Yes it has been about a month since I last wrote/updated and at that time I promised a loooong post - well here it is!!!
Remember back in March how I was whining that we were soooo busy - I made the mistake of saying "I can't keep up - this has to change". Life then went into hyperdrive and I now realize that March was a piece of cake - almost leisurely. Since March, there has been a new niece, vacation to DC, lay offs at work, pre-teen meltdowns, school projects, and on, and on. At any rate - I have come to realize I will never catch up on anything - work, parenting, school projects, house cleaning (really do you believe I am trying on this one?), yard work, and most of all the blog. But here I am - I will attempt to catch everyone up with our lives. Catching up - the new normal. Obviously this is a looonnnng post.
NEW NIECE
Most exciting of all is that in May our second niece was born - Welcome Scarlett True!!! She is so cute. I think she looks a bit like Kit when Kit was a baby. Reports from the east are that she is doing well and getting big. Check out the blog with her smiling - too cute.
SPRING BREAK (April 2009)- WASHINGTON DC
Through out my life “Spring Break” has meant many things. I don’t actually remember ever having spring break when I was in elementary school. However, in junior high and high school I can remember having spring break and it meaning that summer swim season was just around the corner and time with no school meant extra swim teamworkouts. My senior year in High School I remember spending spring break working extra hours at Mervyn’s to earn money for college. In college spring break meant going to La Jolla/San Diego for swim team intense training for University of Nevada. It was great – we stayed about 2 blocks from the beach – the week was spent with a 3 hour morning work out, mid-day going to the beach and hanging out in the condos, then another 3-4 hour swim work out, followed by a big dinner at some nice restaurant. We also had one day with only a morning workout and we travelled across the border to Tijuana, Mexico. Pretty cool because we could purchase Tequila and Kahlua at 18. Pretty big bummer when Customs took it from us when we crossed back into the US!!! We still had our Mexican beach blanket -try to take that Customs!!
Once you get out of college – spring break means nothing - just another week the week to avoid taking a vacation so as not to have to deal with kids. Then when your kids reach school age, spring break becomes the dilemma of do we travel or do we find day camp for them? This year we chose TRAVEL – not only travel, but travel to Washington DC! T orignally had to go to DC for a class, so we planned to tag along using frequent flier miles and crashing in on his hotel. The class was cancelled, but luckily he was due for some time at headquarters. T toured with us on Friday-Sunday and then he worked Monday-Friday. He looked so handsome in his suits each day – not the park ranger I married!!!
Now I thought this was an original idea – go to DC for spring break. Turns out – this is a very popular idea – as Meanest Mom states it – “Every 8th Grader in the US descends upon DC, Philadelphia, and NYC for spring break”. This is quite true and everywhere you turned was a group of middle schoolish age kids!!! Despite this plethora of teendome, we had a terrific time.
I did not know it, but at the same time we were planning our DC spring break trip – my sister L was too!!
We were able to meet up with her and her crew quite a few times, however in the excitement of being with my sister, I forgot to take pictures - these are the only ones I have - aargh!
Nephew T - watching changing of the guard at Arlington Cemetary - he is looking so grown up!!
In addition Memere and Papa also travelled down from MA to spend time with us.
It was great to see everyone.
We began our journey on Thursday with Kit being grumpy and tired. This is Kit on the plane to DC. I thought that she was just excited/nervous about the trip. Then she began complaining about her ear hurting. Took temp – only 99.3. She says she is up to going on vacation, but does not eat anything all day. We get to hotel, she sleeps, and wakes up grumpier. Take temp – holding at 99. She eats some breakfast, seems to feel a bit better, then we head out to DC via the Metro. She still seems okay. We get back - kids want to go swimming - Kit splashes a bit and says - I want to go back to our room - I feel her forehead and she is burning up. I take her temp - 103. We proceed to ask at front desk for a clinic and then use the worthless GPS to find the clinic - Kit has strep throat. Nurse "discusses" with me that whenever a child has that a high of fever, she should be seen by a doctor immediately. Bad mom guilt abounds!!!
