What's new?

Well, the two older boys are "kicking" off the summer with their usual kungfu antics.

I was SO IMPRESSED with Caelan as he pushed up his baby brother on an impossible slide with one hand the entire time.  That's devotion.

Hooray!  Grandma is back from Cambodia and she brought back "I love Angkor Wat" T-shirts for everyone for every year until their well, like 25. :)

Mommy took a little break away too.  Girls night at my house.  It doesn't appear that way, but we WERE happy to be there.  It was REALLY hard to smile with those masks!

It's noteworthy to report that Tristan had his first taste of ice cream.  It was hot, it was summer, he was teething...don't judge me! :)

It was also his first time at a petting zoo!

Probably the saddest first time on record is Tristan's first hair cut.  Patrick declared as head of the household that the day after his FIRST birthday, he would lose the "girly hair".  You know those curls NEVER grow back.

Wedding Weekend

Daniel (my second cousin) and Amy got married over the weekend and it was probably one of the funnest weddings I've been to in a long long time.  Patrick and I had a babysitter for both nights!  I served as emcee for the Saturday night Cambodian wedding so I had to get a fabulous dress.

It only took me five stores with three kids in tow. :)

Actually, the night I found it, I asked our babysitter to come an hour early so I could sneak out to the mall for my last ditch effort to find the dress.   I felt like a Grecian princess with all the soft chiffon!

On Sunday night, they did an American wedding at Rose Hill Manor in Leesburg.  It was really lovely.  Very hot, but very lovely.

My mom and my two sister in laws.  Aren't they beautiful?

I didn't know Amy before the wedding too much, but it was very clear how special she is and how much my cousin is in love with her.  I am so happy for them!

Summer Planning 2012

This summer, with three kids 5 and under, there's so much fun thing to consider for the summer.  We want to be sure we're intentional planning the fun.   As a resource for other moms who may be reading this, I've compiled a list of things we're doing to help jumpstart your summer.  In addition to our summer vacations (a couple of weeks at the beaches) and also a four day weekend for just Patrick and I---- the kids are in store for a fun summer.



1.  Pool Mania!  The pools open this coming weekend.  With that, we are enrolling Micah and Caelan in the Nemo beginning swim lessons!

2.  Next to free movies!  Sterling Regal Movies.  $1 at 10 a.m. Tuesdays and Wednesdays.  Perfect for rainy days! http://www.regmovies.com/summermovieexpress/default.aspx?zip=20170#COUNTRYSIDE%20STADIUM%2020

3.  Vacation Bible School.  Our church is doing AMAZING WONDERS and others have weekly camps from 9-12 p.m.  Cost is just for supplies and it's usually from $15-25 per child.  I am putting Micah in two and Caelan in one this summer.



4.  Summer Reading Programs.  There are so many out there, but the idea is if you read a certain number of books, you get a pizza from Pizza Hut or 10 free tokens at Chuck E. Cheese, or local libraries give a goodie bag with free treats to Chic Filet, etc.

5.  Lemonade stand and Bake Sale.  One thing we're going to try and do is to find a local cause for them and put the word out to our neighbors so that they can come to our stand.  All proceeds will go to the local poor.

6.  4H Fairs and Summer Festivals.  Patrick is a big fan.

7.  Camping with a one year old.  As soon as Tristan starts walking, we'll probably plan a trip to Yogi Bear Camp in Hagerstown.  It has standard cabins w/water, hiking and a waterpark.

8.  Wolftrap for Kids. http://www.wolftrap.org/Home/Media_and_Newsroom/News_and_Announcements/Performance%20News/1112/TITW_2012Season.aspx

9.  Local trips:  Harpers Ferry, Strasburg, Williamsburg, Annapolis, St. Michaels Island, Philadelphia, Kings Dominion, Dutch Wonderland, and so many more 2 hours away.

10.  Backyard Play.  We sort of want our home to be the fun place this summer so we've slip n' slide, sandbox, balls, super-soakers, bubbles to kick off the summer fun.



Some ideas to get kick-started!

Birthday Weekend

Why should Tristan be the only one to celebrate?  While I hate getting older, I do enjoy celebrations and so this one was a quiet one with me and Patrick.  He asked me what I wanted to do?  And all I could think of was food and massage.  Could their be a better combo?? The first craving that popped in my head was spicy papaya salad.  So that's what we did!

It totally hit the spot.  Neisha Thai in Tysons makes the best Yum Talay or Spicy Beef Salad, too.  

 

In line with the thai theme, we had a couple's real Thai massage.  Um, the legitimate kind.  We both had these in Cambodia and it is worth every penny.

We went to a place in Tysons and it was literally like stepping into Chiang Mai---the marble floors, the exotic thai silk and decor, the smell of lemongrass and incense.  We started with a foot massage while being served thai herbal tea.

And then we got dressed in their linens.  In these air conditioned rooms, we laid down on thin comfortable mattresses which were on raised bamboo platform beds.  (sorry blurry pictures taken from iphone)

Patrick is a huge critic of these massages and I was afraid he wouldn't like it, but he LOVED it.  It was far better than any Swedish massage we've ever had.  

Afterwards, we went thrift store shopping which was fun for me because I am always on the hunt for great finds.  Without three kids and a husband who makes peanut gallery comments about EVERYTHING, it was just fun.  Oh how I love this man.  Even though he looks kind of like an eerie stalker in this photo.  Still tall, dark, and handsome!

Sunday, I had a mani pedi with Kathy to end a lovely weekend!  It was a very happy birthday.  I couldn't help feeling a twinge of guilt at how luxurious my life is.  I'm thankful.  Deeply grateful.  But also mindful that the rest of the world does not live like I do.  When I can remember that, I can be in constant remembrance of my blessings.  Here's to my 29th year, woo hoo!