Toaster ovens may be the death of me

Before Tom and I had kids we ate food cooked in the toaster oven regularly. We were actually pretty proficient at cooking in that little oven - it was easy and quick and didn't require any real cooking skills. I've always been a fan of Black and Decker's toaster ovens, and that hasn't changed over the years. But once again, we've nearly destroyed a toaster oven. Only this time it wasn't me lighting the toaster oven on fire or Tom burning food past recognition - this was something new. It's been many years since we've had a toaster oven, so it's a completely new device to the kiddos. While it looks like a microwave you don't use a plate. It bakes cookies but still, no plates. Somehow Sam missed that memo:

Yes, that's a blue plastic plate melted down into the toaster oven. And yes, those are waffles. Seems that poor little Sam got a bit confused and loaded his waffles and his plate into the toaster oven - the brand new toaster oven. Well, once you start cooking your waffles and plastic plate, aside from stinking up the whole house, you melt your plate. At some point after they decided to send a messenger down the hall to tell me what they did. But it was't the reaction that the boys expected, and it certainly wasn't the sight that I expected to see. Apparently ruining toaster ovens is genetic. This will be #3 that we've had to toss, unless we can burn off the rest of the plastic - which we'll try when it stops raining outside so we don't stink up the house. But still, there's something to be said about toaster ovens in our house - apparently that's not a match made in heaven.

9/11 Memories

Looked back at my blog to five years ago to see what I wrote about 9/11, and what did I find? Nothing. Not a single post for the day, and nothing written about 9/11 at all that year. Then I remembered what 2006 was all about for me and understood better. 2006 was us moving to the DC area, both of my grandparents dying, then my mom passing away - all in the same year. So it makes more sense that I wasn't in a spot to reflect on 9/11. But this year, ten years after 9/11, is different. I've been having a bit of trouble with the whole 9/11 for some reason. It's almost as if I'm still processing, wanting to avoid it. We weren't directly affected by it. Tom was home, about to get on a plane to DC, but still packing when the planes hit the towers. Our close family was not directly affected but extended family was (and they left the area as soon as they could for the space and beauty of Colorado). But today as I sit here reflecting on what it means to me - which is what so many folks are asking - I'm not sure what to think. Like I said above, I think I'm still processing. The emotions well up and the fear resurfaces. The unknown is there again.

A few weeks ago we had an earthquake and the cell phones were jammed. Couldn't find Tom for a bit, but at the time I wasn't concerned as I knew generally where he was and that he was likely safe. But now I wonder what would have happened if it had been hours and there was no communication, no contact. I can't even begin to understand what folks went through on 9/11 where they saw the images on the TV and online but couldn't reach out to their family.

So here we are ten years later, remembering, certainly not forgetting, but for me I'm still trying to figure out exactly how to process all of this. Maybe in time I will settle. We did go to the site a few years back and saw where there were no more towers. That was startling. Maybe it's time for us to go back again and see what is in the place of those famous towers, and things might settle more in my mind.

TMBG

So yesterday I totally threw Giants under the bus. We LOVE They Might Be Giants. They have so many good songs for both adults and kids, but one of my favorites Science is Real spoke to me after watching yesterday's GOP Presidential Debate. So today I thought I'd show them a little love/ Giants are about clever, they are about fun, and they are about creative:

Gotta love TMBG!

Dear Rick Perry

Dear Rick Perry - Evolution is a fact, and science is real.

So terribly sorry, TMBG. We really do love you, but this guy running for President needs to hear this.

First Day of School

After recovering from the crying and fussing about that we had yesterday, it was good to hear that the kids who actually DID go to school had a great day. The little boys were very excited about their first day, had little to tell me but both thought that recess was fun. It is pouring outside so not sure what was fun about that, but they
thought it was fun. Max liked some of his teachers a LOT, and some he left out completely, so I'm guessing he was non-plussed. He learned some stuff about the school, where his locker might be (they'll get those next week), and that he's the only 6th grader in the Advanced/Symphonic band. Not sure what that means either, but hey, he's excited. All three boys were glad to go back the second day, and so I'm hoping that this will be
a great year. Buses ran on time, supplies were delivered ahead of time, and everyone made it to and from school in one piece. Max made some new friends, Ian and Sam ran across loads of old ones, and all is right in the world. And now, I nap.

