Showing posts with label dc fun. Show all posts
Showing posts with label dc fun. Show all posts

5.04.2016

sun on the carpet

The world has been moving way too fast lately, and I feel as though I haven't been able to catch up. The fall was hard. The spring was harder. And now, we're headed into summer, which I hope will just be nothing but lovely.

In these moments, I tell myself to breath. And, I hold tight to the little things.




Boy Beeton and I stumbled upon this Little Free Library on the way to a birthday party. These gems are scattered throughout our neighborhood, but this one was particularly sweet.

Mr. Beeton was reading poems by Charles Bukowski. I'd never read Bukowski, but I definitely had a clearly formed image of him from my graduate school days. I opened the book to this poem, which took me by surprise. Completely at odds with the poet I thought I knew and so expressive of my own feelings about parenthood. 

Marina
majestic, magic
infinite
my little girl is
sun
on the carpet-
out the door
picking a flower, ha!
an old man,
battle-wrecked,
emerges from his
chair
and she looks at me
but only sees
love,
ha!, and I become
quick with the world
and love right back
just like I was meant
to do.

Keep sweeping,
Martha

Read My Name Is Lucy Barton by Elizabeth Strout. Watched Carol. Watching Catastrophe

1.23.2016

we're having...

...snow much fun!



Keep shoveling,
Martha

Watched Sofia Coppola's Somewhere. Finished reading Lauren Groff's Fates and Furies

11.17.2015

my view at dusk


Today was a good day.

I haven't been able to say that for a while now. When my pericarditis hit this fall (update soon, I promise), I didn't realize how much it was affecting me physically or emotionally until the cardiologist finally said I needed to take it seriously. I had thought - as I did after Boy Beeton was born - that I was just an inadequate mother. I had thought - because I was so tired all the time - that I was just selfish. I had thought - because I had no patience for anything or anyone - that I was just a bad person. But, it was just the illness, which on top of being physically painful, was also making me tired and depressed.

I know this because today was a good day. I woke up with energy. I played with Boy Beeton this morning. I put away the porch furniture. We went to school. I took a walk. I graded. After school, we picked up some groceries. When we got home, we played soccer in the yard until it got dark. I made dinner. We had a dance party. I calmly dealt with a before bed tantrum. I was myself again.

Keep sweeping,
Martha

Watched The Peanuts Movie.


11.03.2015

boo




2015 shots of Halloween... and an oldie but goodie. "The sun will come out..."

Keep sweeping,
Martha

Read Mary Higgins Clark The Melody Lingers On.

5.03.2015

a grain of sand


We got a sandbox this weekend, and it is already changing my life. Boy Beeton played happily while I read Roiphe. Today, he and our neighborhood friend S played while S's mom and I enjoyed a glass of wine. Cheers to a summer of this!

Keep sweeping,
Martha

2.08.2015

longest/shortest

I don't want this video to be a metaphor for parenting, but I think it might be.


Today was almost spring-like. We spent it baking Valentine cookies and practicing riding our tricycle.

Keep sweeping,

Martha

Read Superfudge by Judy Blume and The Uncoupling by Meg Wolitzer. Watched Disney's Peter Pan and Lost In Translation (again). 

1.26.2015

fly to the sky



She's no Vanessa.

Keep sweeping,
Martha


1.01.2015

but a whimper


I wish I could say I ended 2014 with some excitement, but the energy level around here lately hasn't been conducive to merriment. I'm feeling positive about 2015, though, making resolutions at Bridget Jones's breakneck speed. Though my time - right now - would be better served working on my reappointment materials (which are almost - miraculously - done), I am going to follow in the footsteps of my truly inspirational undergraduates this semester and binge watch Vanderpump Rules. Forgive me.

Keep sweeping, Martha

Finished reading Belzhar by Meg Wolitzer and Not That Kind of Girl by Lena Dunham. Watched Gone Girl (!!!) and Girls: Season Three.

10.18.2014

life lately


We finally got our dining room painted, and we rehung these shelves so we could showcase this glassware.


While we aren't in preschool yet, we've been enjoying more group activities... soccer, for one. Go Turkeys!


And nature class with the Community School...


Boys in the woods


Friends


And weekly storytime with our favorite librarians at the Takoma DC Library, followed by lunches at Soupergirl. (Of course, that's Boy Beeton's favorite place to eat.)



Lantern, spider, snow globe, and falling down man


And some Halloween decorating...


And so very many good books!

Keep sweeping, Martha

Watched This Is Where I Leave You and The One I Love.

7.05.2014

happy fourth

We are loving our new Fourth of July tradition - the Takoma Park parade at our friends' house on Maple Avenue (they throw a fabulous party!). Nothing says the Fourth like the 9/11 Truth Seekers and the Attachment Parenting Group all marching together in harmony.


2014

And flashback a year...


2013

I realize I've been missing in action a bit lately. I promise to return soon with a more complete update of our summer adventures. 

Keep sweeping, Martha

Finished reading Donna Tartt's The Goldfinch (loved).

6.04.2014

iii





Keep sweeping, Martha

Finished reading (or listening to?) The Snow Queen by Michael Cunningham.

5.20.2014

so this happened


swatch watch




republic happy hour


brunch at bread & chocolate - twice






lucky strike bowling


the friends


the family



If this, my friends, is forty, I'll take it. 

