New year, new friends, new birthday parties to attend. This one was a sleepover with Emily Lowe and many buddies. I think Emily is top left, next to Blair, then the other Emily in red, Tessa and India. Alexie is hugging Allie. Lily is down front. Not sure who the other two are…but that’s pretty good investigative journalism nearly 20 years later.
A snowfall provided just enough snow for Allie to build a snowman with Nancy’s son Michael. He was very nice with Allie and became our main babysitter for a long while.
In January or February, Barb and Stephanie took Allie and Kristin back to Toby’s Dinner Theatre for “Annie“. This time, they actually saw the show the planned to see (as opposed to seeing “42nd Street” a couple of years before.
Allie took part in an indoor soccer league in the winter of 2002. I remember taking her to the games, though they blur together with indoor lacrosse. Neither of them lasted very long. Cute picture though, and that’s what counts.
For the President’s Day holiday in February, Allie and I made a visit to the Lincoln Memorial. Allie brought along her Jessie doll from Toy Story 2 which was her best friend for a little while.
Later in February or maybe March, we made a trip to the National Zoo in DC with Dan and David.
We had fun watching the new baby elephant
Barb and I bought a package of plays for the 2002 season at The National Theatre in Washington, DC, our first stab at seeing the touring companies of Broadway shows. In late February or March we saw “Contact” which was a dance-based show choreographed by Susan Stroman who also did “Oklahoma” which we would see later in the Fall in NY. I didn’t know what to expect with a show based primarily on dance, and the first act left me a bit cold. The second act featured an extended sequence built around Robert Palmer’s “Simply Irresistible” that I still remember years later (found a clip — thanks Jerry Lewis!). As with the majority of these shows at the National Theatre, we paired it with a dinner of steak frites at Brasserie Les Halles nearby.
I’m not sure when Devayani’s birthday party was but she was clearly a fan of Allie’s. Perhaps Allie can track down her Love of Learning friend and redeem this card.
Allie was still busy with Brownies, not that I can remember exactly what this extravaganza was about. Something to do with Italy and Allie presented a drawing she did about a city. Miss Barb was still the troop leader, assisted by Val Mokapetris whom I later played tennis with from time to time (Val was also good friends with Debbie Dettmer, whose daughter Blair was Allie’s classmate and good friend). Val’s daughter, Trish, was part of the troop and one of Allie’s buddies. Trish went on to become a star volleyball player in high school and college.
Trish fiddling with the camera 
Allie with troopmate and classmate, Emily
A big story from Allie’s time as a Brownie was her prodigious sale of cookies, largely thanks to Barb. Allie and I would canvas the neighborhood around Paddington and did pretty well, especially with a couple of neighbors who bought whole cases of cookies. Barb would take Allie’s pledge sheet into work and lean on her colleagues (just a little) to get many, many more orders. Allie (and Barb) always sold the most cookies on her troop and her troop was repeatedly one of the top sellers in her region. At Barb’s insistence, Allie wrote a nice thank you note each year which Barb copied and included with each order upon delivery. People liked the thank you notes as much as the cookies, almost. I need to find one of those notes.
Allie was invited to the March 9 Olympic birthday party of classmate Henry Heck. We’ll never know what Allie’s scores were, but she seemed to have a good time.
In March, we took a Spring break trip to Charleston, SC. I’m pretty sure we drove down in one long day and spent three or four nights there. We stayed at the Embassy Suites Historic Charleston which is built in the Old Citadel building. We were pretty impressed with the hotel, its lobby and the breakfast buffet.
Lobby of our hotel in the Old Citadel 
Allie by the fountain in the lobby 
We took a tour to Fort Sumter and learned a tiny bit about the start of the Civil War. We later took a horse-drawn carriage tour of old town Charleston and learned a tiny bit about the city’s history including its legacy as slave market.
We spent an afternoon at the South Carolina Aquarium which was nice but no match for Baltimore’s.
We also took a half-day to tour Middleton Place which was advertised for its lovely gardens. We didn’t really figure out until we got there that it was also a premier Colonial and Antebellum plantation with a deep history of slavery. Slavery was an uncomfortable topic and though it was touched on it was not dealt with in depth…you were supposed to look at the pretty flowers and buildings. They seem to be trying harder in recent years to incorporate more of the plantation’s slaveholding legacy.
We had some very good meals in several Charleston restaurants, though I can’t remember which ones. Overall, it was a pleasant visit, but we haven’t felt compelled to return to the city, even though we now have better excuses as several of Barb’s former colleagues have retired there. I’m sure there are greater charms of Charleston that we could explore, it just hasn’t come back to the top of the list.
Back home, we took springtime pictures for Granma. Outfit one…cute girl but a little too early for the tree.
One way or another, we posed for a family picture. I’m not sure where or when it was, but Allie was wearing the same top as the springtime pictures above, so it must have been around then. I don’t even have the original photo – this is from a paper printout in Grandmom’s collection of miscellaneous photos. A small mystery.
Springtime outfit number two, a few days later and full bloom for the tree.
My favorite of the bunch
A formal portrait, in the same outfit.
