Where to begin…. Well, I’m sure many of you have read my posts mentioning Evie’s lack of attention span and her inability to focus on a task. There have been occasions that Evie’s missed recess, music, etc. because she had to stay in class to finish her work. Luckily for us, she wasn’t disruptive to the class. She was only a distraction to herself. She’s cried so many times and said, “I guess I just can’t be good, Mom. I can’t do it. I must be a bad girl.” Of course, we reassured her that she wasn’t bad or stupid. We’ve helped her out whenever we could, short of giving her answers. At the end of last school year, we discussed ADD with her kindergarten teacher. We began the process in early August to have her tested & evaluated by professionals that specialize in this kind of thing, outside of the school system. We filled out lots of questionnaires that asked all sorts of specifics about her behavior, life, habits, medical history, family dynamics, social interactions, etc. Her first grade teacher answered lots of similar questions & submitted those to the doctor. They saw her several times and tested her on many different things.
Fast forward to the beginning of the school year. Evie is behaving in class, but isn’t completing her work. She isn’t even starting it. A full days worth of worksheets is coming home in a packet, stapled together. Kevin & I both spent 2 ½ to 3 hours each night for the first couple of weeks, just getting her to complete an assignment. Not a single time did we have to give her the answers to the questions. We just had to bring her back to the worksheet when her mind wandered. Some picture she had to write the first letter of reminded her of a movie she’d seen or something that happened at recess. She’d either want to as us about it or tell us about it. We’d have to tap the paper in front of her, “Evie, focus.” We were all getting exhausted & frustrated. On more than one occasion, I just broke down and cried. I was so afraid she was going to quickly learn to hate school and none of us wanted that. The last 2 weeks hadn’t been as bad. She still wasn’t doing more than half of her assigned work and was never, ever doing the self starting, self-directed work. The saving grace was that we’d fallen into a routine at home. After a snack, we headed straight to the kitchen with little argument. She completed her work in far less time and was only then allowed to play or watch a video. Of course, after the first month of school, incomplete work would start to count against her unless she did it in class.
This past Thursday, Kevin & I met with the psychologist to review her results & findings. Evie has moderate ADD, with no hyperactivity component. She scored average or above average on many of the things they test on regarding cognitive skills, imagination, understanding complex concepts, etc. It was obvious that she’s a bright, clever girl from most things. She showed well developed social skills & good impulse control. She showed none of the signs for aggressive behavior or acting out. The portions of the test centering on attention span and focus were below average, some well below. On parts of that test, Evie didn’t even show up on the graph but only because by the end of the 20 minutes, she’d totally checked out and was no longer paying attention at all. There weren’t even any false positive answers, which indicates she was focused everywhere but the test.
On Tuesday, Evie and I headed back to her pediatrician, who had already received the psychologists report. We discussed all our options and Dr. Barron wrote a prescription for a long acting Ritalin. She takes one dose in the morning before school and it last long enough to get her through the school day. She doesn’t need to take it on days she doesn’t go to school, (weekends, holidays, summer, etc.) She can take it on weekend days where we need her to focus and pay attention (like next Saturday when she’s in a wedding). I explained to Evie what her form of ADD is like. I highlighted all the things the doctors said her brain did really well. Then I pointed out what her brain does differently because of her ADD. I stressed that nothing is wrong with her, just different. I told her she’d be taking meds that would help her pay attention, focus, listen to and follow instructions.
Yesterday was her first day on the meds. Her teacher was well aware of the process we were going through, the diagnosis and where we were in the time line. I sent in a note to Ms. Fitzpatrick letting her know Evie had started the meds and asked her to 1) send me a progress report this week and 2) keep her eye out for a list of side effects.
I called Kevin on his cell phone yesterday afternoon to see if he was picking Evie up. She answered the phone for him and was just bubbling! She had a fabulous day. She finished every single bit of her work, even the self directed stuff. She completed her DOL, wrote all her sentences from the board with no help or interference. She completed her work in time to have free play before lunch. All of this is a first for us.
Ms. Fitzpatrick sent a note home with her and even read it to her at the end of the day explaining all of the above. She used the word “remarkable” to describe how well Evie did. Evie was over the moon proud of herself for doing the work and getting a good note home. Evie did use the phrase, “The medicine did it, Mom!” I was quick to point out that the medicine didn’t do it, SHE did. Medicine isn’t smart. Medicine doesn’t know the answers. Evie knows the answers and the medicine just helps her pay attention long enough to write them down. I wish you all could have seen how thrilled & amazed she was with herself and what she could accomplish, with just a little nudge.
It’s really validation for Kevin & me that we did the right thing. It’s proof that all along she was really bright enough to know the answers but just didn’t have the focus to finish (or sometimes even start) the work without someone hovering over her, keeping her on task. I realize one day doesn’t make a pattern, but it’s a DAMN fine start.
Thursday, October 4, 2007
Saturday, September 29, 2007
Autumn arrived at 8:32PM, last night.....
Yes, it's a few days late, but I still feel it sneaked up on me. According to my calendar, it should have arrived on Sunday. I know it's here now because I was sitting in lawn chairs, having a beer with a few friends when it arrived. Yesterday was a warm day, around 81 degrees I think. It was certainly warm enough to sit around outside well after dark. There I was, laughing at something ridiculous Janet or Tiffany said when a chilly wind blows across us. Everyone shivered, joked about the temperature change and wished that Jody had gotten out the fire pit already. There is was, the death knell for summer. You don't need the fire pit in summer time. The kids starting back to school wasn't enough to convince me or even a few changing leaves. It took the need of a smoking external heat source to convince me that Autumn is here. Yea! I get to pull out my leather boots!!
My friend Maren has a lovely blog, Maren's Musings. If you haven't checked it out yet, there's a link over to the left somewhere. I read hers a day or so ago where she referenced Autumn. I had to laugh when I read her description of geese flying South in a V formation. All through my childhood, I waited to see that. I couldn't wait to see geese flying further south, to a warmer climate. It was in movies, in cartoons, all birds went South. I waited patiently for many years, for the birds to disappear when the weather got cold.
I didn't realize until I was a teenager and pondered it once more that I WAS the South. Geese didn't even fly as far south as Alabama. I saw my first Canadian Goose in Northern Virginia when I was almost 30 years old. It wasn't doing anything spectacular, just standing around near the edge of a field. I made my friend pull over to the side of the highway so I could get a better look. It looked like a goose I'd seen on TV. It wasn't quite the highlight I'd expected.
So now I see them flying in the V shape, year after year. They aren't going anywhere for there winter. They're arriving. I guess I had to move North, to be South for the winter.
My friend Maren has a lovely blog, Maren's Musings. If you haven't checked it out yet, there's a link over to the left somewhere. I read hers a day or so ago where she referenced Autumn. I had to laugh when I read her description of geese flying South in a V formation. All through my childhood, I waited to see that. I couldn't wait to see geese flying further south, to a warmer climate. It was in movies, in cartoons, all birds went South. I waited patiently for many years, for the birds to disappear when the weather got cold.
