Visit to DC

We went to DC today to visit some of the sights. The weather was perfect, a blue sky with a couple of poofy clouds here and there. We had no sports scheduled, so we decided to take advantage of our proximity to our Nation's Capital and explore.

We had first decided to go to the zoo, but changed our minds as we went over the Potomac River into town to go to the memorials and museums. We found a parking spot and walked to the Jefferson Memorial. Trent has really been into history, especially the Presidents, so he wanted to check it out.

Steve and some of the kids in front of his hero "Thomas Jefferson."

Observation #1: The monuments are not very accessible or at least not very intuitive. Getting around with our double stroller was not easy, but at least with two people we could lift the stroller over a couple of steps. People with wheelchairs are probably frustrated on a daily basis.

Then the food frenzy was on. Everybody was hungry!

Observation #2: Unless you want a hot dog or pretzel, you are pretty much screwed for food. It's a good thing everything tastes good with peanut M&M's, right Kyle???

We ate lunch in front of the fountain at the American History museum. Luke is particularly fascinated with shooting water, we hope this translates into a quick potty training! It was particularly lovely.

After lunch, we walked to the Natural History museum as we touted Mammoths, the Hope Diamond newly removed from her necklace setting, the insect zoo with hissing cockroaches, and mummies.

Observation #3: My memory is not as good as it once was.

We saw the mammoth, after much searching because we came in the back way. I remember being stunned by its enormous tusks and awestruck by its gigantic girth. The boys were not impressed. We went and saw the Hope diamond, after warning my kids that I remembered not being too impressed with it. After competing with a bunch of blue-haired old ladies, they finally got a glimpse. Not too impressed. Then we went to the insect zoo, but first we had to walk through the skeleton area. That was probably where we spent the most time and where Lance would have spent more time. Kyle was anxious to get to the insects and Trent was laying on the floor saying he was tired. We needed to move!

Lance's pictures from the skeleton exhibit.

Observation #4: If you have a lot of people in your group, you probably aren't going to get a chance to see all you want to see.

We got to the Insect Zoo and saw some cool metamorphosis exhibits with real butterflies and moths, a cool active bee hive, but no hissing cockroaches. At least not the way I remembered, where the kids would actually touch them and other insects like millipedes. They may have been in a different spot but we didn't see them. Kyle was a little disappointed.

As we were leaving, the babies were really starting to loose it. The boys and Steve had movie tickets starting in 45 minutes, so I decided I would take the babies while they looked around a little more until there movie started. They were both screaming in their stroller as I tried to get out of this place.

Observation #5: The Natural History Museum is very hard to navigate without using stairs than the Jefferson Memorial.

I weaved through the maze of artifacts, sculptures and tourists. One even said to me, "After hearing your babies, my husband just said we should have another." It's exactly what Steve would say to me so I said, "You go for one more [one finger held up] and you get this [finger pointing to the twins]." She laughed, I kept trying to find the flipping exit!

Observation #6: Most people will get out of the way for a woman pushing a stroller of screaming babies. To them I give them a smile and a "thank you" and keep trucking. Some will not. To them I give them an "excuse me" and then promptly run over their toes, feet, and ankles!

I got outside and the babies snuggled in for a nap. I walked around the National Mall, from the museum to the Capitol, up to the Washington Monument, and back to the museum. The last time I was walking the mall I was with my friend Kathleen. There was a protest, but I don't think we ever figured out what it was for. They were bare-chested or wearing pink and singing protest songs, so all we could come with was "Women with Breast Cancer Against the War in Iraq".

Today the protests on the Capitol steps were about equal rights for gay Americans. It's actually a cause I agree with so I was interested in hearing what they said. I had the pleasure of listening to Cynthia Nixon from "Sex and the City" speak and some teens who had won some awards for their awesome speeches on equality.

Observation #7: There were some rather handsome well-dressed men at this protests, most with their arm around another man or holding another man's hand. It seems to be true for all of my single friends, the good ones are either taken or gay. Sorry Sisters!

Observation #8: I'm really glad Trent wasn't around to see all I saw today. He would have had asked a lot of questions I don't think I'm prepared to answer yet.

After the babies fell asleep and I had gotten close to where we had planned to meet, I had about 15 minutes to sit and relax until I had to meet Steve and the boys. I decided to sit under an oak tree with my babies and my phone, clean up some of the pictures, take a few, and text a couple of people. I then closed my eyes for about 10 minutes. It was lovely and relaxing!

Luke and Kate snuggled up next to each other.

I got a lot of comments on how cute they looked.

We met up again and trekked back to the car. It was quite a hike and everyone did pretty well. Lance has the shortest legs so he needs a bit of a pass, I gave him a piggyback for a little bit at the end, but everyone did great.

On our way home we went to Red Robin. I hadn't been there in 11 or 12 years and certainly not with kids...boy have we been missing out! The food was good, the entertainment for the kids was good, and unending fries??? Why hadn't we done this sooner? It will probably be our go-to place from now on.

Observation #9: We had such a good time today I think I may venture out by myself tomorrow to the zoo with the kids. Steve has to work so it won't be as much fun, but we'll try!

Something's Missing

The one with the peanut-phobia and his friend Oliver.

My almost 6 year-old son Lance doesn't like peanuts. He will tell you he is allergic, just to make sure you won't feed them to him. People are really afraid of peanut allergies! He's not allergic, just doesn't like them. We feed him jelly sandwiches instead of PB&J's, M&M's instead of Reese's Pieces and everything is just fine.

