Oh Yeah, Paul

The National Archives advertise the "What's Cooking Uncle Sam" exhibit, which was my inspiration for our recent DC trip.


Asher is my little carb man.


Soren is my sugar man and well, he was depressed that we didn't get him a donut.




You know life is pretty sweet when a fresh baked french roll makes you depressed.


Two olive bread--the crust was as amazing as it looks. Jamie and I tore that bread up YO.


My baby Jamie. It may not be obvious--but I actually took a blow dryer to my hair--first time in nearly three months.




Soren was still sad about not having a donut.



A few weeks ago we took the kids to DC to see the "What's Cooking" exhibit at the National Archives and to finally try the French bakery Paul. The exhibit was wonderful! It highlighted the role that government has played over the years (focusing mainly on the 20th century) in food consumption. Encouraging this, discouraging that. Rationing this, rationing that. The exhibit was interactive and enjoyable because it displayed so many vintage posters from earlier eras. My favorite was the 'cottage cheese' poster, which encouraged individuals to eat cottage cheese because it had more protein than a pound of meat and oh yeah: your pocket book will love it too. Awesome.

After the exhibit we crossed the street to try Paul. The pastries were beautiful but the prices were horrific. Asher cried hysterically for a raspberry macaron (because it was red, the color of fire trucks) but I refused to pay $6 for a cookie he most likely would not even enjoy. We settled on a few rolls, a few mini chocolate croissants, and two olive bread. Asher loved his roll and Soren pouted the entire time because we didn't get him a donut. He was genuinely crushed and had the face to prove it. I loved the crust on the olive bread but found the inside to be a little too chewy. I'd like to try just a straight up baguette! Next time.

I recommend both the National Archives exhibit and Paul. Did you know the archives has an entire 'learning' center where kids can color and look up documents and do all sorts of fun, researchy things? I didn't. Now you know--go practice your John Hancock.

Nine Months May Just Be My Favorite All Time Age. What's yours?

There is no end to the cuteness of this baby babe. In other words--she is perfect. I'm serious. I am in love with her cherubic face, her blonde curls, her Jamie eyes, her little teeth, her growls, her chubby legs, her happy dances, and her general happiness. Every little sound she makes is the sweetest thing I've ever heard. She's so happy to be alive! She loves music and does a good squat and shimmy when she hears it. She loves to be chased. She loves to dive into a pile of pillows. She loves her brothers. She's also pretty excited about my company, which is my fave.

Baby Maeve is taking so many steps at a time (six, seven, eight, nine...) that she is practically walking. NINE months! What the? Why does the last baby babe have to be the most turbo and so quick to discard all remnants of infancy? I'm utterly tortured by it but glamored by it too. She's awesome.

Jamie and I DAILY shake out heads with joy over this girl. I love her so much she makes me want to have a million more babies. Seriously though--I wish I could keep her this age forever. In fact, I wish I could always have a nine month old because life would be full of such tender delights. I also know that the innocent charm of a baby babe gives way to the creative charms of toddlers and that's pretty awesome too.

Lillie's Blessing

Photo bombing by Asher man!


My amazing friend Sarah! I love her.

I have this friend Sarah and she is easily one of the most extraordinary friends I have made since moving to Virginia. She is gorgeous, thoughtful, considerate, energetic, talented, loving, faithful and well, consider all the qualities you would put together to create the perfect friend and she would be IT. To be simple--she is AWESOME.

Sarah had a baby babe last month, Lillie. This baby girl is adorable and so sweet. She's sleepy and content and best of all, she has loads of long dark hair with golden high lights. Lucky baby babe! We were invited to her baby blessing on Sunday and because church was canceled the sacred ordinance was performed at Sarah's house. I'm telling you--I think all baby blessings should be done at home! The setting was intimate and the love and faith in their home was absolutely powerful. We had sacrament together and then Lillie was blessed--what I recall of the blessing was beautiful but during that time Soren fell off of his chair and Asher kept asking loudly, "NOW I can eat something yummy?" So fun.

