Spring Break

When we found out the newest member of our family was to enter the world in late February, we pinpointed Spring Break to travel to Florida to meet her and spend time with the rest of her family. I knew that was the only possible time we’d have to do this before summer break, and I didn’t want to let the opportunity slip by. Airfare was booked and the trip was much anticipated by everyone. 

Like all good things, it came and went so very fast and now it is but a memory. We all wished we could have stayed longer but it couldn’t be…work, school and life called us home.

We traveled to Florida on Tuesday and spent five days, including Easter Sunday. We didn’t have hopes of doing much aside from spoiling a toddler and baby, helping with cooking and housework. I’m pretty sure we were helpful guests, and we even managed to see a few new things while we were there. 

There were the usual walks to the park and beach…so close to their house…walks with Nutmeg, often long boarding around the neighborhood for Quinn, and a couple of runs in the perfect Florida weather for me. On Thursday, we drove up to Viera and explored a nature preserve where we saw lots of birds and a few alligators. The bird watcher in me was enthralled trying to decipher the calls and identify the various species. We drove to Cocoa Beach on Friday and watched the first annual dog surfing competition…yes, I said dogs. Quite a site! We also stayed and watched some tandem surfing…think ice skating on surf boards complete with the men lifting women high above their heads, all while riding a wave. Again, quite a site! As the weather warmed up…it was in the upper 60s on the first day and low 80s the last…we spent more and more time at the beach. The water was chilly but the kids didn’t mind.

We kept some of the Easter traditions…dying eggs, egg hunts, baskets…but mostly it was a time to relax and spend time with family. I often pondered how people live in a place like that and get actual normal life activities done…I just wanted to chill out and was ready for a nap by 3 PM each day.

We had a great trip and can’t wait to see them again. Plans are already set for some fun summer time visiting, and I know that will be here before we know it!

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!

The Cabin Getaway

A few weekends ago, we met up with Tom, Judith and kids for a fun weekend getaway. After their weekend trip to see us in December fell through, I had been looking for a place where we could meet in the middle or somewhere pretty close to the middle.  I found Occoneechee State Park in Clarksville, Virginia…a state campground that also has some pretty nice cabins. It happens to be about a 3.5-4 hour drive from both of our houses, and that fit the bill.  We were able to agree on the first weekend in February, and the plan was set.  We hadn’t seen them since July at the beach house so we were long overdue for a visit. 

We arrived on Friday night…late and the craziness ensued.  The kids didn’t wind down until almost 1 AM only to be back up before 7 AM.  Thanks to coffee, I was not too unhappy about that lack of sleep.  The kids just have so much fun together….being that they are all within 4 years of each other.  I don’t think I heard ‘I’m bored’ one time the whole time we were there. 

After a breakfast of pancakes in the morning and lots of much needed coffee (for the adults), we decided to take a hike over to the park office and visitor’s center. The park was once the home of the Occaneechee Indians and there is quite a nice visitor’s center dedicated to their history and unfortunate demise. The weather was cold but that didn’t stop us from enjoying nature. 

When we got back from our hike, Judith and I headed into ‘town’ to grab a few necessities (we were roughing it, but there were some things forgotten that we couldn’t do without lol).  The kids took to playing down by the water in their ‘fort’…the adults stayed close to the fire, chatted and played games. The dogs were there too, and Callie and Max had fun together as usual. 

For dinner, we grilled burgers and hot dogs and I made baked macaroni. We also played musical chairs, ping pong, and lots of games including Catch Phrase, Beat the Parents (the kids won yet again!), and Taboo. The hours seemed to disappear fast…even though there were no TVs, we were never bored and there was always lots of great conversation and laughter. We had makeshift s’mores for dessert…using cookies and brownies instead of graham crackers. 

Everyone was tired on Saturday night and we got a much better night sleep. On Sunday morning, it was time to pack up and depart in our opposite directions. It was a really quick trip, and one that I think we will do again. We had so much fun and we can’t wait to see them again soon!

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.  

