Sweet Summer Fun - part 2

Thursday, June 10th found us at Butler's Orchard for strawberry picking. Admittedly, we were a little late in the season to be picking strawberries, but fortunately the cold Winter helped the crops last a little longer than usual.

If our schedule allows it, we try to go strawberry picking, blueberry picking and apple picking each year. I've sort of made this into a tradition with the kids. I love getting outdoors and doing something that is good, healthy fun. Plus, it is a great lesson for the kids on where the fruit comes from and how it grows. My kids are big fruit eaters and I love that they really enjoy eating the fruit when we get back home that they helped pick. Strawberry and blueberry picking occurs with friends and apple picking is done as a family in the Fall.

To my delight, we had 17 kids (ages 5 and under) join us for strawberry picking. The weather cooperated and it was a good morning to go.

This year was the first one that Samantha understood what we were doing and had a blast. She ate strawberries faster than I could put in the container. It's a good thing they don't weigh the kids before and after. At one point she decided to just sit directly in the strawberry bush and get as close as possible with the fruit. After an hour, she was covered in strawberry juice head to toe - front and back!! Fortunately I travel with back-up clothes and did a quick outfit change before getting her back in the car.

Ian always enjoys our outings to pick strawberries and does a great job of picking the kind of berries you'd want to take home. He takes pride in picking the most perfect ones.

Afterwards we went to a Panera Bread nearby and got majorly lucky with scoring a table big enough to hold 14 kids and 6 moms. At first there was two moms and their kids sitting waiting for their food to be ready, but before we could even say anything, they saw all of us and got up and moved. Only one gentleman working on his computer needed to be asked to move to a different table and he did so happily. I later bought him a cookie and told him he will have good karma for a long time to come. He said he's been there with 3 kids this age and understood. Considering this was during prime time lunch hour, I love that getting a table big enough for all of us was effortless and made our outing even better!

So far our summer is off to fantastic start and I look forward to keeping the good times going.

Sweet Summer Fun: a series in the making

Summer is underway! Ian has camp on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesdays. Sam has camp on Monday and Wednesdays. I've kept Thursday and Fridays free each week to wing it. To have the freedom to embark on various adventures and enjoy all that summer has to offer.

The first in this series actually started Thursday, June 3rd at the house of a great mommy friend, Jen. Her son Ethan and Ian are "twins". That's how the boys describe their relationship. They are like two peas in a pod and have great fun together. When Ethan is over our house to play, it is like having one less kid.

Jen bought this water slide that seriously could make an appearance in a water park. It is HUGE! She planned an awesome water playdate and the kids had a fantastic time playing all morning. This is what Summer is all about!!

Ian had his 5 year doctor's appointment right before we were due at Ethan's house. He received a shot and a TB test. Playing with his some of his favorite friends on the water slide did wonders for Ian to forget what just happened 30 minutes prior.

I am excited about the events and places we have planned on our Thursday and Fridays. While it would be easy to put the kids in camp each day of the week, I don't want the summer to be spent like that. I want to have fun with the kids and enjoy getting out there creating great memories for us to look back on. There is no place off limits on where we will attempt to go. If it turns into a bad idea, then I know not to go back. But even the bad ideas can be a fun adventure when you do it with the best mommy friends that ever existed.

Stay tuned for the next in the series: Strawberry picking

24 Hours.

Yes, you saw correctly; that person waiting at Dulles Airport on Tuesday night, for a flight that started after her bedtime (10:00pm -- who knew they even had departure times that late into the night!?!?!), without a diaper bag hanging from her shoulder, or two sweet rugrats clinging to her hips and trying to maneuver a stroller was me. Yes, me!!

That woman, who was using a stylish handbag and only ONE small suitcase (as carry-on no less!!) was me. Yes, me!! I know, it was hard to believe. I am sure to all who knows me, if I had been spotted at the terminal, this late in the day, without kids, they probably thought I was running away. Ha!

I felt like I was on a mysterious, undercover mission. Being gone for exactly 24 hours. My departure flight left Dulles at 10:00pm and my return flight landed exactly 24 hours later at 10:00pm on Wednesday.

However, I had a purpose to my trip. I was going to see my little sister graduate high school. It is a very exciting time for her and I wanted to be there cheering her on. Major bonus that the graduation was not being held outside. The school was smart and holding the ceremony at the Amway Center. Yay for air conditioning! Now this was a graduation ceremony I could happily sit through.

