First Kayaking Trip of the Season!

It's kayaking season!  I feel like this statement should be followed by a dance.  I've been waiting all winter and on Saturday we loaded up the truck and headed for the river.  The whole family was excited.

JAC ready to head for the Potomac River

Usually we kayak in the late evening after work but morning kayaking offered many great wild life viewing opportunities.  We saw three river snakes, fish, Blue Herons, ducks and a pair of nesting Bald Eagles.  JAC sat happily in the bottom of Jess' kayak eating handfuls of goldfish crackers and helping paddle.  He also left a trail of crackers in the water for the fish to eat.

An Intrepid Paddler - Life Vest on, Ready to Row

Loving the Water on a Perfect Paddling Morning

JAC Gobbled Down Handfuls of Fish Crackers

The View from My Kayak

The Perfect Paddling Pair

We enjoyed a lovely morning out on the water.  When we returned to shore we at a quick picnic lunch and loaded up.  We were in a hurry because we had great tickets to an afternoon Nationals Baseball Game and didn't want to miss a minute of it.  We were taking Memorial Day Weekend by storm.

Friday Adventure

Sometimes the Friday Adventure is about helping JAC grow more cultured and we visit museums or live concerts.  This Friday the Adventure was about JAC experiencing a piece of real Americana culture.  I took JAC took the Rolling Thunder Bike Rally and Opening Parade.

JAC loves motorcycles and I think motorcycles hold a special place in the hearts of most Americans.  While I doubt I'll ever own a motorcycle (I want a scooter)  I like the fact that they stand for freedom.  The motorcycle is the modern day horse and offers quick mobility on the open road and a bit of exhilleratining adventure.

Each Memorial Day thousands of motorcycles converge on D.C. in a spectacle known as the Rolling Thunder.  While we sit in church on Sunday morning we can hear them rumble by in route to the motorcycle parade on the National Mall.  Many bikers come to town early and the weekend has many motorcycle events.  Friday is the first day and JAC loved the motorcycle rally.  He raced from place to place checking out the bikes and convincing leather clad, burly men to let him sit on their bikes.  It was great fun and a perfect start to our weekend.

My Latest Creation

I'm just about to finish sewing my latest apron.  This apron is a gift for the older lady who leads my Mom's Bible Study group.  She is the grandmother of five and very feminine yet strong.  It took me a long time to pick this fabric.  I wanted something in the vibrant colors she often wears but I also didn't want it to seem garish. 

Today as I sewed down ruffles I couldn't help but think about my Tutu.  Tutu of course, was my great-grandmother.  She too was very feminine yet full of strong opinions.  Last week when we were cleaning out our junk room I happened across a small jewelry box where I had saved a few pieces of Tutu's jewelry.  Today I wore a slender gold Tutu bracelet and it caught bits of light reflecting them as I sewed. 

I am enjoying creating new aprons.  I love pairing fabric combinations and planning a fitting gift for a friend.  I also love that none of these projects require patterns.  The more I sew the more I despise patterns.  I hate the rules and the precision.  I love the challenge of mentally deconstructing garments and attempting to re-construct them from my imagination.  I think this could speak to a major theme of my life.  I hate directions but would rather dig in and figure my way out.

I hope everyone is having a calm Tuesday evening.  I have had a wonderfully quiet day.  How was your day?

Saturday Adventure

I'm busy with a new sewing project and I'm on a deadline.  I plan on neglecting the blog for the week but I wanted to share some cool pictures from our Saturday Adventure.  If you look closely JAC is sporting a sharp new haircut.  The haircut was our Friday Adventure because JAC is always unpredictable in the barber's chair.

On Saturday our good friends joined us for the Joint Services Open House and Airshow.  JAC and I went last year but I think this year was twice as good.  Jess and our friend Kevin were so enthusiastic that it was a bit contagious.  We saw all sorts of aircraft, stunt pilots, and paratroopers.  Here are some pics to document or trip.

Thoughts on a Thursday

Sometimes I plan a blog post for weeks.  I think about while I run and mentally compose every word.  Sometimes I just start writing and see what ideas shake out.  Tonight I am listening to my husband read Bible stories to my son and just letting the ideas shake out.

Jess came home exhausted today and crashed into a long nap.  While he slept JAC and I surprised him by mowing the lawn.  The grass was very long, wet and heavy.  The Spring on the east coast produces an irritating lawn mowing cycle.  The excessive rain causes the grass to grow rapidly.  You can't mow the grass in the rain but the one sunny day of the week always happens to be the day you have booked every hour with pre-scheduled events.  It is a no win situation. 

