Six year checkup

Rosie had her six year checkup today, which
went very smoothly. She answered all the
doctor's questions herself (he directed them
all at her, with his back to me--OMG, she's
practically a tween!), with the exception of a
few when she needed my feedback. We talked
about chores and allowances withe helpful
answers; he highly recommends chores and
NOT tying allowances or cash reimbursement
to chores whatsoever. Children should
contribute to their household out of a sense
of belonging, not an expectation of payment,
like they're the help. I do agree with that
assessment.

Her basic specs, for those of you keeping track:
Height: 45.5 ins, 70th percentile
Weight: 50 lbs, 75th percentile
Vision: 20/25 (with my new contacts acquired
yesterday, I could read for two lines below
where she stopped)
Hearing: perfect (although very tiny bees could
live comfortably in that waxy hive)

He advised that I make a separate appointment
to discuss some of the behavior issues that
have arisen since Rosie started Kindergarten.
Since our time had run short and her very
distracting, noisy and boisterous brother was
there, it would be better to have a thorough
chat at a quieter time.

Bringing warmth to a chilly day

It was actually snowing out today, I $hit you not! I was really not prepared for the frigid winds, mentally anyway; I had a scarf and gloves, but I felt chilled through all my layers while outside. Here's just a little album, a photo reminder of a warmer time. We went camping at the end of the summer, just in the backyard as a trial run for potential future campouts. It went well enough, although we adults were the wimps. Both of us were complaining loudly about our aching backs and may be investing in an air mattress-type thing if we try this again. The kids had a blast!

I have replicated myself.

Right in front of our desk, there is a low table where I have all my beads and jewelry-making materials. Monkeyrotica has a pretty good view of it while he uses the computer. Check out what he captured:



























Well, she's either making something or trying to swipe stuff.

Dance performance & what's up

I've kept mum on the dancing front for a
while, I just noticed. To catch you all up,
I'm taking a modern & lyrical dance workshop
Thursday nights and I'm loving it! The other
students are lovely, positive ladies with
no attitude problems and we're just there
to learn and help each other.

Same as last year, there is a holiday performance
with all the advanced classes have a short
choreographed number to demonstrate to
the rest of the studio. All the parents are there,
there are snacks, and it's crowded and hot.

Wanna come? Rosie, my mom & sister came
to watch me last year with my jazz class; this
year, my modern class has a two-minute combo
to perform and we're learning it on Monday nights.
Got that? I'm dancing on Mondays and Thursdays,
Rosie dances ballet on Saturdays, we're throwing
Rosie's birthday party this Saturday afternoon,
and I'm going to a baby shower on Sunday.

Also, I've got two doctor's appointments tomorrow,
both kids have doctor's appointments on Wednesday
and I'm not sure how I'm going to fit any work in
(and I have major deadlines, Hi Ben!). Somehow
I'm open Friday evening. Guess I'll be cleaning.

You know, Monkeyrotica should go out and do
something fun on Friday! He always stays in and
stews in his own juices. Need to air that mess out,
Monkey. Anybody taking out the Monkey?

Nighttime ritual

After two books, I tuck Rosie and Dash in (yes, they are still co-sleeping and we have had NO night-time visits from Dash in weeks; I'll be hunting the Internet for reasons why this is ill-advised and get back to you all), read two books, and then sing three songs. The books are always different, unless we are on a roll with one for a while, but the songs are always the same three:

1. "Jingle Bells" This is at Dash's request. Why, you might ask? Jingle Bells isn't a lullaby. I say, that depends on how you sing it. But the tune is a favorite because the first word of the lyrics is "Dashing." Go figure.
2. "I See the Moon" What? That's a nursery rhyme, not a song, I hear you thinking. I came up with a tune for it a while back and I'm sticking to it.
3. "Twinkle Twinkle, Little Star" Well, once you sing a song about the moon, you've got to give the stars some props, too.

Good night to you all, and sweet dreams!
XOXO, Nylonthread

Dancing in my fabulous dress!

I loved, loved, LOVED dancing with Monkeyrotica and other dear friends at Karen & Bryce's wedding. Mark Zimin DJ'ed, and I just had the best time ever, dancing to Mousetrap music. I'm wearing the dress that Monkey bought me for our wedding anniversary last month. Isn't it gorgeous?

Oh, heck, I was just beside myself at how awesome it was to be out in downtown DC, in the evening, dining and dancing with my beloved peeps. Monkey had to drag me out of there; I wanted to dance all night.

What's in your fridge?

No cream of failure soup for one in here.

Most everything else though, hm? The way Monkeyrotica cooks, it's hard
to keep up with all the food in the fridge to make sure it's eaten
before it gets wasted. We try to label or list leftovers right after we
pack them away, or else they disappear to the back and are forgotten
before the next meal is stored.

Monkey does all the grocery shopping and all the cooking, and is very
skilled at both. I consider myself very lucky that he has the patience
(sometimes one shopping trip will take him to three separate
supermarkets) and the creativity to bring such wonderful meals to the
table! Until I set eyes on the disaster near the sink & over the stove,
and then I still say even louder, "I'm. Very. Lucky!"

I love you, Monkeyrotica! And I promise, those dishes will be done
by...at least tomorrow afternoon.

I want birthday traditions!

Firstly, HAPPY BIRTHDAY ROSIE!!

When I woke up this morning and it dawned on me that it's my little girl's sixth birthday, I wanted to have something special planned. At six, she'll retain memories of this birthday, won't she? If I had given it a little more thought and had some time to spend on it I could have done something like "The Birthday Fairy" that Susan Lieberman suggests in her book, New Traditions:

Lucy tells her family, "While you are sleeping, waiting to wake up to a happy, happy, birthday, all my very good wishes for you give me magical energy to transform your room and deliver birthday presents." Then she brings the magic in the form of many balloons, large signs, streamers, and the child wakes up to a special day with a special breakfast.

Hm. I wish it were that easy to get some magical energy.

Or I could have done what Meg Cox records in The Book of New Family Traditions:

Construct a "balloon tunnel" with helium balloons tied on the stair-rails. When the birthday girl awakes, she must be the first one to slide downstairs and pick up her wrapped present at the bottom.

Okay, got it. Next year will be more about the balloons and lots of 'em.

What I did do for Rosie was to have a birthday card ready with a crisp $5 bill inside (next step is to get on money management with her, and maybe some regular allowances), I gave her a birthday-girl hug, we put birthday-girl ponytails in her hair, she wore a birthday-girl outfit to school and I gave her a special birthday-girl wave. Did you notice that everything here, excepting the card, is a regular-day thing, but calling it out as birthday-special made it so. Really! Maybe won't work at 7 and up, but maybe I'll have something else worked out by then.

Thanks to Grandma Sheila, Rosie had cupcakes to share at school. And the one other tradition that I almost forgot about, but the wall tells the tale that we've kept it up 3 years running: marking out her birthday height. In pencil, on the corner wall outside the basement office. I do Dash's at the same time, just to keep it balanced.