Left Behind

Just dropped off the three oldest at their respective bus stops. Unlike some parents who were crying, some who were up and down all night, and some who were anxious for the transition to middle school or a new grade in elementary school, I was (and still am) peachy. Problem is, I have a little girl sitting next to me crying that her brothers are gone. Apparently we didn't prep her well enough for the first day of school. The boys? They are all good to go. Lucy? Not so much. She's now sitting in her room balling her eyes out because she's not happy that she didn't get on a bus, wasn't dropped off at school, didn't get to pack a lunch, and is still here. With me. Alone. All day. I guess it just wasn't her plan for today, but not sure what else we could have told her. I told her we'd do something fun (not inclined to at the moment as she's being rude in the midst of her fussing). I think once she calms down we'll color or watch some Dora. But who knew that the person that would have the toughest time would be the littlest one who was left behind.

Good lord. My husband drives his car to and from work with THESE dirty windows every day. And this picture doesn't nearly so the window justice - they are filthy. They aren't dirty on the outside - they are dirty on the inside. You'd think he's notice, or care, or clean them at least. They're getting worse as we go, and I can almost see my reflection in there, but not in a good way. Oh, well. Not my car. Maybe it's time to replace it - I mean, dirty windows = new car, right?

If this were any other job I'd be fired

Two years ago I was smacking myself up the side of the head because I left some letters and supplies at home. Today we went to our 6th year of Open Houses, hit two of them today, and didn't break a sweat. Instead of just attending, I set up the PTA stuff, handed out the school supplies, and helped with the ice cream scooping briefly. We had school spirit shop sales that exceeded our expectations, served up a TON of ice cream (probably close to 800 scoops) and got most of the supplies out the door. In addition, we visited three classrooms for the two little boys, cleaned up the cafeteria and gym, and came home. All this after attending Max's open house this morning and exploring his new school (sans ice cream). Wild, crazy day.

We got all three boys settled in their respective schools, have school supplies in hand or delivered, and we are ready to go. How different it is two years down the road. No pressure to bring the supplies to school, no worries about writing the letter, and a much, much easier time. Oh how things have changed (for the good).

September 06, 2009

If this were any other job I'd be fired

Wait, this is my full time job yet after this screw up no one sent me to the unemployment office. Let me explain. I am a stay at home mom. I have four kids, three of whom are in school. The baby would LOVE to be in school (and she finds herself there often while I'm volunteering for things), but she's still a little squirt and has a few years left before she joins her brothers. Anyway, today was the boys' school open house, and we were not only supposed to take them in to meet their teachers, but also bring their school supplies up, and write letters introducing them to their new teachers. Well, I took them to the open house. Yes, we showed up - on time, I'll add - but that was it.

I wrote no letters and the school supplies are still sitting in my basement. I failed on two out of three counts on this particular project. If I was getting evaluated for this performance I'd get really, really low marks, or even fired if it was a big project for a client. But for some reason I'm allowed to slide, a lot. At my job, you see, the rewards are huge, and the repercussions of miscues (that's what we'll call it - a miscue instead of a complete failure to execute) are minor, if any. No one here is watching me to see if my performance is up to par, and no one judges when I miss deadlines or slip up a bit. So I guess I'll be driving up to the school on the first day loaded down with supplies. And I guess I need to hop on writing those letters before next Tuesday. And then I'll be thankful that I can't get fired from this job because apparently I am a little too lax on the details periodically. Then again so is pretty much every other mom that I know - they slip up occasionally too - so I'll just step back now and take a breath. Oh, yeah, and get those letters done ASAP.

This is an original DC Metro Moms post. When she's not lamenting her own lack of discipline, Suzie blogs over at Confessions of a Not So Well Behaved Woman.

Bikes and cars

Fixin' your bike sometimes requires an audience:Riding off into the sunset, caring not that her brothers were sidelined by a busted chain:

Daddy, O.K.

Love this - chokes me up every time:

Thanks, Subaru.

Phone funny #1

If he's "The Help", no wonder the competition was concerned about being beaten...

Getting older bites

So I'm just 39 this year (a few weeks ago actually) but parts of me are falling apart. If you ask my darling, loving husband, he will tell you that I've been falling apart for years now - teeth (crowns and laminates), vision (bifocals), and knees (surgery at a young age), but now my back has succumb to age as well. Actually my back has given me fits on and off for years but this time it's because I painted my toenails. Yes, you read that correctly. The act of painting my toenails has caused me back pain. Last Fall it was shelving library books. The act of putting the books on the lower shelves in the school library made my back seize up. This time it's the toe nail polish, and life just isn't fair. I'm a big fan of changing my nail polish on a regular basis, but without having to hit the salon. I guess it's time now to start doing that. I better start popping in for a quick polish change occasionally or else I'll end up who knows where, but face up. But the whole can't reach my toes because it hurts thing? Well that really bites. I love my chiropractor and all, but I'm not nearly old enough to be going through this. And the worst part is - I know that this is just the beginning. Ugh.

