Observations from the Powder Room

Seven Years

2008-03-03T16:43:00.000-08:00

Well, today Mark and I are celebrating our 7th anniversary. We had the perfect evening out, dinner with the boys in Old Town. Mark, Dylan and Sam picked me up at Metro and everyone was dressed up. Dylan was in his handsome blue blazer and Sam was in a handsome red button down. Papa was in his work clothes and looked handsome too.

At dinner I looked across the table at the three guys and I knew I was where I wanted to be.

Dear Santa

2007-11-27T18:46:00.000-08:00

Tonight the boys and I worked on their letters to Santa. I won't bore you with the list of gift requests but I thought I would share what they said about being good this year. It took a bit of prompting but the words are their own.

Dear Santa,

I listen to my teacher Miss Laura (at this point I was informed that Laura starts with an "L"). I'm learning to share and wait my turn. I listen to my friend Emily. I'm trying hard to listen better to Blanca. I go potty in the bathroom in the day and I'm working on nighttimes. I'm going to try hard to listen to Mama and Papa better and play nice with Sam.

I would like....

Love, Dylan

Dear Santa,

I listened all day at school. I have been a good boy at my school. My teacher saya I'm doing a good job. I help my friends at school. I'm going to preschool. I'm a little shy. I'm trying to listen to Blanca more and I'm working on playing better with Dylan.

I would like...

Love, Sam

How Did I Get In Your Belly?

2007-07-18T16:22:00.000-07:00

This morning a little before 6 the entire Durpenter clan (including the cat) was in our bed (yes, we were all in one bed). Dylan was still a sleep but Sam had been moving around trying to get the rest of us up for about 15 minutes. At this point Sam turns to me and asks, “Mama, how did I get in your belly?” I looked at Mark who was starting to wake up and said, “Mark…?” When it became apparent that I was on my own I responded to Sam by saying, “Your mommy and daddy made you and Dylan and then we put you in my belly to grow.” I was quite proud of my response, honest but at the appropriate level for a 4.5 year old. Sam put his hands behind his head to contemplate my answer and then shook his head and said, “Naw, I just think you ate something really, really good! That’s how I got in your belly.” He seemed much more satisfied with that answer and I’m OK with it too!!

I should mention that just last week Sam asked how they got out of my belly. He seemed to think that I had just opened my mouth really wide and kind of spit them out. When I told him the doctor had cut my belly to take them out he was a bit concerned. I explained that the doctor gave me medicine and it didn't hurt. That made him happier.

Full Day Kindergarten

2007-06-21T19:12:00.000-07:00

I know that Dylan and Sam still have an entire year of preschool before they begin Kindergarten but I just found out that our elementary school has transitioned to a full day program. This is very good news. With a half day program we might have ended up with one child in the morning class and the other in the afternoon class. Not a good set up. We still won't know whether they can be in separate classes until just before school begins but this is a very good start.

Sad Farewell to a Good Kitty

2007-06-05T18:11:00.001-07:00

Spartakus 1992-2007

My very sweet kitty died today and my heart hurts! Poor Norm, he has been with Spart since they were just a few weeks old, now he's on his own and I think he's sad too.

I was in a meeting this afternoon and a colleague noticed by my cell phone was vibrating. I checked and saw that it was a call from home. I left the meeting to call home and Reina told me that they found Spart dead when they went downstairs for a treat. Obviously I was very upset and worried about the kids finding the kitty.

What makes today even worse is that Spart was not actually dead, he was just very close and we figured this out at around 6pm.

I called the Fairfax Animal Welfare League and luckily one of the technicians was still at the shelter and she willing to wait for me. Mark kept Dylan and Sam entertained while I took Spart to the shelter. Spart was in a coma but whimpering a bit. Everyone at the shelter was very professional and incredibly kind. After signing a few forms I was taken into a room where Suzanne (the technician) explained the process to me and with great care help Spart die
I asked Reina if she was comfortable moving him into his carrier and putting him in the basement bathroom. She was very kind and took care of everything.

When I got home Dylan and Sam asked me if I was sad and I told them I was very sad. Later when we were getting ready for bed the kids started asking a lot of questions. Dylan wanted to know if we could get a dog and Sam thought we should get another cat and name him Spart.

When we were saying our goodnights Sam started asking a lot of questions. He wanted to know where Spart was and if we could visit. He told us that he was very sad. I explained that I was sad to but we could talk about how happy Spart made us and that would make it a bit easier.

Sad day!!!

Bye Bye little bike!

2007-05-29T19:20:00.001-07:00

So we decided to give away the baby bikes because the boys got big boy bikes in the winter. I brought one trike in today for our friend Sandy's little girl Natalie. Although we had discussed it the boys seemed to forget and when they went out to play and noticed one trike gone they told Reina it must have been stolen.

The second tricycle is going to Clementine tomorrow and when I put the bike in the car tonight Dylan went to the car and said, "bye little bike I know you'll have lots of fun with Clementine." It was adorable and he seemed very happy to send his little bike off to a new home!!

Second Night in Big Boy Pants

2007-05-29T19:13:00.001-07:00

Sam had a successful night last night and we are on to night two in underwear, "Just like Daddy" -- kind of.

