Uniform night

We went to "uniform night" to pick up Natalie's soccer uniform. Two shirts (royal blue and silver/gray), two pairs of socks, and a pair of black shorts -- size XS. There were only two other "packages" there in size XS , so I'm glad we got there rather early (6:15 pm) as otherwise she might have been without a uniform. (That just would not do for her! :-) )

And about churches -- I sent out an email to a couple of email lists that I am on -- I asked about family-friendly churches:

I am looking for a toddler/pre-schooler friendly church community in
northern Virginia. I really do not know what denomination, but I'm
guessing it would be along the more "liberal" side of things (i.e.,
our beliefs center on evolution vs. creationism; we are supporters of
social justice). I'm looking for church communities that people really
LOVE and are family-centric.

Well, that was a good thing to do! It seems that there are many families in a similar predicament, and many of the families are either Catholic or former Catholics. So, for all those that emailed me -- thank you! And here's the list of most-often-recommended family-friendly churches in the northern Virginia/DC area (listed in order of "number of mentions" by email):

1. Our Lady Queen of Peace, Arlington VA
2. Unitarian Universalist Church of Arlington, Arlington VA
   
3. St. Aloysius Church, Washington DC
4. Holy Trinity Catholic Church, Washington DC
5. St. Francis of Assissi, Triangle VA (about 30 miles south of Washington DC near Quantico)
6. Falls Church Presbyterian Church, Falls Church VA
7. St. Peters Episcopal Church, Arlington VA
8. St. Alban's Episcopal Church, Annandale VA
   

Also, two Intentional Eucharistic Communities were recommended -- these communities do not meet at a formal "church":

1. NOVA Intentional Eucharistic Community, meets at Kenmore Middle School, Arlington VA on Sundays at 10:15 am during the school year
2. PAX Community, McLean VA

I think we are going to give Our Lady Queen of Peace a try. Just have to see which has a good "fit".

Totally fed up

Based on where I live, my ordered-to-be-there parish is St. Michael's Church. If it is possible to despise a church I do. There is no "family friendliness" about the place. As the mom of a 4 year-old and a 2 year-old, I cannot take my children to Mass there because there is no place to take the children when one or more of them "fusses". I have been known to drive to Alexandria to attend Mass at Blessed Sacrament that has more of a family-friendly setup re: Mass. But I have enrolled and paid for my 4 year-old to attend CCD on Sunday mornings.

Now this (see below) is in the Bulletin at St. Michael's.

I am taking this opportunity as your Pastor to write to you, my parishioners, about a recent event that has happened in our Diocese. On March 25th, our Bishop gave permission for the use of girls and women to serve Mass in the parishes of the Diocese. When the Holy See allowed girls and women to serve Mass in 1994, it also reminded the bishops and priests of the Church through the world of the noble tradition of having boys serve at the altar. Our Holy Father of blessed memory, Pope John Paul II (in his Holy Thursday letter to priests in 2004), even remarked how altar boys "“represent a kind of garden"” of priestly "“vocations,"” and that their service at the altar can be an invaluable experience of education in our Christian faith that becomes a sort of "“preseminary."” Here at St. Michael'’s we have been blessed over the years with many young men who served at the altar and have been ordained as priests, including Deacon Phillip Cozzi, the latest of the many of our parish'’s "“priests sons"” who will offer his first Mass of Thanksgiving here in June.

Because of the noble tradition already set in place here at St. Michael'’s, and the many vocations to the priesthood that have been fostered through this practice, we will continue to allow only boys to serve at the altar. In doing this, I ask all parishioners to pray for an increase of vocations to the priesthood, and that the Lord of the harvest will shape and form those men He calls to follow Him in the Sacrament of the Holy Orders to be priests after His own Sacred Heart. St. Michael the Archangel, pray for us!

I am so unbelievably mad that I'm ready to just leave the Catholic church altogether. NEVER have I seen such an attitude!!!!!!! This is so VERY FAR from what I experienced while growing up/living in Massachusetts!

I have already posted to the DC Urban Moms list begging for advice on what church I might be able to join. The overall consensus there was to drive to DC and join a parish there. IS THIS MY ONLY OPTION??? I am so very, very upset. I am hanging on to my Catholic upbringing with a slenderest of threads now, and I'm so tempted to toss it all away and go to the Unitarian Church (or something like that) starting this weekend.

