Catching Up!

Looks like I am way behind...I'm not sure where to begin - we have 3 children who have some how gotten to be 6, 4 and 1.5 years old....Poor Carlos had to survive a long stretch of work travel recently and I feel like we are just getting back to normal.  I went to Atlanta for work and then was home for 24 hours before going to China for a week.  For good or for bad, budgets are cut in Q4 so there won't be any more big trips this year!

Charlie and the rest of us had our hearts broken by the Nationals who lost in the playoffs.  We did get to see a playoff game which was awesome for the energy (spent most of the time on our feet), but they continued the streak of losing games that I attend.  For the 2nd game, we decided to set up shop in front of the house and Charlie worked hard to make Nats Posters to sell to people walking by.  Between the posters and lemonade he and his friend, Ian, cleared about $40 in less than an hour.

 We are 6 weeks into school and it is nice to have the routine, though winter is fast approaching and threatening to ruin our nice mornings and evenings on the school blacktop or parks.  Carlos has been taking them to the park before school to play baseball which is a highlight of the day for the boys and it really helps get them out the door. Not sure what we'll do when the weather turns.  Diego struck gold in getting Ms Sadowsky as a teacher for a second year.  I'm literally already dreading when he has to move on. He has a nice core group of friends - (very boy oriented) who like build with blocks, destroy things and wrestle.  Diego's challenge is that he is athletic enough to play with Charlie's friends and more interested in their games but too shy to join.  After school while Charlie and Ian play catch, he usually plays catch with me or another parent.  I know it'll even out eventually, but for now he is stuck in between.  I signed him up for t-ball so that he could be on the same team as his friends, but it is kindof a joke.  He is used to hitting balls that are pitched to him so hitting off a tee ensures a home run every time or he plays 'down'.  

Tractor at the Waterford Fair 

Trying to get Diego to ride a bike. He can ride fine, but
as soon as I stop running next to him he flips out and stops

family day 

Charlie decided that he wants to be called Carlos in school so the teacher and some friends now call him Carlos.  I'm assuming that is a sign that he loves and looks up to his dad.  I'm still less than enthusiastic about his class assignment.  The teacher is nice, but she got a handful of poorly behaved kids and Charlie only has one close friend in class.  This friend also happens to be the "boss of the ball" - meaning that he is basically the recess leader (he is bigger, older and way more athletic than most of the other students) and we worry that Charlie is going to spend the year in his shadow.  He has been complaining of all sorts of aches and pains and doesn't like school much this year.  I took him out of class one day this week to join us at Diego's family day event and when it was time to go back he cried and clung to me.  It broke my heart - especially because ever since pre-k 3 he has always loved school.

apple picking with friends - $50 later
we had a lot of apples!!

Barracks Row festival

Sofia is as feisty as ever and has NO interest in stopping nursing.  She tests the limit - and sadly it is usually on Diego.  She will go up to him, grab his hair, cheek, arm - whatever she can grab hardest - and just stand there waiting for some one to react.  Poor Diego gets beat up by Sofia and Charlie!  She says a few words and phrases, but not much.  She LOVES her dad.  When Carlos walks in the door, she goes sprinting towards him repeating "daddy, daddy, daddy, daddy" and doesn't want to have anything to do with me.  Although I love 18 months, I think I loved it more when I had one kid, rather than 3 kids.  With 1 kid, this age is so fun, funny and charming.  With 3 kids, it makes balancing time of all three kids hard.  I rarely get to go do things that I'd like to with just the boys.  Instead Carlos will take them to play sports or go to a baseball game because Carlos and Sofia don't mix well for more than about 30 minutes.  When I have all three I'm usually just trying to maintain some order, rather than playing with any one of them.  

Sofia in a dress I brought from China (size 4t there!)

Sofia with her boys

This past weekend we went to Philadelphia which is always so fun for the kids.  They love to visit my mom's store and to go out to play at the Germantown Academy fields.  When I told Charlie we were only staying the weekend, he broke down sobbing saying "but we don't have a store to work in, we don't have a football field and we don't have a real baseball diamond at our house."  Those are all true things.  Here they are practicing their aim and Charlie working in the store.  

Charlie behind the register at Curio

China was super interesting and amazing contrasts.  The hotel where I was staying was attached to the fanciest mall I have every seen in my life - I couldn't afford anything there.  Handbags were $3,000+.  I made a trek to a more local market where the prices were more my speed.  I did get whistled into a few of the fake luxury brand stalls and was amazed at the depth of their inventory!  They had catalog after catalog of luxury handbags, watches, suitcases and every item was available!  To test them, I picked a random item in the middle of a catalog and 4 minutes later it appeared.  I'm dying to know where the wharehouse is and how these tiny stalls have access to so many goods.  The highlight of the trip was getting to spend an evening with my college roommate Sam in Hong Kong!  We had delicious food and old friends are the best.

I thought it was a cloudy day, but it was just the pollution!

A selfie-stick! Can't believe this is a real thing

I love the food in Asia.  As long as some one can tell me what it is made of....