Dylan was a bit frustrated that he wasn't dry but he's trying again tonight so he can be a big boy like Sam and cousin Finn.

Wish Dylan luck!!!

Maybe one day I'll blog about something other than the kids...maybe not...

One Dry; One To Go

2007-05-28T07:33:00.000-07:00

Big News!!! Sam has been dry three nights in a row. Tonight is the big test...he gets to go to sleep in big boy underwear! It could be a hard night if I have to change sheets but I'm hopeful and I have my fingers crossed.

Dylan is still not quite there but I think when he sees his brother going to bed in big boy underwear he too will get inspired.

We went to the pool on Saturday without swimming diapers and we survived as did the pool.

Perhaps we will say goodbye to all diapers by the middle of the summer. Wish us luck!!

Little Spellers

2007-03-13T20:24:00.000-07:00

Dylan and Sam spelled their names today without any help. We were playing on the computer tonight and Dylan typed his name without any assistance. Then we asked Sam to spell his name and he did.

I'm a very proud Mom!!

Thanks Mom and Dad for watching the kids!! We all had a great time!

Flushed a Friend

2006-12-31T16:49:00.001-08:00

We lost a friend yesterday and I had to flush him down the toilet. Blanca gave the boys two goldfish for Halloween 2005 and to my great surprise they survived for over a year. Yesterday I went to feed them and one (either Sam or Dylan - the boys named them) was floating. I tried to get Mark to help me with the disposal but he left the dirty deed in my hands.

I haven't told the boys yet. I'm not sure how to begin the conversation. We were watching the Arrival of President Ford yesterday and Sam was asking a lot of questions but our little fishy was a friend so I think it will be a bit more upsetting.

Anyway, I know it's been long time since my last post and this is not a really exciting topic but it is a bit of our lives and I'm just going to try to write little snipets.

More 2006 observations to come...

PS - I'm ringing in the New Year with my three guys and I couldn't be happier. Dylan and Sam are going to bed in a few minutes and then Mark and I will have our dinner and hang out for the night. I've had crazier New Year's Eves in my past but I wouldn't trade what I have now for anything!!

Dylan is a Trooper

2006-11-08T12:57:00.000-08:00

All I can say is that Dylan is an amazing little trooper.

For those of you who didn't know, Dylan had to have his two front teeth removed today.

Last night Mark and I explained to Dylan that he was going to see the dentist again today and he took the news very well. This morning he asked if the dentist was going to pull out his teeth and I told him maybe (the dental office told me not to give him too many details). He had to take some nasty medicine to "relax" him and he did it with very little complaining.

The entire procedure only took about 20 minutes and Dylan was pretty drunk when it was over. We were told to wake him every 30 minutes, walk him around and make him drink some water.

When we got home it took us about ten minutes and ice cubes on his belly to rouse him (it was a bit frightening). Once awake Dylan got a bit combative. He didn't understand why he was dizzy and that he was not very stable on his feet.

Thankfully he is eating and drinking and following a nice nap he is acting like himself again. We'll post pictures soon.

A visit to the Hospital

2006-10-14T05:32:00.000-07:00

Well, I thought that would get your attention.

Yesterday we went to Alexandria Inova Hospital after school so the boys could get their flu shots. I've been calling their pediatrician's office for three weeks trying to schedule the shots (their asthma doc wanted them to get the shots as early as possible) but the office still hasn't received their doses and didn't know when they would come in, so when to the flu clinic at the hospital.

Neither of the boys were very excited about getting their shots. Sam, who always wants to go first, volunteered to let Dylan get his shot first. Wasn't that sweet? They held it together pretty well until we went into the auditorium where they were giving the shots and a little girl ahead of us was throwing a fit. Soon the tears began. We made it though the experience and everything was made better with a lollipop and lifesaver.

We were told to wait around for a bit to be sure that no one had a bad reaction so we decided to pay a visit to our friends in the NICU (neonatal intensive care unit). Dylan and Sam were born at Alexandria Hospital. Sam was in the NICU for 4 weeks and Dylan was in for 10. Lucky for us Sheryl, the nurse that cared for the boys most of the time, was there yesterday and it was great to see her. Two other nurses who worked with us were also there. They had no problem identifying who was who which I thought was pretty impressive!! Everyone marveled at how big the boys had gotten.

I told them we would be back on November 6th with a thank you cake.

Although it felt like a victory going back to the NICU with two healthy and happy boys it also stirred up a lot of memories. Last night I couldn't forget the day I left the hospital and had to leave the boys and the night we brought Sam home. As thrilled as I was to have Sam home I was heartbroken that Dylan was left in the hospital all by himself.

I can't believe it's been four years. What a wild ride it's been!!

Go A's!

2006-10-13T19:15:00.000-07:00

Now we're cheering for Grandpop's team!

Mama Drama Over!

2006-10-04T06:59:00.000-07:00

I just got off the phone with the Hall Coordinator at the Falls Church Volunteer Fire Department and we have the party room on Saturday, November 4. Yippee!!!

