Eastern Market is Back!

A few weeks after we moved to Capitol Hill back in 07, The Historic Eastern Market caught on fire. A fire that started in a trash can gutted the place and the roof caved in on the building. This iconic place to buy veggies, meats, seafood, artisan cheese and fresh bread is located a few blocks from our house. It was one of the highlights to living on the hill. We were also disappointed because we were still reeling over our friends(who also lived a few blocks away) announcing their plans to move to LA. I mean we just got here after all. They set up a temporary structure but it just was not the same. So after almost around the clock construction the market reopened just in time for the fourth of July! Tom did not have to work on Friday so we walked our crew down to the market for some infamous breakfast.

You can sit at a long table with stools but will be fined 100$ for saving seats. The girls got to eat pancakes, "with too much syrup." Addis had to stay contained in the stroller but here he is showing off his sign language (more, of course is the first sign he knows!).

They tried to restore the market as historically as the could, peachy painted walls and all. We are so happy to have it back! Now if we could just get our friends back from CA....

Urban Farming, the series...

The home of our infamous garden space is none other than King's Court Community Garden. Located in a picturesque alley surrounded by abandoned homes, cars and chicken bones our 12 x 12 plot of "land" is where our future dinner calls home. The owl, named, "the owl," by our girls watches over our stack and attempts to keep the rats away from our tomatoes. Now is your mouth not watering for what we harvest.

We started farming three years ago with another similar plot in a community garden in Virginia. From there we sorta became hooked on growing our own food, adding to our spread each year as we learn more and more how to grow. This year we are trying our hand at corn, beets, and many differing varieties of peppers and heirloom tomatoes. The kids have their own tools and watering cans. They are gifted in the watering department. Each child plays a role in harvest, Ansley Mills locates, Ellie picks and Addis eats. We bring home our surplus and take a stab at making something from it. Right now our lettuce has been giving us fresh salads! Cilantro and basil have been making for killer toppings, pesto and salsa. Rosemary, thyme, parsley and oregano have all been adding to the mix as well. With green tomatoes on the vine, corn silks showing themselves and baby squash starting to grow we are hoping the next few days will bring us some braggin rights.

Please stay tuned for our urban farming series throughout the growing season.

Pickin' Crabs and Cold Beer!

There is an old southern tale about crabbin'. I learned this folklore on a trip to the beach early in my chapter with Tom. Apparently, you take a raw chicken neck, let it "cook" outside in a plastic bag in the hot humid sun. Once the bait is seasoned by the sweet sun, you tie a string around it and throw it into the water from the shore. Let it sit and slowly, painfully even draw it in. In theory the crab is supposed to grab it and you trick them by slowly bringing them on the beach. Now, I have never seen a crab brought in by this method. More over, I feel like it is something all southern folks know to make fun of northern folks. That being said, picking and eating crabs is a blast! So we took to our fresh fish market to get the real thing. From the bay early that morning to our table top that evening.


The girls enjoyed picking out our crabs and looking at the other fish around the market. The smell was overwhelming when we arrived but you got used to it. The girls were not too interested in picking them once they were cooked and they wanted to know how these lively crabs we picked were now dinner. Hmmm, no maybe they will not be picking crabs anytime soon. Oh well, more for us!

Dancing Addis

Over the last few months, we have been impressed with Addis' dancing skills and finally caught it on video this morning during a post breakfast dance party. We are thankful for Addis bringing joy and rhythm into the Carpenter house!

Nationals vs. Reds

Last week, we went to the Nationals baseball game with our community group. We or Addis and I were thrilled to find out they were playing the Reds. So Addis and I showed our old hometown support and he wore a Red's hat, that only lasted as long as we held it on his head. So a true hometown fan he turned out to be. We left the house with thunderstorms in the sky but managed to squeeze in nearly seven innings before calling it a night at 10 PM. The kids did great all things considered, the french fries helped. Since you can't bring strollers into the stadium the girls got to ride the train in high style.


Ellie was not super excited about staying a few more innings. Addis loved being in his own seat.


Note the first picture is our way there and below our way home. This picture was not posed, merely the effects of being out super late. Now I was hoping they would sleep in and no they did not! In fact they had a horrible day the next day and I documented the day by texting Tom, "never again." What you do for family time!

This Girl is Creative!

We all know that kids say funny things, that goes without saying. However, Ellie has been on a role lately.