But I feel like he's missing something. I think I realized it today when he sang "Take Me Out to the Ballgame" like this:

Take me out to the ballgame,

Take me out to the crowd.

Buy me some carrots and Apple Jacks...

hmmm...

Needing a Pick Me Up

I've been a little down recently.

Sure, I've been sick and wanted nothing more than to plunk my rear end on the sofa with a pint of Ben and Jerry's (to ease the sore throat, of course) while watching reruns of Oprah or Grey's or even Game Show Network. But I don't think that's it.

Sure, the babies have been sick too needing much more time and attention than is humanly possible by one person, much less five or six. But I don't think that's it.

Sure, my husband has been working day and night and weekends too. But I don't think that's it.

Sure, my older boys come home from school like whirling dervishes, throwing all loose articles off them as they move, full of energy and empty of food. But I don't think that's it.

I think I realized the problem was bigger than these things when my husband came home this week. I met him on the porch and melted into his arms, sobbing. I was sick, tired and beaten-down, feeling like something had to give.

It was the next day I realized my problem. This is the first school year I haven't had to get out of the house. I don't have a preschooler, so no daily runs back and forth to school. I am stuck at home at 11:30 every day for my half-day kindergartner to get on the bus so that seriously limits where I can go out. I have been stuck in my house and this makes me crazy!

This may not seem to be a big deal, but we were on the run a lot this summer! Super busy, no time to rest. Go, go, go! It was exhausting, but I loved it!

Now I'm home. Stuck. No adult interaction. No places to go. Nothing, nada., glitch.

Realizing my problem, I am determined to pick up my boot straps and be proactive in finding things to do. I will have play dates and invite friends over for coffee and take the babies to classes.

Wish me luck! (Wanna have coffee?)

(sic)

Totally knew it was 2009, not 2010 as posted in my Ode to Summer 2010. Just seeing who was paying attention.

(Thanks for catching my mistake Andi!)

Ode to Summer 2010

Good bye my dear summer of 2010,

I wish we could start all over again.

The visits and parties, and the trips in the car,

With friends, with family who are unfortunately a bit too far.

We had our lessons, oh yes it's true,

Tutoring and karate, piano and guitar too.

These things we enjoyed every week,

To learn new passions of which we seek.

The one thing we enjoyed above all the rest,

Was the one thing we love the best.

The splashing good times at the pool,

Was sometimes the only thing to keep us cool.

And so I bid you a fond departing wave,

This glorious summer I wish to save.

School is starting for another year,

It's sad I know, I may shed a tear.

My children are moving ahead each year,

The memories of this summer I hold so dear.

For soon they will be all grown,

And be out living on their own.

So goodbye dear old 2010,

And although we will never see you again.

We look forward to 2011 summer,

Which may just be even funner!

Summertime Boredom

There are some games which are made to be played by yourself.  Of course there's Solitaire, but if you get some creativity juices going you could play Memory,  Uno, or even Dominoes solo.  And when you're five years-old and you're really bored with no one to play with, despite the plethora of children in our house, your creative juices start flowing!  So you pick up a game and start to play by your self.

Battleship.

He doesn't pick up the electronic bastardization of the original game, where programming the game is about as frustrating as finding that last two-hit ship.  Oh no!  My creative five year-old picks up the the game in which you try to find your opponent's ships by guessing until you score.  Except, it's not guessing when you play by yourself.

Player 1: B - 5

Player 2: Hit!

Player 2: C - 8

Player 1: Hit!

You get the drift.  No challenge, no strategy, just a preoccupation of one's time.

I guess we both win.

Desperate Times Take Desperate Measures

After church today I made a bet with Steve.  The bet was that if the babies took a nap until 4:00 (three hours), I would have every Sunday afternoon off for the rest of eternity.  This was a long shot, I know, but worth trying!  This was after a desperate attempt to flee my chaotic house turned into another day on the job.

So we get home.  We feed the babies and change their diapers, there was nothing standing in the way of a fabulous nap.  They had gotten up early, played in the nursery at church, and were quite tired.  The big boys were occupied with other things (ahem) and were sure to be quiet.  If any day was the day for along nap, today was it!

They slept for about an hour before I heard one screaming baby and then another.  Desperate to save my endless supply of solo Sunday afternoons, I ran up to console everyone.

Now let me tell you about the hardest part about having twins.  It's the inability for me to give all my love, all my attention, all my hugs and kisses to my crying baby when they are both upset.  A crying baby deserves compassion, not a mom trying to juggle another crying baby with a good chance of being dropped on their head.  I do the best I can when this happens, usually reserving my hugs for the baby who is crying the hardest while rubbing the other's hair.  I hate it, and thankfully for us all it happens infrequently.

But I digress....the babies are both crying and I am desperate to get them both to sleep!

I whisk them both out of their beds and do my best to settle them down.  Thankfully I have a couple of tricks up my sleeve.  Kate is a big fan of having the back of her head rubbed, and Luke enjoys a rhythmic tap on the rear or having his back scratched.  Miraculously it works, the babies are asleep!  Unfortunately, they are on top of me and I can't move.  I begin to contemplate the different maneuvers I can do in order to move but I can't think of anything which won't wake up both babies.  And that is not an option.

So I sit there...and wait.

The babies snore and wiggle while I sweat from all the body heat.  I'm not comfortable so there is no sleeping on my part.  I think to myself, "I can do this for two more hours!"

It didn't happen.  An hour later, Steve found me and the babies woke up.

Maybe next week I'll get lucky.  It only takes one Sunday afternoon!

PS Did you notice how many times I wrote the word "desperate"?  Can you tell it's the middle of summer?