Busy Bodies

I will never again make promises to blog more frequently because it inevitably means I will be doing the exact opposite. Between babies, teens, and those in between I can barely keep up with daily life much less blog about it! I forgot just how mentally draining language training is. I'm so exhausted when I get home, but I'm just starting job #2! Just to get you all up to date: we joined a pool association (far cheaper than putting the kids in camp for the summer), and signed the kids up for the dive and tennis teams. I figure jumping off a high board into terrifyingly deep water would be just up my crazy son's alley. :) The teams practice daily during the week, so this should keep us pretty busy all summer long.*

We've really been trying to bring back the lessons we learned in the Philippines back to our life in America. We took great advantage of traveling throughout the country and the region when we were overseas, and we are determined to keep that momentum going now that we are back home. After all, America is just as interesting, and there are so many places to visit. Plus, we really want our kids to connect with their heritage while we're here. So I'll try to walk you through the month of May as quickly as I can!

The first two weekends I was back we didn't do much because I was getting over jet lag and the shock of being back in language training! But, the second weekend brought Mother's Day! I chose to take the kids to the Fiesta Asia Street Fair on Saturday (we even found street parking!) and the Leesburg Animal Park (which they enjoyed but I think is a bit overpriced for what you get).

That same weekend we built and painted bird houses for the 3 gajillion birds living in my yard. I missed the sound of birds so much in Manila, but I have to say it didn't take long for me to resent their incredibly loud voices singing to me at 4am! Oh well, I suppose soon enough it will be way too hot to leave the windows open, and I'll be able to enjoy the sweet sound of silence again. And I am not about to complain about the wildlife I have missed so much these last couple of years!

The weekend after that was fair weekend (aka Memorial Day weekend)! While I made sure the kids were aware of the significance of the holiday (in as much as a 6 and 8-yr old can be aware), I am confronted with the difference of how I have raised my children. C was really a military brat. She went to DoD schools, moved from base to base, was surrounded by other kids whose parents were in the military. She really gets the significance of what it means to sacrifice for your country. J&A were so little when I left active duty that their childhoods have been very different. And now N will be raised entirely in the Foreign Service. It is really a unique little parenting experiment we have going on over here! Anyway, back to wrap up!!

For Memorial Day we went to Viva Vienna!, which was really a fabulous little, small town fair. It had a great community feel, very reminiscent of my own childhood going to the Columbia Fair (which has apparently become a larger arts festival) albeit much more expensive. The kids enjoyed riding rides all day long on Saturday and Sunday.** We only stayed a few hours on Saturday, but we spent nearly the entire day there on Sunday. Husband and I laid out on the lawn in the park with N listening to the various bands come through while the other kids ran amok riding rides and sucking down cotton candy and funnel cakes like they would never eat again (I may have downed a funnel cake or two myself, but who's counting?). It was a deliciously fatty couple of days!

To top it all off, on Memorial Day itself we went to the Falls Church Memorial Day parade and fair. We kick started the day with a 3K fun run which we forced our children to endure enjoyed with our kids. Afterwards the kids had a couple pony rides and bouncy castles to conquer (and another funnel cake to eat***), but then we quickly headed off. I think we were finally fair-ed out.

This weekend we kept up the momentum. Saturday, A had his last baseball game of the season. Then we hit the pool for a nice lazy afternoon. I have a feeling I'm going to be saying that a lot this summer! Then today I took a page from my mom's book of child psychology and convinced my kids that field labor is fun! They happily picked me 20lb of strawberries exclaiming joyfully what a great time they were having conducting back breaking labor in the hot sun. Thanks for the tip, Mom! ;) The nicest part for me (besides the 20lb of delicious, juicy strawberries) was that we went to Larriland Farm, which is the same place I went to as a child. It's hardly changed at all, although I think it's bigger. Next up, A's birthday and Father's Day weekend. I'll be lucky if I blog at all in June! :)

*plus it ensures that the kids will be outside playing actively instead of inside playing computer/iPad games!
**I attempted to take the kids to Dinosauria on Sunday (in fact, I paid $10/person), but it was waaaay lamer then the website made it out to be and the kids were quick to suggest we go back to the Vienna fair for a second day!
***stop judging me!