*Pumpkin Picking* with the boys has become one of my favorite fall events. We have been lucky enough to have found a great farm close by. Wegmeyer Farms wowed us again with its excellent variety of pumpkins & super nice owners. I could easily spend all day there (as could the boys), but then I wouldn't be able to stop myself from buying all their pumpkins! Check out the eye candy below. I definitely recommend seeking out a local pumpkin farm if you already haven't.
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This weekend, Aug 2nd & 3rd, is the National Capital Cactus & Succulent Society's *Annual Show & Sale*. The sale is held at Brookside Gardens in Wheaton, MD. If you have never been to Brookside Gardens before you are in for a real treat. Last year I took the boys to the Show & Sale. I had planned for a quick visit to say hi to my Mom (she is a member of the society) and to buy some plants. However, we ended up staying for hours. The boys loved seeing all the different types of cactus & succulents (I was astonished at how into the plants the boys were) and then we enjoyed a leisurely stroll around the grounds. It was really really great. My Mom had the boys' full attention and admiration as she talked about the plants with them. This year we are most likely going to miss the Show & Sale, but that doesn't mean you have to! Here are some pictures of the succulent gardens I helped my Mom put together for the sale. If you are local to DC, VA, MD I hope you can make it!
-K
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At the local farmer's market we spied our favorite pumpkin grower selling strawberries. As soon as she mentioned her strawberry fields were ripe for picking we were on way to Wegmeyer Farms. The actually picking part went pretty fast and soon enough we had a bucket full of ripe, juicy strawberries. The boys were very proud of their yummy loot and we have all been very content to eat it!
-K
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Happy President's Day! I hope you are enjoying an extra day to do laundry, tidy-up the house, bake, craft & play with the kiddies.
These pictures were delayed due to technical difficulties (yes, losing your camera cord is definitely a technical difficulty---I must say that it’s really handy that K and I have the [one of] the same cameras!
Here are just a few of my Inauguration Weekend photos:
Washington Monument, 1/20/09
U.S. Capitol, 1/20/09 (waiting for the Swearing-In Ceremony---the first one)
What an awesome day! Words can try (and fail) to express...
~A
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Cute little Sasha is waving to the crowds...
-K
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I have been *Pumpkin Picking* in the past and it usually turns out to be a disappointing experience. Nevertheless, it is a Fall pastime I didn't want the boys to miss out on this year. Surprisingly our excursion turned out to be anything but lackluster. The PYO patch at Wegmeyer Farms was the difference maker in our pumpkin picking experience. The location itself was beautiful and peaceful (not too crowded), but the real bonus was the variety and abundance of beautiful pumpkins Wegmeyer Farms had to offer. We could have easily selected 100 pumpkins to bring home with us, but instead, we showed steadfast restraint and walked away with a handful of carefully selected winners. The owners of the farm were friendly and gracious and we were happy to support the local farm community.
A beautiful 19th century stone farm house holds a selection of the pumpkin and gourd varieties.
The PYO patch...
The boys each got to select one pumpkin of their choice (no vetoes from mommy permitted)...C. selected a nice yellow pumpkin and J. selected a snake gourd as his pumpkin. We also picked up a 40 lb 'Great Pumpkin' (the boys weigh 50 lbs each) and a few other pumpkins.
-K
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On the hottest weekend of the summer (or so it seemed), the boys and I headed out west for some Scottish fun in the mountains of VA. We had just found out that Hubby's brother and fiancée had decided against a destination wedding in Scotland, so I felt the need to mourn the loss with some pipers, men in kilts and buttery shortbread. Our neighbors were also game for the adventure so we welcomed the additional company.
I created an adventure board to keep the boys interest, but it was completely unnecessary as the festival included Scottish Children's Games.
The Children's Games involved a lot of throwing (of various objects) and running. The ribbons flowed freely and the boys couldn't have been more thrilled with the outcome.
The location of the festival was extremely picturesque and I was happy to add it to my repertoire of far-but-close-enough places for a day trip. Of course I would have gladly traded the Scottish Festival for the real deal...perhaps, another time and another adventure.