Keep sweeping, Martha

4.03.2014

life lately


cherry blossoms on their way


my recent pastime


garden fun


only boring people are bored

Keep sweeping, Martha

3.25.2014

the cruelest month

Things have not been going very smoothly over here at the Beeton household. Right now, we have this tally... Bridget Jones' style.

1 new car, 1 new car sideswiped

1 experiment completed, 1 cold room heat-up, resulting in the combustion of said experiment

1 stressed out toddler who "Doesn't want to go to the nanny share!!!!"

1 momma who is trying to juggle teaching her class, being a competent administrator, and writing an academic analysis of Betty Draper's parenting practices for a conference next week

And it's snowing. Again.

That's why - no matter what - on the only nice day in a while, you just have to head to Brookside Gardens. A little green makes everyone better.

Even if it was followed by projectile vomitting in the backseat of the new car on the way home.




Keep shoveling.

Martha

11.03.2013

boo

Happy belated Halloween from your friends on Quackenbos Street!


9.04.2013

some type of way

We've been in some serious denial that summer is over here on Quackenbos Street. But, now that Labor Day has come and gone, I think it's time to face the facts - even if select splash parks in D.C. are still open. 

In these waning summer days, I noticed more and more people posting on Facebook about things that they were pleased to note they had finally crossed off their "summer bucket lists." I find the whole concept of a bucket list to be perverse (who wants to actively think about their impending doom?), but I did want to post about a few places that were especially special to us this summer - places that we visited more and more as the impending first day of school loomed.

Trohv - I cannot even explain the magic that is Trohv. If you haven't been, you need to hop on the red line and head on up there. After all, where else can you find an A-Treat soda bottle carrier that you'll transform into bathroom wall art? (Yes, you read that correctly.)

Pleasant Pops - This place was one of my most favorite summertime haunts - the pop shop! (Thanks, MB, for tipping us off to it!) When you combine it with a picnic in Meridian Hill Park, nothing says summer more. 

Van Buren Playground - Yes, folks. The playground is finally open! We'd been dreaming about it all summer, and I have to say that the final product is waaaay better than what we imagined. We spent so much time there the past few weeks that I think the maintenance men thought we had set up permanent camp in the little treehouse. And, again, when combined with a picnic... aaahhh. As Baby Beeton would say, "This is the life!"

AFI Silver Theater - How did we not know this was in our backyard? Mr. Beeton and I had a date night not too long ago (only the second of the entire summer... a crime, I know). We followed it up with a drink at Sidebar. I had a "Tennis Is More Interesting When You're Drunk" in honor of the U.S. Open. It had Pimm's in it, and you know how I feel about that.

Takoma Park Farmers' Market - We loved going to market all summer. Frequently, the much anticipated La Mano coffee bar would host pop-ups, and we could shop for fresh veggies while drinking cold brewed coffee. Baby Beeton loves, loves, loves the yogurt drinks and guitar player. And, this past week, we did our best to convince our former neighbors-now-friends that they really need to move here (please, please, please! we'll watch your cats when you take trips... er... I mean vacations).

When I think of summer 2013, these are the places that I'll think of... the places that make me "drop down to my knees, thankful for life today." If you can guess who made that quote famous, I'll buy you a cold-brewed coffee.

Keep sweeping, Martha

Watched Blue Jasmine.
 

7.22.2013

nothing to see here, sheryl

A few more moments of leaning back...


A tea party in a tent with a frog.


A picnic on the bed before nap time with a rabbit.


A swim in a pool with a dog.


A summer haircut (courtesy of Shampoo) with a cell phone and messenger bag.

And what I don't have documented is an extended Momma and Baby Beeton dance party last night after dinner, swimming and picnics at Prince George's Swimming Pool (thanks to A and C), celebrating new babies at Jackie's (can't wait for the newest bean to arrive!), and general summer malaise. It's been a heatwave, after all, Sheryl.

Finished reading Mary Higgins Clark's Daddy's Gone A Hunting. Finished watching Dexter: Season 7 and Top of the Lake. Started Veep. Still into The Killing.

Keep sweeping, Martha



5.12.2013

salute

The day started out with freshly squeezed orange juice, coffee, bacon, cinnamon rolls, and a Greek omelet. It ended with Roscoe's pizza and mango gelato. Who could ask for a better Mother's Day?


Keep sweeping,

Martha


5.02.2013

out like a lion

Dear April:

I bid you adieu.

Good riddance.

Admittedly, you were not without your bright points - cherry blossoms, the family reunion, Mad Men: Season 6 premiere, gardening, the return of the screened in porch, the Cosmos Club dinner. But, overall, you displeased me. I didn't care for the two rapid succession ear infections, broken up by a terrible stuffy nose. Nor did I enjoy the projectile vomiting the other evening. I could have done without that.

So, so long, April. I can't say that I'll miss you. I'm ready for May - for birthdays, Mother's Day, and warm weather that will kill all those nasty, nasty germs.

Keep sweeping, Martha

4.19.2013

bloom watch

Here's one long overdue photo from our picnic at the cherry blossoms. Someone seemed to enjoy himself.

More to come.


Keep sweeping, Martha