Being the insane woman that I am, I've tried everything. I’ve sent multiple e-mails, left many voice mail messages and yesterday I tried to fax in the required form that failed because their fax machine is not working. I've been calling the number listed on the site at random times in hopes that someone would pick up (it happened once before). Well, I called around 8:30 this morning and spoke to a lovely man, thank you Mr. Jim Clark, and he was able to check to see if the room was available and put a call into the hall coordinator for me.

I just got off the phone with the coordinator and he has us down for Nov. 4. He will call me on Friday to see if he has the original form. If he does we're set, if not I’ll get them a new form and check. They’re having an open house this weekend so I might drive over with the boys and drop everything off in person.

Now I can start the fun part of the planning!!!

Today is a good day!!!

Mama Drama

2006-09-30T09:44:00.000-07:00

So I know in the grand scheme of things this is a very small matter but it is causing me quite a bit of trauma.

The boys will be celebrating their 4th birthday in a little over a month and I thought this would be a good year to have our first birthday party with folks outside of our family, like the kids in their preschool. They attended the birthday party of a classmate in May and both Dylan and Sam have been talking about their birthday party.

Anyway, a colleague at work had a party for her son at a fire station and I thought that sounded like a great idea. In VA the Falls Church Volunteer Fire Department (FCVFD) has a great set up. In their party room they provide each child with a fire helmet and sticker badge, give a tour on the fire station and a fire engine and do a safety demonstration – dream come true huh! All I had to do was send out invitations, get plates, the cakes and party favors and ta da!!

Anyway, I filled out all the paperwork and sent a check to the FCVFD and have left several messages and sent several e-mails, but I hadn’t heard back from anyone. Last night I went back to the site and found out that someone else was confirmed for the day that we had requested. I quickly sent an e-mail to see if the firehouse might be available the day before. So if anyone has an inside track at the Falls Church Volunteer Fire Department (FCVFD) I will personally deliver several slices of birthday cake to you.

If the fire station doesn’t work out I’m taking suggestions.

Hey Mom, No Cavities!

2006-09-26T18:29:00.000-07:00

So today was another big day, the first visit to the dentist. Last year during our open enrollment Mark and I decided it was time to sign the boys up for dental coverage. So now with the end of 2006 is fast approaching I thought I’d better find a dentist and set up an appointment.

Our pediatrician gave me the names of several pediatric dentists at the boys’ 3yr check up and although I searched high and low I couldn’t find the list. So I set out on an old fashion search, I sent an e-mail to the moms from the kids’ school and scanned the archives of one of my listservs, DC Urban Moms (and Dads) and found Dr. Leaf (http://www.leafkids.com/offices.php). The office was great, with a PacMac and mini carousel, the kids loved it. When it was time to go in for the check up it wasn’t quite so cheerful. We walked back to the exam area and when Sam saw the chairs he ran from the room and threw himself down on the floor.

Sam was pretty upset so Dylan went first. He sat in my lap and opened his mouth. He was very brave. He even had to have an x-ray of his chipped front tooth. Sam went next and things did not go as smoothly. Although he did open his mouth he cried and struggled throughout the exam. At one point Dylan came up to the chair and said, “Sammy, it’s OK, it doesn’t hurt.” It was very sweet and the dental techs both chuckled.

All in all it was a very good experience. No cavities and we go back in March.

If I thought like Mark I’d have remembered to bring the camera. Oh well, you’ll just have to use your imaginations.

Back again

2006-09-24T11:21:00.000-07:00

As you know, I took a fairly lengthy hiatus from blogging. Life just got busy and I’ve discovered I’m not really good at writing the short pithy musings that make many blogs so much fun to read. I just have a tough time figuring out what to say. , I feel like I need to be careful because you never know who reads these things, for example, it’s probably not a good idea to complain a lot about work - not that I have anything to complain about :}. And then once I do get started I find myself editing and rewriting because I don’t want to sound like an idiot.

Oh well, I guess I’ll try not to worry about it too much (kind of like a new year’s resolution). I should be able to post once a week. That doesn’t seem too ambitious.

Here goes…

We had another fun weekend with the boys. Last night I pulled out some glow-in-the-dark skeleton PJ’s that I bought for Halloween and they boys went wild. Dylan and Sam have a hard time saying skeleton and we don’t really correct them because we think they way they say it is pretty cute. Mark stood them under a bright light and then they all ran upstairs to look at themselves in the mirror in our dark bedroon. You've probably seen a photo on Mark's blog.

Blanca asked for the day off tomorrow and I couldn’t have been happier to say yes. Now I get to take the boys to school, pick them up and get a bit of face time with the teachers and the other Moms. I often feel very out of it because I'm so rarely at the school. My plan this year is to to put in more time at the school when ever possible. After I drop the boys off I have to head into the office for a meeting and then gp back out to VA to pick the boys up after school. I haven’t decided what we’ll do in the afternoon but I'm really looking forward to having the afternoon with them.

OK, signing off now. I have to hop in the shower and then Dylan, Sam and I are going to the Mall to try on some Fall/Winter shoes.

Sad Day

2006-07-24T18:06:00.000-07:00

Today was a very sad day. My friend from work, Bill Anderson, passed away and we're all heartbroken.