After dinner sweet talk

I just snuck upstairs to our loft bedroom -- where the "office"/guest room is -- and I'm listening to/overhearing DH talk with the children downstairs. Both children -- one at a time -- requested "cuddles with Daddy". Nicholas said, "I would like cuddles, please -- I'll lie on your arm" and Natalie said, "Make room for me, please." So the three of them are all snuggled together on the floor.

Listening to the love of those sweet little voices -- it's magical!

Pot luck dinner

Friday we went to the pot luck dinner and family music night -- here are two quick pics (unedited) trying to give you a sense of the fun we had. Here's Nicholas sneaking some water to drink and here's Natalie with DH having fun with the table decorations.

Schedules

I admit that I'm somewhat of a geek when it comes to "technology stuff". Add that trait to my tendency to plan and, well, I end up using electronic calendars a lot. As in a whole lot.

I think I may have crossed the proverbial line now as I'm scheduling appointments in my electronic calendar -- and adding DH to the schedule list, too.

It probably sounds very weird -- but with all that we have going on, it's the only way to anticipate what is coming up for "the next few days".

Between dance class and soccer and swim class and the civic association and the PTA and the parents group at pre-school and community things -- life "after work" is downright dizzying! And that doesn't include other "family things" like birthdays and weddings and such.

Sorry, DH -- more email appointments are soon to come!

Diocese of Arlington changes policy on altar girls

The Diocese of Arlington has awakened to Vatican II -- um, I mean changed its policy on altar girls. Well, it can't be said that the Diocese doesn't take their time in deliberating.

As Call to Action of Northern Virginia suggests, read the policy statement on the Diocesan web site for specifics:

"...Since 1994, our diocese has permitted girls and women to serve at the altar in several settings: university and college campuses, convents, nursing homes, retreat houses, hospitals, and home Masses. In desiring to make available those legitimate options endorsed by our Church, I am expanding our previous permission to include our parish and high school communities.

Some parishes have actively requested the liberty to allow female altar servers; others have not. The Church’s permission in this arena, accordingly, allows for a legitimate diversity of options. The decision to allow female altar servers lies at the discretion of the local pastor, in consultation with his parochial vicar(s), deacon(s), and parish pastoral council.

The Church – which has allowed the use of female servers for over a decade – has stated that girls and women, like their male counterparts, are allowed this opportunity to serve at the altar and thereby deepen their faith, an experience which can facilitate a young woman’s discernment of the Lord’s call to religious life or a young man’s discernment of the Lord’s call to the priesthood or religious life."

As DH said to me, time to shake the apple tree a bit at our mandated-based-on-real-estate "parish church".

Dare I post this -- feeling better!

Yes, the Scourge appears to have left the house.

Natalie has been feeling great since Sunday with no signs of pneumonia or whatever was in her. She took her last dose of Zithromax on Monday and (*knock on wood*) has been normal, as normal can be with seasonal allergies.

I have been battling The Fevers: Version III since last week but FINALLY feel better today. I also got a couple of hours of work done at 1 AM, so most everyone would say that I'm much more normal now.

Natalie's first soccer practice was cancelled yesterday. Evidently the county decided to close all the fields for some unknown reason, so her first soccer practice will be next Tuesday instead. It was pretty cold out anyway, so it's probably for the best.

Have to share a True Story from my dad -- he's been working on getting rid of cable TV where he lives (Massachusetts) to switch to satellite. He had to switch internet providers first, and he waited until the satellite people could come by to get the install done today. I get this message in my inbox:

Direct tv CANNOT BE PUT IN BECAUSE OF THE TREES. Going back to all comcast.They will be here on April 6 to do that. Still on verizon till then. I spent 45 minutes with comcast to get all this all going.They will call verizon onthis. WHAT AMESS TO DO.

Nice customer service on the satellite provider's part, don't you think???

On that happy note -- check out today's Washington Post article on the supposed joys of buying a "bundle" of services from telecommunications providers.

Another visit to the Pediatrician

Yes, another visit to the pediatrician today -- another (great!) doctor in the practice. (Have I mentioned that I love our pediatric practice? If you are in northern Virginia and want a great pediatric practice, drop me a note and I'll tell you all about them.) We went to the pediatrician after Natalie had a 103 (!) fever. Of course I was not in the office but on the way to a meeting on Capitol Hill, and DH could not go pick her up because today is The Final Day for Appropriations (and he worked until some insane hour last night trying to get everything done), and my friend at my office who is my backup was at a dental appointment -- so I recruited another friend in my office who is a single guy, no "kids experience", etc. -- and he was AWESOME! I owe him so big.

Anyway...

