Memorial Day Fun

On Memorial Day I hung out with the kids and David worked. We had a relaxing day. We saw the Smurfs meeting in the theater in the morning. We had lunch out and then headed home. The kids decided it would be fun to wash Big Red. So I decided to take them up on it.

The girls had fun. Max wasn't really that interested and ran away to play with the neighbor instead. Ellie and Clair tried hard to help and then continued to play in the water for about an hour after.

Clair enjoyed trying the new home made ice pops, shades and all!

It was a relaxing afternoon and I was thankful to relax with the kids and enjoy a taste of summer with their smiles.

They were not ready for school Tuesday morning. They are ready for summer schedules, summer days, and lazy mornings!

 

First Communion

This past weekend Ellie celebrated another milestone of growing up; she had her first communion.

Ellie was proud of this grown up experience. We were proud of her. She was very excited to go back for communion the following week. A sign of growing up.

Another softball season

Three years ago I embarked on a journey with Ellie that I could not have ever imagined. She signed up for softball with Erika, at the urging of Katie. And in that, I became an assistant coach. I wasn't a stellar athlete, but I do love sports. Teaching young kids to do anything is hard for me. I'm not a patient women, but the girls have taught me a lot over the years. I have also learned a great deal from a couple coaches along the way as well. To be a good coach, is sort of like being a good manager, you don't have to be awesome at the task. Instead, you have to help others do better and improve themselves. Over the 6 seasons of softball I have met dozens of girls. I have had my favorites. I especially enjoy the ones who truly love playing the sport and whose parents have raised them to be coach-able. They listen. They try hard. They bring a positive attitude to the practices and games. They cheer on their team mates.

I've read reminders to parents on facebook and such that your child's performance on the field isn't a reflection of you as a person, but whether your child is coach-able, has a positive attitude, encourages their team mates and tries their best most of the time, this is a reflection of your parenting, your family values and who you really are. I believe this to be so true.

I will do my best to teach these things to my kids. This experience has helped me with parenting, I hope.

Ellie says she will not play again in the fall. I'm sad to see this journey coming to an end. I truly do love being on the softball field, being outside in the fresh air. I love the sound of the ball hitting the sweat-spot of the bat and I love the grin on the face of a young player when they master a skill and show that in a game with an amazing catch or great hit. The smiles are worth it!

Ellie can play ball when she wants. She is an athlete with great hand eye coordination, speed, and capability. I hope that she continues to enjoy sports and a healthy life style that includes being active for her whole life. I hope that she has some positive memories of our time together on the softball field. I am grateful to have learned that stepping up to be a coach doesn't mean you are the best player, it just means you are willing to do your best and try to help the kids succeed. We all have something we can teach the kids. I believe it takes a village. I am truly thankful for the supportive parents along this journey that have made things work, as they step in for concession, umpiring, assistant coaching, car pool, organizing the bench and all other activities along the way.

This has been fun. I hope to get a chance to do it again sometime.

Mother's day

This mother days, I stayed in bed and the kids prepared a lovely breakfast in bed. Ellie took my order the night before and they prepared exactly what I asked for, plus a little chocolate bar treat on the side. They were so excited to celebrate a special day for me. They brought me breakfast and loads of presents and home made cards. They were adorable and sweet. I love these kids so much. They each took time to make something special. I love their home made cards, stories, and things about Mommy. Max even made me a container of "paper" recess peanut butter cups. Too cute!

The day was relaxing. I got to hang out at home with them, we played in the afternoon, and I made some dinner in the evening. I was treated quite well by everyone and truly enjoyed a beautiful day. Being a mom is awesome. Being the Mom to Max, Ellie and Clair is all I could ask for in my life.

Mother's Day Eve Family Adventure

Saturday morning we woke up and decided to take a family adventure into Washington DC. This was spurred to find the a pretzel bakery we saw Friday night on TV. We decided to make a  day trip out of it and see what happens! It was really a great day.

Stop one, off to Washington's up and transformed South East DC to try the new pretzel bakery. It was packed and it was delicious. We tried everything - pretzels, hot dogs, breakfast sandwiches, a calzone and the cinnamon pretzel treats!  Then we explored the nearby Eastern Market where we tried some local foods and bought some presents.

Next, we decided to head towards the malls and the monuments. We passed by the capital and decided to get out and check out the National Conservatory. It's a great time to of year for the blooming flowers and gardens. I got a lot of great pictures here and the kids enjoyed the little treasures in the garden.

After the gardens, we decided we would try to visit the space museum for a couple hours. The kids hadn't been there for a few years. We walked around for about an hour. Everyone was quite tired.

We decided to head home via Georgetown and have some dinner there .I found an Irish Pub I had always wanted to try. So we stopped for dinner and ended with some fancy cupcakes.

As we headed home and I pointed out the beautiful sunset, Clair says, "I don't want to go home. I want to stay here a bit longer." I asked her what else there was to do and she wasn't sure, she just didn't want the adventure to end. I explained it was already bedtime and she relaxed and enjoyed the ride home.

Clair only wished the day ended at a hotel. That was her goal! My girl likes to travel and explore. She has that from both David and me.