I didn't realize until I was a teenager and pondered it once more that I WAS the South. Geese didn't even fly as far south as Alabama. I saw my first Canadian Goose in Northern Virginia when I was almost 30 years old. It wasn't doing anything spectacular, just standing around near the edge of a field. I made my friend pull over to the side of the highway so I could get a better look. It looked like a goose I'd seen on TV. It wasn't quite the highlight I'd expected.
So now I see them flying in the V shape, year after year. They aren't going anywhere for there winter. They're arriving. I guess I had to move North, to be South for the winter.
Saturday, July 28, 2007
Evie turns 6 years old with flair!
I don't think I've told you all of the party plans this year. She's currently infatuated with Angelina Ballerina. So, that's the theme. We had her party in one of the studios at her dance school. It was a combination ladies tea and ballet lesson. The invitations told the little girls to come prepared to dance, leotards welcome but not required.
Friday night, I set up the tables at one end of the classroom & covered them with pink tablecloths. I laid out the pink plates, flatware & cups. I draped pink & white streamers over the "dining area" and entrance to the room. Instead of cake, she's having cupcakes where the icing looks like pink & purple tutus, each will have an Angelina themed pick stuck in the top. I do still have to pick up all the pink & white balloons to place around the room. I made centerpieces from white, light pink & dark pink carnations for each table.
Saturday morning I made finger sandwiches, fruit & crudites'. Of course 6 year olds probably don't like cucumber or watercress sandwiches, so they have pb&j or cheese from which to choose. When I arrived to pick up the balloons she was only halfway finished with them. I'd arranged for them to be ready at 10:30. I finally walked out of the store at 11:10. It was so frustrating just standing there, waiting when I had so much to do.
The gift bags were all ready to go but thankfully not that big a deal. They have bags of candy with custom Evie & Angelina Ballerina packaging (too cute!), 18 Angelina Ballerina stickers, bendable ballerina toys, sidewalk chalk, bubble necklaces, big pink super bouncy balls, etc. We had a ballet slipper shaped pinata, but since we weren't sure where to secure it, we opted not to use it. Of course after the lesson, lunch, cake & gifts, the 2 hours was up and parents were arriving. She got some great gifts from her friends & family. She oohed & aahed for everything and remembered to tell them thank you without being reminded.
Evie was over the moon excited and I think I was too. I have the pictures from yesterday posted on flickr.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/mom2evie/sets/72157601066987447/
Friday night, I set up the tables at one end of the classroom & covered them with pink tablecloths. I laid out the pink plates, flatware & cups. I draped pink & white streamers over the "dining area" and entrance to the room. Instead of cake, she's having cupcakes where the icing looks like pink & purple tutus, each will have an Angelina themed pick stuck in the top. I do still have to pick up all the pink & white balloons to place around the room. I made centerpieces from white, light pink & dark pink carnations for each table.
Saturday morning I made finger sandwiches, fruit & crudites'. Of course 6 year olds probably don't like cucumber or watercress sandwiches, so they have pb&j or cheese from which to choose. When I arrived to pick up the balloons she was only halfway finished with them. I'd arranged for them to be ready at 10:30. I finally walked out of the store at 11:10. It was so frustrating just standing there, waiting when I had so much to do.
The gift bags were all ready to go but thankfully not that big a deal. They have bags of candy with custom Evie & Angelina Ballerina packaging (too cute!), 18 Angelina Ballerina stickers, bendable ballerina toys, sidewalk chalk, bubble necklaces, big pink super bouncy balls, etc. We had a ballet slipper shaped pinata, but since we weren't sure where to secure it, we opted not to use it. Of course after the lesson, lunch, cake & gifts, the 2 hours was up and parents were arriving. She got some great gifts from her friends & family. She oohed & aahed for everything and remembered to tell them thank you without being reminded.
Evie was over the moon excited and I think I was too. I have the pictures from yesterday posted on flickr.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/mom2evie/sets/72157601066987447/
Monday, June 11, 2007
Where to begin...
So, it's been a while since I last posted anything here. Life has just been running at 100 mph and I can't seem to get the conductor to let me off this train. I've been putting in some really long work weeks that include fielding calls and running processes at 1, 3 and 5am some mornings.
My best friend from college visited over Memorial Day weekend. We spent the weekend alternating between busy-fun things and nothing. Both were fun enough. The nothing often involved margaritas, beer or vodka Collins on my patio while Evie played in the backyard. Evie wept most of Memorial Day when Kandi had to fly home. The saving grace is that we're planning a trip to Disney together in September. I'd read about this great deal where rates were low and the dining plan was free. We booked the reservation and have now all booked our plane tickets as well. Guess that means we're really going. It's going to be a great, great time. I got reservations for lunch at Cinderella's castle, breakfast at the Crystal Palace, Dinner at Teppanyaki in Japan, Wolfgang Puck's Bistro in Downtown Disney and a surprise for Friday night. I'm sure Kandi is dying to know what it is, but I'm not silly enough to put it in my blog.
Kevin's band concert was a week and a half ago, so that stressed has passed. His concert band did a really good job. I really like the march they did and I hate marches. Specifically anything by Sousa, but Kevin, being a proud Jacksonville State University Marching Southerner Alumni wouldn't play Sousa.... would he? At least he didn't this year. Evie was better behaved than normal. Maybe that's getting better with age? I'm not holding my breath. She looked beautiful as always. You'll find pics at Yahoo!
Last week was the class picnic and field day at Evie's elementary school. On Wednesday, the picnic was held indoors to "keep the bugs off of me". At least that was Evie's explanation. I came by to help the teacher and the classroom had food on every flat surface: chips, pizza, doughnuts, cupcakes, candy goodie bags, pb crackers, fruit & veggie trays, soda, and juice. After they'd committed one of the seven deadly sins (gluttony), we headed outside. They played with all sorts of outside games: Frisbees, balls, badminton, wiffle balls, etc. They whacked a pinata and trust me when I tell you that the girls seemed to have some frustrations to work through with that aluminum baseball bat. They'd have made Tony Soprano proud. We ended the day with a big water balloon fight. I burst balloons on Evie's head & then upon request on the heads of several of her friends. Of course, I then got nailed right in the back by a girl named Gabrielle. Field day was Thursday. They ran three-legged races, potato sack races, kicked soccer balls played with the parachute we all loved in gym class as children and a variety of other fun activities. The best thing is they were racing each other or other classes. No one got upset when you weren't fast enough. They just did it for fun and all the kids cheered for every one. I'm not one of those parents that doesn't think you should keep score in a baseball game or that 3 outs doesn't mean anything because everybody gets a chance to bat. I just really loved the way this was run, fun for even the clumsiest of children. I'll be loading up pictures & videos soon.
We received the results of her PALS testing and she did excellent, of course. How Mrs. Gray got her to sit down and stay focused to do it is beyond me.
I've spent most of the last 3 days working on costumes & props for the dance studio. The recital is coming up the third weekend in June and each year, I donate a bulk of my time to it. Saturday was costume picture day. Evie looked adorable in her white stiff tutu for ballet and her pink panther costume for her tap class. I should have those scanned in soon enough.
