Thursday, February 27, 2014
Wednesday, February 26, 2014
Monday, October 14, 2013
Redirection
Big doings! Well, minor doings worth noting! I have my own proper domain now and a WP account. I have to do some fancy computer things to optimize SEO thingymaboppers (side note: ugh, technology), but until I manage some fancy redirection, please update your bookmarks to:
Thanks muchly!
Wednesday, October 2, 2013
Priorities
Long story for another post, but we will be heading back to DC sometime in 2014 (hopefully summer). I'm late to the bidding game and I'm trying to make it all work now, but I find myself ultimately unapologetic for ignoring the HR aspects of my job.
My husband is in Afghanistan.
My son is awash in school and therapy and sensory-seeking extracurriculars.
My daughter is a pip who, for the first time, isn't constantly being overshadowed by all that is her brother.
For once I am not taking a work call in my office with a sick kid screaming in the background. I'm not taking a work call at home while putting PJs on an exhausted toddler. I speak to my child's teacher every. single. day. I volunteer in his class once a week.
I'm not apologizing.
This LWOP undoubtedly dinged my career a bit and, given my very strong bent toward ridiculously competitive and the Foreign Service's emphasis on ridiculously competitive, that's a bit hard to swallow.
I'm not apologizing.
With any luck, this year plus in Colorado will make it less likely that I'll be scrambling for childcare for my suspended child. It will make it slightly less likely that I'll be blamed for putting his needs on the backburner for too many years. (I say slightly less likely, because I'm not naive enough to think my children won't blame me for most things.)
I am not apologizing.
I have to keep telling myself that.
On that note, before I delve into the logistical nightmare of bidding on short notice with no access to the State system and a number of timing issues, I am going to focus on Boy, and what we find to be helpful, as there may be another stressed parent of a high-needs pugilist out there.
Here's what we've tried:
Hoping it will just go away: FAIL.
Soccer: FAIL. Boy was quite good at soccer, but couldn't handle the sensory input of a gaggle of kids rushing toward him and a ball and a whistle. There were tears more often than not.
Swimming: WIN. Did you know Boy can freestyle across a small pool? He can. He could not do that a few months ago. The first time we took him to a pool this summer, he screamed and pantsed himself because he didn't like the sensation of wet swim trunks grabbing his legs. So we went to SwimLabs (for FS families: they have a location in Vienna, VA!). The pools are small, very warm, and have an adjustable current. They also have a small class size (max 4) and a camera with monitors in the waiting room for parents and in the corners in the lab. Even at Boy's young age, teachers discuss technique with their students using video footage.
Gymnastics: WIN. For sensory seeking kids, the jumping, climbing, pushing, rolling is heaven. It helps that Boy's teacher is a middle-aged tough guy. Boy relates to that well.
Group Behavioral Therapy: WIN. Boy has been going to a school skills group for several months now, and has a vocabulary and context for discussing things that do not come naturally to him, not even in the slightest. Body space, volume, sharing, conflict resolution: it's all been invaluable.
Sensory Camp: WIN. Boy attended sensory camp this summer. He learned about body speed and control and I learned about intervention techniques. He's always used a weighted blanket, and indeed one is in his classroom for him when he flips out, but they expanded my toolkit to include a variety of deep pressure techniques.
IEP Process: We'll see? The special education coordinator needs six weeks to monitor his academic progress and his classroom behavior, and then we jump knee deep into meetings upon meetings with the nurse, psychologist, occupational therapist, speech therapist, the works. Best case scenario is he no longer qualifies for an IEP because all the rest is working. That would be great, but I'm not holding my breath.
LEGO club: WIN. Boy does LEGO Engineering after school once a week. He is exhausted when he's done, but he is so genuinely enthusiastic to have 90 minutes when he just excels, no qualifiers. He is a savant of building, and he needs that weekly success.
Kindergarten: WIN (so far). Oh, oh, oh. How thankful I am that we are back. There was no good kindergarten option for him in Estonia--he's too high needs. He's one of the youngest in his class--if not the youngest--but he's already taking off academically. He went from writing only a few of his letters to writing sentences and starting books in about four weeks. His teacher runs that classroom so tightly it's a bit intimidating, but it's what he needs. He needs rigid boundaries, constant assignments, and a challenge. I've volunteered a number of times, and I am almost always shocked at how on task he is. "On Task" isn't normal on Boy's resume. He's easier at home, he's proud of his work, and he's simply rising to the occasion.
To be clear, he's already been sent to the principal's office. But only once!
I worried at first about overloading his schedule. He wakes up so early (4:44 this morning) and is so frenetic that he's beat by 6:45 most nights. He is responding well to physical, individual activities that meet his sensory needs. He enjoys having a club where he is a star (and I enjoy outsourcing complex LEGO projects, because that's not on my resume). His iPad time chart has been changed to reward good behavior at school. I'm afraid to jinx myself, but after a year of this, we should be set.
I am not apologizing.
My husband is in Afghanistan.
My son is awash in school and therapy and sensory-seeking extracurriculars.
My daughter is a pip who, for the first time, isn't constantly being overshadowed by all that is her brother.
For once I am not taking a work call in my office with a sick kid screaming in the background. I'm not taking a work call at home while putting PJs on an exhausted toddler. I speak to my child's teacher every. single. day. I volunteer in his class once a week.
I'm not apologizing.
This LWOP undoubtedly dinged my career a bit and, given my very strong bent toward ridiculously competitive and the Foreign Service's emphasis on ridiculously competitive, that's a bit hard to swallow.
I'm not apologizing.
With any luck, this year plus in Colorado will make it less likely that I'll be scrambling for childcare for my suspended child. It will make it slightly less likely that I'll be blamed for putting his needs on the backburner for too many years. (I say slightly less likely, because I'm not naive enough to think my children won't blame me for most things.)
I am not apologizing.
I have to keep telling myself that.
