Grandparents weekend in KC

A great time enjoyed by all in Kansas City last weekend! After saying a family goodbye to Daphne as we dropped her off at the kennel for the weekend we headed to the airport Friday afternoon. I'd say the airport experience with a baby went better than I thought, although we weren't expecting to take Anderson out of his baby seat and cram it and the stroller through the conveyer belt at the security point. But somehow it went through. The stroller that is, not the boy.

Here we are preparing for take off.

As luck would have it, Anderson enjoyed his first ever flight with U.S. Senator Sam Brownback of Kansas sitting next to us. Here he is in the background.

He was very nice and made little googly faces at Anderson on occasion. He looked a little tired from speaking on the Senate floor that day opposing the stimulus bill so I left him alone until late in the flight. Then we talked for a while and he introduced himself to Shelly and chatted about Kansas, the military, Anderson, his kids, etc. This is his last term as a Senator as he'll run for Governor of Kansas in 2010.

Anderson did very well on the flight. Pretty much just looked around and smiled at people around him and he slept a lot. Made it back without a problem last Friday night.

After getting our taxes done Saturday morning we met my parents for lunch and Shelly's parents had arrived at our house by the time we returned home.

Here he is with Grandma Deutscher.



And on Granny Essary's lap.

He was a big help for Granny Essary during our card game Saturday night.

Here he is with his Papa Essary.

Many people say he most resembles his Grandpa Deutscher.

All of us stayed at our house until Monday when all the grandparents left. We all had a great time and lots of fun! None of them could believe how much our little boy has grown since they last saw him over Christmas.

Shelly, Anderson, and I stayed another day and flew back to DC Tuesday night since I had school Wednesday morning. But we were able to meet some friends at Minsky's pizza in KC Monday evening. Joy and Kevin met us there as well as pictured below, Jackie Abell and Terry Elmore.


After meeting Shelly's friend Cari Beth (who found out yesterday she's having a little boy this summer!) for lunch on the Plaza we flew out of KC and landed back in DC late Tuesday night. After school on Wednesday, we met our good friend David Douglass at a nice Italian restaurant a couple of blocks from the White House. David was here this week from KC for a seminar.

Here we are after dinner. One of us had a bottle of Similac Sensitive and one of us ate Gamberoni ala Griglia and shrimp stuffed with crab meat in a pernod garlic sauce over capellini pasta.

After a busy week we all stayed at the hotel tonight. Anderson played with some of his new toys we brought back and Shelly and I played cards (she beat me bad as usual) and caught up on some television.

Heading to Baltimore's Inner Harbor Saturday morning to go to the Baltimore Aquarium. Maybe Shelly will see her favorite little sea otters!

Mike
Springfield, VA