What will happen if?

I mean you could eat this? From our garden, fresh, safe and preservative free or.... this?

So my children have three different food preferences. However, the one thing they can agree on is goldfish. Is it the salt, the shape, the color, the smile or the idea that they are not really eating. Just merely "snacking." I am not a short order cook, and I refuse to fix four dinners a night, or waste food. Then I think I mean they should eat right and there are times I am just over the complaining, groaning, and straight up refusal to eat. I think, "fine, if they want to eat goldfish for dinner, fine, at least I am not fighting with my kids or wasting food." So I got to thinking, this is not a new phenomenon. What will happen if they just eat goldfish for dinner?

Ansley Mills, My Life in Pictures...

Attitude to Boot. This pleasant one has really been giving me a run for my parenting money. So to honor her and love her I decided this post to be a pictorial of her behavior. We start most days with an hour of tears and wake up from nap with round 2.

Ellie took this picture because she wanted her sister to, "stop following me!"

Eating a muffin on the porch. Most of it ended up on the ground for the ants.

Eating pancakes at Eastern Market, do you notice the open mouth eating trend?

Attempting to put sunscreen on before we hit the beach.

Trying to tell me with her eyes she really does not want to go out there.

Smiling for the camera always equals squinting shut your eyes.

Lending a helping hand, need I say more.

Modified Camping

This summer we attempt to reclaim one of Tom and I's favorite things to do, camping. We would love for our family to have fond memories of spending time together outdoors. Living in DC, we are a mere hour from the Shenandoah Valley, and thought if we needed to bailout in the middle of the night we could. The only concern the girls had were smores, the only concern Addis had was drumming up trouble. Once we set up camp, Ellie was told to go stand by the tent.

Addis needed to be contained while we set up camp and this is what we came up with, back pack carrier.

Making smores and eating smores.

And the "best little camper" award goes to our friend Katie! Our sweet friend, 6 months pregnant with twins! And no that is not her beer... although she is counting down the days...

Our on site chef, Tom preparing a skillet breakfast for us in the rain. Confession, while we ate breakfast and took camp down the kids watched a dvd in the car. So we modified our camping trip to make it work. However, the kids did sleep through the night and we had a blast.

Summer Came, Summer Went...

This was the "best" shot we got of the three beach bums while on vacation in South Carolina.

Addis and Tom after 11 hours in the car, ahh finally some sand!

Ellie running on the beach on our last evening at Harbor Island.

I mean is this just life with small children, or what. Good intentions just become a list of things not done. I believe the last time I posted I had lofty goals of being a regular blogger noting all the funny things kids said, and documenting our life. I had visions of a clean house, obedient children, clothes pressed, and projects finished. However, the reality is sad and borderline depressing... The house is at an all time disorganized mess, very few projects finished (and more adding weekly), clothes were forgotten in the washer (you should smell those) and the kids.. well they are precious but obedient is not a word we would use at the moment (we all have our days). But not all was lost.
We ended our summer with Tom taking two weeks off of work and spending one of those at Harbor Island in South Carolina. Tom's parents found a house for all of us to crash in together and it was a blast. The kids ran like crazy, slept hard and had a great time with family. Our garden (remember urban farming the series...ahhh) grew us some great grub that provided for us and others. Several of our meals would be made from the very thing we harvested hours before and there is nothing tastier or cheaper than that! I was able to read a dozen books both fiction and non-fiction, paint a few pictures for the kids rooms, and join the "stolen car" club.

Our friend Clelia came to stay with us for another month in July. Her sisters, one younger one older, stayed with friends too! While they were here we took everyone camping and spent a weekend in NYC (can not tell you how much i love that city). We have most recently celebrated Addis's year anniversary of being stateside. My how a year can change things...

So this blog has primarily been about bringing Addis home and our charmingly chaotic life. But now what, where do we go from here? Readers have left us and we lack direction. Perhaps that is one reason for my sporadic posts. I have thought "confessions of a deadbeat mom" yes I forgot the camera on the first day of school, and forgot the day I signed up to provide snacks for ellie's class. I turn in paperwork several weeks late and incomplete. So I have that angle working for me... but I am open to suggestions...

These people take me to the edge...

Do you trust these faces?

Does this look like someone who negotiates?

After two hours of a temper tantrum and trashing their room, this one has found a quiet place to contemplate her actions.

I am inspired to write today, because it has been one of those days. Not entirely to the edge but there have been several days in the last two weeks that I found myself pulling together a current resume. I catch myself thinking, "dear God why did you give me these people to care for and love, I feel ill equip for this mega responsibility." I have days where I feel like super mom, sweet kids, they listen, they love others well, they love each other well and seem overall to be content and happy with themselves and the life around them. However, there are those days when I find myself wondering if someone else could raise them better. They have NO control over their emotions, reasoning, physical energy, volume, appetite, and other general laws of physics. Nothing seems to work! Did I really do it so different last week versus this week?

Now friends before you call child services or my parents. I just can not help but wonder how do you do this sometimes? I feel like a terrible mom, wife, friend, daughter and neighbor. And as quickly as they drive me crazy, they say hilarious stuff that makes me laugh out loud. I am humbled by them daily and pushed deeper into my belief in Christ because of them. I have learned how to love more selflessly (not always by choice...hehehe) and push myself to care beyond exhaustion. This past weekend we did our maiden camping voyage. Definitely, another post! While we were camping I found myself so enjoying time together without distractions. However, distractions are part of the process, and so you have to learn to function with them.