Last Thursday Bill was in a terrible bike accident and he died today. Bill and his wife had a beautiful baby boy last Tuesday and they we supposed to bring the little one home on Thursday. That morning Bill and his father-in-law went for a bike ride and something happened and Bill went over his handle bars.

Bill was a wonderful father (he also had a three year old daughter), a loving husband, a good friend and a dedicated advocate for those less fortunate.

None of us can make any sense of it. All I can say is hug and kiss your loved ones and tell your friends how important they are to you.

Bill we'll miss you!

Cute things

2006-07-18T16:11:00.000-07:00

Well, once again it's been too long since my last post. Here are some quick observations.

Missing Papa - Mark arrived home from his trip to MN last Wednesday after the boys had gone to sleep. In the morning around 6:30 Sam cam into our room and I showed him that Papa was home. He climbed over to Mark, gave him a hug and kiss and said, "Papa, I missed you very much." Actually, he said it several times - very cute!

Swimming - I can't believe how much Dylan and Sam's swimming has improved this summer. Although they are not using the traditional strokes they are moving pretty independently in the water relying on their swim muscles (those floats that fit over the arms) and kick boards. They can go the length of the pool with their kickboards. They go down the slide all by themselves and don't need to be caught. They just go into the water, pop to the top and "swim" to the side. This weekend they started jumping into the water holding hands - very cute!

Ice Cream Kisses - Tonight for dessert Dylan picked pudding and Sam wanted ice cream. Dylan finished first and while Sam was working his way though his ice cream cone he was offering bites to Papa and Mark. When I commented that he had an ice cream mustache and goatee he thought that was pretty funny. Dylan wanted a mustache so he kissed Sam and made sure he got a face full of ice cream too - again, very cute!

Well, that's all for now. More soon!

Bad Blogger

2006-07-09T20:52:00.000-07:00

OK, I admit it, I am a bad Blogger. There, I said it. Now I feel better.

I know I'm supposed to post regularly and that the posts don't have to be long, but I'm still a bit intimidated by this whole blog thing. My other excuse is work and life. Between my day job, my night job and my insane desire to spend some time with Mark and the boys, the blogg comes in last place.

Anyway, nothing as exciting as our trip to the emergency room has occurred since my last post and no more strange objects up their little noses.

Quick updates:

Dylan and Sam are swimming (kind of). They wear their swim muscles (inflatable arm bands) and move independently and with some confidence. Sam is going down the slide and doesn't need or want to be caught at the bottom. Dylan is going down the slide but he still wants to be caught at the bottom (it's good to be needed).

The boys loved the 4th of July and are already asking for fireworks again soon.

We attended our second soccer class and Dylan and Sam did very well.

Today we went to Ikea with Kumie and bought cute chair for their table in the basement. Dylan and Sam LOVED the kids play area and want to go back again to play.

Mark is in MN visiting the family and the boys miss their papa. They enjoyed chatting with Mark on the phone and are learning to talk about their day on the phone. It's sweet.

OK, I have to go to bed. I will try to post a couple times this week

Did You Just Put Something in Your Nose?

2006-06-29T21:43:00.000-07:00

Not the question you want to be asking when you have only been home for 30 minutes.

I got home about 15 minutes late tonight after sitting in traffic, probably because it started to rain again. When I walked in Blanca told me that she had already feed the kids. WE LOVE BLANCA! She also told me that the kids hadn’t taken a nap so they were pretty tired. When I came in they were watching a Rugrats video and seemed pretty content.

Blanca left and I made myself a little dinner, I was starving. To keep it simple I just nuked some leftover whole wheat pasta and homemade veggie sauce. I went in to join the boys and of course Dylan wanted to taste my dinner. He didn’t like it and returned the food to me. As I was dealing with the returned food, I thought I noticed something black on his face. The next thing I knew, Dylan put “it” in his nose. Neither Dylan nor Sam had ever put anything in their noses, except of course their fingers, which seem to spend an exceptional amount of time in their noses.

At this point I said, did you just put something in your nose? I must have scared him a bit because when I ran to him to check and get him to blow his nose, he freaked a bit and that was the beginning of our evening’s adventure. I ran to get a Klennex to get Dylan to blow his nose but he was scared and kept sniffling in, not blowing out. At this point I am FREAKING OUT. I have visions of crayon in his brain. That’s what I thought he put in his nose, the tip of a black crayon, more on that later.

Now remember, I have only been home for about 30 minutes and I’m running around the house. I try to call my parents (both doctors) but I can’t get through. I’m not sure if I’m overreacting but I decide to call our doctor’s after hours line. I sit on hold and then a nurse comes on and starts asking me all the questions I had just answered for the answering service. Finally I interrupt her and ask if I should take Dylan to the emergency room. She says yes and then tells me to wait for a doctor to call me back. I said frantically, do I sit at home waiting for the doctor to call, while a crayon creeps into my son’s brain or do I go to the hospital. She said go to the hospital.

While all this is going on I have changed my clothes, packed a bag of goodies for the boys (food, water, snacks, toys and books) and changed them in to their PJs. Did I mention that Mark is out of town tonight?

