WALKING DOWN 10TH AVENUE

One of my favorite things about a city is being able to get around without a car. A city with good public transportation is immediately a great city in my book. A city that is squished to the brim with so much to see that walking is the preferred method usually has me scheming up ways to move there as soon as possible. I appreciate the convenience of a car as much as the next person but having to walk to your next destination makes me feel more like I'm living life in the pace and with the observation that it is meant to be lived, you know? 

When I lived in DC for a semester my last year of college, I lived on Connecticut Avenue near the zoo and worked in southeast DC, near Eastern Market. Sometimes I commuted on the metro, but as soon as the weather got nice, I walked the 3.5 mile, one hour long walk. I have such strong nostalgic feelings about those walks. I would usually be listening to some music, try out different routes so that I could check out new streets and I got to know the city the best that way.  Anyways, any time I come into DC I think about that time, and although it was a long time ago now, it made me that kind of happy go lucky to be walking down 10th avenue this particular day.  

See this man here ? I love him. 

(As an aside, I was in such a bad mood today, and I cranky requested him to please do the dishes before I get home, and he did. And then gave me a big satisfying hug when I saw him.  Sometimes I think it would be nice to have a button I could push that would get him to do [insert chore here] exactly at the precise moment I want, but then here's the thing, I feel LOVED when I know that he is willing to choose me and consciously choosing to help me over [insert hobby/downtime here] with his time...and obviously, that's so much better than having a robot husband.  Free will theology anyone?]

That day, as we walked around, I must have turned to him at least five times to say, 'Gosh, isn't this nice!'  He responded with sincerity and more enthusiasm than he usually does when I exclaim such things to him in the midst of something I have declared to be an adventure and gosh if I don't love that he knows me, puts up with me (and hopefully, loves me) for that.  

You see that little bug there standing next to me?  She had SUCH a great time trotting down this street. It is amazing how much joy can flood my heart just from watching run with the biggest smile on her face. Of course she had to stop to look closely at particular leaves, study the grass, and in this case here, she came to a dead stop when she saw these kids running up towards us.  She does this; when she sees other kids, she cannot keep her eyes off of them.  And then once she observed what they were up to, she was off, bunny in hand, trying to chase after them and join them in their romp. 

The way she interacts with her stuffed animals these days just kills me.  

The way she runs into my arms has me in a puddle, every time. 

Sometimes I look at this guy and think, whoa that's my best friend. I married him, and there he is, pushing our baby in a stroller… and I freeze everything for a millisecond to just enjoy that thought.  But also, let's take a poll, should he cut his hair and grow facial hair? Or keep growing a mane?

Yes, we totally pulled off a self-timer photo on this walk. 

Next up, the museum of natural history!