Eleven

Keely celebrated her 11th birthday with a bang. She had many celebrations, and was sung to many times leading up to, including and after her birthday. 

News and noteworthy from this birthday:

-I made 48 cupcakes - for both her class and her soccer team. Since her birthday was on a Thursday, it was also soccer practice day and it was fun to share the celebration with those friends as well as her school class. This is the last time I will be making birthday treats to bring to school because she will be in middle school next year!

-She chose chinese food for dinner for her birthday, and we decided to eat in at one of our favorite new spots for takeout, Rice Pot. It was even better in the restaurant, and Keely's favorite continues to be lo mein :)

-She had her very first friend birthday party (aside from smaller gatherings in past years). We invited 6 of her friends to join us for a spa party. We started at our house on a Friday evening with drinks and appetizers, then headed to a spa for manicures. Afterwards, we came back to our house for cupcakes, presents and games. It was really a fun evening. We even made cute little favors to hand out to each girl...themed with spa and manicure stuff of course. For someone who is not at all crafty, I was very pleased with how they turned out. Each favor cost under $5!

-She got a karaoke type machine that can play music through speakers from any device (phone, tablet, computer). Many songs have been sung, and she loves performing (mostly for herself in her room). 






I think that's about all from this edition of the birthday news. Reaching higher ages doesn't feel as dramatic for Keely as it did for Quinn, but I still can't believe my baby is 11. She is still a sweet fun loving girl and I love the time we spend together. She is the girl I never I was or will be so I am grateful for the help she provides me almost daily, and she loves to be by my side whether that be doing nails, hair, shopping, or just hanging out. I wish I could freeze time, but since I can't I will try to enjoy every moment!
  

New School Year

Here we go again...this time, we begin 7th and 5th grades! This year was no big thing, really because it was the same as last year for the most part. Same schools, just a different grade. Next year, we will have two middle schoolers so that will be a big step. But let's not get ahead of ourselves...

Keely is so excited to be the 'top of the school' as the oldest. The one big thing is getting to sit in the chairs at assemblies! I guess that is way more comfortable than sitting on the floor :) She is also happy with her teacher...although she did not get the male teacher for her main teacher, she is going to his class for advanced math each day. The teacher she did get was her top female choice, so in Keely's world this is a win-win. I haven't met Mrs. A, but Keely seems thrilled with her approach so far and that is what counts. She is also a bus patrol for the first time, an honor that she is happy to fulfill. She gets to wear her special patrol belt and help the little ones on the bus - even having to referee some arguments while traveling to school. So it's all good for Keely. She is doing well in school and has hooked back up with her friends from last year. She seems to be maintaining a good balance between the social and educational aspects of school, and that's a good direction to head as we begin our last year of elementary school. As for extracurricular activities this fall, she is playing soccer with the Cheetahs (one game and two practices a week) and taking a Hip Hop dance class once a week. It's fairly busy, but it's how she likes it!


Quinn settled into another year of middle school fairly quickly. He continues to manage his time well and not have to be reminded to do homework, study for tests/quizzes and practice his saxophone. I met all of his teachers at Back to School night and I think he's got a good group again. All of his teachers seem fair and nice, and I think he will do well with them. He is in all honors classes again, with an added challenge of High School Algebra 1 for math. He also has Art Foundations for the first half of the year, and Home Economics (not his first choice, but I think a good learning experience for him!) the second half. Band is his other elective and it will certainly keep him (us) busy this year. Lots of performances and competitions...and he has also chosen to participate in Jazz Band as well, so that adds another few performances and practices after school each Monday. He seems to have done well with the switch to tenor saxophone and it continues to be a passion for him! He's not doing any extracurricular activities on top of school and Jazz Band...but he plans to play basketball again this winter.

Another point to note...we switched to another church, St. Philip's, this summer and enrolled the kids in their CCD program. It's on Sunday mornings at 8:45 AM so that means we only get 1 day a week to sleep in...but it's good to get back in routine with CCD as Quinn prepares for his confirmation that will be in Spring 2016. So far, I like the new church much better but it wasn't hard to beat the old experience. I do miss Blessed Sacrament a lot, and we just haven't found that place we feel comfortable here in Virginia so I hope that St. Philip's can be closer to that feeling for us. 

New Jersey

Summer wouldn’t seem complete with a trip to New Jersey. This one was in early August and was timed to coincide with Lois, Ryan and the girls traveling there for a week to see Grandma and Grandpa. We drove up on Saturday morning and I came home early Tuesday morning, but James and the kids stayed until Wednesday evening. There is not much to do in New Jersey, but thanks to the purchase of some slip and slides the kids had enough fun right at the house. They also took a trip to Allaire State Park where they rode the train, and we took the kids to Clark Mills and Milford Brook – our old stomping grounds from Manalapan Rec and the site where James and I met some 22 years earlier. It’s crazy that 22 years later, we were there with our two kids and Lois’ two kids playing on the same (loosely) playgrounds where we met and started to get to know each other. It was actually quite surreal. We also went to church at OLM almost 15 years to the day of our wedding, and it was again quite surreal to sit in the pew with our children and expanded family. I had no idea where life would take us, but we have been very blessed and I can’t wait to see where the next 15 years, 30 years and hopefully more (God willing) takes us.

Our anniversary itself was celebrated back in Virginia when James and the kids returned home. We went to dinner at Matchbox - very yummy - followed by ice cream at Boardwalk Ice Cream. Keely made us her own handmade gifts and it was very thoughtful. She wanted to have this hanging in our room when we awoke, but instead it was hung during the day. Notice the artist peeping out the closet door :)

End of the School Year

Quinn finished up his first year of middle school with a flourish. He earned all A honor roll for the 4^th straight quarter, with all As for his final grades. He also earned a Special Achievement Award for his performance in Band playing saxophone. He is looking forward to making the switch to tenor saxophone and got to try it out at school towards the end of the year. Lastly, he earned an award for excellence in Math. He was one of only a handful of students to get this award in sixth grade and it is a nice accomplishment. He was accepted into Algebra 1 Honors for 7th grade so he will be taking high school level math and earn high school credit upon completion. 