Sepak Takraw anyone?

Tom says to me last night "So, have you seen the guys who play volleyball with their feet?" I sit for a minute, thinking back to the Paralympics volleyball, but they were on their bottoms and used their hands. I had no idea what he was talking about. He snatched away my phone and found this:

It isn't the wildest thing I've seen but it sure does come close. You have to be flexible, precise, have a somewhat decent vertical jump, and one heck of a good reach with your...leg. Very strange. Apparently it's tough to play as well. It's kick volleyball played with a rattan ball, and you can use your feet, knees, head, and chest, but you still have to get the ball over the net and down into your opponent's court. It's a popular sport over in Thailand, Malaysia, Indonesia, and the Philippines, but who knew. What a crazy looking thing to watch - can't imagine what it's like to play.

Got Milk?

Lucy does!

Adequate Yearly Progress

Once again the issue of Adequate Yearly Progress and the Federal mandate to have all kids passing all state achievement tests by 2014 has popped up. Several years ago I wrote about how we looked past the tests at the school that my kids attend. As my kids roll up and out of one of the best schools around, I look back on what I wrote. Along with over half of the schools in our district, we once again failed to make Adequate Yearly Progress. We made it last year so the ramifications are less than they would be had we not made it last year, but something has to give. The idea of Federal waivers that will drive states towards holding teachers accountable for test scores (and towards Race to the Top which our state withdrew from), well, that's unacceptable. We can't hold teachers hostage and at the same time accountable for test results. SO much of my kids' day is already driven by SOL tests (that's what they are called in VA). Can't imagine what life will be like if there are waivers in place that tied the teacher's hands even further and they aren't allowed to actually teach? Sigh...

But for now I'll look back on what I wrote back in 2007, after only one year at our school. Four years later I would write exactly the same thing. And I feel much more passion for this school that does such a good job of bridging the divides that we see at other schools, that reaches those kids who are left behind at other schools, and looks at the whole child as a way to educate them.

October 05, 2007

Adequate Yearly Progress

I recently had a discussion with a mother whose child was in preschool and she was wondering where to send her kiddo for Kindergarden. She was concerned about the low scores and also the large number of kids on free or reduced lunch at the local elementary school, yet she'd heard so many good things about the school. There was a diconnect. While some folks in the area understand all of the dynamics of the Fairfax County schools, not everyone "gets it." I know that we didn't when we first arrived here, yet I find myself regularly explaining to family and friends why the test scores don't accurately reflect the education that my son is getting at this school. Here is a blog entry I wrote a few weeks ago in response to the report that Fairfax County failed to achieve Adequate Yearly Progress across the board, and also as an answer to the question of why we send our son to this school.

"The Fairfax County school system for the first time failed to meet academic goals under the No Child Left Behind Act, largely because many students with limited English skills struggled on reading tests that were given in response to a federal order, according to school officials and scores released yesterday." -Excerpt from the Washington Post; By Maria Glod and Michael Alison Chandler; Washington Post Staff Writers; Friday, August 24, 2007; Page A01

My child attends a school that did not make Adequate Yearly Progress (AYP) according to government standards.

My child attends a school that has not made AYP in the past as well.

My child attends a school where 45% of the students are not proficient in English.

My child attends a school where 54% of the students are on free or reduced lunch.

My child attends a school where he is a minority in many ways.

My child attends a school where 42% of the population participates in the English for Speakers of Other Languages Program.

But my child also attend a school where there are children from 40 countries that speak 20 different languages.

My child attends a school where there is true racial diversity - 14% Asian/Pacific Islander, 6% Black, 48% Hispanic, 26% While, and 5% Other.

My child attends a school where there were no serious incidents or firearm violations, and only two fights last year.

My child attend a school that has had more winners of the Fairfax County Teacher of the Year than any other elementary school.

My child attends a school with an outdoor habitat learning lab, a black box theater, a museum in progress, a state of the art communication lab where students produce their own TV shows and videos, a staffed math lab and a staffed science lab.

My child attends a magnet school for the arts and sciences.

My child attends a school that has a foreign language partial immersion program in Spanish.

My child attends a school that offers about 30 before and after school classes ranging from athletics to science to band to arts and crafts. These classes cover things like photography, healthy eating, drama, basketball, sewing, soccer, science experiments, and many more. These classes are open to everyone, regardless of their ability to pay.

My child attend a school where kids are given a chance to learn, regardless of where they came from or what language they speak.