I had briefly thought about taking the kids with me, but that second passed and I came to my senses. We will be flying with them again in November for Thanksgiving and that is already 6 months too soon. :)

So, thanks to my darling husband, I took off in the friendly skies and made my way solo for 24 hours. The toughest part of the trip was boarding the flight to Orlando and not getting on one headed for Australia.

Congratulations Meghan!! We are all very proud of you!!!

Team Committed.

I already know what my platform would be if I was ever in the highly unlikely position of being the First Lady or Miss America. Without a doubt, I would choose Breast Cancer research and trying to find a cure. I feel passionate about this cause and would love to see a cure during my lifetime.

On Saturday, June 5th, a good friend created a team for us to walk in this year's Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure in Washington, D.C. Our name was "Team Committed." This name could be interpreted on many different meanings and all would be correct. We had big hopes that once word got out about our team, people would flock to sign up and want to join us. Ha!! In the end, there was only 3 of us. But it didn't matter; we were in good company and more than 40,000 other people came out to either walk or run this very worthy cause.

Despite my issues with the heat and my hatred for doing anything outside in the month of June, I love doing this walk each year. It is really touching seeing everyone with their signs, costumes and people who can barely move but want to come out and support a great cause. All I have to do is read the banners on the back of people's shirts of who they are walking either in celebration of or in memory of and I start crying. I get so emotional and just want to give everyone I see who lost someone to this horrible disease or successfully fought it a big hug. Breast Cancer really effects everyone -- no matter what age, race, gender or ethnicity.

So the plan was to get to my friend's house at 6:30am and she would drive us to the metro station. I carefully put out all the stuff I would need (fanny pack, water bottle, keys, camera, hat, etc) the night before. Included in a pile nearby were birthday presents I had to give Beth's kids because we weren't able to attend either of their birthday parties. I purposely put my bib number on top of the wrapped gifts so I wouldn't forget to bring it with me. Unfortunately, by the time 6:10am came, when it was time for me to leave and drive to Beth's house, I was operating on about 1 hour of sleep. Sam had a dreadful night and was up all night long and miserable, thus causing me to be up all night long. Everything the next morning was a bit of a blur and I was on automatic pilot making my way to Beth's house. But like I said, our team name was very appropriate and I had no intention of not going. Needless to say, I completely forgot the bib number and presents.

Our team of 3 (Beth, Jen and me) decided to wear matching outfits for the walk. We went online to the Race for the Cure website and found t-shirts and hats we wanted to wear. Despite having on the 'official' uniform we created, I still felt very naked without my number. I know, I know, having the number on wasn't completely necessary to participate. But still, I couldn't help wanting to have the bib pinned to my shirt.

So, we get on the metro and it is PACKED with wall to wall people. There is no room to move and you only hope that when the metro stops at each station, you won't completely fall into the person behind you or in front of you. Fortunately everyone is really nice and understands the situation. This gentleman next to me did not look like he was dressed to participate in the Race for the Cure and I could only assume by him wearing flip flops and jeans that he was headed somewhere else. I asked him which stop he was getting off at and where he was going. He did not speak one word of English and didn't understand anything I was saying. All he could do was smile. He made room on the pole for me to put my hand and tried to move over some to give me more room. At one point he notices our matching shirts & hats and makes a motion pointing to Jen's number on her shirt and then points to my shirt and the big empty space. Even this gentleman who had nothing to do with the Race for the Cure or couldn't even speak/understand English, saw I was missing my bib number. It was really funny.


Next year Team Committed is planning to make a return appearance. Maybe our team will grow beyond the 3 of us. Maybe at some point we can get our kids involved and have them understand what this means. And maybe, just maybe, I'll remember my bib number.

Heard and Observed XI

Ian: When I go to college, whoever wants to be my friend and is a girl, I am going to marry.
Me: What if you have two friends and they are both girls?
Ian: Then I will marry the first one that becomes my friend.
Me: What if the 2nd girl is prettier than the first girl?
Ian: I will still marry the first girl.

Me: Where will you live?
Ian: In our house. My bed is big enough for two people.
Me: What if the first girl wants to live in her own house?
Ian: Then I'll marry the 2nd girl.

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Survival of the Fittest

I'd like to think I am the epitome of efficiency and can multi-task with the best of them. I've taken this to a whole new level and really outdid myself on the scheduling of events on Saturday, May 29th.