On that note, before I delve into the logistical nightmare of bidding on short notice with no access to the State system and a number of timing issues, I am going to focus on Boy, and what we find to be helpful, as there may be another stressed parent of a high-needs pugilist out there.
Here's what we've tried:
Hoping it will just go away: FAIL.
Soccer: FAIL. Boy was quite good at soccer, but couldn't handle the sensory input of a gaggle of kids rushing toward him and a ball and a whistle. There were tears more often than not.
Swimming: WIN. Did you know Boy can freestyle across a small pool? He can. He could not do that a few months ago. The first time we took him to a pool this summer, he screamed and pantsed himself because he didn't like the sensation of wet swim trunks grabbing his legs. So we went to SwimLabs (for FS families: they have a location in Vienna, VA!). The pools are small, very warm, and have an adjustable current. They also have a small class size (max 4) and a camera with monitors in the waiting room for parents and in the corners in the lab. Even at Boy's young age, teachers discuss technique with their students using video footage.
Gymnastics: WIN. For sensory seeking kids, the jumping, climbing, pushing, rolling is heaven. It helps that Boy's teacher is a middle-aged tough guy. Boy relates to that well.
Group Behavioral Therapy: WIN. Boy has been going to a school skills group for several months now, and has a vocabulary and context for discussing things that do not come naturally to him, not even in the slightest. Body space, volume, sharing, conflict resolution: it's all been invaluable.
Sensory Camp: WIN. Boy attended sensory camp this summer. He learned about body speed and control and I learned about intervention techniques. He's always used a weighted blanket, and indeed one is in his classroom for him when he flips out, but they expanded my toolkit to include a variety of deep pressure techniques.
IEP Process: We'll see? The special education coordinator needs six weeks to monitor his academic progress and his classroom behavior, and then we jump knee deep into meetings upon meetings with the nurse, psychologist, occupational therapist, speech therapist, the works. Best case scenario is he no longer qualifies for an IEP because all the rest is working. That would be great, but I'm not holding my breath.
LEGO club: WIN. Boy does LEGO Engineering after school once a week. He is exhausted when he's done, but he is so genuinely enthusiastic to have 90 minutes when he just excels, no qualifiers. He is a savant of building, and he needs that weekly success.
Kindergarten: WIN (so far). Oh, oh, oh. How thankful I am that we are back. There was no good kindergarten option for him in Estonia--he's too high needs. He's one of the youngest in his class--if not the youngest--but he's already taking off academically. He went from writing only a few of his letters to writing sentences and starting books in about four weeks. His teacher runs that classroom so tightly it's a bit intimidating, but it's what he needs. He needs rigid boundaries, constant assignments, and a challenge. I've volunteered a number of times, and I am almost always shocked at how on task he is. "On Task" isn't normal on Boy's resume. He's easier at home, he's proud of his work, and he's simply rising to the occasion.
To be clear, he's already been sent to the principal's office. But only once!
I worried at first about overloading his schedule. He wakes up so early (4:44 this morning) and is so frenetic that he's beat by 6:45 most nights. He is responding well to physical, individual activities that meet his sensory needs. He enjoys having a club where he is a star (and I enjoy outsourcing complex LEGO projects, because that's not on my resume). His iPad time chart has been changed to reward good behavior at school. I'm afraid to jinx myself, but after a year of this, we should be set.
I am not apologizing.
Friday, September 27, 2013
Turn Turn Turn
The Byrds are in my head. Or Ecclesiastes, depending on your bent. My favorite "Season" song is by The Zombies, but that doesn't capture the trudging through, the holding on, the letting go. For obvious reasons, it lacks the Biblical gravitas and comfort.
R&R number two has come and gone, and though it seems to Husband that he's been there forever and seems to me that time has both gone ludicrous speed and crept to a trickle, we are only halfway through this tour. Or maybe: hooray! we are halfway through this tour.
I feel strange claiming "we" are halfway through anything. As I looked around my kitchen this morning, surveying all the dishes that weren't magically done overnight, I sighed, acknowledging in that breath that it's all on me again. It's all on me, in Denver, with the kids, in our house. With restaurants and grocery stores and family and a friend here or there. I can't complain. I even have a personal trainer. Egads, my life is horrible.
But Husband, in his tiny room, with his kids far away...but Husband.
We've done this before, but the raw and inescapable truth is that leaving your one year old for a year is quite difficult, but leaving your two- and five-year-old for a year is a horribly cruel thing to do to yourself or have done to you. We ask this of diplomats, soldiers, Marines, airmen, and sailors. We've asked this of Husband and I note with no small amount of guilt that we have not yet asked this of me. The sad truth--the pitiful truth--is I don't know if I could. It's sad because it's my job, yes, but it's even sadder because Husband's been asked twice. Girl still wants Mommy above all things and...I can't. I can't tear away. Husband can barely do so, and it is only because of his commitment to so many things and above all else to our family that he did.
It was an R&R marred by epic rainfall and a long and lingering stomach virus all around. It was a vacation into the ordinary, with school pickups and swim practice. As he was gathering his things and his wherewithal to return to Afghanistan, Husband admitted that no amount of sunshine, no surfeit of good health, not even a new motorcycle or a million margaritas would have changed what had to happen. He went back, as he must, and he will trudge on.
And we will be here, waiting.
R&R number two has come and gone, and though it seems to Husband that he's been there forever and seems to me that time has both gone ludicrous speed and crept to a trickle, we are only halfway through this tour. Or maybe: hooray! we are halfway through this tour.
I feel strange claiming "we" are halfway through anything. As I looked around my kitchen this morning, surveying all the dishes that weren't magically done overnight, I sighed, acknowledging in that breath that it's all on me again. It's all on me, in Denver, with the kids, in our house. With restaurants and grocery stores and family and a friend here or there. I can't complain. I even have a personal trainer. Egads, my life is horrible.
But Husband, in his tiny room, with his kids far away...but Husband.