Paul's father shared some thoughts after the blessing and he reminded us about how much Christ loved children and loved to bless them. The spirit was with us and I truly felt the tenderness of Christ's love for Lillie and all the children in Sarah's home at that moment. It was a lovely afternoon--one I would happily repeat EACH week.

P.S. Here are some things you should know about Sarah:
1. She's from Pleasant Grove!
2. She has the best laugh.
3. Every cookie she makes is my favorite.
4. She is beautifully tall and loves to wear heels.
5. She always knows what to say to make you laugh or to make you feel better.
6. She loves Project Runway so we watch it every Thursday night! So fun!
7. At five weeks postpartum she is wearing the pants I was excited to squeeze into at 5 months postpartum. She's hot.
8. I'll never forget the way she so happily picked up my boys and swung them around when I was a million months pregnant with Maeve and the boys hadn't had that kind of motherly attention in months. She's so sweet.
9. She recently bought a house and she has a brilliant sense for style and color. When I got to her house I never want to leave.
10. She loves a good malty shake and I do too!

Hurricane Irene

The 'hurricane' hit around noon on Saturday and didn't let up until Sunday morning.


Maeve loved watching the storm with the door open.


Maeve tried to step out but don't worry-I caught her.






We had not only an earthquake but a HURRICANE this week. When does that happen? I'm grateful we survived both without incident. The hurricane was actually pretty frightening at night. I thought our front tree was going to break into the house through Maeve's window. Clearly the storm scared Maeve too because she woke up around 10pm screaming hysterically. She practically shook every time she looked out the window--poor thing. I'm not happy the storm woke her up but I did love holding and comforting her. Maeve isn't super snuggly but she sure was last night. Thank you Irene.

Church was canceled so we had breakfast with our neighbors (lemon ricotta pancakes and crepes--celebration breakfast!) and enjoyed a beautiful day.

I hope the next big weather incident we have is a massive snow storm because those are my fave!

Firefighter Dinosaur

Asher's firefighter dinosaur slides down it's fire pole.

Asher further demonstrates the dinosaur/pole action.

Asher isn't messing around with his love of all things firefighter. That red dinosaur (that he loses a million times day and causes a million drops of tears) is a FIREFIGHTER dinosaur. That cougar on his shirt? It's a firefighter cat. Seriously. Asher furthered his passion for firefighters when he showed me how his dinosaur was sliding down it's firefighter pole. Not just any pole either--the RED pole because red is the color of fire trucks. Awesome, right?

Enjoy these photos and may you be safe from the destruction of the hurricane that is coming this weekend!

Pouty Peach Pickers

Asher showing me some gears and 'explaining' how they worked.


The only two willing to pose for me--so cute.




Asher, pausing from his pleas to 'go home', pretended to take a bite of peach.


A tangle of sweet baby babes.


I love how Maeve's foot shot into the air because she didn't like the feel of the orchard floor.




This photo pretty perfectly captures the day: Maeve wanting to be held, Amelia busy picking peaches, and Asher crying to go home.


Standing!


Soren with Lanky the crane (he says ranky and it cracks me up), which was temporarily lost, causing Soren to cry hysterically and demand to go home. He's a little more at peace here.


Leave this? No way!


Picking scrappy raspberries. I'm not sure who loved them more--Maeve or Soren.


Zinnias!

We picked peaches last week with my friend Sarah and her cute kids. She had never been to Hollins Farm and I was more than thrilled to show her my favorite little corner of Northern Virginia. The orchard was voluptuous with gorgeous peaches and we had little problem filling our bags with fruit.

Asher, Soren, and even Maeve were pretty fussy at the orchard. Soren cried about a temporarily lost toy (my kids still insist on carrying around a toy or two and they are keen on tiny toys that are easily misplaced) and Asher straight up wanted to just go home. They tugged at my shorts and wanted to be held and Maeve cried if she was in the stroller. Baby babes! Sometimes you just can't convince the little ones to have a good time! I still managed to revel in the mountaintop views and the peacefulness they inspired.

I loved seeing Maeve stand and take a few steps in the orchard. Asher and Soren made me laugh when they said they just 'wanted to watch me pick peaches.' Thanks guys.