The doctor checked her over. She has an ear infection now (as compared to Tuesday) but the doctor said that was not the cause of her fever. He listened to her heart several times and said that her heart rate is very fast for "just a fever". Based on her heart rate and her look (no arabesques) that he is concerned about pneumonia. However, she has no difficulty breathing.

She is starting on Zithromax today for her ear infection. DH will be home with her tomorrow. She's watching Cinderella right now and enjoying a fudgsicle.

She is such a trooper.

The Pediatrician

Yes, we visited the Pediatrician. I made the call first thing in the morning and got an appointment for 1 P.M. Of course I got a call around 11:15 A.M. from the preschool teacher that her temp was already at 100. (!)

So we saw the doctor at 1 P.M. The doctor asked Natalie how she was, and, as she did her best Angelina Ballerina-like arabesques in the exam room, she said "I'm good". Both the doctor and one of the Inova Fairfax residents smiled at her -- and I think the resident was holding back some giggles.

Short version: ears, nose, throat, chest are all fine. Doctor's recommendation: if she is her normal self (doing ballet moves) and she has a fever, don't give her anything (Tylenol, Motrin). If she has a fever and is lethargic, then call and have her seen by one of the doctors.

And yes, keep her on Claritin if she has a history of seasonal allergies, as the allergy season will be 2 months + this year thanks to the early "bloom" of the trees.

The doctor asked if anyone else in the household is now sick. I said, "No, we are all doing great." Silly woman I am -- talk about tempting the fates. Yes, I think I've got it now, too. (cough cough hack hack)

Home Today

I'm home with my daughter today.

Yesterday afternoon her temperature shot up like a rocket -- easily over 102 -- and I gave her some Motrin to bring her temp down. She pleaded to go see Curious George and her temp was down, so I brought her and Nicholas to the movies. After the movie, we all went home and her temp seemed to be going back up again, so I did the "alternate with Tylenol" approach that her pediatrician had told me to do ever since she had a febrile seizure as a baby. Well, her temp continued to rise. Even DH (who got home at 7:30 P.M. from working all day on a Sunday) agreed that she was HOT. So we opted to get her into a bath, and she was so very uncomfortable. Alternated with Motrin a bit later, and her temp continued to climb. She was well over 103 and I didn't bother taking her temp because I knew it was really high. I had her sleep with me so I could watch over her. It was 73 degrees in the house thanks to the warm weather on the East Coast yesterday, and she had winter pajamas with a comforter pulled up to her nose and she was shivering.

I seriously thought we were going to have a trip to the ER last night.

This morning she was up at 6:30 A.M. and she was her chipper self! She said "I feel much better, but my sniffling is still there and my cough is there, too." Seasonal allergies I think, but I'm not sure.

I have a call in to the pediatrician about the allergies. I'm just glad she is BETTER. I was pretty worried last night.

Sleeping angels

It's 2 PM and both children are sleeping. I sneak peeks into their rooms every so often -- they are so beautiful!

DH is working today -- yes, Sunday -- as this week is his appropriations deadline week and he has some huge number of letters to get onto some huge number of forms. I called to check in on him about a half hour ago -- he had about a third of them done, and that's from working on them since 10 A.M. today.

The kids and I went to swim class. Somehow I managed to get all three of us changed into swim gear and get Natalie off to her class with the right teacher and get Nicholas and I off to the other class. Who needs DH, right??? ;-)

We came home for lunch and I told them the only way we could go see Curious George at the movies is if they napped. So far, so good -- of course it's only been an hour.

I haven't spoken with my parents yet this weekend -- they went to the New England Spring Flower Show in Boston yesterday and today they are at a band (US Army Band? US Marine Corps Band? Not sure) concert this afternoon. I want to know what the flower show was like, particularly on opening day.

Yesterday we tried to go kits flying in the afternoon but we had pretty variable winds. Maybe we'll try again later today, if the thunderstorms stay away.

DH said he would be home by 6 P.M. so we could all have dinner and we could get baths done. We've got dueling priorities for Sunday night TV now with The Sopranos back for this season. Thank goodness for DVR!

Breakfast with Buzz Lightyear -- another year

My son has a fixation on Buzz Lightyear. Yes, the Tim Allen-voiced character from Toy Story/Toy Story2. Nicholas is so cute about it -- "To Finny and Yond." (Translation: To Infinity and Beyond -- and what in the world is that supposed to mean, anyways? Pixar? Disney? Anyone?)

