Visiting Philadelphia

The boys and I visited Philadelphia for a few days in January. I built in a few extra days to my trip while visiting my sister so we could explore the city and soak in some history. I have to say it was so much fun to have the boys all to myself, without the distractions of home. I was able to give them my undivided attention for five whole days, and we got to see some pretty great things. 

At the airport, too early in the morning.

Liberty Bell

Inside Independence Hall, where the Constitutional Convention met and where the Constitution was eventually signed. 

Outside Independence Hall. This was near the end of our morning of trekking around the city for miles and the boys were cold and pretty unhappy by this point!

The Franklin Institute, a science museum similar to The Exploratorium. We spent almost all day here!

The giant heart at the Franklin Institute.

Meeting up friends from my online playgroup for Tommy's birth month. These boys' mama and I have "known" each other for 9 years!

Philly at night. 

Fun in the hotel hot tub.

Meeting My Sister

I have a sister. Because we share a rather difficult mother, we grew up never knowing each other. I met her once when I was in kindergarten and she was a college student. It was a six hour drive one way to meet her, and I don't remember much about the experience, besides some tension that was obvious even to a 5 year old. But I do remember being so excited about meeting my sister and telling all my classmates about it. Then I never saw her again. 

Fast forward to last year. My sister contacted me through Facebook in the early summer and we began to write each other and talk on the phone. We decided to meet the following summer where she and her family would come out to CA to meet up but I didn't want to wait that long! So I planned a trip for me and the boys to visit her after the holidays. 

It was really great to meet my sister. To fill in the gaps of since-forgotten childhood questions and to gain some understanding about my own experience with our mom. To see some of my own traits and quirks in another person (probably thanks to our shared, yet separate experience of growing up with our mom). My boys and her two kids got along really well. Yay for new cousins!