I still have time, although her party date is creeping up. One belief that I would like to instill is that birthdays shouldn't be necessarily all about receiving gifts; I think this will be the year to choose a charity to donate to together and give in her name. I'll start looking up some charities that would be good ones. Do you all have ones that you like for kids?

Do you all have birthday traditions with your kids? Tell me about them in the comments, I want to know!

Lexeme Meme

While trolling fellow NaBloPoMo-bloggers' posts, I found KellyGO had done this meme. My Wednesday is ending soon, and I just spent all my writing energy on Facebook (shaking fist at Facebook! why are you so addictive!?!) The rules of this meme are to answer the following questions in just one word and then to pass it on to seven others. If you're reading and looking for posting fodder, consider yourself tagged (I know, lazy about tagging, as usual!).

Where is your cell phone? desk
Where is your significant other? bed
Your hair color? sepia
Your mother? nearby
Your father? same
Your favorite thing? friendship
Your dream last night? evaluation
Your dream/goal? fulfillment
The room you’re in? home-office
Your hobby? jewelry
Your fear? separation
Where do you want to be in 6 years? half-way
Where were you last night? home
What you’re not? salacious
One of your wish-list items? vacation
Where you grew up? suburbs
The last thing you did? write
What are you wearing? pajamas
Your TV? projector
Your pet? parrot
Your computer? Mac
Your mood? chill
Missing someone? Nope
Your car? mini-SUV
Something you’re not wearing? socks
Favorite store? variety
Your summer? lively
Love someone? YES
Your favorite color? celadon
When is the last time you laughed? today (Yes, I kept Kelly's: belly-laugher-comments)
Last time you cried? today (If you didn't cry at this link, you are made of stone.)

Planning a birthday party for a 6 year old

Rosie will be six on Thursday. We've been so busy with other family events, entertaining, work, and friends, that I only sent out invitations today. We'll be having her party in our home, same as last year, and I'm taking some lessons I learned from last year's party to heart:

1. We can host 85 people in our house, but that doesn't mean we should.
2. When you have 20 kids in your house under five, you really ought to have structure and planned activites.
3. If you have art as an activity, you need to protect your floors and furniture (and use washable paints)
4. Ask for help. While you're hosting/hostessing, helpers can assist with photography (I love the pics one dad took last year!), helping kids with activites, setting up materials, or keeping track of your own kids (for example, we don't want the birthday girl or boy in tears).
5. Don't let the goody bags get out of hand. One or two items inside is really plenty. I like a mini-notepad and a couple crayons.

This year I'm planning to have a theme (November's all about themes, eh?): Art Party! Rosie fancies herself an artist, and there are plenty of six-year-old friendly activities to set up for art. Here's a few I'm thinking will work.

I'll set up 4 or 5 stations for fingerpainting, chalkboard, clay or playdoh, watercolor (Rosie's favorite!) and then down in the basement, silhouettes! I'm totally excited about this last one! We'll move the screen out of the way and tack paper up on the wall, then I (or a helper) can trace the outline of the child's shadow & then we'll let them fill in the shape. Oh, and cupcake decorating, natch. With prizes for creativity!

If you all have some ideas, post them in the comments. I'd really appreciate your input.

UPDATE: For those of you who are looking for very cheap things to put in goody bags, I just found these $0.60 books of stickers on sale at Dover! There are several other books for the same price; poking around their site is worth it.

Mommy chases me around the beach

I just found this drawing of Rosie's, dated 6/17/08, and remember the event clearly. She caught my expression of anxiety very well! Rosie can sprint, and I learned just how well on our beach trips to Rehoboth. She'd take off down the shoreline and before we knew it, she'd be almost out of sight. I'm so glad my dad & sister were there to watch Dash while I chased Rosie at full speed! I was SO angry at her for taking off without saying anything, but at the same time, I was impressed, thinking, We need to get this girl involved in track events!

Veterans Day

Somehow, Veterans Day doesn't seem to get the prominence that other Federal holidays do. Memorial Day is observed more widely, honoring and remembering our servicemembers that have passed, but honoring those veterans who have served and are still with us is not as fashionable. I say this as somebody who has generally worked at private companies and has never had the day off. And as somebody who has worked with veterans who were mightily cranky about having to work on a day that was meant to honor all military veterans. I will be working tomorrow, and there will be a few unofficial parties at my office (defense contractors employ LOTS of veterans).

How to celebrate this holiday? If you know a veteran, call him or her up on the phone and THANK THEM for their service. If you bump into someone you know who has served in the military at work, while shopping, or happen to stand next to them on the bus, THANK THEM. Feeling a little awkward about it? Here's a script:

"Thank you for serving."

It's just that easy. And that simple phrase will really make a Soldier, Airman, Marine, or Seaman's day. It's a great sacrifice to serve in the military and we owe our rights and freedom to the forces that fight for the United States of America. It's not necessary for you to agree with a particular war that was fought, but you ought to honor those that protected your right to debate and have the option to speak freely about your own beliefs.

My thanks goes out to all veterans. I hope you survived the transition from the battlefield back to civilian life well and are prospering. My heart goes out to you and your families if you have struggled with your health or finances. I honor your service as a gift that I can never fully repay. Thank you for serving.

Video Sunday

Thanks to a animated movie the kids love (and watch over and over) I have the opening credits song stuck in my head. That song, performed in Robin Hood by a strolling rooster with a guitar, was remade in the late 1990s on speed and a simple cartoon was added. For your viewing pleasure, I give you the birthday hampster dance:

Milestone celebrations: cancer-free

Monkeyrotica's nephew is five years cancer free.

It feels so good to say that! I'm so glad we're here. We were all so devastated by the diagnosis (stomach cancer) and how the chemo almost wiped him out. It's been a rough ride for his sister that I wouldn't have wished on any single mom.

His entire family came over to our place this afternoon just to commemorate the occasion and show how happy we are that Alex is still with us, causing trouble. My mother-in-law presided over three huge sushi platters, we toasted Alex over hot sake, and really enjoyed a wonderful meal (including some of Mr. Monkey's smoked ribs & chicken wings).

All ate with the kind of gusto you can only have when stomach cancer isn't wracking your life.

Cheers to Alex! Dude, don't scare us like that again, Ever. Stay happy & healthy.

Easy, Breezy Traditions

A family tradition can be something you do regularly to mark an occasion, anywhere from going on a beach vacation every year in the summer, to celebrating birthdays annually, to making snowmen together in the winter, to just plain having a special family dinner together every Sunday.

Rosie had a fabulous week at school! The behavior contract is really helping her stay accountable daily, even hourly. Our mini-tradition (or reward, if you will) for having a good week at school is a trip to her favorite park, the library, or swimming at the Rec Center. We all are feeling very proud of her!

What kind of mini-traditions does your family have?

