Trundle open ... clean sheets...
Pack 'N' Play in the guest room...
Picnic table out ... Dining room table pushed aside... chairs strategically pushed toward Great-Grandmother's china cabinet as a barrier... 
Sippy cups and plasticware: all hands on deck!The KIDS ARE COMING! In this case, Things 1, 2, and 3! (You didn't know Dr. Seuss had a Thing 3, did ya?)
Meredith looking all chipper .... I think she was just happy to get off of 95 South! Fair is fair. If you're going to steal a Mom of three kids away for an Oscars Weekend, then you'd better be prepared to pay the piper. In this case, the Suburban Daddy.
First stop: Maymont! (Where actually I'd been less than 13 hours earlier for a fundraiser - oh well, I can't get enough!)
Aunt Crazy with a struggling Thing 3, Thing 2 and Thing 1
Watching the River Otters
Finn, you cannot swim with the turtles.
You can, however, get from one level to the other by climbing under the bench.
But you probably shouldn't splash so vigorously in the fish exhibit. Maybe we should go outside...
Running into Emily Menard in the parking lot!
Geeding the baby goat
Checking out the black bear ...
Shane and Keegan resting
Shane
Onward and upward!
Finn feeding the baby goat a stick
Come on ... you would have taken the picture too. Oh yeah, and in case you were thinking of ... hmmm... "entering," remember to heed the warning of the big No Entrance sign in the corner.
After lunch and naps, we didn't make it in time to the Strawberry Street Festival, but we went over to Fox Elementary anyway to play on the jungle gym. (Do kids still call it a jungle gym, or do I sound as old as I feel?)
Shane spinning around (this was much better than the bucket he got stuck spinning around in earlier - poor thing looked like a human top!)
Finn executing his signature "Hi-YAH!" move with the playground dirt. Thank you Backyardigans! Apparently it isn't unique to Finn, though!
Shane, Keegan and Meredith 
Keegan was a terrific spinner!
Shane and Keegan played really well - I don't think my sister and I were ever that nice to each other!The antics of these three boys in a bathtub have already been well documented, but here's some shots of them in Aunt Crazy's tub anyway!
Finn
Keegan treating my shower cord like a horse harness!
Shane... No, it's not what you think, but it sure looks funny anyway!!
We didn't COMPLETELY abandon our diet from the Oscar weekend just because the kids were in town ... we can cook dinner and drink wine too! Meredith found this wine ... I found it both hilarious and delicious.
The boys ate dinner SO NICELY! It was crazy! They also watched the entire movie The Lion King. Even Finn! I couldn't believe it.
Good night Shane!
Good night Keegan! (Yes, he read that book ALL BY HIMSELF ... he is 5 & 1/2!!!) Sunday Morning
My newly decorated family room. :-) I actually like it this way ... it's nice to see the ENTIRE SUNDAY PAPER withough having to flip.
Chocolate Chip Pancakes
A morning trip to the Capital of Virginia (designed by Thomas Jefferson!) to work off the chocolate chip pancakes before getting in the car.
Shane and Keegan running to the George Washington statue
Finn looking on from the bench
Keegan, Shane, Finn, Aunt Crazy, and about 1,000,000,000 ants.
Playing hide and go seek
Finn found a fun tree ...
... which turned into a great photo op!
Thing 1, Thing 2, and Thing Aunt Crazy
Shane looking up from clenching his Mom's leg
Good-bye Shane! (Meredith actually told me later that before they got back on the highway, Shane already wanted to know when they were coming back. Anytime!!!)
My newly decorated family room. :-) I actually like it this way ... it's nice to see the ENTIRE SUNDAY PAPER withough having to flip. 
Chocolate Chip Pancakes
A morning trip to the Capital of Virginia (designed by Thomas Jefferson!) to work off the chocolate chip pancakes before getting in the car.
Shane and Keegan running to the George Washington statue
Finn looking on from the bench
Keegan, Shane, Finn, Aunt Crazy, and about 1,000,000,000 ants.
Playing hide and go seek
... which turned into a great photo op!
Thing 1, Thing 2, and Thing Aunt Crazy
Shane looking up from clenching his Mom's leg
Good-bye Shane! (Meredith actually told me later that before they got back on the highway, Shane already wanted to know when they were coming back. Anytime!!!) Adios Keegan!
Finn, Meredith, Shane and Keegan walking back to the car
Farewell SuburbanFamily!!
And Hello Crocodile Dundee! OK, OK... I won't perpetuate the stereotype, but after everyone left Sunday morning, I showered and met Padma and her boyfriend Daniel (from Adelaide, Australia) at Mo and Geoff's house.
Mr. Tabby
Mo's Menagerie in the backyard
Hahahaha - This reminded me of the Smurfs.
Padma trying to make the coins fall...
I think Daniel played every game in the place!
Including a requisite game of Pac Man.
This was our favorite: Deal or No Deal. As you can see, Mo is doing well, with the 3 remaining suitcases containing either 16, 150 or 300 tickets!
So naturally she picks the one with 16 tickets. :) Oh well! It's not Vegas!
OK, OK ... two. But I had them marinating to make for Meredith the night before and we made pizza instead, so I had to cook them! I'll be eating cow for a week.
That's fine with me.
Finn, Meredith, Shane and Keegan walking back to the car Farewell SuburbanFamily!!
And Hello Crocodile Dundee! OK, OK... I won't perpetuate the stereotype, but after everyone left Sunday morning, I showered and met Padma and her boyfriend Daniel (from Adelaide, Australia) at Mo and Geoff's house.
Mr. Tabby Mo's Menagerie in the backyard
Hahahaha - This reminded me of the Smurfs.Padma and Daniel outside Pizza Fusion
After an optional vegetarian lunch at Pizza Fusion (which might be my new favorite restaurant - it was AWESOME!!), we hit the new Dave & Busters in Short Pump.
Padma trying to make the coins fall...
I think Daniel played every game in the place!
Including a requisite game of Pac Man. This was our favorite: Deal or No Deal. As you can see, Mo is doing well, with the 3 remaining suitcases containing either 16, 150 or 300 tickets! So naturally she picks the one with 16 tickets. :) Oh well! It's not Vegas! Time to cash in the tickets for some loot.
After saying good-bye to Mo, Geoff, Daniel and Padma, I went home to do what every self-respecting carnivore does after a day of hanging out with kids and vegetarians: I threw a steak on the grill.
OK, OK ... two. But I had them marinating to make for Meredith the night before and we made pizza instead, so I had to cook them! I'll be eating cow for a week.
That's fine with me. Hey! It's a grass-fed, free-range, antibiotic and hormone-free cow, anyway! :)
With a $5 bottle of wine imported from Italy by Trader Joes.
With a $5 bottle of wine imported from Italy by Trader Joes. A girl can't be green ALL of the time! Sometimes thriftiness wins ... c'mon! A $5 bottle of Montepulciano? It was delicious too!!
1 comment:
wow, those steaks look great! You deserve it! I like the new living room look as well; especially the slanty-hanging blind on the right....I think that's listed as a new trend in this month's Martha Stewart Living!
When can my kids come???
:)
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