Today, the Marine Corps Marathon came by our house. It was fun to watch the runners.

We watched the race a little bit, and cheered (Joy is so cute at cheering!), and we went across the street to “Kidtopia,” a free high-fun area designed for kids watching the race. There were 4 bounce houses, a lego station, free face-painting, and more. Joy had a blast.

Today we moved to DC, partly because there were no jobs in Asheville. The best thing about this move is that Joy now gets to know her Papa better. I didn’t get any pictures of the move, but here is a picture from our balcony.

We have to say goodbye to Moxa, as we are moving to DC, and Joy’s Papa is allergic to cats (and his lease specifies no pets). It is sad, but we did find Moxa a very good home.

Instead of tantrums, Joy is now exploring alternative ways to resist doing what is expected of her. Even as I get annoyed at things not getting done, or not getting done the way I want them to be, I admire her creative and rebellious spirit. I asked her to put her socks and shoes on, and she did.

(if you can’t tell, what she did was loop her socks through the tops of her shoes, instead of putting them on the standard way)

As part of our Illinois trip, we journeyed to Chicago to visit friends there.

Erik with Frida and Joy.

Joy and Frida fingerpainting

In this picture are Toni (the adult), Joy, Marz, Rowan and Frida

Think they had fun? So tired.

Kari with Joy and Frida

Fun times

Today, we journeyed to Illinois to visit family and friends. We left Asheville in the early, early morning, and Joy stayed awake the whole flight.

Here is Joy, cuddled up with Grandma. She couldn’t help but fall asleep at the Chinese restaurant, even though she was surrounded by lots of family who wanted to talk with her.

Joy is a very dedicated little helper.