Week 3 of Summer Fun: Tourist in Our Own Backyard / Summer To Do List in DC

Last week, the kids & I visited Mount Vernon with my friend Cristin & her son. Our visit was more like a scouting trip, as we didn’t see much due to time constraints. After we arrived later in the afternoon than we had anticipated (as usual my timing execution was a tad bit off!), we had to unload the car (stroller, water, diaper bag, etc), apply sunscreen, find a bathroom for diaper changes, and then feed the children. So an hour later, we were FINALLY ready to see the estate. Unfortunately, I had to meet Hubby at home by 4:30, so we really only had an hour or so to walk the grounds.

An adult ticket is $15. An annual pass is $25. So with the idea that we will return one day with a better understanding how to time our trip (as in start earlier in the day!), both Cristin & I bought annual passes. The view of the Potomac River is stunning! I can’t wait to go back to take the tour of the house. We only had time to walk the grounds. The kiddo led us around, referring to his Treasure Map. The factoid taken away by the kiddo is that George Washington was our first president. He also liked the donkey & horse in the stables.

I have started a list of sights to see/things to do this summer in between our summer travel:
• C&O Canal in Georgetown
• DC Duck Tour
• Tour Mobile
• Mount Vernon
• National Capital BBQ battle
• Open a savings account with kiddo (ceremonially emptying of the piggy bank)

As an aside, in the fall baby & I intend to visit (sans kiddo):
• Tea @ National Cathedral
• Spy Museum
• U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum
• National Portrait Gallery

So much to do, just need to get organized!

It's summertime, and the livin's easy!!

Week 1 of Summer Sanity Test (aka Summer Break has begun!)

Day 1, Tuesday

It’s 2:00 in the afternoon. Already we have been to the Splash Park in the morning, had lunch, and the boy is happily watching Tom & Jerry cartoons. After 2 recorded episodes (love the DVR!), I put in Tom & Jerry “Shiver Me Whiskers” and have promised myself that once it’s finished we will do something productive (i.e. no TV!).

Something Productive:

(Yes, I am fully aware that the boy has his shirt on inside out and backwards. Pick your battles, people.)

Continuing the pirate theme, we opened up one of his birthday gifts – a pirate chest painting kit. I tried to give a lesson on primary colors and mixing paint which was totally lost on him. He did take great delight mixing all the colors to make a very dark brown-black color. While he painted and fiddled with the lock & key, I put on some Reggae music, which was a flop. Then I tried the Tropicales music channel which he tolerated a bit better. Our little parrot girl loved the music as well as being held by Captain Mommy. Right now she is hanging out on the poop deck (i.e. floor mat). The boy has disappeared down below to play. I turned off the music and here I sit with the blissful sounds of a baby cooing waving a rattle, a boy playing make-believe and the click-clack of my nails hitting the keyboard.

And no sooner as I get into groove and organize my thoughts, the parrot is squawking. Too much poop? Is it time for another diaper & outfit change? Seriously, the velocity at which poop comes out of the girl is like rocket propulsion, as evidenced by the aftermath. But here I digress. I’ll be back….

4:30pm. What to make for dinner? The grill is open now, so that widens the menu choice. Hmmm…the fridge is a bit bare, requiring a grocery trip tomorrow with both kids. Lovely.

INVENTORY CONTROL:
One of my many non-stop job duties is managing inventory. My current project is throwing overboard all that is weighing us down. We haven’t played a CD in years. The CD player got packed up two moves ago and never got unpacked. Now it’s all

And we now take a break to play “Hide and Go Seek”

DAY 2, Wednesday

So I never completed writing about Day 1. Once again, writing complete thoughts on the minutiae of my life is not meant to be and frankly is not that interesting. But I do want to highlight and remember the constant shifts in my attention during this blissful time at home.

All mothers have been drilled into their heads that their children should not watch too much TV, unless you want them to be obese, lack social skills, and be more aggressive. (I’m sure I read that somewhere in a government-funded study!). I just want my child to stop reciting commercials back to me. The kid is a big advocate for OxyClean because “It CAN clean through the toughest stains.” I’ve heard this more than my fair share. Which makes me wonder, really how many times has he seen that commercial? This is my indicator that my boy does indeed watch too much television.

