We really wanted to take time to celebrate our family on the week of Roscoe's birthday, and a staycation fit the bill nicely.
We mapped out in advance our planned activities for the week, packing the days with local experiences--some that are a part of our usual weekly routine, and others that were more like special events. We napped when Roscoe napped, watched a few movies via netflix, took lots of walks around the neighborhood, and tied up loose ends around the house including some baby gear/toy organizing and cleaning. I trained with my trainer twice, attended boot camp on Saturday morning, and made it to a boxing class midweek--and Andy found time to workout too. Oh. And we ate out A LOT--breakfast, lunch, dinner, delivery, brunch--we did it all!
It was a relief to leave work-related stress behind--an unusually hard thing for me to do since I work from home--and Andy's parents doggy-sat Chloe for most of the week so we had no pet responsibilities. Sweet reprieve!
On to the highlights!
I've been taking Roscoe to Gymboree since he was about 5 months old. It was fun when he was younger, but it's really great now--I love watching him navigate physical challenges--he loves climbing up and down the ramps and slides best. It is typical on the weekends to find moms and dads in class with their little ones, and we have enjoyed going to Gymboree as a family. Also, open gym hours offer unstructured play that can't be beat.
Open gym at Gymboree
We took Roscoe to the library for the first time on Tuesday. He immediately beelined for the bookshelves and pulled at least half of the board books off the rack. He pushed a chair up and down the aisles, played with puzzles, a bead maze, and made a few friends. I loved the library as a kid, and spent a lot of time there. I didn't realize the breadth of baby/toddler activities offered through our local branch and I hope to take advantage of their programs this summer.
Roscoe's first trip to the library
On Wednesday--Roscoe's actual birthday--we took him to one of our (and everyone
else's in the region) favorite pizza joints,
Two Amy's. The pizze d.o.c is superb, and everything on the menu is delicious. I've been inspired on more than one occasion to replicate their flavor combinations at home. I always leave craving my next visit. Afterward, we stopped at a toy store off Wisconsin called
Tugooh Toys, where Roscoe picked out some cars and a book. He has a new fascination with things that go--trucks and cars in particular, which he enthusiastically points out by name. By the end of the afternoon Roscoe was beat, so he didn't get to enjoy any
yummy gelato--but Andy and I definitely did!
A birthday outing in NW, DC
Later that night, my parents, who were vacationing in Hawaii last week when we threw Roscoe's party, came over to wish him a happy birthday. More gifts and more fun!
A visit with Grandma and Grandpa
Thursday we spent the afternoon on the national mall for an on-location photo shoot. More on this later, when we have pictures to share! I'm most excited about the fact that Mel wants to photograph our second (yet to be conceived) baby's birth. Yay!
On Friday, we went out to lunch and then to a movie: our first official date since Roscoe was born (except for the time we saw Avatar--but Roscoe slept the whole time we were gone). It was just the two of us, and it felt special to get out alone. Madeleine watched Roscoe from 1:00 to 5:30 and I put all things baby related out of my mind--have I mentioned how much we love our nanny? We watched
Date Night, which was too fitting. Have you seen it?
Lunch for two
So, it's Sunday, and Staycation 2010 is nearing its end. If only we were independently wealthy, we could live like this every week! Instead, we'll look forward to July and seven days in Charleston.
How was your week? Have you ever staycationed?
