Gaithersburg/Bethesda

Sarah, Emily, my mom, my sister, my nephew, and I enjoyed a weekend trip to Maryland. We rented a Traverse, not a great vehicle for 6 and the assorted sundries required for a weekend away. Two suitcases filled the trunk and a duffle bag took up residence between the second row captain chairs. A portable potty, a bag of stuffed animals, a cooler of snacks, and a book bag (literally a bag full of books) took up all available floor space. Note to self - next time, rent a minivan. . .or a bus.

. . .and we're off

At any rate, with my sister as co-pilot we arrived at our intended destination in record time. We were pleased to see the Residence Inn was literally a home-away-from home. With a bed and bath on each side of the common area, a kitchen, dining area, and living room of sorts, it was the perfect layout. My sister and I quickly decided to put all three kids in one room, she and I would share another, and our mom would have the rollout bed in the living room. Note to self - kids miss their moms when on vacation and one must stay in close proximity.

because you've never seen a hotel bed before

We found a fun Mexican restaurant not far from the hotel to have dinner and the hostess wisely put our little party in a corner on the patio. We enjoyed a relatively uneventful dinner and followed up with a trip to the playground. Note to self - sandals are not the best foot coverings when wood chips are the playground "bedding" of choice.

What? Don't you always talk on the phone while sliding?

The next morning we found our way to the Shady Grove Metro Station and got onboard. Note to self - when it's been years since one last rode the Metro, do not hesitate to ask someone for assistance.

Riding the Rails

I'm not sure what was a bigger hit, the escalators at the metro stations or the train itself. At any rate, all behaved well and we were soon at our intended destination - Bethesda.

The family that coordinates together. . .oh, nevermind.

The Playseum is a used bookstore with many themed rooms (aka City Shops). The Bakery was our first stop and all three were given cupcakes to decorate. In addition to decorating this delightful dessert, one can browse children's books about all things baking/cooking.

Look at that masterpiece.

What is decorated must be eaten.

YUM!

Sarah loves going to the dentist (that's a blog post for another day) and was excited to be "Dr. Moulton" for a few minutes.

"This is a tooth," so says Dr. Sarah

Emmy tried her hand as a cashier at the local grocery store. . .

"Do you have your Advantage Card? Debit or Credit? "

but ultimately decided bigger, faster things were in order.

"Danica Patrick ain't got nuthin on me!"

To round out the day, Sarah and Emily had their nails painted. Oooh la la. Fancy.

"Hold them up for everyone to see." LOL

My favorite part of the Playseum is the stairwell into this basement bookshop. Painted with beloved characters from the best children's books, it was fun to recognize so many friends. I snapped a few pictures of my favorites.

Who knew. Pooh's not the only bear in the Hundred Acre Wood.

We grabbed some lunch and headed back to the Metro Station to return to Gaithersburg. When grandma suggested going to church that evening, my sister and I scratched our heads and thought, "this can only end badly". Three kids, no naps. I assure you it could only have been made worse had we not promised a trip to the church playground if all three behaved.

Yep. That's a picture of childhood - climbing the slide.

Grandma thought the playground would wear the kiddos out, but tell me, does she look tired?

no Zs in her immediate future

Sunday morning arrived and we packed up and headed home. We stopped for lunch and ice cream at the Queen City Creamery in Cumberland, Maryland. This was my second trip to this quaint ice cream parlor and I just think it's the cutest.

I think they're the cutest too.



Thanks reading all about our mini-vacation. Until next time. . .

Mommy's Little Love Bugs