Keely got all 3s and 4s on her final report card and ended the year on a very positive note. She really liked her teacher this year and is hoping to get a male teacher for her last year of middle school. Boy, have we come a long way since she was devastated to see a Mr. on her teacher assignment letter. It just seems she does better with male teachers, so she has been lucky to have one for the last two years. There is also a male teacher in 5^th grade so she is keeping her fingers crossed. Regardless, she will most likely be going to his class for math as he is the advanced math teacher and her teacher has recommended she be moved into that class next year based on her stellar math work this year. Math doesn’t seem to come as naturally for her, so this is a nice accomplishment. Keely finished the year with viola, and although she liked it she decided not to continue in 5^th grade. She is torn between joining band or chorus. I think chorus would be perfect for her, but it is her decision so we will see what she chooses come the beginning of the school year.

The end of school also meant the end of sports. Soccer for me and Keely ended, and Quinn finished his second season of basketball. We were glad for the break. Keely’s team came in first place in their division and continues to improve. Their team also played in an all-star tournament and although they lost all three games, they played well and it seemed to be good experience for them. Keely was scouted by a travel team coach with some nice compliments on her play, but we will stick with her recreation team for the time being. Quinn liked playing basketball but he seemed happy for the break and I think he will wait until ABGC starts up again to play (winter). 

Friday Update...three is the new five :)

I always have good intentions with keeping the momentum going on these updates, but I just didn’t have five things last week nor did I have time to write too much. Another week though and a few more things to discuss, so here’s the latest update. Since we are on the verge of the first long weekend of summer, I will make my next update a preview of our top 5 (or maybe more) summer plans. In the meantime, enjoy the top five from these last two weeks…

-Mother’s Day 4 Miler – We had visitors for mother’s day weekend this year – Nana, Papa, and Aunt Annie. That meant three generations together for Mother’s Day. What better way to celebrate than with a 4 mile run? Keely has been asking to do another 5K for some time, so this seemed perfect. It was in Reston and we got tech tee shirts, a pin and all moms got a flower at the finish line. I would definitely run this race again, although the course was tough with all its hills. Most importantly, the four of us got to be together which is as it should be. We then met up with the boys at Silver Diner (where else?!?!) for breakfast. It was a fun morning!

-Quinn’s Band Concert – Quinn had his spring band concert. He, along with the rest of the Intermediate Band, played four songs including the theme from Raiders of the Lost Ark (a fun choice!) and it sounded very nice. We couldn’t see Quinn from our seats as he was in the 4^th row with the other alto saxophones but we couldn’t hear him which means he played well and was in tune with the rest of the band. He also got some very exciting news about next year…

-Symphonic Band – As a member of the intermediate band in 6^th grade, there are 3 choices for Quinn next year: Concert Band 2, Concert Band 1 and Symphonic Band. He performed last week for the two band teachers, and we found out this week that he has qualified for Symphonic Band! That is the highest level he can attain and he will have reached it in only his second year of middle school. There is only one slight snag. One other student received higher marks on the performance for alto saxophone and there is only one spot for that instrument. BUT…Quinn qualified for Symphonic Band as well – a quote from his teacher…”his tone is great, his rhythmic accuracy is spot on, and his knowledge and understanding of articulations is superb”. So in order to have Quinn participate next year, they offered him a spot on the tenor saxophone. Quinn doesn’t have to learn an entirely new instrument and the added sound will complement the band. And the school will pay for his instrument for the year since he is being asked to fill the spot. SO…Quinn is excited to try something new and has accepted their offer to play tenor saxophone in the Symphonic Band next year! We are very proud of him and his aptitude for saxophone and can’t wait to continue to watch him grow as a musician :)

Five Things Friday 5/9/14

I’m behind on my updates…not surprising, but things are busy and there were a few noteworthy items this week so I’m using that a springboard to get back on track.

-Quinn earned All-A Honor Roll for the 3^rd straight quarter. We are proud of him and the hard work he puts into school – we almost never have to nag him about homework, he just does it on his own. He takes pride in his work and has really caught on to the time management skills needed in middle school. I am very spoiled opening up progress reports (teachers send them every two weeks so there are no surprises) and seeing average grades near or sometimes even over 100%. I attended his Honor Roll ceremony on Monday, and he’s among less than 40 who earned all-As. On top of that, he is in all honors classes. Middle school is treating him quite well!

-Keely also had a great third quarter report card, earning all 3s and 4s. She also took her field trip to Jamestown last week. The weather was iffy but it turned out to be fine with no rain and warm, humid weather (typical for SE Virginia). She was so excited the night before – almost worse than Christmas Eve – and sprung out of bed that morning. I think her favorite part was the bus trip – coach buses and they watched 3 movies – but she enjoyed the ship and fort tours. She does enjoy history and often asks us to visit such places (Gunston Hall as an example). Someday I will get to Jamestown, now that my whole family has been there.

-Keely had her annual orchestra concert this week. She has been playing the viola since September. She did well in their 4 songs. She seems to like viola, and says she may stick with it for 5^th grade. It would be nice to see her progress over two years, instead of switching to band (she says she would pick the flute). We’ll see what she decides come September, but it’s been nice for her to continue her musical talents with a strings instrument this year.

