Baby Brother

Since this video was taken, Margot has decided to throw "baby brother" into her mix of favorite words. Yes, that's correct....she has us wrapped around her little finger. 

Our little girl is now saying hi, hello, bye, baby, all done, more, mama, daddy (or our favorite mamadaddy), nana (for banana), baba (for bottle or anyone else's drink) no, ball,  woof woof (for dog), hoo hoo (for owl), sky, catty (for Tenny), snow, shoes, MINE, thank you, yaaay, and UP! She's also a parrot for things we say...like calling me Meghan and her dad Tucker. 

(We have to admit, that feels a little weird...)

Can't wait to see what she says next:)

Officer Margot

The streets of Takoma Park are safer because of this 1 year-old. 

Here she is, taking a coffee break.

This is the look she gives the chipmunks who step out of line.

She may look like she's giving us a friendly wave, but this little girl is all business. 

Happy spring!

Margot's First, Tucker's Last

This afternoon was Margot's first rally and Tucker's last with the NALC. It was a bittersweet day.

We gathered in front of the Arlington post office and paraded up and down the sidewalk chanting "It's in our DNA, 6 day delivery," and "5 day, no way; delivery on Saturday ".  The group was large and full of energy. Everyone was smiling and you could tell they were all proud to be there.

Tucker and Jenn - partners in crime at the NALC for the last 9 years.  

Graeme and Margot - fierce defenders of union values since 2011.

After 9 years, there's no doubt that Tucker has demonstrated one of his best traits: loyalty. Yet, being loyal to the NALC was easy for Tucker since their vision was one that he has believed in whole heartedly from the beginning. 

Tucker's lucky that his first - and second, and third; all at the NALC - jobs in DC led him to a career path with challenge, purpose, and a clear identity; things that we all hope we find as we figure out who we want to be professionally. 

Leaving the NALC will be difficult, though he can look back and feel pride in the change of which he was a part, and the meaningful relationships he developed along the way.  

It's comforting that as Tucker says goodbye tomorrow, he knows he's going to see his NALC family again down the road. He's moving to AFGE and staying in the labor movement, working on similar issues, just for a body of people with a different history and a new set of challenges.

I know that there are a few at the NALC who follow this blog and we will MISS YOU.

Keep checking in and keep in touch!

St. Patty's day & 15 months

Margot is getting so big! At 15 months, her favorite past times include pulling all of the clothes out of her drawers, repeating things we say (including when I call her dad "Tucker") and pulling her shoes and socks off at any given time. She's pretty much eating what we're eating, and recently discovered she likes shepherd's pie, tzatziki sauce, falafel, and tofu!

I'm hoping she's inherited my non-picky taste buds...so far, things look promising.

  On St. Patrick's day, we went to St. Mark's and stayed for pub lunch afterwards where we had corned beef and cabbage with irish soda bread. It was yummy; (thanks Duke and Laurel)!

 

More than once, we remarked how times have changed as our St. Patty's day celebrations are much more tame these days and I'm sure they will be for years to come.

It was a fun day with our little leprechaun.

 

Happy Monday!



Visit From Sassy

Last week, Judy came for a visit. Her timing couldn't have been better with the good weather we had, and all of our need to have some quality Sassy time.

 

On Friday night, we had (what felt to me like) a Texas family dinner with Lock and Holly. Judy made chicken fried steak, Tucker made mashed potatoes, and a salad was thrown in for good measure. Lock and Holly brought some beautiful desserts from the Parkway Deli (my favorite!) which made for an amazing meal.

 On Saturday, we headed to the zoo to enjoy the warm weather and see the animals. It was so exciting to see the pandas, even though all they did was sit and eat while our jaws dropped watching them.

We fit right in with the tourists.

This was the best pic we could get of Margot near the Panda House. She was too busy trying to look cool for her little buddy, I suppose. 

 

The zoo was over run by strollers, but because of the wide paths, it was never an issue and instead made us feel like we fit right in!

 The rest of the weekend was occupied with more good food, including oysters for Judy and Tucker at Rappahannock Oyster Co. in Union Market. We went to church and saw Gene Robinson speak, caught up with some friends, and even found some time to do a little ottoman shopping,

(thank you Sassy).

 

Below is a pic of Margot on her new table from Judy. Rather than stand or sit at it, she likes to climb on top and read, or clap, or just climb back down. I mean, what else are you supposed to do with a table?!

 

 Judy's visits always leave us feeling "filled up" until the next time we see her. We only wish she didn't live so far away, though maybe baby #2 will entice her to come more often?!

I know Margot would strongly be in favor of that!

New Whip

Now that we've properly mourned the Volvo, we can share a pic of the new ride. It's a nice step up.

 

It's lovely, and spacious, and everything that we need, (especially for long car trips to Queensbury). Neither of us has ever owned an SUV, so this is a transition. I always thought I'd be able to resist driving something so big, but with the slightly daunting future ahead that includes juggling two small children, anything that makes our life a little easier and more comfortable is welcome.

 

 

Adjö Volvo

It's the end of an era.

This may sound just a wee bit mellow-dramatic, but for me, saying goodbye to the Volvo is kind of a very big deal.

It was almost 8 years ago that I bought this car on my own after looking at a zillion other cars (14 to be exact) and dragging my family and friends with me to endless dealerships, just so I would be "sure" when I finally made a decision.  In the end, I loved that the Volvo had heated seats, and I ignored the fact that the CD player skipped when I went over bumps. I could pack all of my belongings (almost) into it and not have to ask anyone else for help. For some reason, that felt good. 

A few years later, the day after I finished grad school AND the day after we got engaged, Tucker and I  packed up the Volvo and made the 12 hour trip from Boston to DC where we'd start our life together. He couldn't wait to drive a wagon. 

This car saw me through multiple moves, road trips, and many jobs, good and bad. The most memorable moment we had in this car was driving home from the hospital with Margot. I sat in the back seat next to her and while Tucker drove (approximately 25 mph the whole way), we reminisced about how we had been looking forward to this drive home for so long.

Tucker always laughs that I've loved a wagon so much while, at the end of the day, the car was still a wagon. My retort is always that in the Northeast, everyone loves wagons. Even dudes drive wagons. I realize that this same view is not held in let's say, Texas, for example. 

We had to part ways this week since keeping up with repairs started costing more than the car was worth. Still, I think we eked out every mile that we could, until it didn't make sense anymore. My only hope is that somehow, the Volvo will end up in good hands. 

It's been so good to us.

Season Of Change

There is no doubt about it, the McDonald family is in the midst of a whole lot o' change.  At the center of it all is the heartbeat of this little boy who we'll be welcoming in September. 

We are over the moon, and pinching ourselves. We are also just a wee bit freaked out and trying to figure out what life will look like when this little guy arrives. 

Over the next couple of weeks, I'll be posting about other changes going on with us. Stay tuned!