lunchtime peekaboo with Mrs. Khan and Brittney

Merry Christmas!

 Ariel on the National Mall. A warm day before Christmas.

 At the National Christmas Tree.  The family who took our picture offered their baby boy as "eye candy" for Ariel.

 at the White House

 behind the White House, looking at the First Squirrels

Reading to Ralph & Nene

and a Christmas song

home and therapy

 Showing sympathy for our friends Casie, Mike, and Theo, who's dog Buster crossed the rainbow bridge.

 Warm & cozy in her new Minnesota sweatshirt from Grandma Barb and Papa Rich

 Sensory input at occupational therapy (OT).  Ariel is inside a Lycra sheet that fits over this mattress.  Sarah is rolling a ball over her.  I took lots of photos that day to give us ideas to use at home.  Sarah has lots of fun ideas, and Ariel always has fun with her.

Swinging and throwing beanbags into a circle, while wearing a weighted vest.

Wouldn't it be fun to have all this equipment at home?  

Ariel's favorite people photos

Hint, hint: a great anytime gift idea for Ariel is a durable (baby-style) photo album with photos of you, her, and any pets or local squirrels and geese.  She likes any books about herself (example, Ariel, Ariel, Who's Looking at You by Aunt Debbie!)  We had a small baby-style photo album send to her at the orphanage before we met her, and she's liked them ever since.  She also likes photos of dearly departed pets (she is really drawn to those photos - it's spooky and sweet.)

Tofurky Day

Popcorn and Caramel are the "pardoned turkeys" who are now staying at Mount Vernon.  We went to see them one day, but they returned to their warm turkey house to escape the cold.  We could hear them gobbling.  I got this photo from the internet.

 We'd been traveling on Thanksgiving, so the day after, we had Tofurky roast.  I've never had this before, because I had a hard time finding it in stores.  This year I found it at Safeway and it kept well in the fridge while we were away.

 Gravy and "the bird"

 I made up the surrounding feast with frozen veggies, onions & garlic, sage, water chestnuts, and tater tots!

It was enjoyed by all for several days.  Delicious!  Still hope to see the turkeys if we can get to Mount Vernon on a warmer day.

San Antonio

 We visited Yaoyao, Ed, Becca, and Sydney.  We were stationed together at Yokota, and Yaoyao helps us with any Chinese translation.  When Yaoyao and family left Yokota for Lackland AFB, Sydney was a tiny baby, and Jeff was deployed.

 There are loads for fun things to do at Becca and Sydney's house!  We even watched some Totoro.

 The houses were even cheaper in San Antonio. We explored some neighborhoods with good schools, looked at lots of model "dream homes", and found a nice library.

 The weather warmed up enough to enjoy a long evening walk on the Riverwalk.

 We met up with Ann, my friend from U. of Tampa & ROTC days.

 This was Ann's first time meeting Ariel.

She is still a big Disney fan, and Ariel was pleased to find Mickey Mouse on her watch!

Austin, Texas

 The weather was warm our first two days.  Then it turned cold & rainy, but we still had fun.  

Ariel had a haircut at Sport Clips.  Instead of watching sports, she watched TV.  The other clients were little boys.  At the end of their haircuts, the stylists let them pick a colored gel, and they spiked their hair into mohawks.

 We looked at lots of model homes in Austin and San Antonio.  The prices were so much lower than DC area.  I could not believe the size of the bathrooms and walk-in closets (which really could function as a separate room!)  At each  model, Ariel figured out where the master bed was, and we tossed her onto each one.  We also tried out each big bathtub and shower.

 We stayed with Lois and the Kittens at the Peaceful Haven.  Actually, it's a cottage in her backyard that she rents out through Airbnb.  It was a comfy cottage full of pillows and futon mats, and 3 kittens (Bunny - pictured, Booie, and Beauty.)  We often let the kittens in to play and snooze.  Lois' place was decorated with funky art (most of it her own) and garden treasures.  Her car was a work of art, too.

 Ariel & Bunny

 With Mark and Winnie at Mount Bonnell, the must-see view in Austin.  Mark and I have been friends since freshman year of college, and were in the Air Force together.  He worked for Dell Computers in Austin for years, and is working on a new project.  Sounds like he has lots of job-hunting connections for Jeff if we want to move to Austin.  Mark and his girlfriend, Winnie, took us on a super tour of Austin, and out for vegetarian health food.  We also got to see their homes and meet Winnie's dogs (she's a vet.)

 Modeling her Hello Kitty hat from Mark and Winnie.

 Lois' art car: "Peaches on the Beaches" (she's from Houston and loves beaches and swimming)

Aliens on top!

Texas Salad

It's something we make up with black beans, cilantro, peppers, tomatoes, onion, garlic, and this time pinto beans and corn.  Maybe some rice vinegar and salt.  We were getting ready for our trip to Texas!

Leaves

 Ariel started out uncertain about the big leaf pile.

 But we played

 and snuggled (and all of us fell and jumped and were thrown into the pile a few times)

 and kissed!

Veterans' Day in New York

 (actually from the day before)

After Central Park, the weather turned cold and rainy.  Ariel fell asleep in the Beatles section of FAO Schwarz toy store.

 Exploring Chinatown where we had vegan Dim Sum.

We found lots of vegan food in New York.

 Exploring Midtown

 and Times Square!  (after a bathroom break in Macy's)

 The Veterans' Day Parade was full of drums, music, and flag-waving.

 Westpoint cadets

We watched from in front of New York Public Library

Then we caught the train home, after Ariel took a nap in the train station, and we sat by a lady with who had adopted her daughter from Taiwan.

See you next time, New York!