1. Kids like to repeat what they hear. We have told Ellie she may hear an adult say something that is not appropriate for her or kids to say. They are known as "adult words." This weekend Ellie decided by her own accord that kids should have their own words that adults can not say. Hilarious and sorta brilliant. Some of those words include Yah Yah, and Big Bad Wolf.

2. While riding to church, Ellie hollers from the back seat, "Is Jesus in your private parts?" I let Tom field this one... Also, "Did God make private parts first?"

3. Ellie has taken it upon herself to potty train Ansley Mills. While Tom and I were still in bed Ellie asked to use the bathroom, and was followed in there by Ansley Mills. We overheard the following conversation:
E:Ansley Mills would you like to try to use the potty?
AM: yeah
E: ahh Ansley Mills your diaper is already wet, you need to wait and pee pee in the potty
AM: oohhh, but how?
E: You need to ask Jesus... He will help you, have you prayed to him?
AM: No, okay
E: yeah he will help you, okay? Now lets get you a new diaper, you're not ready yet, and thats okay, keep praying...

Summer Begins...

On a recent trip to Cincinnati, Addis and Ansley Mills tried to "swim" for the first time. Addis loved it but Ansley Mills was a bit more cautious. Ellie spent most of the time asking her cousin Will to stop splashing. He's actually my cousin but since they are only six days apart in age, she feels a sense of ownership.
Last Saturday Ellie saw that I was putting on my running clothes and raced to get in hers. Please not how similar her "running wear" is to her ballet wear. So we headed out together down to the National Mall and I let her run next to me. It was hilarious! I am not sure if she was interpreting how I run or if this is her own style, time will tell. However, after a block she was pleased to be back in the stroller and several more blocks later she was out cold. Upon arriving back at the house I just wheeled her in the front door and she slept for another two hours! Tom and I were eating lunch and she woke up in pure bewilderment as to what just happened.

So what does the rest of our summer look like? We are being low key and staying in town until early September! So let us know if you want to visit DC!

And That's How We Roll....

This is what we look like rolling around our neighborhood. We have three options for seats: 1. the Main Seat (front seat), the back seat, and jump seat (the footrest by design). All three kids rotate as one seat is not the favorite of anyone. There is a disadvantage to each position. Mainly, if Addis is in the main seat like the above picture, he pulls hair! Now if both girls are in the front of the stroller then they fight. If they fight, then they walk. Before they are allowed back in the stroller they must apologize and forgive each other. Most of the time they get "too tired" and say their sorry pretty quickly. Friends you should see the looks i get. Now if i am up for it I wear one on my back, but get even stranger looks. However, believe it or not this is much much easier than driving, especially around the city.

Now the picture below, these are my running buddies. Now that they are bigger I would much rather jog with them in this stroller as compared to the above stroller. I tell you how many strollers must we have to function. The trailer below also connects to our bikes! These two (Addis and Ansley Mills) ride well together, they have a working relationship of passing toys and books to one another. The only draw back is since Addis can't talk, Ansley talks to me! I am not much for conversation as it takes all my energy just to run and push. However, she is pretty persistent. Tourist have caught me many times explaining to her that, "mommy needs the wind in her body to run right now and we can chat later." I feel a bit guilty, but hey I'm not super mom. So, that's how we roll. City living and loving it!

Sowing Seeds

It's that time of year again, we we start planting! Last year we posted about our bounty from our community garden. This year we tried our green thumb at starting plants from seed. We are trying beets, several varieties of peppers, more lettuce, spinach, corn, tomatoes, heirlooms, and okra. (we are sorta known for our okra) Stay tuned for updates from our plot. This year we have recruited Ellie to help plant and weed. This is her helping Tom in our front "yard."

Give Me Some Spring, Please!

This year more than any other year before, we have craved spring at the Carpenter house. I love a good snow like anybody else but the cold wet rain has to go! So on a rare and glorious April Sunday we took to the National Cherry Blossom Festival.

Ansley Mills was not sure of her in tree portrait.

Ellison

Addis, always a ham for the camera, showing off his new teeth.

The girls watching some Hula dancers.

I must admit, my mood becomes utterly weather dependent by the end of winter and onset of spring. Take today for instance, sunny and nearly 70+ outside, and I really am not sure anything could go wrong today. I mean even if everything goes wrong, its just nice out and therefore my ability to deal with chaos is just peachy. So go ahead kids wear it out!