Big Trucks!

Last week we spent some time in Herndon, VA. Their Public Works Department puts on Big Truck Days each year. They park a garbage truck, a paving truck, a snow plow, a steam roller and other construction/ public works type vehicles in a barricaded parking lot and allow kids to climb up into the driver's seats and play pretend. The kids can move the steering wheels and play with all of the buttons and levers contained inside. It was awesome! Andrew & Jay did not want to leave. We'll be heading back there next year.


Jay next to a tire for reference of the size of these trucks.


Jay on a steam roller.


Andrew driving the garbage truck.


Andrew's friend Rory in the passenger seat.


You can see Andrew making engine noises with is mouth. Jay in the foreground.


Andrew and Jay on a ... I don't know what it was...

Mommy!

I had a funny thought this morning. And this was it: Most days by the time 8pm rolls around I am tired of hearing the word "Mommy". Since, usually I have been hearing it uttered all day coupled with different demands, requests or complaints from about 6 in the morning. And yet, on this beautiful Sunday morning I laid in bed and thought..."I love being called Mommy. What a blessing to be a mother and to have created two independent people for whom I will always be related to as Mom. "

Me and my two kiddos (who apparently could care less about getting a photo with dear old Mommy.) Photo taken on our walk this morning along the George Washington Memorial Parkway.



Happy Mother's Day!

Fruits and Vegetables!

This spring I signed us up for a half share in a CSA (Community Supported Agriculture). The program will run May through October. I signed up for a share with Bigg Riggs Farm of West Virginia. I'm able to pick up our box of vegetables, etc. each Saturday morning at the Alexandria Farmers Market in Old Town.

I'm hoping this will kick-start us in to some healthier eating habits as well as get us into the habit of eating local seasonal harvest instead of what we can get at the supermarket.

This past Saturday was the first pick-up. We were thrilled with our first box which contained: scallions, ramps, a strawberry plant, a curly leaf parsley plant and a jar of their peach jam.



I thought it was really neat that he included two plants. Andrew has been enjoying watering them each day and checking for strawberries each day. We should have some berries in about 2 weeks. Very cool.



So far we've sampled the jam, mmm....peachy. Mark made a yummy breakfast for the two of us using the ramps. He simply quick sauteed them in some olive oil, then served them with eggs over easy, toast and tomato.

We also picked up some tomatoes, radishes, and really huge scallions at the farmers market. Mark made an onion dip using the greens of the huge scallions, and we had the bulbs of those scallions roasted on the grill, along with some roasted portabella mushrooms. Yum!

This is going to be fun to have such fresh veggies all summer.