Reston Mom

give them some nutrients with their ice cream

 A summer favorite around here is ice cream.  But, I also don't always want my children to have so much sugar and fat.  So here is a little trick that works well when you want a special cold sweet treat and just nothing will do but ice cream - but you are trying not to fill up on just junk food. 

We make ice cream cones at home to save some change.  Our girls also really like fresh summer fruits.  So one day, they requested a strawberry on top of an ice cream cone and I got this idea.  I cut up a bunch of strawberries and filled the inside of the cone.  Then I rolled one small scoop of ice cream and topped off the cone.  Of course, I added their strawberry on top.  I made one for myself too and it was super yummy. Just enough ice cream to curb the craving and a dose of nutrient packed fruit too.  Some of the ice cream melted slightly into the cone coating the fruit in tasty creaminess and we all ate the whole thing without making much of a mess.

I think this would be tasty with fresh peaches or bananas as well - or whatever favorite fruit you like.  

It's a boy!

Just thought that if you hadn't heard yet, you'd like to know that #4 is a boy! and...if you had heard, then you might be asking along with everyone else "Aren't you so excited?"

I keep getting that question.  It's very understandable since we have had 3 girls.  It seems like many of our friends and family are even more excited that we are having a boy than we are.  The truth is that we really, really didn't care either way.  We weren't trying for a boy or necessarily even hoping for one.  We're just excited to be having another baby.  So, when people ask us "aren't you SO excited?" - the answer is a definite yes!  But it is exactly the same excited as if we had found out we were having a girl.  

Still, now that we know it is a boy and my brain is starting to track down that path, I think I am growing more excited every day about having a son.  It will definitely be different and new to us.  I really can't wait to see what he will look like.  Having some blue and other colors mixed in with all the pink around here will be a nice change too.  Matt will finally get to play with some tools and trucks along with all the baby dolls and dress up, which I am sure he is looking forward to.  

It's good.  We are in fact, SO excited!

comments on #4 from others

I don't see too many people around here with 4 kids or even three for that matter.  Four kids doesn't seem like that many to me - but certainly not every family would choose the same.   Nevertheless, I've already started to receive interesting comments about having a fourth.  Nothing really offensive - but commentary all the same.  

I was at a social event recently with my children and a lot of people I didn't know.  One woman said as she passed by, "you're brave," and then continued to kind of watch me throughout the rest of the time.  I didn't mind so much, but it is kind of strange to feel observed.  Another woman, upon realizing the new baby would be number four, simply chose to say, "wow."  And I also received the comment "...and you look so calm!" 

It makes me chuckle a bit.  The truth is that each of these kids is a huge blessing to our family and we love and are grateful for them all.  Life is busy, but if I'm overwhelmed by anything it is the grace of God who blesses us so richly and makes our family work and work well.  

I know that living in an area where the cost of living is so high, some people are simply wondering how we do it.  Well - we do it just like families did a long time ago.  My mom's best friend grew up in a house with 11 people and one bathroom.  So, can we fit four children in our townhouse? Yes, easily.  We share a lot, make reasonable decisions, and maintain grateful attitudes.  The kids have a great perspective on family and sharing life that goes beyond selfishness - in other words, we all - no matter how small - work together.  

I love our family.  We are all very excited about the new baby - even the kids can't wait to meet their new sibling.  

So, when I get interesting comments from other people - my mind and heart retort with "yes, sometimes even I can hardly believe how blessed I am!"

what is your go-to snack?

  I realized I eat a lot of peanut butter.  Some natural PB on whole wheat bread or toast is my go-to snack. It is one thing that I could easily eat during my first trimester and is extremely quick and easy.  It's great when I need something to tide me over and it can make a banana, apple or stalk of celery feel like a meal. It is a bit high in fat and calories and if you don't stick to the natural kind, it can also be way high in sugar. I like other nut butters as well, but they are just not the same.  As I was eating some gooey goodness on warm toast this morning, it occurred to me what a staple snack in my diet peanut butter often is, and I wondered what is your go-to snack?  

our town

We just got back from a nice vacation.  Visiting other locations always sends my brain into comparison for where we currently live, in Reston.  Over the past nearly five years, I've come to really love some things about this place, though I never thought this is where we would live.  Like anywhere else, it also has a few down points.  So, here are some thoughts so you can get to know my town.  If you are from here, feel free to add anything I've missed in the comments sections!

AWESOME REASONS WHY ANYONE WITH YOUNG KIDS SHOULD LIVE HERE  

- miles of interconnected walking/biking trails

- 15 outdoor swimming pools

- excess of various playgrounds and parks

- family friendly town centers that include awesome dining/shopping/entertainment and uniquely fun features such as fountains designed for kids to play in and outdoor winter ice skating rink

- live entertainment just for kids in the town centers nearly every day of the summer

- community centers with kid/youth programs

- some of the best public schools in the nation

- access to fabulous grocery stores such as Whole Foods, Wegmans, and Trader Joes 

- several very nice local and organic food farmers markets 

- access to Washington D.C. including all the museums, history, National Zoo, pro sports teams, etc...