I have a small blister on my hand below my wedding wring.  Jess and I compared hands last night and both had an identical callus in the same spot.  I really like it.  I like the idea the every day as we work with our hands our rings rub against our flesh created the same lingering mark.

I meant to tell you more about JAC feeding our dog Roxy.  He started the chore on his own and does it dutifully.  Roxy is warming up to the idea but JAC is so proud of himself.  Strangely the task has also inspired him to be nicer to the dog.

I heard some women argue that children are just small adults with the same set of needs but the inability to express them.  I have often thought that all humans long for meaningful work.  Perhaps JAC feeds the dog because it is novel or perhaps he has some intrinsic desire to be useful. 

If we all have an identical set of needs in ideal world we would  work to fulfill our friends and family and no one would be left feeling empty.  This is not a Utopian world but every day someone makes my life a little better.  Today someone complemented my parenting and that is just what I needed to hear.  Have you made someone happier today?  Has someone made your bucket of need feel a little less empty today?

Time, Food and Coffee

We have been going non stop today and it is so nice to sit down with an afternoon cup of coffee and write while JAC watches Curious George. JAC has been a real trooper today as we dashed from one errand to the next. I'm rewarding him by letting him watch movies instead of taking a nap. I felt bad for him. I ran in and dropped our perishable groceries in the fridge before heading to our lunch date and JAC begged, "Inside Please." Later I forgot my umbrella and we both trekked through the rain towards our lunch location. He didn't complain and there are few things cuter than a small boy in a green frog rain coat.

My friend sent me thisStrawberry Rhubarb Cake recipe and it reminded me that it is rhubarb season! I have to make a pie. I love pie and I think the seasons could be renamed for pie. The spring could be Rhubarb pie, the summer blueberry or lemon, the fall pumpkin or apple and the winter could be named Frito pie of course.

While we're talking about food I thought I would share this recipe for Navajo Fried Bread I found. Indian tacos are popular in New Mexico and occasionally I miss them. They are made with fried bread and are absolutely delicious. Here in D.C the only place to get them is at the cafeteria in the National Museum of the American Indian. I think the museum is BORING but the cafeteria is worth the stop.

Time seems to pass both quickly and slowly when in the company of a two year old. It weighs more heavily on my mind today because we recently started timing most things with a kitchen timer. It is a trick that saves my sanity. For instance, we used to fight JAC during dinner and attempt to coax him to eat. Now we put food on his plate, set the timer for 15 minutes and eat dinner. JAC doesn't have to eat but he does have to sit for all of "family time." When the timer goes off he is free to be excused. Today I was so busy that I took a two minute shower. That was all of the time I had. The timer apparently works great for moms too.

Do you have any tricks that are saving your sanity? Are you a "pie person?" I'm not sure we can still be friends if you aren't. Do you have a great recipe that I need to try? I would love to hear how your hump day is going.

Stuff

This afternoon I felt really sleepy.  As I lay down for a nap, closed my eyes and tried to fall asleep I was haunted.  I had this horrible nagging feeling like my skin was itching.  I knew that itch.  It was a familiar itch.  It was the anxiety caused by clutter and I just couldn't stand it.

Ever since I learned we were moving I can't help but feel like we have too much stuff.  The fact that the cost of the move is calculated by weight only further motivates me to purge every non essential item in our house.  Most of those items exist in our junk room.  Some people have junk drawers.  We had a junk room and actually a junk drawer too.  Most days I just shut the door to our junk room and forget it but I couldn't stand it one moment longer.

I started tossing stuff out with reckless abandon.  When Jess came home I enlisted his help too.  It was an all out family cleaning fest and I think JAC realized his role in the process.  When I forgot dinner time JAC didn't hesitate.  He opened the fridge picked out his favorite foods, put them on his tray and climbed into his high chair.  I found him feeding himself dinner when I ran past looking for more packing tape.

When we finished tonight we gave over 18 large trash bags full of stuff to charity.  I felt so motivated that I even took pictures of our furniture and advertised it on Craig's List.  I already have a buyer and I am feeling lighter.  The raw itch of clutter feels less desperate.  Later this week I'll conquer our book cases.  Does anyone want to take over 200 titles on "nerdology" off my hands?

Oh - and JAC found Jess' old hockey gear amidst the chaos.  It was pretty cute!

The Pocket Walk

JAC grows more interesting and full of personality every day.  He is a person of action.  This week he has become very interested in cooking.  If he sees me cooking he doesn't wait to be invited.  He drags his chair over to the counter and begs to help.  Today JAC intently stirred the pancake batter and dumped in measured ingredients.  I find it remarkable how much he loves to help.  I am always at my happiest when I am useful or needed and every day I find a new reason to believe JAC is a small version of me.  I've never been one to fight a fight upfront but instead prefer secret subversion.  JAC shares my passive aggressive leanings. 

