Showing posts with label family life. Show all posts
Showing posts with label family life. Show all posts
Thursday, 2 July 2015
Tuesday, 30 June 2015
Dream Kitchens
We're moving house in a few weeks and while most of the new place is the exact footprint and layout of our current house, our new home has a much bigger kitchen - woo hoo!! We'll still have the constraints of a rented property in terms of opportunities for updates but a new larger space for feeding our family and friends will be brilliant.
It has got me dreaming about the (possible) day when we'll own a house again, and, if money were no object, what my dream kitchen might look like. Here are some looks and fixtures I would love:
It has got me dreaming about the (possible) day when we'll own a house again, and, if money were no object, what my dream kitchen might look like. Here are some looks and fixtures I would love:
It would be grey or white with a Belfast sink.
As a lover of order my perfect kitchen would have handy, accessible storage.
Drawers under the sink would be much better than a cupboard where things get shoved to the back.
As a cuppa makes all things well - hot water on tap is the order of the day.
Tea is my drink of choice, I do like a wee coffee. A built in Miele coffee maker would do the job.
Having a kitchen with its own green house window- yes please!
I love this idea of the outside meeting the inside!
Off to dream so more about my ideal home!
Thursday, 25 June 2015
Great Day Out: Theodore Roosevelt Island
Looking to escape to a wooded wonderland a stone's throw from DC? Then take GW parkway to Theodore Roosevelt Island (or Teddy Roosevelt Island as the locals call it).
Maintained by the National Park Service the island is actually a living memorial:
Maintained by the National Park Service the island is actually a living memorial:
"In the 1930s landscape architects transformed Mason’s Island from
neglected, overgrown farmland into Theodore Roosevelt Island, a
memorial to America’s 26th president. They conceived a “real forest”
designed to mimic the natural forest that once covered the island. Today
miles of trails through wooded uplands and swampy bottomlands honor the
legacy of a great outdoorsman and conservationist."
We headed off with a picnic on an overcast weekday morning and at times it felt like we'd the whole island to ourselves. We sidestepped a few joggers and exchanged pleasantries with a couple of dog walkers, and we spotted one family of tourists; but other than that it was us, the trees and the birds... Ok to be honest the island is, at certain times, on the flight path for DCA, and Rosslyn's skyscrapers and Georgetown's hubbub are right there. However, on the forest paths you can block out the hum of the city and the mechanical birds, and lose yourself for a little while on the short trails.
There are three short trails around the island - the Swamp Trail, Upland Trail and Woodlands Trail. They're not marked on the ground which is really quite freeing! We just wandered happily - going whichever direction the wildlife, sunlight or Miss O's feet, led us. Towards the center of the island is Memorial Plaza with it's imposing statue and large quotation columns of Teddy Roosevelt. Unfortunately the decorative fountains and moats on the plaza have been drained for repair - I'm sure they'll be stunning when they're fixed.
It's a great morning out with a toddler - there is plenty of shade, lots of nature to explore and few others to navigate or distract. Picnic spots are limited - there are some nice spots right on the Potomac River - romantic for adults, asking for trouble with a little one. So just bring a rug and perch on a fallen tree at the edge of the forest. Perfect!
Friday, 5 June 2015
Great Day Out: Fort Ward
Last week a friend introduced me to Fort Ward Museum & Historic Site in Alexandria, VA. We liked it so much we've been twice already! It's a 10 minute drive from our house and it's perfect for a walk, play and picnic.
Alexandria City's website explains the historical importance of this Civil War site:
"Fort Ward is the best preserved of the system of Union forts and batteries built to protect Washington, DC during the American Civil War (1861-1865). Fort Ward Museum interprets the site's history and offers exhibits on Civil War topics, education and interpretive programs, tours, lecture and video series, bus tours, and living history activities throughout the year. The Museum and Historic Site also interpret Alexandria, Virginia as an occupied city, the city's role as a vital Union Army crossroads, life within the Defenses of Washington, and the everyday life of Civil War soldiers and civilians. The historic fort provides visitors with an excellent understanding of Civil War-era military engineering. About 90% of the fort's earthwork walls are preserved and the Northwest Bastion has been restored and reconstructed to its original condition."
The City have done a great job of preserving this historical gem whilst making it accessible and user friendly for all sorts of visitors. There are civil war focused lectures and camps, reenactments and soldier led tours. The key parts of the fort are accessible and well interpreted with signage that has just the right amount of information that you can linger with a kid in a stroller, take in the info and not have cries of "Aw Done!"
There is circular roadway that roams through the forested site - there are a few cars driving slowly, just keep it in mind for the little ones. Mostly the traffic is walkers, strollers and joggers.
