has stuck her "wand" in her hair" so she could use both hands to dance.)

We did a bit more sightseeing while in the DC area. Joel and I took the girls downtown one weekend. This is close as we could get to the White House (Abby and I had read a book about the White House.) She decided it was pretty and she wanted to live there. Ha! Abby Mendez for President!

And here we all are enjoying the Mall, and all the wonderful space to just run amok. Abby was in heaven after being cooped up so much for so long.

Our last week in DC, my bestest-estest-estest friend from college came to the DC area with her son. So of course we drove up to visit with them. Abby and Matthew became fast friends.

And FINALLY it was time to fly to Alabama. Not a minute too soon, as my sanity was beginning to be in question. As soon as we got to my parents' home, I found Abby a preschool and enrolled her right away. Unfortunately, there isn't room for Lily yet, we're still on the wait list.

We are fully immersing ourselves in all things "small-town life."

Here is Abby on her first day of preschool in Fairhope.

And here is Abby's first ballet class. (She's on the right, up against the wall.) Now, that is the SAME teacher I took dance from as a child, in the same dance center. Might not be a big deal to most folks, but for me it's just huge that I get to share this with one of my girls. (Lily's not old enough yet.)

And here we are hanging out with Papa Joe (my Dad) at the Fairhope Football Game. Imagine ME trying to explain the game of football to a four-year-old! I thought that would make you guys laugh. We taught the girls to cheer for our team (Go Pi-rates!), I explained what cheerleaders were to Abby, and we watched the band. The girls had a fabulous time, and we actually made it to half-time before we had to head out.

And to round out the month was a visit from Chile! Yes, our friends from the Embassy in Chile came to visit their grandparents. Small world, huh? And yes, just like we had joked in Chile, it turns out that we're related. In a very extended way, but whatever. So, they were here and we got to see them a little and Abby got to play with one of her dearest friends. It was very hard to separate the girls once again, and it was hard for Abby when she realized her friend got to go back "home" to Chile, and she didn't. She hasn't quite forgiven us for that yet.

That's it for this update. More later!

Love,

Julie, Joel, Abby, Lily