Dawdling toddlers drive me crazy and I find myself frequently shouting, "Move with a purpose!"  My patience wears thin quickly.  To speed things up I have JAC hold my hand while we walk.  Lately he has been less enthusiast hand holding.  I try to force the subject and he looks at me and says, "Pocket Walk!"  He shoves both hand deep into his pockets and hangs his head staring at the dirt.  He moves at a snail's pace and his pants sag a bit.  He reminds me of a sullen teenager and the dawdling soon transitions to a near crawl.  This inefficient walk is cute to onlookers but infuriating to me.  Most importantly, it effectively ends all hand holding in a completely passive aggressive way.  I have been beaten at my own game!  Is anyone else feeling a bit passive aggressive today?  I think I might go work on my plans to start a coup in a small country. 

Friday Adventure

I just flipped through pictures from this week and I couldn't help but smile because I have had an unusually great week.  Winter seems to have finally ended and JAC and I have experienced a week full of adventure.

Today, after a three week hiatus Becca and I resumed our Friday Adventure!  I was so happy to see her!  She feels like my better half and three weeks apart was just too long.  Becca just found out that she's moving to Portland and while I know that it is a great move for her family my heart can hardly stand the thought of missing her.

Usually JAC and I visit the Maryland side of Great Falls.  As we stand on the overlook we wave at the people admiring the water from across the river in Virginia.  I didn't want to leave the D.C area without trying out both sides and today Becca joined us to check it out. 

I love the Maryland side of the falls but I think the Virginia side might be my new favorite.  It felt tranquil and peaceful like a nice park but also featured amazing views of the rushing water.  We did a little hiking, lots of laughing and finished off with a lovely picnic.

JAC seemed to have a great time too.  He looked for bugs, climbed on rocks, enjoyed the visitor center and made fun of us a  lot.  I am beginning to realize JAC has a very goofy sense of humor - often mimicking our laughs and movements.  If you catch him in the act he'll look at you, grin, raise his eyebrows and giggle.  It cracks me up.  He is a cool little guy and we have had a great week.

Staycation

Gas prices are high and only expected to rise.  Today I saw a gas station advertising unleaded for five dollars a gallon.  I let out a groan and for a quick minute wondered if I was living in Europe. 

As Memorial Day approaches the word "staycation" is being muttered once again.  I like to think of my life as a daily staycation and consider myself a staycation expert.  This morning I woke up and knew one thing.  Today was a zoo day.  The weather could not be more perfect and I was in the mood for some impromptu wild animal viewing. (Outside of my daily interactions with a small wild animal of my own.)

D.C has one of the prettiest zoos I have ever visited.  It feels a bit like a park and early in the morning joggers will run through the zoo walkways.  JAC loved the zoo but I knew he would.  He loves all animals from squirrels to tigers.

Are you a staycation expert?  If I took a giant road trip and came to your town what staycation attractions would be a must see?

The Perks

I do a lot of whining and complaining on this blog.  I hope the candor and sarcasm brings a little humor to your day.  Despite all my bemoaning about this job it has some major perks.

For instance, I spent the afternoon creating sidewalk chalk art while my son slept.  It was too pretty to be indoors and my chores were finished for the day.

Another perk has to be spending hours at the park with a goofy little boy who buries himself in sand while I work on my ankle tan.

Of course one of my favorite perks is my personal cooking assistant.  Tonight JAC watched as I assembled our meatloaf.  Intrigued, he dragged a chair over to the counter and begged to help stir.  It was a little gross but still lots of fun.

But, one of the best perks of all must be listening to my husband read Bible stories to JAC and say bedtime prayers together.  I hope your day was filled with equally great perks.

Mother's Day Review

I think there should be a day called Husband's Day.  I know that men have Father's Day but that is a day for JAC to celebrate his dad.  I want a day to celebrate those long suffering men who signed on for a lifetime of attempting to interpret perplexing mood swings, awkward shopping trips and conversations about relationships.  I want to celebrate my husband who does all of those things and more with grace, love, patience and lots of charm.

Yesterday Jess stayed up extra late cleaning the house with me.  He was exhausted from watching JAC all day but he knows that once the house starts bothering me I'll go crazy until it is clean.  I am so thankful that I don't have to beg for help.  Jess just knows what I need.

This week I furiously sewed a special apron for my mom and loved every minute of it.  I can't help but think about my mom as I sew because I watched her sew so often throughout my childhood.  Jess knew I was in a rush and took JAC outside to play every afternoon while I slowly worked on the hand stitching. 

