tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-112626232011-04-21T17:16:01.686-04:00General musings about life from a policy wonk and mom of two children.Karenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16513106010966610250noreply@blogger.comBlogger2281100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11262623.post-416318497989155412007-12-15T07:00:00.001-05:002007-12-15T07:04:33.323-05:00

Just saying we're still here!Things that have happened since August:Natalie tuned 6 on August 3rdWe took a two-week vacation to New England in lat AugustDH got a new job (!!!) in September on Capitol HillNatalie started 1st GradeNicholas started with the 4 year-old group in pre-school (in November) and turned 4 on December 13th. He's 43" tall and 44 pounds.I'll fill in more in the next couple of

Karenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16513106010966610250noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11262623.post-9154852156161402792007-07-29T21:06:00.000-04:002007-07-29T21:28:20.427-04:00

To say things have been hectic would be an understatement.We have been making our way through summer camp time, which has been a logistics "challenge" for me. I have been doing my best to keep up with Natalie's schoolwork during the summer, but there is so much more that I wanted to have done by now. Anyway, we've been trying. Thankfully she's been going to some great field trips, so I know

Karenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16513106010966610250noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11262623.post-59159952394230522252007-06-30T17:25:00.000-04:002007-06-30T17:34:20.065-04:00

Long time, no hear -- I know, I know. :-)Yesterday was an in-service day at Natalie's summer camp and Nicholas' preschool. So I took the day off from work :-) and we all went to Baltimore's Inner Harbor. "The plan" for lots of touring quickly got scrapped because we decided to go the the Science Center first. Five hours later (!) we were still there, so our plans to go back to Port Discovery

Karenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16513106010966610250noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11262623.post-19503164982781106022007-06-08T10:23:00.001-04:002007-06-08T10:24:20.535-04:00

I know. My bad. I haven't posted in close to two months. It's just been BUSY. I will post more next week.

Karenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16513106010966610250noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11262623.post-14958388695775944452007-04-12T21:48:00.000-04:002007-04-12T22:09:03.444-04:00

Yikes, it's been BUSY!Last week was Spring Break -- we all had such a great time! Monday we had our day seeing the cherry blossoms, complete with 1 pm reservation for the paddle boats at the Tidal Basin. We also went to see the Thomas Jefferson Memorial of course. We had a picnic on the mall plus yummy ice cream thanks to temps being in the 80s (woohoo!). Tuesday was a visit to the Cub Run

Karenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16513106010966610250noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11262623.post-50056909982075778822007-03-31T20:21:00.000-04:002007-03-31T20:27:41.826-04:00

More quotes that sustain you when a child wakes you at 3 a.m. to crawl into your bed because "I can't sleep by myself":Natalie is reading everything everywhere -- so while we were having lunch at a restaurant today, she saw a sign that said HAPPY HOUR. She asked what Happy Hour meant and I said it is the hour after people leave work. Nicholas piped in, "So when is Angry Hour?"At the restaurant,

Karenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16513106010966610250noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11262623.post-10395110779291183172007-03-31T05:18:00.000-04:002007-03-31T05:26:04.855-04:00

We made it to Spring Break -- WOOHOO!!!Due to DH's unemployment, we canceled our reservations in Williamsburg. We still are going to the circus today, and we still have dance/swim/gymnastics classes today. DH has an interview on Tuesday so the kids and I will do the museums. We will also go to the Cherry Blossom Festival activities that are going on throughout the week.Did you know you can

Karenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16513106010966610250noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11262623.post-50819479043861783052007-03-18T20:53:00.000-04:002007-03-18T20:57:48.340-04:00

Wow, it's been a wild weekend!First off we had St. Patrick's Day -- which included Natalie's dance class (9 am), a visit to the Air & Space Museum for Family Day (10:15 am - 1:45 pm), and a birthday party for one of Natalie's Kindergarten classmates (6 - 8 pm). On Sunday it was church and I had to work (at home) since our association's Annual Meeting is going on this week. So much of Sunday was

Karenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16513106010966610250noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11262623.post-34151258119421311282007-03-15T06:02:00.000-04:002007-03-15T06:06:32.567-04:00

Dangerous Dave gets whacked over the cliff by Brutal Bob -- the best top score I have heard of is 1400+ but I've only made it to 1280.8.

Karenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16513106010966610250noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11262623.post-52357016746659166662007-03-13T14:46:00.000-04:002007-03-13T14:58:56.052-04:00

My head met the floor last night. Twice. And not by choice.Sunday evening, after our day at the zoo, I was feeling pretty awful. I wasn't sure if it was all the uphill pushing or the hot dog I had at the zoo. I even looked for the "pink stuff" to help settle my tummy. We didn't have any in the house, so I made do with Tums.Big mistake.I was miserable Sunday night. To the point when Monday

Karenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16513106010966610250noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11262623.post-32415719634845287952007-03-11T20:46:00.000-04:002007-03-11T20:56:25.135-04:00

The weather was pretty wonderful this weekend, so today we went to the National Zoo. We have a FONZ membership which gives us a discount on a stroller rental, and there's no way I can take my Maclaren Twin Traveler any longer as both children are now over 40 pounds -- so the rental stroller was the answer. And, of course, with two children, I had to get the double, because Natalie would whine

Karenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16513106010966610250noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11262623.post-77239538258090298312007-03-07T21:02:00.000-05:002007-03-07T21:35:29.833-05:00

Natalie started in her school's Science Club today. It all happened in a very roundabout way.A few weeks ago, we received a flyer from school about "after school clubs". There was not a great of information, other than they started on February 28 and would run for 6 weeks. here are the clubs, pick the one you want for your child and submit the form. So I signed Natalie up for K-3 science club,

Karenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16513106010966610250noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11262623.post-12184181245614428342007-03-04T21:56:00.000-05:002007-03-04T22:10:15.170-05:00

As I posted last week, Natalie's Kindergarten class did a special "read aloud play" of Green Eggs and Ham. In front of all the children and teachers in grades K through 3. Natalie's teacher somehow pulled off the impossible feat of getting 9 Kindergarten students to read their lives, with great timing of 9 students holding up artwork -- "not in a box", "not with a fox", not in the dark", etc.

Karenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16513106010966610250noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11262623.post-82138272430249238572007-03-01T20:49:00.000-05:002007-03-01T21:14:35.532-05:00

I can't believe I haven't posted in two whole weeks!Well, we had a good long weekend with President's Day and all. I took the kids up to PlayWise Kids in Columbia, MD, for a chance to have some fun and we all had a ball. We ended up spending about 4 hours there with a short lunch break, too. I timed it so we could leave at 3 pm with the hopes of avoiding Beltway traffic. They both fell asleep

Karenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16513106010966610250noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11262623.post-63476231314022371102007-02-15T02:52:00.000-05:002007-02-15T02:56:56.290-05:00

Yes, we have another school closure day in Fairfax County.I'll be staying home with Natalie today as DH has an interview. Natalie is, of course, thrilled that she has a day off from school. I asked Nicholas if he wanted to go to pre-school or if he would rather stay home . He said he'd rather stay home. So we'll have a good "play day" together. (I do have a webinar that I have to attend for

Karenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16513106010966610250noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11262623.post-83361367930387335882007-02-13T04:09:00.000-05:002007-02-13T04:06:55.704-05:00

DH got the call yesterday from my doctor's office. Yes, the throat culture they did on Thursday that had to "cook" for two (which ended up being 3+ due to the weekend) days tested positive. So I'm on amoxicillin for 10 days. Of course Natalie finished her antibiotic on Saturday and Nicholas finished his on Sunday. So now I am hoping that I have not reinfected them with strep. *sigh*We're in

Karenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16513106010966610250noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11262623.post-60901924513401970752007-02-11T11:20:00.000-05:002007-02-11T11:20:44.893-05:00

An update on Natalie's report card -- she scored 24 out of a possible 25. She's great on verbal, scoring 5s ("exceeding Kindergarten objectives") for the two language arts components, as well as the social studies and science components. She's great on math, scoring a 4 ("mastery of Kindergarten objectives -- benchmark for the end of Kindergarten). But on the listening ears related "stuff",

Karenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16513106010966610250noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11262623.post-77483674414816800542007-02-11T11:17:00.000-05:002007-02-09T04:58:51.416-05:00

Looks like we'll be getting "something" on Tuesday and into Wednesday. So all the geeky snow lovers out there *grin* have been watching the model runs over at the National Centers for Environmental Prediction's web site. This message posting gave me a chuckle:SENIOR DUTY METEOROLOGIST NWS ADMINISTRATIVE MESSAGENWS NCEP CENTRAL OPERATIONS CAMP SPRINGS MD1035 AM EST SUN FEB 11 2007USERS OF NCEP

Karenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16513106010966610250noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11262623.post-31072643882711720322007-02-09T04:20:00.000-05:002007-02-09T04:56:11.839-05:00

DH took both kids to the pediatrician on Wednesday because we had run out of antibiotics for Natalie -- the pharmacy that we had received the 10- day prescription from gave us only enough for five days. :-( Since Fairfax County Public Schools decided to CLOSE instead of have a 2 hour delayed opening due to our less-than-one-inch "snowstorm" (insert eye roll here), DH brought Natalie to the

Karenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16513106010966610250noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11262623.post-4302957418301172007-02-06T07:44:00.000-05:002007-02-06T07:50:19.303-05:00

Natalie is now back at school and is fine (still on antibiotics) but Nicholas is now down with "something". Poor little guy can't sleep at night thanks to a plugged up nose. :-( So he'll be home with DH today. Perhaps he'll get to see an inch or two of snow come down this afternoon?As a side note, I'm glad to hear that the CEO of the National Pork Board has apologized to the blogger at The

Karenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16513106010966610250noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11262623.post-81359242482529618152007-02-02T20:19:00.000-05:002007-02-02T20:24:54.394-05:00

Well, Natalie did make it back to school on Tuesday. Until 4 pm when we got The Call from her after-care -- a fever of 101. :-( So we got her home, gave her acetaminophen, and off to bed she went.Wednesday she was better but she stayed home from school due to the fever on Tuesday. She said she wanted to go to school the next morning.Thursday comes, we send her to school and -- get The Call at

Karenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16513106010966610250noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11262623.post-38748094958629702392007-01-30T06:29:00.000-05:002007-02-09T04:58:12.293-05:00

Well, all the good vibes are most appreciated...DH had an interview with a Member of Congress and the Member said that he would get in touch with him on Tuesday. Then Tuesday came and went and we heard nothing. Then Wednesday passed, and Thursday...and the Member has still not gotten in touch.Yes, it is disappointing. I told DH that it says a lot about that Member re: keeping one's word. It's

Karenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16513106010966610250noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11262623.post-73256790595823377482007-01-12T21:42:00.000-05:002007-01-12T21:43:18.476-05:00

There may be some positive news looming on DH's job hunt...good vibes and prayers most appreciated!

Karenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16513106010966610250noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11262623.post-31150440917564434782007-01-09T21:25:00.000-05:002007-01-09T21:40:06.125-05:00

Natalie went for her first "full blown" eye exam over the weekend. She has perfect eyes and no color blindness.I have what is called "lazy eye" and it was never diagnosed early enough (as a young child) to be patched early on. So I'm stuck with what I have and literally have no depth perception thanks to it. I didn't want Natalie to be in a similar predicament, and I wanted to rule out things

Karenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16513106010966610250noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11262623.post-64852358139849574822007-01-09T21:16:00.000-05:002007-01-09T21:25:41.951-05:00

I seriously need to figure out how to be a better Kindergarten parent because the transition from daycare/preschool parent to Kindergarten parent is not going well for me.Prior to Natalie starting Kindergarten, I was concerned that she might not be "ready" due to her August birthday and some trouble with her "listening ears". In the first few weeks of Kindergarten, Natalie's teacher and I

Karenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16513106010966610250noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11262623.post-78215062235726998222007-01-03T22:21:00.000-05:002007-02-09T04:33:42.439-05:00

Yes, it is the third day of the new year and we are already mired in Summer Camp decisions.Over the weekend I learned that my daughter's elementary school has a summer camp program. So I had DH call today to sign her up -- more as a "backstop" so we would have something in place.There are 120 spots in the summer camp and THEY ARE ALL FILLED and we are #53 on the wait list.

Karenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16513106010966610250noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11262623.post-68179382019947141232006-12-31T14:32:00.000-05:002006-12-31T14:45:12.414-05:00

Pass the Bad Mommy Award this way as I have been publicly chastized by another parent.I took the kids to the "other" Air and Space Museum this morning while DH stayed home. I thought the museum would be a good place for the kids to see some great things as well as get to run around a bit. So we started by seeing the airplanes in the "airplane hangar" and Natalie spotted the simulator rides. I

Karenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16513106010966610250noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11262623.post-27943589665772919102006-12-20T20:39:00.000-05:002006-12-20T20:45:46.844-05:00

Light blogging thanks to "all hands on deck" in getting ready for my parents' arrival tomorrow! We managed to get our cards mailed out (with our annual Capital Chronicles newsletter), all the gifts wrapped (or almost all the gifts), all the baking done for the Cookie Exchange, all the gift cards bought -- and delivered -- for the children's teachers, and the house clean (or somewhat clean) for

Karenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16513106010966610250noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11262623.post-1166006648777772612006-12-13T05:36:00.000-05:002007-02-09T04:48:48.082-05:00

3 years ago today my sugarplum came into the world.Nicholas, you were a "hard fought for" baby. It was not exactly the easiest of pregnancies, and Daddy and I got all sorts of unexpected news from doctors along the way. We made the best decisions that we could, always putting you and your big sister first. Thankfully what the doctors were predicting was very, very wrong. Your daddy actually

Karenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16513106010966610250noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11262623.post-1165645910019331922006-12-09T01:27:00.000-05:002007-02-09T04:50:07.736-05:00

Yes, it's finally here -- Nicholas' first "really big birthday party" day!The numbers aren't so bad for a 3rd birthday party -- 15 children for a tour of the fire station, followed up by pizza and fruit, then cake and ice cream. The children are all very excited -- they have been talking about this for weeks now. Nicholas can barely contain himself. :-) I was putting together goodie bags for

Karenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16513106010966610250noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11262623.post-1165290444098979872006-12-04T22:30:00.000-05:002006-12-04T22:47:26.126-05:00

Yes, we are back into the regular time of the year when there are literally no free weekends. As in NO free time on the weekends.Saturday was dance class and then off to the tree farm to get our Christmas tree. DH did the chopping this year. Natalie and Nicholas enjoyed marshmallows -- not toasted, thank you -- while the tree was tied to the top of the minivan.After getting the tree into the

Karenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16513106010966610250noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11262623.post-1164633011644677392006-11-27T07:57:00.000-05:002006-11-27T08:16:21.473-05:00

We returned yesterday from an extended Thanksgiving trip to Lancaster County, Pennsylvania. Yes, we celebrated Thanksgiving this year away from home and we had a great trip!We left Wednesday afternoon -- the car was packed Wednesday morning and DH and Nicholas picked up Natalie at school and then picked me up at work at 2 pm. Thanks to the helpful directions from a colleague at work, we took

Karenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16513106010966610250noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11262623.post-1163838801328765452006-11-18T03:24:00.000-05:002006-11-18T03:33:21.340-05:00

This past week at work we had our annual charity drive. Each year there is a group "PB&J making" event to benefit a shelter. Well, this year the shelter had so many pick-ups to do that they literally could not get someone to pick up sandwiches from us, so we had a group caravan (two minivans and an SUV) go and drop sandwiches to them. I was part of the group.Since it was later in the afternoon, I

Karenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16513106010966610250noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11262623.post-1163639329821245842006-11-15T19:48:00.000-05:002006-11-15T20:08:50.090-05:00

All I can say is *whew*.After Election Day was done, the entire week was playing catch-up. Nicholas had an in-service day on Thursday and Friday was a federal holiday so he was home with DH. We did have his second opinion consult on Friday with another otolaryngologist, who said that Nicholas needs tubes. Then Natalie had a doctor's appointment at 4 PM to have her first eye exam, and I was trying

Karenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16513106010966610250noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11262623.post-1162982838177019892006-11-08T05:22:00.000-05:002006-11-08T05:47:18.470-05:00

I served as an election officer at my home precinct in Fairfax County yesterday. I have to say that despite it being a long day, it was a lot of fun.We had to be at the polling place at 5 am to help setup for the 6 am poll opening. I picked up my friend C at 4:50 am and off we went to the polling place at our nearby elementary school. Schools in Fairfax County were closed for Teacher Workdays --

Karenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16513106010966610250noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11262623.post-1162525995024887352006-11-02T22:51:00.000-05:002006-11-02T22:53:15.036-05:00

Here's Sheriff Woody escorting Princess Aurora. It was gorgeous weather here for Halloween, so we ended up going without coats (WOOHOO!) and spent a good 1 1/2 hours trick or treating. They both had a blast and I just loved watching them!

Karenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16513106010966610250noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11262623.post-1161683949952300062006-10-24T05:52:00.000-04:002006-10-24T05:59:09.966-04:00

As you all know, Nicholas has a "thing" for The Polar Express. Yes, the book. Yes, the movie. We even have two copies of the movie as his godmother gave him a copy last year for Christmas. Well, Nicholas has recently took to sleeping with the book.No, that's not having the book read to him before he goes to sleep.Yes, that's sleeping with the book.We are still trying to get him to sleep in

Karenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16513106010966610250noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11262623.post-1161218901277370102006-10-18T20:34:00.000-04:002006-10-18T20:48:21.323-04:00

Filling in loose ends...Last week was madness -- we had at least 3 events running simultaneously on Wednesday night so I told DH I Cannot Do Any. Natalie ended up in bed -- asleep -- by 6:45 pm. She really needs her rest and this transition to Kindergarten -- combined with her listening ear "issues" -- I think are complicated by not enough sleep. So going with the sleep begets more sleep

Karenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16513106010966610250noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11262623.post-1160531106800684882006-10-10T21:28:00.000-04:002006-10-11T09:42:20.116-04:00

"Pretty bus." Yes, this is Nicholas' latest "thing". He just loves looking for a "pretty bus". The pretty bus is a WMATA compressed natural gas fueled bus -- see the photo taken by DC Metroblogger.Let's see -- to even start to fill you in. Nicholas had a raging fever in the middle of the night on Thursday of last week, less than 24 hours after his hearing test. Of course his ears are now

Karenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16513106010966610250noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11262623.post-1159842171242851492006-10-02T22:13:00.000-04:002007-02-09T04:50:56.738-05:00

Can you tell that we are all running ragged? :-)Let's see -- Nicholas went to see the "ear specialist" last week and (no shock here) the doctor recommended ear tubes. It was like DH and the doc had this neat little "pact" that involved getting Nicholas signed up for surgery immediately. I was so unbelievably peeved that I just nodded along, la-de-da-de-da, until DH asked me if I was all set.

Karenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16513106010966610250noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11262623.post-1158973942847765772006-09-22T20:51:00.000-04:002006-09-22T21:12:22.906-04:00

Last night was Back to School Night at Natalie's elementary school. DH and I decided that he would stay home with Natalie and Nicholas while I went to the school. He picked up Natalie to take some of the load off me. It literally takes me 20-25 minutes to pick Nicholas up now that he is potty training with underwear. That's after making the close to 10 minute drive around 2 blocks to get to

Karenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16513106010966610250noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11262623.post-1158807025321058262006-09-20T22:45:00.000-04:002006-09-20T22:50:25.350-04:00

Getting Nicholas to go to bed and go to sleep has become the bane to our (plural) existence over the past several weeks. I am absolutely determined to NOT have him in our bed, and thus, the battle of wills.Tonight I let DH handle Nicholas and his bedtime. I went downstairs to the playroom to catch a DVR of The Colbert Report and Project Runway. Then I hear..."Oh My Gawd. WHAT have YOU done?!"

Karenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16513106010966610250noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11262623.post-1158711265886561382006-09-19T20:07:00.000-04:002006-09-19T20:14:25.900-04:00

DH had a "so long" party to go to for one of his friends on Capitol Hill, so I had "soccer duty". Or so I thought.I left work early to go pick up Nicholas (takes 20 minutes with a potty training 2 year-old) and then drove to Natalie's elementary school to pick her up from after-care so we could go home to get her changed for soccer. DH was home (thank goodness) so he could help with getting

Karenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16513106010966610250noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11262623.post-1158118007751707682006-09-12T23:21:00.000-04:002006-09-12T23:26:47.763-04:00

I went to the first PTA meeting of the year. Yes, this is not my first PTA meeting -- I have actually been attending meetings on and off for about a year. But it was the first meeting where I could introduce myself as "Mom to a Kindergartener".It was heartening to see other Kindergarten parents at the meeting. The PTA President ran a very efficient meeting -- we were in and out in a little

Karenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16513106010966610250noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11262623.post-1157796387865899902006-09-09T06:01:00.000-04:002006-09-09T06:06:27.880-04:00

We have made it through the first week of Kindergarten. *whew*Today is the first day of pre-ballet class for Natalie and the first day of soccer for Nicholas. Both are at the same time so DH is taking Nicholas to soccer and I'm taking Natalie to pre-ballet. Natalie is excited because not only is this pre-ballet, where the big girls gom but she will also get to see her friend M from pre-school.

Karenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16513106010966610250noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11262623.post-1157453103056666312006-09-05T06:39:00.000-04:002006-09-10T04:32:03.743-04:00

It's pretty early in the morning right now. The dining room table is set for breakfast. Lunches have been made. Bags are packed -- backpack for Natalie with about half the school supplies (the rest will be brought in tomorrow), and tote bag for Nicholas. Natalie has already picked out her clothes for today -- although she might change her mind on an outfit once she sees how hard it is raining

Karenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16513106010966610250noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11262623.post-1157337461960661722006-09-03T22:31:00.000-04:002006-09-10T04:32:32.060-04:00

Yes, the week has finally come -- it's time to start Kindergarten!We all went to Open House at our elementary school on Thursday. Natalie learned about her teacher (Mrs. D) and assistant (Mrs. W) and then got to meet them. Mrs. D is new to the elementary school and she is teamed up with one of the veteran IAs -- I have heard nothing but absolutely glowing reports about her, so I'm thrilled.

Karenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16513106010966610250noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11262623.post-1156946906860363762006-08-30T09:51:00.000-04:002006-09-10T04:20:26.906-04:00

Yes, we are back from vacation. One day early.We left on Wednesday after Natalie's 5 year-old doctor's appointment. She did great at the appointment (43 1/2" tall, 42 pounds) and had three shots :-( which she (understandably) did not like at all. Then we headed north. It took us 2 hours to get to Baltimore. :-( So we pulled in to my parents' house at 3:15 am Thursday morning.Thursday we went

Karenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16513106010966610250noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11262623.post-1156161343907652842006-08-21T07:42:00.000-04:002006-08-21T07:55:43.920-04:00

Yes, the fascination of the weekend was police helicopters.We went to the local police station open house on Saturday and the "coolest" thing, per Natalie and Nicholas, was the police helicopter. They got to see inside and -- while we were waiting in line for a pony ride -- they got to see it take off, with siren blaring. "Very very cool", said Nicholas.We spent three hours at the open house.

Karenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16513106010966610250noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11262623.post-1155948107207498142006-08-18T20:38:00.000-04:002006-08-18T20:41:47.206-04:00

Today we had a party for all the soon-to-be-Kindergarteners at Natalie's pre-school. Natalie had a great time. I left early so I could pick up Nicholas and get out of there. This week has been "challenging" and I was just tired and bordering on a migraine.So it's done. How bad is it that I went to my daughter's graduation party and all I feel is that it's great to have something checked off

Karenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16513106010966610250noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11262623.post-1155632846323053182006-08-15T04:58:00.000-04:002006-08-15T05:07:26.340-04:00

We are slowly but surely getting ready for Kindergarten.We have all the school supplies. The school supply lists for the school say that it is expected to last half the year. So we bought more than double of everything -- just in case. (And how a Kindergartener can go though 18 glue sticks in half a year is beyond me!)We have two backpacks -- because Mom wasn't happy with the size of the "

Karenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16513106010966610250noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11262623.post-1154602234060099882006-08-03T06:45:00.000-04:002006-08-03T06:50:34.076-04:00

Happy birthday Natalie!5 years ago today you turned my entire world upside down. Thank you for being here, my angel!

Karenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16513106010966610250noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11262623.post-1154430347746913682006-08-01T06:56:00.002-04:002006-09-10T04:37:28.846-04:00

Yes, we survived! 20 children and 20 adults in the heat at Lake Accotink.I managed to get there early enough (10:15 am) to get a "close" parking spot and got most everything setup by myself while watching two children. In the meantime, DH picked up the balloon order and the cake. The pizzas arrived on time (12:15 pm) , the candles would not light with the matches (or the slight breeze) but we

Karenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16513106010966610250noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11262623.post-1154051604633978332006-07-27T21:47:00.000-04:002006-07-27T21:53:24.660-04:00

Natalie hurt her toe as we left preschool today. Her teacher did a great job of washing it off, bandaging it up, etc., but Natalie thought a medivac was in order ;-) yet we managed to get home okay. So I spent some time cuddling with her tonight before she drfited off to sleep.She is very excited about her birthday party, and there are so many changes happening so soon, especially with

Karenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16513106010966610250noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11262623.post-1153992135517015422006-07-27T05:15:00.000-04:002006-07-27T05:22:15.533-04:00

And people say summer is the time to relax...We are readying for Natalie's birthday party, and, of course, this is the last of the "big parties" as she'll be in Kindergarten in September so we will "downsize" the party next year as we won't invite "the entire class". This year's party will be big but not huge, and we are having it at a local park and NOT at our house ("rain rain go away").DH is

Karenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16513106010966610250noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11262623.post-1151550332146439222006-06-28T22:52:00.000-04:002006-06-28T23:06:44.146-04:00