Having two kids born one week less than 3 years apart has turned out to be a blessing. My mom and stepfather live in Florida and will do whatever is necessary to attend the kid's birthday parties. By having the parties in the same weekend, it saves them an extra trip to come up North. This year, I decided to have the parties on the same day; back to back. Ian wanted his party at My Gym and I was going to do Sam's party at the house for close friends and family. Furthermore, because the kids were each turning another year older, I wanted to get their pictures taken at Portrait Innovations. I needed help at the picture studio and didn't want to take Jeff. His threshold for this kind of thing is on the low side. I needed someone who was willing to stick it out as long as the photographer was willing to give it to get a good shot. My mom fit the bill nicely. Since the parties were not until the afternoon/evening, I decided to do the kids' photos in the morning.

The schedule for Saturday went something like this:

6:00am - 6 mile run with the Gazelles. (this was more for my mental well-being in starting the day off feeling energized and ready to tackle anything)

9:00am - Portrait Innovations for Ian's 5 year pics and Samantha's 2 year pics. Plus, fingers crossed to try to get a decent picture of them together. Ha!!

12:00pm - Pick up food from Wegman's catering department for Sam's party

1:00pm - My sister Lori arrives at Dulles Airport and needs to be picked up

2:00pm - Pick up cake from my friend Bridget who generously offered to make an Elmo cake for Sam's party

2:15pm - Swing by my friend Jen's house who also generously offered to make a dozen Cookie Monster cupcakes to go with the Elmo cake at Sam's party.

2:40pm - Leave to go to Ian's party at My Gym

4:30pm - Ian's party ends

4:45pm - Sam's party at the house begins for dinner and more cake.

Approx. 6:45pm - Sam's party ends

The timing was tight, but everything fell into the place and fortunately everything and everyone was ready at the right time. There was one or two little glitches that will take me a long time to get over. The first was the food at Sam's party. I had Wegman's package it cold so that it wouldn't be sitting hot for hours before we would be eating it. I grossly underestimated how long it would take to heat the food. I thought it would only be 15 to 20 minutes max in the oven. My goal was to be able to have the food out and ready to serve by 5:15pm. By 5:30pmish when everything was still on the cool side, Heather stepped in and helped out big-time!! It was her brilliant idea to put each of the dishes in the microwave to get it steaming hot and then transfer it to the chaffing dishes. Within 15 minutes, we had it all out and ready to go.

The other glitch was these Elmo chocolate lollipops I made. Over the course of a few days while Sam was napping, I made 30 Elmo lollipops out of chocolate in the red, white, orange and black colors. They were super cute and I totally forgot to put them out on the table during the party. It wasn't until the very end as an after-thought that I remembered I had them sitting in the freezer.

Oh, and while I am beating myself up, I underestimated the appeal of the chicken nuggets. I really thought the food we had ordered from Wegman's (Chinese) was kid-friendly enough for the kids to eat. Ian is the pickiest eater I know and if he would eat the food, then I believed the other kids would too. So we made the chicken nuggets for the one or two kids who still required their regular fare. However, once one kid sees the chicken nuggets, then they all want them. The problem came where there were only 17 nuggets left in the bag to make. Jeff even asked me if he should run across the street and get more. I told him it wasn't necessary. So there was another mistake. Oh well. What can you do?

Other than that, everything else went well and it seemed like everyone had a great time. I can now rest easy for another year before the birthday party madness comes around again. And, I can go back to March's new year's resolution to not over-extend myself or the family. I guess I fell off the wagon a little. Just a little. :)

June's New Year's Resolution Experiment

My May change was to be nicer to Jeff. No remarks on how something can be done differently or better in my opinion, no comments how to drive, no sarcastic remarks just because. How'd I do? I will let him type the answer below:

Ok, so Jeff doesn't want me to discuss him. Therefore, his words will not be appearing in this space. However, I think I did great. And I think he appreciated the effort.

Now to announce my change for the month of June. This one due to the safety factor probably should've been done in the month of January. But better late than never and I will tackle it in the month of June and hope it becomes a permanent change.

I am hereby proclaiming that I will not check email or facebook in the car. I have made myself way too connected and have become quite addicted to being in constant touch. I know in the long run, I'll be less distracted and not so concerned by every blinking red light alerting me to a new message. There is nothing so important that it can't wait until I get home. And as a bonus, it will set a good example for the kids.