107 degrees with Heat Index Friday

So,

It's Friday!  I passed out at 7:45 pm last night, awoke only once and didn't get out of bed until 7:45 am.  That's almost 12 hours of sleep! How'd I do it and why'd I need it? Wednesday and Thursday my friend, Wednesday and Thursday.
Wednesday was wonderful. We dropped Ruby around 10 am and left her to preschool outdoor water fun.  Kaia, Eliza and I then headed to the Ol' Angler's Inn and the Maryland side of Great Falls along the Potomac River.  There's a bunch of construction going on along the canal and the tow path (with Billy Goat Trail access) was closed temporarily.  So, we took the high trail which was nicely shaded and I carried Eliza in the Baby Bjorn.  It took us about 45 minutes to hike to the Great Falls overlook where Kaia ate her lunch and I snacked.  Kaia enjoyed all the waterfalls and it was a sunny and not too hot day (about 80 degrees).  Eliza seemed to like it all too.  On our way back we went down the Billy Goat trail so Kaia could climb some boulders.  We got back to the car about 2:15 and drove back to Little Ambassadors to pick up Ruby.  We then headed home where I watched some of Spain v. Portugal in the European Championships--one of the most boring matches ever--while Kaia, Ruby and Eliza played with blocks and did tummy time respectively.  We went for a walk to meet Mommy at Turtle park then we walked down to Matchbox for dinner and Frozen Yogurt afterward.  On the way home we stopped by the playground.  Then it was time for bed.  Corie and I stayed up watching some baseball then we got up to do it all over again on Thursday.
Thursday I had all three girls and we got ourselves into our bathing suits and packed our lunches and sunscreen as we had a play date with Jim and Carrie at the Cheverly pool. We stayed for four hours and Kaia put her face under water, Ruby loved the kiddie pool and toys and Eliza went under the mushroom with me and seemed to like all the water.  Carrie was great to the girls and Jim was a gracious host and, with the tiny exception of Kaia and Ruby putting liquid handsoap in their hair prompting the dreaded shower, a grand day out indeed.  We got home about 3:30 and all three girls slept for a good long time. We woke up the last sleeper, Ru Ru kid at about 5:15 and walked to White Tiger to meet Cor Cor for an early dinner. After dinner it was bath time for all and that's when I crashed out... only to awake
early and go for a run when it was only 85 degrees at 7:45 am!  We dropped Mommie at work and Ruby at pre-school camp and then Kaia and Eliza and I watered the plants,  made Sun tea, a blueberry pie with the rest of our blueberries we picked on Father's day, and had some lunch. The 'lizer bean is asleep at the moment and I'm bloggin while Kai Kai watches Miss Spider's Sunny Patch Friends... A day inside is what we've earned thanks both to the weather and our fun filled (somewhat tiring) week so far.

Okay It's Tuesday and it's settling in...

Whew. Wow-wee... made it through another day... started to grumpy grouchy around the kids' bedtime tonight, but overall it went alright. We dropped Mommie off at Eastern HS for a presentation at 8:19 and went back home for cereal, toast, smoothies and huevos with hot New Mexico green chile. After gathering all the stuff necessary for the pool (food, towels, sunscreen, diapers, MILK! I remembered the MILK today! and my own suit too), I thanked Corie out loud for dressing the two older ones, Kaia and Ruby in their swimsuits with sun dresses and then , after taking my pitcher of sun tea experiment of Green and Mint mix inside, I loaded the team into the Highlander and headed off to Brian's.  The BT'er was ready for us and greeted the girls by panting and barking like a dog at the screen door.  "I Know You DO..." BT'er stock phrase answerable in all situations and we headed to the fancy pool at the park in Arlington... It was a nice 75 degrees but a bit windy so in the water you were fine, but out of it you got cold fast.
Minor worry was Eliza having a bunch of hairs wrapped around a finger and shutting of circulation. We got a nail clipper from the lifeguards and saved her finger tip.  Then there was Ruby's skinned knees while simply walking from the parking lot to picnic tables and that led to visit number two to the First Aid station for band-aids. When you have wee ones it's a rare day you get through without some crying and sniffling (maybe a little whining too).
BT'er missed his 7 year old Julia, but he was great to the girls.  We dipped Eliza's toes in the water a little and then it was time to head home.
After dropping Brian at home I unloaded three sleeping girls into the house (Yay Poooool)... but Ru Ru woke up fast and had a snack with me while I ate lunch and then she played while I made guacamole, started cooking the ribs and planned out the rest of dinner (corn, potato salad and cornbread).  2 hours on the grill cooked on low heat with a cake pan of water next to a rack of ribs wrapped in multiple layers of tin foil.  The dry rub I made was New Mexico Chimayo Red Chile powder, cumin, white pepper and oregano.  First grill of the summer.
We made a brief attempt at a walk to meet Corie, but Kaia had to go to the bathroom. She and Ruby stopped by our neighbor Judith's and I finished making dinner. We ate outside and by 7:30 I was asleep on the sofa. Now, after holding the "lizer bean" for a little and watching more baseball, i'm summoning (am I?) the will to go for a run... We'll see....
What's on tap for tomorrow?  I wish I could call Rick and take Kaia rock climbing... maybe we could hike the billy goat trail instead.... mmmm....