-I ran my 5^th half marathon on Sunday morning, the Frederick Running Festival. I signed up back in January with a nice discount code (under $60!) and figured I’d be in good shape by May. Ha, the best laid plans…well, you know how those go. Soccer got in the way of my return to running…and the move to a new office further from home makes less time for working out during the week. So the longest runs I could get in were 6-7 miles. Yeah, not too good of a base for a half. I should have written a post called ‘How NOT to train for a half marathon’. In any event, I considered deferring but decided to do it just to cover the mileage – and hey, it was a nice t-shirt so I wanted that :) I ran with two friends, one of whom is 3 months pregnant and we did a 7/1 interval (7 minutes running, 1 minute walk). It was perfect for me, I honestly don’t think I could have done it much faster without really tearing up my body. The course was fairly flat with good scenery and excellent crowd support for a small town. Afterwards, we stopped at Cracker Barrel for a much deserved breakfast. I would definitely do this race again – I am even considering signing up now to get the best rate for next year. I think with proper training, I could PR.

-Sports continue in earnest for our house. Keely has had 4 soccer games – her team is doing well this season, 2-1-1 so far. She plays mostly midfield as she is the speediest on the team. Quinn has played 4 or 5 of his basketball games with three remaining in this spring league. He continues to enjoy it, but I think he will be ready for a break come June. I have played 4 soccer games – and my body seems to finally be adjusting to the rigors of a soccer game. I have also learned that I can’t play without warming up my quads and other leg muscles.  It’s still a lot of fun, and I enjoy playing – and my team is undefeated so far :)

Last Week's Quick Hits

Friday was a hot mess at work, so I didn't even think to post the top five for the week. Thank goodness I stuck to my original plan and updated it throughout the week. So without further adieu, a belated update on the last week or so in my world...

-We attended a celebration for the end of the Keely’s basketball season. Playing basketball was something I didn’t push her into, she decided on her own that she wanted to (as she has done with most things in her life – case in point, when at age 2 she decided she was going to do ballet and I’d thought it best be time to find her a ballet class). She really enjoyed the season, though I can’t say it seems like it compares to soccer for her. But what I am grateful for is that she tried it out, learned some new skills, and says she wants to continue. She got paired with a really great coach, at random, and I couldn’t have been happier with the way it worked out. Well, except if there weren't umpteen schedule changes and a couple of games on a floor that was like a slip-n-slide making basketball pretty interesting.

-Quinn also played and finished his basketball season with ABGC. He was also paired with a great coach, who has seen in him promise and has helped to encourage Quinn’s strengths (defense) and work on his weaknesses (shooting and offense). He’s not really a team sport child, so I love that he showed the desire to play and now has joined a second league to play for another 8 weeks or so. He had the first game with the other league on Sunday (same coach, and most of the same players from his ABGC team). They won by 1 point in OT, and were so thrilled – especially because they only had 5 players!

-My first soccer game was canceled – because of, you guessed it, snow! As we quickly approach April, I am looking out at snow covered grounds yet again. Can anyone spell F-L-O-R-I-D-A? Because that’s where you may find us living after this long winter!

 -Keely finished up a 7 week session of indoor soccer last weekend. Their team has improved quite a bit, and they won most of their games and were competitive in all but one game when they lost. Most surprising is that Keely found a like (I won’t go so far as love) for playing goalie. I coached the 2^nd game and had to put her in goal because there just aren’t enough girls on her team willing to play that position, and she was a fireball. She rocked it, I didn’t even know who that girl was – and after that, she played in goal each game and even started in goal playing most of the first half in the last game. James hit the nail on the head crediting playing basketball for her improved use of hands because now she knows she can catch a ball that big and isn’t afraid. She even says she wants to play goal when they start outdoor in a couple of weeks. I’m sure her skills are better used on the field, but it’s nice that she’s willing to try different things!

-I played my first soccer game on Saturday. Keely came and watched, my faithful cheerleader because it was raining the entire time. Once you were wet, it was fine. And thankfully it was a warm rain. I was nervous, but needn’t have been. I fell back into it, and was definitely one of the better players on the field. I played every position except goal, scored one goal, and our team won 6-1. It was a great game, and then reality set in. I am S.O.R.E. all capitals well deserved! Two days later, it’s not much better and I’m just hoping and praying that it gets better each time I play. I can’t be in this.much.pain after each game! But boy, was it fun. And for now, that makes the pain so worth it. I loved that Keely got to see me play, and I loved hearing her cheer ‘Go, Mom’ J

Trying Something New - Top 5

• We started this week with yet another snowstorm. This winter is like the gift that keeps on giving J We got another 10” or so, and school was canceled for the 11^th day this year. I even got to work from home. Because it was St. Patrick’s Day, Quinn made a shamrock in snow using green food coloring.
• Keely’s heading to Jamestown on May 1. She is super excited and has honestly been looking forward to this trip since Quinn went two years ago! There was some uncertainty about whether MC would go, but apparently they do the same as BT for 4^th graders.
• Quinn took the first step in qualifying to take Algebra 1 (a HS math class) next year in 7^th grade by achieving a 95^th percentile on the Iowa Math Tests. He also has to get above a 500 on his SOLs later this year, and then will need a recommendation from his math teachers. We are proud of him! This does seem to come naturally though so I guess he got some of this math brain from James and I J
• I went out for two runs – one on Saturday of 20 minutes and one on Thursday of 25 minutes. I’m focusing on adding time, not distance and running at a comfortable leisurely pace as I continue to test the waters. These runs are not pain free, and honestly I sometimes wonder if I’ve literally ‘had a good run’ with distance running and may just need to focus on other areas to stay physically fit.
• We continued to talk and talk and talk about our plans for Spring Break. We are most likely renting a car and driving to Florida but the exact dates and any stops along the way are undecided.

