Ima and I made cookies for our neighbors today (a long standing tradition we started with our first place in Madison) Clean up was the best part

This was a perfect day… We took off with the kids and went to old town alexandria.  The boutiques were awesomely expensive and the deli where we grabbed lunch was like the Nazi soup kitchen come to life in DC.  I stepped up to the order line and started with my list: Jaythan – spicy chicken, kids – turkey and cheese no bread no condo’s, me –  quiche.  The chef – staring across the glass divide – DOES NOT MOVE  and as the line starts to back up I’m not sure what to do!! the cashier walks back to let me know that I need to order using their menu specific number system. I quickly recount – 3,6, 11.  I step sideways down the counter as our food is put together and scooted down the counter with me. I reach the end, pay, pick up my sack and squeeze out the door.

The food was AWESOME!  Would strongly recommend the deli if I had the foresight to grab a menu on my way out LOL (i guess we’ll have to go back The kids fed the ducks with the seagulls overhead going CRAZY!  we capped the day checking out million dollar row houses… 5 flights of pure delight.   ahhhh the good life…

We dropped Noah off for his 2nd day of pre-school (he is loving it!) and Ima and I struck off on our own for some much needed mommy time.  These pics, care of a daddy in the class, were the fruition of our first day.

I don’t know what our little man is going to grow into, but he continues to astound me with his active interest in animals.  We’ve moved between ocean/orca whales to ions, cheetahs and tigers.  The national zoo has hosted Team Elam 4 times in the past 3 weeks.  Each trek we discover something new.  Today the cheetahs were up and taking an incredibly active interest in their strategically placed neighbors - the zebras.

We took our first free minute here to just get lost downtown…

I woke up this morning a little homesick.  I sooo miss my girls!  Flipping through my pics and I rested on this one (from our Team Elam sendoff)  Totally made me smile

There is a sliver of quiet here that we stumbled across and I have absolutely and irrevocably fallen in love.  It’s just outside of the city and on this day we: discovered an oasis, watched water shoot into the sky, built a house, tracked an eagle, had a picnic, and experienced life from a teeny tiny perspective. I can only wrap it up to say, “I want to go to there!” 

To describe our family as nature enthusiasts is a bit of an understatement. We – and I admit this has been a late-in-life development personally, LOVE to get involved with animals. We are squirrel hunters, hawk watchers, beaver supporters and fox enthusiasts.  So when our local Nature Center offered a new class for kiddos to get more involved, I did not hesitate to sign up.

The theme of this class was “tails” in which case our incredibly excitable nature teacher preemptively stowed puppets along the trail, socking away the animals indigenous to our region.  Ms. Laura, our 20 something nature enthusiast decked out in boy scout uniform and mount me hat – explains the game of the day:  to stealthy find the animals hiding along the trail.  She then yells “GO!!”

Noah and Ima streak off. Noah finds a possum. He tosses it over a little boys’ head to Ima who instantly spikes the stuffed animal in what I can only assume is her best Ima/daddy football moment replayed on the nature trail. The other moms instantly look to me with displeasure. I smile…

becoming one with nature: priceless

We made our traditional trek to Treinen Farms and this year, our last pilgrimage, was so perfect!  The weather, in true midwest style was gorgeous, the kiddos were super psyched to be on the farm, and Jaythan and I fondly -and a little blubbery – said good bye to this home-away-from-home.