kayak trip

Though it was a couple weeks ago I thought it would be appropriate to post some photos that my brother, Chris, took with his iPhone of the guys' kayaking trip up in Maine:

back to "school"

Today was our first day back to the Honeybee Hive and we couldn't have been more excited. A new teacher, some new friends, and a new year!

We knew it would be a good day when we spotted this friend waiting for us on a stop sign:

Mayumi seems happy to be back at he beloved school and I must admit that as much as I love spending time with my sweet girl, I am also happy to have a few hours to myself. Is that an okay confession to make or does that reveal me as a selfish mama? Either way, it is the truth, so I am embracing it and since it seems to do us both good, it seems like an okay thing.

weekending

Saturday was a fun and busy day in the Qualter home. Mayumi and Mike headed off to participate in DC Public School Beautification Day, where the community gets together to volunteer to help spruce up schools in the neighborhood. Cleaning, painting, gardening, etc. went on at the local Montessori... and perhaps a little playing as well. It seems that a recent article I read about children and kindness has some valid points and we hope that this kind of volunteer and service remains a tradition in our family.

Later on in the morning Maya got to attend her friend, Elsa's, birthday party at the Playseum. I spent my morning in a meeting with my amazing cohorts at Dog & Pony DC.  That afternoon I got to nap, Maya had some quiet time and Mike got to spend some time at the gym with his buddies. You could say it was a pretty good day.

berry-picking excursion!

I know I should be resting and not out on my feet all day, squatting in the heat, picking berries. But the season is almost over and I figured I would take it easy. So off we went to Butler's Orchard early on a Friday morning. We started off in the raspberry field while it was still relatively cool (or at least not treacherously hot). Maya and her friend, Elsa, helped me pick over 4 lbs of delectable, sweet raspberries before they started complaining of being tired and hot.

So we drove over to the blackberry patch, where the ten foot tall bushes offered plenty of shady spots and the patch abutted a woody wilderness area that also offered shade. I set up the blanket in the shade and let Maya and Elsa entertain each other while I started down the row of blackberries, always making sure, of course, to keep them within sight and earshot. After I had accumulated over 14 lbs and stained my hands purple, we packed up again and moved on to the flower garden.

Each girl wanted to gather a bunch of flowers for their respective mothers, but they were even more delighted to find butterflies galore amongst the blossoms.

We finally made it to the market store where we picked up a peck of peaches and checked out. What a load we had with us and the girls had so much fun. And though I had worked hard that morning, I made up for it by indulging in an hour-long prenatal massage that afternoon.
Next up... using up those berries! I foresee a morning filled with jams, pies, and hot water bath canning!

last-minute getaway

We had been talking about going away this weekend to celebrate our 14 year wedding anniversary, but  kept wavering about whether or not it would be a good idea. Finally, on Saturday morning we decided to just go for it. We packed our stuff, headed out to our local Crepes on the Corner for some breakfast, then drove the two hours out to Berkeley Springs, West Virginia. With our almost five year-old daughter, of course! Someday I suppose we'll do a romantic getaway for two but it doesn't seem to be important right now... we still love being together as a family too much.

We called hotels on the drive out and at first we were going to take the expensive Honeymoon Suite at the Country Inn but we ended up settling on the more-our-style Cacapon Resort Lodge. And we may have stopped at the fireworks kiosk on the way into town just to pick up a few things...

We loved staying at the State Park - it was incredibly relaxing and a nice change of pace from city life.

While Mike and Maya enjoyed swimming in the chilly lake, I got to rest on the beach. A little knitting, a little napping, a LOT of relaxing!

After dinner I knit while sitting on the rocking chairs on the patio overlooking the golf course. The weather was perfect, there were no mosquitoes and I got to admire a family of dear grazing on the lawn. Meanwhile, Mike took Mayumi on her first fishing expedition. She was very successful - she caught three fish!

As we cuddled in bed reading some bedtime stories that evening, we decided it was a good thing that we had come.

Sunday morning greeted us with cool rain. We headed into town, stopping first at the riding stables to check out the horses.

 To our surprise we found ourselves a bit chilly and craving some warmth (is summer over already?!) so we stopped at a cafe in Berkeley Springs for some delicious homemade chicken and corn soup and hot chocolate with pb&j sandwiches. Perfect.

After browsing through a few shops, the rain let up and we got to enjoy some of the natural mineral springs. It felt good to soak my swollen feet in the water!

And then it was time to return home to DC. But I have a feeling that we'll be returning this way soon...