My child attend a school where he learns.

My child attends a school he loves.

My child attends a school that really doesn't leave any child behind, regardless of the adequate yearly progress that we do or do not make.

This was posted at Confessions of a Not So Well Behaved Woman on August 26, 2007

Reflections on Turning 39

Yes, actually 39.

To the chagrin of some of my friends I'm still not quite 40. (That's going to be a fun party though.) But for now I'm one step closer to the big Four-Oh, and well, eh. Aside from the smart ass #2 kiddo telling me I looked older that morning when I got up, I don't feel any different. It took me a little longer than my 29 year old self to get up and going, but once I get going I'm a heck of a lot wiser than I was at 29. Thank goodness. And also with age comes grace...and cool pink hair.

"How to be safe"

The wonderful Jen Lemen posted a piece on being safe that really resonated with me, so I thought I'd share it with you. She talks about being safe in regards to leaving others feeling respected and loved, and that really hit the nail on the head. As parents, Tom and I try very hard to be the safe harbor for our kids, but also each other and any friend or family member in need. While raising kids is in part pushing them out so they can explore on their own, we do so while letting them know that they can always come to us for comfort and love. So, Jen's list is perfect for us.

How To Be Safe
1. Listen. Take everything in the whole way.

2. Don’t judge. Consider whatever you receive as real and true for its own reasons. Remember the truest stories are most often secrets. Treat them as unexpected, hidden treasures.

3. Be gentle. No sudden movements. Announce great departures in logic, reason or values.

4. Be present. Let the whole of you stay for the whole story–your body, your mind, your spirit.

5. Press through resistance with the kindest truth you can find. Do so, knowing you are in the most tender territory.

6. Insist on the highest ideals available at the moment. Do so with innocence. Don’t worry if you sound naive or dumb. Everyone understands eventually that the only place worth running to for cover is Love. Yes, love can destroy, but it also heals everything in its wake.

7. Be really clear. Speak as plainly as you can imagine, and then bring it down to the ground some more. This is not easy, but you can learn how to do it. (Or so I’ve been told!)

8. Weather storms. Be unflappable in crisis. Come back when you should run away. Say words like “I can’t let you go” if only silently to yourself.

9. Set a limit. There’s no refuge where there are no boundaries. You can be a wall as well as a fortress. People may squirm but they’ll also be relieved.

10. Make your body a sanctuary. Be the kind of person who someone can come home to. Open your arms, lean in, lend your body as comfort, sustenance or kindness. You can be safe harbor. To be so only for a moment, is more than enough.

Thanks, Jen, for putting into words what we've been striving towards for so long now.

Nail Art Animation - How clever are they???!!!

LOVE this commercial! I'm a big fan of Kia anyway, but this nail art idea has got to be one of the coolest I've seen in a while. I'm a sucker for cute nails (you just have to check out my Pinterest Style board to see that), but this is very clever indeed:

SQUEE!!!

Can't believe that they are BACK! Aside from the fact that it's in Texas, on a ranch, with guys in tight jeans and boots, it's DALLAS! JR, Bobby, and Sue Ellen are back, all old and wrinkly, but back! Can't wait to see it next summer! Toss in Jesse Metcalfe, and I'm a fan already! And finally, an actual preview:

Thanks TNT!!! You have thrown me back 20 years and transported me right back to Texas!

Beautiful day!

Driving home from rugby yesterday and it was perfect out!

It's rugby time again!

Once again it's rugby time! All three boys are playing again this summer, and all three are having a blast! The little boys' team is dominating it's opponents - bot because they are practice more, are bigger and faster, or anything like that, but because they really give it their all. They are playing U9, so it's 7-9 years olds they play with, and they are really enjoying it.

Max is a rugby monster too! We loaned him out to another team since we were short players at this game, so instead of the orange he was in yellow, but he scores several trys for the yellow team!

So far a great season, and we're almost done Big tournament the last weekend in July, then off for the summer! Go PAC Rugby! Go Tigers!

Summertime

Ahhh...summer.

And she wears it well!

Suzie Needs...Pt. 2

A few years ago I ran a Google search on "Suzie needs" and posted about what popped up. I decided to do it again, and found that not a lot had changed.

The first time I got: "Suzie needs $600," and this time it was: "Suzie needs monetary help ASAP."

Last time it was "Suzie needs a flu shot." And this time "Suzie needs a man." Huh...well...no.

Last time Suzie was looking to refurbish her home: "Suzie needs her curtains taken down, washed and put back up, the freezer defrosted and the floors scrubbed." This time, "Suzie needs a new home." Think she's moving up, or just out?