Some new pics are in the 5.5 Years Old album at http://photos.yahoo.com/riebie
My best friend from college visited over Memorial Day weekend. We spent the weekend alternating between busy-fun things and nothing. Both were fun enough. The nothing often involved margaritas, beer or vodka Collins on my patio while Evie played in the backyard. Evie wept most of Memorial Day when Kandi had to fly home. The saving grace is that we're planning a trip to Disney together in September. I'd read about this great deal where rates were low and the dining plan was free. We booked the reservation and have now all booked our plane tickets as well. Guess that means we're really going. It's going to be a great, great time. I got reservations for lunch at Cinderella's castle, breakfast at the Crystal Palace, Dinner at Teppanyaki in Japan, Wolfgang Puck's Bistro in Downtown Disney and a surprise for Friday night. I'm sure Kandi is dying to know what it is, but I'm not silly enough to put it in my blog.
Kevin's band concert was a week and a half ago, so that stressed has passed. His concert band did a really good job. I really like the march they did and I hate marches. Specifically anything by Sousa, but Kevin, being a proud Jacksonville State University Marching Southerner Alumni wouldn't play Sousa.... would he? At least he didn't this year. Evie was better behaved than normal. Maybe that's getting better with age? I'm not holding my breath. She looked beautiful as always. You'll find pics at Yahoo!
Last week was the class picnic and field day at Evie's elementary school. On Wednesday, the picnic was held indoors to "keep the bugs off of me". At least that was Evie's explanation. I came by to help the teacher and the classroom had food on every flat surface: chips, pizza, doughnuts, cupcakes, candy goodie bags, pb crackers, fruit & veggie trays, soda, and juice. After they'd committed one of the seven deadly sins (gluttony), we headed outside. They played with all sorts of outside games: Frisbees, balls, badminton, wiffle balls, etc. They whacked a pinata and trust me when I tell you that the girls seemed to have some frustrations to work through with that aluminum baseball bat. They'd have made Tony Soprano proud. We ended the day with a big water balloon fight. I burst balloons on Evie's head & then upon request on the heads of several of her friends. Of course, I then got nailed right in the back by a girl named Gabrielle. Field day was Thursday. They ran three-legged races, potato sack races, kicked soccer balls played with the parachute we all loved in gym class as children and a variety of other fun activities. The best thing is they were racing each other or other classes. No one got upset when you weren't fast enough. They just did it for fun and all the kids cheered for every one. I'm not one of those parents that doesn't think you should keep score in a baseball game or that 3 outs doesn't mean anything because everybody gets a chance to bat. I just really loved the way this was run, fun for even the clumsiest of children. I'll be loading up pictures & videos soon.
We received the results of her PALS testing and she did excellent, of course. How Mrs. Gray got her to sit down and stay focused to do it is beyond me.
I've spent most of the last 3 days working on costumes & props for the dance studio. The recital is coming up the third weekend in June and each year, I donate a bulk of my time to it. Saturday was costume picture day. Evie looked adorable in her white stiff tutu for ballet and her pink panther costume for her tap class. I should have those scanned in soon enough.
Some new pics are in the 5.5 Years Old album at http://photos.yahoo.com/riebie
Tuesday, May 22, 2007
She sings... she dances
Evie's Spring choral concert was last night. Man, you gotta love 50 kindergarten students singing together. It melts your heart. You can see a few videos of Evie on YouTube. www.youtube.com/watch?v=szVFRXICmDo She’s the second child in from the girl in the pink dress, front row. You can’t see her really well, but it’s too cute. The soloist is her best friend Victoria.
There’s another video on my list where she’s in the front, holding the “fake salad”. Did you bring that salad? Yes, I brought the salad! www.youtube.com/watch?v=BfQikgtk4KU
And my personal favorite, Evie just jamming and being Evie. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZSGUElEEfo4 Please note that she's actually dancing to music that none of us can hear. The sound track was added later.
There’s another video on my list where she’s in the front, holding the “fake salad”. Did you bring that salad? Yes, I brought the salad! www.youtube.com/watch?v=BfQikgtk4KU
And my personal favorite, Evie just jamming and being Evie. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZSGUElEEfo4 Please note that she's actually dancing to music that none of us can hear. The sound track was added later.
Thursday, May 3, 2007
Spread this number 09 F9 11 02 9D 74 E3 5B D8 41 56 C5 63 56 88 C0
09 F9 11 02 9D 74 E3 5B D8 41 56 C5 63 56 88 C0
This number is incredibly expensive. Or at least it could be fot http://www.digg.com
It’s the HD DVD processing key that allows people to watch HD DVD content. With it you can watch HD content and decrypt it from it’s media, even though ‘The Industry’ doesn’t want you to. Oh, and apparently it’s copyrighted so under the DMCA my posting it here is illegal etc etc.
Digg.com is a web 2.0 site depending on users to act as contributors and editors. They are being sued by an anti-piracy group for posting this number, discovered by a hacker, as part of a story on their website. Originally, they took it down upon receiving a cease and desist letter but put it back up after protests from contributors. Company founder Kevin Rose said in an online statement, "You'd rather see Digg do down fighting than bow down to a bigger company. We hear you, and effective immediately we won't delete stores or comments containing code and will deal with whatever the consequences might be."
This number is incredibly expensive. Or at least it could be fot http://www.digg.com
It’s the HD DVD processing key that allows people to watch HD DVD content. With it you can watch HD content and decrypt it from it’s media, even though ‘The Industry’ doesn’t want you to. Oh, and apparently it’s copyrighted so under the DMCA my posting it here is illegal etc etc.
Digg.com is a web 2.0 site depending on users to act as contributors and editors. They are being sued by an anti-piracy group for posting this number, discovered by a hacker, as part of a story on their website. Originally, they took it down upon receiving a cease and desist letter but put it back up after protests from contributors. Company founder Kevin Rose said in an online statement, "You'd rather see Digg do down fighting than bow down to a bigger company. We hear you, and effective immediately we won't delete stores or comments containing code and will deal with whatever the consequences might be."
Saturday, April 28, 2007
Take The Long Way Home
This past Friday since I was working from home, I had lunch with Kevin. We discussed picking Evie up right after school instead of letting her go to after care. Kevin said that he'd intended to do that anyway, so I called the school to make arrangements. After Care is in the cafeteria but so is Parent Pick Up. The walkers & riders are the first students dismissed from class, then bus kids, then finally aftercare. If I didn't call ahead, Kevin would be standing in the cafeteria for 15-20 minutes longer than necessary. I speak to Mrs. Dennis, the school secretary. Now, I'm positive I said "Please send Evie with the walkers & riders instead of aftercare." I'm less sure that I added "because her father will be picking her up right after school." (chance 1)
Kevin arrives at 3:20 in the cafeteria just as the bottom falls out of the sky. A squall line of thunder storms rolled across us dropping almost an inch of rain in about 30 minutes. He calls me from the cafeteria to bring he & Evie umbrellas. While he's on the phone with me, the first wave of kids enters the cafeteria. Kevin tells me that Evie isn't among them. No big deal, I tell him, Mrs. Gray must not have gotten the message and she'll be in with the after-care kids. I hang up, finally locate umbrellas & rain coats and head out of the house. Just as I'm pulling into the school, Kevin calls me back. Evie isn't with the after care kids either. He heads to her class room. Now, I'm assuming something has held her up in the classroom but I was wrong. Evie isn't with Mrs. Gray either.