We've done this before, but the raw and inescapable truth is that leaving your one year old for a year is quite difficult, but leaving your two- and five-year-old for a year is a horribly cruel thing to do to yourself or have done to you. We ask this of diplomats, soldiers, Marines, airmen, and sailors. We've asked this of Husband and I note with no small amount of guilt that we have not yet asked this of me. The sad truth--the pitiful truth--is I don't know if I could. It's sad because it's my job, yes, but it's even sadder because Husband's been asked twice. Girl still wants Mommy above all things and...I can't. I can't tear away. Husband can barely do so, and it is only because of his commitment to so many things and above all else to our family that he did.
It was an R&R marred by epic rainfall and a long and lingering stomach virus all around. It was a vacation into the ordinary, with school pickups and swim practice. As he was gathering his things and his wherewithal to return to Afghanistan, Husband admitted that no amount of sunshine, no surfeit of good health, not even a new motorcycle or a million margaritas would have changed what had to happen. He went back, as he must, and he will trudge on.
And we will be here, waiting.
Monday, September 16, 2013
Denver for Kids
Boy, Girl, and I spent six months filling our time before school started this month. Denver usually isn't on the radar of Foreign Service families, if for no other reason than the Centennial State is not home to a thriving and influential foreign affairs community. Because, you know, it's not Washington D.C.*
I spent much of my youth in the D.C. area and Washington really is great for kids. Fantastic schools, free museums, plenty of historical sights. Traffic, humidity, cutthroat competition, ridiculous housing prices. Well, maybe those things aren't so great. (Washingtonians, don't feel defensive! I am one of you. Always will be. But let's be honest...Washington takes a couple years of your life.)
Anyway, for those who missed it: Why Denver? We picked Denver because it's in Colorado (der) and it's not Colorado Springs, Boulder, or Ft. Collins. Colorado Springs ain't my cup of tea for a number of reasons. Boulder is expensive and a little too Berkeley-esque. Ft. Collins is wonderful, but unless you run a brewery or teach at CSU, your employment options are limited and that wasn't a great strategy lest we end up staying here for the long run.
Denver is a little weird and accepting and relaxed. It's politically moderate, which cannot be said of the Springs or Boulder. People move to Colorado from all over, but I've never lived in a town with so many cheerleaders. Denverites are excited to be here. They drunkenly ride bikes through their town once a week. They support local breweries and businesses and bands. EVERYONE LOVES THE BRONCOS. Wow. Everyone.
This place is also great for kids. If you are looking for something a little different than squeezing your family of five into your parent's guest room this R&R or home leave, I recommend a swing through Colorado. While the mountains are an obvious destination, the capital city is worth a visit.
You will most likely need a car unless you stay only downtown, though cabs are plentiful and both Zipcar and Car2Go can be found around town. You can zip from one side of town to the other in 20 minutes.
Below are my recommendations:
*True fact. It's not.
MUSEUMS
The Children's Museum of Denver
One of the best children's museums we've been to, and we've been to a lot. Boy could spend hours constructing and shooting paper rockets and Girl loves the room filled with chutes and balls. Both enjoy the bubble area, the firetruck, and the forest make-believe area. There are activities for older kids--such as a recycling construction zone--and for littles as well (there is a designated 0-4 area that's large and lovely). Walk out the door to a chalkboard cow and a great playground along the Platte River. Parking is free.
It's also right next door to...
Downtown Aquarium
The aquarium isn't cheap, but it's just the right size for a 5 year old to enjoy a 90 minute visit. There are diving experience packages for older kids, but mine are happy to start with a ride on the carousel out front. They particularly enjoy the shark tank, which includes windows in the floor so you almost always have a shark underfoot. The inexplicable tiger exhibit is actually pretty neat, as the tigers can be very close to the crowd. You can feed and pet rays, walk through a rainstorm, and talk about how piranhas would just devour you if given the chance. Parking is $7 for non-members, $3 for members.
Wings Over the Rockies Air & Space Museum
This is Boy's ceiling:
So it is a bit embarrassing that I didn't even realize there was an air and space museum until recently. Husband is home on R&R and took the kids there yesterday. Wings Over the Rockies is a lot like Udvar Hazy. No space shuttle, alas, but they did have an X-wing. Husband said it was great and definitely worth the trip. Parking is free.
Denver Museum of Nature & Science
The Science Museum has the advantage of being less than half a mile from our house in the southeast corner of City Park, so we've been there a lot. It's no Field Museum, but it again has something for all age groups, including a Discovery Center for kids 5 and under. There is an interesting and interactive body exhibit that again caters to the full range of kids, providing a small exploration area for little ones and virtual bike riding tests for older ones. The space exhibit is a personal favorite, and I love that it has a play area for toddlers and preschoolers in addition to interactive exhibits that target a slightly older crowd. You'll note that I use "interactive" a lot for this museum, and it certainly is. It's a snowy day favorite. Parking is free! There is also a bike share station right at the museum.
Denver Zoo
The zoo is less than one mile from our house, and a stone's throw from the Denver Museum of Nature & Science. The zoo is in the middle of city park (more on that later). The elephant exhibit is new and impressive, and we can always count on giraffes entertaining Girl. Boy loves the bat exhibit. The carousel near the hippos and birds is a nice little break from strolling around. The park is littered with climbing areas that will amuse kids from about 18 months on for as long as you let it. Peacocks roam the park, because I guess some private owner just let them out one day? The zoo has an abundance of programming for little kids and the occasional sleepover, so check out their website in advance of a trip to take advantage of their offerings. Girl is a big fan of the zoo. Parking is free.
History Colorado
History Colorado was a pleasant surprise. Girl loved the puppet show. Boy enjoyed making puppets in the lobby. The time machine in the center lobby is tons of fun. As an East Coaster, it was amusing to see kitchen exhibits from the 1920s (and yes, Europeans, I realize you scoff at my East Coast kitchen exhibits from the 1700s), but as a newly minted Colorado resident, I found the museum to be both fun and very informative. Downtown, so parking is going to cost you about four to seven dollars.