How not to celebrate an anniversary

This past September, Monkeyrotica and I celebrated our eleventh anniversary. And by celebrated, I really just mean acknowledged (on my part, mostly). He bought me a gorgeous dress that I was surprised and thrilled about (and he got... [crickets chirping...] get back to you later). But man, this September and October? It was such a total bust. For various reasons (related to the economy, maybe? maybe???) I was absolutely freaked out and cancelled many plans. The anniversary dinner was just one of many things that I promised to reschedule.

We did dress up and go out on October 11 for a black tie wedding and I got to wear the dress!! It was so fabulous, I forgot that going to somebody else's wedding doesn't really count as celebrating your own anniversary.

So (this list assumes you're in charge of your family budget), here are some notes, so you don't screw up like me for your anniversaries to come:

1. Months ahead, put some $$ aside just for your spouse's gift and dinner.
2. Set a date for your dinner, & if you have kids, book a sitter at least four weeks ahead (and put some $$ aside for that too).
3. Make a reservation at least two weeks ahead at a restaurant you both like or are wanting to try.
4. Set a fabulous outfit aside a couple of days ahead, with accessories (if, like me, you are hiding in the bathroom 15 minutes before you're supposed to be leaving while you are making custom jewelry for our outfit, your spouse will not appreciate it).
5. Check with the sitter the night before to confirm; confirm with the restaurant too, while you're at it. Couldn't hurt.
6. Leave enough time to get to the restaurant at a leisurely pace.
7. If you can view the restaurant's menu ahead of time, get an idea of what you'd like to order.
8. Whatever your meal tastes like, DON'T COMPLAIN! If your spouse is anything like Monkeyrotica, any complaining will ruin, RUIN the entire experience, done, game over, try again next time. If it's easily fixed, catch the waiter on your way to powder your nose. If it's really just not right, make up your calories with a fabulous dessert.
9. ABOVE ALL, enjoy being out with each other! If you don't have kids yet, savor your time alone and linger. If you do have kids, try to talk about other things. It's tough, I know. Imagine that you have other personal pursuits, life dreams and goals and focus on them. Listen to your spouse.
10. Pretend you're on a first date. Play footsie! Sit next to each other and neck a bit like teenagers. You deserve it and it's fun!

I'm thinking I'll be able to make this up to him in December, possibly January. I'm working on #1 and #2.

Guy Fawkes Day!

Sorry, I think I was high when I suggested the Moon Festival as my next holiday (maybe later this week). What I really meant was:
HAPPY GUY FAWKES DAY!!

For those of you not familiar with Guy Fawkes, he's known to have conspired to blow up Parliament in London! Here's what Brittania.com's got to say (oops, too boring) Wikipedia's got to say (ugh, too boring too!) Somehow, I thought this was a sexier holiday, mostly because people celebrate by BURNING THINGS IN EFFIGY!! Firefirefirefire!

Okay, continuing: In 1605, Guy Fawkes et. al. tried to blow up Parliament and King James I of England by setting up a room in the basement and filling it with gunpowder. This attempt was foiled on November 5, 1605, and Mr. Fawkes and conspiritors were subsequently hanged, drawn, and quartered (and their heads were put on pikes).

And of course, the CELEBRATION! What do people do on Guy Fawkes Day?

From Wikipedia:

"In the United Kingdom, celebrations take place in towns and villages across the country in the form of both private and civic events. They involve fireworks displays and the building of bonfires on which traditionally "guys" are burnt, although this practice is not always observed in modern times. These "guys" are traditionally effigies of Guy Fawkes, the most famous of the Gunpowder Plot conspirators. Although the night is celebrated in York (Fawkes' hometown) some there do not burn his effigy, most notably those from his old school. Before the fifth, children traditionally use the "guys" to request a "penny for the guy" in order to raise funds with which to buy fireworks.

In the United Kingdom, there are several foods that are traditionally consumed on Guy Fawkes Night:

• black treacle goods such as bonfire toffee and parkin,
• toffee apples
• baked potatoes, more commonly and traditonally referred to as jacket potatoes in the UK, which are wrapped in foil and cooked in the bonfire or its embers
• black peas with vinegar"

Awesome! So, to you all, go and light a fire tonight in the spirit of Guy Fawkes, or just toast to him, "The only man who entered Parliament with honest intent." If the spirits call, chant this verse:

Remember, remember the Fifth of November,
The Gunpowder Treason and Plot,
I can think of no reason
Why the Gunpowder Treason
Should ever be forgot.
Guy Fawkes, Guy Fawkes, t'was his intent
To blow up the King and Parli'ment.
Three-score barrels of powder below
To prove old England's overthrow;
By God's providence he was catch'd
With a dark lantern and burning match.
Holloa boys, holloa boys, let the bells ring.
Holloa boys, holloa boys, God save the King!

Happy Birthday Monkeyrotica!

monk-e_41
Originally uploaded by nylonthread

I love you, you crazy mofo. Keep keepin' it weird, straight up.

Oh, and since I used some FSM art, here's the requisite link.

Why celebrate?

What’s the difference between a celebration and a festival? A tradition and a ritual? Why do we crave them? In the next 26 days, I’m looking at celebrations. We want them. We need them. What else have we got to look forward to?

It’s humanity’s need to create order out of chaos, and to create meaning where there is none. We are compelled to set markers, to check the passing of time, to look forward to what’s coming in our near or extended future. With traditions that have intervals, we can compare our growth from point to point and have a reference for tracking our and others’ lives.

Before Hallmark and other religious/secular holiday calendars, the main method of marking time was to follow the path of the moon and stars, tracking seasons and agricultural growth periods. (Monkeyrotica’s sidebar: did you know that ancient man used to think that the moon caused pregnancy? Women’s menstrual cycles coincide with lunar cycles, so why the hell not?) Humans celebrated when the first blooms appeared on trees to show the advent of spring (vernal equinox) and again when it was time to harvest (autumnal equinox). Just when we think we can’t take the long, hot, days of summer and the short, dark days of winter we look forward to the solstices, which are the shortest and longest days of the year.

We celebrate with a prom or debutante ball to mark when young men and women in our community have come of age and are ready to enter society as adults. Marriage ceremonies are elaborate rituals celebrating couples who take vows of commitment, proclaim adherence to laws, and join their two families as a greater whole. Funeral customs honor, remember, and celebrate the lives of the dead and bring together loved ones to reflect on their own lives.

Without tradition, ceremonies, rituals, and festivals, there would be nothing to break the monotony of life. We need something to do while we are waiting to die, you know?

This week, I'm planning to focus on harvest festivals, as they are peculiar to this season and we'll actually hit a few specific ones during NaBloPoMo. Tomorrow, a harvest festival that's recently passed in 2008: China's Moon Festival.

World holidays & festivals, a theme

Native American Museum
Originally uploaded by nylonthread

A few other folks I know who are participating in NaBloPoMo have chosen a theme for their posts this month—this is totally at the blogger's discretion, only suggested as a tool for getting those posts written.

That said, given the content of my last two day's posts and some historical avoidings leanings of mine, my November theme is World Holidays & Festivals. I may or may not stick to it, bear with me.

If you have a favorite holiday/festival that you'd like me to feature, add it into the comments; I'd totally love that!

Some background to this theme idea: years ago, after college—but before marriage and kids—it was just me and my fine arts degree in graphic design. My dad, ever looking ahead, found the perfect way for me to rake in a boatload of cash (a way that I mostly stonewalled). It was a brilliant idea, only it was a lot of work, required an entrepreneurial spirit, and wasn't the direction that I saw my career going.

The Idea: design, illustrate, write, produce, and sell greeting cards for non-Hallmark holidays. Or, not even non-Hallmark but particularly celestial holidays that focus on getting back to seasonal rhythms. For example, a celestial event that would be appropriate (and that coincidentally falls on or near my dad's birthday) is the Vernal or Autumnal Equinox. I bought a few books on the subject of celestial events at the time and even threw an equinox party one year, complete with planting sapling trees and a harvest feast. Anyway, details on those celebrations will be saved for another post. Suffice to say, this is a subject that has been floating in my periphery, though I have not actualized the greeting card concept.

For the world end of things, I have access (through work) to many international projects, holidays, travelers, and customs that I may feature when I'm searching for a good topic. I'm looking forward to this!

I leave you with a delightful image of Rosie, with her gorgeous paper flower that we made at the Smithsonian's Dia de los Muertos Festival.

Day of the dead altar

Welcoming your dead loved ones back to your home.

Taking the train

On our way to the museums!

Happy Dia de los Muertos!

(And happy first day of NaBloPoMo, to all who are participating.)

Growing up in suburban Chicago, I knew nothing of Dia de los Muertos, or Day of the Dead. My friend Kelly, who has lived all over the place, really brought the holiday out of the periphery for me and showed me what a wondrously joyful tradition it is, shedding a bright light on places other cultures prefer to leave in the shadows, celebrating the lives of the dead.

From Wikipedia:

"Many people believe that during the Day of the Dead, it is easier for the souls of the departed to visit the living. People will go to cemeteries to communicate with the souls of the departed, and will build private altars, containing the favorite foods and beverages, and photos and memorabilia, of the departed. The intent is to encourage visits by the souls, so that the souls will hear the prayers and the comments of the living directed to them. Celebrations can take a humorous tone, as celebrants remember funny events and anecdotes about the departed.

Plans for the festival are made throughout the year, including gathering the goods to be offered to the dead. During the period of November 1 and November 2, families usually clean and decorate graves; most visit the cemeteries where their loved ones are buried and decorate their graves with ofrendas, or offerings, which often include orange marigolds called "cempasúchitl" (originally named cempoalxochitl, Nahuatl for "twenty (i.e., many) flowers"). In modern Mexico this name is often replaced with the term "Flor de Muerto" ("Flower of the Dead"). These flowers are thought to attract souls of the dead to the offerings.

Toys are brought for dead children (los angelitos, or little angels), and bottles of tequila, mezcal, pulque or atole for adults. Families will also offer trinkets or the deceased's favorite candies on the grave. Ofrendas are also put in homes, usually with foods such as candied pumpkin, pan de muerto ("bread of the dead") or sugar skulls and beverages such as atole. The ofrendas are left out in the homes as a welcoming gesture for the deceased. Some people believe the spirits of the dead eat the "spiritual essence" of the ofrenda food, so even though the celebrators eat the food after the festivities, they believe it lacks nutritional value. Pillows and blankets are left out so that the deceased can rest after their long journey. In some parts of Mexico, such as the towns of Mixquic, Pátzcuaro and Janitzio, people spend all night beside the graves of their relatives."

Although Monkeyrotica has three relatives that are buried locally, his dad and his paternal grandparents, we have never celebrated this holiday in a cemetery. We've spent it with friends and have had quieter festivities, in a more "spiritual-essence-of-it-all" way.

Tomorrow, we're planning to head over to the National Museum of the American Indian, like we did last year. We'll be getting there early this time! Last year, we were late, missed all the demonstrations and dancing, but enjoyed ourselves anyway. The girls loved the paper flowers and wore them in their hair.

Rosie knows what she's doing.

RosieBakes
Originally uploaded by nylonthread

Just check out that confident look in her eye. Rosie knows more than you think. There's so much going on in that mysterious noggin of hers, we'll never realize more than a shard, a sliver.

Again, all we've been hearing in the past week from her school has been negative. She was sent to the principal's office twice in one day for several physical incidents (one that drew blood); we are all terribly shocked. Monkeyrotica and I met with her teacher today—our first official meeting—and learned that there is one specific child in her class, a boy, that she just can't resist tormenting.

She needs to work on curbing her impulses. We went over the behavior contract that will target keeping her hands to herself and completing assigned work, and look forward to getting the daily reports on her progress. We asked about the classroom and whether the teachers thought Rosie was a good match for their room; of course they said yes (I thought they might be objective, silly me). They've moved Rosie to a small desk at the back of the room and proclaimed that she loves her new placement, complete with fewer distractions and calmer, less distracting tablemates.

While we were there, Miss M. offered to show us her report for the academic testing that we were planning to review next week in a pre-scheduled meeting. Academically, the baseline for all the students in her classroom at this point in the year is 61. By the end of the year, they expect 165. What was Rosie's score?

155.

She scored 100% on most of her tests including math, reading, word/number/color recognition, and phonics. Despite all the trouble we are having, she is in the top of her Kindergarten class.

OMG, I am spinning. We have a delinquent. We have a genius! Must they come hand in hand?

I got my in-person, absentee vote on

VoteD
Originally uploaded by nylonthread

Yesterday I jogged to the absentee polling site to vote. Make yours count! If you can go early, go!

I only waited for 25 minutes, but I heard that there was a three-hour wait the day before. Many of the folks in the line with me were retired and several had walkers/helpers. This election is getting people motivated!

For more intelligent thoughts on the vote and political issues, try (and I'm just going through my links on hand here):
Hey, Ho, KellyGO!
The Journey
Margaret and Helen
Up From Sloth

(and yes, I have no make-up on, except a bit of lipstick. the close-up is not flattering.)

Jewelry sale, weekend recap.

SANY1856
Originally uploaded by nylonthread

Well, the jewelry sale was a bit of a bust. I had one sale by the woman who told me about the event (I think she took pity on me) that helped me break even with the cost of the booth. The few that stopped at all and offered any thought to what they were looking for wanted items under $10 that they could give as gifts to the under age-8 set. So, cheap and durable.

Not my forte. More later!