But the TV is the fallback for me. I want 20 minutes extra of sleeping time in the morning – TV babysitter. I need to make a phone call – TV babysitter. Can I just get 15 minutes of uninterrupted time so I can start dinner?! -- TV babysitter. And then the next thing I know, it’s hours and hours of TV. SO one of my goals is to redirect the boy for imaginative play without necessarily involving me. For the record, I am NOT good at re-enacting any of the Star Wars movies. My attention span for playing Star Wars Legos unfortunately is about as long as a Billy Mayes’ Oxyclean commercial!

Less TV is an admirable goal but one that requires organization and planning to execute. Today we had scheduled a play date with one of his preschool classmates. No one of sane mind would be outside today though with temperatures in the mid-90s and a blanket of humidity. We opted for bowling indoors with A/C (and a beer for the Moms). The kids had a blast. My own kiddo declared “Mom, bowling is my new favorite sport!” Almost 3 hours of fun! I know it’s been a good productive day when the Boy falls asleep in the car on the way home! But then right back to that TV babysitter.

What’s on the agenda for tomorrow? Day 3 Park with neighborhood friends in the morning and then an afternoon of errands of which I need to mentally prepare myself – the mall for a hopefully quick in-and-out of one store, library, and grocery store.

Next week camp starts. Whew! I will only be responsible for half a day. Thank goodness!

May the Force Be With You on Your Birthday and Always

My boy is Spoiled.

Not necessarily a Spoiled Brat….yet. But he is definitely embracing the celebration of self. This morning on the way to school he was singing repeatedly “I am 5 today. I am 5 today.” And then he asked in the same breath, “Why do I have to go to school today if it’s my birthday?” Oy. This indulgence is my creation.

I think birthdays are a big deal. (My own birthday celebration has morphed into a celebratory birth month!) We all know that the world can be a cruel and lonely place that doesn’t always shower the individual with love and acceptance. That hard lesson comes later. But for the here and now at the tender age of 5, all my boy needs to know and understand is that he is LOVED and is very special. I can’t help myself but to shower him with birthday surprises that I know will make him happy. I want a happy boy. I don’t want an indulgent child, or demanding child, or a truly spoiled child. Obviously, there is a line that may be crossed and I am keeping an eye on that line and gauging that indeed we don’t even get close! I don’t want to hand him the world on a silver platter either. But certainly at this age he can expect love, a birthday party, the toy that he really, really, really wants and lots of hugs and kisses.

The planning started last month in April. How did he want to celebrate his big day? His response: A party with ALL his classmates invited. Oh my! This, too, is an age of inclusion (which it should be if space and cost allow it, in my opinion). But where, oh where, does one have a inexpensive party for potentially 15+ very energetic kids? Most definitely NOT at my house! I checked out a few options around town, but none worked within my budget or my time preferences. (Like anything else in a highly populated area, advanced reservations are highly recommended. Six weeks prior to his party date, all the prime time slots were reserved.) Thankfully, I was able to convince him that a party at the playground would be incredibly fun.

He didn’t buy into the playground idea last year when we were in Alabama. In retrospect, I’m glad we had his party at an air-conditioned gymnastics center, because in mid-May, the weather is already hotter than Hades in the South. We would have melted in the 90+ degree weather. Fortunately a quick phone call 2 weeks prior, I was able to make a reservation for a prime time slot at the gymnastics center for the 20+ kids that were invited. Sometimes pokey, less populated Southern living has its perks!

Arlington has a gazillion well-maintained parks and playgrounds. Thanks to my new nanny friend, she knows all the great spots for preschoolers and introduced me to a newly renovated playground with bathrooms! I’m a just-in-time (Read: Procrastinator) kind of gal and we handed out invitations less than a week prior. The party was held on our regular day off from school and I was pleasantly surprised how well attended it was by both mommy and kiddos. The weather even held out for us, although there was a forecast of showers. It did rain but not until well after the party was over.

The boy loved playing with all his friends on the playground. Good old fashioned fun – climbing, jumping, running, chasing, pretending, and using the imagination -- with very few referee interventions from the mommy watch group. When it was time for cake, he also loved being the center of attention with the birthday song and blowing out the candles. The mound of presents from his generous friends (Remind me to discuss “No Gifts” for next year!) were saved for opening at home, which I think is the norm for this age group. Thank goodness because it took us nearly an hour!