And apparently "Suzie needs to buy six 33- cent stamps using EXACT change." Yes, four years later. Think she knows that stamps went up in price?

Google games are funny. What are you up to these days, according to Google, of course?

Happy Fourth!

(Can't WAIT for this new movie to come out!)

Let's Play Blue's Clues!

Eight year ago Max's favorite person left. It wasn't me, it wasn't the cat or a stuffed animal, and it wasn't a Pokemon. Max was two, and his favorite person was Steve, from Blue's Clues. Max visited with Steve pretty much every day - singing and dancing, learning shapes, letters, sounds, and even some songs. Then Steve left for college on a hopscotch scholarship. Funny thing - Max didn't even notice. We all sat down as a family to watch the episode where Steve essentially handed the show over to his brother Joe, and while Joe was cute and funny, Max never watched again. He asked to see Blue's Clues or a few months after Steve left, and he occasionally watched the videos, but he never connected with Joe.

The other day, as Lucy sat down to watch an old episode of Blue's Clues, an low and behold it was THE episode. She plugged right in and said "TWO Steve's!" I told her "No, that's Joe and that's Steve." So I guess kid #4 is also taken with Steve as well. She went about her business and watched the same episode of Blue's Clues that her oldest brother watched, at almost the same age, eight years earlier. Pretty darn cool.

Cars is BACK (and we've got a cool give-away)!!!

While they had seen bits and pieces of free Saturday morning movies in the past, in June of 2006 my youngest boys saw their first full length official movie at the theater - Cars (aren't they cute!):

Five years later...Cars 2 is coming out! I am so excited - we LOVED the first Cars movie. We have loads of Cars toys and books, and the boys really took to it. Well, Lucy too is all about cars and trucks (and has been playing with some of the Cars characters even though she hasn't been officially introduced to them yet), and now she has the opportunity to see HER first real in-the-theater movie. Lucy will just be three and the little boys were three and a half, but I'm really hoping that she'll enjoy the second Cars movie (and the popcorn, of course) just as much as her brothers did five years ago!

Between the homage to Back to the Future and the "Materhosen" in the preview below - I'm super excited!

Take a peek at this scene too:

Gotta love a movie that has this great of a bathroom scene - and gotta love Mater! This time around the gang hits the road for an international race - and mystery and intrigue follow them! Cars 2 opens June 24 in theaters across the country (and I can't wait to see it).

If your kids are big Cars fans like mine, keep reading for a cool give-away!

I'm hosting a drawing for this cool Cars 2 t-shirt, along with a few other cool prizes (See them all below). I will select ONE winner for this drawing, and the prize pack will be mailed directly to you.

- CARS 2 t-shirt in youth sizes of S, M, L, XL

- CARS 2 set of 3 bumper tickets

- CARS 2 temporary tattoo sheet (2 per winner)

- CARS 2 puzzle

To enter this giveaway, tell me about YOUR favorite Cars character! One entry will be drawn at random, and the winner will be notified via e-mail. Be sure to either sign in to leave your comment or leave it in the comment itself so I can notify you. Comments will close and drawing will be held at midnight July 5th. Winner must reply to the e-mail notification with their name, mailing address, and t-shirt size (youth only) by noon Eastern on July 7th or a second winner will be drawn.

The small print: I am hosting this giveaway because we are HUGE Cars fans. No compensation of any kind was received. The prizes are compliment of Disney Pixar, but the words and Cars love are all mine. Drawing open to residents of the US only. Thanks Disney Pixar for the giveaway!

Happy Father's Day!

Happy Father's Day to my wonderful Dad!

Take Me Out

Aside from the catchy tune, this is a really cool video. Instruments stolen, they went to the next best thing and kept plugging away on their music:

Having a summer birthday in DC bites, unless it's at the pool.

For the past few years we have had trouble gauging how many kids will attend Max's birthday party (see below for all of my frustrations about his summer birthday, as well as ). Seems that everyone leaves the country/state/county for Max's birthday. Last year we had a good number of kids actually around, but every year he has had a blast at his party. So now we have TWO kids that have summer birthdays. Lucy's falls a month before Max's, and this year we're hitting the baby pool. We're taking a load of our little friends to our baby pool for a popsicle party. The pool is really only there to help keep the popsicle mess to a minimum. Last year we had a splash party in the back yard and nearly cooked. This year, we are hanging out at the pool so everyone can be cool. But I have no idea how many people will show up. It's a Saturday, which is typically family time for the under four crowd. And then there's the whole thing about two and three year olds can't drive, so the kids will likely have parents tagging along. But hey, the more the merrier right? Hopefully Miss Lucy will be celebrating her birthday with a load of her good buddies, all will be splashing, and all will eat way too many popsicles!

