Sometimes you just have to improvise.

Just like any other family with busy schedules and young children, sometimes in this crazy baseball lifestyle you just have to improvise. And be okay with it. The hubs left last Monday for a three city roadtrip, one that would take him first to Toronto, then to D.C., and lastly to Pittsburgh. We figured since D.C. was closest to Baltimore and it happened to fall on Father's Day weekend, that Abby and I would make the trip. Well part of the trip anyways.

Abby and I left for D.C. on Saturday, after a busy morning at the park. The plan was to wear her out, have a quick lunch at home, and then get on the road for the hour (or more) drive into D.C. About ten minutes into the drive Abby fell asleep. Success! As you moms know ... a short nap is better than nothing at all! We arrived in D.C. after a mostly smooth ride ... we only encountered traffic with about fifteen minutes left. A major accident redirected us, giving us an up close view of a not so nice neighborhood, gifting me with another reminder of just how blessed we are.

Once settled at the game Abby and I met up with one of my college friends. In fact, he was also friends with Jim and that's how I met my future husband. :) We sat in the stands taking in a few innings of baseball and catching up with old friends, until I just couldn't take it anymore. It was HOT, really HOT, and our seats were directly in the sun. Abby's face was red and flushed, my hair was frizzy and damp and sweat trickled down my back. Greattttt... glad I really took the time to curl my hair and partially dress up. I guess wearing wedge heels counts as dressing up for me these days. :)

So instead of sweating, Abby and I joined Kathleen and Jacob in the visiting family room and waited for the rest of the game to play out. Kathleen and I gabbed a bit, while our kiddos shared and fought over toys, enjoyed endless snacks, and most importantly were able to cool down from the heat. Our kiddos are two of the same and sometimes it's just easier to let them play downstairs rather than confine them to the stands.

After the game ended, we met up with Jim and headed to dinner for an early Father's Day celebration. Nothing better than some yummy Italian food, the best company, and a slice of five layer chocolate cake to go. Despite the quick meal, lack of adult conversation, and a bit of throwing food ... it was the perfect dinner with my favorite people. :)

Before heading back to our room, Jim raced with Abby up and down the hallway of the hotel. She laughed so hard her little belly must have hurt! Daddy let her play the piano (probably a big hotel no-no) and we snapped a few photos on his cell phone. Of course I had my camera with me on this mini trip, but the battery died before I could even snap one photo. Ugh! So excuse the quality of the photos, I'm just happy to have a few.

The rest of the night was spent in our hotel room, our really small room. It was a very nice, upscale hotel with a lot of history, but unfortunately it was a tight space for us. We thought about putting Abby's crib in the closet or bathroom, but both were too small for a crib to fit. So we improvised. I wish we took a picture of Jim's contraption because it was hilarious. He put Abby's crib in the corner of the room, between the closet and the armoire, and hung a sheet from both giving her space of her own. Sometimes you gotta be creative! Once she finally fell asleep, Jim and I were able to indulge in that five layer chocolate cake (which we may or may not have used a small children's fork that also fell on the floor at the restaurant) and catch the beginning of a movie.

The next morning Abby and I had breakfast in bed while Jim packed his things and got ready to head into the ballpark. We got on the road early to head back to Baltimore, where we are patiently waiting for Jim to come home tomorrow from Pittsburgh.

It was such a whirlwind of a trip, but worth it in the end. Sometimes it may take more work or be quite exhausting to travel, but being together as a family is important. Many smiles and laughs were shared and memories were made.

Hope you had a fun Father's Day babe. We love you!