A Visit to the Zoo

As we continue to try and stay out of our house as much as possible while it's on the market, we decided to take a quick trip up to Washington DC to visit the National Zoo.  It was a great time!  Ryan loved the hotel (Embassy Suites), but needed some time to warm up to the zoo.  He was so overwhelmed the first day, he wouldn't let us put him down.  We went back a second day just to see if he'd like it better on the second exposure.  After all of that, his favorite animal was the turtle :)  Mommy and Daddy thought it was pretty amazing to see the panda climbing a tree, but Ryan much preferred the turtles.  Not even the giant turtles, just the plain turtles you can find in your yard, haha.  It was still a fun adventure and we can't wait to go back in a few years when Ryan may actually enjoy it.

On our way up to DC, we visited Mommy's Aunt Jenny in McLean, VA.  Ryan LOVED this visit because Aunt Jenny had lots of cookies :)  We now have to spell c-o-o-k-i-e at our house because Ryan gets so excited when he hears the word.

The Embassy Suites was perfect for us because we could eat some meals in the room (pizza! waffles!), Ryan had his own space to sleep, and there was always lots of activity going on in the lobby (glass elevators! fish pond!).  Perfect for a busy toddler :)

We thought Ryan would love riding the metro since he loves trains, but again he was pretty overwhelmed.  This is the face he had the whole ride:

Then he kept the same expression for the entire zoo trip:

Maybe a hint of a smile seeing the elephants:

The panda climbed a tree and did all kinds of tricks- Mommy and Daddy still can't believe they got to see it.  Maybe waking up at the crack of dawn is not always such a bad thing...  As you can see from the pictures, Ryan is unfazed.

Ryan refusing to walk.  Mommy and Daddy really got a workout holding him.

Watching the gorillas, Ryan still in shock.

Lions!

Ryan was finally willing to walk at the pizza playground:

After a busy day at the zoo, Ryan fell asleep during the walk home.  Mommy and Daddy were able to enjoy lunch at an outdoor cafe while Ryan slept.

Later that afternoon we explored a park in Georgetown.  Finally a smile from Ryan!

Daddy picked out a great restaurant for dinner near our hotel.  It was great food for adults, but also catered to children with a fancy kids menu.  Ryan got to decorate his own cookie which was then baked for him and served as his dessert.  What a great idea!

Look at this great kids meal of apples, chicken, and pasta (not cheap though!)  It was served in these miniature pots.  Of course Ryan barely touched it since he knew there was a cookie out there somewhere for him.

Finally the cookie and the biggest smile of the weekend!

Charlottesville Spring

We had a beautiful spring here in Charlottesville.  With our house on the market, we tried to spend most of the weekends outside enjoying the weather.  Here are some pics from March.

The elementary school near our house has a great playground and is walking distance.  Ryan likes to play on all the "big boy" things with Daddy's help.

We had several rainbows this spring.  Here is Mommy's attempt to get a picture. Ryan thought it was fun to go outside in the rain to take these pics.

Charlottesville has a great downtown pedestrian mall with lots of restaurants and shops.  We have discovered that it is a great place to take a toddler since you can eat outside and make as much noise and mess as you want!  Ryan's favorite part is the ice cream after dinner :) 

Of course one of our favorite activities in Charlottesville is visiting wineries.  Here is Ryan enjoying "Kite Day" at King Family Vineyards.

We spent St. Patrick's Day enjoying the sun at Veritas Vineyard.

These days if we're not out of the house exploring Charlottesville, we are usually out of the house in Richmond.  Ryan loves going to his "Nana Papa House" :) 

Here he helps with the mail.

Goofing off:

Playing at the nearby Children's Museum in Short Pump: