Friday, July 31, 2009
Sunday, July 26, 2009
Rosie's Not Sharing!!
During our discussion (wherein no bread was being distributed), the natives became restless. We skedaddled right after the Canadian geese got malevolent, left the water and CAME AFTER US! Greedy (and kinda scary) geese.
Tuesday, July 21, 2009
Dash Update and I.O.U. some posts/photos
I had a phone conference with Dash's preschool teacher, Miss Kara. She's a very caring young woman who takes her job seriously and I appreciate that she is one of Dash's primary caregivers at daycare. Since it was a phone meeting, I was able to take some pretty good notes, while not having to make eye contact and appear engaged. Here's the report:
Dash transitions very well in the morning, adapts well to changes in schedules or routine, and is easily redirected when an activity he likes is unavailable. He maintains very positive relationships with teachers and friends [I've noticed that when Dash enters the room, many of the kids yell, "YAY! Dash is here!!"]. His very favorite "center" in his room is the sensory table, and if allowed, he would be happy there all day, playing with sand or water toys, but of course they limit him to 30 minutes or less.
He does need to work on dealing with conflicts. When he is upset, he either walks away or sometimes lashes out, and the teachers would prefer that he talks through the issue with his friends instead. He is not interested in letters or singing (at all!), but can count to 20 and loves number games. He doesn't always participate in group art activities that are fine motor, but recently the staff discovered that he prefers "messy art" with large surfaces, paint, fingerpaints, or playdoh. [He has told me that he doesn't draw, he just makes "scribble-scrabbles" whatever that means.]
He loves being read to or listening to recorded books. His favorite dramatic play area choices are the "grocery store" or the "beach." When outdoors for playground time, he spends most of his time running and chasing friends, running, and running some more. If he's not running, he's in the sandbox or climbing the rope. He enjoys the Stretch and Grow program that enhances the daycare curriculum.
He loves to tell stories and talk about the characters in books and the movies he's seen. He can retain an amazing amount of detail! That's the report—looking good! I'd like him to be more interested in letters and fine motor artwork, but I'm sure it'll come, no worries.
And the I.O.U? I still need to post photos from Dash's birthday party and the video from the recital. I'm so very lax on this, as they all happened in late June—I hope you don't mind waiting!
Dash transitions very well in the morning, adapts well to changes in schedules or routine, and is easily redirected when an activity he likes is unavailable. He maintains very positive relationships with teachers and friends [I've noticed that when Dash enters the room, many of the kids yell, "YAY! Dash is here!!"]. His very favorite "center" in his room is the sensory table, and if allowed, he would be happy there all day, playing with sand or water toys, but of course they limit him to 30 minutes or less.
He does need to work on dealing with conflicts. When he is upset, he either walks away or sometimes lashes out, and the teachers would prefer that he talks through the issue with his friends instead. He is not interested in letters or singing (at all!), but can count to 20 and loves number games. He doesn't always participate in group art activities that are fine motor, but recently the staff discovered that he prefers "messy art" with large surfaces, paint, fingerpaints, or playdoh. [He has told me that he doesn't draw, he just makes "scribble-scrabbles" whatever that means.]
He loves being read to or listening to recorded books. His favorite dramatic play area choices are the "grocery store" or the "beach." When outdoors for playground time, he spends most of his time running and chasing friends, running, and running some more. If he's not running, he's in the sandbox or climbing the rope. He enjoys the Stretch and Grow program that enhances the daycare curriculum.
He loves to tell stories and talk about the characters in books and the movies he's seen. He can retain an amazing amount of detail! That's the report—looking good! I'd like him to be more interested in letters and fine motor artwork, but I'm sure it'll come, no worries.
And the I.O.U? I still need to post photos from Dash's birthday party and the video from the recital. I'm so very lax on this, as they all happened in late June—I hope you don't mind waiting!
Friday, July 17, 2009
This post brought to you by my left leg
At this moment, beneath both pantyhose and a single, full-leg compression stocking (wearing both for symmetry), is my left leg. Sounds too sexy, right? Rwwowr! While it's thoroughly bruised and has some abrasions, it's healing well, no worries. About a week and a half ago, I had ambulatory phlebectomy, or, removal of a superficial vericose vein.
So, some questions I've had have been, why on earth did you have this surgery in the middle of summer? 90-degree weather in DC humidity is bad enough, but with a thick stocking on? Or, why did I have the surgery at all? Is it just cosmetic, or do vericose veins cause problems beyond looking weird?
To answer the first, I've become thoroughly in love with my dance classes. Between September and June, the practice is solidly once a week, but from early July to late August? There's only four classes, which I didn't sign up for—I signed Dash up instead. I had surgery in July so I wouldn't miss too much dancing practice.
Second, I've had the ugly vein since my mid-twenties. The vericose malfunction is when the valves in a vein stop opening and closing properly, and instead of pumping blood back up toward your heart, the blood just lollygags around, filling up the vein and making it all puffy. While it's been a pest for me over the years (for example, I couldn't zip up those sexy leather knee-boots on the left leg), and got worse over my pregnancies (all the way up and down the leg, rather than localizing in one area), it didn't really start hurting me until this year. Over the past few months, I just wanted to be propping my foot up all the time, while at my desk, while driving, and couldn't sit still at work because every seated position became uncomfortable after a short while.
Every surgery has risks, and I'm no fan of getting cut up for frivolous reasons. I'm a wuss, too! I actually fainted while the doctor and nurses were just PREPPING me for the surgery! No cutting yet, just my imagination running away with my brain. Boom, lights out.
Things are feeling better today, and I'm looking forward to being more comfortable through my 8-5 grind. Maybe I'll even be able to wear those boots this coming winter! For now, I'm wearing the stockings for another week or two, and adding fishnets to make them more hawt while I'm out? Maybe!
So, some questions I've had have been, why on earth did you have this surgery in the middle of summer? 90-degree weather in DC humidity is bad enough, but with a thick stocking on? Or, why did I have the surgery at all? Is it just cosmetic, or do vericose veins cause problems beyond looking weird?
To answer the first, I've become thoroughly in love with my dance classes. Between September and June, the practice is solidly once a week, but from early July to late August? There's only four classes, which I didn't sign up for—I signed Dash up instead. I had surgery in July so I wouldn't miss too much dancing practice.
Second, I've had the ugly vein since my mid-twenties. The vericose malfunction is when the valves in a vein stop opening and closing properly, and instead of pumping blood back up toward your heart, the blood just lollygags around, filling up the vein and making it all puffy. While it's been a pest for me over the years (for example, I couldn't zip up those sexy leather knee-boots on the left leg), and got worse over my pregnancies (all the way up and down the leg, rather than localizing in one area), it didn't really start hurting me until this year. Over the past few months, I just wanted to be propping my foot up all the time, while at my desk, while driving, and couldn't sit still at work because every seated position became uncomfortable after a short while.
Every surgery has risks, and I'm no fan of getting cut up for frivolous reasons. I'm a wuss, too! I actually fainted while the doctor and nurses were just PREPPING me for the surgery! No cutting yet, just my imagination running away with my brain. Boom, lights out.
Things are feeling better today, and I'm looking forward to being more comfortable through my 8-5 grind. Maybe I'll even be able to wear those boots this coming winter! For now, I'm wearing the stockings for another week or two, and adding fishnets to make them more hawt while I'm out? Maybe!
Saturday, July 04, 2009
Wednesday, July 01, 2009
First days at summer camp!
Rosie survived her first two days at camp! And she actually had fun, believe it or not. We signed her up for a week of Soccer & Swim camp at a local Rec-Center, where we sent her due to its proximity to her Grandma's house, not because she had any friends going there or it was recommended for its excellence. She told us that she did make friends at camp, but couldn't remember their names. That's okay, as long as she's enjoying the activities.
Monkeyrotica and I had quite a time gathering all the gear she needed on Sunday night. We dug our own hole, as it was a lazy, balmy evening and we kept the kids up after bedtime. The sun went down and we had a grand time chasing, catching and releasing fireflies. Rosie was creating a community of them in her critter case, while Dash would hold one in his hands for a minute, then cajole them to fly away saying, "Go home to your family! They're looking for you!"
By the time we had them bathed and all the gear assembled (and LABELED), it was well past 10 p.m. Between soccer and swim gear, there were eleven items on the checklist to fit inside Rosie's backpack. Of course, when we started, I didn't even have a list ready and all the stuff was in various places around the house. Monkey had packed her lunch, got the water bottles ready and set two snacks aside; I located her soccer cleats (which we found out later, weren't needed. Craigslist?), her shinguards, soccer ball, baseball hat, sunscreen, swimsuit, goggles, flipflops, and towel. Then every last little thing needed to have her name on it, since I can only assume the undressing and changing into swim gear from soccer gear would be a riot zone. Rub-a-Dub marker to the rescue! Somehow, through my mastery of spatial relationships and packing prowess, all of the above fit in her school backpack.
I'm a little in the dark on what and how exactly they're teaching the soccer/swim skills in the camp. Maybe some well-structured questioning will get more information out of my girl. For now, it matters that she's not begging to stay home with Grandma!
Monkeyrotica and I had quite a time gathering all the gear she needed on Sunday night. We dug our own hole, as it was a lazy, balmy evening and we kept the kids up after bedtime. The sun went down and we had a grand time chasing, catching and releasing fireflies. Rosie was creating a community of them in her critter case, while Dash would hold one in his hands for a minute, then cajole them to fly away saying, "Go home to your family! They're looking for you!"
By the time we had them bathed and all the gear assembled (and LABELED), it was well past 10 p.m. Between soccer and swim gear, there were eleven items on the checklist to fit inside Rosie's backpack. Of course, when we started, I didn't even have a list ready and all the stuff was in various places around the house. Monkey had packed her lunch, got the water bottles ready and set two snacks aside; I located her soccer cleats (which we found out later, weren't needed. Craigslist?), her shinguards, soccer ball, baseball hat, sunscreen, swimsuit, goggles, flipflops, and towel. Then every last little thing needed to have her name on it, since I can only assume the undressing and changing into swim gear from soccer gear would be a riot zone. Rub-a-Dub marker to the rescue! Somehow, through my mastery of spatial relationships and packing prowess, all of the above fit in her school backpack.
I'm a little in the dark on what and how exactly they're teaching the soccer/swim skills in the camp. Maybe some well-structured questioning will get more information out of my girl. For now, it matters that she's not begging to stay home with Grandma!
Sunday, June 28, 2009
Greens harvest
magic with; also, I brought in a teeny carrot, and a sprig of dill.
I'm a little disappointed in the strawberries, as some of the fruits
are barely past green and are going brown. Any suggestions?
Saturday, June 27, 2009
Thursday, June 25, 2009
Dash had his four-year checkup today. He did great, as usual! He's 35% for height, and 75% for weight, but somehow, that doesn't appear disproportionate on him. He told his doctor that his name was "Mr. Laser-Eyes" for some reason. He was in really good spirits for the entire appointment, even after I mentioned shots. He needed five total.
I asked him, "How many shots do you want, Dash? Ten?" He thought a minute & replied, "How about just five?" The doctor's eyes widened and she muttered, "I need to remember that one..." WIN!
Anyway, here is how he looked after the five shots. About what I expected. I'm betting that ploy is played out.
I asked him, "How many shots do you want, Dash? Ten?" He thought a minute & replied, "How about just five?" The doctor's eyes widened and she muttered, "I need to remember that one..." WIN!
Anyway, here is how he looked after the five shots. About what I expected. I'm betting that ploy is played out.
Rosie learned that my phone has a camera
This boy woke up HAPPY!
I was still considering getting out of bed around 6:00 this morning and I heard a little "Whump!" of a boy getting out of bed and "whump-whump-whump-whump" of feet heading my way. He made his entrance into my bedroom with the sweetest, "Hi Mommy!" and huge grin on his face. After leaping up onto the bed, he said, "watch this trick, Mommy!" and showed me how very expert he is at flopping down heavily into a piled-up down comforter.
Such a cutie! What a nice way to wake up.
However, all this show of sweetness and light dissolved when I didn't back down on my "no-TV-before-school" rule. Ah well, if he were a bright sunbeam all the time, I wouldn't appreciate it as much when the clouds part, right?
Tuesday, June 23, 2009
End-of-school picnic
Rosie and her friend Margaret just finished their kindergarten year together. I am hoping over Summer break that we stay in touch with some of the close pals that she made in her class. Who knows how they will all be dispersed in First Grade. And that's right! I have a First Grader now. Despite a rocky start and some behavior relapses along the way, Rosie did fabulously in her final scores! Kudos to Rosie.
Huge thanks go out to my mom, who will be caring for Rosie all Summer. Yesterday was the beginning of week one of Rosie's first Summer break ever; she's been in full-day childcare since infancy, as has Dash. For those of us who work full-time or who have been out of school for a long time, it can be hard to wrap our heads around the reality that the school break is eleven (11) full weeks. That's practically three months of no school! I have Rosie in camps for three weeks and we'll be on vacation for one week. That still leaves seven entire weeks with just Grandma. Dash is already horribly jealous.
I'll be finding ways to break up the weeks for my mom, by either putting Rosie in backup care, bringing Rosie in to work with me, or arranging playdates. Anyone have helpful tips on how to creatively pass the summertime with a 6-year-old? My mom is averse to spending time in full sun, so that's a limitation. Tips please!
Monday, June 22, 2009
Happy 4th Birthday, Dash!
"If June 22 is your birthday, 2009 is a year of sociability. It is a friendly time, when it's easy to enjoy life and other people. The focus is on personal freedom, reaching out to others, making new friends, and exploration. You're more enthusiastic and ready for adventure. It is likely to be a rather lighthearted year, when opportunities for "playtime" are greater than usual. It's also a good year for expressing your creativity. Advice - reach out, but avoid scattering your energies."Wow, did they have my enthusiastic, friendly four-year-old in mind when they wrote this horoscope?
Dash has become the most lovable and charming little preschooler. It's so hard to sum up how far he's come this year with his vocabulary, potty training (done!), sleep habits, helpfulness, and general ability to charmingly manipulate the socks off of everyone around him. All this past week, as we've been planning his birthday party, both Monkeyrotica and I have heard, "I love you so much Mommy (or Daddy)!" Lots of big kisses and hugs for his parents, for isn't he getting lots of birthday party fun and gifts? Why yes! He happily and transparently announces everything that he is doing—good or bad—with disregard for consequences. If he doesn't get what he's asking for, he'll ask again and again, with the same inflection or a slight change in tonality, because he is the minister of persistence.
Much of the latter half of last year focused on changes in Rosie's life, primarily starting public school. Dash has been a rock, just keeping on with his schedule, only getting upset about the missed details (You forgot my bag of teddy grahams, Mommy!). He wants to go to his "New" school someday, just like Rosie, or get a new "big" bed like Rosie, and play with all Rosie's toys. He denies that he's copying her, but she complains often that Dash is following her around. He loves Rosie so much! They are the best playmates together, as Dash willingly plays whatever game Rosie sets up (especially the doll-play).
I am looking forward to learning more about him, hearing his stories, listening to his songs, whatever he has to offer, and gently parenting him every day. Happy birthday, my cutiepie, little Dash.
Father's Day
Happy Father's Day to all the dads out there! We spent our dad-time with Monkeyrotica at the National Arboretum. Lovely day for it! Rosie and Dash such had a fun time on our walk, looking for fallen leaves to put in a leaf journal, visiting the bonsai pavilion, and especially feeding the koi at the visitor center's pond. Man, the kids (and the koi) would have been happy feeding those fish (and being fed) all day long.
Thursday, June 11, 2009
Kindergarten Dinosaur shoebox diorama
Wait, what? A UFO? That's not supposed to be there! Heh. We'll see what her teacher thinks about my addition!