I go back and forth on the blog and how to shape it into something I can maintain. I need it not to feel like a chore, yet I continue to feel guilty because of not updating it. I feel like I only capture the ‘big events’ and not enough of everyday life. But then I wonder what the purpose of capturing everyday life is – will I feel better reading about birthdays and holidays, or reading about the minutia of everyday life when I get older and wistful for times past? I guess I need to decide, because ultimately I write this mostly for myself. I do think Keely will read it at some point because she very much likes to hear stories of the past, about herself and our family. So for now, I’ll try this Top 5 format. Maybe I can update it more on a daily basis and publish each week. We’ll see how it goes, but it can’t be worse than posting nothing and feeling guilty about it J

School and Health Updates

The first quarter of school ended in early November, followed by the usual requisite two days off of school. Report cards and conferences followed.

For Quinn, there were no conferences but there were also no surprises. I have to say, after the first quarter at Poe I am pretty pleased. We receive progress reports from most of Quinn’s teachers every two weeks. If things were going south, we would know pretty quickly. However, we had nothing to worry about. When you open up the math reports and see that your child has over a 100% average, you just know he’s going to be fine. He received all A’s and one A-, good enough to place him on the all-A Honor Roll. There was a ceremony at school to acknowledge the all-A and A/B Honor Rolls…but he forgot to tell us what time, or he never knew what time it would be. Turns out it was held during first period and we would love to attend in the future. Quinn seems to have adjusted well to middle school and he’s doing great.

We did have conferences for Keely. She is doing really well. Her teacher really enjoys having her in class. She seems to be behaving nicely, not getting too caught up with her friends and concentrating on getting her work done. I do think she strives to be a good student, but sometimes distractions get in the way of that. Thankfully, 4^th grade seems to be going well. Her report card was good too, mostly 3s and 4s. From her teacher’s remarks in the conference, I would have expected more 4s but I guess he wanted to give her room to improve. I’m not sure all the teachers are on board with the new grading system – it’s supposed to be rating children according to what they know at the end of the quarter and then rating them independently each quarter on what they are learning. In any event, her grades were still good and it’s not worth making a fuss over. A 4^th grade report card is not going to make any difference in her college applications.

The kids also had their well checks, which coincided with birthdays. They are both doing well, in fact we had not been at the doctor at all (save one visit for Keely’s acid reflux) since their well check last year. That’s a good sign that they are healthy and well. Our two main issues (and they are relatively minor in the grand scheme of things) are Keely’s acid reflux and Quinn’s nose bleeds. We monitor Keely’s acid and she takes Zantac each night to keep it under control. It seems every fall Quinn’s nose bleeds are at their worst and we talk to the doctor about them, then they die down. Sure enough, that’s what happened again. The doctor recommended Quinn get a set of blood work done now to see if he has any clotting issues, in addition to the regular blood panels (including cholesterol). It’s no rush, but we will get that done in the next month or so. He’s not anxious because he hates needles and blood (makes the bloody noses very fun…not!). As for weight and height, they are both around the 50% for their ages. Quinn is due for a very big growth spurt, and I even think he’s grown since the visit. I judge that pretty unscientifically though based on how he compares to my own height. Let’s just say he’s very close to looking me eye to eye, and I’ve never been anxious to reach that day. I have to accept it though, because it’s happening and very soon, he will be taller than me. Keely is not as petite as she was last year but still very normal for her age. She didn’t like being called petite anyways so that’s a good development. I have the numbers but I think the kiddos are past the age where I report their heights and weights so I will keep them for their memory books. Suffice it to say, they are doing well and very health and we are very grateful!

The Weitz Family Visits Washington

After what seemed like many months of planning and a few failed attempts at picking a weekend, we finally had our 2^nd weekend visit from Jess, Jon and Ethan. They arrived on the train Friday afternoon and stayed until early Sunday afternoon. It was a quick trip, but we packed in a lot of fun! 

On Friday, we had a nice dinner out at Silver Diner. Perfect for kids and great food, it ended up being a perfect choice. On Saturday morning, we drove up to Clemyjontri Park in McLean. I had a feeling Ethan would love this park, and I think it’s safe to say I was right. Quinn and Keely like it too, but we only go there when we have little ones in town. Quite honestly, they are just too old for parks but they like to live vicariously through the younger friends and cousins we bring there. 

We spent about an hour there and then it was time to head home and get Keely ready for her soccer game. After the game, we decided to head downtown to visit the Air & Space Museum. The museum was a hit with all, and we spent about 2 hours there before heading home to prepare dinner. Insert my WWBHM post here, because that picks up our activities from dinner through about 9 AM when I finished running the following morning. I was so happy to have 3 extra people in my cheering squad on Sunday morning! After my race, we had brunch at Jukebox Diner. Before we knew it, the time had come to bring our guests to Union Station for their return train back to NYC. It was too quick, but there were a lot of laughs and a ton of fun. We are so glad to live close enough to see them – though not as often as we would like, it’s working out to once or twice a year and I know I look forward to these visits.

Other fun stuff to mention – teaching Jess and Jon Anomia (and Jess getting a little too enthusiastic about playing!), teaching Jon to rainbow loom, and we can't forget Keely’s salon complete with massages, manicures, hair styling and even magazines to read in the waiting room!

It was definitely a fun time, and I’m so glad they were able to make the trip down to see us. Next time, we’re looking forward to visiting New York and Brooklyn, or even meeting in the middle for a getaway (Philly is the most likely place). I don’t know exactly when it will be, but I do know I look forward to the next time we get to hang with the Weitz Family :)

Halloween Wrapup

Another Halloween come and gone, and I can't say I'm sad. It's just not my holiday. It always seems like there is drama with costumes, and I'm never happy with the discussions in the weeks leading up to it. Keely wanted to be a butterfly, then a ladybug, then some sort of winged insect...then she ended up with a fairy costume. Quinn didn't really want to dress up at all, but he wanted the candy. He didn't decide until the very very last minute...and ended up as a traveling musician with a guitar on his back. The guitar didn't last long though, but he must have looked semi-dressed up because people still gave him candy :)

The kids got more candy than we could ever need. We're still going through it, and I think another batch may be coming to work with me soon. Keely went around the neighborhood with her best friend Julia. This was the first year we let Quinn go on his own with a friend. They took scooters and went from our house on one side of the neighborhood to his friend's house on the other side, grabbing candy from each house as they traveled. He had SO much candy...because he was able to make it quickly from one house to another via scooter.