- Reston has it's own zoo and waterpark

- aesthetically pleasing town still retains quick, convenient access to all needs

- a lot of other young families with children 

- not far at all from a ton of great places to visit

REASONS WHY YOU MIGHT NOT WANT TO LIVE IN RESTON

- high cost of living

- Northern Virginia traffic

- Reston is not technically a city but rather a giant homeowners association

- Reston began as a planned community in the early 1970's - therefore, it isn't really very old and there is an obvious lack of depth of history exhibited through architecture or long standing landmarks.

- politically charged, materialistic area

(just an interesting side historical side note about Reston - if you've ever read the book "The Hot Zone" about a new strain of ebola virus, it is based on a true story that took place here.) 

they baked a cake ALL BY THEMSELVES!

It's true.  Something I planned for the summer was to let the kids get in the kitchen ON THEIR OWN a bit more.  (You know I'm gunning for days of breakfast in bed :) But really, I hope that they will enjoy learning some skills and having the ability to bake for themselves, friends and family and give home baked gifts as they desire.  

So, I set them up for their first solo experience with a recipe for Dump Cake (so named because you basically just dump the ingredients in, it's actually a bit more like a cobbler).  There are four ingredients and it is simple enough to put together that I figured their attention span wouldn't fail before they were finished.  I did have to help Hope with the can opener and then I just left the two of them alone in the kitchen.  ALONE until they told me it was ready to go in the oven.  Thus, I have no pictures of them working - since I wasn't there. ( I admit, at moments it was difficult for me to restrain myself from poking my head in there just to make sure things were going well and my kitchen wasn't being destroyed).

I wrote out the recipe beforehand, indicating who would get to do which parts.  Hope read the recipe aloud step by step and helped Maddie along.  

They did a great job.  They even put the cake mix box into the recycling outside without being asked. They really do make a great team.  

I baked it for them, since they are of course not old enough to use the oven by themselves.  It turned out just as it should.  Unfortunately, I don't have pictures of the finished product either (mom fail.)  But it was super fun to leave them alone in there and see how proud they were to accomplish this by themselves.  

It was just the right recipe for this too - not too messy, very uncomplicated, very few steps.  If you are interested, you can see the recipe here.  You can also really vary this to your taste by substituting peaches or blueberries for the cherries, or just using cherries and a chocolate cake mix, or I know a lot of people add chopped nuts to the top.  In any case, whether you help the kiddos out or let them go it alone - it's an easy, fun recipe that kids will enjoy making (and eating).

National Zoo

I never would have thought we'd end up living in Northern Virginia.  But, I do love living close to D.C. since it offers so many great things to do.  We make a trip to the National Zoo at least once a summer.  Monday could not have been MORE PERFECT!  The weather was slightly cool and not humid at all.  The animals were out and we had a great time. 

             
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

sprinkler fun

Unfortunately, our neighborhood's pool is only opened on weekends until the end of June when the rest of the kiddos get out of school.  So, I pulled out the sprinkler for the girls and they had a good time.  Ami was napping - I think it will be fun to include her next time.

   
 
 
 

I'm grilling in the rain, just grilling in the rain...

The other night, I sent Matt out in the rain to grill our dinner.  The girls decided to put on their raincoats and join him outside so I made them all pose for a picture.  So glad the girls aren't afraid of a little rain.

 

surprise! they actually do know what to do

While I was in our downstairs bathroom today, I noticed something.  The roll of toilet paper was on the roll backwards (under) as opposed to how I do it.  I'm a detail person and would never put it on that way myself, so it caught my attention.  I also remembered that yesterday, my 4 yr old called to me from that bathroom to say that she needed more toilet paper - to which I replied that there was another new roll in the room with her.  

I'm pretty sure that she replaced the roll herself.

That may not sound like much, but for a mom sometimes little things like this are HUGE.   

It means a couple of things:

- my four year old pays attention and can actually do things for herself and the family

- my four year old might be willing to do something responsible even when no one is looking

- I can now ask and expect my child to replace the roll if she uses the last of the previous roll and hold      her accountable for it

That is a lot to derive from this, you may think.  But every little indication of feeling of responsibility followed by a wee accomplishment are a big success for growing children and their parents.    

Especially since this is just a chore I tended to do mindlessly myself as needed and had not particularly applied any lessons to my children regarding.  Do you see?  She observed something and took the appropriate action completely upon herself.

Seems like a long post on something trivial, but if you are a parent then I think you know what I'm getting at.  So what wee accomplishment did your child do that amazed you recently?

what do you people eat?