I come into the school and speak to both to the teacher in charge of parent-pick up and the woman in charge of after care: neither have seen Evie. I check the girls bathroom and a couple of her friends that I see in the hallway: no Evie. It's now been easily 20+ minutes since school first dismissed. I'm still assuming Evie is somewhere inside the school, maybe the library or an older kid distracted her and she's talking in the hall. I haven't panicked or even gotten upset yet, but it's getting closer to that with each passing minute. Finally, I see Mrs. Gray emerge from the office and she says, "We found her." Granted, I'm wondering why I don't see Evie with her but okay. She tells me that a parent just called to let the school know that she has an extra child at her house.
See, my message to the office wasn't quite clear. Walkers & Riders is what they were called at my school, I guess. At Langley Elementary, they're two distinct groups. Walkers go together out one end of the school and the "riders" are called Parent Pick Ups. They leave from the opposite end, the cafeteria. The school principal had spoken to Mrs. Gray over the intercom telling her that Evie would be a walker today. (chance 2) Now, when it came time to leave, Evie understood what we wanted. She got in the parent pick up line. Mrs. Gray was just following instructions when she corrected Evie and told her that she should be in the walker line. (chance 3) Why my daughter chose 3:20pm on April 27th to start obeying her teacher without resistance, I'll never know. Now, Evie could have said, "Walk where?" but she didn't. She's only 5 years old, after all.
A teachers assistant walks to each classroom, collecting the Walkers in a group to escort them out of the school. This woman asks Evie, "Are you supposed to be a walker today, Evie?" Evie replies for reasons I'll never know, but she's still five years old, "I'm going home with Jorie." (chance 4). I'm sure that was something she & Jorie were giggling about in line, that Evie would just walk to her friends house, so that's the answer Evie gave her. She could have told the lady that she didn't know where she was walking to, but she didn't: still 5. This teacher's asst. and another lead the kids out of the school and a couple of hundred yards through a deluge to the road. She's soaking wet in a sleeveless dress, big backpack and espadrille sandals that now weight 5 pounds from all the water they've absorbed. She's afraid to cross this big street, having never done it before and not knowing where she's supposed to go. She's apparently thinking to herself that Mommy & Daddy want her to walk home. Since she's afraid, another teacher's assistant carries her across this three lane road and deposits her on the sidewalk. (chance 5) The woman could have asked why she was scared or Evie could have told her that she didn't know where to go. Neither does that, so Evie just starts walking along with the other kids. They walk into their subdivision and all head to their houses. We are incredibly lucky that one little girl, a couple of years older than Evie notices her or speaks to her and then takes Evie home with her. The grandmother calls the school to let them know she has an extra child & she's bringing her back to the school.
We joke with her teacher & the teachers assistants about how of course this would happen to Evie, or why she picked now to start following instructions. They've all stayed right with us while we were waiting for her. I think they were as concerned as we were. Then I see them, walking up the sidewalk so we head out to meet them. The only other time my daughter has looked so tiny, helpless & pale to me was coming out of anesthesia when she had her adenoids taken out. She gave us both big hugs, told us she was scared and asked if we could drive her home.... she was tired of walking she tells us. It didn't really hit Kevin & I until later how horribly this could have turned out. She ended up at a house easily over 1/2 mile away from the school door she first exited.
What if this little girl hadn't taken Evie home? How long would she have wandered that neighborhood while we stood at the school? What if someone else had noticed and picked her up? What if she had stepped out into the street & been hit by a car? All the chances everyone involved had where this could have been avoided and we all missed them. I should have used the phrase, "parent pick-up" when talking the the secretary. She could have asked me, "Walkers OR riders?" and explained they were two different things. Teachers or assistants could have followed up because it was obvious (in hindsight) that Evie didn't think she should walk. None of us did that and it turned out alright in the end.
We're going to keep an eye on her over the next week or so. We didn't have much time to talk to her last night because she'd had a scheduled sleep-over with her friend Erika. I want to make sure she doesn't have lingering fear or trauma because of this. But knowing Evie, she'll think it was an adventure and all will be fine. I'm heading out now to pick her up from Erika's. I can't wait to give her another hug.
Kevin arrives at 3:20 in the cafeteria just as the bottom falls out of the sky. A squall line of thunder storms rolled across us dropping almost an inch of rain in about 30 minutes. He calls me from the cafeteria to bring he & Evie umbrellas. While he's on the phone with me, the first wave of kids enters the cafeteria. Kevin tells me that Evie isn't among them. No big deal, I tell him, Mrs. Gray must not have gotten the message and she'll be in with the after-care kids. I hang up, finally locate umbrellas & rain coats and head out of the house. Just as I'm pulling into the school, Kevin calls me back. Evie isn't with the after care kids either. He heads to her class room. Now, I'm assuming something has held her up in the classroom but I was wrong. Evie isn't with Mrs. Gray either.
I come into the school and speak to both to the teacher in charge of parent-pick up and the woman in charge of after care: neither have seen Evie. I check the girls bathroom and a couple of her friends that I see in the hallway: no Evie. It's now been easily 20+ minutes since school first dismissed. I'm still assuming Evie is somewhere inside the school, maybe the library or an older kid distracted her and she's talking in the hall. I haven't panicked or even gotten upset yet, but it's getting closer to that with each passing minute. Finally, I see Mrs. Gray emerge from the office and she says, "We found her." Granted, I'm wondering why I don't see Evie with her but okay. She tells me that a parent just called to let the school know that she has an extra child at her house.
See, my message to the office wasn't quite clear. Walkers & Riders is what they were called at my school, I guess. At Langley Elementary, they're two distinct groups. Walkers go together out one end of the school and the "riders" are called Parent Pick Ups. They leave from the opposite end, the cafeteria. The school principal had spoken to Mrs. Gray over the intercom telling her that Evie would be a walker today. (chance 2) Now, when it came time to leave, Evie understood what we wanted. She got in the parent pick up line. Mrs. Gray was just following instructions when she corrected Evie and told her that she should be in the walker line. (chance 3) Why my daughter chose 3:20pm on April 27th to start obeying her teacher without resistance, I'll never know. Now, Evie could have said, "Walk where?" but she didn't. She's only 5 years old, after all.
A teachers assistant walks to each classroom, collecting the Walkers in a group to escort them out of the school. This woman asks Evie, "Are you supposed to be a walker today, Evie?" Evie replies for reasons I'll never know, but she's still five years old, "I'm going home with Jorie." (chance 4). I'm sure that was something she & Jorie were giggling about in line, that Evie would just walk to her friends house, so that's the answer Evie gave her. She could have told the lady that she didn't know where she was walking to, but she didn't: still 5. This teacher's asst. and another lead the kids out of the school and a couple of hundred yards through a deluge to the road. She's soaking wet in a sleeveless dress, big backpack and espadrille sandals that now weight 5 pounds from all the water they've absorbed. She's afraid to cross this big street, having never done it before and not knowing where she's supposed to go. She's apparently thinking to herself that Mommy & Daddy want her to walk home. Since she's afraid, another teacher's assistant carries her across this three lane road and deposits her on the sidewalk. (chance 5) The woman could have asked why she was scared or Evie could have told her that she didn't know where to go. Neither does that, so Evie just starts walking along with the other kids. They walk into their subdivision and all head to their houses. We are incredibly lucky that one little girl, a couple of years older than Evie notices her or speaks to her and then takes Evie home with her. The grandmother calls the school to let them know she has an extra child & she's bringing her back to the school.
