The Bucket List: May 2010

Friday, May 28, 2010

Friday

We did the same thing as the day before.

Thursday, May 27, 2010

Becoming Children Again

Couldn't quite figure out the self-timer.

We invented a new word: wankle. It means the biggest cankle you could imagine (like a whale cankle). Apparently Cat has them.

So excited about being traced.

A tragic fatality.

Scene of the crime.

For the past two days we played with Mrs. Jaeger's daughter. We didn't exactly know that was on our bucket list, but we had fun. We did chalk, swimming, playgrounding, play-doh, puzzles, hide and go seek, tea parties, crazy eights. And we hung out with Argus, the big dog.

Wednesday, May 26, 2010

Kayaking Fail

The most annoying sign ever.

Today we finally went kayaking. Getting there was tricky. We couldn't make any of the turns we wanted to, and Canal Road is awful in the morning. So when we finally got to the boathouse we were cranky.

But we kayaked right next to a herring, and it didn't even fly away.

We are as synchronized as an orchestra.

Later in the day, Amelia dove once.

Tuesday, May 25, 2010

We love D.C.

Eastern Market-- yummy lunch!

Vietnam War Memorial.

Look at those happy grins.

Abe himself

Lincoln Memorial.

The duck family.

Reflecting pool, where we reflected and watched the duckies.

The freaky squirrel. We named it Frankie.

World War II Memorial

Awkward tourists.

An Amish family casually strolling. We stalked them a little.

Today we were tourists in Washington D.C. Once again, we had a rough start. We got off at the wrong metro station, and were a lil lost. Then we found the mall, sat on a bench, and watched people go by. Like our Amish friends.

We walked to the Washington Monument, and discovered that we were not allowed to go up it because you had to book tickets in advance. Stupid rule. But we did stand beneath it, which is almost as good.

Next we went to the reflecting pool and the Lincoln Memorial. We heard a recording of Martin Luther King's "I have a Dream" speech, too. On the way to the Lincoln memorial we saw a woman letting a squirrel (Frankie) climb up her leg. It was weird. We visited the Vietnam War Memorial, and finally, couldn't find a metro station to take us to Eastern Market. A kind, motherly helped us find a station. We ended up at George Washington University.

At Eastern Market we had yummy sandwiches and were super hungry so we didn't talk.

On the metro ride home, a little baby girl crushed cookies in her hair.

Monday, May 24, 2010

Avada Kedavra!

Ron hates his frilly dress robes :(

Cute spectacles.

Cat in a Harry Potter daze.

(After this picture was taken, she turned to Amelia and said, "The hole in my bone has come out to play!" Weird.)

Today, we watched Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire. We also started Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, but then our heads almost exploded, so we had to stop.

Cat had never experienced the wonderful world of witchcraft and wizardry. Now she has.

We saw a lot of ourselves in these young wizards and witches. They're just typical teenagers living in a different world.

Friday, May 21, 2010

Nature time!

Just some friends we made on the trail.

Pictures of the beautiful scenery, and the cut on Amelia's leg.

A nice quote from brainyquote.com to sum up our hiking experience:

"An early morning walk is a blessing for the whole day" --Thoreau

We were passing hikers left and right.

Monday (May 24) is Harry Potter day.

Thursday, May 20, 2010

Diving Champs

Today we spent hours perfecting our dives. Cat improved. Amelia didn't.

She may seek professional help, although she seems like a lost cause.

Here are some videos from our diving day:

Cat's dive

Perfect 10?

Amelia's a fast learner.

Added bonus: Sarah's back dive

Keep checking for more videos of diving... some people clearly need a little more practice.

Tomorrow (May 21) we will become connected to nature. We are going to hike in solitude on the Billy Goat Trail. Anyone's welcome to join us!

Wednesday, May 19, 2010

Rock Band Prodigies

The final score.

Mission accomplished. After hours of practice, we beat a song on hard. Say It Ain't So, by Weezer, a classic. Yay!

Tomorrow (May 20) we are learning how to dive. It could get ugly.

Change of Plans

It was too cold for kayaking... and also Cat fell asleep for like 16 hours in the middle of the day. So we have decided to attempt a difficult feat (for us): beating a Rock Band song on hard. Check later for the results. This might take a while.

Tuesday, May 18, 2010

Cupcake Recipes

Professional bakers... it's no big deal

Devil's Food Cupcakes (Recipes from Home cookbook):

ingredients:

4 ounces unsweetened chocolate

2 cups granulated sugar

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

3/4 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 cup hot brewed coffee

1/2 cup sour cream

1/2 cup vegetable oil

2 large eggs, lightly beaten

Preparation: preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line muffin cups with liners. Melt the chocolate in a double boiler over hot, not simmering, water. Remove the pan from the heat. Sift the sugar, flour, baking soda, and salt together in a large bowl. In a medium bowl, whisk together the hot coffee, sour cream, and vegetable oil. Gradually whisk in the eggs, then stir in the chocolate. Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and stir until all the ingredients are smoothly blended. Fill the cupcake liners about two-thirds full. Bake until a toothpick inserted in the center of a cupcake comes out clean, 20 to 25 minutes (but we did 15). Cool completely before frosting.

Aunt Gay's Frosting Recipe:

(from Amelia's aunt)

ingredients:

1 box of confectioners sugar (16 ounces)

1 stick of butter, softened at room temp

3-4 tablespoons milk

1 teaspoon vanilla

Preparation: blend in a large bowl with mixer at low speed, until creamy. For chocolate icing add one square (one ounce) of melted unsweetened chocolate.

Happy baking!