Anyway, Dylan is bawling because I let it slip that we were heading to the hospital. I yelled at Sam because we couldn’t find one of his shoes and he’s crying and I’m freaking out with visions of the crayon in Dylan’s brain.

We all get in the van and I race to Alexandria Inova Hospital, the hospital where the kids were born. Not a fan of the hospital but I thought they could handle the crayon extraction.

Sam was trying to comfort Dylan which was very cute.

We get to the hospital and sit in chairs for a while. Actually things moved pretty quickly and there is nothing really exciting to tell about the time in the waiting room so I’ll move on to the exam room.

Christine come in to talk to us, I’m not sure if she was a nurse or a doctor, she just introduced herself at Christine. She had a nose ring, was wearing hot pink scrubs and her bellybutton was showing when she first walked in. Anyway she was very nice and asked what was going on. I explained the situation and she looked up Dylan’s nose (he was crying again – can’t blame him). She said she saw the object and asked Dylan to blow his nose. I told her I had tried that with no success. Now I must admit I was relieved that there was something in Dylan’s nose. Not happy that something was up his nose but happy that my mothering instincts were correct.

Christine left and came back with another guy. They had to wrap Dylan in a contraction called a papoose. The Papoose immobilizes him, he was screaming and no one was happy with the situation. Christine tried to get the “crayon tip” out with pinchy things while Dylan was crying, screaming and thrashing about. It was very unpleasant. Then they tried suction. Finally, the second try with the pinchy things worked and out popped a small piece of black plastic that must have been part of some toy.

Dylan, Sam and I were quite traumatized so after paying our $75 for the emergency room visit we headed to Maggie Moos where the boys had some ice cream. I tried to make this a learning experience by asking the boys what they learned and having them repeat, “we don’t put anything in our noses. We’ll see if that sticks.

We were home by 9:15 and they were in bed and sleeping by 9:35.

So that was my night. What did you do?

Treading Water

2006-06-26T06:00:00.000-07:00

I should start by saying our house is dry. Our pumps are working and the basement is doing fine. We did have a momentary scare when the power went out for a few seconds. Mark had checked the basement and said the water was rising in the drains with our sump pumps and with the intensity of the rain we would have been in bad shape if the electric pumps couldn’t pump.

Right now I’m at home because I couldn’t get to the office. We have had so much rain that several sections of the Capitol Beltway have either flooded or been covered with mud. There was a mudslide closing the Beltway at Telegraph Ave. We didn’t even make it to the Metro station because of the traffic. The other problem is Metro. Five stations are closed due to flooding and of course they are the stations I use to get to work.

I am going to make another attempt soon and I will likely have to go to one station and then walk to work.

Oh, did I mention it’s supposed to rain all week. Fun times!

Rainy days and little boys don't mix.

2006-06-25T11:14:00.000-07:00

Just an observation. It's hard to get Sam and Dylan to burn up energy when it's pouring. I don't mind getting wet, but the park is out and there are just not as many high energy burning activities in the rain.

Well, they're napping now so I may have five minutes to myself!

Keeping Dylan and Sam Busy

2006-06-25T07:16:00.000-07:00

It was a crazy busy week at work between the day job and the CC project. I can’t seem to get more than 4.5 hours of sleep each night.

Dylan and Sam had a great week. It was quite hot here so they spent A LOT of time at the swimming pool. They went to our community pool on Tuesday, Thursday and Friday and met up with their classmates at Ben’s pool on Wednesday. Mark is going to set up swim lessons starting the first week in July. The boys love the water and we just want to start working on their skills.

My Mom came east to go to a reunion with some friends from Tapawingo, http://www.camptapawingo.com/ the camp she attended from age 8-18. Anyway we got her in VA from Thursday to Sat morning and had a great time.

Mark is in OC with the bigger boys so it was just me and the little guys most of the day. Yesterday was a fun filled day. It started with Dylan and Sam’s fist soccer class. It was really funny (I forgot to bring my camera), 12 3-4 year olds running around with soccer balls. The coach, Jake was great with the kids. No class next week because of the July 4^th holiday but I got the boys little soccer balls so we can “practice” some of our drills.

I thought it was going to rain earlier in the day so we headed into DC to the Building Museum. They have a fun exhibit called the Building Zone, http://www.nbm.org/Exhibits/current/building_zone.html. It’s really just a nice sized room with building toys but all the kids loved it and we stayed for about 90 minutes.

After a quick stop at Target we headed home to get in our swim suits and go to the pool. We had a great time at the pool and the weather was perfect.

Then it was home for dinner, bath, snuggling and bed. The boys went to bed VERY EASILY and I didn’t hear a peep out of them until 6:45 (a very good night for us).

Today it’s just wet outside. We’re going to run an errand in a few and pray that the weather clears. I hate the idea of staying inside all day. Mark should be home mid day, but my guess is he’s going to be a bit tired. If the weather clears we’ll head to the pool.

Getting better and ready for some fun!