Catching Up

It has been way too long since I last posted, and for that I apologize - mostly to myself because I hate to let this blog slip.  Truth is, it seems life is filled with everyday normal activities as the kids grow older, and they are not growing and changing as quickly as they used to.  I wonder when this will stop becoming a useful outlet...with all the other social media, etc. I'm not sure this blog has much purpose.  I started it as a way to keep family and friends that were far away from us in touch with our life and happenings.  Now that we are closer to most of the family, it seems the need is less.  I do still like to record certain things in our lives though...and this is still the best and easiest way to do that.  Now just to find the time to keep it updated.

Christmas was quite lovely.  We stayed home through Christmas morning, and it was only the second time in 11 years that we have been alone on Christmas morning.  It was nice to have time with just the four of us, because the rest of the holidays proved a little busier.  We attended Mass on Christmas Eve at the Basilica on the campus of my alma mater, Catholic University.  What a beautiful church!  I hadn't been to Mass there since my Baccalaureate and the kids never had, so it was nice to do.  That said, I'm not sure we will do it again on Christmas Eve.  It was packed, we were lucky to get seats and we arrived about 45 minutes early.  There was a nice choir to listen to though, and we didn't mind the wait too much.  After church, we went out to dinner.  Another first...I've never been out to dinner on Christmas Eve.  Now this though is something I think we will do again.  It made the evening so much less stressful...we chose an Italian restaurant not too far from our house, and had a really nice meal.  Having stuffed ourselves, we headed home and relaxed until it was time to force the kids to go to bed.  We actually forgot to leave cookies out for Santa until they were already in bed (though not asleep) so Mom and Dad did that for them.

Christmas morning we woke up about 8 AM, and the usual present opening commenced pretty quickly.  The big gifts this year were a Google ChromeBook for Quinn and a Nintendo 3DS XL for Keely.  Both loved all of their gifts and we were all treated well by Santa as well as our family, both near and far.  After presents and a quick breakfast, we packed up and headed to New Jersey.  We were on the road by 11 AM, and arrived at my parents' house just after 2 PM.  Not a bad trip at all, I think most people were already where they wanted to be and traffic was light.  We arrived just ahead of the extended family arriving, and the craziness ensued.  We hadn't been at the main family gathering since Keely was 2 months old, and it was nice to be back.  We also celebrated with Uncle Joe and J.R. and some of my dad's family the next night.  I even got to make a few contributions to Christmas...sweet potato casserole and the Bomb chocolate cake.  Definitely not something I could do if we were flying in :)  The next night James and I cooked..penne a la vodka & crab cakes.  Definitely a lot of good food and fun had by all!

Another year is gone, we're already a month into 2013 and time is flying by.  The rigors of daily life have picked back up...guitar, CCD, indoor soccer, Girl and Boy Scouts, Odyssey of the Mind, Drama Club, Chess Club, Band.  A lot of activities!

Jingle Bell 5K

Last Saturday was the culmination of Quinn and Keely's season of the school running clubs...Girls on the Go (GOTG) and Young Men in Motion (YMIM).  This was Quinn's second season, and Keely's first.  They have been meeting once a week since late September to train for a 5K. 

We got really lucky with the weather considering it was early December..it was in the upper 40s and overcast.  The race was held in Arlington, starting and ending at Pentagon Row.  It was an out and back, which I usually don't like but this ended up being a bonus because it allowed us to see people almost the entire time.  This is critical when trying to keep two nine year old girls moving towards the finish line.  James ran with Quinn, and I ran with Keely and Julia.

Quinn's goal was to finish in under 30 minutes, a substantial goal for him.  He ended up running the entire time, and finished in 30:03.  BUT James had to stop and use the bathroom along the course...causing them to lose time, and they estimate the stop cost them about 45 seconds.  So he (un)officially met his goal.

Keely's goal was to finish in under 35 minutes.  Actually, she didn't really have a goal but I set one for her because she finished the Beech Tree 5K in May with no training in just over 37 minutes.  She came close to the 'goal' finishing in 35:55.  It was a tough go at the beginning, the crowd was hard to navigate with so many people...and Keely complained of cramps and itchy feet to name a couple of things.  She finished strong though, and I think could have run faster because she sprinted once she saw the finish line...so there was some gas left in that tank.  Pacing (or pasting, as the girls sometimes call it) is such a hard concept, and 3 miles seems so long at the outset.

Both kids did great, and we enjoyed another family 5K and celebrated with a nice breakfast at Jukebox Diner :)