Grandma and Grandpa Come to Town

The day after Morfar left, my parents came to visit for a few days. Needless to say, the girls were ecstatic to have so much attention and they loved playing with all our visitors.

Grandma was really good at bubbles, and Lydia and Karina both enjoyed chasing after the bubbles on the deck.

Grandma brought several treat bags for the girls that they could open during the course of the visit. The bags had small toys and other things to play with, and it was a great idea. We used the treats to keep them happy in the car rides to various things we did. One of the bags had dipstick-style squirt guns in them. Karina and Grandma got into a water fight and they were both laughing from it.

Look how wet Karina got!

We made a trip down to the Smithsonian National Zoo in DC. We didn't pull out our camera during the trip, because we were worried about the weather (it was on the verge of raining the entire time we were down there, but we managed to stay dry). We had fun wandering around the exhibits and the grandparents marveled at the orangutans that swing freely along their own ropes course above all the tourists' heads without any nets or anything. I explained that there have been times when the apes will fall or climb down and run loose - though I have never been there when it happened, and the last time it did happen was in 2005 according to the FAQ page. Grandma pulled out her phone several times though. In a greenhouse style exhibit, they recreated an Amazonian rainforest environment for monkeys, birds, etc. to roam freely. When we went, the only animal we saw was this pink bird. Other people had gone over to pet it and it kind of snapped at them. Since it was the only animal we saw in the exhibit, I figured Lydia and I could go get a picture near it.

Of course, she reached out to pet it and it snapped at her too. She was scared, but calmed down quickly and started laughing.

Karina frequently gathers her stuffed animals together and takes them upstairs for picnic lunches. Grandma found her up there one day and thought it was funny enough for a picture.

Karina had insisted that we needed to go to the beach with Grandma and Grandpa. At some point, they will be old enough that we can go to the ocean for a beach trip, but for now, it's much closer and less hassle to go to Sandy Point State Park on the Chesapeake Bay where we went with Grandma and Grandpa last year.

We met up with my cousin, Bryson, and his family who live on the other side of the Bay. Karina loved playing with their girls, Abby and Brynn. Here they are splashing in the surf. I was really proud of Karina and how brave she has become to play in the water.

Lydia and Grandpa got some cuddle time playing in the sand of the beach.

We brought the squirt guns along - they were a big hit.

Here's my little beach baby.

Our last "major" activity was going to Baltimore and taking a cruise around the Inner Harbor. While we were waiting for the cruise to start, we had some time to kill. We brought the girls over to a fountain/splash park where the kids all run around on hot summer days. They loved it (and honestly they probably enjoyed the splashing more than the boat ride). Fortunately, Tanja had extra clothes for them to change into afterwards because they got wet!

The girls with the Grandparents.

And all of us together on the boat.

It was a great visit, and between Morfar and the Grandparents, Tanja and I managed a few nights out alone, which was very much appreciated. Today happens to be Grandparents Day, so thanks to our girls' grandparents! We love you!

Happy Grandparents Day!