2nd Day of Summers' Summer camp

Not Counting the Weekends

As I have mother/wife help... and so it's the end of day 2, this Monday, June 25th as I watch baseball and catch my breath.  I had a pretty good day. The plan all centered around big errands and opportunities.  With Corie already left for work, Kaia snuggled next to me as I tried to stave off the morning until first Eliza made some noises and I brought her to the big bed, then out of the corner of my eye, Ruby joined in as well. I was now officially the last one up and so it goes. To breakfast and some toast and cereal for the kids and me and then a feeding of Eliza and off to Arlington to drop Ruby at "Summer Camp"-- an extension of pre-school only 3x a week during the summer months. Before we left the house Ruby told me she had to "do something upstairs" and after a few minutes I checked on her in the play room to have found she was drawing a poster and just had to do it right now although she knew we were leaving to drop her off. It was sad. But off we went. She was good at drop off then Kaia and Eliza and I met my sister-in-law at the Harrison playground and spent a good hour there so Kaia could play with her cousins Ada and C C.  I had forgotten to bring a bottle for Eliza and after stopping at the Dominion Electric for some fuses, Eliza started to let me know what she thought of the blunder. So I raced home to DC. Got the bottle ready, and she fell asleep. I tried the new fuse and it didn't work. I called the electricians who recently put a new panel on our 3rd floor. They told me they'd stop bye about 4. Kaia and I had lunch and then we were off to Arlington, but because I was distracted, I wound up on the 395 south HOV lane!  Not where I needed to go to get to North Arlington (usual route of Maine Ave. to the Theodore Roosevelt Bridge). Ouchee... but we just made our way to Little Ambassadors and Ruby was so thrilled to see us and the Hayle Dog, a former soccer player of mine at W-L is now working there as an aide. It was nice to catch up. We headed to Giant at Spout Run for the big shop and I ran into a nice northern English bloke and couldn't help myself but talk footy.  The girls had fun in the big racing car shopping cart and I headed back to DC via Memorial Bridge and Maine Ave. to Independence. Met Jake and John the electricians. Got them in the basement, unloaded the girls and gave them juice while warming Eliza's 3rd bottle, brought in all the groceries and other stuff, re-loaded the car with all the girls, headed to pick up Corie at 1st street, then headed home and discussed all the electric stuff with the guys, whipped up a quick potato salad, steamed the KING crab, boiled the corn in the old bay water, got out some carrots, set the table, got all the food out and it was 5:58 pm. I had to be at a softball game at 6:15. I ate for 7 minutes (few bites of corn, crab and potato salad and one carrot.), ran upstairs and closed the windows as the AC was working again, changed clothes, got the bike, said goodbye, went to softball for the first time, had a good game, rode home, did the behavior chart with Kaia and Ruby, and gave stars for good helping and good listening, but had to rescind the good listening by Ruby as she stopped listening during our family talk.  Helped put Eliza to bed while Cor read to the girls, finalized plans with Brian for tomorrow's trip to Arlington to go to a pool, then played guitar for Eliza and then Kaia and Ruby a little, then downstairs for Cor and here I am. Whew!... I made it. We did a lot and got a lot done. Day. 2. Whew... wipe sweat from brow.  reach for daddy water

