Author Archives: raisingourquadsquad

Washington, DC In All Its Glory

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SPRING IS HERE!!! While the temperatures say otherwise, it means you should be getting ready for the Nation’s Cherry Blossom Festival.  The festival runs March 20th to April 15th with peak bloom dates of April 11th through the 14th (all could change depending on the weather).

Many people flock to DC during this season. In fact, thousands plan their vacation hoping to see these Japanese trees in all its perfect puffy white glorious state. It is truly a beauty to behold; it’s as if DC gains its wings, albeit just for a few days.  The festivities celebrate the 3000 trees given to the United States in 1912 honoring the relationship between the U.S and Japan.

2014 Cherry Blossom (1)

For the past two years its been our family tradition and we are so excited once again. We make sandwiches, bring fruits and veggies and enjoy a picnic. Last year I was pregnant with our twins; they are now seven months old.

cb 2014

2014 cb 2014 dc blooms

Everyone should be a part of this spectacular celebration, so come on out and cross this off your bucket list (you didn’t know it was on the list, huh) and watch DC earn its wings; you haven’t seen DC until you see it during the Cherry Blossom Festival.

2014 Cherry Blossom (2)

A Day In My Life

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Sometimes I may not call you back like I said I would. Just know I love you and you’re important.  My trisanity keeps me occupied and when they aren’t, I forget what I was supposed to do.  Case in point, one pile of laundry still on the couch; I’ve been folding for the past 3 hours while trying to eat and blog.

I’ve been training the twins for the past few weeks and I think they’ve adjusted to the new schedule. On a perfect day this is what my day entails:-

8:00 A.M:- Babies wake up, diaper change

8:30 A.M :- First feeding 6-8 ounces

9:00 A.M:- Big sister wakes up

9:30 A.M:- Jayla eats breakfast while twins play

10:00 A.M:- Twins 1st solid meal & juice while Jayla plays

11:00 A.M:- Twins bathe then plays while Jayla bathe

12:00 P.M:-  Twins 2nd solid and bottle 6 oz

12:30 P.M:- Jayla eats lunch

1:00:- Jayla naps

(On an ideal day the twins naps too)

2:00 P.M:- Twins 3rd meal and juice

3:30 P.M:- Jayla wakes up and has snack

(Days when she acts up, she sleeps until 4:30)

4:00 P.M:- Twins diaper change then 6 oz bottle

5:00 P.M:- Playtime for everyone

6:00 P.M:- Jayla eats dinner

7:00 P.M:- Begin turn down service 🙂

8:00 P.M:- Night-night show and milk for everyone

9:00 P.M:- My happy dance, all babies are in their beds

Watch a little HGTV then wake up and do it all over again 🙂

“If you think my hands are full, you should see my heart”

1st bottle
Wakes up and the talking begins
Playtime while sister eats
Eats breakfast
Workout with mommy
Twins 1st solid
Playtime while twins eat
Twins play after their bath while big sis bathes
Eats lunch
2nd bottle
Nap time shenanigans
2nd meal
KO after 2nd meal
Playtime since won’t nap
Snack after nap
3rd bottle and diaper change
Playtime
Everyone plays
Strawberry picking
Watching night-night show
Yessssss!

Dining Out: Are We Sure?

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Last weekend, hubby and I decided to spend the day out with the kids. It was the first day of daylight savings time. Try getting five people ready…we didn’t make it out the house until 2 p.m, but we went out anyway because too much effort would’ve been lost.

It was a perfect spring-like day after all the cold and snow.

After 4 hours at the mall, we decided on P.F. Changs for dinner. Should we just order and pick-up and eat it at home like usual? No, the food loses some of its flavor and we live quite a distance away.  So we decided to sit down and eat in.  We felt brave enough after an episode-free shopping trip. Would we be pushing our luck?

The restaurant was bustling. As we walked in, we received the look, lol: “Oh great, here they come with all these kids, it’s going to get loud in here”.  While we waited for our table, we strolled the mall to keep our two year old occupied.

Yes I took pics as she ran around 😀
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I was nervous as we sat down, but it wasn’t necessary. Our three little ones were on their best behavior; not once did they cry or act out; maybe we should do this more often. Hmmmm

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EXPLORING DC

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TO SEE OR NOT TO SEE, THAT IS THE QUESTION

There’s so much to see and do in DC, there’s no way you can experience it all.  Any opportunity I get to visit DC I’m there, I welcome the idea to be a tourist (my hubby, not so much, but he tags along). He often says he knows I’m having a good time when I can’t put my camera down 🙂

Rather than visiting the same sites, I’ve compiled a list. Some of these places I’ve never heard of! But that’s what makes it fun, right?

Here’s my 2015 DC List:-

  • BOTANICAL GARDEN
  • ANACOSTIA HISTORIC DISTRICT
  • TOP OF THE WASHINGTON MONUMENT
  • ROCK CREEK PARK
  • NATIONAL HARBOR
  • HILLWOOD MUSEUM & GARDENS
  • WASHINGTON NATIONAL CATHEDRAL
  • DUMBARTON OAKS
  • PRESIDENT LINCOLN’S COTTAGE
  • NATIONAL ZOO
  • SMITHSONIAN BUTTERFLY HABITAT GARDEN
  • ENID A. HAUPT GARDEN
  • WESTMINSTER PLAYGROUND
  • CANAL PARK
  • MERIDIAN HILL PARK
  • ALBERT EINSTEIN MEMORIAL
  • KENILWORTH PARK & AQUATIC GARDEN (Asian & Water Lily Festival)
  • TUDOR PLACE
  • WINERY & BEER TOUR
  • NATIONAL ARBORETUM

Are you ready to explore? The list isn’t in any particular order, nor is it all encompassing, so add or detract and enjoy this adventure with me and share your experiences!

Bon Voyage, my fellow explorers!

Pork Chops: Where have you been?

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With the ever increasing food prices, we decided to try pork chops last year and it’s been a family favorite since! At one point it was on a weekly rotation 🙂

Porkchops Porkchops1

The plantains (The key to the perfect plantains is making sure they are ripe but not too ripe) add a level of sweetness and the rice, gungo rice…this has replaced the infamous Jamaican Rice and Peas (many say Red Beans and Rice).

It tastes as good as it looks if not better 🙂

XO Stacey

Is It Spring Yet?

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Let it Snow! No, Let it stop, please!! It seems like every other day it was snowing. Is it spring yet?

I am really, really, really hoping this was winter rearing its head for one last time.  So with that in mind, I took the twins outside in the snow for the first time.  My little guy was not a fan of the cold, just like his mommy.

Now, it probably wasn’t the smartest idea to try this by myself, but I wanted to capture this moment.  I literally took them out and right back in, plus, they had on lots of layers.

You’ll thank me later when you have the image of A Christmas Story etched in your mind. heehee

Help me somebody!!!
Help me somebody!!!
What's that on my sister's head?
What’s that on my sister’s head?
No, it's happening to me, too?
No, it’s happening to me, too?
I can't put my arm down.
I can’t put my arm down.
Who knew my kid would love the snow?
Who knew my kid would love the snow?

 

 

All Dolled Up

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I’m curling my hair, in walks my oldest:-

J: Where are you going mommy?

Me: Nowhere, I was just curling my hair

J: Oooooh

Me: Do I have to be going somewhere to curl my hair?

J: Yesssssss

Me: Ignores her

J: What’s this mommy? Is it dirt?

Me: No

J: Is it sand mommy?

Me: No, it’s makeup

J: You put makeup on mommy?

Me: No, I’m not going anywhere

J: Oooooh and walks away to play with the twins

Goofy Morning and Happy Friday to you!