Double Digits

Keely celebrated her 10^th birthday. Ten, a decade, double digits…wow! I was pretty morose about my baby turning 10, but for the few weeks before her birthday I started conditioning myself to her turning 10, saying she was about to be 10 when people asked how old she was, etc. By the time her birthday rolled around, I was fine with it. Ah, the trials and tribulations of a mom’s drama :) But this isn’t about me, it’s about Keely so I’ll get to it!

Much like Quinn, she started her birthday celebrations a few days early when Nana and Papa came to visit. She got some spa time in with Nana and I, getting a Halloween manicure and a pink hair extension. She chose to go out for Hibachi for her birthday dinner with our guests, and what a great choice. We haven’t been to that type of restaurant in some time, and it was a very yummy meal. She especially loved the soup, and using the chopsticks to eat most of her meal. After dinner, it was time for presents and cake. She got spoiled with lots of gifts from N&P…including a new American Girl doll Saige, a gift card to Michael’s, and a new scarf handmade by Nana to name a few of the many gifts. Her cake was just a simple round two layer marble cake with pink frosting. She helped me decorate it – at first, she wanted a spider web, then a soccer ball, and then it turned into a creation all its own complete with M&Ms spelling her initials. I love that my kids are so flexible with my ineptitude at cake decorating!

On her actual birthday, she took cupcakes to school and got to hand them out at lunch time. For dinner that night, she chose ham, mashed potatoes and steamed carrots. For dessert, we had what was left over from the cupcakes she brought to school. They even sang to her at soccer practice since it fell on her actual birthday! After cake, she got her presents from us – some clothes from her favorite store and a Caboodles makeup kit from Mom & Dad, and new rubber bands for her Rainbow Loom from Quinn (in Poe colors, black and yellow – sort of a gift for himself too so he could have her make him a Poe themed bracelet).

We may still have yet another celebration of her birth, this time with friends. With the busyness that is life though, that date isn’t set nor is it a definite so I decided not delay this anymore. In any event, she had a wonderful birthday, and while she wasn’t eager to hit double digits she also grew accustomed to it and is happy to be 10. It’s like she is an old soul, she often says she doesn’t want to get old…and I try and tell her that she’s not, 10 is still very young but I think she just doesn’t want to grow up. I can’t say I blame her! She’s always seemed older and wiser than her years, and I think this is another case of that. In any event, she is turning into a fine young woman and we are blessed to have her with us each day. I couldn’t imagine life without my sweet girl, my Keely Roo and I’m glad she had a wonderful birthday to celebrate the day she entered our lives!

Confirmation

About a year ago, Karen asked me to be Tyler's Confirmation sponsor. I was honored and accepted, but the date seemed so far off. Of course, it came and went before I knew it. I drove to New Jersey and back in 24 hours, but it was worth the trip to be there for Tyler. The boys were confirmed in James' family church, where Keely was baptized and I have been more times than I can count. As I was standing with Tyler for the anointing, it was a bittersweet moment. I am his Godmother, I held him at his Baptism when he was blessed with the Holy Water. I thought it was pretty special to be with him that day almost 15 years ago when he was welcomed into the Catholic church, and on this day when he was there of his own choosing - beginning his adult life in the Catholic church. As the Monsignor said in his homily, this was not a Catholic graduation - although most of the kids are for sure looking forward to no more CCD - but a beginning of their lives as adults in the Catholic church.

I'm happy that Tyler asked me and glad that I was able to be there for this special day in both Tyler and Jordan's life!

Postponed

I don’t normally write about political events or even about current events all that much. This blog was always intended to be only about the current events in our life. Sometimes the world or state or local current events intermingle with our own little world though, and then I’m forced to incorporate them into my writing. The government began a partial shut down on October 1^st. When it was looming and even when it happened, I had no thoughts of it impacting my life. Months ago, I had chosen my fall half marathon which was the Wilson Bridge Half Marathon to be held on October 6^th. What I didn’t realize about the government shutdown was that it would affect the race because much of it is run on National Park Service land, which technically closed with the shutdown. A day later, the decision was made to postpone the race to November 10^th. Two of my friends and I ran our own 13.1 that Saturday, dubbed the Government Shutdown Half, because the shut down couldn’t stop us from running. Truth be told, the weather was abnormally hot and humid for early October and it was probably for the best that the race had been postponed. Our 13.1 turned into a training run, and we took our time finishing in about 2 hours, 15 minutes…a far cry from my personal best, and from my goal of close to or under 2 hours. I could have run faster but I stuck with my friends and it was a nice run, aside from the heat and humidity. We even got a few thumbs up from fellow runners on our homemade shirts. 

