When There’s Not Enough

May 02

Everyone,

Before my parents came, I was able to join my fellow bloggers in the DC area and tour the Capital Area Food Bank.  Last year the Capital Area Food Bank served over 478,000 hungry persons in the Washington, DC region.  It’s a nice dent in the 17.2 million children who go hungry in the world every day.

But still, 1 in 2 kids in the district are at risk for going hungry.  That’s 50% of the children living in the shadow of the most powerful people in our country.  We have kids in this area that go home from school on Friday and then don’t eat again until Monday.  Butterfly’s school participates in the Capital Area Food Bank’s Backpacks, which send at risk kids home with enough food for their family for the weekend.  Butterfly’s school feeds EVERYONE breakfast in the morning, regardless of income.

I can’t imagine being one of those kids and wondering if lunch on Friday was the last time I would eat until Monday.  And how hungry they must be on Monday morning!  Her school offers seconds to those kids in need, and often sends home the left over Friday pizza to kids who aren’t part of the backpack program.

Are you looking for ways to help?  Even if you’re not in the DC area, contact your local food bank and see what their biggest need is at the moment.  Have a bunch of cereal your kids loved but won’t touch now?  The food bank will take it.  Have extra produce in your garden every year?  Instead of sending your kids around the neighborhood with a wagon loaded down in zucchini (like Juice used to do), send it to the food bank.

In the DC area?  The Capital Area Food Bank offers tours each month from 11:30-12:30 which can be arranged privately or join a group already going. They accept help of any kind, loading and unloading, sorting, food donations and monitary donations. If you are in the DC area and looking for something good to do, please keep them in mind.

Safire

Disclosure: I was not compensated in any way to participate in this tour or to write this post. I paid my own way to travel to this event, get lost with my friend Lolli, and try to see the DC cherry blossoms with everyone after.  Also, I had many small heart attacks at the fact that my boys went running near the Potomac River with very little protection from falling in.  I chose to share this information with you because I believe it’s truly valuable.  The food bank and my blossoming grey hairs from these boys.

PS- Lolli took pictures.  I was too busy keeping the boys from unloading and resorting their packages to even THINK about taking anything.  Thanks Lolli!

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QOTW: Around My Town

May 01

Everyone,

I’m off my blogging mojo.  And I’m not stressing over it.  Are you?  We’ve had the BUSIEST few weeks I can remember.  And I’ve been the tiredest I’ve been in awhile too.  But my goal is to catch up this week so I expect you to be busy reading!

To jump off this week of writing for me is the question of the week from the Multiples and More site.

What is your favorite thing to do in your city/hometown?

5 Awesome Kid Friendly Things to Do in the Washington DC Area

1. Mt. Vernon.  George Washington’s plantation is a wonderful mix of history and free space.  You can tour the house, see the historic farm, tour the Potomac River on a boat, hike through the woods, run through the fields, see animals, trees, see George’s life in the museum, and eat amazing food.  We go to Mt. Vernon at least 4 times a year.  It’s always a good time!  Check out the website for information and times.  My best times to go?  Christmas time (see the top floor of the house), early morning and late afternoon.  Dogs are welcome!
2. Harper’s Ferry.  This is part of the National Parks Service and an awesome little town.  The Appalachian Trail runs right through the middle of the town.  The Shenandoah River and the Potomac River converge there and the mountains are stunning.  In the summer, you can splash in river or take a kayak ride downstream.  There’s a big rock that Thomas Jefferson spent some time admiring the view from.  It is a stunning view.  Worth seeing?  You bet!  This town is also was a major part of the civil war.
3. National Mall.  This is the must see for all the visitors that we have.  All the monuments are stunning.  All picture worthy.  And all worth seeing.  But my favorite part of the Mall?  The grass.  My kids just LOVE to run around.  And I think that it is so cool that my kids can run around in the shadow of the buildings and the monuments.
4. Baltimore Harbor.  I know that this is supposed to be the DC area, but Baltimore is a seriously fun town about an hour away from DC.  There are boat tours, shopping, and history.  The Star Spangled Banner was written here.  We’ve been slowly going through the things to see there, and nothing has disappointed.  Our favorite thing to see there?  The National Aquarium.  Fish!  Dolphins!  Fun!  Word of warning though, strollers are NOT allowed and it is often hot and crowded.  Best times to go?  MORNING on a weekday.  Be sure not to miss the dolphin show!
5. Dulles Air and Space Musem.  This is different from the one at the National Mall.  This is Juice’s pick for the list.  No wonder it’s about planes, BUT it really is amazing.  This museum used to be an old airplane hanger and the museum reflects that.  Want to see an actual spaceship?  There’s one in there!  Be warned, you have to pay for parking here.  Our favorite time to go?  Halloween!  You can trick or treat here and it is so much fun!

