Recent Videos: May

I have been a slacker at posting and taking videos of my children, but here are the few that I have from the month of May. I must admit, they are pretty cute :) They are just growing up so fast! It's hard to believe that #3 will be here in less than 8 weeks! I am freaking out a little bit, but am sure that everything will be just fine. :)
It looks like only video will load right now, but it's a really cute one! While Reed and I were dusting, Eve was playing on the couch with all the cushions off. She found a little Jesus statue that I had taken off the piano. She picked it up and immediately started rocking him without any encouragement from anyone! I just thought that was so precious! The video doesn't catch quite the whole thing because she gets distracted by the camera, but it catches a glimpse of little Eve being  an awesome nurterer :)

Taken May 5, 2011

5ks, Strawberries, and Being Daddy

5ks

I completely forgot to mention that I ran a 5k with my friend on April 16th and it turned out pretty good. It didn't start to rain until after we had both finished - always a positive thing! Also, I finished in just over 31 minutes - not bad for being over 20 weeks pregnant and running hills for about half of the race. So, yes, I am proud of myself :) Sadly, Tyson forgot the camera in the car, so no picture. But, I do have the shirt to prove I was there :) 

A month later, May 21st, we ran another one joined by another friend. This time it was so incredibly hot that I wished I had worn less clothes! I was not prepared for it to be hot, but that's what happens when it is spring in D.C. Needless to say, I was one month more pregnant and hot, so my time was not the greatest. I also start off way too fast and ended up getting cramps for a little bit. I did end up finishing first in my little group of ladies - yahoo :) It really is amazing how being one month more pregnant can make such a difference. Sadly, this is going to be my last race until post-baby. I am still exercising pretty consistently, just not really running on a treadmill anymore. Ah well - that's how it goes.



Just after I finished, I am in a blue shirt.

So, I didn't know I was being photographed - I look pretty awesome (sarcasm)!

Way to finish ladies! We did it :)

 On Memorial Day (May 30th) Tyson did not have to work, so we decided to do something fun - go strawberry picking at Butler's Orchard! It was so much fun and both Reed and Eve got the hang of it! Reed was our faithful bucket carrier and berry picker while Eve mostly watched, picked a few berries, and took a bite out of a few of those. It ended up being super humid, yuck! Plus, you add in the (what seemed like) hundreds of crazed strawberry pickers into the mix, and it was just hot!

We did pick enough strawberries for me to make some homemade jam and have a few left over to munch on - yummy!

Reed was so happy to be holding the bucket.

Busy pickers

Ah, so cute!

Tired, hot, and happy - yahoo for fresh strawberries!

 We also decided to head to CAFE RIO which is located in Maryland now! I am so glad that we had our GPS because it made it much easier to get there. Man, that is the taste I have been missing. I had the pulled pork salad and it was just perfect! Another bonus about Cafe Rio - kids under 6 get a free quesadilla! It was the perfect end to a very hot morning.

After naps we went over to my parents house and had dinner with them and my brother's family (Ryan, Barb, & Lillie). We ate, played games, and just had some fun. We also took time to remember those who have fought and are still fighting for our freedoms. I know that I take that for granted all too often.

Being Daddy

Reed loves his daddy (even when he doesn't act like it). He always asking about him and telling me how daddy does things, and attempting to do things like daddy. Well, here is an example:

Reed driving the truck the way that daddy does - complete with the correct glasses and everything!

I just thought it was so cute, funny, and just awesome! Our kids really do pick up on things we do. Hopefully, we are doing the right things :) Reed was so content to be daddy driving the truck. Luckily, no keys were in the truck, so it could not be started. He kept asking for them because he wanted to actually drive the truck like daddy. We reminded him that he has to wait until he is 16. (He has tried telling me that he is no longer 3 and is 16. He also reminds me that means he can drive the truck! Funny kid!) Gotta love kids :)

Meadowlark Botanical Gardens and Preschool

May was filled with lots of fun outings for us. On Friday, May 13th we went to Meadowlark Botanical Gardens. I forgot to take lots of pictures, but took a few of the geese and goslings. Reed, Eve, and I met up with one of his good buddies, Brooks, and his mom and baby brother. The boys loves running down the road, making up songs, looking at the fish, frogs, turtles, snakes, and geese. All-in-all, a fun experience for Reed.

Eve loved it until she fell and hit her head on the front of Jenn's (Brooks' mom) stroller - the front part was metal. Needless to say, it left a big bruise and she was a little emotionally bruised for a bit. Luckily, that did not last too long and she started having fun attempting to chase the boys around.

Here are the pictures with a little story behind it:

Reed thought it was awesome when he saw 2 geese and a little gosling.

They were also by this beautiful pond with a cool-looking bridge that we were not allowed to walk on.

Then, it was super exciting to see two goslings at the same time, although we were a little nervous when the babies started walking in our direction for fear the mommy and daddy would follow and get upset.

Then, we left to meet up with Brooks and came back and saw a huge family of geese!

 Preschool:

May 11th was my turn to teach preschool. We talked about the letter B and butterflies! You never know quite how well the kids are going to like the subject or the books, so I always over prepare stuff, just incase one thing or another doesn't work. Well, the kids LOVED talking about butterflies.

We talked about what kind of weather butterflies like to live in, the life cycle of a butterfly, and how we can be nice to butterflies. We read "The Very Hungry Caterpillar" and then did a little sequence game. We also colored pictures of butterflies.

