Nina was still battling an asthma attack as we started the month, and was disappointed to miss her last ballet recital, but was back at school on Tuesday the 2nd. Jill and I went to Wolf Trap on Wednesday and Jukebox the Ghost were on fire. We last saw them at Fort Reno in 2008 and they’ve only gotten better. They used to get Ben Folds Five comparisons ’cause of the piano with no bass, but they pulled off a stunning cover of Queen’s “Don’t Stop Me Now” during their set. Headliner Ingrid Michaelson sounded great as well, just couldn’t see much as the lighting team decided blinding the 1st 50 rows was a good idea.
Saturday the 6th I took Nina to meet Doc McStuffins at Reston Hospital (part of the grand opening of their pediatric ER) and she endured a long wait to get her bear checked out, then got scared of Doc McStuffins and her friends when taking pictures. Sunday my mom wanted to to go with Nina to Celebrate Fairfax! for my mom’s birthday, so we did. Petting zoo, fast trikes, popcorn, racing dogs and a pony ride completed the afternoon, then we had the BFF over for dinner.
Wednesday the 10th we picnicked in Lee District Park to see The Pietasters, Nina may have been more excited that Chessie’s Big Backyard is now open there. The next morning was rough as she had a fever and I stayed home with her. Nina decided she would no longer eat the raisins in her favorite cereal (Raisin Bran with Cranberries) – sigh. She was improving at lunchtime – singing at the top of her lungs and shushing me to keep me from talking: “It’s almost your birthday. You’re good and you’re really nice. Spend time with all the family and friends.”
And then we took her to the doctor and I let her play outside on a very hot day and her temperature hit 103 – very scary until she cooled down in the basement. Jill and I split coverage the next day, and since she was feeling better had my mom come over as scheduled and went to see “Weird Al” Yankovic at Wolf Trap. I hadn’t been so close for him before (second row) and seeing the amount of effort he puts forth, even on hot and sticky day, was impressive.
Sunday the 14th we took her to water games outdoors at church, then went to Celebrate Gaithersburg to see Red Molly before their hiatus (and Nina got her face painted) and had lunch at Growlers, which went pretty well, but she fell asleep on the way back home and after her nap had a coughing attack, but seemed over it by the next morning.
Tuesday the 16th Nina had been having weekly swim lessons at the Lifetime gym in Reston, and insisted I come and meet them there after a lesson so we could have dinner in the cafe there. I think Jill and I agree that won’t happen again (wouldn’t pick out or eat food there, too distracted by other kids).
Saturday the 20th we drove to the new Tupelo Honey Cafe in Courthouse so we could meet my mom’s boyfriend, David (who turns out was an old boyfriend from Rochester NY). They got lost and I had to take 30 minutes guiding them in, but Nina surprisingly didn’t have a meltdown while waiting. The food was very good – I had the fried egg BLT with the Moonswine Mary (Jalapeño-Poblano-infused moonshine and house-made Bloody Mary mix adorned with maple-peppered bacon, pimento cheese-stuffed olives and a bacon-salt rim). Later we met up with the Larsens and the Norwoods at the Columbia Pike Blues Festival where Nina did art, met some dogs, jumped in a bouncy castle, and got her face painted again. For Father’s Day I got some nice cards and the full cast audio of the Graveyard Book.
Monday the 22nd I picked Nina up from school and we drove over to Mosiac. My plans for us to have dinner at Matchbox went away when she fell asleep in the car on the way there and wouldn’t wake up in the restaurant. But she did start to wake up in the movie theater and we had an apple in the lobby before heading upstairs where she could have a real treat: popcorn and soda. We were there to see My Neighbor Totoro, and even though I’d managed to choose the subtitled showing, the story was fairly clear and she didn’t seem too disruptive (Her teacher Jenny was behind us and said she was fine). It was her first movie in a movie theater, and she had to take a break because Totoro in the rain storm was a little scary, but otherwise she loved it (and was calling “Mei! Mei!” all the way home).
Wednesday the 24th Jill went to run a quick errand in the evening and ended up getting rear ended at a light by a teenager who hit the car behind her. The car went to the shop, but she wasn’t feeling great on Saturday, so when Nina came down with strep, I went to see the house concert that our friend Stuart was performing with his friend Susan (very nice, 2nd set ended with Amy Speace’s “It’s Too Late To Call It A Night”.). Nina created her first mashup Friday night: “Down By The Bay”/”Down By The Riverside”. Then we listened to both songs and she ended up in her bath singing “study war no more”. Jill ended up contracting strep as well and they both stayed home on Monday before being back at school and work on Tuesday.