It's also a couple blocks from...
Denver Art Museum
I'm ashamed to say we haven't visited the art museum yet, as until recently I didn't realize it was such a hot destination for children. I usually hear "art museum" and think "my kids will touch things" and then avoid the whole exercise. But as you can see, it's actually a terrific place for the kiddos. I'll update with our personal recommendations once we visit next weekend. I'm excited to check it out. (It's downtown, so I can only assume parking is not free).
Butterfly Pavilion
The Butterfly Pavilion is outside of town, but an easy enough trek with a car. The butterflies are of course beautiful, but a family favorite is Rosie the Tarantula, who can creep over the arms of kids three and up. Girl is disappointed she didn't get a turn, so we are going to make another pilgrimage after her birthday.
Colorado Railroad Museum
If you have a train-crazy kid (or grandpa, as my kids have), head to Golden to see a number of locomotives and cars from several eras. The only downside is my crew wanted to climb on more trains, and only some of them are open for exploration.
Denver Botanic Gardens
Another one I'm ashamed not to have visited yet. I hear good things, though.
PARKS & PLAYGROUNDS
Denver prides itself on its parks, hence the names of many neighborhoods (Washington Park, City Park, Congress Park, etc.). The city is spotted with parks, most of which have playgrounds, but here are a few of our favorites:
City Park
City Park is the largest park in the city, and is located just slightly east of the center. City Park is home to the zoo and nature museum, loads of trails, a boathouse, playgrounds, and--on any given weekend--a fair or festival or run of some sort.
Washington Park
Wash Park is a neighborhood full of beautiful bungalows (the traditional Denver house) with a killer park. The playground is our favorite in the city, and it's surrounded by lovely gardens and trails, perfect for a picnic with the kids. The rental office can hook you up with paddle boats and kayaks or has those goofy group bikes.
Red Rocks
If you have a day to get out of town, I recommend exploring Red Rocks and then heading to nearby Golden for a meal. Red Rocks is beautiful and the amphitheater is open to the public unless a show is going to start within a couple hours. Boy loved to climb up and down the amphitheater rows, and the nature of the venue allowed me to see him almost everywhere, which meant I could sit down and enjoy the picnic lunch we brought. There are also trails throughout the area for the hiking sort. You can combine it with a trip to Dinosaur Ridge in the same town.
Cherry Creek Mall
The last week aside, it's unusual to be rained out of activities in Denver. Snowed out is entirely likely. When we need an indoor distraction, we take the kids to Cherry Creek Mall in the tony Cherry Creek neighborhood. The play area is filled with screaming children and their parents/nannies, and the kids manage to entertain themselves for as long as we want them too. There is a yummy smoothie/panini/wrap place around the corner for a healthy lunch or snack.
OTHER ATTRACTIONS
Sports
It goes without saying this is a sporty town. Everyone's really in shape too, because they all ski and run marathons and bike 40 miles on the weekend. But when you want to drink a beer and take your kids to see someone else do all the exercising, you have the following teams to enjoy: Broncos (NFL), Rockies (MLB), Avalanche (NHL), Nuggets (NBA), Rapids (MLS), Outlaws (Major League Lacrosse...who knew there was such a thing?), Dynamite (arena soccer), Crush (arena football), Mammoth (National Lacrosse League), Bulldogs (Australian football), and the Barbarians (rugby).
Amusement Parks
We haven't been to them yet, but Elitch Gardens (downtown, right next to the aquarium and kids' museum), Lakeside Amusement Park, and Heritage Square are great sources of fun. Lakeside has the advantage of being both in expensive and super-friendly to little kids.
Neighboring Cities
Denver is a great jumping off point to Colorado Springs (worth it for Garden of the Gods, Pikes Peak and an excellent zoo--you can feed giraffes!) and Boulder (home to a good festival or two and great mountain views).
BY GEOGRAPHIC AREA
Want to plan by day?
Day 1:
Start at Dinosaur Ridge in Morrison, then head up the hill to Red Rocks with a picnic lunch. Let the kids burn some energy and then check out the Railroad Museum in Golden followed by an early bird dinner downtown. Alternative to Railroad Museum: spend the afternoon in Heritage Square.
Day 2:
Manage to get breakfast at Snooze AM downtown. Your kids undoubtedly wake up too early, so beat the inevitable lines by getting there first thing. Trek over the Art Museum then eat lunch (pricey but good) at History Colorado followed by the museum itself. Take the kids down Broadway to 1st Avenue in very hip Baker for some delicious ice cream at Sweet Action. You can post-game dessert (kids are happier when dessert comes first) at the Punch Bowl Social across the street. The crowd can become mostly drunken hipsters after eight, but is pretty family friendly before that. Good food, bowling, games. Even have tiny bowling shoes for rent.
Day 3:
Start at the Children's Museum, eat there or at the Aquarium, then ride out the day at the Aquarium. If you have teens and younger ones, be a gem and let the teens hit Elitch while you do the Children's Museum and the Aquarium. Order room service for dinner, because it's day 3 and you're tired.
Day 4:
Got a morning to burn before your flight? After breakfast, head to Wash Park for a paddleboat ride or an hour on the playground.
Grown-ups: if you are fortunate enough to have a babysitter, chuck the kids in the evening and check out breweries, distilleries, quiz nights, Punch Bowl Social once it gets a bit rowdy, or any of the many great Denver bands. The Lumineers are one of the best known, but The Outfit is another quality local offering well worth your time.
I spent much of my youth in the D.C. area and Washington really is great for kids. Fantastic schools, free museums, plenty of historical sights. Traffic, humidity, cutthroat competition, ridiculous housing prices. Well, maybe those things aren't so great. (Washingtonians, don't feel defensive! I am one of you. Always will be. But let's be honest...Washington takes a couple years of your life.)