I have lived here almost 7 years now and I still haven’t seen everything here.  Anyone want to come and visit and discover something new with me?

Safire

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My Day’s Check List

Apr 14

Everyone,

I’m too tired to do a proper post about what we did today so you get the check list version.

1. Meet Lolli at my house at 8:45 am for an adventure!
2. Drop Butterfly off at school, with Lolli, and then drive to the metro station for our adventure!
3. Ride the train.
4. Get off at correct stop.
5. Find the National Capital Food bank.
6. Walk two miles because that’s how far away it is from the metro.
7. Curse seemingly simple directions.
8. Join tour of Food Bank late but enjoy what we do see.
9. Have lunch with our friends!
10. Have friends take pity on us and drive us back to the metro.
11. On the way, decide last minute that we should go see the cherry blossoms on the Tidal Basin.
12. Drive past and realize that we’ve missed the blossoms.
13. Go to Hain’s Point National Park instead and walk on the water.
14. Throw sticks into the water.
15. Throw chips into the water for the ducks.
16. Throw rocks into the water.
17. Meet a nice guy with fishing rod and cast a few lines in the water too.
18. Get dropped off at the metro station.
19. Ride home.
20. RACE to the car because we are late picking Butterfly up from school.
21. Thank Butterfly’s friend’s Grandma for hanging out with Butterfly at school.
22. Thank her again.  A lot.
23. Whisk kids back to our house.
24. Go play at the park for half an hour.
25. Convince kids to go back inside because mommy is TIRED.
26. Welcome Juice home.
27. Take kids and Juice to Butterfly’s school for Family Learning Night and pizza.
28. Watch Butterfly make a puppet.
29. Watch Juice from across the room try not to pull out his hair while the boys do their own “craft” of making confetti.
30. Smirk over the fact that both the boys use scissors with their left hands.
31. Think back and realize that they have both been using their left hands to eat and draw lately too.
32. Go home.
33. Put kids to bed.
34. Fall asleep in bad position on bed.
35. Wake up after about 10 minutes and start my chores.
36. Clean dining room table from all the gooey loveliness.
37. Vacuum cobwebs.
38. Wash picture frames.
39. Scrub kitchen floor.
40. Write blog post.
41. Take out contacts.
42. Go to sleep.

Safire

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Just In Time

Feb 21

Everyone,

When crankiness seemed to encompass the household and was seeping into my dreams, we had an adventure.  A Presidential Adventure.  Just in time!

My best-est buddy Lolli took our kids (8 between us!) to Mt. Vernon, the first President’s plantation. On the day of the celebration of George Washington’s birthday, the plantation is free to all! And it seemed like ‘all’ came. We parked a mile away and walked in. But even with all the walking, we still had a lot of smiles to go around!

For the most part any way. There were some tantrums, there were some tears, there was pushing 3 kids in our pack mule of a stroller and carrying one on my back for the mile hike back to the car.  There were the Buddist Monk who bowed to me and called me “holy mother” with a huge smile on his face.

There was also a nice gentleman who gave us tickets to tour the house in half an hour instead of 3 and a half hours. There was a long stretch (at least 3 minutes) of deep breathing in one of my favorite places on the face of the Earth, thanks to Lolli’s big kids.

We toured the house (my first in at least 3 years) and there was a shock on how beautiful the place is. There was the moment when Butterfly was just soaking in tour and getting excited about seeing the “first president’s bed! The one he died in! I have to tell my class!” 5 years of dragging her all over creation is finally paying off. She’s starting to see the joy of being a tourist. (And I think this is the second president’s death bead that we’ve seen, since we’ve toured The House Where Lincoln Died several times as well. Oh, I think we’ve seen where Jefferson died as well. Hmm…) We came out of the mansion just in time to catch the beginnings of the President’s surprise birthday celebration. I’m not sure how he could be surprised with the amount of people gathered on his bowling green, but it was nice to know that he is still loved, 312 years after his death.