The race being postponed has left me with a mix of emotions. Obviously, I felt well prepared and was mad that it didn’t go off as planned. I was so ready to be done with weekend long runs and training. On top of that, I was dealing with a sore hamstring on that last 13.1 mile training run. I tend to over-react so had I written this a week or 10 days ago, I would have been pretty down because of that hamstring. But in the last week or so, I’ve been able to run with less and less pain thanks to stretching, heat and incorporating weekly yoga into my workouts. I even got a 9.5 mile long run in on Sunday. I feel like I will be able to get one more long run in this weekend and then do another two week taper. The government is re-opened, so no worries about another postponement or (worse) cancellation. And with the date change, I will have more spectators in my cheering section at the finish line because the Weitz family will be here that same weekend :)

Summer Wrap Up

We returned from Maine on July 22^nd, with the kids having been off school for over a month yet having had a very abnormal summer. They were gone 3 of the first 4 weeks, and we were very ready for life to settle down and everyone to settle into the normal summer routine. You know…sleeping late, playing with friends, staying up late, swimming at the neighborhood pool, etc. I’m used to getting up and out of the house every day with the rest of the family still sleeping, and that’s the feeling of summer we were all eager for. We also had been very busy out of state, but realized there are a lot of things we want to do close to home – stay-cations of sorts. So we made a list of things we wanted to do in the last 5-6 weeks of summer. I’m happy to say we checked off all but one or two items on that list. One being tubing, which I know we will do another summer – but would have been hard logistically to fit in this summer. And the other was a nearby amusement park – which we can still do another weekend this Fall. We checked off the other items on the list, capping the last one on September 1^st – a trip to a water park…pretty good, considering James and the kids were in New Jersey for one week of August.

I can separate these activities, or write about them all together. I think lumping it all together will help me catch up quicker to present time, so here goes.

We took a trip to Cunningham Falls State Park, a lake with a waterfall hike in the mountains of Maryland. My favorite memory from this trip was Keely’s description of the lake – Nature’s Pool :) There is a small beach area, and the part of the lake you can swim in is roped off. It was nice, but I wouldn’t go back again for the beach area. We also did the hike up to the waterfalls, and then played around on the rocks around the falls. The whole park was fairly crowded, probably because it was a gorgeous summer day with low humidity. We had a nice day, but for the 1+ hour drive I don’t think it’s worth another trip.

We combined two things from our list into one overnight in-state trip – Natural Bridge and Monticello. James and I had been to NB when we were in college, and we wanted the kids to see it. It’s gotten a bit more commercialized since we visited, but it’s a nice trip nonetheless. The bridge is pretty amazing, and it didn’t disappoint. We also made the hike (more like a walk) to the waterfalls, including a side trip to the Monacan Indian Village. They have also added a butterfly garden that includes some beautiful large butterflies. For a last hurrah, and what ended up being quite a laugh, we visited the wax museum on site that was included with our admission. I’m not a fan of these places, and it was a little creepy looking at these wax figures – but mostly, it was funny because they didn’t quite capture the people they were trying to replicate. 

We then traveled to Charlottesville for the night and visited Monticello on Sunday to complete our in state exploring. James was the only one to have ever been, and it was when he was very young so we all got to experience this for (almost) the first time. I’m comparing this to Mount Vernon in terms of history, pricing, crowds, etc. and I have to say I was quite impressed and I like Monticello better. The grounds are more spread out and even though there were a lot of people there, it didn’t feel crowded. We also chose the family friendly tour – and although it’s geared more for younger kids, the tour guide was excellent – very knowledgeable and very patient answering all the kids and adults questions. We spent about two hours exploring, including the house tour, lower level, grounds, gardens, and outbuildings. It was a very nice experience and I recommend it if you are in the Charlottesville area. 

Hey, it’s better than visiting the University – I still can’t believe that we took the kids to see UVA before we took them to Blacksburg to see our alma mater. I never would have thought we’d live in Virginia for over 2 years and not have visited Blacksburg once. However, it’s 4.5 hours away and that’s a long trip so I guess that’s why. We’ll get there one of these days – at least to show Quinn the school before he applies to colleges :)

James and the kids spent one of the last weeks of summer in New Jersey, mostly hanging out with Grandpa. They did also squeeze in some time with Nana and other cousins, it’s bound to happen with all of my family in the area also. Keely got to have a fabulous girls’ day with Nana in New York City, complete with a trip to the American Girl doll store that included lunch and some ‘big’ conversations! The rest of the week was spent at various parks, swimming, a trip to the beach, and an indoor game and ride center. They had a fun time, and I was able to join them for the last two days.

The last hurrah, so to speak, and another check off our ‘to-do’ list was a trip to a local water park. We are so fortunate to have not one, but five County water parks to choose from all at a pretty reasonable price for a days’ admission. The one we chose has a wave pool, five water slides, and several smaller pool areas. We spent a few hours there, definitely getting our money’s worth and even had some funnel cake – I swear they pump the smell into the wave pool area and I couldn’t resist!

So with that, summer was officially over and we (mostly me) were ready to get back into a normal routine. There are big changes in store, with both kids going to new schools this year and lots of new experiences coming up!

School Year Wrap Up

The end of the school year came quickly, and passed just as quickly. Field day, yearbooks, goodbyes, a few tears (from Keely). The kids both had good years, and 5^th and 3^rd grades are in the past for them. Their final report cards and SOL (Standards of Learning) test results came home with them on the last day of school.

Quinn took four SOLs, including the 6^th grade math. He received a pass-proficient on two and pass-advanced on two. Keely took 5 SOLs. She received three pass-proficients and two pass-advanced. She was one of only a couple students from her class to take the Social Studies and Science exams. Those are not required exams but her teacher felt that her skills in those areas were worthy of taking the exam, and she took them with the AAP class.

Their report cards were very good…all 3s and 4s (highest grades) and good comments from their teachers.

Keely will miss Mr. H a lot. She is already e-mailing him to see how his summer is going. Considering her negative reaction to having a male teacher, she did a complete turnaround and says he is her favorite teacher to date. Another ‘don’t judge a book by its cover’ lesson learned!

So, that’s the wrap-up. Another good year, and our last year at Beech Tree. We enjoyed our short two years there. It was a good introduction to Fairfax County Schools, and we really had a good experience with all of the teachers and staff. On to Mason Crest and Poe…new adventures await!