2006-06-16T20:25:00.000-07:00

Well, I had quite a week. I actually missed two and a half days of work due to a nasty sinus infection. I actually went to work yesterday mostly because my doctor's office is near work. Thankfully, I got an appointment in the afternoon and now I’m on antibiotics. I was going to cry and beg if she didn't prescribe any drugs. Luckily it didn't come to that.

Although I’m still pretty congested, I’m feeling better.

OK, enough complaining.

Blanca had the day off and Papa was in charge. Mark did a great job and the boys had a blast. He kept the boys busy all day (gym, bagel shop, car wash, Papa toy store (Best Buy) and the swimming pool). Dylan and Sam went to bed tonight without complaint and fell asleep immediately.

Tomorrow is the Alexandria Waterfront Festival and should be a great day. We've been going for years, starting with the year I was pregnant. I think we have only missed one year since the kids were born. Kumie and Joseph will join us again this year and Dylan and Sam are very excited. I'm sure Mark will have pictures to post.

Still Sick

2006-06-13T08:55:00.000-07:00

I stayed home today and believe it or not I slept in until 10:30. Well I kind of slept in, I got up at 7:30, sent a few e-mails and then went back to bed.

Right now I'm drinking tea and trying to get some work done. It's a beautiful day here and it stincks to be feeling cruddy! I hope I feel better by tonight because I really can't afford to miss another day of work. I have too much going on and I don't want to fall behind.

I'm Sick

2006-06-12T19:03:00.000-07:00

I woke up yesterday morning and I could barely breathe. We still had a great day but by the time we got home I was feeling really cruddy.

I had to go to work today to finish a project but I left the office around 2:00 and when I got home I went straight to bed. I slept until I had to drive Mark to Metro (see his blog).

I worked on the CC project for about an hour before Blanca headed home and then it was time with the boys. Dylan and Sam are being so great about taking their medicine. I’m really proud of them but I hate that they have to be such troopers. We had a nice evening and then I got back to work.

I'm going to bed now and I'm crossing my fingers that I will feel better tomorrow.

Return of the Slacker Blogger

2006-06-10T05:44:00.000-07:00

So I have just been scolded for my failure to post on my blog for the last nine days. I intend to post each day and then something seems to get in the way, like kids or work, but enough with the excuses.

So what’s happened in the past nine days? A LOT.

As you probably know from reading Mark and Kumie’s blogs, we all had a great time in Key West.

I loved our little B&B, the Tropical Inn ( perfect location and charming rooms) it’s just what the doctor ordered. Of course I woke up before most folks (Kumie doesn’t count b/c she doesn’t sleep) so I really enjoyed sitting on our balcony and reading. Since having kids I just don’t seem to find the time to read books. In Key West I finished one book (Balzac and the Little Chinese Seamstress) and started another about the great influenza epidemic in 1918.

I also love walking everywhere. We went to the beach at the state park twice and then just walked all over for shopping, meals and fun.

Although I really missed the boys and felt guilty about leaving them when they were sick, I needed the time away and Mom and Dad were amazing with the boys!!

Oh, and last but not least, the wedding was wonderful!! Gina and Mike were so happy and it was fun to celebrate with all our friends. Everyone came sans kids and it was kind of like old times. Of course many conversations focused on our families but it was good to have some grown up time.

Now on to the boys, this was the last week of school and there were a lot of fun activities planned. On Monday night, Dylan’s teacher called to let us know that Tuesday was sprinkler day. We sent the kids to school with their bathing suits and they got to play in the sprinkler on the lawn of the school and each lunch. On Thursday, Sam’s class had a year end party and some of the Mom’s organized pizza and cupcakes. Dylan and Sam didn’t like the pizza but according to Blanca they enjoyed the cupcakes.

Yesterday was graduation for the kids in the four-year old class. I worked from home yesterday so I could attend the ceremony and take the kids to the pulmonologist in the afternoon. The ceremony at school was adorable. Each class performed, Sam’s class went first but unfortunately Sam was not in the mood to perform. When his class stood up to sing, Sam just reclined on the steps (he was in a bit of a mood). Dylan’s class was next and Dylan sang all the songs and did the all the hand movements.

We had to leave the celebration a bit early to go to our doctor’s appointment. Last week when my folks were here they took the boys to our pediatrician and we were told the boys were pre-asthmatic and should not go outside on Orange and Red days (basically half the summer in DC). Upon hearing the recommendation I knew I wanted a second opinion and some more advice so I scheduled an appointment with the pulmonologist who cared for Dylan when he came out of the hospital. We really like Dr. Rosenberg. He’s a realist who gives you real world recommendations. Anyway, because this post is getting too long I’ll just say we have a new medication regime and the boys are going to be tested for cat, dog and dust allergies (Mark will get to take them next week for the blood work). I’m pretty nervous about what this means for my kitties Norm and Spart.

OK so I’m going to bring this very long post to an end. Today the boys (all three of them) are getting haircuts. Dylan and Sam REALLY need them!

I’ll post again later and talk about my CC project which has taken some exciting new turns.

