Today, he'd be Swift-Cabined

Alison, Julie, Colin and I went to the Nationals' new park last Saturday for an evening of healthy food and quiet contemplation. On our way in, we met one of the racing presidents.

Worth every penny

For once, we did not mind paying extortionate amusement park prices for a picture. This one is from our trip to Hershey Park a few weeks back. (Big thanks to our friends the Rulos and the defense contractor Northrup Grumman for the preseason visit.) Mike and Leah got some quality dad-daughter time on the roller coasters. The picture is from the Wild Mouse ride, which looks relatively benign from the ground, but Mike assures me I would hate it. I might have to revise my stance on roller coasters long enough to hear Leah's happy cackles as she gets a few minutes of awesome sensory input. The original picture has pride of place on Mike's desk at work.

Happy Mother's Day!

Lauren and Maddie learned this song for their preschool's Mother's Day brunch. And, yes, their hair was chopped off this week.

And now, the version for the hearing- (and harmony-) impaired ...

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas?

Or so Maddie hoped the other day. Mike and Lauren and Maddie were discussing Lights on the Bay, Annapolis' annual Christmas-light extravaganza (no idea how the subject arose in May, but we have never been seasonally appropriate around here). Maddie wanted to jump in the car and drive to Sandy Point State Park to see the lights. Mike explained that since we still have more than six months to go until Christmas, the light show is not taking place at the moment, and though the holiday spirit never completely leaves the Hamilton house (Rudolph still periodically flies around our living room), we will have to wait until late November to go back. No point in driving over there now, as there's nothing to see.

Anyone expecting Maddie to be disappointed should think again. She was quick to point out the upside: "We could be first in line!"

I hope George Lucas is done making Star Wars movies ...