Museums galore- there are so many museums in DC it is hard to see them all. It is incredible. The Smitshonian museums are all free - this is amazing to me. There is so much to see and do. What really amazed me (other than the free admission) is that you really got a sense of where our country has come from and where perhaps it is going. There is hope for the future. The museums really made me see that as a nation we have been at the "bottom" before and each time we have triumphed - I think we can do it again.
Capitol Tour - we were lucky enough (along with the 3,000 middle school children) to get a guided Capitol Tour. To get the "guided" tour, you go to your Senator's website, and send an email with the places in DC you want to go. They arrange for one of their staffers to give you a guided tour. You are supposed to arrange this 6 months in advance - however I did it 6 weeks in advance so we only received the Capitol Tour. However, it was a great experience. The Capitol Building has just been renovated and it is incredible to stand in the same halls of former presidents, senators, and congressmen. T met us at the Capitol Building for the tour after work. He was all dressed in his suit and tie with his laptop case. Everyone kept thinking he was a "staffer" and asking him questions. Each time someone asked if he was a staffer, where's your badge, he would get embarrassed. After our tour was done, the tour guide let us ride the little tram that goes under ground from the Capitol Building to the building Senator Murray's office is in. It was fun for most of us -thanks Papa for putting up with visiting a Democrat Senators' office!!! How painful for you!!!
Speaking of Papa - it was great to be with Memere and Papa. Thanks for coming down to be with us. I walked you all over DC, but I hope you had fun. I laugh every time I think of the Papa Dance -for those not with us - "what's that you say?" - the Papa Dance is the dance Papa does to find his Metro Ticket. You put your right hand on your right shirt pocket, you put your left hand on your left shirt pocket, then you move your right hand to your front trouser pocket, then you move your left hand to your left trouser pocket, then you move your right hand to your back pocket and pull out your wallet - but then you need your glasses so you start over with the right hand on the right shirt pocket....(think Macarena) and then you find your Metro ticket - or you don't and you piggy back your wife or granddaughter through the gate. This then causes a problem on the other end when you try to exit Metro. By the end of the week however - Papa did a pretty quick dance and could find the ticket with ease (yeah right!). I crack up just thinking about it. The girls still do the Papa Dance - it seems to work in finding lost articles.
Speaking of Metro- I LOVE METRO - it was so easy to use and there was a train about every 6 minutes. The longest we ever waited was 12 minutes. Unlike Seattle - where the train runs only during commute hours and then runs every 1/2 hour or 40 minutes.
Back to Papa - he was with "his kind" the day we visited the Capitol building - this was the day of the Reverse Tea Party- I don't actually know what was being protested but it had to do with disdain for the current administration and their policies. In support Papa wore a tea bag on his jacket. Mind you it was pouring rain that day - so the tea bag got a little wet - but don't despair - he had more. This is what the US is about - everyone having a right to their opinion and being allowed to speak/protest/demonstrate. It was a fun day - in spite of the Tea Party supporter in our party. He almost had Kit convinced to wear a tea bag - until I told her that it meant she did not agree with Obama - she then threw her tea bag away - Way to go Kit!!! Map envy- while in DC I learned how important a good tourist map is. My sister had this really cool map - she would not give it to me - then I found an even better map - now who has map envy!!!!
Hotel- nice, close to a Metro station, had a pool however the pool was small and 30 kids descended upon it all at 5PM when it opened - kids were swimming on top of other kids - quite a sight. The hotel offered free breakfast AND dinner- kind of cool really. Then there was the fire alarm - I was headed up from our room on the 3rd floor to meet everyone in Memere & Papa's room on the 17th floor - but heard a fire alarm. Called T and said do you hear the fire alarm? He said no- then opened the door and heard it so worked to evacuate Memere, Papa, the girls and himself using the stairs from the 17th floor. The girls ran down the stairs ahead of T, then T, then Memere, - who leaves there mother in a stairwell during a fire alarm - shame on you T. He also abandoned Papa in the room. In T's defense he was trying to catch the girls to be sure they were safe. In the meantime, it sounded to me like the alarm had stopped, so I proceeded to take the elevator up to the 17th floor where I met Papa who was wandering the hall looking perplexed - he was looking for the exit stairwell (which was right next to his room). I then could hear the fire alarm again. So we proceeded down the stairs - 17 floors and exited the building - fire truck was there, but no one else was outside. Turns out it happens all the time - someone burned popcorn, opened the door, and it set off the fire alarm. Even the front desk ignores the alarm. Yes I had the same question - what if there really is a fire - no one evacuates? How does one tell? I did lose a bit of sleep that night and was thankful we were on the 3rd floor rather than 17th!!! (T has since found a new hotel in DC to stay at - perhaps one that utilizes the fire alarm system).