Also in April, we have a stylish girl ready for a spring shower.
Getting ready for Miss Hannah’s wedding on April 13. Allie was thrilled to be actually invited, even if she couldn’t be the flower girl. We attended with Leila.
On our deck at Paddington 
Outside the church in DC 
The wedding was at Saint Matthew’s Cathedral in DC which was impressive but logistically cumbersome because the reception was several hours later at the Torpedo Factory in Alexandria, Virginia. After the ceremony and with several hours to kill, we headed down to the Alexandria waterfront where Allie danced like no one was watching…because basically no one was.
Hannah finally arrived in Alexandria and the wedding party took photos. Allie was delighted to be included.
Finally, it was time for dinner and the reception, followed with more dancing. Miss Hannah was a good friend to all of us, but unfortunately before very long she left the office to move with her husband to start a family near Seattle on Bainbridge Island. We haven’t seen her since though we still exchange holiday cards.
A few days later, on April 16, Barb’s book club made arrangements to attend a lecture at Johns Hopkins in Baltimore by Arthur Golden, author of “Memoirs of a Geisha” which the book club had read and Barb enjoyed. I was on the road somewhere and Barb could not get a babysitter so Allie came along for the ride. Barb got lost getting to Hopkins but finally made it in time to enjoy the lecture. She reports that Allie was bored but well-behaved the whole time. Barb also reports that Golden spoke a lot about the Rape of Nanjing which was the first Barb heard detailed stories of that atrocity. It doesn’t look like Golden has written any subsequent books but maybe it was something he was researching. In any case, Barb didn’t realize that afterwards Golden would stay to sign copies of his book; she hadn’t brought hers. She did have some crayons and coloring books for Allie but didn’t think that was appropriate for Golden to sign.
It seems Uncle David Dean may have been ill in April because we have this note from him to Allie, thanking her for her letter.
Our 19th anniversary came May 7 which I noted with a card. This particular one has held up over the years.
Allie made a couple of special cards for Mother’s Day.
A few days later, we all went to an Orioles game, one of the relatively rare times Barb came. I’m sure we all ate a lot of hot dogs. Tampa Bay beat the O’s 4-0.
Proof that Barb came to a game 
I don’t think this was the same game, but it’s as good a place as any for this photo
In April or May, we saw Mamma Mia! which I think was probably the reason we bought the Broadway show package in the first place. The show itself was frothy fun, even the singalong to “Waterloo” at the end; the definition of light entertainment but let’s not get snobby. I had a good time and Barb even more so.
Allie’s first grade class at Centennial Lane, with her teacher Mr. San Giovanni. We liked Mr. San Giovanni and he seemed to bring out the best in Allie. She made a bunch of friends in this class as well. I’m glad they put all their names down in the class photo, an excellent idea. I don’t think we have a similar photo from any other class.
Along similar lines, here are some school photos and poses of Sara and Kristen, courtesy of Betsy.
Kristen first day of school, July 2002 
Kristen and Sara 
Sara and Kristen in Keystone, CO, summer 2002 
Kristen in Spring 2002, 6 years old 
Sara in Spring 2002, 10 years old
At some point in April or May, we attended a get-together with Betsy and her friends in Virginia. She mentions in her note the “O’Neill and Berry dinners and dinner at Nicoletta’s.” I’m not sure what any of those were or if these pictures were from any of them, but here they are.
Me with Joe’s friend Dave 
Barb with Julie Kestenbaum 
Patty Z, Barb and Felicia (?) 
Kristen and Allie with two others
In late June we ventured down to Corolla/Nags Head to spend a few days with Betsy, Joe and the girls along with their Embrey cousins. Joe’s sister Chris and her husband Fred Bielstien were in the habit of renting a big North Carolina beach house for several weeks and inviting a rotating cast of characters. We went down to celebrate Kristen’s birthday and no doubt I got in some golf with Joe and Fred.
Cousins 
Getting ready for Kristen’s birthday 
Happy Birthday 
Getting cupcakes ready; Chris on left, Fred B on right 
Blowing out candles 
Birthday girl has to wait 
On deck 
Me on deck with…someone 
Cousins and more
We also got in a good chunk of beach time, gauging by the hole I dug.
Dig, dig, dig 
Allie, Sara, Kristen and…??
Thank you notes from Kristen and Betsy, which accompanied these two sets of photos.
Mom sent this photo with a long explanation on back (but it doesn’t actually seem to explain much), along with two additional photos of Jill and Susanna. Maybe it was Mom’s birthday? I’m including it here because it’s as good a place as any. Maybe you can help me figure out where it belongs. If you want a challenge, try and decipher Mom’s note.
Flowers we sent; card Len sent, plate Sue sent 
Jill and Susanna 
Jill and Cosmo
Similarly, I’m not sure exactly when this occurred, but Sue was diagnosed with a brain condition that required draining fluid from her skull. It was a scary time, but Sue had an operation in Gainesville and was able to recover to have better control over her physical and mental state for years to come.
Susanna preparing cutting food for Sue (click for full photo) 
Susanna, Keri and Jill at the hospital 
Dad, Mom and Jill at hospital, a little worried
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