Adding On:
The rest of the weekend was a bit of a blur. We were invited to three parties the evening after the sale, one in D.C., one in Maryland, and one two doors over. Since Monkeyrotica was committed to smoking a pork shoulder in the Kamado for our work party on Sunday, I went to my neighbors' party with the kids and he stayed in. It was fun, an annual pre-Halloween party that we'd been to a few years running. All the kids are getting older, many teenaged, so there were much fewer of them in costume this year (which is A-OK with Rosie). I forgot to photograph my kids' costumes! There will be other opportunities, you'll be seeing my princess and pirate soon enough.

Sunday was the video screening party for my coworkers. The office had just finished a 30-minute training video for U.S. Marine Corps customer. Since we have a 120" screen for our home theater, the video team asked me if I'd host the party. Sure! And since Monkeyrotica had been instructing the DCist.com crowd on how to cook the best bratwurst, I offered brats as the main dish (pulled pork came later). A couple of my coworkers surveyed the abundance on the spread and said, "I'm just going to eat until I'm uncomfortably full." Rock on.

The video was fantastic! I work with some very talented people. The subject was a sad one: evocative training for Marines, preparing them to inform next of kin that their loved one had died (several folks were in tears throughout). Everyone there had participated, from direction, scripting, filming, editing, post-production, scoring, scheduling, scouting, and casting. It was a great gathering and we were all very proud of the final cut after it was screened.

We picked up some pumpkins: here are the kids in the patch, looking squinty on a very sunny day. AH, there's the pirate!

Nylonthread, selling her wares (in public!)

My new business card, do you like it? Designing this card is only one of many reasons I've been a little quiet lately.

Heedless of my better judgment, two weeks ago I signed up to be a craft vendor at a local holiday bazaar. I'm now two days and counting till my act must be together. I haven't done anything like this in 12 years (and even then, I shared a booth with a more experienced jeweler who has since made a very successful career of it).

For those of you who are local, here are the details:

October 25th, 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.
2008 Holiday Craft Bazaar
Good Shepherd Catholic Church
8710 Mount Vernon Highway
Alexandria, VA 22309

I'll have everything that's up on my Etsy site and more! This past weekend, I scoped out another craft event to get some ideas and a few things stuck with me: dramatic colors and interesting displays helped set off the items for sale; many of the vendors didn't have business cards (hence my newly designed card above); and also the vendors who had items that I was interested in did not accept credit cards. I hardly ever carry cash, and I know many people who don't as well, so I will be using Propay.com (recommended by users on a Etsy listserve I belong to) to accept credit and maybe make a few more sales that way.

Wish me luck, and stop by if you're local.

Blackbird singing...

NASA SR-71 Blackbird
Originally uploaded by James Gordon

At the Air and Space Museum yesterday, Rosie and Dash had their much anticipated viewing of "Starships." We plenty of space-themed Sci-FI movies on regular rotation at the Strings as well as a Starship-shaped tent in the basement and space-patterned bedding for Dash. Rosie liked the museum well enough, pointing out interesting items as we went through. They really enjoyed the large exhibits that allowed museum-goers to walk through and try out the equipment. All was fine, educational, and interesting. Until we got to the SR-71.

Dash stared. He caressed the glass. He wouldn't budge. He was entranced by the sexy sleekness, the dangerous, dark pointiness of the Blackbird on display, a USAF high-altitude, reconnaissance aircraft 1/16-scale model.

He wanted it. Oh, my GOD, he wanted it. With all of his 3.5-year-old existence.

"Mommy, can I HAVE this?" he asked.
"No, sweetie, it's part of the museum displays," I answered.
"Well, we can just BREAK the glass then, and take it home with us," Dash retorted, with some anxiety.
"I'm sorry sweetheart, we can't break the glass." I said, the voice of reason.
[[sobbing]]
"We can check the gift shop, maybe there's another one over there."
[[sniff, sob]] "O-O-O [[snf]] kay," sobbed Dash, drying his tears.

Thank the lord there was one cast-iron mini SR-71 left in the A&S museum shop. It now belongs to the boy, despite the age-recommendation of 14 and up on the packaging.

Up Your Vitamin D Intake STAT!

Milk
Originally uploaded by pixiepie

Just in from The Washington Post: Kids should be getting a minimum of 400 IU of Vitamin D daily, double the previous recommendation of 200 IU.

The Post article states:

"Kids from newborns to teenagers should take twice as much Vitamin D as previously recommended because it may help prevent serious disease, a leading medical group said yesterday... In the past it had been recommended that kids get 200 units of Vitamin D a day. Now, the doctors are saying, they should take 400 units. Vitamin D can be taken in drops, capsules or tablets.

Most milk that you can buy in the store is fortified with Vitamin D. But most kids don't drink enough of it. You need four cups daily to meet the requirement. Other foods, including cereal, are also packed with Vitamin D, as are the oily fish tuna, mackerel and sardines.

But it's hard to get enough through diet. The best source is sunlight, because the body makes Vitamin D when sunshine hits the skin. The new advice is based on research showing that Vitamin D not only helps keep bones strong but might also play a role in preventing disease."

For more hard-line data, here is a link to the full news article.

They don't mention a detail in this particular article, but I've read in other places that Americans generally don't get enough D because of all the sunscreen we slather on, trying to avoid skin cancer. Sunscreen blocks our skin's absorption of necessary Vitamin D. Oh please, doctors on high, can you tell us how to balance good sun rays vs bad?

According to Nutrition News, to get an adequate exposure to Vitamin D through sunlight:

"Your body makes vitamin D when you are exposed to the ultraviolet B (UVB) rays in sunlight. You probably need from 5 to 30 minutes of exposure to the skin on your face, arms, back or legs (without sunscreen) twice every week. Since exposure to sunlight is a risk for skin cancer, you should use sunscreen after a few minutes in the sun and even in the winter and on hazy, cloudy days."

Got that? A maximum of 30 minutes sunscreen-free a twice a week. Thanks Dr. Jegtvig!

And drink more milk.

Week 6 K-12: Finally, some good news!

Rosie on the carousel
Originally uploaded by nylonthread

I just received a phone call from the Principal of Rosie's Elementary School. Now, the instinctual reflex of getting a principal-call is to flinch, right? You all flinched, didn't you? C'mon, admit it.

He expected the cringe, so started off the call with, "This is Mr. M., principal at Rosie's school, and don't worry, this is a call with a good message." Thank goodness! I have been wanting to hear something warm 'n' fuzzy so badly I wrote an email to her teacher earlier this week that pleaded for it; here's an excerpt:

"...Can you let me know if there are any positives to Rosie's kindergarten experience as yet? All I have heard so far is negatives (slow, unfocused, distracted, not-listening, twiddling-with-accessories) and that is getting us all pretty down. What is she doing well? How is she excelling during her day? I do need something to help pump her up, or she's just going to stop wanting to go to school altogether."

The very good news is not only that Miss M. is back from the hospital full time, but she let Mr. M. know (his quote was that she "fairly danced into his office to say") this afternoon that Rosie has really turned a corner this week and has been getting all of her work done during the school day! She's behaving well and is no longer under a threat to be on a "behavior contract" (yes, that was a threat at the beginning of this week). She asked that the principal call us—monkeyrotica got a call, too—directly and give us her good feedback.