We joke with her teacher & the teachers assistants about how of course this would happen to Evie, or why she picked now to start following instructions. They've all stayed right with us while we were waiting for her. I think they were as concerned as we were. Then I see them, walking up the sidewalk so we head out to meet them. The only other time my daughter has looked so tiny, helpless & pale to me was coming out of anesthesia when she had her adenoids taken out. She gave us both big hugs, told us she was scared and asked if we could drive her home.... she was tired of walking she tells us. It didn't really hit Kevin & I until later how horribly this could have turned out. She ended up at a house easily over 1/2 mile away from the school door she first exited.
What if this little girl hadn't taken Evie home? How long would she have wandered that neighborhood while we stood at the school? What if someone else had noticed and picked her up? What if she had stepped out into the street & been hit by a car? All the chances everyone involved had where this could have been avoided and we all missed them. I should have used the phrase, "parent pick-up" when talking the the secretary. She could have asked me, "Walkers OR riders?" and explained they were two different things. Teachers or assistants could have followed up because it was obvious (in hindsight) that Evie didn't think she should walk. None of us did that and it turned out alright in the end.
We're going to keep an eye on her over the next week or so. We didn't have much time to talk to her last night because she'd had a scheduled sleep-over with her friend Erika. I want to make sure she doesn't have lingering fear or trauma because of this. But knowing Evie, she'll think it was an adventure and all will be fine. I'm heading out now to pick her up from Erika's. I can't wait to give her another hug.
Wednesday, April 18, 2007
Tragedy at Virginia Tech
33 people died on the campus of Virginia Tech this Monday. Only one of them made the choice for himself. We watched the news, waiting to hear and hoping that none of my husband's former students were among the dead. None were his students, but it still breaks your heart. Then those who weren't there start questioning the character and bravery of those that were. John Derbyshire http://corner.nationalreview.com/post/?q=YzllOTU0MDUzY2NhZDE2YmViYmRiNmE5ZjM1OWQxYTU= and Nathaneal Blake http://www.humanevents.com/rightangle/index.php?id=22093&title=where_were_the_men seem to think that they've have been brave enough to tackle this armed angry man and save countless lives. I say lock them both in a room with me, give me two semi-automatic hand guns with full clips and we'll see about that.
One of the students that died at Virginia Tech was from Hampton, VA. She and her family lived 3 doors down from our old house. We lived there for 5 years and I'd been in that house many, many times before her family bought it.
I didn't know her and I didn't know her family. I think I'm probably lucky in that regard. It's just strange, ships passing in the night... it's odd how closely we pass in our orbit to people but never know they exist until something like this happens.If it hadn't really hit me before, it's landed like a ton of bricks now.
We did research projects on mass shootings in public places in grad school. Some of the ground work we laid down later became part of published works and graduate thesis. For a while, we'd all find ourselves thinking, as we shopped or ate dinner, how easily we could be picked off by some angry ex-employee. We had to distance ourselves from the humanity of the victims as we read about case after case. I'm ashamed to say that after a while they were just "3 killed in shopping mall" instead of mothers, fathers, daughters & sons of someone.
In the Virginia Tech case, I haven't been able to compartmentalize it in the least. I've been rocked back on my heels by the randomness & senseless nature of it all. Maybe its because I'm now a mother of a school age daughter. I've seen how easy it would be to walk right in to her school, into her classroom or cafeteria. Kevin teaches at a local high school. His class room is the first door as you enter the school from the student parking lot. Kids are forever coming and going. They prop the door open because it stays locked during the day, totally negating the safety net the administration has tried to cast. His band room and the chorus room are separated from the rest of the school by both the cafeteria and the auditorium.We worry about how long it would take any one to notice or respond if there was trouble at his end.
Say a prayer today for the families of those lost and for the futures of those that survived, desperately leaping from a classroom window or pushing on a doorway to keep the gun man outside. I don't envy them their dreams in sleep for years to come.
One of the students that died at Virginia Tech was from Hampton, VA. She and her family lived 3 doors down from our old house. We lived there for 5 years and I'd been in that house many, many times before her family bought it.
I didn't know her and I didn't know her family. I think I'm probably lucky in that regard. It's just strange, ships passing in the night... it's odd how closely we pass in our orbit to people but never know they exist until something like this happens.If it hadn't really hit me before, it's landed like a ton of bricks now.
We did research projects on mass shootings in public places in grad school. Some of the ground work we laid down later became part of published works and graduate thesis. For a while, we'd all find ourselves thinking, as we shopped or ate dinner, how easily we could be picked off by some angry ex-employee. We had to distance ourselves from the humanity of the victims as we read about case after case. I'm ashamed to say that after a while they were just "3 killed in shopping mall" instead of mothers, fathers, daughters & sons of someone.
In the Virginia Tech case, I haven't been able to compartmentalize it in the least. I've been rocked back on my heels by the randomness & senseless nature of it all. Maybe its because I'm now a mother of a school age daughter. I've seen how easy it would be to walk right in to her school, into her classroom or cafeteria. Kevin teaches at a local high school. His class room is the first door as you enter the school from the student parking lot. Kids are forever coming and going. They prop the door open because it stays locked during the day, totally negating the safety net the administration has tried to cast. His band room and the chorus room are separated from the rest of the school by both the cafeteria and the auditorium.We worry about how long it would take any one to notice or respond if there was trouble at his end.
Say a prayer today for the families of those lost and for the futures of those that survived, desperately leaping from a classroom window or pushing on a doorway to keep the gun man outside. I don't envy them their dreams in sleep for years to come.
Friday, April 13, 2007
Mini Me (or what comes around, goes around)
Evie went back to school this Tuesday after being out of school for 10 days over 2 weekends, Spring break and a teacher work day. Honestly, Kevin and I didn't expect much in the way of behavior from her. Among vacation in Disney, the long time off and the inability to fall asleep she'd faked the night before, our hopes weren't very high. Some of you know how they classify children's behavior in schools these days. Each day, a child starts on green and then moves through the spectrum toward purple as the day goes by if they aren't following the rule. It's sort of like Homeland Security threat level meets Mister Rogers Neighborhood.
Kevin picked her up from school on Tuesday afternoon and asked her how she'd been. Here's her reply:
Well, I started on green. First I moved to yellow. Then I got put on orange.
Then duhn-duhn-DUHN (said like a bad guy entered the room) I got on red. And she shrugged.