Catching Up

There have been many blog-worthy events in the past month or so, but for some reason whenever I think about writing about them it seems like a chore. This gets me back to a topic I keep re-visiting, and really need to address…that this blog is not the best outlet for me to record the happenings of life anymore. I do so like to go back and read about past events and I love that we have a historical record of these years, but I just don’t seem to find the time like I used to. I’m not quite sure the reason but I do know that it’s true. I know that if I found the time more regularly, then it wouldn't seem so taxing when I think about how far behind I am in posting. I’ll try to work on being more regular about writing, and hopefully get back to a routine.

So now to catch up….

Keely had her acting debut in the first annual drama club production at Beech Tree Elementary, ‘You’re A Good Man, Charlie Brown’. She played Sally in one scene, and participated in singing throughout the play. There were many children participating, and to be fair to everyone they promised a speaking part to anyone who wanted one. That meant lots of kids playing each character. As an example, Keely was one of five or six Sallys. They practiced for many months, each Monday and even added morning practices for the two weeks prior to the performance. It was a cute production, the kids did a great job. The only trouble was that the sound system was not too great and it was hard to hear some of their lines.

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Quinn ‘graduated’ from Cub Scouts to Boy Scouts with his Arrow of Light ceremony. This was our first time at one of these events, and it was even more special since Quinn was a major participant. The ceremony was very ritualistic and serious, and Quinn enjoyed himself and seems excited about taking scouting to the next level. He is now a part of Troop 875, which meets every Monday evening and goes on camping trips once a month. While cub scouting was a family affair, boy scouting is up to the child. Quinn goes to meetings on his own, and makes a choice to participate as much or as little as he wants. It helps that his best friend and his older brother are in the troop, and he knows a good amount of the other boys. He looks so young though in comparison – he was one of the oldest in the cub scouting pack, and now he’s on the opposite end of the spectrum as one of the youngest. So far, he’s enjoying attending the Monday meetings and looking forward to his first camping trip coming up in a couple of weeks. He missed the March campout due to Odyssey of the Mind…

Speaking of that, James coached Quinn and four other 3^rd, 4^th and 5^th graders in an Odyssey of the Mind problem. I roped him into it, and in retrospect if I were him I would have been mad at me. The team was definitely a challenge, but he’s a good sport. Thank goodness he has the patience of a saint. They met once each week starting after Thanksgiving and ended up with the competition in March. Their problem was ‘The E-Mail Must Go Through’, and they had to send and receive three e-mails, one with an attachment, and each had to pass through a spam filter. They learned a lot and had fun, the most important part. I’d say it was our first and last experience with this program, but who knows – maybe Keely will want to participate.

I made a New Year’s resolution to increase my volunteer time, both at work and personally. So far, that’s only panned out personally. I am now a part of our neighborhood’s newsletter committee, and that’s been fun. Without the team that stepped up, the community newsletter would not exist anymore and we’ve improved the format and distribution so it’s already been a big success. I also volunteered to be a part of the team running and executing the Fun Fair at the kids’ school. I ended up on the Café committee, taking care of selling food and drinks at the event as well as running the Bake Sale. James got roped into another volunteer slot here – he sold hot dogs for four hours. We met a lot of nice people through the committee and it’s nice to help out. Coming from a school that required volunteer hours, it’s nice not to have to do it but to be able to choose where we want to help out. It was also a fun day for the kids. They played and ran around with their friends the whole time, and Keely even one a basket full of spa sleepover supplies. Very fun for her!

We had a family decision to make in March. Both kids will be attending new schools in September. Quinn will be matriculating to middle school. He chose to attend Poe, our neighborhood school. Because he was in the advanced program, he could have gone to the Center school, Glasgow MS but he didn’t seem at all interested in that school. He set his mind to Poe and didn’t look back. Quite honestly, I don’t see the difference since he will be in all Honors classes at Poe and the choices look the same at both schools. We attended the open house and it seems like a good school. There are only ~900 students in three grades…unlike Glasgow with over 1,200. He’s a bit nervous, and it will be quite different for him – only 11 of the 5^th graders from his school are moving on to Poe so he will not know a lot of kids. But his two best friends are going on with him, so that will help.

The more dramatic decision pertained to Keely. She is only allowed to stay at Beech Tree this year because her brother is grandfathered as a 5^th grader. The boundary adjustment that took place last year is in full effect, and to get her to stay at Beech Tree we would have to fill out a form applying for a transfer and state a hardship – the most viable option being child care which is obviously not really the case for us. With the transfer, it would also mean no transportation for two years. There would also be no guarantee she would be able to stay for 5^th grade. For a lot of these reasons, and because we feel that she will be fine, we decided not to apply for a transfer and accept her placement at Mason Crest. This new school in our neighborhood opened this year, and we’ve heard great things about it. Keely knows many of the students there because they made the switch from BT at the beginning of this year. The teachers are supposed to all be fabulous – the principal seems great too and it’s a brand new facility. She will be able to attend for two years, and then matriculate to middle school with a lot more of her peers. Her biggest issue was her friends. Her best friend has applied to stay at BT, and that’s her biggest issue. But they will play and see each other lots still…and she will still be playing soccer and doing Girl Scouts with the same friends. In sum, it means more friends for her and since she’s a social butterfly, I know she will be fine. We had a few teary nights, but she’s now adjusted to it and hopefully she’ll be fine in September when school starts. She also will most likely be in the AAP class – if she doesn’t get accepted into the program, then we will make an effort to have her placed as a guest. This has been a huge factor in her motivation – I don’t like that she would be in a class with all of her friends (not to mention a lower student teacher ratio at BT) but at MC, we are more than willing to have her join the AAP class. She really wants to excel in that class and I think that overrides her desire to be with her friends. After all, it is school and learning is the most important thing.

I think that about catches us up…with the exception of our recent trip to Florida. I will cover that in a separate post.