We'll be following up on his suggestion that we give her a treat this weekend and let her know how proud we are, especially since she has shown in class that she's terribly proud of herself!

(green is my happy color)

I know, I know, this is such a small step, but Kindergarten has turned out to be uncharted territory for the Strings. We thought she was doing great—better than all the others in her Pre-K class, really—and were floored when Rosie didn't adapt well to public school. Just when I'm starting to feel like an old hand at this parenting stuff, I get whacked down by unforeseen events.

I know we're not out of the woods (you like all the hackneyed clichés I'm throwing in here? it's been a long week), and it's possible that we may see some relapses. At the moment, I'm sighing a big relieved breath and looking forward to a calm 3-day weekend that doesn't involve thrusting Crayolas into our daughter's face.

Mr. Happy

Mr. Happy
Originally uploaded by nylonthread

I've got waaay too much going on, plenty to blog about but no time to compose the posts for my thoughts.

I leave you all with a photo of Dash and a few of his favorite things: grapes, milk, and no pants.

I <3 Parent Hacks

burying the evidence
Originally uploaded by monkeyrotica

Monkeyrotica snapped this pic yesterday afternoon while I was still teleworking in our basement office. He let the kids blow off some steam while running and shrieking in the backyard after school. I'm sure they needed it! All the pressure we've been putting on Rosie for school as well as our switched-up schedules has to be released somehow. Otherwise, the stress shows up in unexpected ways: Rosie's been waking up weepy, asking where daddy is (he left for work 90 minutes ago, sorry), and Dash has been much, much more clingy at drop-off this week.

All last month, his drop-offs had been wonderful! I'd bring him in, wash his hands, set him up at a table, kiss, hug, bye! No fuss. But for the past few days, he wants me to stay and play or take him with me. Then he starts throwing a fit as I'm trying to slink away to work.

A tip I picked up at Parent Hacks gave me an idea. Yesterday, I got out a pen, and drew him a happy face on his hand. I told him that the happy face wanted him to be happy and that he could think of mommy whenever he looked at it.

When he started acting up today, his teacher came in close and asked, "Why don't you try that happy face again? He showed it to everyone yesterday and couldn't stop talking about it!" SCORE! Parent Hacks. They do come up with excellent tips. If you haven't been, go check out Asha Dornfest's site.

Maybe Mr. Monkey needs to draw her a little picture or write Rosie a note in the morning before he heads out the door? Just to let her know that he was thinking of her...

So incredibly universal...

WE THE ROBOTS
Originally uploaded by nylonthread

...This topic is the subject of today's WE THE ROBOTS cartoon by Chris Harding. Go check it out.

Thanks to The Bughouse for sharing this link on your feed reader!

Some perspective, far-away and close-in

Rosie Paints
Originally uploaded by nylonthread

Amidst all this discussion on the Kindergarten work with Rosie (which if you haven't noticed, has thrown me for a loop?), my mom came over with some (very) old papers the other day. What might they be? My very own elementary-school evaluations from 2nd through 5th grade.

To paraphrase, every single one had sentiments such as:

"Nylonthread is a joy to have in my room! She needs to concentrate on finishing her assignments more thoroughly." Mrs. Sobol
Or, "Nylonthread has a real gift in art and drawing. If she can learn to do her work on time that will help in her next grade." Mrs. Williams

I'm cutting her some slack, of course.

Pictured: Rosie in her patented "too close to the paper" pose. Looks to me like she is completely engrossed in her activity. I don't see any warning signs of dangerously deviant behavior here, do you?

Coloring to perfection

Yesterday afternoon, I learned that Rosie didn't finish her assignment again, and the teachers sent home a very disappointed note along with the incomplete work. I was determined to figure out what is going on, so I sat down with her and asked what was happening.

"I'm too slow, " she said. "And my fingers get tired. All that coloring is very tiring."

It dawned on me that all the work she's brought home is very densely colored and thick with crayon. She's holding the crayons too tightly!! And pressing down too hard!! She's also using multiple colors to fill tiny spaces, so is spending a lot of time making color choices.

We took out all her pages and spread them out at her new desk. There were 4 pages of work, with 3 images to color on the first, 6 on the second, and 18 on the third. Once the images are colored, then she's supposed to trim each of the little pieces out (27 total, mostly circles) and glue them to the fourth page. She spent the entire 45 minutes of classtime coloring in the first page alone! I really think this is crazy boring busy work, but I didn't get anywhere when I told the teacher my opinion about it.

I gave her some tips on how to satisfy her teachers. Press lightly on the crayon, use longer strokes, and use fewer colors to speed up the process. If her fingers get tired, shake out her hand and try holding the crayon in a different position. These suggestions are very dissatisfying to me, on her behalf, because she really seems to love the density of the colors and the process of choosing many different hues for a single shape.

She wants to talk about each (one-inch square) image and make up stories about it, carefully choose the right colors for it. While she's talking, she's not coloring. It took us close to an hour to finish the remainder of her work, with me right there, egging her on. The time quickly ebbs away. This is not creative work. All I can figure is that the teachers just want the students to whisk some scratches of color on, slice away at the paper, glue willy-nilly, and move on to the next segment of the day.

Rosie's first day at soccer practice

Excite Soccer, Kindergartners 9/29
Originally uploaded by nylonthread

Rosie's first day at soccer practice! She is wearing pink & is the only child holding the ball in her arms. I'm sure they'll be setting her straight soon enough.

It was so nice of the coach to send a photo! They said she had a great time.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TODD!

TODD!
Originally uploaded by nylonthread

Bonne anniversaire to one of my sweetest pals, Todd. It's wonderful to have such a delightfully funny, warm, and loving friend in our lives. On behalf of all the Strings, we wish you all the bestest with plenty of music, health, and engaging college classes in this coming year.

Visit his blog and wish him a happy day!

Week 5: Yes, another entry in the K-12 saga.

Lila & Rosie on the carousel
Originally uploaded by nylonthread

Thanks all for your suggestions on motivating Rosie. We have some action! plans! underway which I'll describe (eventually). After receiving that message from Rosie's teacher 2 posts (and weeks) ago, we were informed that the very next day Miss M. had been hospitalized (blood clot in brain--Yikes!). There is a substitute in place, but she may not be back in the classroom for possibly a month or more (Rosie painted her a lovely get well card). I left a few VM messages to the assistant and an email during the week to find out some details on Rosie's situation with the classwork, but didn't get any feedback. Until this past Wednesday.

On Wednesday, she was sent home with a large folder packed full of unfinished assignments, all coloring/cutting/glueing projects, each with a sticky note indicating the date that the assignments were to be returned. Oh, and a ziplock bag with a couple locks of HER OWN HAIR inside. WTF?? No explanation.

