1.26.2011

Aquarium Visit

What a fun way to spend a cold winter day off (MLK Day) - Baltimore Aquarium!
This aquarium is designed so cleverly!



contained ecosystems set up throughout a hall...







Dolphin Show!




 Special Exhibit: Jellies!
Jellies are over 600 million years old.  They have witnessed the extinction of dinosaurs, the ice age and the arrival of humans.  They look magical.




This is a little kids zone... hands on learning:
(That's Ains racing from item to item....)




On the way out - a replica mini world of the Outback.

 Alligators (crocs, actually) were a big hit with A.

 Just as we headed to the door, we ran into a woman giving a little talk with her dragon. Ains ran straight for the pillow cushion, sat down and listened. :) (I think she may be ready for big school after all.)

Awe, wonder, magic, and the mystery of the beautiful world we live in.
A day well spent.
chores? Ah, they'll be there when we get home.

1.22.2011

Dinnertime at Our House


Apparently, we are beginning a tradition of reading aloud to each other at the table.... or should I say, Ainsley will be reading to the family at dinner.  We always light candles. Every night. What are your dinner traditions?
As we ponder and prepare Ainsley's THIRD birthday - we are awed by the logistics and pricing of a city girl birthday.

Living in a teeny townhouse in central DC, an at-home cake and ice cream party sounds like a disaster waiting to happen. So we looked for venues....

There are MANY venues very happy to accommodate, we are learning.  However, they all have specialized pricing when you bring a group of children to celebrate a birthday.  Prices range from $175 at the low end to $650 for a "fairytale tea party with tutus" at Petite Ballet. No - that's not a typo. $650. Hmmmm - what ever happened to meeting a bunch of kids at a park or at your house and playing toss the balloon and such? Oh, you need a larger house - maybe a suburban house - for that. 

We are still undecided... but that chaotic mass of toddlers & parents in our 500 (400?) square foot main floor is looking better and better. :)

1.17.2011

Favorite PJ's

Thank you, Dasha!  You sew great! My pants match my pillow and my blanket now! 
Ains: "I'm cooot!"



Picaso



What a Pup

Our Pup.
He LOVES to snuggle.


1.15.2011

New Year Daybook

Outside my window...
cold. very very cold.  But where is the snow?

I am thankful for...
weekends.

I am thinking about...
parenting.  The much talked about article on the Wall Street Journal about Chinese mothers being superior has got my brain spinning.  Watching Ains transform from a toddler into a preschool little girl has me whirling. A few days (and sleepless nights) of projectile vomit and boundless diarrhea was a new level of parenting for us.  Childhood is a magical thing, isn't it?  And parenting is a colossal undertaking.


Learning all the time...
Ains is learning to potty train - she is practically expert at it now!  Only wears a diaper to sleep, and that probably for not much longer. She's also picking up EVERYTHING and the THINGS that come out of her mouth continually amaze me. I am in AWE.

 Me? I'm learning that I am a terrible driver. If I get one more speeding ticket, my bank account is going to kick me out. I'm also learning that there are hidden radar cameras ALL OVER this stinkin' city - this, the city where in some places, 'going traffic' drives 55 in a 25 (which I love). why? why the radar?

From the kitchen...
A good week for me!  Toasted tuna with melted sharp white cheddar and tomato (thank you Sandra for the idea at rehearsal).  Mini pizzas on english muffins (harken back to childhood).  Pasta with Greek feta & pine nuts. Italian take-out.

I am creating...
Choreography for our school musical. I love it!

I am working on...
eating more vegetables. Tho I hate to write that down - as if it commits me to the task. :)

I am going...
to BE this year.  My word for the year is BE.  That means: be here. be present. be me.

I am hoping...
to learn the dance pieces we're working on in rehearsal & to dance dance dance and yoga yoga yoga and do it all in balance without freaking out that the laundry isn't done, that I've dropped a ball here and there, that I have piles of emails and bills and toys strewn over the house...

I am reading...
The Glass Room by Simon Mawer.  A definite read, I think. It's strange and elusive - clearly good writing, that is slightly above my head... fascinating and slightly perturbing characters... I wonder where this one is headed...?  I find myself, once again, drawn into the WWII era.  This time near Vienna.

I am praying...
for my Grandpa Curly. Continuously. Sorry I haven't called.

I am hearing...
the whir of the washing machine.

Around the house...
uhhhh....

One of my favorite things...
sisters.

A few plans...
choreograph.
dance class.
laundry.
clean up.
talk Ainsley schools for next year.
organize Ains' toys in her room (declutter).
organize an office space to use at the house.
plan school work. prep assessments.
plan baby girl's 3 year birthday.
grocery shop.
plan next staff meeting on norms building w/ Head of School.
play candyland (she's almost got it!).
drink more water.

A picture thought I'm sharing with you...

little story

In the car on the ride home...

Ains: Oh! Mommy, can you tell me about your day at the big school?
Me:  Sure.  Let's see - we did an art project.  The big kids made a big mess with glitter. It spilled on the table, the floor, and got on their shirts and shoes.
Ains: Did you clean the glitter off those kids' shirts?
Me:  Yes. I did.
-pause-
Ains: They should wear a smock.
-pause-
Ains: Don't worry, mommy.  I will bring you a smock tomorrow to your big school.

1.09.2011

Little Vacation

Off to the Chesapeake - and a family / pet friendly resort on the water - 2 hours drive.

Despite the overpriced, overcooked food -- this was a great spot to take the fam.  A few restaurants to choose from in the hotel, toys (legos, puzzles, games) available for checking out like a library (hello scrabble nights!), a heated indoor pool, patio door to the swing set & the empty golf course & dog run, and yes - a luxurious spa. We even journeyed into the nearby town & countryside.

Hit the road, Jack!


Ahhhhh.. hot chocolate 
(yes, starbucks inside the resort. Happy momma.)

 Empty golf course - happy puppy!








cozy bed - happy kids





 indoor pool (with movies on a bigscreen at night)
happy girl (she's a FISH! Ain't a Pisces for nothin'!)




Game on at the local bar... happy dadda. 
(yes, he watched the entire thing... the sole patron besides the 76 year old bartender)

Dorchester County... it's beautiful country.
 The house where Harriet Tubman was a child... very much the same today as it was then, according to the posted signs.



Birds in Flight
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