There was that moment when Lolli and I were laughing over the phones while driving because we were hopelessly lost, even with a GPS. (Whose recalculation was going to take us straight through downtown DC during rush hour!) There was also that entire hour in the car where all three kids were knocked out and I got to listen to my music with no complaints.

This adventure came at just the right time to break me of the crabbies.

And like Lolli said, we made some memories that I will never forget. And I’ve got the pictures (and the blog!) to prove it!

Safire

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Give Me Your Best Shot: Roar

Sep 17

Everyone,

Pictures from the aquarium on my birthday. The boys LOVE love love the alligators. They call them “roars” and really spend time studying them. I’ve taken some pictures so you can study them too!

My parents and I went to Eastern Market today. We drove down and did a little driving tour of the monuments as I tried to hear the GPS over Little Einstein in the background. We found street parking on the block (amazing!) and walked up and down the market.

It is smaller than I thought it would be. But lots of fresh stuff. We had a great lunch at the counter. Apparently, they have the most amazing pancakes there, but only on Saturday. I’m determined to get there one Saturday and taste them!

Fresh fish, chicken, pork (I watched them bring in a pig from a truck and cut it up right there for someone.) and fruit. Also, good cookies. The Market is open Tuesday-Friday 7am – 7pm
, Saturday 7am – 6pm
, Sunday 9am – 5pm, Monday Closed.

So if you’re in the area of the capital building, take a short walk to Eastern Market and have lunch. Or better yet, go on Saturday and get amazing pancakes!

Please continue to enter my giveaways and vote for my picture! Thanks!

Safire

;Hosted by Cecily and Lolli

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Park and School

Sep 16

Everyone,

Today while Butterfly was in school, we took the boys to see Clara Barton’s house and Rock Creek Park.

The Clara Barton house was closed for asbestos removal.

But we sat on her porch and listened to the ranger talk about her life.  She was a fascinating lady!  She was at several of the battles in the civil war.  She started a school.  She worked for the US government in a time where women working was very uncommon.  She started the Red Cross in America.  She lived till she was in her late 80s and ran the Red Cross from her house.  That house next to Glen Echo Park.

They did let us in for a quick peek at house and made us wish we could go in farther.  This is the second time we’ve tried to go to this house with my parents and it just has never worked out.  3rd times a charm, right?

After the house, we walked over to Glen Echo Park.  That used to be a resort area for people from the city.  They had their own train from DC that would run every day.  They had an enormous lake named The Crystal Pool with a sandy beach area.  There was room for about 3000 swimmers.  It was once a midway, with rides as well.

Now they have the carousel still going (only on Saturdays and Sundays now that school is in session, seen above) and they’ve turned it into a nature center.  They do a lot of classes like pottery, photography, art, nature, etc.  They no longer have The Crystal Pool but have a nice play ground instead.  They also have a big picnic area, a ball room, and a puppet theater.

I miss Butterfly on these days because we always have so much fun.  I think she’s enjoying school though.

Her first back to school night was tonight.  It was a lot of fun!  She marched us all around the school.  We saw her art room (after asking directions), the music room, the gym, the cafeteria, her class room, her teacher, her cubby, and her drawing.  She made a monster book to show us but didn’t finish it in class.  So she sat right down in the chair and finished it herself.

Her teacher said that she is very particular.  She would be after having Juice as a father.    This makes her very detail oriented.  Her teacher was also surprised to hear that she did not go to pre-school since she knows a lot of things that the other kids don’t yet.  Of course, there are things she doesn’t know that everyone else knows.  I think that’s pretty normal.  Her teacher also mentioned that she has a lot of good ideas for the class to help things go smoothly.  Mrs. Madeline considers Butterfly a leader in the class.

Way to go little girl!  She is rocking in school.

Safire

PS- Please please please don’t forget to vote for my picture!  Thanks a million!

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Party Day 2

Sep 14

Everyone,

Since Butterfly had the day off of school today, we thought we would go and do something big and fun.  Kind of like yesterday.  We are great tourists, if nothing else.

Today’s tourist spot was Georgetown.  This is someplace I have not really been to see.  Sure, I’ve driven through it.  And once I caught a bus there.  So today was getting to know this cool old section of town.  It was founded in 1751 so it predates Washington DC!  But now that it’s a part of DC, it’s known for it’s upscale restaurants and shops.  We had a good time window shopping while we walked around.  Nice stuff!