Mother's Guilt

2006-05-31T02:47:00.000-07:00

Well, Dylan and Sam missed school yesterday and tomorrow is iffy too, especially for Dylan who as of last night was running a 103.5 fever. Sam actually seems to be feeling OK but he is coughing and wheezing a lot. Dylan on the other hand does not feel good and actually told my Mom that he thought he needed to the doctor. Last night he had a hard time sleeping and around 10:30 came to me, asked for some cold water and said he needed to cuddle. It was so cute!!! Although we are pretty strict about the boys sleeping in their own beds, all bets are off when you have a sickie.

Mom, Dad and Blanca too the boys to the doctor yesterday and they're back on nebulizing treatments (3 times a day for a week). The doctor also said that they should not go outside on orange or higher days and that could be half the summer. Needless to say I'm worried about trying to keep two really active little boys in the house for a good chunk of the summer. Once they feel better they will not understand why they're not allowed to ride their bikes and play outside. Obviously I want to keep them healthy and will do anything necessary but I don't want them stuck inside watching TV all the time (that's not healthy either). Anyway I made an appointment to the pulmonologist that treated Dylan the first year. I really liked him. He's a realist, explains the options and listens to the parents.

I'm up early to bike and looking forward to my last day of work this week. Nothing like a two day work week!! Mark and I are heading to Key West tomorrow for Mike and Gina's wedding and I am excited about getting away but feeling guilty about leaving the kids. I know they are in good hands with my folks (two doctors should be able to handle the kids) but it does feel a bit wrong to leave when Dylan is feeling so awful.

Sick Boys

2006-05-29T18:41:00.000-07:00

So Dylan is a sickie. He had a temp of 100.7 this morning but was still excited to go out and play. We went to two parks this morning and the boys made some new friends but we all got slightly overheated so we headed to the store to pick up a few things. The boys had some lunch and then went down for their nap.

While the kids were napping Mom and I went out to do some shopping and Papa and Grandpop were on kid duty. I am happy to report that I found a great dress for the wedding in Key West.

Neither boy slept for very long and when Dylan woke up his temp was up to 103 and he threw up a little. When Mom and I got home he looked miserable. Sam and Dylan wanted to go outside to play but when we got outside Dylan just wanted to sit next to Grandpop and then he wanted to go back in the house to cuddle and watch trains.

We made dinner and both boys threw up at the table. It was so absurd we all just started to laugh.

Well, it will likely be off to doctor in the AM.

Preschool Rockers

2006-05-29T05:49:00.000-07:00

Well, yesterday was a big day. We started out in Old Town at the Godspeed Festival which is part of the 400th anniversary celebration of America. We got there a bit later than we planned and it was already quite crowded (everyone, except Sam, Dylan and me, slept in late). We didn't get to tour the historic 17th century replica ship but no one seemed to mind. We watched a little performance and then just walked around. We ended up at the Whistle Shop Hobby Shop, a great little train shop in Old Town, a favorite with the boys, then we moved on to the "truck park" a little park with a sandbox and trucks from the neighborhood. After playing for a while we headed back to the car had lunch and the kids took a long nap.

Our evening was all about the HFStival. I can't believe at 40 I went to another HFStival. Tom had everything arranged beautifully!! We drove up the venue and we were guided to a parking spot right backstage. Dylan and Sam were very excited to see Uncle Adam and wear their "ear gloves" - ear muffs to minimize the decibel level and protect their little ears. We watched the Strokes from the side of the stage and the boys danced on top of a big box. We found Kumie and Dail out front but our visit was cut short by a call for a potty run. It's hard to seem cool when you have to run every five minutes to go potty, but I guess I prefer no diapers to appearing cool.

Anyway, CC went on around 10 pm, two hours after Dylan and Sam's regular bedtime and after Dylan had thrown up for the first time of the evening. Sam was very excited but Dylan was feeling a bit under the weather and slept through a good bit on the show. After a potty run backstage, Sam kept pointing to the stage so we took the boys up to the stage to join in the fun of "hangin around". Sam ran all over the stage and Uncle Adam threw him up in the air to the audience's delight. Dylan wanted to be held so I obliged.

During the last three songs both Sam and Dylan threw up and Dylan was over the concert experience. We went backstage, got the boys in their PJs, said our goodbyes and headed home.

Even though Dylan didn't get to sleep until after 12:30 he was still up at 6:00 and ready to get out of bed 30 min later. He told me he is sick and has a fever of 100.7.

While I'm writing they are up playing with Grandma and Grandpa so I better run.

Summer Activities

2006-05-28T05:59:00.000-07:00

I signed up the boys for some classes this summer though the county park system. On Tuesday morning I signed them up for Preschool Picassos, an arts and crafts class. Dylan’s preschool teacher suggested the class.

This morning I got the last two slots in a parent/child soccer class. I’m really looking forward to the soccer class. It’s every Saturday morning (at 9:15) for 8 weeks and it’ll give us a chance to run around with the boys while they’re learning to listen to instruction and take turns, skills that will come in handy in the future. Maybe we’ll learn something too.

A Day at the Farm

2006-05-26T18:13:00.001-07:00

Sam Dylan and Luis

Ben Sloane

The phone rang this morning at 5:45 AM while I was biking and it was Blanca. Unfortunately she was calling to tell us that she was feeling quite under the weather. We hope that she feels better soon. Dylan and Sam had a school field trip today so I decided to skip work and be a mom all day, it was so much fun!!!