How he didn't fall down laughing the world may never know. What I do know is that my daughter apparently doesn't take this whole color palette - Wheel of Behavior - I'd like to buy a vowel thing seriously. (insert big heartfelt sigh here) I can only shrug myself and think that I'd have said something very similar.
Kevin picked her up from school on Tuesday afternoon and asked her how she'd been. Here's her reply:
Well, I started on green. First I moved to yellow. Then I got put on orange.
Then duhn-duhn-DUHN (said like a bad guy entered the room) I got on red. And she shrugged.
How he didn't fall down laughing the world may never know. What I do know is that my daughter apparently doesn't take this whole color palette - Wheel of Behavior - I'd like to buy a vowel thing seriously. (insert big heartfelt sigh here) I can only shrug myself and think that I'd have said something very similar.
Saturday, April 7, 2007
Back from the land of all things Mouse
For those that don't know, we spent Spring Break at Disney World again this year. We took Evie last year and this year she was a total pro. She knew exactly which rides she wanted to conquer first in each park and which park she didn't want to visit.
We had so much fun, I can't even begin to tell you. I think we did every single thing I'd planned to do. You guys know that I plan for a vacation like I'm planning for battle, right? I did a lot of research before leaving and came up with lists of rides & experiences that Evie would enjoy. I made sure that we spread things out over the 6 day trip so that we didn't end up cramming things in. We had some wonderful food, had short waits for most rides despite the busy park around us and Evie was as well behaved as I could expect.
The flight down was totally uneventful and even landed 25 minutes early. We were checking into our resort by noon and were at the Magic Kingdom by 1pm. We did only FantasyLand (mostly Princess stuff) the first day but headed to Epcot for dinner at The Nine Dragons. Kevin & I ate there on our honeymoon and have eaten there as part of every trip back since then. Since they served Evie's drink in sort of every day style stemware and not a kids cup, she asked if we could cheers (as she calls it). I was going to offer, "To DisneyWorld" but she said, "To China!" She even greeted our waiter by saying Ni hao pronounced Nee-how. We were all suitably impressed & surprised.
Sunday afternoon, we did Animal Kingdom. The only thing we didn't fit in was a trip on the Kali River Rapids. Evie insisted that she didn't want to do it, so Kevin & I took her out of line and just let it go. Sunday night we were supposed to have dinner with her best friend Victoria, her parents & two of her grandparents along with Cinderella, her Prince, the Fairy Godmother and a couple of mice. Unfortunately, Victoria got horribly sick that afternoon and we had to cancel the reservations. It seems that Disney won't seat 3 people at a table reserved for 8 people. That was fine with us, I guess. Evie took it in stride and didn't get upset at all. Well, she was upset that her friend was sick. Victoria recovered on Monday but her Mom got sick. We didn't even see them while we were there. We headed to Downtown Disney for the evening instead. We at at Wolfgang Puck's again this year and weren't disappointed. Evie got to play on the Lego playground with about 20 other small people. It was fabulous confusion.
Monday morning was A Storybook Princess Breakfast in Epcot (Belle, Ariel, Mulan, Mary Poppins and Snow White). Evie doesn't care that two of those aren't princesses but I think they should adjust the name of the breakfast. We spent the rest of the day in Epcot and did The Land, The Sea and were smart enough to get FastPasses for Soarin' as soon as we entered the park. Turtle Talk with Crush was just adorable. It was animation that was able to converse & interact with kids in the audience. He answered all the questions the kids posed and even demonstrated how when a child asked if Turtles could swim on their backs.
Tuesday we spent the better part of the day at the pool and did Fantasmic in MGM Studios that night. What a great show that was, even if it was the longest we'd stood in line all week (1 hour). Evie found a couple of kids in line to play with or got to sit in the stroller, so she could have cared less about the wait. She didn't really like Disney MGM studios or as she called it, "That town." The entire first section of MGM looks like old Hollywood and to her its just a bunch of shops that spread a couple of blocks. I'm disappointed that we didn't spend time there during the day. She would have really enjoyed the Star Wars experience.
Wednesday was a character breakfast with Mary Poppins, Alice in Wonderland, the Mad Hatter, Pooh & Tigger. Pooh came to see & hug Evie three different times. Evie later commented that it must have been because she wore her Pooh & Friends T-Shirt. Previously she wouldn't get near any of the furry characters, but Pooh was so sweet and irresistibly soft that she let him hang all over her. Tigger kept coming back and kissing her until she finally told him, "No more kisses, Tigger." in a rather stern voice. It was too sweet. She told Alice that the Mad Hatter seemed a little weird, so Alice said, "Oh he's quite mad, I'm sure." in this GREAT voice. Wednesday during the day was spent doing the rest of the things on my list at the Magic Kingdom: Pirates of the Caribbean, Jungle Cruise, River Boat cruise around Tom Sawyer's Island, Steam Train, Magic Carpet ride, etc. Evie even went into the Haunted Mansion, so I was totally proud of her. At night we finally got to see the Spectro-Magic parade and the Magic Kingdom fireworks. We got about 11pm that night, so we didn't wake up too early on Thursday. We gathered our things, had brunch, and toured our entire resort, looking over all the different building themes they had, shopped a bit and let Evie play on the playground before heading back to the airport.
Kevin & Evie got to sleep in on Friday. I worked an 11 hour day. It's now Saturday, I'm in the office for another full day and there are 2 inches of snow on the ground. Can someone remind me why I came home from Disney at all?
We had so much fun, I can't even begin to tell you. I think we did every single thing I'd planned to do. You guys know that I plan for a vacation like I'm planning for battle, right? I did a lot of research before leaving and came up with lists of rides & experiences that Evie would enjoy. I made sure that we spread things out over the 6 day trip so that we didn't end up cramming things in. We had some wonderful food, had short waits for most rides despite the busy park around us and Evie was as well behaved as I could expect.
The flight down was totally uneventful and even landed 25 minutes early. We were checking into our resort by noon and were at the Magic Kingdom by 1pm. We did only FantasyLand (mostly Princess stuff) the first day but headed to Epcot for dinner at The Nine Dragons. Kevin & I ate there on our honeymoon and have eaten there as part of every trip back since then. Since they served Evie's drink in sort of every day style stemware and not a kids cup, she asked if we could cheers (as she calls it). I was going to offer, "To DisneyWorld" but she said, "To China!" She even greeted our waiter by saying Ni hao pronounced Nee-how. We were all suitably impressed & surprised.
Sunday afternoon, we did Animal Kingdom. The only thing we didn't fit in was a trip on the Kali River Rapids. Evie insisted that she didn't want to do it, so Kevin & I took her out of line and just let it go. Sunday night we were supposed to have dinner with her best friend Victoria, her parents & two of her grandparents along with Cinderella, her Prince, the Fairy Godmother and a couple of mice. Unfortunately, Victoria got horribly sick that afternoon and we had to cancel the reservations. It seems that Disney won't seat 3 people at a table reserved for 8 people. That was fine with us, I guess. Evie took it in stride and didn't get upset at all. Well, she was upset that her friend was sick. Victoria recovered on Monday but her Mom got sick. We didn't even see them while we were there. We headed to Downtown Disney for the evening instead. We at at Wolfgang Puck's again this year and weren't disappointed. Evie got to play on the Lego playground with about 20 other small people. It was fabulous confusion.