My last post got me thinking about food again.  I'm always curious about what other families are eating at their homes.  Partly, because I crave variety.  I'm forever changing up our menu.  And also, because I'm curious about how other moms are pulling off this whole dinner thing.  I try really hard to keep things fairly simple for my sake and my family's and to serve a variety of tasty and nutritious foods.  Actually, I have to admit, I'm pretty picky in some ways about the kind of food that gets served here (but I don't think I'm crazy picky) and of course, I'm bound to a budget.  I figure I'm not too far off from most moms out there and so I wonder what is working for all of you.  A few summers ago, I posted what we ate for dinner each week.  I don't know if anyone cares, but since I love to see your menus, I thought you might be curious about mine too.  Also, it just kind of helps me keep tabs on our nutrition, etc...   So, I thought maybe I'd do that again.  I posted my menu for this week below and looking at it helps me gauge that we need a few more green veggies in our menu for next week since despite the fact that there is cilantro and parsley in our menu this week there isn't much else. See, it helps me.  What I want to know though, is what are you people eating these days?

Monday - I sent Matt to the store and we ate grilled Cheddarwurst, corn on the cob, grilled peaches, and tortilla chips with homemade guacamole

Tuesday - small group "grill night" grilled bratwurst, chicken, and turkey dogs on whole wheat buns, grilled marinated portabello mushrooms and asparagus, grilled peaches

Wednesday - grilled BBQ chicken whole-wheat pita pizzas with mozzerella, onion, tomato, fresh corn, and cilantro and red grapes on the side

Thursday (that's tonight) we are having turkey burgers and cold wild rice salad with celery, parsley, grapes and almonds

Friday - homemade fresh corn chowder

I haven't got the weekend worked out yet.  

good sites for big and little appetites

There are a couple of websites that I have visited recently for some new menu ideas for our families.  I thought maybe someone else would find them helpful too so here they are:

weelicious - I thought this site was great and garnered several ideas

tastebudding - also a great site, and if you can submit recipes here too since they are all submitted by moms like you.

summer beverages made just right

I love sweet tea.   I also like a frosty glass of lemonade in the summer.   Mostly I drink ice water and try to  avoid the sugary beverages, but sometimes I just crave those good ol' summer classics.

The thing is, some people like it sweeter than others.  And I want to be able to control my sugar intake.  

There is a great trick to this and to making your beverage just right for you and for each person you are serving.

Simple syrup.

The thing is, if you try to sweeten tea after it is made by adding granulated sugar it just isn't the same.  And often as not you get undissolved grains in the bottom of the glass. I don't use artificial sweeteners which might dissolve more readily, so what to do?

Simple syrup is a saturated solution made by dissolving as much sugar as possible into boiling hot water. If you made rock candy in science as a kid, this is where you started.  Use about 1 C sugar per 1 C water. You can make a small jug of it and keep it in the refrigerator.  

If you make a jug of unsweetened iced tea, all you need to do is add a little simple syrup to your glass until it is as sweet as you like - a little goes a long way.  But, you can also use this as a base for making lemonade - just add water and fresh squeezed lemons - or limeade or any other fresh fruit drink.  A favorite of mine is homemade fresh ginger ale - already listed on this site under recipes.  

Okay, so sugar isn't good for you.  But if you are going to drink it, do it right.  Enjoy a perfectly sweetened icy glass!

I like summer again

Summer has notoriously been perhaps my most unfavorite season.  In Virginia, the idealistic portrait of   lounging comfortably around the pool with some good grill food and a cold drink gets swamped out by the very real oppression of humidity and mosquitoes.  

Sometimes as an adult, the idealized memories of childhood summer - running free, playing hard for endless days, and gorging yourself on patriotic popsicles and nutty buddy cones from the ice cream truck are often swamped out by the oppression of routine and responsibility and the unequivalent replacement by two weeks vacation time.

But....

I have found a nice perk to being a SAHM who homeschools - and that is that I like summer again!

Would I ever formally continue our schooling through the summer? No way! We all need a break.  And now, I find myself embracing the summer like the kids.  Hooray for free time at the playground and free schedules to come and go as we please.  It reminds me of the days before the girls were of school age when we spent gobs of time reading and playing together, visiting bookstores and playgrounds and fountains and the pool, taking picnics and play dates with friends.  

Those things aren't absent from our school year, but we do keep pretty tied to a schedule and our goals. There are a lot of organizational things to take care of and my brain is very busy.  In some ways, summer feels like freedom again.

I've never been employed year round.  Even before the kids were born, I was on a public school schedule. I just don't think I'd be very happy tied to a schedule all year round, even at a job I liked - it isn't how I'm wired.  

This year, the onset of summer collides with second trimester - so perhaps, I'm just feeling relief all over.  At any rate, I've got a nice cold pitcher of decaf iced tea in the refrigerator and plans to just play with the girls today.  Summer feels nice.

bad links!

It was brought to my attention that the links on my recent post about being over at BabyBunching writing about homeschooling weren't working.  My apologies to you all and to the ladies over at BabyBunching.  I'm happy to report that they are fixed if you were interested.