Anyway, for those who missed it: Why Denver? We picked Denver because it's in Colorado (der) and it's not Colorado Springs, Boulder, or Ft. Collins. Colorado Springs ain't my cup of tea for a number of reasons. Boulder is expensive and a little too Berkeley-esque. Ft. Collins is wonderful, but unless you run a brewery or teach at CSU, your employment options are limited and that wasn't a great strategy lest we end up staying here for the long run.
Denver is a little weird and accepting and relaxed. It's politically moderate, which cannot be said of the Springs or Boulder. People move to Colorado from all over, but I've never lived in a town with so many cheerleaders. Denverites are excited to be here. They drunkenly ride bikes through their town once a week. They support local breweries and businesses and bands. EVERYONE LOVES THE BRONCOS. Wow. Everyone.
This place is also great for kids. If you are looking for something a little different than squeezing your family of five into your parent's guest room this R&R or home leave, I recommend a swing through Colorado. While the mountains are an obvious destination, the capital city is worth a visit.
You will most likely need a car unless you stay only downtown, though cabs are plentiful and both Zipcar and Car2Go can be found around town. You can zip from one side of town to the other in 20 minutes.
Below are my recommendations:
*True fact. It's not.
MUSEUMS
The Children's Museum of Denver
One of the best children's museums we've been to, and we've been to a lot. Boy could spend hours constructing and shooting paper rockets and Girl loves the room filled with chutes and balls. Both enjoy the bubble area, the firetruck, and the forest make-believe area. There are activities for older kids--such as a recycling construction zone--and for littles as well (there is a designated 0-4 area that's large and lovely). Walk out the door to a chalkboard cow and a great playground along the Platte River. Parking is free.
It's also right next door to...
Downtown Aquarium
The aquarium isn't cheap, but it's just the right size for a 5 year old to enjoy a 90 minute visit. There are diving experience packages for older kids, but mine are happy to start with a ride on the carousel out front. They particularly enjoy the shark tank, which includes windows in the floor so you almost always have a shark underfoot. The inexplicable tiger exhibit is actually pretty neat, as the tigers can be very close to the crowd. You can feed and pet rays, walk through a rainstorm, and talk about how piranhas would just devour you if given the chance. Parking is $7 for non-members, $3 for members.
Wings Over the Rockies Air & Space Museum
This is Boy's ceiling:
So it is a bit embarrassing that I didn't even realize there was an air and space museum until recently. Husband is home on R&R and took the kids there yesterday. Wings Over the Rockies is a lot like Udvar Hazy. No space shuttle, alas, but they did have an X-wing. Husband said it was great and definitely worth the trip. Parking is free.
Denver Museum of Nature & Science
The Science Museum has the advantage of being less than half a mile from our house in the southeast corner of City Park, so we've been there a lot. It's no Field Museum, but it again has something for all age groups, including a Discovery Center for kids 5 and under. There is an interesting and interactive body exhibit that again caters to the full range of kids, providing a small exploration area for little ones and virtual bike riding tests for older ones. The space exhibit is a personal favorite, and I love that it has a play area for toddlers and preschoolers in addition to interactive exhibits that target a slightly older crowd. You'll note that I use "interactive" a lot for this museum, and it certainly is. It's a snowy day favorite. Parking is free! There is also a bike share station right at the museum.
Denver Zoo
The zoo is less than one mile from our house, and a stone's throw from the Denver Museum of Nature & Science. The zoo is in the middle of city park (more on that later). The elephant exhibit is new and impressive, and we can always count on giraffes entertaining Girl. Boy loves the bat exhibit. The carousel near the hippos and birds is a nice little break from strolling around. The park is littered with climbing areas that will amuse kids from about 18 months on for as long as you let it. Peacocks roam the park, because I guess some private owner just let them out one day? The zoo has an abundance of programming for little kids and the occasional sleepover, so check out their website in advance of a trip to take advantage of their offerings. Girl is a big fan of the zoo. Parking is free.
 |
| Part of the Asian exhibit at the Denver Zoo |
History Colorado was a pleasant surprise. Girl loved the puppet show. Boy enjoyed making puppets in the lobby. The time machine in the center lobby is tons of fun. As an East Coaster, it was amusing to see kitchen exhibits from the 1920s (and yes, Europeans, I realize you scoff at my East Coast kitchen exhibits from the 1700s), but as a newly minted Colorado resident, I found the museum to be both fun and very informative. Downtown, so parking is going to cost you about four to seven dollars.
It's also a couple blocks from...
Denver Art Museum
I'm ashamed to say we haven't visited the art museum yet, as until recently I didn't realize it was such a hot destination for children. I usually hear "art museum" and think "my kids will touch things" and then avoid the whole exercise. But as you can see, it's actually a terrific place for the kiddos. I'll update with our personal recommendations once we visit next weekend. I'm excited to check it out. (It's downtown, so I can only assume parking is not free).
Butterfly Pavilion
The Butterfly Pavilion is outside of town, but an easy enough trek with a car. The butterflies are of course beautiful, but a family favorite is Rosie the Tarantula, who can creep over the arms of kids three and up. Girl is disappointed she didn't get a turn, so we are going to make another pilgrimage after her birthday.
Colorado Railroad Museum
If you have a train-crazy kid (or grandpa, as my kids have), head to Golden to see a number of locomotives and cars from several eras. The only downside is my crew wanted to climb on more trains, and only some of them are open for exploration.
Denver Botanic Gardens
Another one I'm ashamed not to have visited yet. I hear good things, though.
PARKS & PLAYGROUNDS
Denver prides itself on its parks, hence the names of many neighborhoods (Washington Park, City Park, Congress Park, etc.). The city is spotted with parks, most of which have playgrounds, but here are a few of our favorites:
City Park
City Park is the largest park in the city, and is located just slightly east of the center. City Park is home to the zoo and nature museum, loads of trails, a boathouse, playgrounds, and--on any given weekend--a fair or festival or run of some sort.
 |
| The Kids wander through City Park |
Wash Park is a neighborhood full of beautiful bungalows (the traditional Denver house) with a killer park. The playground is our favorite in the city, and it's surrounded by lovely gardens and trails, perfect for a picnic with the kids. The rental office can hook you up with paddle boats and kayaks or has those goofy group bikes.