Monday morning was A Storybook Princess Breakfast in Epcot (Belle, Ariel, Mulan, Mary Poppins and Snow White). Evie doesn't care that two of those aren't princesses but I think they should adjust the name of the breakfast. We spent the rest of the day in Epcot and did The Land, The Sea and were smart enough to get FastPasses for Soarin' as soon as we entered the park. Turtle Talk with Crush was just adorable. It was animation that was able to converse & interact with kids in the audience. He answered all the questions the kids posed and even demonstrated how when a child asked if Turtles could swim on their backs.
Tuesday we spent the better part of the day at the pool and did Fantasmic in MGM Studios that night. What a great show that was, even if it was the longest we'd stood in line all week (1 hour). Evie found a couple of kids in line to play with or got to sit in the stroller, so she could have cared less about the wait. She didn't really like Disney MGM studios or as she called it, "That town." The entire first section of MGM looks like old Hollywood and to her its just a bunch of shops that spread a couple of blocks. I'm disappointed that we didn't spend time there during the day. She would have really enjoyed the Star Wars experience.
Wednesday was a character breakfast with Mary Poppins, Alice in Wonderland, the Mad Hatter, Pooh & Tigger. Pooh came to see & hug Evie three different times. Evie later commented that it must have been because she wore her Pooh & Friends T-Shirt. Previously she wouldn't get near any of the furry characters, but Pooh was so sweet and irresistibly soft that she let him hang all over her. Tigger kept coming back and kissing her until she finally told him, "No more kisses, Tigger." in a rather stern voice. It was too sweet. She told Alice that the Mad Hatter seemed a little weird, so Alice said, "Oh he's quite mad, I'm sure." in this GREAT voice. Wednesday during the day was spent doing the rest of the things on my list at the Magic Kingdom: Pirates of the Caribbean, Jungle Cruise, River Boat cruise around Tom Sawyer's Island, Steam Train, Magic Carpet ride, etc. Evie even went into the Haunted Mansion, so I was totally proud of her. At night we finally got to see the Spectro-Magic parade and the Magic Kingdom fireworks. We got about 11pm that night, so we didn't wake up too early on Thursday. We gathered our things, had brunch, and toured our entire resort, looking over all the different building themes they had, shopped a bit and let Evie play on the playground before heading back to the airport.
Kevin & Evie got to sleep in on Friday. I worked an 11 hour day. It's now Saturday, I'm in the office for another full day and there are 2 inches of snow on the ground. Can someone remind me why I came home from Disney at all?
Sunday, March 25, 2007
Crossing over to the dark side.....
Well, I finally did it. I became that woman. For the first time in my life, I paid another woman to clean my house. The saddest part is that it's really never looked better. She cleaned my kitchen from ceiling to floor. I hear people call that "Spring cleaning". Catchy, huh?
It isn't that my house was horrid or anything. My dishes get washed and my floors are vacuumed or swept. There was just clutter everywhere and I didn't have the time to wrangle it into place. With a 55 hour work week lately, a wicked commute, Evie's 2 dance classes, my two dance classes, 2 dogs, a cat and two children.... my house was looking pretty neglected. It was all I could do to straighten up each night. Okay, I have only one child and one husband but he makes a mess like a 5 year old only with bigger clothing on the floor. They mess up faster than I can pick up!
So, she cleaned my kitchen completely: walls, floors, scrubbed the chair rail, the microwave, counters, etc. Kevin asked if we were putting the house up for sale and I forgot to tell him. The living room was vacuumed, dusted, pictures cleaned, glass windexed, generally de-cluttered and just wonderful; the bathroom just as nice. It freed me up this weekend to do 6+ loads of laundry, cook a real dinner and pack for next week's vacation. All I had to do was "maintain" the new status quo.
I felt really guilty for a couple of days. How horrible that I need help to take care of my small house. Of course, I got over it and decided to just enjoy the experience. Now, I'm lovin' this! All I need now is time to lay on the couch. Where are my bon-bons? I was promised bon-bons!!!
It isn't that my house was horrid or anything. My dishes get washed and my floors are vacuumed or swept. There was just clutter everywhere and I didn't have the time to wrangle it into place. With a 55 hour work week lately, a wicked commute, Evie's 2 dance classes, my two dance classes, 2 dogs, a cat and two children.... my house was looking pretty neglected. It was all I could do to straighten up each night. Okay, I have only one child and one husband but he makes a mess like a 5 year old only with bigger clothing on the floor. They mess up faster than I can pick up!
So, she cleaned my kitchen completely: walls, floors, scrubbed the chair rail, the microwave, counters, etc. Kevin asked if we were putting the house up for sale and I forgot to tell him. The living room was vacuumed, dusted, pictures cleaned, glass windexed, generally de-cluttered and just wonderful; the bathroom just as nice. It freed me up this weekend to do 6+ loads of laundry, cook a real dinner and pack for next week's vacation. All I had to do was "maintain" the new status quo.
I felt really guilty for a couple of days. How horrible that I need help to take care of my small house. Of course, I got over it and decided to just enjoy the experience. Now, I'm lovin' this! All I need now is time to lay on the couch. Where are my bon-bons? I was promised bon-bons!!!
Tuesday, March 13, 2007
It's March Madness, Baby!!
I've spent some time over the last two days working on my bracket. Okay, I've spent more time than I have to spare. I've almost collected too much information though. Not just about the teams but about historical performances by a 12 seed or the 4th seed, etc. Granted, when it comes down to an even match, I just have to go with the colors or mascot I like the best.
Of course there are the token selections like making sure you have Kentucky or Duke going past the first round... although some people think VCU can take Duke and Davidson might beat Maryland.... 16 seeds are 0 for 88 in the first round, 15 seeds are 4 for 88. Then you have to decide between an 8 & 9 seed. Really, who can do that without switching choices at least three times. Then, you have to predict the #12 seed upset. You know, that team that makes you say, "Who the hell is Long Beach State?" Luckily, those guys almost always fall out in round 2.
Too many variables! I need Charlie Epps from Numbers.
Of course there are the token selections like making sure you have Kentucky or Duke going past the first round... although some people think VCU can take Duke and Davidson might beat Maryland.... 16 seeds are 0 for 88 in the first round, 15 seeds are 4 for 88. Then you have to decide between an 8 & 9 seed. Really, who can do that without switching choices at least three times. Then, you have to predict the #12 seed upset. You know, that team that makes you say, "Who the hell is Long Beach State?" Luckily, those guys almost always fall out in round 2.
Too many variables! I need Charlie Epps from Numbers.
Sunday, March 4, 2007
Send in the Clowns
The circus came to town this week. We're following a tradition my mother started with my sisters and I and kept as long as we could afford it. I have no idea what tickets cost when I was a child, but an evening at the circus for just the three of us ran well over $130 for tickets, soda, cotton candy and a souvenir.