Happy Birthday Memories are almost complete. The boy is finishing up his Thank You cards, which are twofold on my part. One, I won’t let him play/open any of his gifts until he writes his thank you’s. We all know that if we don’t write a thank you note right away, it will never get done, right? (wink) Two, writing a thank you, besides its obvious lesson, is a time-filler and an exercise for the boy to practice his letters. Writing his name 16 times and then the names of all his friends was a concentration challenge. Since he really wanted to open his toys, he completed the thank you project in two sittings. I was impressed.

To finish the birthday week celebration, we still had his school celebration which involved eating lunch with the Boy at school, handing out special birthday treats, sharing photos/information with his classmates and reading a story. I tenaciously hold onto themes with the idea that it makes life easier. Star Wars once again….this time Star War Cupcakes. Williams-Sonoma sells kits. Of course, just-in-time gal that I am, sometimes I have to resort to foregoing sleep to make deadlines. I was baking cupcakes at midnight. My efforts, however, paid off as the cupcakes turned out well. Most importantly, I had a happy boy. Will he remember the details? Probably not. May he always remember that he is LOVED. That’s all I want.

Day 122 of Domestic Drudgery Bliss

Ding Dong, the Witch is Dead!

The big news for today is that Osama Bin Laden is DEAD! We got ya, Sucka! It might have taken us 10 years, but we are a persistent bunch. I listened to President Obama address the nation last night.

The Daily To Do List

Gymnastics
Groceries
Flowers for Teacher Appreciation Week
Post Office
Make Mother’s Day Cards
Aerobics

The Completed To Do List & Then Some….

Gymnastics
Groceries
Flowers for Teacher Appreciation Week
Post Office
Make Mother’s Day Cards
Aerobics

I am always trying to overcome my own inertia. Once at home, I don’t leave. Today we had a late start. We made it to gymnastics class, late of course. We came home to regroup for lunch and never left, which is a normal occurrence. Instead, I..

Cleaned and de-cluttered.
Wrote thank you notes.
Washed dishes.
Vacuumed.
Laundry.
Held/Nursed the baby.
Attempted to make Mother’s Day cards with the Boy. Failed.
Made beans & sausage for dinner.

Here’s a picture of my “desk” today.

Here are pictures of my “co-workers”.

It may look like the Boy is just clutching 4 markers. HOWEVER, he informed me that he is actually General Grievous (Star Wars Clone Wars) with 4 light sabers.


Just one of my good days….(I won’t dwell on the mompreneur article I read in the
Washington Post today that made me pause and consider my choice, which I usually do on my bad “work” days, when I meet up with my college friends, every time there is change and upheaval in my life because of Hubby’s career, and hormones.)

“Mom, Did You Know….”

The timer is on. 10 minutes. Write. GO!

The baby is sleeping. The boy has a play date next door.

Before I launch into my scatterbrained thoughts today, I have a question for Ms. Manners. What is my reciprocal responsibility to a nanny-led play date? Am I expected to return the favor? Host? If I don’t, do I “owe” the nanny some consideration? Or my neighbors who pay her? Since keeping watch of the kids is her paid employment, by accepting another under her watch, as directed by her employer, is she accepting more responsibility? Or is that part of her current job description of keeping the children in her care happy and engaged? Presumably, she has freed her hands a bit by having a playmate over as hopefully all she has to do is referee every once in a while. (I’d like to think my child is well-behaved and plays well with others. I have been told this, but I also take this with a grain of salt. How often do people speak the truth about your child?! Especially people you just met? )

I always want to remember these days of staying home with my children. I’m already starting to get nostalgic and to romanticize these days because the Boy starts kindergarten next year. Is it possible? My world changes again. I want to hold him in my arms always. To protect him always. To answer his gazillion questions always. To watch yet again another episode of “Phineas & Ferb” with him. To play Star Wars Legos and have my hand cut off once again by Darth Vader. To remind him again and again to flush the toilet and wash his hands….WITH SOAP!

Yesterday, we did our one errand for the day – a trip to the pet store. While in the car, these thoughts are my son’s stream of consciousness:

(1) “Mom, do you know what the Bermuda Triangle is? It’s a circle that sucks ships into the ocean.”

(2) “Mom, did you know a squid can swallow a shark?”

(3) “Mom, did you know that an octopus has a hole in it to squirt out ink?”

(4) “Mom, do people’s hearts still work once they are broken?”

(5) “Mom, I do not want to work. I want to stay home with the babies.” How are you going to earn a living? Who is going to pay the bills? How are you going to eat? “My wife! She can be a farmer.” (I guess he finds my job of blissful domesticity alluring. Although now I’m trying to impart of him that I do have a “job” even though I don’t leave the house every day like daddy.)