July 29, 2008

Having a summer birthday in DC bites

My oldest was born at the beginning of August. Not a fun time for me - we were in Texas and August is WAY hot if you are 9 months pregnant. But his birthday fell at that just right spot for great back yard splash parties, and as he got older, pool parties. When we were in Texas we would have these huge backyard parties - loads of kids, food, cake, and water. There was one little boy whose family took a yearly trip to their cabin up north, but everyone else that we knew would come and celebrate with Max. We did five birthdays that way, and Max loved it. Then we moved to the DC area, and it all came to a screeching halt. You see, here in our area there's a mass vacation exodus in August.

Last year we planned one of these great back yard splash parties for the first time here in the DC area and invited lots of kids. Max had friends from both soccer and school on the list, and he was so excited about having everyone over to his house. There were about 30 kids on the list and I wasn't sure if we had enough cake, juice boxes and water, or enough candy for the pinata. Then the RSVP's started rolling in and the list dwindled from 30 to 25 to 20,then to 15, and finally 11. Out of 30 kids, only 11 were going to be in town for his birthday. Max was bummed that his closest friends weren't going to be at his party, but I was stunned that we had so few kids attending.

In Texas when we invited 20, 19 would show up. When we invited 25, 24 would show up - you get the idea. We were always in the midst of the party planning wondering if we would have enough. Now it seems that we are victims of the vacation exodus and poor Max has only three kids that have RSVP'd for his birthday this year thus far, and the party is on Saturday. He'll have fun, and he and his friends will enjoy the party I'm sure, but how much does it bite to know that most of your very best friends will be gone? Forget moving the party though - you never know which kids will be gone which weekend in August, just that a majority of them will be gone for a good chunk of the month. Thinking of suggesting that we switch the birthday party to February? Well, that's out of the question as well - his brothers have February birthdays and that just wouldn't be nice to them. So it will be another year of a smaller party than expected. But the kids will have fun, everyone will get wet, and we will all celebrate the birthday of a pretty cool little kid.

Original DC Metro Moms Blog Post. Suzie also blogs about her own summer birthday at Confessions of a Not So Well Behaved Woman.

Feeling like an Apple Dropout

I've had an iMac for well over a month now and still can't give up my PC. I think I'm tethered to it in many, many ways, and have no idea how to drop those ties. You see, I've been a PC girl for pretty much my entire life. With the exception of an Apple IIe (can we say Dinosaur?) that I had in college, I've been in PC's for my entire career. (Yes, Apple's first stab at a portable computer came with me to college in Florida and sat many, many times at the beach with me.) And back then the Apple's weren't so different from the other computers out and about.

I'm not really sure what the hold up is, but I can't download pictures from my camera, I'm not 100% sure how to create a new graphic or jpeg, and I'm not sure of how to download stuff and put it in the right spot (folder, dock, huh?). Because of all this I'm starting to feel like, well, an Apple dropout.

It's like learning a new language I guess. Of course it's been 25+ years since I've actually learned a new language. Maybe that's my trouble. I've managed to learn new phones, TIVO's, Nooks, cameras, digital cameras, and all kinds of other electronic thingamajiggies, but not so much this iMac. Huh.

You'd think after all the beatings I've put my PC through I'd let it go slowly off into the night, but this is really, really slow. So now what? I always prided myself on being someone who could read the manual and consult the help desk, but I don't think that will fly now. I'm going to have to buck up and go take some more of those Apple Store classes. Clearly I haven't taken enough. Hopefully I'm not the only one out there that's a little gun shy about my new computer.

Man it's HOT!

Seems like I've complained about the heat in previous years past right about now as well, and this week was just as hot (if not hotter). We hit 99 degrees on Wednesday, and that's just sizzling - fry eggs on the sidewalk, burn the bottom of your feet sizzling - no matter where you live. We do have a little bit of the humidity added in there as well, but I almost had to give up my Texas citizenship. You know, if you complain too much about he hot weather they disavow any knowledge of you ever being born there. Texans have their pride after all.

June 10, 2008

Man it's HOT!

One of the things that we've really enjoyed about Northern Virginia since we moved from Texas two years ago is the beautiful weather. While some of the locals complained that it was too hot, too cold, or that the weather was unseasonable at many different times of the year, we found that it was much more temperate than the weather in Texas. We have marveled in the beautiful springs and pleasant falls, we have loved the light to moderate snow in the winter, and we have honestly enjoyed the mild summers. We are truly fans of the weather here in Virginia - until now. I'm calling shenanigans on Mother Nature here, and I'm putting my foot down demanding my old Virginia weather back.