We first stopped at the Old Stone house, which was built in 1765.  It is the oldest standing structure in Washington DC.  Why did this house survive when all the others around it were being torn down?  A story.  Folklore.  Apparently, after the Revolutionary War, the government took land from Virginia and Maryland to make DC.  They asked George Washington and Pierre Charles L’Enfant to lay out the city.  They met in a place called Suter’s Tavern.  Well, Suter Jr. had been renting a room in the Old Stone House at the time.  People believe that Washington and L’Enfant actually met in the Old Stone House for awhile instead of the tavern.  Is it true?  Probably not.  No one really knows.  But a cool piece of history none the less.

At one point, the house was a shop for hats, tailors, locksmiths, clock makers, house roofing, house painting, and a used car dealership. The dealership used the back yard as a parking lot.  But in 1953, the National Park Service bought it and made it into a house museum.  Today it’s about 85% true to it’s 1700′s construction.  And the back yard is a BEAUTIFUL garden.

We spent most of our time running through the garden.  The garden is open every day from dawn to dusk, and the house from 8am-5pm (I believe).  Admission is free.

After the house, and lunch, we decided we needed to try Georgetown Cupcakes.  There’s always a line to get it.  It must be good, right?

Right.

Seriously, I think these are the best cupcakes I have ever eaten!  It’s worth the 20-30 minute wait in line to get these!  I had vanilla/vanilla and salted carmel.  Oh so good.  No pictures of these because they were just too good and we ate them.

We also walked along the canal a bit.  What a fun day.

And to close this very exciting day, another giveaway!

My blog was designed and built by Olya at White Rabbit Works. She was very helpful, answered all my questions and the blog turned out beautifully, don’t you think?

Well Olya is giving away a free blog button.  Use her talents people!  She is amazing.

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DC Adventure, again

Jul 09

Everyone,

Tickets for a “tall bus” as ordered by Butterfly were on the agenda today.  They were graciously given to us by a friend who had no use for them.  We took friends along!  Butterfly got to climb the stairs in the bus and was beyond thrilled!

There was a lot of this:

and this:

and I saw a lot of DC I’ve never seen before.

Including one neighborhood in Georgetown where the bus broke down and we had to wait an hour for another.  We got to know that street really well. Also, my head got to know a very sharp branch at one point. Ouch!

After that neighborhood there was a lot of this:

And once we got home (around 6:30 pm…sorry Lolli!) there was a lot of ice cream and beds.

Safire

PS- Happily linked to Lolli (who shared this adventure and took better pictures I’m sure because she did not have 2 toddlers in her lap and who let us use her teenager who has a good heart) and Lolli’s Give Me Your Best Shot.

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Hot

Jul 07

Everyone,

Our earlier conversation:

I know! Let’s go see museums today because the forecast said it’s supposed to be 102 degrees today.

Okay! The museums are inside so there will be air conditioning!

Sounds great! Let’s go.

Our later that day conversation:

Who thought up this “great” plan? It’s stinking hot out here. I forgot you actually have to walk from the metro to the museums.

I know. It’s hot!

Why didn’t we pick museums that are closer together? This walking 2 blocks to see something else is not a good idea. It’s hot!

Our much later conversation that day:

I’ve never had a whole metro car to myself before! This is great!

No, it’s not. It’s hot.

Yes, well, when the metro air conditioning doesn’t work, you get to have cars all to yourself during rush hour!

Yes, it’s hot.

Wanna change cars?

Yes!!!

We had an adventure today.

Safire

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Then There Was DC

Jun 28

Everyone,

What a day!  First there was this:

And then there was this:

Next there was:

[a picture of the kids and Flower outside the National Aquarium Downtown]

And then there was:

[a totally awesome picture of a sea horse]

[a picture of the kids in front of the viewing area for the 'roars' aka the alligators]

And after there was:

[a picture of the Washington Monument with dark storm clouds]

And then there was:

[a picture of Butterfly standing in the rain deluge]

And once we got home, wet, (after a very awful metro ride with rude people who swore at me) there was no power in the house.

Until 4am.

And!!  I’m an aunt again!  Congrats to my brother and SIL on their new addition born today, a 9lb baby brother for Cappy.  No internet name yet.  9 lbs!

What a day.

Safire

PS- I have no pictures because I ran out of the uploads for flickr this month and I’m too tired to invest time in turning pro.  More pictures on July 1st when I can upload again.

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