After leaving a freaked-out message with the school's office staff on Thursday, I finally talked with the substitute, Mrs. S, who had been substituting for one week at this point. She gave me this information:

"Rosie is distracted and unfocused. She hasn't finished a single assignment since the first week of school. When she is working, she leans forward so far, her nose is practically touching the paper. When she isn't working, she is fiddling with her hairband, her jewelry, her buttons, her chair. We would appreciate it if you didn't send her in with hairbands or jewelry. She ignores authority and refuses to work any faster no matter how we present the assignments."

When I asked about the hair, I was told that "she was working alone, separated from the other children in hopes that would eliminate distractions. When we discovered she had cut her hair, she told us that 'it was in the way.'" They had taken her hairband away...

The good news is that on Wednesday evening, we had a heart-to-heart with Rosie on how important finishing work is in the Kindergarten environment. Her preschool didn't mind if she wasn't engaged, but in Kindergarten, she is learning how to develop skills and habits she'll need to be a good student. On Thursday afternoon, she was sent home with "Terrific!" and "Nice Job!" on the assignments that she finished that day. Hooray! Progress.

Even so, that evening, getting Rosie to focus was almost impossible. We set her up at my craft table in the basement while I worked on the computer, but she would only color for a few seconds before announcing, "I'm done." It didn't help that Dash was watching cartoons in the next room.

Here's what we did:
Gave her a place to work. Her room is cluttered and distracting and there isn't a place for her to work. Friday, I went to the Container Store and bought the desk piece for her Elfa shelving (I've been meaning to do this for years). I also picked up several bins for her to stash all her stuff in.

Eliminated distractions. We declared that this would be a no-TV weekend, until she finished her assignments. No going to the pool, or playdates, or games as well.

Gave her a haircut. No explanation necessary. :-)

All Saturday, in between visiting Grandma Ikiko, ballet class, going to a work-BBQ, and helping Rosie along, I set up her room. I dumped out all her random toys and put them in the new bins, moved her old craft desk into Dash's room, and set up the new Elfa desk. The room looked pretty freaking cramped by the time the desk was in (the door won't open up all the way, for example), so I had to make further adjustments on Sunday.

Sunday, I moved her bed and wardrobe-closet to opposite sides of the room. I installed shelves to get items off the floor. I moved her largest toys down to the basement. Auntie M and I took Granddad Jim out with the kids for an after-lunch outing in Old Town (it was his birthday last week), and I finished up when we got back. By the time dinner came around, everything was done. Rosie's first few assignments were complete, her room was rearranged (hopefully easier for her to de-clutter on her own!), and she got to watch a TV show. I got to have a drink. Nothing else got done this weekend. No laundry, no dishes, no shopping, no maintenance.

Oh and by the way, Sunday was our 11th wedding anniversary. What did Monkeyrotica and I do to celebrate? Clink our wine glasses together over dinner (that he cooked) while the kids watched Spongebob. Happy Anniversary, baby! I hope we are getting the message through to Rosie: we do care and her schoolwork is important to us. She is a sweet little girl and this is new ground for all of us.

Don't Forget Tomorrow Is...

Talk Like a Pirate Day!!

The official site for Talk Like a Pirate Day, which is an annual international holiday on September 19th, is HERE.

If ye need some brushin up on yer Pirate lingo, best ye visit yonder site.

To celebrate in yer place o' work, check out Joanne's list!

Arrr, in the String's house, a favorite Pirate book for the kids is this one: How I Became a Pirate, by Melinda Long and David Shannon. Great for getting the kids to talk like pirates, too!

Have at it tomorrow, and let me know how ye displayed yer pirateattude!

Here's a pic of my pirate, li'l Cap'n Patch! Avast!

Week 3, K-12: First kindergarten dilemma

Kindergarten Schoolwork 3
Originally uploaded by Noell

Rosie's teacher, Miss M., just volunteered this information to me:

"Rosie seems to work very slowly. She hardly finishes any work assigned during instructional time, and will not pick up the pace, despite the numerous amounts of encouragement given to her. I have provided her with one-on-one assistance, as well as positive reinforcement, but nothing seems to work. Today she had to sit and complete her morning work during storytime, as we got nothing from her to check over this morning. Please talk to Rosie about the importance of finishing her work in the allotted time."

We did encounter this non-participation issue around this time last year in pre-school and I blogged about it then.

Please, if anyone has suggestions on how to motivate a five-(almost 6)year-old to get it done, post them in the comments! Thanks!

Week 2 in K-12 World

School Bus
Originally uploaded by nikki.jane

We are at the end of Rosie's second week of Kindergarten and now can answer the question, did it rock our world? Answer: Yes.
Here are the big changes:

• We no longer commute together
B.K. (before kindergarten) We'd all pack up as a family into one car, drop me off at Metro, then Mr. Monkey would take the kids to daycare. We had extra family time together in the car and saved $$ on gas and auto repair bills.
• Mr. Monkey changed his work schedule (AWS, in Gov-speak)
He's leaving the house at 5:30 a.m. now, just as I'm getting up. We exchange a kiss and he doesn't even see the kids in the morning before he's out the door. He picks up Dash and is home by 4:30 p.m. We roughly see each other (awake) between 6 and 8 p.m. on weekdays now.
• Grandma Sheila takes Rosie to and from the bus
My mom is a saint. She's been arriving at my house at 6:30 a.m. so I can get Dash to daycare and on to work, then feeds Rosie breakfast, helps her dress, get her things ready for school, and takes her to the bus stop (with fewest dogs). In the afternoon, she retrieves Rosie from the stop and they wait at home for Mr. Monkey to show up. She's actually even done a bit of housework for me, and I'm just beside myself in my good luck here.
• I'm clocking a lot more Beltway time
I've gone from being a passenger in the family car and Metro rider to being a solo driver in my work commute. I tried using public transit once last week, but I was an hour late getting to work and then an hour and a half late getting home. I missed dinner and just arrived in time to get the kids in bed. That was on a clear day with no delays, so I don't see it getting easier. Our fuel budget is wrecked. Question: I need to let my auto insurance know this, right? And they will increase my premium? Aieeee!
• I'm teleworking, but just once a week
I've teleworked twice in the past two weeks and it really worked well! The first week I actually went for a mid-day run. I'm about to submit an application to make it a more formal deal with two days a week (mostly because everything about my previous bullet bites).
• Dash is starting to get jealous
Dash sees Rosie getting all the Grandma-time and Grandma shopping for her school supplies (the school will keep asking for more, all year round, right?) and asks, "What did you get for me, Grandma?" He actually insisted that my mom give him what she was eating this morning, because he HAD to get something, anything from Grandma.
• We're learning a bit more about Rosie's day
Rosie is not much of a talker and her preschool teachers seemed limited to "she had a good/bad day" in their feedback to us much of the time. We are now hearing a little more (still not much) about things like the playground, the library, her letter-B project, and her music class. I'm certain she's been doing well on the whole, based on her own abilities, but she prefers not to give narration on her day.

