Back from Maryland. . .

Two nights, three days and back home again.

First time driving the Sienna instead of the CRV, and it wasn't as bad as I had expected, both in terms of gas mileage and maneuvering the behemoth in and out of parking spaces. The one thing that is a problem is that it's harder to hear the kids talking in the back seats for some reason.

My mother's friend, who we've been unable to take with us to the NLH since Micah's car seat took up occupancy in the rear seat of the CRV, was unable to go along with us. So much for having a minivan to schlep the senior set around. Her dog Chelsea had surgery and she had to stay with her to keep her from moving around too much and disturbing her drains. This also meant no dog-walking for the kids, which was missed.

The NLH spring festival was the usual: trying to get out the door as early as possible, arriving about an hour or so after things get started and finding the baked goods table decimated, poking around the various tables and buying a few things, having lunch and then going to visit our former neighbors.

Thea had a $5 budget for whatever caught her fancy, which included pins she thought looked like they would be good for her knight's costume, a small purse (I think Oma contributed for that one) and a puzzle game. My plan was to keep Micah away from the used toys, which mostly consists of Beanie Babies and other stuffed animals, but just as the words came out of my mouth, I heard the scrapping on the floor of the walker my mother was using and she and Micah appeared. The evil seniors in charge of the room had put most of the stuffed animals along the wall railings and on benches lining the wall, and this doomed me to purchase a two Beanie Babies (at 50 cents each).

For me, the visit with the neighbors is better than the actual spring festival, because I was looking for quilts, and there were none to be had at the bazaar. Well, there was one in the silent auction but it was hideous. My mother and I went through the nap quilts and doll quilts that she had make like locusts. Micah got to play with vintage Fisher-Price toys that belonged to her youngest son - and way back when he and my brother used to play with them. Thea amused herself with her brick puzzle game, and with the Where's Waldo? books they had.

Sunday it was raining, raining, raining, so I went out to the Safeway where I snagged the last New York Times (which saved me a trip to Waldorf), then went to Target to print photos for my mothers - and photos from the trip to Texas.

Now we're staying put for the next few weekends, other than a CME event in Morristown for me on Saturday, Alumni Weekend at Penn the following Saturday and working the Saturday of Memorial Day weekend.