Pinewood Derby

Earlier this month was the Annual Pinewood Derby for Quinn’s Cub Scout Pack. It was only his second time participating since he started scouting a bit later than most. He chose the design for his car, and James helped execute. He also chose to leave it ‘wood’ colored using spray varnish rather than paint it another color. The weight was spot on the night of the event, at 4.95 ounces (maximum of 5 ounces). However, it proved to be a bit light in the front. 

Each time down the track, the car’s front end popped up at the bottom of the hill and then coasted wobbly to the finish line. One time down, it actually popped itself right off the track and when it hit the floor, a wheel fell off. They stopped the event for a few minutes while his car was repaired and it was able to finish out the remaining three heats (each car has to race in each of six lanes, causing there to be six heats). Quinn wasn’t embarrassed by this turn of events at all, laughing through most of the races. He doesn’t take this too seriously, and James had warned him that the car was too light in the front because of his thin design so we weren’t surprised.

Keely took the event a lot more seriously than last year. Her car last year was simply the block of wood, painted to look like an iPhone. All style, no race design. It was way too light, naturally and had to be pushed across the finish line each time. I think she was actually a bit embarrassed, and this year she resolved to do better. She chose her design and then painted her car white with purple stripes and black and white tape decorations. The car was actually weighted to 4.95 ounces just like Quinn’s.

Out of 13 sibling cars (yes, that means 13 heats) she placed 1^st in one heat and 2^nd in two others. She finished 3^rd overall out of the 13 cars. She was so thrilled. The smile never left her face. She was given a ribbon for her efforts, and probably made the biggest comeback from one year to the next.

 

No more PWD for us, although Quinn can help next year load the cars as a Boy Scout. He can also make a car if he wants and race it in the ‘adult’ category. It’s a fun event, albeit a little lengthy with all the heats and I know the kids enjoyed themselves!

On the School Front

In what seems like the blink of an eye, the school year is halfway over.  Actually, more than halfway as the 100^th day just passed.  Only 80 more to go.  Crazy.  Report cards came home last week. It’s still strange to look at the new grading system (1 ,2 ,3 or 4).  Both kids got good report cards.  Keely received all 3s and 4s, top marks.  Quinn received mostly 3s and 4s…except for Arabic because he doesn’t enjoy the class, and missed the first 3 years of it so I think he’s a bit lost.  He also received some lower grades on his conduct and behavior…but when queried about those, he said it’s because he graded himself on those areas.  A self-assessment perhaps, but one that his teachers didn’t disagree with because that’s what came home on the final report.  My little social butterfly…it seems this is the only trouble spot.  However, he’s still getting top marks in an advanced class despite socializing and having fun throughout the day.  It’s hard to get mad about it given that fact. 

On a side note, Keely has been recommended for the AAP (as a reminder, Advanced Academic Program).  This subject has been one of frequent conversation in our house since 3^rd grade began.  We have mixed emotions about the program.  Obviously, Quinn has been in it for most of 4^th grade and now all of 5^th.  He does well, and it seems to challenge him more than the regular 4^th grade class he began in last year.  Getting into the program though is quite suspect, and that’s where our issues lie.  All students are tested and only those in the top percentile (95 or above, I believe) are automatically considered.  If test scores are lower, there are other ways a student can get into the program.  A teacher can make a recommendation and that triggers a packet to be put together for consideration.  If the student is denied, a parent can ask nicely and their child can be added as a ‘guest’ to the program.  A guest is for all intents and purposes a full fledged member of the program. Guesting is common, and to be completely transparent Quinn was a guest in 4^th grade.  However, his test scores were in the high percentiles and that combined with his teacher’s recommendation and his already established performance in the 4^th grade AAP class earned him the status of an AAP student.  Our trouble lies with the demographics, or shall I say percentage, of this year’s 3^rd grade classes.  There are three classes, one AAP and two regular.  Each of the two regular classes has 15-16 students, while the AAP has 22.  So what they’re telling me is that more than 1/3 of these 3^rd graders is ‘gifted and talented’.  Quite honestly, I want to ask the AAP specialist how many of these are actually in the program and how many are guests.  I think this is a question of what comes first – chicken or egg.  Does a student do well in the class because they are already smart, or does a student do better when placed in an advanced class?  In any event, what happened this year has been a personal assault to Keely as almost all of her friends (including her best friend and all of her soccer team) is in the AAP class.  It’s almost comical that all of these girls could be the best and brightest in the 3^rd grade…oh, and they all happen to play on the same soccer team.  So back to Keely, she has been trying so hard this year to impress her teacher because we told her that was the main way we would feel comfortable recommending her for 4^th grade AAP.  We also had her re-tested, this time emphasizing the importance of these tests, to see if her scores would improve.  The scores came last week.  They were better, in fact higher than average, but not high enough to be considered an automatic.  Her teacher, though, did decide to recommend her.  If she goes through this process and is not accepted, her teacher’s recommendation and our insistence could get her into the class as a guest.  So we will see how it turns out.  Honestly, I have been happy with her situation this year.  Low student-teacher ratio, and she’s done well.  I’d be fine with her staying in the regular classes…but she won’t quit.  We won’t hear the end of it.  You want your child to be happy, most of all – and have the best experience.  Will she turn out fine without being in the AAP class?  Absolutely, no doubt in my mind.  But I do think she’d do fine in the AAP class also, and if that makes her school days happier then I’ll try to make that happen.

On another (and hopefully shorter) side note, Quinn is entering middle school next year.  He’s chosen to go to Poe, which is our neighborhood school.  We will be attending an open house next week so we can learn more about the school and its curriculum.  Quite honestly, I’m still in shock that my baby will be in middle school.  He’s taking it in stride though, and seems quite relaxed about this upcoming transition.  It will be a huge change though, and I’m not sure he quite understands how different it will be.