Alexandria City's website explains the historical importance of this Civil War site:
"Fort Ward is the best preserved of the system of Union forts and batteries built to protect Washington, DC during the American Civil War (1861-1865). Fort Ward Museum interprets the site's history and offers exhibits on Civil War topics, education and interpretive programs, tours, lecture and video series, bus tours, and living history activities throughout the year. The Museum and Historic Site also interpret Alexandria, Virginia as an occupied city, the city's role as a vital Union Army crossroads, life within the Defenses of Washington, and the everyday life of Civil War soldiers and civilians. The historic fort provides visitors with an excellent understanding of Civil War-era military engineering. About 90% of the fort's earthwork walls are preserved and the Northwest Bastion has been restored and reconstructed to its original condition."
There is circular roadway that roams through the forested site - there are a few cars driving slowly, just keep it in mind for the little ones. Mostly the traffic is walkers, strollers and joggers.
Throughout the site there are picnic areas with tables and grills. They are brilliantly located in the shade of ancient tress that could tell a tale or two. As a City resident you can reserve these picnic areas which accomodate between 25-100 people. $75 gets you 4 hours of grilling and feasting in the forest - brilliant! There are lots of wide open spaces for to kids to burn off energy and plenty of large trees to use as a canopy for a rug and a flask of tea. Yes, folks even when it's 90 in the shade we love a cuppa.
With a play park, an amphitheater, two sets of public restrooms, two parking lots, stunning trees and free admission Fort Ward is definitely a wee gem! We can't wait to go back!
Thursday, 28 May 2015
It takes a village to raise a child
We have a gathering in church called Tots Together. One morning each month we meet in someone's home or a public space and hang out. It's mostly stay at home mums and dads and their little ones. Occasionally a parent who works outside the home gets to come and play too.
Apart from the occasional more structured family service for Advent, Christmas, Lent or Easter, our times together revolve around the parents sharing stories of life in the trenches with little ones. We get to empathize with each other, celebrate the steps forward, mourn the frailties of our kids and our parenting skills, and share tips and tricks that have worked for us at least once. Meanwhile the kids get to be with their friends - learning life's great challenging lessons about fairness, sharing, possession and forgiveness.
We met this week in a play park across the street from our house. It was a balmy 88 by the time the kids had played and the picnic beckoned. Spread out over three large rugs we shared a Eucharistic meal of hummus and cucumber sandwiches, watermelon and grapefruit, frozen grapes and veggie sticks. The amazing thing was that each child refused to eat the lunch their parent had brought. Rather they all ate other kids picnics. There was no struggling or debating, each child fed until content, each one's needs fully met by the feast provided by another family. It was beautiful.
Miss O needs more than the Beloved and I to grow into the girl and woman she is created to be. She needs the love of her grandparents, aunts and uncles and cousins, her god parents, her special aunties and uncles. She need to see and know the love of the families with one and multiple kids; the adoptive families and families with kids from their bodies. And, in time, she will need to meet her birth family again. It really does take a village to raise a child. I don't have everything she needs, I don't know everything she needs to learn, I can't be a reflection of all the wonderful facets of humanity that Miss O deserves to see.
The door to our home is always open so that our family can be poor in spirit but rich in laughter, it can feel pain but know purposeful hope, can experience death but live fully each bounteous breath we are granted.
Apart from the occasional more structured family service for Advent, Christmas, Lent or Easter, our times together revolve around the parents sharing stories of life in the trenches with little ones. We get to empathize with each other, celebrate the steps forward, mourn the frailties of our kids and our parenting skills, and share tips and tricks that have worked for us at least once. Meanwhile the kids get to be with their friends - learning life's great challenging lessons about fairness, sharing, possession and forgiveness.
We met this week in a play park across the street from our house. It was a balmy 88 by the time the kids had played and the picnic beckoned. Spread out over three large rugs we shared a Eucharistic meal of hummus and cucumber sandwiches, watermelon and grapefruit, frozen grapes and veggie sticks. The amazing thing was that each child refused to eat the lunch their parent had brought. Rather they all ate other kids picnics. There was no struggling or debating, each child fed until content, each one's needs fully met by the feast provided by another family. It was beautiful.
Miss O needs more than the Beloved and I to grow into the girl and woman she is created to be. She needs the love of her grandparents, aunts and uncles and cousins, her god parents, her special aunties and uncles. She need to see and know the love of the families with one and multiple kids; the adoptive families and families with kids from their bodies. And, in time, she will need to meet her birth family again. It really does take a village to raise a child. I don't have everything she needs, I don't know everything she needs to learn, I can't be a reflection of all the wonderful facets of humanity that Miss O deserves to see.
The door to our home is always open so that our family can be poor in spirit but rich in laughter, it can feel pain but know purposeful hope, can experience death but live fully each bounteous breath we are granted.
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