If you have a day to get out of town, I recommend exploring Red Rocks and then heading to nearby Golden for a meal. Red Rocks is beautiful and the amphitheater is open to the public unless a show is going to start within a couple hours. Boy loved to climb up and down the amphitheater rows, and the nature of the venue allowed me to see him almost everywhere, which meant I could sit down and enjoy the picnic lunch we brought. There are also trails throughout the area for the hiking sort. You can combine it with a trip to Dinosaur Ridge in the same town.
Cherry Creek Mall
The last week aside, it's unusual to be rained out of activities in Denver. Snowed out is entirely likely. When we need an indoor distraction, we take the kids to Cherry Creek Mall in the tony Cherry Creek neighborhood. The play area is filled with screaming children and their parents/nannies, and the kids manage to entertain themselves for as long as we want them too. There is a yummy smoothie/panini/wrap place around the corner for a healthy lunch or snack.
OTHER ATTRACTIONS
Sports
It goes without saying this is a sporty town. Everyone's really in shape too, because they all ski and run marathons and bike 40 miles on the weekend. But when you want to drink a beer and take your kids to see someone else do all the exercising, you have the following teams to enjoy: Broncos (NFL), Rockies (MLB), Avalanche (NHL), Nuggets (NBA), Rapids (MLS), Outlaws (Major League Lacrosse...who knew there was such a thing?), Dynamite (arena soccer), Crush (arena football), Mammoth (National Lacrosse League), Bulldogs (Australian football), and the Barbarians (rugby).
Amusement Parks
We haven't been to them yet, but Elitch Gardens (downtown, right next to the aquarium and kids' museum), Lakeside Amusement Park, and Heritage Square are great sources of fun. Lakeside has the advantage of being both in expensive and super-friendly to little kids.
Neighboring Cities
Denver is a great jumping off point to Colorado Springs (worth it for Garden of the Gods, Pikes Peak and an excellent zoo--you can feed giraffes!) and Boulder (home to a good festival or two and great mountain views).
BY GEOGRAPHIC AREA
Want to plan by day?
Day 1:
Start at Dinosaur Ridge in Morrison, then head up the hill to Red Rocks with a picnic lunch. Let the kids burn some energy and then check out the Railroad Museum in Golden followed by an early bird dinner downtown. Alternative to Railroad Museum: spend the afternoon in Heritage Square.
Day 2:
Manage to get breakfast at Snooze AM downtown. Your kids undoubtedly wake up too early, so beat the inevitable lines by getting there first thing. Trek over the Art Museum then eat lunch (pricey but good) at History Colorado followed by the museum itself. Take the kids down Broadway to 1st Avenue in very hip Baker for some delicious ice cream at Sweet Action. You can post-game dessert (kids are happier when dessert comes first) at the Punch Bowl Social across the street. The crowd can become mostly drunken hipsters after eight, but is pretty family friendly before that. Good food, bowling, games. Even have tiny bowling shoes for rent.
Day 3:
Start at the Children's Museum, eat there or at the Aquarium, then ride out the day at the Aquarium. If you have teens and younger ones, be a gem and let the teens hit Elitch while you do the Children's Museum and the Aquarium. Order room service for dinner, because it's day 3 and you're tired.
Day 4:
Got a morning to burn before your flight? After breakfast, head to Wash Park for a paddleboat ride or an hour on the playground.
Grown-ups: if you are fortunate enough to have a babysitter, chuck the kids in the evening and check out breweries, distilleries, quiz nights, Punch Bowl Social once it gets a bit rowdy, or any of the many great Denver bands. The Lumineers are one of the best known, but The Outfit is another quality local offering well worth your time.
Tuesday, August 27, 2013
The Best Day Ever
I cried only a little as we said goodbye. I planted one more kiss on his kissing hand and put it to his cheek.
Mommy loves you. Mommy loves you.
I had my sunglasses on, so he didn't know I teared up. Girl was distraught.
I don't want Boy to go!
I nervously shifted my weight from foot to foot as we waited outside his classroom door (which conveniently lets out into the playground). School has burned us before. He burst out, yelling in his little kid speech.
Mommy loves you. Mommy loves you.
I had my sunglasses on, so he didn't know I teared up. Girl was distraught.
I don't want Boy to go!
 |
| And Little Sister, for good measure |
I nervously shifted my weight from foot to foot as we waited outside his classroom door (which conveniently lets out into the playground). School has burned us before. He burst out, yelling in his little kid speech.
It was the best day ever! This is the best school ever! I want to come every day until I die!
Monday, August 26, 2013
On the Occasion of Your Entry into Kindergarten
Dear Boy,
It is with both a bang and a whimper, amongst lost forms and fresh school supplies, that tomorrow you march off to Kindergarten, and embark upon a journey that leads you inexorably, inevitably to adulthood. Adulthood is a place you yearn to be and, like every parent before me, I plead with you to slow down. Adulthood is it. It is the remainder of your life, which is itself a blip on the cosmos.
Until we went shopping for school supplies, I never understood the gnashing of teeth over sending one's baby to Kindergarten. Rejoice! It's Kindergarten! No more long days at home! No more filling the space between with fights and complaining!
You sat in that cart, flipping through your very first marble notebook, and my mind flashed forward, like a flip book of a different sort. That book. It will have chicken scratch, pulled out of you by a patient and experienced teacher. Letters will become sentences will become paragraphs will become stories will become essays hastily scribbled in what we call a Blue Book will become emails will become real estate contracts will become wills. I hope in there you'll find the time and motivation for a love letter or two. You will learn to do addition. Then subtraction and multiplication and division and algebra and geometry and then algebra again (it's confusing, I know) and then trigonometry and then something horrible they call functions and then calculus and then. Adulthood. Where it all devolves back into addition and a lot of long division and more statistics than you thought you would need but almost never calculus, except for the engineers.