Monday, June 08, 2009
Ballet Rehearsal 2009
Christopher, Ava, and Rosie were very patient while waiting for the dress rehearsal for their beginning ballet class to start. They're sitting in the auditorium at a local middle school, where the recital is taking place. Aren't their costumes adorable? They were very excited about it and performed well! I can hardly wait for the recital next week. And out of 175+ students in the school, Christopher is the only boy. Keep it up, little man! Ballet needs the male dancers. (Note: It's hard to tell in this photo, but Rosie lost her second baby tooth earlier that day. My girl's getting so big.)
My pal Kristine (Christopher's mom) videotaped Rosie, Ava, and Christopher's dance; however, I didn't point out to her specifically that Rosie was three dancers to the right of Christopher, so we only see her arm or foot in the frame once in a while.
She also taped my modern dance from Act 2. I didn't ask her to, but I'm glad she did. Even though it was just the rehearsal, I think we looked pretty good! The music is "Come Home to the Sea" by Mannheim Steamroller. We've been learning this dance in pieces, over a few months. This will give me an idea of what I need to work on before this coming Saturday. Of the six dancers in my class, two are teenagers, one who is the same age as me, and two who are in their 50-60's. See if you can tell which dancer is me.
My pal Kristine (Christopher's mom) videotaped Rosie, Ava, and Christopher's dance; however, I didn't point out to her specifically that Rosie was three dancers to the right of Christopher, so we only see her arm or foot in the frame once in a while.
She also taped my modern dance from Act 2. I didn't ask her to, but I'm glad she did. Even though it was just the rehearsal, I think we looked pretty good! The music is "Come Home to the Sea" by Mannheim Steamroller. We've been learning this dance in pieces, over a few months. This will give me an idea of what I need to work on before this coming Saturday. Of the six dancers in my class, two are teenagers, one who is the same age as me, and two who are in their 50-60's. See if you can tell which dancer is me.
Friday, May 29, 2009
Hide and seek as nightmare, for me anyway.
I had a recurring dream for years that my family had gone to a beach house and we'd stayed for a week or so, which was typical for us. In my dream, I'm around 7 or 8 years old, it's the last day of our trip and I'm playing hide and seek with my sister. I decide to hide inside an old bench that has a hinged lid for storage (similar to the flickr photo I found, above).
Anyway, the way this dream always ends is that I'm hidden for a very long time, my sister doesn't find me, and I fall asleep in the bench. When I wake up, it's dark and the house is empty, I have no idea how much time has passed—maybe it's late the next day? But my family has left without me; all our suitcases are removed, the car is gone and the house is tidied up for the next renters. Abandonment nightmare anxiety swells and I wake up!
Dash found me early this morning and told me he had a bad dream: Rosie, Monkeyrotica, and I had flown off in a spaceship and had left him behind. I comforted him, reminded of my own dreams of being left behind, and told him that it must have been scary.
He said, "No, I just invisibled myself and then visibled myself on the space ship!"
"Oh," I answered, "just like Star Trek?"
"Yeah!" Dash was smiling.
Who knows what quirky issues that Dash may develop over the years to come, but here's hoping that abandonment isn't one of them. This isn't the first time that he's resolved a bad dream in his own ingenious way!
Anyway, the way this dream always ends is that I'm hidden for a very long time, my sister doesn't find me, and I fall asleep in the bench. When I wake up, it's dark and the house is empty, I have no idea how much time has passed—maybe it's late the next day? But my family has left without me; all our suitcases are removed, the car is gone and the house is tidied up for the next renters. Abandonment nightmare anxiety swells and I wake up!
Dash found me early this morning and told me he had a bad dream: Rosie, Monkeyrotica, and I had flown off in a spaceship and had left him behind. I comforted him, reminded of my own dreams of being left behind, and told him that it must have been scary.
He said, "No, I just invisibled myself and then visibled myself on the space ship!"
"Oh," I answered, "just like Star Trek?"
"Yeah!" Dash was smiling.
Who knows what quirky issues that Dash may develop over the years to come, but here's hoping that abandonment isn't one of them. This isn't the first time that he's resolved a bad dream in his own ingenious way!
Wednesday, May 27, 2009
Full speed at Clemyjontri Park
Dash hears: "Run away, fast!!"
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