We had a picnic after all the picking business and the kids were in much better spirits by then. Elsa and Amelia shared their chocolate milk with the boys and have become heros ever since. I can't wait to head back to Hollins for pumpkins and apples, which is always a happier trip for the boys.

Surviving the Five Point Niner

Maeve and Jamie enjoy an al fresco meal of Chinese food in celebration of surviving the earthquake.












It's so fun having a baby. She's an awesome eater and an awesome dresser.



You heard about the East coast earthquake, right? It was a stunner!

I was engaged in my regularly scheduled afternoon pump session when the ground started to shake a little and it sounded and felt like someone was pushing a heavy cart. The shaking gave way to heaving and suddenly I heard people screaming. My favorite was when a woman yelled in terror, "My baby! My baby!" Oh boy!

Immediately I knew something BIG was happening and yet I was tethered to a pump with my bosom exposed. Do I jerk away and dive under the tiny desk and ignore the spillage? Calmly but with shaky hands I disconnected myself and stood up. Fully clothed I opened the door to the nursing station and saw that the office had been abandoned and when I looked into the hallway I could see people sprinting out of the building. My hands started to shake even more and I worried about leaving the building without my phone and car keys. I walked out the building passing a limping woman who had fallen in her attempt to flee (she had a friend helping her--I didn't just step over her on my exit).

As I stepped outside I heard rumor that a metro train had derailed but I had no idea what had happened. The sky was big, blue and so calm one would never guess something so startling had just shaken up the DC metro area. I wandered around talking to a few people and only then did it occur to me that what I had just experienced was an earthquake. In that moment I felt a million miles away from my children because I had no way to call them (the lines were jammed anyway) and no way to know if they were okay. What if the roof had collapsed on them? My babies!!!

After about an hour of standing outside the building we were allowed back in to collect our belongings and head home. What a relief to call Jang and learn that the kids were okay! The quake scared the boys and woke Maeve from her nap. Soren got on the phone and told me that there had been 'shakes' at the house and that it was a little bit scary. Jang later told me that he was nearly in tears over the 'shakes.' I revisited the guilt and sorrow of yesterday (Maeve's face) and wished I had been home to comfort my children during such a frightening experience. Jang acted bravely. She was with the boys when the house started to shake and she immediately ran upstairs to get Maeve and then she took the kids outside!

It took me 40 minutes to get out of the parking garage and then another 25 minutes to get out of Suitland. I was just happy to be home and with my little ones!

Jamie was fine too and heroically shouted, "Everyone under your desk!" when he realized what was happening. He even came home earlier than usual. A happy ending to a startling day that 'shook' us all up.

An earthquake! Can you even believe it?

Maeve's Face

Do you see the swollen space between her eyes? Poor baby babe.


Could you die over this cuteness? Maeve LOVES books!




I get choked up over this one.


Ouch, right?


Cute, right?


Turbo, right?






I still can't believe she stands and tries to walk. Sigh.



Coming home to Asher, Soren, and Maeve is my absolute favorite part of each work day. I feel great joy when I swing the front door open and see my children--you could say I even get a faint at the sight of their cuteness. Today my happiness gave way to heart ache as I saw that Maeve had a swollen face from a fall she took earlier in the day.

I tried not to get hysterical about it but I actually teared up when I saw her beautiful, swollen face. In general I have accepted my life as a working mom but there are those hugely personal moments when I feel overcome with regret, sadness, and guilt about being away from my kids for so much of the week. I certainly felt that today and I wanted nothing more than to take back the day and prevent Maeve from falling and getting hurt. Perhaps if she were not so turbo and such a brave little walker then she would never fall and let's be honest--I'd hate to take that part of her away. Last week was full of scrapes and bruises on the boys and those raw wounds made me wince too but my baby babe? Please no!

If you could have taken a look at my heart today it would have appeared swollen and tender--just like Maeve's little face. Eventually that swollen tenderness yields to a stronger heart but in the meantime, I'm doing my best to manage the soreness that I just can't kick today.