We take Evie every year when Ringling Brothers, Barnum & Bailey come to town the first week of March. This year was actually better than its been for the last several years. Ringling's Bello-bration The theme this year centered around one very funny, tall haired clown and his antics around the circus. They did a similar show with Bello two years ago, but they've finally perfected what works. The best part for Evie, of all things, was the dogs. They really were hilarious and Evie instantly dubbed them, "the coolest dogs in the WORLD". Frankly, I'm not sure she's wrong. These dogs could do everything but make my morning coffee. At least, that wasn't part of the act, so who can be sure. They even had trained zebras. Well, they had zebras that were trained to run around in the ring and then switch directions. But I cut them some slack, they're freakin' zebras. Zebras are like those kids in school that are cool just because they're cool. Not because they actually do anything. You know all the horses want to be zebras. They probalby pretend to be zebras when they're on vacation. They're stylish, always dressed for day or night and can use any color to accessorize. Does that make zebra the new black?
I think the strangest part was the big cats. I could swear a few of them were ligers. Have you ever seen Napoleon Dynamite? He's out to prove he's got nothing to prove. Napoleon Sound Board I had to look up a picture on the Internet to be sure but they're actually real creatures. They looked like big tigers with dark blond stripes instead of black. A Real Liger They were truly beautiful but strange to look at. Much like with the movie Napoleon Dynamite, I was transfixed. They were the train wreck I couldn't tear my eyes from. Then just as he does every year, Kevin begged for a tiger. Evie calmly explained that they can be dangerous and might eat his head. She pointed out that we have our house cat, Mariah and tigers are just big cats, you know. We always have to act like we didn't know... really, big cats you say?
We take Evie every year when Ringling Brothers, Barnum & Bailey come to town the first week of March. This year was actually better than its been for the last several years. Ringling's Bello-bration The theme this year centered around one very funny, tall haired clown and his antics around the circus. They did a similar show with Bello two years ago, but they've finally perfected what works. The best part for Evie, of all things, was the dogs. They really were hilarious and Evie instantly dubbed them, "the coolest dogs in the WORLD". Frankly, I'm not sure she's wrong. These dogs could do everything but make my morning coffee. At least, that wasn't part of the act, so who can be sure. They even had trained zebras. Well, they had zebras that were trained to run around in the ring and then switch directions. But I cut them some slack, they're freakin' zebras. Zebras are like those kids in school that are cool just because they're cool. Not because they actually do anything. You know all the horses want to be zebras. They probalby pretend to be zebras when they're on vacation. They're stylish, always dressed for day or night and can use any color to accessorize. Does that make zebra the new black?
I think the strangest part was the big cats. I could swear a few of them were ligers. Have you ever seen Napoleon Dynamite? He's out to prove he's got nothing to prove. Napoleon Sound Board I had to look up a picture on the Internet to be sure but they're actually real creatures. They looked like big tigers with dark blond stripes instead of black. A Real Liger They were truly beautiful but strange to look at. Much like with the movie Napoleon Dynamite, I was transfixed. They were the train wreck I couldn't tear my eyes from. Then just as he does every year, Kevin begged for a tiger. Evie calmly explained that they can be dangerous and might eat his head. She pointed out that we have our house cat, Mariah and tigers are just big cats, you know. We always have to act like we didn't know... really, big cats you say?
Saturday, February 24, 2007
Planning a vacation (or torturing myself)
Most of my friends know about our vacation in July of 2005. We planned to be away from Virginia for 2 solid weeks. We spent a great couple of days in Atlanta with friends, a day in Ozark, AL with Kevin's parents and then headed further South to Alligator Point, Florida. Alligator Point is a lovely, but unknown stretch of beach in the panhandle of Florida. It's just a bit Southeast of Tallahassee and seems perfect in all the pictures I've seen. http://www.alligatorpoint.org/ I can't comment on the beauty first hand because Hurricane Dennis arrived the same day we did. My older sister Rose was gracious enough to let us crash at her place in Tallahasse for a couple of nights while we waited for a hotel room to become available.
We spent the rest of the week at a lovely Tallahassee hotel, basking in the sun and playing at the pool Evie:PoolGeek with Stacye and her daughters. We did spend an interesting day at the Ochlockonee River State Park but Dennis had worked his magic there as well. I think the best time we had (other than a birthday dinner at my sisters restaurant) was a few hours spent at Wakulla Springs. http://www.wakullacounty.com/wakulla-30.htm It's supposed to be the largest, deepest freshwater springs in the world. They've still never found the source. I've read that the water is so clear you can see hundreds of feet to the bottom and occassionally, you'll spot a family of manatees. Of course, Hurricane Dennis stirred everything up so badly, they'd cancelled the glass bottom boat tours for the week. We took a regular boat tour along the river & over the springs with the most interesting (colorful) boat pilot/tour guide I've ever had the pleasure of dealing with. If there were Cajuns in Florida, he is what they sound like. He told us that if a snake dropped into our lap from an overhanging tree limb, we got to take it home as a Soo-vaaaah-nee-arh. We lucked out there. :)
I guess I bring all this up because I want to try again. I've been looking at homes for rent on Alligator Point, Florida this morning. Why? It still looks beautiful. It's still affordable. I still haven't been! Anyone up for a trip to the hidden coast of Florida in July? We can rent canoes or kayaks, play on the beach, visit the nature preserve, lay on the beach and drink mojitos, margaritas or just a good beer.
We spent the rest of the week at a lovely Tallahassee hotel, basking in the sun and playing at the pool Evie:PoolGeek with Stacye and her daughters. We did spend an interesting day at the Ochlockonee River State Park but Dennis had worked his magic there as well. I think the best time we had (other than a birthday dinner at my sisters restaurant) was a few hours spent at Wakulla Springs. http://www.wakullacounty.com/wakulla-30.htm It's supposed to be the largest, deepest freshwater springs in the world. They've still never found the source. I've read that the water is so clear you can see hundreds of feet to the bottom and occassionally, you'll spot a family of manatees. Of course, Hurricane Dennis stirred everything up so badly, they'd cancelled the glass bottom boat tours for the week. We took a regular boat tour along the river & over the springs with the most interesting (colorful) boat pilot/tour guide I've ever had the pleasure of dealing with. If there were Cajuns in Florida, he is what they sound like. He told us that if a snake dropped into our lap from an overhanging tree limb, we got to take it home as a Soo-vaaaah-nee-arh. We lucked out there. :)
I guess I bring all this up because I want to try again. I've been looking at homes for rent on Alligator Point, Florida this morning. Why? It still looks beautiful. It's still affordable. I still haven't been! Anyone up for a trip to the hidden coast of Florida in July? We can rent canoes or kayaks, play on the beach, visit the nature preserve, lay on the beach and drink mojitos, margaritas or just a good beer.
Monday, February 19, 2007
Everyone else is doing it....
Well, I put it off as long as I could. I promise, I did. I'd been warned about it. Doing it just once was enough to get you totally hooked. All my friends were doing it. They said it felt great, it wouldn't hurt me and that everybody that was anybody was doing it. Well, I am an anybody, after all. And yes, if they all jumped off a bridge, I'd do it too. I mean, really, who wants to be left standing on a bridge all alone. Certainly not me. So, I've started blogging. Now all I have to do is insert something really witty here.
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