I'm still here and sorely needing some time to hide and write.I haven't finished my trip report from Disney, and then Father's Day weekend we all went to Strasburg, Pennsylvania for A Day Out With Thomas. So I want to write about that, too. And then last weekend was Natalie's "parent observation day" at dance class, and I want to write about that, too.Then, I've been helping My Better Half job

Karenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16513106010966610250noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11262623.post-1149475408602185052006-06-04T22:37:00.000-04:002006-06-04T22:44:20.026-04:00

We're back and I'm trying to catch up.We did a whirlwind tour of Walt Disney World. We flew to Orlando on May 25 and got back late on Thursday but then there was unpacking to do, dance class to get to, a soccer game to get to, a birthday party to get to, etc.I have the start of a trip report up on the DISBoards. I have managed to transfer some of the pictures. One of my favorites is this one -

Karenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16513106010966610250noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11262623.post-1148529170747328032006-05-24T23:49:00.000-04:002006-08-15T05:22:02.283-04:00

Nicholas has a cold.I took him to the pediatrician yesterday morning because the night prior was a very restkess night for him. I instantly thought ear infection, especially because he went for his ear check on Friday and the dr. saw fluid in his ears.Well, as of yesterday morning, he still had fluid in there but no infection. The doctor saud I could give him Dimetapp if I wanted to, as that

Karenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16513106010966610250noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11262623.post-1147932265786597192006-05-18T01:55:00.000-04:002006-05-18T02:04:25.800-04:00

A little bit of a rant...Yesterday afternoon I called our home answering machine to see if we had any messages and was a little shocked when I heard we had 13 new messages. This was even more shocking because I had called to check the answering machine at lunchtime and there were no new messages at 1 pm.So I began to scroll through the new messages:"This is delegate so-and-so and I'm calling to

Karenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16513106010966610250noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11262623.post-1147499068486102902006-05-13T01:37:00.000-04:002006-05-13T01:54:11.843-04:00

Happy Mother's Day a day early. :-)Today we have run into one of those "scheduling conflicts" where a soccer game is at the same time as a dance class. Natalie chose dance class today. Of course I hear the rain on our roof right now, so perhaps it is a moot point as the game may be rained out.Nicholas received his first invitation to a friend's birthday party -- J is turning 3 next month.

Karenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16513106010966610250noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11262623.post-1147142359533658312006-05-08T22:33:00.000-04:002006-05-08T22:39:19.556-04:00

Over the weekend we went to Natalie's soccer game, skipped dance class because she was too tired from soccer, I went to the elementary school social/fundraiser -- yes, the school that she has not even started at yet -- went to our new church, made it to soccer team photos in time, played on the playground with the soccer team, went to our first playdate with the preschool class, and went grocery

Karenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16513106010966610250noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11262623.post-1146818123209298122006-05-05T04:33:00.000-04:002006-05-05T04:35:23.220-04:00

Sorry for the light posting. Some stuff (which I can't post about) has hit the household and we're doing our best to deal with it. I'm so fortunate to have two wonderful children. They help keep me sane. In spite of the myriad of toys strewn about the living room.

Karenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16513106010966610250noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11262623.post-1146535370900669552006-05-01T21:52:00.000-04:002006-05-01T22:02:50.916-04:00

DH and I celebrated 15 years of wedded bliss on Thursday (the 27th). We attempted to go out to dinner, but Nicholas was loaded for bear, so our dinner at Silverado was -- well, it was abbreviated. So we'll celebrate instead during our upcoming trip to Walt Disney World.Natalie did play soccer on Saturday as well as go to dance class. Sunday we went to the American Dance Institute to their

Karenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16513106010966610250noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11262623.post-1146084713994948722006-04-26T17:48:00.000-04:002006-04-26T16:51:54.016-04:00

MomsRising has a petition up to sign:"We are calling for a ceasefire in the so-called "Mommy Wars." All moms are in the same boat. We all need better family-friendly policies. It's time to focus on real problems in need of real solutions."MomsRising is partnered with Mothers Ought to Have Equal Rights (MOTHERS).Pass it on.

Karenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16513106010966610250noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11262623.post-1146023384541721712006-04-25T23:46:00.000-04:002006-04-25T23:49:44.566-04:00

...ashes, ashes, we all stand UP!Well, not really. Natalie went to soccer practice and spent at least 75% of her time picking buttercups "for my Mommy for her birthday". And all I could do was watch her across the field.I think her soccer career is over, at least for this year. Photo Day is May 6 and the league has registration for the Fall season at the same time. I asked Natalie if she

Karenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16513106010966610250noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11262623.post-1145904519884493032006-04-24T07:18:00.000-04:002006-04-24T14:49:38.000-04:00

Yesterday was my birthday. For my birthday Nicholas sang Happy Birthday to me at 6:15 am. Natalie then told me that she only loves me on my birthday (and she later clarified herself that she loves me on every day that someone has a birthday).Later in the morning we went to the local garden center to pick out some plants and buy some mulch. While both children were napping, I planted four

Karenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16513106010966610250noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11262623.post-1145738022755224472006-04-22T16:27:00.000-04:002006-04-22T16:33:42.776-04:00

Following on Elizabeth's post, which is following a movie meme from The Republic of Heaven. The list is Ebert's 101 Movies You Must See Before You Die. Bold the ones you've seen."2001: A Space Odyssey" (1968) Stanley Kubrick"The 400 Blows" (1959) Francois Truffaut"8 1/2" (1963) Federico Fellini"Aguirre, the Wrath of God" (1972) Werner Herzog"Alien" (1979) Ridley Scott."All About Eve" (1950)

Karenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16513106010966610250noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11262623.post-1145640146785973042006-04-21T13:17:00.000-04:002006-04-21T13:22:26.800-04:00

I posted about Leslie Morgan Steiner's blog last month. No, I have not had a chance to read her book yet, but came across a review at The New Republic. They just made a magazine sale. :-)And no, Night 2 did not work well. We'll see how this weekend goes. I may be moving to the guest room come Sunday.

Karenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16513106010966610250noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11262623.post-1145498097726813072006-04-19T21:51:00.000-04:002006-04-19T21:54:57.740-04:00

I have a confession to make. Our son Nicholas has been co-sleeping with us. Yes, he's 2 years 4 months old -- but who is counting? -- and he has not made it out of our bed yet.Things are changing tonight.DH is asleep next to him right now -- DH on the floor, Nicholas in his Big Boy Bed -- and let's hope that Nicholas stays put in his bed for a while. I doubt he'll make it through the night,

Karenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16513106010966610250noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11262623.post-1145328706892204142006-04-17T22:43:00.000-04:002006-04-17T22:52:11.873-04:00

Yikes, it's been absolutely hectic here!Saturday was the neighborhood Egg Hunt. It went really well and we had a great time. About 25 children showed up and they all had fun. It was glorious weather here -- perfectly clear blue sky, and quite warm. Note to self -- fill the eggs with something other than Hershey Kisses next year. ;-)Sunday was Easter (of course) and Natalie woke at 6:15 am (*

Karenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16513106010966610250noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11262623.post-1144801062581928912006-04-11T20:12:00.000-04:002006-04-11T20:17:42.603-04:00

Natalie actually stayed on the field this week!There was soccer practice tonight despite this being Spring Break week here in Virginia. Practice was very good as there were four children and two coaches (the coach and the asst. coach). I think it was the best practice that Natalie has ever had - not that she has had that many practices! Nicholas kept me running all over -- I have to come up

Karenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16513106010966610250noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11262623.post-1144612140175718332006-04-09T15:45:00.000-04:002006-04-09T15:49:52.016-04:00

We visited the Easter Bunny today while we were shopping at the Fair Oaks Mall.

Karenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16513106010966610250noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11262623.post-1144483241524132242006-04-08T03:56:00.000-04:002006-04-08T04:00:41.540-04:00

We have DVR in our house and I faithfully record 24 each week for DH, who has seen I think 2 hours of "the day". He asks me to explain to him the plot for this day/season and I can never sum it up well. So, if you are confused by the plotline, go check out DC Media Girl's post and the excellent comment by Anonymous Reader Guy -- sums it up all in one concise paragraph.

Karenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16513106010966610250noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11262623.post-1144379978622403002006-04-06T23:16:00.000-04:002006-04-06T23:19:38.656-04:00

I took Nicholas to the pediatrician yesterday for an "ear check". This "ear check" visit was requested by our pediatrician back in December when we took Nicholas in for his 2 year well-visit. He (yet again) had fluid in his ears, so she asked that if by some "miracle of miracles" (my phrasing, not hers) we were not in to see her over the winter for a cold or something, that we should come in

Karenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16513106010966610250noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11262623.post-1144223746805742262006-04-05T03:35:00.000-04:002006-04-05T03:55:46.823-04:00

Sometimes I turn to Daddy to step in on parenting dilemmas.I picked up Natalie for soccer practice and was thrilled to hear that she had "excellent listening ears" all day. I thought that this would bode well for soccer practice, combined with her excitement about Saturday's game, and the pictures she was showing her friends, etc. Got her all dressed in many layers, got her shin guards on, the

Karenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16513106010966610250noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11262623.post-1143923602798279292006-04-01T15:30:00.000-05:002006-04-01T15:47:42.220-05:00

The day we all have been waiting for -- the First Soccer Game!Here are pictures from today.We are in the Braddock Road Youth Club Soccer league, and, believe it or not, there are 12 teams in the Under 5 (U5) division. Each team plays a "no scoring" game each Saturday, where the teams are divided up so that there are two games of 3 on 3 going on at the same time. This was the children get lots

Karenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16513106010966610250noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11262623.post-1143791677096807682006-03-31T01:56:00.000-05:002006-03-31T14:24:25.070-05:00

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

Karenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16513106010966610250noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11262623.post-1143635330642041802006-03-28T23:59:00.000-05:002006-03-29T07:34:37.703-05:00

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

Karenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16513106010966610250noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11262623.post-1143505720207361222006-03-27T19:25:00.000-05:002006-03-27T19:28:40.206-05:00

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

Karenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16513106010966610250noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11262623.post-1143403768197654002006-03-26T14:59:00.000-05:002006-04-01T15:48:12.996-05:00

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.

Karenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16513106010966610250noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11262623.post-1143196511071742182006-03-24T05:27:00.000-05:002006-03-24T05:35:11.086-05:00

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

Karenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16513106010966610250noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11262623.post-1143104369881884972006-03-23T03:44:00.000-05:002006-03-23T03:59:29.896-05:00

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:

Karenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16513106010966610250noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11262623.post-1143059260001102712006-03-22T15:16:00.000-05:002006-03-22T15:27:40.016-05:00

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

Karenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16513106010966610250noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11262623.post-1142542922157144282006-03-16T15:55:00.000-05:002006-03-16T16:02:02.176-05:00

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

Karenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16513106010966610250noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11262623.post-1142413299108508942006-03-15T03:56:00.000-05:002006-03-15T04:01:39.110-05:00

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

Karenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16513106010966610250noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11262623.post-1142274583049609902006-03-13T13:22:00.000-05:002006-03-13T13:29:43.073-05:00

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

Karenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16513106010966610250noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11262623.post-1142190759610568752006-03-12T14:03:00.000-05:002006-03-12T14:13:55.306-05:00

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

Karenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16513106010966610250noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11262623.post-1142048816652591862006-03-10T22:39:00.000-05:002006-03-10T22:46:56.683-05:00

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

Karenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16513106010966610250noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11262623.post-1141931282554421502006-03-09T14:01:00.000-05:002006-03-09T14:08:02.573-05:00

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.

Karenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16513106010966610250noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11262623.post-1141836277234809952006-03-08T11:38:00.000-05:002006-03-08T11:44:37.263-05:00

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

Karenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16513106010966610250noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11262623.post-1141368622460191342006-03-03T01:40:00.000-05:002006-03-03T01:50:22.476-05:00

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

Karenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16513106010966610250noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11262623.post-1141273080905208622006-03-01T23:09:00.000-05:002006-03-01T23:18:00.923-05:00

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

Karenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16513106010966610250noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11262623.post-1141175460422453492006-02-28T20:08:00.000-05:002006-02-28T20:11:00.436-05:00

Yes, I know -- very light posting recently because I have been sick. As in REALLY sick. As in Fevers: The Sequel. Blech. We did go see Clifford The Big Red Dog at the Warner Theatre this weekend. It was fun and both kids were wide eyed through most of it. I just love bringing them to live theater -- even if it is Clifford -- because it is an important "arts" element for them to learn to

Karenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16513106010966610250noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11262623.post-1140581233800741492006-02-21T22:59:00.000-05:002006-02-21T23:07:13.816-05:00

Yes, I went to the citizen outreach meeting tonight. I am so very sick right now but went just the same. I have actually been sick since Thursday, but spiked a fever Friday, through the entire weekend, and now I'm down to 100 degrees.But I went to the meeting. To learn that this process is so VERY long.This weekend I was buried with stuff for work but I managed to take some time Saturday to

Karenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16513106010966610250noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11262623.post-1140061429633389902006-02-15T22:19:00.000-05:002006-02-15T22:43:49.673-05:00

We had an "emergency meeting" of our civic association board tonight. (I have some sort of title -- "Director of Communications" or something like that. Of course we can't even locate our by-laws, so we are in a little bit of disrepair. *giggle*) There's a proposal to tear down a small strip mall and replace it with 75% residential housing units (rental apartments) and a new shopping center.

Karenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16513106010966610250noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11262623.post-1139704108550839032006-02-11T19:21:00.000-05:002006-02-11T19:28:28.570-05:00

Natalie skipped dance class this morning so we would have an easier time making it to C's birthday party at the skating rink. Natalie has been talking about this birthday party for weeks. She was ready with her new Cinderella bicycle helmet, too.I'll have to figure out a way to get the video I captured on the Treo onto the blog -- it was VERY fun. She did great -- mostly falling down, but she

Karenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16513106010966610250noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11262623.post-1139543859052249472006-02-09T22:47:00.000-05:002006-02-09T22:57:39.103-05:00

Tonight I went to "information night" at Bailey's Elementary. Bailey's is "the magnet school" that everyone talks about in Fairfax County. So DH got home at 6:25 pm tonight so I could be out the door at 6:30 pm to attend the information session.The school principal did a brief presentation and then said "anyone interested in full immersion Kindergarten, go over that way" into the corner.

Karenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16513106010966610250noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11262623.post-1139497843343933372006-02-09T10:07:00.000-05:002006-02-09T22:46:28.556-05:00

Around 2 am this morning, my daughter was at the side of my bed."Mommy? Are you awake?""Yes, sweetheart, what's the matter?" I mumbled."Mommy, I only want to wear dresses at Walt Disney World and not shorts. Boys can't wear dresses so I want to wear dresses.""Okay Natalie," I replied."Thanks, Mommy. I love you." And she kissed my cheek."I love you, too, angel. Go back to bed.""I will Mommy.

Karenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16513106010966610250noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11262623.post-1139135135418172082006-02-05T05:17:00.000-05:002006-02-05T05:25:35.420-05:00

We went to a belated "family-oriented" New Year's Eve party last night -- it was rescheduled from New Year's Eve due to the hostess having a pretty bad cold/flu thing going on for the beginning of 2006. We took Natalie and Nicholas out for a long ride before the party so they would sleep. (Little Man is a nap refuser on the weekend.) We all had a great time. Natalie had her first experience

Karenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16513106010966610250noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11262623.post-1139134629597234772006-02-05T05:16:00.000-05:002006-02-05T05:17:09.616-05:00

Thank goodness he has been stopped.

Karenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16513106010966610250noreply@blogger.com0