The Plumbers

In preparation for eventually putting our house on the market Andrew has been doing some updating in our bathrooms.  First he replaced the light fixtures (a seemingly easy project until we discovered that the light that was hung over one of the vanities did not have the electrical box centered… so there’s some remaining rearranging and drywall patching that is required before that can be checked off the list), next he replaced the faucets (successful!), then he decided to replace the drain in our master bathroom… this is where the fun begins because it turned into the proverbial slippery slope.  First, the stopper was to be replaced, then the whole drain piece had to replaced, then the u-joint under the sink, and finally once all of the leaking related to those fixes had been dealt with, the hot water valve started dripping.  So that got replaced too.  Andrew’s downfall in all of this was a simple question: “Julia, do you want to help?”  OF COURSE she did!!! And with that she could not be kept away from helping Dad with the plumbing!

 

She was a great helper but in the end the project was finished Monday while Julia was at daycare!

Oh Christmas Tree…

Last weekend was spent decorating the house, putting up our Christmas tree, and doing a couple of plumbing projects (that merits a separate post).  We set out Saturday morning to get our tree and for the first time in VA we had to go to two different places to find a suitable tree.  For those who have experienced the Nadeau tree hunting experience (which has in the past lasted as long as 6-8 hours) this is not as bad as it sounds because we’re not talking about acres and acres of potential trees, just a hundred or so which did not live up to expectations.  Our choices of where to purchase are somewhat limited because we have a fancy tree-stand that requires a hole to be somewhat precisely drilled in the base of the tree to hold it upright and there are only a couple of places around here that have the equipment for it… Anyway, we did find a very nice tree eventually and had a good time stringing lights and hanging the ornaments.  Julia was super excited to have a tree in the house but since the first day has largely ignored it other than to make the occasional statement “light!” while pointing at the tree and then carrying on with whatever she is doing.  She also has taken the Dunkin Donuts coffee cup ornament off the tree a couple of times and taken a “sip.”  Guess everyone needs a pick-me-up sometimes!

Searching for the perfect tree

 

Decorating

Julia and Dad placed Mike on top   and Bunny had to get into the action as well!

Our mechanical child

Julia has started to show a lot of interest in how things work and go together.  Andrew took this video of her at dinner the other night when she was dissecting the salt mill.

All a Blur

Lots of things feel like they’re going a mile a minute these days, including Julia!

YUM

Julia has a new pre-dinner snack… raw garlic.  She ate a piece the other day and even though her eyes were watering claimed she liked it.  I thought it was fluke but she went back for more during dinner prep tonight.  It wouldn’t be my choice (the snuggling on the couch before bed is a little stinky!) but maybe it will keep her healthy!

Dress Up

…or dress down as the case may be.  Julia has taken a liking to her rain boats and has been wearing them for the past two days straight.  I think she could give the Naked Cowboy a run for his money.

October Adventures

   October was a very busy month for the Crowders!  We did quite a bit of traveling, spent time with friends and family, and enjoyed lots of fall activities in and around Alexandria.  Here are some of the highlights.

Charlottesville, VA

We started the month with a weekend in Charlottesville and enjoyed another visit towards the end of the month as well.  This is a very special place to us and the last trip was a little sad as we’re not sure when we might be visiting again.  Andrew’s parents are leaving November 2nd to move down to FL and we are planning on moving back up north sometime in the next year so it was most likely our last trip for quite awhile.  We did take the opportunity to get some pictures of Julia on the UVA grounds with her Dad and Grandpa (both UVA graduates).  Who knows, one day she she may be a UVA graduate as well!

Madison, WI

We spent the second weekend of the month with my friend, Yvonne, and her wonderful family in Madison, WI.  Yvonne and I have known each other since our orientation at Providence College and an awful lot has changed in the past eleven years.  We have gone from worrying about mid-term exams and discussing econometrics problems to tracking down sippy cups and contemplating discipline methods.  She and her husband, Paul, have three adorable children and Andrew and I were thrilled to finally meet the two youngest and introduce Julia to all of them.  We made the most of our two days visiting the botanical gardens, the farmer’s market (the largest in the US), a children’s magic and puppet show (where Julia saw juggling and has been trying to copy it since), and a winery (where Andrew and Paul very graciously watched the kids while Yvonne and I sampled the wine!).  We enjoyed everything about the weekend, great friends, great food, and lots of laughing.

All the kids playing in the pond at the Botanical Gardens

Julia and Daniel splashing around

Natalie, Andrew, Daniel, and Julia sitting on an elephant

Andrew and the two girls.  He got some practice chasing two at once!

Julia and I in downtown Madison

Julia and Daniel held hands to cross the street – super cute!

The Moms!

Alexandria, VA and DC

Other activities this month included picking out pumpkins:

Trying on hats:

Visiting the National Aquarium for toddler craft time:

 

Attending the Rally to Restore Sanity and/or Fear on the National Mall (for some reason Julia was all about Fear):

and, of course, trick or treating:

Happy Halloween!