We also went over the sound of B and that there is a big B and a little b. Afterwards, we tried to trace the letter, although most of the kids did not super enjoy that part and just colored the page instead.

We did our little butterfly craft and were about to do a second one, but decided that it would be moer fun to play outside since it was such a nice day. Sadly, no one saw any butterflies. But, apparently, the lesson stuck with a lot of them. I have had a few moms come up and tell me different things their children have remembered a couple of weeks later. Yeah for butterflies!

The kids put tissue paper behind the holds and taped them on. Then, we wrapped the pipe cleaner around a pencil and taped it on. It was a hit!

This was the second craft that we didn't get to in class, but I did later with Reed. I just thought it was so cute!

Our coloring pages

May 18th Reed learned about farms and farm animals. We kept singing "Old McDonald" the entire day. Oh, he also insisted on having a green sun.

Reed's barn and sheep

Boston: Day 2

Have I mentioned that I love our GPS?! Well, it pretty much got us around Boston with no problem. That was a concern since Boston has so many one-way streets and such. True, sometimes the GPS gives odd directions, but it pretty much always gets you to where you want to be. So, yes, I heart our GPS :)

On Saturday, we went to the Boston temple. It was fabulous! It's a beautiful temple and has really nice grounds. I am so used to seeing the D.C. temple, that this one looked small, but it was normal size. I forgot the camera, so hopefully I will get pictures from Tyson's dad (I still need to ask for them) that he took on his cell phone. Random note: Whenever I am pregnant and go to the temple, the baby starts kicking and moving a ton! I love it! It just reminds me where our babies truly come from - I know our little girl was with us when we were in the temple that day. :)

After the temple we went to Harvard Square for lunch and were going to go on a little tour of Harvard, but it started raining. Welcome to Boston, right?! So, we drove around Harvard campus and then on to the MIT Science Museum. It was really interesting seeing the different inventions and crazy stuff that these geniuses come up with! I just don't think I am wired that way, but it is still super interesting. Tyson was in heaven - he really should be a science teacher or something :)

After the museum, we went to Bunker Hill (which we missed on Day 1 since we were all exhausted) and looked around. The monument reminded me of the Washington monument to a smaller scale. Then, we headed off to dinner at the Oyster House - the oldest restaurant in Boston that is still operating. We even got to sit in the The Kennedy Booth (where President Kennedy liked to sit when he came to eat). After dinner we walked through the Holocaust memorial (6 glass pillars). That was one of the things I remembered from visiting Boston as a teenager and I really wanted to see them again. I was so happy that we found them and got to see them.

We headed over to Harvard Square again so that I could get a book for Reed and Eve (about Paul Revere - pretty sweet) and had to stop for sme J.P. Lick's ice cream, of course. It was FABULOUS! If you are in Boston, you need to go there - the black raspberry was the favorite flavor! Delicious!

It was another great (allbeit chilly) day in Boston!

View coming into the city

Walking up to Bunker Hill

The Bunker Hill Monument

Don't you just love our crazy faces? Jared looks insane, and Tyson and I look like we are on drugs or something. Oh, this is the Oyster House

Staring contest between Jared and JFK - it was a close match.

Holocaust Memorial

Boston: Day 1

From the evening of May 5th to May 8th Tyson and I were able to go to Boston, MA! My parents watched the kids (thanks, again) and we met up with Jared, and Tyson's parents. Jared is doing an internship there this Summer, so it was a perfect opportunity to check out Boston. It was a first for Tyson and a first in about 7 years for me. It was pretty exciting.

We arrived late on Thursday night and immediately noticed that Boston is significantly chillier than Northern VA. I guess I should have brought pants, but ah well. I did love that the flight was super short! I think it was about an hour and a half. That is a time I can live with, for sure. On to day 1.....

Friday (May 6th) is what I consider day 1. We walked and walked and walked that day - thanks, mostly to me. We walked the Freedom Trail. It ended up being pretty long, but I still enjoyed that we did it. We saw so many things:

The Boston Common

The State House
Park Street Church
Granary Burying Ground
King’s Chapel
King’s Chapel Burying Ground
Benjamin Franklin Statue/Boston Latin School
Old Corner Book Store
Old South Meeting House
Old State House
Site of the Boston Massacre
Faneuil Hall
Paul Revere House
The Old North Church
Copp's Hill Burying Ground
Bunker Hill Monument (We saw that on Saturday)
USS Constitution

We also did a segway tour and saw Boston Harbor. I really want one of those someday...so much fun! After dinner we went to Fenway Park to see a Red Sox game! Sadly, the Sox did not do so well that night, but at least we have been to a game at Fenway and I sang "Sweet Caroline" (as is a tradition) when it was played! After the game, we finally got back in the car and headed to our hotel room. We all slept fabulous!

Oh, big thanks to my sister-in-law Barbara who gave us lots of restaurant/dessert tips! We loved everything that she recommended! Thank you, Barb!

Burying Ground

Checking out all the head stones.

Park Street Church

The State House

Old South Meeting House

Where the Declaration of Independence was first read.

Dowtown Boston

Faneuil Hall (I still can't say it right)

Good 'ol Paul Revere

The Old North Church

Segways!!!

Boston Harbor

Walking to the U.S.S. Constitution, we passed by the Garden.

Forgot the name of the bridge, but it looked awesome!

U.S.S. Constitution

Oldest commissioned warship still afloat

Walking to the game

FENWAY!

The Green Monster

Chilly and tired, but happy :)