Well, we -- um, I -- have been planting myself over at the DisBoards to get on the latest rumor mill about a BOYS character meal at Disney-MGM Studios in Florida, knowing that a casting call went out for "Sarge", for this new character meal. All sorts of rumors started, including who would be part of the meal (Breakfast and Beyond was the name, including Buzz and Woody), when it might be possible to make reservations (ADRs) for this meal. Then February 28 came and went, as did March 1 -- and no ADRs and no official word from Disney.

The latest rumor is that there has been a delay in the meal and now it will not be until sometime in June -- after our trip to Disney. :-( I'm so bummed. Still holding out a little hope, but definitely not counting on it any more.

On Balance - Juggling Work and Family

Leslie Morgan Steiner has launched a new blog over at washingtonpost.com. She also has a new book out (an anthology) titled Mommy Wars: Stay-at-Home and Career Moms Face Off on Their Choices, Their Lives, Their Families. I am a little frustrated with the title because it sounds like it focuses solely on moms again vs. including dads, but I will withhold judgement until I actually read the book. I heard a little bit of her appearance on today's Diane Rehm Show and, from what I heard, I will surely read the book. I just wish that a little more attention was paid to dads -- especially as working dads.

Spring is almost here

Yes, the robins have taken over our front yard so Spring must be near!

I'm feeling much better -- finally. DH is in the midst of his "crazy season" with appropriations. This year they have compressed the schedule so he is only crazy for 2 weeks instead of 2 months like last year. His final deadline is on Friday March 17, so he'll be "normal" again the following day.

As an example of his schedule -- he had to be at a fundraiser last night until 7 pm so he got home at 7:30 pm. I had a civic association board meeting at 8 pm and wasn't home until 10 pm. He had a briefing first thing this morning so he had to leave the house at 7 am.

Nicholas started in the 2's classroom last Thursday so he is in his "big boy" classroom now. He is very excited! Both of them start swimming classes again this coming weekend.

We got Natalie a baseball (tee ball) glove and bat this past weekend. Also have the tee stand. Her glove and batting gloves are PINK! Have to get her a helmet, too.

We are planning on going kite flying this weekend. DH has to work one of the afternoons so if the forecast holds, we'll go kite flying Saturday afternoon and I'll take the kids somewhere (???) Sunday afternoon. I might take them to the movies to see Curious George.

Now let's just have the weather forecast hold...

Green Eggs and Ham...and bacon, and cleaning, and working

Natalie was in tears while I read Green Eggs and Ham. Why? Because her friends were sharing her Mommy.

I did get quite a welcoming -- 8 little faces shrieking "SHE'S HERE!!!!" as I walked towards the classroom door. And the kids were all great. Except for Natalie. She went into TOTAL meltdown. And when I was done reading the story, she didn't want me to leave.

*sigh* Not a fun way to return to the office.

And speaking of offices...looks like Mr. Tierney has done it again in his NY Times piece. Amanda posted about it a few days ago and I read about it on Elizabeth's site. And Bitch PhD summed it up -- we are just darn tired. And are working dads equally tired?

And, for the record, I'm happily married. I'd appreciate it a little if DH could be home earlier so I didn't have to listen to "I'm hungry" calls at 6:10 pm until 7 pm, but, like he told me tonight last night, he has to be in the office from 9 am until 6 pm. No options.

Happy Birthday, Dr. Seuss!

March 2 is Dr. Seuss' birthday and I'm going to my daughter's pre-school in the morning to read Green Eggs and Ham. I'm not sure who is more excited about it -- my daughter or all her friends that she told at pre-school today!

My Little Man is getting ready to move into the 2's class in mid-March. He's been 2 since December, but he has no spot to move to -- until one of Natalie's classmates left the program because Mom is switching jobs. So a spot opened up in pre-school, which started the whole "domino effect" thing. So Nicholas doesn't have to wait until June to move like we had first thought.

DH is staying home on Friday as the kids have an in-service day. We try to swap off as much as we can, so I covered the January in-service and DH will cover this one. They should all have fun together. In the meantime, I am meeting the literacy coordinator at our local elementary school that day to get a sense of how they handle varying pre-reading/reading issues in the classroom. The decision between public and private Kindergarten is maddening, I tell you. Just what does one really get for $17K a year? Or, as someone suggested to me today, is it what you get or what you are avoiding for $17K a year?


DH is in work madness until Saint Patrick's Day. I kiddingly told him, "I'll talk to you in 2 weeks" -- but that really isn't so far from the truth. Looks like I will have exclusive parenting duty for the next two weekends.

PLEASE let there be nice weather this weekend!!! *grin*