I've thought about holding you back. You're young for Kindergarten these days. In my time, you weren't young. Five was the norm. But now it's competitive and kids start at six. You still suck your fingers, though you declared to me on the practice walk to school this morning that you no longer sucked your fingers because you are a big boy and don't need to, right before immediately sucking your fingers. It's okay. People have asked when you are going to stop doing that. When I am going to take your lovies. You are different from other kids, Boy (though the dirty little secret is every kid is different from the other kids, and trying to make it otherwise is brutal and pointless). You need your tools for calming down, and I am not going to take this one from you. If, in your own time, you decide Big Boys really don't suck their fingers, then I will support you in that.
You will learn so much. You will learn that English is damn near impossible to spell with any consistency and that you just have to figure it out. You will learn that not every child is a friend and that not ever adult will offer a hug. You will have to save your cuddles for me and your dogs and cats. We will save ours for you as well. You will learn that a circle and a sphere are not the same but kinda they are but not really. You will learn, please God will you learn, to flush.
And with any luck after this it will be First Grade. And then Second. And Third after that. You see where I am going with this.
It is a new world for you, of packed lunches and cafeterias and cliques. The enthusiasm with which you've practiced eating a school lunch--which so far largely entails your marching off with your lunch box, opening it, and declaring "Let's see what Mom packed for me today!"--tells me this new adventure piques your interest.
Here's a secret as you start your journey: there is no magic moment of adulthood. It is a transformation over time, of learning lessons both good and regrettable, of sticking it out and throwing in the towel, of hurt feelings and crying into your pillow. Of doing what is unfun and unrewarding. Of doing what is right even when it is unpopular. Of learning that picking on a kid just might get you socked in the mouth and that defending a kid just might make you an outsider as well. Being an outsider is okay, sometimes.
Here's another secret: I'm still figuring it out too.
Godspeed and kick ass, Little One.
Love,
Mommy
It is with both a bang and a whimper, amongst lost forms and fresh school supplies, that tomorrow you march off to Kindergarten, and embark upon a journey that leads you inexorably, inevitably to adulthood. Adulthood is a place you yearn to be and, like every parent before me, I plead with you to slow down. Adulthood is it. It is the remainder of your life, which is itself a blip on the cosmos.
Until we went shopping for school supplies, I never understood the gnashing of teeth over sending one's baby to Kindergarten. Rejoice! It's Kindergarten! No more long days at home! No more filling the space between with fights and complaining!
You sat in that cart, flipping through your very first marble notebook, and my mind flashed forward, like a flip book of a different sort. That book. It will have chicken scratch, pulled out of you by a patient and experienced teacher. Letters will become sentences will become paragraphs will become stories will become essays hastily scribbled in what we call a Blue Book will become emails will become real estate contracts will become wills. I hope in there you'll find the time and motivation for a love letter or two. You will learn to do addition. Then subtraction and multiplication and division and algebra and geometry and then algebra again (it's confusing, I know) and then trigonometry and then something horrible they call functions and then calculus and then. Adulthood. Where it all devolves back into addition and a lot of long division and more statistics than you thought you would need but almost never calculus, except for the engineers.
I've thought about holding you back. You're young for Kindergarten these days. In my time, you weren't young. Five was the norm. But now it's competitive and kids start at six. You still suck your fingers, though you declared to me on the practice walk to school this morning that you no longer sucked your fingers because you are a big boy and don't need to, right before immediately sucking your fingers. It's okay. People have asked when you are going to stop doing that. When I am going to take your lovies. You are different from other kids, Boy (though the dirty little secret is every kid is different from the other kids, and trying to make it otherwise is brutal and pointless). You need your tools for calming down, and I am not going to take this one from you. If, in your own time, you decide Big Boys really don't suck their fingers, then I will support you in that.
You will learn so much. You will learn that English is damn near impossible to spell with any consistency and that you just have to figure it out. You will learn that not every child is a friend and that not ever adult will offer a hug. You will have to save your cuddles for me and your dogs and cats. We will save ours for you as well. You will learn that a circle and a sphere are not the same but kinda they are but not really. You will learn, please God will you learn, to flush.
And with any luck after this it will be First Grade. And then Second. And Third after that. You see where I am going with this.
It is a new world for you, of packed lunches and cafeterias and cliques. The enthusiasm with which you've practiced eating a school lunch--which so far largely entails your marching off with your lunch box, opening it, and declaring "Let's see what Mom packed for me today!"--tells me this new adventure piques your interest.
Here's a secret as you start your journey: there is no magic moment of adulthood. It is a transformation over time, of learning lessons both good and regrettable, of sticking it out and throwing in the towel, of hurt feelings and crying into your pillow. Of doing what is unfun and unrewarding. Of doing what is right even when it is unpopular. Of learning that picking on a kid just might get you socked in the mouth and that defending a kid just might make you an outsider as well. Being an outsider is okay, sometimes.
Here's another secret: I'm still figuring it out too.
Godspeed and kick ass, Little One.
Love,
Mommy
Monday, August 5, 2013
AWOL
Fear not, Loyal Reader (seriously, there's just one of you), I am alive, as are Husband and The Brood. I have some very good reasons for being quiet this summer. If you want to maintain the tiny bit of respect you have for me, I suggest you stop reading after reason #4. If you want to test your love and respect in the face of reality, read through.
Reason #1: Boy was accepted into a number of therapeutic programs at once. For the past month, he's had some activity or another every week day (swimming, behavioral group therapy, sensory integration camp). Yes, that last one is a thing, and it was fantastic. This week we have only group and the start of pre-school doctors appointments. First up, 5 year well-child, followed by eyes and teeth.
Reason #2: YES I SAID FIVE. Good Lord. He's five. Lots of celebrating, coming on the heels of my 32nd birthday, which involved lots of adult time and fun for me over several days. So no blogging.
