Last weekend (Feb. 21), my mom, Matt, and I all arrived in D.C. Matt dropped me off at the hotel where my mom was staying so I could sneak in and stay with her, and he headed off to hang out with his buddy (the best man at our wedding!) who flew in from Ohio so they could see a Hoya's game together. Unfortunately, we got in very late, and my mom was already in bed (sorry, Mom!). She and I chatted for a few minutes and then went to sleep to rest up for a fun Saturday.
First on the morning's agenda? A baby dance party! With Ellie happy and smiley in her stroller, Katie, my mom, and I headed off to a nearby Mexican restaurant where a morning kid's music and dance program was being held. The weather was sunny and gorgeous - it must have felt like the tropics to my mom who was used to months and months of sub-zero Chicago temperatures. Parents and their little ones all sat in a circle while a small band played music --- and little by little, the kids (ranging from babies to five-year-olds... I think. I'm bad with ages.) got up and started to boogie in the middle of the circle. It was freakin' adorable. After a few songs, Ellie got up, stole some music rattles from the band, made a friend, and did some dancing and shaking. It was super cute, but what she seemed most interested in was simply walking back and forth across the room. Hey, people feel the beat in different ways!
It's amazing how much personality Ellie has. She is (no exaggeration) the happiest, smiliest, and funniest baby on the PLANET. She loves laughing and making people laugh. She likes to walk around and is a superb dancer. Girl knows how to shimmy! She also loves reading and speaks gibberish in full sentences. But more on all that later.
***Ack. I wrote this first part a few weeks ago and my memory is already starting to deteriorate. The rest of the post will just be highlights of the trip that I remember, rather than a full recap. Damn you, procrastination, damn you!!***
Shopping on 14th Street: Katie, my mom, and I were able to slip away for some shopping while John watched Ellie at home. We had such a great time walking along 14th street in the sunshine, stopping into shops and chatting. We also saw a lady FREAK OUT and literally run after a couple who was walking a dog, just to ask if she could pet the dog. It was so random and strange!
Homemade pop-tarts at Ted's Bulletin: Even though we were having an early dinner, I could not pass up the chance to try a delicious homemade pop-tart at Ted's Bulletin. My mom and I both got a Brown Sugar and Cinnamon flavor, and I am still dreaming about the sugary GLAZE and flaky crust. I mistakenly ate mine while walking down the sidewalk once we left the bakery (I'm not the most patient person) and it BREAKS MY HEART thinking of all the glaze that dropped onto the ground. My mom was smarter and waited to eat hers until we got back to our hotel room.
Dinner at Cork Wine Bar: I think this is my favorite place to go when I visit DC. It's always so fun and delicious! They have a great selection of wines by the glass, and feature a few flights every day. Their small plates are consistently good - there are a few dishes I get every single time I go. This time, I got the pink champagne flight (how can you say no to pink champagne?!), Katie got a flight of red Burgundies (I think), and my mom had a glass of red. We all loved our selections! I ended up getting another glass of pink champagne once I finished my flight, because once you starting drinking pink champagne, ya don't STOP drinking pink champagne. Anywho, we got a bunch of small plates as well, which we all shared (Ellie included!). Some highlights include the avocado toast, the fried calamari and rock SHERMP (shrimp) with caper aioli, really really great sauteed garlicky kale, and a few other things. We all had fun dancing with Ellie at the table - I love how responsive she is to music! Ellie got a bit fussy after a while, but mom was happy to walk her around the restaurant! After we finished our meal, we walked back to Katie's to play with Ellie before bedtime. She kept bringing me books to read to her which was so adorable, and we all had fun watching her run around and take out all her toys. (In particular, she is really loving her play kitchen, and we were loving watching her play with it!)
Getting in our greens at Sweetgreen: I don't think I've ever visited DC with my mom without going to Sweetgreen at some point. I can't remember if we went on Saturday or Sunday, but whatever day we went, it was great! I love that you can do a mix of greens (I did spinach, kale, and romaine, if I remember correctly) and the raw corn is AWESOME. Great way to get in some veggies during a weekend that is full of treats, like pop-tarts and fried calamari!
BACK TO TED'S BULLETIN!: On Sunday morning, Matt, my mom, and I walked over to Ted's Bulletin for breakfast. Even though it was only 10:30 am, I ordered a s'mores milkshake, and it was honestly the best decision I've ever made in my life. SO.SO. GOOD!!!! S'mores is probably my favorite "flavor," and this milkshake was full of marshmallow, graham cracker pieces, real ice cream, and just a whole lot of awesomeness. I let Matt and Mom have a few sips (JUST A FEW) and they were as obsessed with it as I was. Maybe next time they'll be smart and order a breakfast milkshake too! We also bought a few gigantic donuts and ate those back in the hotel room. After more playing with Ellie, it was time to leave :(
Here are some photos from the trip (sorry I have literally ZERO photos with Katie in it):
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| Selfie fun |
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| Ellie loves to read! |
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| Homemade pop-tarts and other goodies at Ted's Bulletin |
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| My beloved s'mores milkshake + giant donut |
And that's that! I hope I'm not missing anything. It was such a fun trip, and I can't wait to be back!
Aha! After first Ted's post... I thought you had forgotten the milkshake. How could I be so foolish! MUST go back to try it! Was such great weather -- Brod and I got in an all out monument walk upwards of 10 miles after the game (a rare win). Not bad for mid-February, DC, not bad.
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