-K
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Lately the boys have been karate chopping and kung fu kicking all around the house. They tie their Valentine's Day snakes around their waist and pretend they are in full Ninja gear. I had wondered where all of this was coming from until a co-worker mentioned he had taken his kids to see the new Kung Fu Panda movie. Then it all clicked...this is the perfect theme for the next 'Outing with Mommy'. And since Hubby is off working (gallivanting) in Ireland and will miss Father's Day it is also the perfect time for another adventure.
This adventure is thankfully not nearly as complex as the last and will be an easy hit with boys. It also wouldn't be complete without some cute panda stuff. Hello Panda snacks from Japan are the perfect accompaniment and I was inspired to make some *Ninja Pandas*. These cute little guys were easy to whip up using a sewing machine, but if you don't have a machine you can still easily make them. Here are the steps I followed:
And in case you don't already know, J. would want me to tell you that Ninjas always land on their feet.
-K
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I must have been still high off the National Geographic Frog Exhibit we went to only a week ago (note: adult to child ratio of 5:2), because I dreamed up a plan to take the boys down to the Mall in Washington, D.C. to see the *National Cherry Blossoms* (note: adult to child ratio of 1:2). My plan also included stops at the Freer/Sackler gift shops, the Air & Space Museum and a final stop at Benihana for dinner. When I told Hubby my agenda (he was away for the week) all he said was: 'Make sure you charge your cell phone.' I am assuming by that comment he meant: 'You are smart, beautiful & talented, but NO match for our two wild and crazy (but sweet) boys....so please have your cell phone ready when you need to call the police to report one (or both) of our sons missing.' In his defense I could see his point, I certainly had my own trepidations about my grand outing with the boys.
Since our outing was also a nod to their Japanese heritage I really wanted the boys to enjoy the day. My preparation for success included a full detailed run down of the agenda highlighting all the cool things we would see. Mini Cherry Blossom Cakes were baked & special Japanese gum was procured to be used as bribery, reward & energy boosts. The final Mommy-Jedi trick was a game I concocted where the boys could earn points for completing tasks and good behavior. Points could also be redeemed for the blossom cakes or gift shop purchases. A score over 400 points would be a winning score (all kids want to win) and the ultimate prize would be a Ninja mug from Benihana (we had admired these the last time we were there). Game boards were printed up and reviewed with the boys before the big day. Please see Exhibit A below--the Outing with Mommy - Level 14...
I am very happy to the report the boys did awesome! Even though the weather was chilly, the cherry blossoms were all but gone & I didn't get any good pictures...I really couldn't have asked for a better day with the boys. They were excited for our outing the moment they woke up. We did a ton of walking and the boys never whined once, they would just say they needed an energy boost and we would stop for one of our snacks and total up their points. The Outing with Mommy game was by far the biggest success factor. The only complaint I got was that I had skipped to Level 14 when the boys hadn't done the other levels...so I am sure there will be many more Outing with Mommy to come!
The boys earned Junior Ranger badges. J was extremely proud.
The prized Ninja mugs...
Pictures of the boys from two years ago...
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Frogs! A Chorus of Colors is the latest exhibit at the National Geographic Museum at Explorers Hall in Washington, D.C. (it runs through May 11th). As part of my Mom's birthday wish we all adventured into the city to see it. I was definitely more than a little skeptical about trip, but since it was a birthday wish how could I deny it? Thankfully moms are usually right (being a mom myself I should know these things) and it turned out to be a wonderful outing. It was the perfect exhibit for boys...meaning it wasn't too big and it wasn't too formal and it was actually entertaining. There were about 20 different kinds of frogs to view--all with something interesting & amazing about them. Each glass enclosure held a new surprise for us and we 'ooooooo'ed and ahhhhhhh'ed' at each one.
The museum only has one exhibit space, which is nice for the kids (& some adults) because you don't get tempted to extend your visit by wondering through additional halls. In total we only spent an hour at the museum, but it was a fun and interesting hour for all. We ended the evening by dining at A's hubby's restaurant. The food was delicious, the boys were well-enough behaved and I felt like a good mother taking my kids to a museum--all this added to the magic of our *Frog Adventure*. We will definitely come back for future exhibits. I wouldn't say the National Geographic Museum is a destination in itself, but if you can bundle it with an excellent meal then it will be a worth-while trip!
-K
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