I'll put up more updates, as things progress!

the omnivore's one hundred

What a magnificent view for us omnivores - smoked and cured meats and cheeses galore
Originally uploaded by bonaireguy

I haven't done a meme in a while and just found this one on KellyGO's shared feed. Very Good Taste (via Postbourgie and Ezra Klein) gave a list of food items, plus the following instructions:
1) Copy this list into your blog or journal, including these instructions.
2) Bold all the items you’ve eaten.
3) Cross out any items that you would never consider eating.
4) Optional extra: Post a comment here at www.verygoodtaste.co.uk linking to your results.

The VGT Omnivore’s Hundred:

1. Venison (my nephews like to hunt, Monkeyrotica likes a cooking challenge)
2. Nettle tea (I'm a bit of an herbal tea tester)
3. Huevos rancheros
4. Steak tartare (I'm not sure here, I rarely do rare or raw red meat)
5. Crocodile (or alligator beignet)
6. Black pudding (first in Ireland, and then at home. Dash likes it!)
7. Cheese fondue
8. Carp
9. Borscht (one of Monkeyrotica's favorites!)
10. Baba ghanoush
11. Calamari
12. Pho
13. PB&J sandwich
14. Aloo gobi
15. Hot dog from a street cart (DC half smokes, too!)
16. Epoisses
17. Black truffle
18. Fruit wine made from something other than grapes (mead)
19. Steamed pork buns (mmmm, dim sum)
20. Pistachio ice cream (LOVE, LOVE!)
21. Heirloom tomatoes
22. Fresh wild berries
23. Foie gras (Eve)
24. Rice and beans (practically a staple, how did it get on this list?)
25. Brawn, or head cheese (Eve called it tête du cochón. doesn't that sound better?)
26. Raw Scotch Bonnet pepper
27. Dulce de leche
28. Oysters (mmm, oyster shooters at M&S)
29. Baklava
30. Bagna cauda
31. Wasabi peas
32. Clam chowder in a sourdough bowl
33. Salted lassi
34. Sauerkraut
35. Root beer float
36. Cognac with a fat cigar (not into cigars)
37. Clotted cream tea
38. Vodka jelly/Jell-O
39. Gumbo (a Mr. Monkey regular menu item)
40. Oxtail (Mr. Monkey makes this as soup)
41. Curried goat
42. Whole insects (anyone remember "The Insect Club?")
43. Phaal
44. Goat’s milk
45. Malt whisky from a bottle worth £60/$120 or more
46. Fugu
47. Chicken tikka masala
48. Eel
49. Krispy Kreme original glazed doughnut (hello, there's one down the street?)
50. Sea urchin (whuuuuah, terrible. but I ate part of it.)
51. Prickly pear
52. Umeboshi
53. Abalone
54. Paneer
55. McDonald’s Big Mac Meal
56. Spaetzle
57. Dirty gin martini
58. Beer above 8% ABV
59. Poutine
60. Carob chips (it was the 70s. my mom loved her the health food store.)
61. S’mores (I was a Campfire Girl)
62. Sweetbreads (Eve, again)
63. Kaolin
64. Currywurst
65. Durian
66. Frogs’ legs
67. Beignets, churros, elephant ears or funnel cake
68. Haggis
69. Fried plantain
70. Chitterlings, or andouillette
71. Gazpacho
72. Caviar and blini
73. Louche absinthe
74. Gjetost, or brunost
75. Roadkill
76. Baijiu
77. Hostess Fruit Pie
78. Snail
79. Lapsang souchong
80. Bellini
81. Tom yum
82. Eggs Benedict
83. Pocky (one of our kids' favorite treats)
84. Tasting menu at a three-Michelin-star restaurant.
85. Kobe beef
86. Hare (that means rabbit, right?)
87. Goulash
88. Flowers
89. Horse
90. Criollo chocolate
91. Spam
92. Soft shell crab
93. Rose harissa
94. Catfish
95. Mole poblano
96. Bagel and lox
97. Lobster Thermidor
98. Polenta
99. Jamaican Blue Mountain coffee
100. Snake (outside of Tempe, AZ)

I'm pretty sure that I've eaten all those things (or maybe I have trouble separating just watching "A Cook's Tour" from reality) and I won't completely write off trying the things I haven't bolded.

I tag my usual suspects, or at least a few folks who have commented here recently:

Dee, Dees, Hill Rat, Kelly, Catherine, Wreke, and PhilFree

Commuting to work by bicycle

Commute -1939-
Originally uploaded by sewin

With our new schedule, and me dropping off Dash at daycare every morning, a bike commute is virtually out of the question (I would be getting to work somewhere between 9 and 10 a.m.). But, I do like these statistics (that have a U.K. slant):

Pedal power

— A cyclist can travel 1,037km (644 miles) on the energy equivalent of one litre of petrol

— Regular cycling can make you as fit as someone who is ten years younger

— A cyclist consumes 1/50th of the oxygen of a car making the same journey

— A twice daily half-hour commute will, over a year, consume the energy equivalent of 24lb of fat

— In 1949, 34 per cent of all mechanised journeys were made by bicycle. Fifty years later that figure had fallen to 2 per cent

— The rate of serious heart disease for civil servants who cycle 20 miles or more a week is 50 per cent lower than for their sedentary colleagues

Hm, maybe I'll try it once or twice before it gets too cold? Dash might like the bike trailer ride and I can stay off busy roads.

Week 1, K-12: Coincidences

Mom's Kindergarten Classroom
Originally uploaded by BeerNotBombs

Each time I've seen Rosie's new teacher, Miss M., I keep thinking that she looks really, really familiar; she is a tall brunette with olive-tone skin and brown eyes.

Each and every time I've gone to a parent activity at Rosie's school, I've run into Ashley's mom, Heather, from Rosie's ballet class. I've known them for over a year now, chatting before and after ballet. Heather is a tall brunette with olive-tone skin and brown eyes.

There are over 300 kids at the school, so with many families attending with both parents, there's potentially 600 people, and I keep bumping right into this mom. Coincidence?

Last night, we were chatting about which teachers our daughters have and she mentioned, "Oh, right, Miss M.'s my sister. She told me that Rosie's doing great!" That's cool that they were talking about the kids together. I wonder why Rosie's name came up though? Did she stand out? I don't think I mentioned earlier which teacher Rosie had, or she would have told me then that Miss M. was her sibling.

Ashley's not in her aunt's classroom; luck of the draw, she is in the multi-age classroom where we were hoping Rosie would be placed. Heather insisted that Miss M. is an excellent teacher, but likes the situation her daughter is in because the multi-age places her physically closer to her older brother Austin's classroom.

It's good to know, second-hand, that Rosie's doing well! My girl is not much of a talker, so all I know directly is that she thinks her new school is "okay," the playground is her favorite part, and she sat next to "a boy and a girl" on the bus.