Keep Tri-ing, Never give up...

There is this song from the show Yo Gabba Gabba, and I think it is called "Keep Trying" - and well Jonah always sings it to me or Jocelyn when we are trying to do something and having a hard time - so then we started singing it back to Jonah & Vera when they tried something and didn't always get it right the first time (for a video of the song see here).

So here is the deal... today is my last blog post for probably a really long time...

I had been sort of obsessing about my "year anniversary" of the blog which would be on April 1... and I was making all these plans to go to the biggest kaleidoscope in New York when we went up to NY for Easter... and a bunch of other craziness...

But then that universe... it has a way of speaking sometimes.  Sometimes you need to just say, "take that universe!" but then sometimes - I think it is good to listen to what it is telling you - or trying to tell you... (At least that is the way I am internalizing my mindfulness training right now - to stop trying to write the perfect ending to every story and just be with it all... and let it happen)

It goes like this... this past Friday, I lost my cell phone and my lap top was stolen from my car... yes both on the same day in a matter of hours.  I had backed up my cell phone to my computer a few months ago... but my computer hadn't been backed up since probably August... I know I know I know - totally stupid...

Lucky for me, most of the good pictures have already been posted to the blog since August - but you all know how much it sucks to not have your phone or your computer... and it makes the blogging thing kinda impossible... sorta

I will get a new phone and a computer tomorrow.

But I decided to stop blogging for a while.  It was an awesome experience.  I am so thankful I captured the almost year of Jonah & Vera for them.  I am excited they will get to see it one day and I am proud of myself for doing it.  I had a goal and a pretty much completed it.  I did skip the month of August.  I also started taking off holidays and weekends.  And now, I am ending two weeks early, but otherwise I did it - and that is cool.  I need a new goal right now - I am moving beyond the blog to something else... seasons change, years pass, and goals need to be renvisioned.

Wait for it...

Jocelyn and I are going to do a Triathlon...

Neither one of us have ever done it before.  I am totally scared of biking.  Jocelyn is not so excited about the swimming.  But we are going to do an Irongirl together.

It is on September 8 in Flinstone, MD.  (The Iron Girl Rocky Gap Triathalon)

Training has started.

As Jonah & Vera tell us and we tell them all the time - the key is to just keep

TRI-ING!

so that is what we are going to do.

We told the kids today and I showed them my bike helmet, goggles and sneakers.  They were very excited.


Wish us luck!

I plan on bringing my kaleidoscope with me during all of my training - because it always comes in handy...

For the next 6 months, Jocelyn and I will be hanging out at the gym and on the trails... if you see us please shout out some encouraging words! (We plan on bringing the kids with us whenever we can - you know because our lives aren't chaotic enough?!?!)

Go Team!

Sometimes you just gotta give it a TRI?!?!?!

Happy Monday!  Good luck kaleidoscoping your own bits of chaos!  And remember to TRI and have some fun out there!

Love,
Heather (the kaleidoscoping mommy)

BUILDING BUDDIES!

We finally made it to the National Building Museum's Play! Work! Build!  We have been meaning to go forever!  As an added bonus some good buddies from out of town met us there. Jonah and his buddy were totally happy hanging out together in the Building Zone at NBM.  (Which BTW has been totally redone and looks great - and now includes an awesome sandbox that Jonah & Vera loved!)

Play Work Build is everything everyone has reported!  Jonah & Vera hung out there for over an hour playing, working and building with everything!  They liked looking at the old toys in the museum cases - although Jonah was annoyed he could not play with them.  They enjoyed building with the big blue blocks in the jumbo building area and building with the little blue blocks on the light table... but they really loved the when they could jump up and down on the mat and the outline of their bodies appeared on the wall screen - that was just amazing to them... so they did it over and over and over and over again... it was like self imposed jumping aerobics class for toddlers - with the goal to see the outline of themselves on the wall - it was actually quite hilarious to watch. 

Our buddies showed up late so we went for snacks at Firehook Bakery in the main hall and then met them at the Building Zone.  There was lots of playing in the sandbox by everyone.  Vera loved hanging in the little house.  Jonah and his buddy raced cars, played with the trains and even dressed up! 

By the time we left it was 1pm (we got there at 1oam) and everyone had had a super fun day.

You guessed it - asleep in the car ride home.

Play, Work, Build ... Done, Done, Done!

in the BUILDING ZONE

BUDDIES DRESSED UP

Nothing Like Nordic Cool!

A few weeks ago we got up for our Thursday adventure (neither Jonah or Vera have school on Thursdays but the cleaning crew comes at 10:30 so we need to adventure outside of the home so that the home can be cleaned...).  We decided to go somewhere that we haven't been - The Kennedy Center!  I had read on a number of the blogs that they were hosting this cool super kid-friendly exhibit called Nordic Cool.  The big draw to me seemed to be the room of Legos and Lego tables!  There was other stuff that sounded cool but Jonah,Vera and I talked all morning about the Legos!  We invited some of our play group buddies and one of our older friends was able to meet us which made the day even more special!  Jonah and Vera were both going to have a playmate - and mommy too!  Whoop whoop for us!

We got there a little late.  Parked.  Made our way up to the kid friendly part of the exhibit... and guess what... there was a room full of super cool Lego tables and Legos... but there was also way too many Ipads everywhere with games and apps on them that were created by Nordic companies or something like that?!?!?  (including Angry Birds and a painting program...),  So, you guessed it, Jonah & Vera were OBSESSED with being on the ipads!!!!!  It was so frustrating!!!

