Checkmate!!!

Cooper was playing chess this morning with chess pieces that were as big as he is. The boys tried to teach him but he had more fun knocking them over then trying to beat his opponent.

Teaching Connor to Sail...

No words needed!

Vacation, Relaxation, & Expectation

Enjoying our time in Jamaica (kinda).

Like I've always said, I am more about transparency than some touchy feely posting. The first 24 hours was rough. DC left me so hyped and tense that it took all of the first day and most of day two to unwind. So now we are starting to relax...some lazy river, canoeing, and body surfing.

I know some of you think all those activities can't possibly produce relaxation but when your a Simon it's more about distraction and changing the focus of our attention. To prove that point...I read 74 emails during the first day of my vacation (hardly a vacation)...so I unplugged and stopped reading today.

So vacation is going great, the relaxation has begun, but the expectation was skewed (according to Sharon). We left the kids to play and disappeared to the floating river to grab drinks and drift along. Topic: My EXPECTATION of vacation.

See, my expectation of vacation is relaxation...which I accomplish with a whole lot of peace and quiet, several books, and adult beverages. When you have four kids...this isn't going to happen. So I have had to reframe my thinking and expectation of what this vacation would be like.

More to follow this week on being TIRED vs. being RESTED which is what really came out of today.

Bottom line- day two in Jamaica has been wonderful and it was time to get away. Cheers to all my friends.

David

End of the Summer

I took sometime tonight to figure out how I could get back to blogging. 2010 has been a huge disappointment for me in the simple fact that I failed to share my journey with my friends and colleagues.

The pace of DC and business in general has kept me focused but yet distracted. Focused on revenue and support to my clients but distracted from the things that had made me successful. During my vacation over the next two weeks I hope to find that focus and passion again.

Part of my secret to sharing the stories more readily will be the fact that I can now post blogs through email. Since 80% of my life has been consumed by "electronic" mail ....I figured I should figure out how to maximize it to benefit my goals.

Cheers in the remainder of 2010!

David

4 (out of 7) St.Clair Cousins

My brother and his wife moved to the DC area last year and I LOVE it. We have busy lives and we don’t see each other enough (I am sure that all of you who live within 30 minutes of your siblings and have kids understand this). But, having not grown up near any of my extended family (read “grown up as a military brat”), I will never tire of the precious beauty of my kids saying and knowing that they want to see their cousins!

Now, I have highlighted my brother’s family here b/c I have recent pictures of some of the cousins at the playground. But I have to say that my brother-in-law also lives in the area (SCORE! More family to hang with) and he and his fiancé are WONDERFUL about hanging out with us and including the kids in their plans.

Thank you God for the blessings of family!

 

**Disclaimer: I didn’t mention my mom at all, but she lives a block away and has moved to two different states to follow grandkids. Wouldn’t trade that for the world.

Mommy-Daughter Date

Sybella got a chance to go to the “nail place” with me on Aug 5^th. We had a mommy-daughter date. She had a good time, was remarkably still, and was totally doted on by the ladies. She chose a pale pink nail polish for her fingers and toes and then we sat and chatted while the pampering commenced. The polish lasted almost a week which is much longer than it lasts when I do it….and it looked better from the start.  :0) But most importantly, in a house full of guys and with a little brother that needs lots of attention, Sybella got to have one-on-one girl time with mommy!

Awesome New Recipe

Tonight I made this Summer Stir Fry for dinner. It was incredible! Wow, I haven’t had a dish this flavorful and filling (that didn’t have lots of fattening stuff in it) in quite a while.

Disclaimer: Although the name tends to bring Asian cuisine to mind, it’s not a Asian stir fry. Also, I made it with steak strips instead of shrimp since we have a severe shellfish allergy at our house.

A Fun August Challenge

I subscribe to (follow) several blogs; some are blogs of my friends, some are business blogs, some are ministry-related and some are just to get ideas and encouragement about the antics and experiences of being a stay home mom. They aren't always revolutionary everyday, but I find that in general they are great guideposts and mile-markers.
I thought I would share this one for anyone who needs to make some changes in daily life to get revved up for fall and school starting (and doesn't desire to read Proverbs 31 daily):

Enjoy!

Look what I can do...

Now, I can open doors and climb chairs. Do you think Dad'll notice if I borrow his cuff links to teethe on?? How about the leather watch band?