Summer Bucket List - Doukenie Vineyards

What a great day on Sunday where we met my brother's family and our dear friends, Karen and Michael, at Doukenie Winery  in Purcellville.

Why I like this vineyard?  For starters, it's super kid-friendly.  There's open fields to run, some trees to climb, and a fishing pond where you can bring your own rods.  Their pond is stocked full of fish.  We didn't know this, but little Caelan REALLY enjoys fishing and is good at it.

 

For $8, you get to do about 6 tastings, one of which includes a dessert wine.  I really liked 2 out of the 6 wines, but the other 4 wines were pretty good, especially paired with the right food.  Celebrate with friends.

While the kids are fishing and friends are celebrating---the property is so serene that even your baby can fall  asleep to the cows and horses in the pasture!

It's BYOD--bring your own dinner.  A lot of wineries don't allow this.  They have picnic tables set up so you can pack a picnic, drink a bottle of wine and be merry.  Thanks to Seyla for grilling swordfish, sea bass and pork chops.  Deelish!

 

Near the red barn, there are patio tables with umbrellas that if you just wanted to buy their cheese and crackers, and a bottle, you could enjoy a wonderful afternoon.  The weather was vineyard-picturesque perfect and it was a wonderful way to kick off the summer!

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!

Tristan's First Birthday

Where did all the time go?  I just remember bringing a swaddled baby home (well, someone else's home) from the hospital.  And then bam----he's one.  My little guy is already ONE!

We celebrated true Cambodian style with lots of yummy Khmer food (thank you mom!) and plenty of yummy desserts (thanks Heather and other Mom).

 

The Lord heard my prayer as I asked for no rain for the first hour.  So, the kids ran wild out back and right around 5:00, the showers started! 

It was easy as we put up a bunch of pop up tents and ride-on toys.  For the adults, I set up some fun lounges.  Some of my recent Craigslist finds.  A little Parisian bistro.  Five wrought iron chairs and two tables and 2 smaller tray tables.  $45 total.  Patrick and I spray painted them black and they are like new!

I borrowed a canopy from a friend (thanks Michelle!) and put underneath my other Craiglist purchase.  The loveseat, two chairs, table and two ottomans were $150.  Apparently, the set is still being sold right now for $400.  I could probably flip this for some cash.  Oh, maybe next summer!

Once the rain came, everyone headed indoors and packed ourselves in like sardines.  I thought it would be much more crowded, but not nearly bad as I thought.  Although the noise level was pretty loud as Patrick made a little speech about our little guy.

 

Tristan did seem rather in shock at the human gridlock surrounding his high chair, and everyone staring at him and singing.   Poor little guy. 

But later in the evening after everyone was gone, and he ate a quiet meal in his pajamas---I got this happy shot. 

Happy First Birthday my darling little boy.  We love you so much!

What do three boys do all day?

I've got a few answers.

Patrick would warn me when the boys roughhoused that it was normal.  He forgot to tell me that they do it every time I'm not looking! Still getting used to the frequency and lack of self-control.  Seriously.

And when they're not beating each other up, or sitting on each other's face, they're usually running circles around baby Tristan.  This I usually don't mind or put a stop to this because... well...Tristan is so delighted!

Tristan screams his head off usually.  When I say scream, there's only one kind: ear-piercing.    And he usually does this when big brother blocks him from his daily goal---eatable-but-not-edible rocks in fireplace.  Another ear-piercing scream!

 
A lot of times though, Micah and Caelan go off and exclude Tristan.  Funny story--we had Tristan's baby play yard (a hexagon type play area designed to keep babies in) and instead of putting Tristan in, they put themselves in, lock him out,  and taunt him with their eatable-but-not-edible legos!  Poor little guy.

In a few years, he'll be able to play legos too, but for now Micah and Caelan do offer to play with a few of his cool toys.

I'm beginning to really get raising boys.   I'm not sure how it can co-exist, but they are wild and out-of-control, but also gentle, tender, and sweet too.  More thoughts on that on my next post!