There are days I want a different life and days I could not want anything but this life. So how does this day end, or get better... it may not get better but it will end. When it ends I will peek in on these people while they are sleeping and remember why I love them so much and why I will do it all over again tomorrow.

Life's a Beach!

Last weekend, we decided on a somewhat last minute trip to the beach. So on Friday afternoon, we packed up and headed to picturesque Ocean City, Maryland. A very generous friend offered for our family to stay in their house right on the beach. After one round of car sickness Ala Ansley Mills, we crossed the bridge and rolled in before dinner. Let me give you a snap shot of what a trip to the beach looks like with three small children. Wake up, eat breakfast over looking the rolling waves crash onto the shore line, precious. Getting them greased up, bathing suits, using the bathroom, swim diapers, snacks, toys, chairs and anything else in your beach bag and to the actual beach... ruthless. "The sand is hot, my legs are tired, i have something in my eye, the waves are too big, I'm hungry, too tired, when are we going to eat lunch, it's too sunny, and a slew of other suggestions.." Even my sweet husband grew weary when his vision of building sandcastles with his children were dashed by Addis. Addis took one look at the castle and decided it was something fun to crash.

Addis taking a break.

Ansley Mills is ready to head to the beach!

Addis was deathly afraid of the ocean! However, he loves eating sand and does not seem bothered by the texture or taste.

Kids buried in the sand, a great way to contain Addis. We had a great time, and are very grateful to our friends who allowed us this opportunity to get away as a family.

Lunch with Dad

Quarterly, Tom starts asking me, "hey do you think you could bring the kids by for lunch?" I try to stall as long as I can coming up with a myriad of excuses. The process of bringing the crew down to his office is not a logistical nightmare, we just walk or take the train. Tom is in between offices so I have been known to get off the elevator at the wrong floor. That only causes a mild scene as the kids "bust" in on someone in a meeting or conference call. No, the bigger issue is what to do with them once they get there. Tom works with some of the most gracious folks who put up with our little visits and they really are dear to our children. I do love getting a chance to see them when we come. However, we want to make our daddy proud and that does not always go as planned. By this I mean, once we run out of food, all chaos breaks lose!

Addis with sister's flip flops.

Addis using table as climbing gym.

Ansley Mills showing me her "rock girl" face.

And the girls responding to, "guys did you have a good lunch with dad?"
As we leave to go home, I feel off the hook for at least another four months as I am sure Tom is quickly reminded why we do not do this more often. My favorite part is the commute to and from his office. On the way there we saw a women having lunch (at a sorta nice street side cafe) with her bird! Remember I love animals, but friends love your pets do not be IN love with your pets. And on the way home, we were passed the President's motorcade. We waved to our buddy Obama and continued on our way.

Urban Farming, from garden to table...

After several long weeks of sun, water and love, some of our first fruits are making an appearance. This is when the hard work and patience becomes like Christmas morning each time you visit your garden. You wonder, "what is waiting for us today?" With this discovery you feel a bit empowered, and euphoric. I grew this, we will have food to eat. No thanks to you, Safeway! I mean it does not get more local and organic than this.

These are our first fruits! Still a bit too early for our tomatoes.

After rummaging through a few cookbooks, we came up with this corn/squash bake. We want to pace ourselves lest we get sick of our first crop that has come into season. These squash went from the garden to our table in just over an hour. You really can taste a difference when you eat like that! In other garden related developments, our compost bin put out its first batch of soil from recycled table scraps and yard clippings. We are pleased to see that growing next to our flowers are new tomato plants too! Hilarious or gross you decide.

Fireworks!

Fireworks season last longer than one would think around our neighborhood. You can assume from early June to mid-August that an explosion or random light show is to be expected. However, DC's big night is indeed on the fourth of July. We were excited to be in town this year for the fourth and celebrated with a picnic at a friend's house followed by a walk to the Senate side of the National Mall. We sat on the stairs of the Russell Building for a great view. It was a gamble with the kids but the sound was muffled enough for them to just cheer for the show.

Waiting, with sparkle purse in hand...

Attempt at a family picture...

Cheering at the first sign of fireworks.

More cheering and dancing for the fireworks. Please note the flag that Ansley Mills is holding in honor of the fireworks.

After walking home and stopping to see some more local shows, the girls finally gave up at 10:30pm, while Addis was sleeping on my back. AM still holding her accessory for the evening!

Just a Touch of Jazz, and SANGRIA!

Every Friday night starting in late May, The Sculpture Garden outside the Natural History Smithsonian hosts a free Jazz concert. Last Friday, or the one before, we took the whole crew down and met some friends for snacks and Sangria. The jazz was great and the kids loved it. Addis introduced himself to many strangers begging for food in his typical fashion.

The girls sat under one of the sculptures and colored after they were done with snacks. Tom took each kid for a lap around the fountain and some personal jazz lessons. Our friends were super gracious as our children told bad jokes and laughed at things that were only funny to them. We have great friends! All this to say that Friday + free jazz + sangria = a great time for all.