Joined family in Orlando for a trip to Disney World and the 2018 McDonalds International Convention. Last such family trip to Disney World was in 2006 so it had been a while, and there are many more of us now: total group size was 13. Very happy that the rest of the family finally got to meet Ezra, especially Dad, who had not met his grandson yet.
Cherry Blossoms, 2018
First off, there were some nice blossoms right outside the Library of Congress, which I snapped first just in case I never made it to the Tidal Basin this year due to busyness.
Around peak bloom time, I ran over to the Tidal basin with my NEX3N for a quick cherry blossom lunch break.
Along the way I discovered a walking route from L’Enfant to the Tidal Basin via the Rosa Parks bridge, an old railroad span converted to pedestrian overpass over Maine Ave SW behind the Mandarin at L’Enfant. I see the bridge from the train every morning but didn’t know it was publicly accessible, greatly shortening the walk from L’Enfant to the Tidal Basin.
Time was short so I pretty much just went from Maine Ave to Jefferson Memorial and back, snapping photos along the way and swapping between fisheye lens and telephoto.
Also paused at Jefferson Memorial for a bit; haven’t been in there for a few years.
We went back over the weekend to bring Ezra over for his first hanami but he mostly napped. (Was also his first ride on Metro, which went well.)
Also tried a cherry-blossom-themed donut at Dunkin. It was … a donut.
Full Cherry Blossoms 2018 photo album here, continuing my unbroken streak of DC cherry blossom photos since 2004.
Solstice Snow
A look back at some of the snow we got to cap off winter around the day of Spring Solstice. Ezra had fun walking around in it.
I also tried my hand at making my first full-size snowperson. (My old tiny windowsill snowmen don’t count as full-size.) With the right twigs for arms, I managed to construct a decent snow-likeness of Roll Safe.
More photos from the insufficiently snowy 2017-2018 winter season here.
Trompette En Chamade
For Easter 2018, a view of the new pipe organ‘s trompette en chamade at First Baptist DC.
Sixteen years now with this church, singing and worshipping with them. I looked back through my archives and found my first mention of this church in 2002. Lots of changes since then — and sometimes it really has felt like death and resurrection.
Ezra Update: 21 months
At 21 months of age, Ezra is well into the transition to toddlerhood. He can walk, run, walk backwards, and even negotiate stairs with help. (One thing he can’t do yet is jump; he bends his knees and jerks upward a bit without leaving the floor. He’ll get it someday. )
He can sort shapes and do simple toddler puzzles. He actually has a vocabulary now: maybe 50-100 words, including various body parts. He can identify his mom (“MAMA”) and dad (“DADA”) and cats (“CAT”) and grandparents (“BABA” for both grandpa and grandma). He understands a lot more than he speaks, able to follow simple instructions like “put your clothes in the hamper” or “get the ball and throw it here” or “don’t release the clutch so fast, and shift to a lower gear to slow down on a steep downhill slope.”
At the dinner table he can handle a spoon and fork, and eats a variety of soft foods without complaint. He’s got at least four molars in and sharp canines showing now. The fact that he can bite and chew a banana and identify it by name (“NANA”) is still amazing to us. Sometimes he’ll sit in a regular chair to eat, and he’s big enough that his chin isn’t on the table.
When at church he likes the cookies at the post-service reception.
He really, really loves being outdoors, even when it’s cold, and tries to socialize with other kids by throwing balls towards them.
Ezra also got his second haircut and seems to have gotten over the worst of his earlier stranger/separation anxiety, handling the process with much more calm than his first.
He can also use a laptop, tablet, phone, or handheld gaming console; so far his favorite game is “find the home button and press it repeatedly.”
Just 3 months shy of two, when I can’t really call him a baby anymore.
He’ll be a full-fledged kid.
Falcon Heavy
Much-anticipated launch of a SpaceX Falcon Heavy rocket yesterday out of KSC Pad 39A: three F9 boosters strapped together, with a Tesla Roadster mounted atop the upper stage as a test payload. Two side boosters returned for a synchronized double landing at CCAFS, while the core booster aimed for a barge landing in the Atlantic (but missed and went through RUD in the water).
The Tesla Roadster, while definitely a frivolous indulgence on Elon Musk’s part, made for some amazing visuals as cameras sent back live views of the car, spacesuited “Starman” posed in the driver’s seat, backdropped by space and a shrinking planet Earth. After a departure burn, Starman and its car are heading out past Mars to the asteroid belt.
Amazing remote camera photos photos from near the launch site from Kraus, Mahlmann, and Killian, Studwell, and Walters.
2017 in Review
While 2017 was a dark and worrying time for the country, we had some bright spots:
Our son continued to level up his stats: turning one year old, getting dedicated, having his first haircut, and learning to walk, talk, and long-press to get Siri on iOS devices.
Visited Toronto (with a side trip to Niagara Falls).
Watched a total solar eclipse in Lincoln, Nebraska.
One high-profile death that hit hard: Apollo astronaut Eugene Cernan, who on a trip to the Philippines once said of 7th grade me, “this kid’s done his homework.” Still doing it, Captain.
Best selfie of the year: my first pair of glasses. Now we enter 2018: the year of SeaQuest DSV.
Bit of Snow
We’ve gotten barely two inches of snow total so far this winter, but record cold kept it on the ground for a while. The first accumulating snowfall of the season in December I found a little snowperson by the bridge.
And last weekend, out in the woods behind the house, we spotted a fox napping by a log before trotting off through the snow.
Transfer Point
Captured a bit of symmetry at L’Enfant Plaza Metro Station lower platform while waiting for a train.
(Compare with this shot from the Baltimore Metro, 15 years ago.)
Christmas 2017
Back to NJ for Christmas! Ezra had a lot of fun being showered with toys and fawned over by relatives.
Amy gave me a ukulele, a simple fun instrument I’ve been wanting to learn for a while now.
Some highlights from the in-laws’ tree:
After Thanksgiving’s Turnpike backup we opted for the US-15/I-78 route up through Pennsylvania. Longer drive, but much better scenery, and almost no tolls. Ezra got to be King at a rest stop.