We've recently had four soccer games rained out, tornados, earthquakes, flash flooding, and now almost record heat. Yes, almost record because we are a few degrees shy of the "records." But who is saying that it isn't dang hot here?

Not me. And the funny part of this? Well, we're from Texas where it gets REALLY hot, but after being here in the glorious Virginia weather for two years, we're ruined. The kids and I can't handle the heat - and Tom just sits there and laughs at us. After two years of mild springs and summers that are cool enough to play outside basically all summer, we're stuck inside. For the past few days the kids grab a popsicle, run outside, then come zooming back in to escape the heat. Then, after a few minutes of beating on each other / playing soccer / watching TV / I send them back out again into the heat. Normally they would gladly stay outside all afternoon and all weekend, but I can't imagine them playing out in the heat that we've had (105-110 heat index) from more than a few minutes at a time. They have huge shade trees, water bottles, water gun fights, popsicles, hats, sunscreen, and still need breaks from the heat every 15 minutes or so. It's just plain hot here, and my kids' behavior reflects that. I guess being trapped inside in the late spring / early summer will do that to you.

So, apologies to anyone who runs into me and the kiddos over the next few days. Until this cold front comes through that they are predicting (which will bring the temps down to normal temps for this time of the year), my children will be behaving like wild trapped wild animals. Let's all hope that this heat wave subsides...quickly.

Original DC Metro Moms post.

When not hiding under an umbrella, Suzie blogs over at Confessions of a Not So Well Behaved Woman.

I LOVE a good parade!

Once again I dragged my family to a parade, and once again they complained about it. But then again they still go. The kids have no choice really, but Tom, well, he must love me to indulge my parade fixation. But the Falls Church Memorial Day parade is always a big hit. This year, like last, it was wicked hot out. But we got there about five minutes before the parade started, found a shady spot with no one else around towards the end of the parade route, and plopped down. It was glorious. We saw our absolute favorites - the Bolivian dancers. There were several troupes there this year - one of them new - but all fantastic. From the wee ones to the old ladies in full garb those dancers move and groove and bring a big old smile to my face.

This year there was a stilt - walker, and a bunch of clowns. Lucy wasn't quite sure what to make of all the clowns, then again she wasn't sure why we were there in the first place. Guess to a two year old the whole world looks like one big parade.


Ian was all over that red wagon. We grabbed it to drag our stuff in, and once the chairs were out he hopped in, relaxed, and watched the parade. Can I just say - best. wagon. ever. I don't know how it handles kids, honestly, as we didn't let anyone sit in it, but it can hold all of our chairs PLUS our little cooler, and my purse in the back!
We brought freezy pops with us to keep the kids cool and happy. ;) And they did indeed do the trick. Twelve freezy pops later they were all coming off their sugar high, and Lucy sunk into the chair, and eventually rested her head on her daddy.

As the parade went on...and on...and on...Lucy totally ran out of steam. She liked the music and the colorfulness of the parade, but clearly wasn't plugged in to the absolute coolness of the whole thing. Me, on the other hand, well, I dig parades and this is one of my favorites.

Les Paul Doodle on Google today!

I've mentioned before that I LOVE the doodles that Google puts up on their search page. But this one is more than just a doodle - it's alive. The doodle they have posted today is similar to the Martha Graham doodle they had a bit ago, but this time it's actually interactive.

So go to Google today and see what tunes you can strum. And if you don't know who Les Paul is, well, check him out here: Les Paul Online. All I'll say is that he was a brilliant, brilliant man.

Edited to say: Look how cool I am! I made my very own song for you - strumming along and smiling the whole time: http://goo.gl/doodle/oJKbu Gotta love Google for doing this...and for leaving it up for a bit!

Why can't the summer come sooner?

Tom looked at my today like I was a crazy woman. "I think I want to pull the kids out of school and just be done for the year." We still have two weeks of school left, and I'm good to go for the year. I told him that there are a ton of cool things to do around here, and I was done with the whole schedule thing. Apparently I do this every year (see my post below). Last year, same time, and here I was complaining that that the summer couldn't come fast enough. And it didn't help that today it was a whopping 99 degrees outside. It hovered above 90 degrees for a good chunk of the day, and all I could think about was the pool. Yes, the pool is open, but mostly on the weekends. It opens at 3pm until school lets out, and by then it's almost too hot to get out of the house. But tomorrow, providing everyone is healthy (we had one kiddo home sick today) we are hitting the pool. Hot is just hot, no matter how you cut it, and I believe that anyone will agree, even my loving husband, that 99 degrees counts as hot.