(6) “Mom, I never want to get a tattoo because I don’t want to hurt.” Who told you it hurt? “You did! You said that they made little holes in your skin to put the ink in.”

(7) “Mom, I want more Jedi Legos.”

That’s all I jotted down while at the stoplights. They make for interesting and entertaining conversations for sure!

My To-Do List Mocks Me. And Other Challenges.

I have been meaning to post several times in the last two weeks, but just never have found the chunk of time to write a complete thought and then upload. I have a few unfinished posts that may never be developed fully. Such is a life of a mom with a newborn. Again I reiterate that I do not have deep, developed thoughts at this point in my life. My schedule is not my own. I live in 5-10 minute intervals. Or usually with the thought “How much time before the baby wakes up?” Like now, I can hear her stirring. I have set my timer for 10 minutes and will write what comes to mind and then post whatever that may be.

Operating under a time crunch, let me list my life in a nutshell ( Must lover bullet formats!):

• Much thanks to my parents who visited for 10 days to help me when Hubby returned to work. They were a huge help especially with the Boy, chauffeuring him to preschool and keeping him entertained. At that point in time, baby girl and I had a wicked sleep schedule still where we were awake into the wee hours and still got up frequently. I’m proud to say that in the past 2 nights she has been sleeping up to a 5 hour intervals (knock on wood!).

• Also much thanks to my father for doing yard work. Really it is so nice to stop looking like THE RENTAL house of the neighborhood.

• Both Mom & mother-in-law and Hubby are encouraging me to hire a cleaning service. For some reason, I feel like this is truly indulgent for a stay-at-home mom since isn’t cleaning one of my primary duties? But since I apparently suck at maintaining a clean, clutter-free house and because I’d much rather spend my precious time actually interacting with my children (and not being pissed off from cleaning), I will investigate how much a weekly service will cost. I hear from my friends who came out of the woodwork on Facebook to confess that they already use a cleaning service and that it is well worth every penny. Who knew?!

• I am working on birth announcements and thank you cards. One day I might actually send them out. It’s all about working in batches. I had originally wanted to include a quick update to my friends and family especially those who are not online. But I may never send them if I have to find the time to write a coherent letter of good tidings.

• I went grocery shopping today with both kids. Let’s just say that activity is the major accomplishment of the day. Little girl cried the entire drive home. I assumed she was hungry. She was, but she was more angry with the blowout that occurred at some point. So the groceries sat in the car while I changed her and nursed her. Thirty or so minutes later, I finally got to the groceries. I need to remember that I will probably only get one errand done a day if/when I have both kids are with me. (Note: I may never get my nails done again! I need to find an hour for this sometime this week!)

IT’S FRIDAY! SNIPPETS FROM MY WEEK

COCKTAILS

I should be having a cocktail tonight to celebrate my husband’s promotion, especially since the grandparents are here. However, I forgot. Going about my business and just flat out forgot! We were going about our usual routine of Pizza & Movie Night, and the whole idea of cocktails completely left my brain. Oh well. We wouldn’t know where to go and probably would feel like fish out of water anyway.

Movie Tonight: Tinkerbell & the Great Fairy Rescue

GRANDPARENTS & FOX NEWS (Must be a generational thing!)

My parents are here to help me out with the boy and baby. Since their arrival, the TV has been on 24-7 between the boy and the grandparents. The boy watches Phineas & Ferb every day over and over again. And when his attention is finally redirected, then the grandparents have Fox News on continuously. Megyn Kelly, Geraldo Rivera covering Libya (really?! He’s considered a serious TV journalist now?), and the O’Reilly Factor have been my companions all week. However, I do put my foot down with Glenn Beck.

HEART ATTACKS

The last person I thought would have a heart attack had one this week. She maintains her weight, eats right, exercises, and has from my viewpoint what I considered a healthy lifestyle with minimal stress. If she can suffer a heart attack, then it makes me want to throw in the towel with doing my body right. Because truly will my efforts make a difference?! She is a nurse and works at a hospital. Thankfully, as soon as she realized that something was wrong, she was taken to the ER and hooked up to the EKG machine within 10 minutes from when the symptoms started. One of her arteries was 90% blocked and she had stents inserted. Supposedly, she goes back to work on Monday. Just craziness!

WIFEY SPLURGE FOR THE WEEK: Fake nails