The apron is customized with fabric yoyos and I love the way it turned out.  It seems vintage and happy.  I can't see or sew a fabric yoyo without thinking of my mom because it is one of the first things she taught me to sew.  Last night we ate mountains of popcorn for dinner because popcorn instantly reminds me of my mom.  That is one of the coolest things about being a mom, you have the opportunity to leave a permanent stamp on your child's life.  Hopefully the stamp will be many great memories.

Are there things in your life that instantly remind you of your mom?  My list is huge.  Today I am immensely proud of my mom aspire to be just a little more like her.

Mousse

When your child has thrown a two hour tantrum on the airplane and you casually try to make small talk with your seat mate there is one thing you don't want to hear her say when you ask about her profession.  My lovely seat mate replied, "I'm a child behaviorist, did you know your child is displaying attention getting behavior?"  Ug!

JAC was a colossal mess on our trip to Miami but he was a saint on the return trip.  I've been exceptionally grouchy this week and a kind friend gave me some good advice.  She said, "The woman sets the tone of the home."  I think this might apply for plane trips too.  On the return trip I was cheerful and laid back.  I even thought of some silly games to play.  We had a wonderful flight.  Please remind me of this before our 40 hour trip to Nepal.  Actually just start praying for my sanity right now.

Yesterday I purchased mousse for JAC's hair.  I never purchase product for my own hair but we have reached a critical point.  JAC hates to have his hair cut.  It typically requires two people to hold him down.  He really needs a haircut but if I gel his hair up a bit I can delay the inevitable just a bit longer.  Plus JAC says, "Spiky hair -Cool!"  Is anyone else try to delay the inevitable this week?

Jess is the perfect person to come home to.  He purchased a frozen pizza because he knew I would hate to cook, cleaned out the fridge in my absence, and left me a card saying how much he had missed me.  I have the best husband in the world!  I think JAC was really sick of me.  When we came home he wanted to have nothing to do with me.  He gave me a shove and shouted, "Mom inside."  He proceeded to drag Jess out to the yard to dig.  I was happy to oblige and when I checked on them a few hours later they were pretending to go deep sea fishing off of the back porch.  It was adorable. 

Dorthy was right, "There is no place like home."  Home to me is wherever Jess is located.  Jess is the only place where I feel totally like myself.  I don't feel like I have to improve or change.  He's always my biggest fan.  What makes home feel like home to you?  Is it your mom's homemade lasagna or fresh sheets on the bed?

Miami

I feel a bit like the mother of a teenager.  JAC has slept all morning.  It is now ten and he is still snoozing away.  I think he is recovering from all of the fun we had in Miami.

JAC and I had a blast in Miami.  My brother lives on South Beach only a few blocks from the beach.  We enjoyed morning runs along the ocean and hours digging in the sand.  South Beach felt like a completely different planet and some of my best memories will be exploring with JAC.  JAC was an exceptional travel companion.  He held my hand as we walked for miles watching the ocean or exploring back neighborhoods.  He embraced the adventures of public transportation with enthusiasm. 

JAC never enjoyed the waves.  Even as a baby the water has scared him but we built sand castles and played at beach side parks.  In the late afternoon thunderstorms would roll in and we would stop for gellato and wait out the rain.

Vacations are supposed to be a diversion from your normal life and our trip to Miami fit the bill.  I let JAC stay up way past his bed time and threw the schedule out the window.  We had a blast and I'm so thankful for our wonderful hosts Quinn and Lady.

And I Couldn't Breathe

This blog documents my thoughts but also serves as a written history for my son.  I want to write pages and pages about our trip to Miami but first I want to document yesterday's events. 

When we were discussing a name for JAC a felt an overwhelming presence of evil in the world.  We named him Jonathan Alec Connelly.  His name means, "God has sent us a protector of men."  I picked the name because I felt the world needed a few more heroes.  I wanted JAC to have something to live up to.

Osama Bin Laden is dead and there is less evil in the world today.  I am immensely proud to be an American. I am equally thankful for the military and government civilians who spent countless hours hunting down and destroying this evil man.

When Jess called me early in the morning with the news I felt like I couldn't breathe.  I couldn't believe it.  Later in the day while I watched the President's speech I cried.  Some days I feel like Afghanistan has swallowed up the lives of so many people I love.  This is an immense victory for those people and hopefully a small justice for the victims of the 911 attacks.

A small eager boy just walked in and squirted me with his water gun.  He has grown so smart.  I heard him pull a kitchen chair to the sink and fill the gun with water.  I  am amazed by his talents every day.  I do not know what his future will be but I know it is brighter without such an evil man on earth.  I hope JAC lives with dignity and courage and  I pray that God will deliver swift justice to all who prey on the weak.