Day One of Summers' Summer 2012

It's really a half day.
It's 1:17 and my niece has just boarded a train back to Jersey after watching Pooker (Eliza), 3+ months, Kaia, almost 5 and Ruby, 3 for the past three weeks while I finished my duties as a high school teacher.  Two weeks before, my Mother-in-law, Dianne watched the baby while the two older girls were still attending preschool.  Five weeks ago my wife went back to work. I'd known this day was coming, but, here it is and I'm not really any more mentally or emotionally prepared to accept the responsibility for my three daughters in the harsh oven-bake with sauce that is DC in the summer.  Solstice was two days ago... I can't manage a pool visit without help,... walking to museums from our Capital Hill home is technically possible, though more draining than a work out with a wrestler/triathlete/navy seal.  Summer is before me and I'm already repeating myself. The girls were outside about an hour ago, playing with chalk and water on the back patio. Ruby had 20 pieces of new chalk soaking in a watering can. The day before Kaia and Ruby left the water hose on. Luckily the sprayer was closed but water still leaked out all night. Now I've cut them off from playing with the hose or out back for a week. An overreaction. But I got exasperated they hadn't listened about the hose and that they felt it was a good idea to soak the chalk.  Have to remember the 8 or 9 times to teach them something rule and that it takes 28 times to break an undesirable habit.  I learned that from Ruby's preschool teacher Cissy yesterday during Parent/Teacher conference.
Why am I writing this blog? As a release of tension and worry and anxiety over how to navigate the summer. In the past few summers with only two girls, I'd managed okay and felt I'd gotten the routines down to a pseudo science.  False consciousness. What I'd managed to do was plan day excursions around meal times and nap times and enlisted help when I could from fellow fathers or mothers across the metro area.  I've managed to develop a pretty good list of activities. With the addition of baby Eliza all is changed. Planning will have to be less ambitious.  Planning will have to account for tracking Ruby, the 3 year-old and getting help and buy in from Kaia, the almost 5 year old, to help me stay on top of Ruby as she can get willful and noncompliant some (quite often) times.   I'm going to try and list all the activities of the past few years and then wonder if they'll be possible (P) on my own this year, or maybe with help (P WH), or Not possible (NP) at all, as in a-what the 'ell were you thinking sorta way.  Later we'll have to think about who's available to help and how that might work out.

• playgrounds  (P)
• storytellers/kid friendly entertainment (P)
• yards park wading pool (P)
• summer concerts (day time) (P)
• glen echo (P)
• zoo (P)
• sandy point beach (P WH)
• libraries (P)
• spray and water parks (P WH)
• arboretum (P)
• aquatic gardens (P) 
• building museum (P)
• indian museum (P)
• hirshhorn (P)
• natural history museum (P)
• special exhibits smithsonian (P)
• pools indoor (i.e william rumsey) (P WH)
• pools outdoor (i.e east potomac) (P WH)
• rock creek (P)
• farms with animals/playgrounds (P)
• Pick your own farms (P)
• smithsonian merry go round (P)
• walks (P)
• grocery shopping (MUST BE POSSIBLE!)
• errands (P)
• national aquarium (haven't done yet) (P)
• Home activities (i.e. painting, drawing, crafts, chalk, music making (noise), reading books, independent play, dress up, etc. (P)
• Cooking/Baking (P?)
• bicycle, tricycle, scooter near the house. 
• Visit friends, colleagues, retirees, family

Not a bad list and start.  I'm encouraged that more seems possible than I thought initially.  But my wife Corie did warn me that I won't be able to do big trips every day so perhaps I should plan a smaller activity one day and a "bigger" one the next.  So, today, after quiet time and a bottle for Eliza, we're going to try the library. More advice came from Corie when she suggested I follow the Capital Hill nannies around and see what activities they string together though I think I know the library, park, playground, lunch, nap routine already.  Perhaps there is more magic up the collective nanny soul sleeve?  Water is the thing that requires help with the possible exception of a spray park.  Getting to the museums might be a hassle.  Let's see how this afternoon goes and then we'll make a list of potential helpers and a plan for next week.