June 10, 2010

Why can't the summer come sooner?

I have four kids, three of whom are in school. What I really mean to say is that three of them are in school still. It seems that our summer doesn't start until halfway INTO the summer - at least it feels that way some days. It now is staying light until well past 8pm, our typical bedtime, so the kids are still wide awake well past then. The sun rises at the crack of dawn as well, so naps (for me and the little one) are definitely on tap as my kids get up way to early for my taste. But crazy hectic school, sports, and extra-curricular schedules generally prevent any late afternoon naps from happening. And all of those cool summer activities that I remember from childhood? Well, they've already started and we still have two full weeks of school left.

This means that we don't get to participate in some of those cool activities, like swim team. Granted, the little boys aren't quite ready, but my oldest might have been had there been a day (or four) for him to practice with the team. But ongoing school and extracurricular activities still occupy those precious after school slots, so there's no room for swim team. There are other things that I'd like to be doing as well with my days, but it seems that we are not quite done with our required 990 hours/180 days of school yet. (Yes, the really do count that way depending on the year and weather, and this year wasparticularly bad).

I guess the worst part about this time of year is that it feels like it should be summer break. This means that my kids are acting like it's summer break - giving up on any semblance of good behavior left in their little bodies. They did well behaving all year - followed directions, did what they were supposed to do, but their little wills to behave have finally broken. They are turning in those ugly, nasty little summer cretins - like caged animals trapped in school kid bodies. This is easily fixed with some running around, boredom, pool time, bicycles, you name it. But we can't do any of those things because we're still in school. And you know that the teachers know this too.

I'm sure it's one thing to wrap school up in May, like loads of other places do, and then deal with those end of school wigglies. But not here in Fairfax County, and we have the good Kings Dominion law to thank for that. We can't start school here until AFTER Labor Day. This means that this year, and next year, (and many other years for that matter) we start the second week of September, and run through the end of June. This law has been around since 1986 and thanks to the lovely folks at King's Dominion, some state legislators, and a bunch of people who don't have MY best interests at heart, we go to school until all 180 of those days pass. And that's late June once again this year.

So here I sit on a beautiful, albeit slightly rainy afternoon, wondering when the summer will come, or when we will all be on a year round school schedule with much more reasonable breaks.

This is an original DC Metro Moms post. When Suzie isn't mourning the loss of her favorite season, she's blogging over at Confessions of a Not So Well Behaved Woman.

Five years

Five years and almost 1,000 posts. I've been blogging since May 27, 2006, shortly after we moved to DC. Initially I started blogging to keep family up to date on what was happening in our lives, but over time it has become something much more. I can write, share, pop up pictures, or simple blather (not too much blathering so far but there's loads coming at you!). I have gotten to the point where it's a pleasure to write - no longer a chore. For years my writing suffered under my own false impression that I wasn't such a good writer. Now, I realize that I have strengths and weaknesses in my writing, and that's O.K. I write because I like to write. I have other creative outlets, but this one really lets my mind wander and explore - even for simple things like throwing up a favorite picture or sharing an amusing blog post. So, peek at my first post back in 2006, and look though the rest to learn all about our adventures in DC.

Here's to the Crazy Ones

It's been one of those years. Time and time again there have been missteps, problems, and setbacks. But all are very, very minor in the scheme of things. I realize that it's time to let go and just be. Do good, go forward with crazy plans, explore, and be ambitious. And maybe one day, even one days soon, it will make a difference.



Here's to the crazy ones. The misfits. The rebels. The troublemakers. The round pegs in the square holes. The ones who see things differently. They're not fond of rules, and they have no respect for the status quo. You can quote them; disagree with them; glorify or vilify them. About the only thing you can't do is ignore them. Because they change things. They push the human race forward. And while some may see them as the crazy ones, we see genius. Because the people who are crazy enough to think they can change the world are the ones who do. - Apple Inc.

Now it's your turn. Think different, act, and you just might surprise yourself.

Dreaded Budget Cuts

You know that I'm a BIG fan of Lego A Day. He posts some really creative stuff. And today is no different. Budget cuts affect us all - including, apparently, those involved in the Galactic War.

So remember folks, budget cuts often have unforeseen consequences. From the big wigs to the soldiers in the trenches, or in this case on the bike and skateboards, budget cuts are tough all around.

Image from: http://legomyphoto.wordpress.com/