We started at school singing Shabbat songs. Dylan kept asking where his friend Ben was and was quite distraught until he showed up. When Ben did arrive Dylan and Sam were so happy. According to his mom (Vickie), Ben loves all the attention. The three boys had a play date on Monday and we are planning more especially over the summer break.

Anyway, after songs at the school we loaded up our cars to caravan (kind of) out to Kidwell Farms at Frying Pan Park . The kids had a wonderful time. There was a playground which had a great "rock" climbing side, then we had a picnic, visited the animals, played on the tractors and took a hay ride. All in all it was a wonderful "first" fieldtrip.

After our fun at the farm we headed to "Mama's office to pretend to work", this was Dylan's very appropriate description. We headed into town to pick up some papers I need to work over the weekend on a big project that's due on Tuesday. I had planned to complete the project today but I'm glad I got to spend the day with the boys!!

We have a big weekend ahead of us. Mom, Dad and Adam come into town tomorrow and the band is performing on Sunday. If we have good weather we hope to get to the pool and start the summer with a bang!!

10 Inches Gone

2006-05-21T17:48:00.000-07:00

Hair Before and After

So here are my before and after shots. Mark just posted them for me (I will learn how to do it myself soon). I am still adjusting to the new haircut but it is a fun change!

We had a great day today at the Potomac Hunt Club's race day. The boys had a great time watching the horses and chasing Gage around.

I'm off to finish my thank you notes.

Typos

2006-05-19T15:56:00.000-07:00

My first week as a blogger has been kind of lame but I just haven't had much time this week to write. And when I was chatting with my Dad earlier tonight he pointed out the typo in the title of my blog. It’s been corrected it and you all should feel free to let me know when I make an embarrassing typo!! I warned you about early morning posting.

Anyway, I will try to be more consistent with my posts.

So I had a pretty rough week. On Monday we found out that a dear colleague and friend died suddenly of a heart attack on Sunday and it threw us all into a tailspin. I had known John Luehrs since he first came to AARP in the early 90’s. As I wrote in his tribute book at work, John guided us in our health advocacy efforts, inspired us with his spirit and dedication, and helped us through challenging situations with his intellect and humor. There was a very touching memorial service at work on Wednesday and his funeral was yesterday. I’m just heartbroken for his family. It’s rough on his friends and I can’t imagine what his family is going through. There were a lot of tears this week and we raised a few drinks in his honor. John was just a great guy and he will be missed.

On a much lighter note, today was a big day for me. As many of you know I have been growing out my hair for 9 months preparing to donate it to Locks of Love (http://www.locksoflove.org/ ) and today was the big day. I chopped off over 10 inches of hair. I took before and after shots and when Mark gets home I’ll have him show me how to post them. Anyway it’s a big change.

OK, I have to get back to the boys. More later.

Gina – the shoes arrived today. You’ll have to tell me what you think.

40 th Birthday

2006-05-15T18:58:00.000-07:00

Well, turning 40 was a lot less traumatic than I had been lead to believe. Actually, I had a really amazing weekend and I want to thank everyone for making my birthday so great.

Mark did an amazing job pulling off a surprise party right under my nose. I figured we were going to do a bit more than have dinner with my family but I never guessed that he would whip up such a terrific party. You can see photos on Mark (http://homerclees.blogspot.com/) and Kumie’s (http://icegrl.blogspot.com/) blogs.

I’m pooped tonight so I’ll write more about the weekend tomorrow.

My first day as a blogger

2006-05-13T04:20:00.000-07:00

I'm a devotee of the blogs of several friends (Kumie and Gina) and truly addicted to my husband's blog so as a approach my 40th birthday (Sunday) I decided it was time for me to start a blog of my own.

I'm really not sure what I'll write here but I thought I would give it a go. My life is pretty much about family (I have a great one and married into a great one) so I'm sure that will be my main focus.

I have to learn how to add pictures but Mark (my husband said he would show me).

I'm a pretty early riser so I think a lot of my posts will be early morning and I make no promises about spelling or grammar before 10 am.

Anyway I want to thank everyone (you know who you are) for this week and for making me feel really loved and special as I lead up to my b-day.

I feel pretty good about turning forty, I have a wonderful husband, amazing kids, my family is here (Mom, Dad, and big brother), and the rest of my family and friend are the best in the world. I pretty much think it will just keep getting better. Don't worry, I'm not naive, I know there will be ups and downs but the alternative to aging is not a good option.

Anyway, everyone is still sleeping so I have some time to myself. I got up at 4:30 to ride my bike, took a shower and went back to bed for a bit. Dylan was in bed with Mark and did not leave much room for me but I love cuddling so I really didn't mind. Sam can in around 6:45 and wanted me to take him down to grandma and grandpa who are staying in our basement guestroom. Dylan just came down (7:34) and is now hanging out with me.

Mom and I are getting manicures and pedicures at 10 am and then Mark and I will head to the Kennedy Center to see a ballet. In the evening we are going out to dinner, I don't know where but I am thrilled because I didn't have to plan a thing.

It's going to be a good day!