We met up with our buddies and Jonah & Vera were excited about that.  We had snacks (donuts) with our buddies - everyone was excited about that... then played with the ipads again?!?!?  hello there was a room full of Legos?!?!  They did play a little bit with the Legos... but really they just wanted to play on the damn ipads... BTW I do not have an ipad, so they were very excited about having access to it... (I might also add that the entire exhibit is very interesting and if you can get your kids to loo at it and not be obsessed with the pads you will have even more fun... we didn't get to see it but I am told there are amazing waterfalls and a very cool ship... and tons more!)

Then my buddy had a great idea - let's take them outside on the terrace!  It was a super sunny nice day and so we did - this was the amazing thing - they LOVED being out there... I loved that they loved being outside and running!  It was awesome to watch them - all four of them - running and laughing so happily and innocently on that terrace - I could have cared less that they were obsessed with the damn ipads just minutes before - this was pure nirvana!

I feel like whenever I need a quick pick me up, I should get us to the Kennedy Center on a non event day and park before 10am and just take them on the terrace to run... (that is when parking is only 10 dollars and not 22....)

Our buddies left after the running, but we stayed on and had lunch at the cafe (which I might add is wonderful cafe!)  The kids sort of ate and then started to lose it a  bit... we made it back to the car sort of in tack and then everyone fell asleep in the car except me).

Good play date with play group buddies at an interesting place.  two thumbs up I tell ya!

Happy Thursday Everyone!

Taking it to the Tracks!

The final Florida-esque post!  In case you didn't know it, we had to take the overnight train home from Florida due to Vera's ear infection... yes yes yes I know... any three year old's wet dream!!!  Maybe not so much for his mommy... but when the Universe starts throwing punches - you just throw them back!  Or take a train ride...

But before we could get onto that train, we had to drive our rental car about 6 hours from Coconut Creek to Jacksonville, Florida to catch the train - because AMTRAK is doing track work south of Jacksonville and there are no trains running to Ft Lauderdale... ha ha... the Universe thought that would stop us... but NO... we just put on the new CD we swiped from Nana and hit the road!

We left at 7:30am and stopped once.  The kids were good and the drive was uneventful.  We arrived in Jacksonville for lunch.  I tried to drop the car off at the rental return in downtown at the fancy Omni hotel on the promenade thing but they said no... you need to drop it off near the train station.  I called the other drop off place and they said, don't bring the car here, just park it at the train station and leave the keys there... so that was our plan (universe again tried to screw with us - not going to happen).  After figuring that all out, we decided we needed to have an outdoor fiesta at a place called Cinco de Mayo!  I ordered a round of  virgin margaritas and three orders of cheese quesadillas for all of us!  And just like that we were partying it up in Jacksonville - hello kaleidoscope - we can have a good time anywhere.  We had time to kill before our 5:00pm overnight train to Washington DC so we took a walk/run on the promenade and hung out - trying to get some of our wiggles out before the 15 hour enclosed space imminent experience...

Then we gathered up our stuff and headed out for the train station.  It is a little train station in the middle of nowhere.  Jonah, Vera and I had to get ourselves, 2 car seats, and all our luggage and carry ons into the station, to the baggage check and on the train... and you guessed it - no porters!  With the help of some kind strangers we checked in and made it onto the train!  Take that Universe!

On the train it was quite funny.  We had a sleeping car for us and we made a fast friend across the way.  Turns out he was riding by himself, but he was a gay dad of 4 1/2 year old twins from Long Island - and a elementary school teacher!  How's that for funny!  Jonah & Vera were were very excited to have a friend across the hall from us. 

Everything in the sleeper car was super fantastic cool to Jonah & Vera... all the buttons and the "convertible furniture" and especially the seat that turned into a magical toilet and its accompanying flush button!!!  They were excited about the little table that folded out of the wall and they used it to color, do stickers and watch movies.  Around 6:30 we went for dinner in the dining car with our friend from across the hall... that was a mitigated disaster - enclosed space + slow service = melt downs... We returned to the sleeper car and got ready for bed.  Jonah & Vera were super cute tucked into bed and actually fell asleep... we all were in the bottom bunk... snugs as bugs in a rug.  We woke up early and went to the cafe car for snacks for breakfast - chocolate milk and donuts.  An AMTRAK train guy hung out with us for a while and talked to Jonah & Vera.  He gave them special tickets, crayons and Chuggington coloring books - they were so excited to meet the train conductor!!!

The train was delayed a bit but we packed up our stuff and thank god in Washington DC a wonderful Red Cap picked us up in a golf cart, whisked us away to the baggage claim, gathered our suitcases and car seats for us and walked us out to our car and Mama - who was waiting for us curbside... take that universe!

As they sing at the end of every Dora episode: "WE DID IT!"

Take that universe.

Better than a Thomas the train movie or a Chuggington ride at Disney - we did the real thing... 15 hours overnight in a real train - after a road trip from Nana and Pop and a little fiesta by the river...

Take that universe!

Chugga chugga chugga choo choo!!!!

HELLO JACKSONVILLE!

WOW THAT TRAIN IS MUCH BIGGER THAN THOMAS MOMMY!!!!

BREAKFAST TIME