I really had a good time in DC - this was the first time I had ever been there and I can't wait to go back. There is still so much we did not see. I think it is a place you could return to many times and see something new and different each time. Next time there won't be the dark cloud of layoffs (I hope).
LAYOFFS AT WORK
While I was in DC, my only employee was told she was laid off - effective in 60 days. THIS TOTALLY SUCKED. I have never felt such a sense of helplessness, despair, and disbelief. Everything I proposed - was not possible. While in DC, I would think about it, and my eyes would well up and I would begin to cry - just out of the blue. I knew it would be hard when I returned back from vacation. Now 3 months later - it still really sucks. However, the thing I miss the most is the comaraderie of a good friend at work. A true friend. She was not only my employee, but my friend for 12 years. We have been together through births, an adoption, diets, 3 other assistants, and many, many, conversations troubleshooting and solving all the problems of the world. She kept me on an even note and remained calm in all the storms. I am adjusting - I am realizing there will never be a slow time again at work, I am one person, I come to work and complete as many items on the to-do list as possible in a day. When the items become urgent they move to the top of the list and I work to get them done first. The one thing I do not know is how I can ever adjust to the loss of working with such a great person and friend. There will never be someone as wonderful to work with as she- I miss you Amy!!!
TULIPS 2009
We went to the Tulip Festival this year - it was beautiful weather and we had a great time. My mom was here visiting as well so got some pics with her -
The routine picture in the row of tulips - signs everywhere say not to go in the rows of tulips and yet everyone does!!!
The goats are doing well. By July 4 they had eaten most of the area that we had contained them to so we had to open a bigger section - they really like variety. Rusty really proves that the grass does always look greener on the other side. He is constantly trying to get under the fence to get to the other side. One time he succeeded (before we had "opened" up the other section) and when T was chasing him back to the safe zone - he jumped in the pool to escape. Luckily I was able to grab his horn to keep him close to the side and then T was able to lift him out of the deep end of the pool. Goats are part of the deer family, so they can swim, they just don't like it!!! Even with tons of fresh vegetation, Rusty still tries to get under the fence to the "greener" pastures.
QUESTION TO STUMP YOUR HUSBAND
Do you think taking the Vitamin B has made me less bitchy?
I asked T this one - he looked like a deer in the headlights. I never did get an answer.
Did you know that Maui boasts some of the most beautiful sunsets - made even more grand by my kids in them!!!
Some of the rules for the trip - we found this list the first night in Maui at "Cheeseburger Island Style". I would love to say rule #1 was followed - however confined to a one room hotel with a teenager and a 9 year old - there was some whining!!!
I wish they always got along like that - in the wave is Boogie Board Dad - we couldn't get him out of the surf - killer waves on Tuesday and Wednesday - the ultimate for boogie boarding!!
The trip to Haleakala - 37 miles of winding road - but was worth the drive. On the way down - Kit was quite excited as we drove through the clouds - she was reaching out the car window "grabbing" the clouds and exclaiming - "I can't believe I am touching the clouds!" It was so fantastic to experience this through her eyes!!! I had never really thought about how spectacular it is to "touch" the clouds.
And now we have some sunglasses - K looks about 21 in her sunglasses - how quick they grow up!!
Boogie Board Dad - carting all the towels and gear to the beach!!!
Another Maui sunset with my beautiful kids - this was right before the Luau.
