Family Photo Journal: My Week with Cassy

I was recently blessed with the opportunity to stay home with my daughter for an entire week. Daycare was closed for vacation, and this just happens to coincide with my mom and dad's annual trip for their anniversary and my mom's birthday. Last year at this time I had basically just started back to work after being home on maternity leave, so Eric was the one to stay home with Cassy. This year, however, Eric just recently started a new job so his vacation time was lacking -- which left me to be the one to spend some much-needed time with my little girl.
I just gotta say, I had a blast. Cassy is just so sweet natured and gentle tempered that I can't recall even one instance when I thought being a parent wasn't all it's cracked up to be. Just the opposite, really -- Cassy taught me so much about how wonderful it is to be a parent, all over again.

We did have a very busy week. Aside from dropping my car off to get the door dents repaired, meeting with/calling contractors about our bathroom to be repaired, calling to get the driveway sealed, working on getting the windows at the townhouse replaced, and making calls on behalf of our HOA (I'm the grounds committee chair), I was also trying to get some things done for my actual job. But in-between all of that, and general household chores, we made a lot of time for some mommy-daughter fun!

First, we kicked off the weekend by joining some friends at the Reston Arts Festival. We took a bit of a breather, and Cassidy shared some jokes with her buddies.

Cassy with Zak and Jim

On Monday, we got a visit from Cousin Carrie. After a tastey meal at Glory Days in Sterling, we made our way to the Perils of the Lost Jungle, NoVA's #1 MiniGolf hot spot. Cassy LOVED it!

Cassy learnig the rules of the game

Her stroke counted as her picking up the ball and dropping it in the hole.

Curiosity getting the best of her (sneaking a peak into the hut)

It was all I could do to keep her from jumping into the creek.

Look! Monkeys!

Waiting for the ball to drop

After Minigolf, we headed back and enjoyed dinner, wine, and a movie -- Avatar! I wasn't looking forward to watching that movie, but it was one none of us (Eric, me, or Carrie) had seen. But, it ended up being a lot better than I thought. I guess that speaks volumes for having low expectations going into it.

Carrie was only in town for the night; Tuesday morning she was off to work back down in the Richmond area. Cassy and I spent the rest of the day around the house doing chores and a lot of what I mentioned above. We played outside a lot, too.

Hanging out in the hammock

Playing in her Pool

Fun from Head to Toe!

Mess Head.

On Wednesday, we joined my mom and sisters on 'Spa Day' -- a day where we treat my mom to a spa day while us sisters go out and play (shop, whathaveyou). We had a great lunch together at The Auld Shebeen in Fairfax, and later, back at home, Cassidy practiced being a comedian and a great orator.

But, they told me they were Prada . . .

Friends, Countrymen . . . Lend me your ears!

On Thursday, we had lunch with Grandma Bon Bon, and fed the ducks down at Lake Thoreau. Cassy was awestruck by the sheer number of animal friends she made that day -- about 8 turtles, 6 geese, three ducks, a school of fish, and several random little birds. I've got pictures of that, but they're on my phone. This was a random time where I forgot my actual camera, and of course I have no idea where the software is to download pictures from my phone to my computer. I'll figure it out eventually and when I do, those pictures may eventually make their way to this page. Or, they may not. Who knows?

On Friday we met Courtney and Matt for lunch at Dulles Town Center and then did a little shopping on our own.

Saturday was a solid, excellent day. We were originally supposed to join Mark, Manda, and Maddy at the Strawberry Festival in Winchester, but the weather was threatening rain so we called it off. In lieu of that fun, we decided to do some chorse around the house, and then go out searching for patio furniture. While Eric was mowing the lawn, Cassy and I played inside and cleaned up the office. Eric came calling for us to come outside, and quickly we found out why:

Cassy petting the Turtle

Shaking hands (?) with the Turtle

The turtle taking a bath

After the turtle, Cassy got really sleepy so we laid her down for a nap, and proceeded to install her brand-new toddler carseat! Once that was done, we were on our way to find furniture.

Big girl! In her Toddler Seat for the first time.

She LOVES being able to see us!

On our way to get the furniture, I think I pressed Eric's buttons a bit by not drawing out a specific route or plan of action on finding particular furniture stores, but he got over it quickly. We just headed down 7 west until we came to Dogwood Furniture on the right, and the nice man there pointed us in the direction of Aldie. Before long we were heading down 50 towards Aldie, finding ourselves at the Aldie Peddler.

I thought immediately that we wouldn't have much luck there. For starters, 99% of the furniture they sold was that polywood adirondack furniture. Not the plastic stuff mind you, but the nice, solid, synthetic wood last for all eternity furniture. GREAT furniture -- just, not what we were looking for. From online and in-person prior reseach, we were looking for solid cedar furniture, perfectly square table, with four 2-seater benches to put around it. This place had a square pub-style table (the tall table), that I sat down at just to try to gauge the size standard I would then continue to look for at another place. This guy came up, very casual, and asked us jokingly whether or not he should wrap up the set and put it in our car. I take it this is the salesguy :-)

We explained what we were in the market for, which of course he didn't have. He did say he had one cedar adirondack chair in the back so that we could see the quality of the cedar woodworking he could order a traditional picnic table in, since that's what the woodworker does. I kid you not -- that chair was one of the most gorgeous pieces of furniture I'd ever seen. But we didn't want a picnic table, not a traditional rectangle with attached benches. So I got bold and asked the salesguy (who was actually the owner, Terry Cotton -- awesome guy!) if his woodworker would take custom orders. That got his attention and he thought it was possible, especially since his woodworker, an Amish man named Lester, was the only one in his Amish community that had a phone. After Eric and I detailed out our specific wants -- a 48x48" table with four 2-seater detached benches, water stained and with an umbrella hole -- Terry promised he would check it out with Lester, and let us know in a couple of days whether or not it was go for purchase.

We headed out and grabbed lunch at a yummy place called Manhattan Pizza. Afterwards we went back to the house, Cassy grabbed a nap, and Eric and I did some chores around the house. While Eric was washing his car and I was cleaning the kitchen, the phone rang. It was Terry, who had gotten in touch with Lester, who had eagerly accepted our custom order and would have it to us in just three weeks! To top it all off, his quote came in about 50% less than we were expecting to pay for a new patio set!! Of course we accepted the quote, and hopefully the set will be here in a week or so!

That evening, we played games and had a karaoke night. It was just a really fun way to end a great day!

Sunday we had a cookout with some friends in celebration of Memorial Day. Eric, Emily, and their son Owen were visiting from WVA, and staying with Matt and Courtney. They all came over for some grilled cheeseburgers, Courtney's famous cheesefriends, and some all-around fun times. Owen is just a few months older than Cassy, and the two of them had a great time getting to know each other, and running around the house.

Owen going for a fast drive!

Lots of Giggles!

Whew! What a rough day!

This is Eric.

Playing Tag. Matt very nearly got run over.

Cassy showing us how Memorial Day is done

. . . oops

Cassy gives Matt a kiss

Sassy Cassy

The next day, Monday Memorial Day, we had a delicious french-toast casserole brunch over at the Silverthorns to send the Griffith's back to WVA in style. Afterwards we reconvened for tennis, dinner, and Carcassone . . . and sprinkler! Cassy's new favorite way to cool off.