Reason #3: I had a visitor. An honest-to-goodness visitor! Aunt C, blogger extraordinaire, Godmother The Most, College Roomie The First, graced Denver for a few days. It was lovely to have her and I'm sure all y'all would enjoy a visit too, so get on it.
Reason #4: My mom et al moved to Denver.
Reason #5: Candy Crush.
Reason #6: The batteries in the mouse died, and I considered waiting until Husband is home in September so he could remedy the situation. Can't blog comfortably on an iPad and even if I wanted to, please see Reason #5.
Summer is summer is summer. Lots of sweaty days. A few mad dashes to the ice cream truck while dogs escape and coins fly from my wallet, trying to appease the two children who seem not to hear me when I speak to them from two feet away, but who can detect an ice cream truck if it rings its bell in Kansas. PS--an ice cream sandwich is now $3.50; no $0.25 packs of candy cigarettes. My childhood weeps.
One trek to my cousin's wedding several hours from here, across the mountains. There were unironic cowboy hats. Everything is ironic on the East Coast, so this was very exciting for me.
One bid list. Zero ideas. For the past seven years, my mind wandered over the possibilities of Burundi or Beijing, wondering if the consular high of a post like CJ was worth the stress. Yes, over the past seven, even when it wasn't our bidding season. Now it all seems oppressive. We aren't ready. Boy isn't ready. We won't know anything until he's settled into school and an IEP is in place, so overseas is out. DC is always a possibility, but if this school year doesn't go well--or if it goes very well--we'd hate to move and both be back at work full-time, managing the many services our son needs with a Washington cost of living and a Washington work day. Hawaii is a possibility for Husband, but not me, but it's too expensive to do on one salary. Kansas could happen for Husband with a commute to Denver on the weekends, and for me--who knows? More LWOP? What I want is a magical little 03 or 02 job at Aurora. I've inquired about such things, but I haven't heard anything. It's a stretch, a potshot, a chance to stay in a career I've dreamed of since I was 16. It's a job that--so far--doesn't exist.
Possibly an 81 mile commute to NORAD for Husband. We'd take it, though, and figure out the rest later.
So: summer. There is something romantic about the long hot days of summer. Of ice cream trucks and sweat and sidewalk chalk. Of bidding and lobbying and dreaming of far-off places. Though there was a chill one day--one rare rainy day--and I immediately longed for a DC autumn, for brilliant trees and morning frost and hot cider.
Opportunity costs.
Reason #1: Boy was accepted into a number of therapeutic programs at once. For the past month, he's had some activity or another every week day (swimming, behavioral group therapy, sensory integration camp). Yes, that last one is a thing, and it was fantastic. This week we have only group and the start of pre-school doctors appointments. First up, 5 year well-child, followed by eyes and teeth.
Reason #2: YES I SAID FIVE. Good Lord. He's five. Lots of celebrating, coming on the heels of my 32nd birthday, which involved lots of adult time and fun for me over several days. So no blogging.
Reason #3: I had a visitor. An honest-to-goodness visitor! Aunt C, blogger extraordinaire, Godmother The Most, College Roomie The First, graced Denver for a few days. It was lovely to have her and I'm sure all y'all would enjoy a visit too, so get on it.
Reason #4: My mom et al moved to Denver.
Reason #5: Candy Crush.
Reason #6: The batteries in the mouse died, and I considered waiting until Husband is home in September so he could remedy the situation. Can't blog comfortably on an iPad and even if I wanted to, please see Reason #5.
Summer is summer is summer. Lots of sweaty days. A few mad dashes to the ice cream truck while dogs escape and coins fly from my wallet, trying to appease the two children who seem not to hear me when I speak to them from two feet away, but who can detect an ice cream truck if it rings its bell in Kansas. PS--an ice cream sandwich is now $3.50; no $0.25 packs of candy cigarettes. My childhood weeps.
One trek to my cousin's wedding several hours from here, across the mountains. There were unironic cowboy hats. Everything is ironic on the East Coast, so this was very exciting for me.
One bid list. Zero ideas. For the past seven years, my mind wandered over the possibilities of Burundi or Beijing, wondering if the consular high of a post like CJ was worth the stress. Yes, over the past seven, even when it wasn't our bidding season. Now it all seems oppressive. We aren't ready. Boy isn't ready. We won't know anything until he's settled into school and an IEP is in place, so overseas is out. DC is always a possibility, but if this school year doesn't go well--or if it goes very well--we'd hate to move and both be back at work full-time, managing the many services our son needs with a Washington cost of living and a Washington work day. Hawaii is a possibility for Husband, but not me, but it's too expensive to do on one salary. Kansas could happen for Husband with a commute to Denver on the weekends, and for me--who knows? More LWOP? What I want is a magical little 03 or 02 job at Aurora. I've inquired about such things, but I haven't heard anything. It's a stretch, a potshot, a chance to stay in a career I've dreamed of since I was 16. It's a job that--so far--doesn't exist.
Possibly an 81 mile commute to NORAD for Husband. We'd take it, though, and figure out the rest later.
So: summer. There is something romantic about the long hot days of summer. Of ice cream trucks and sweat and sidewalk chalk. Of bidding and lobbying and dreaming of far-off places. Though there was a chill one day--one rare rainy day--and I immediately longed for a DC autumn, for brilliant trees and morning frost and hot cider.
Opportunity costs.
Wednesday, June 19, 2013
Point of View
Amber Dusick, the force behind the always brilliant PARENTING Illustrated with Crappy Pictures, challenged her readers to have their kids interview them, because kids are hilariously wackadoo and have no idea what's going on.
Here are my results:
Q: What is my favorite food?
Boy: Everything
Girl: Ice cream
Okay, maybe they know exactly what's going on.
Q: What do I do for fun?
Boy: Reading
Girl: Ice cream
Girl wins.
Q: What's my favorite TV show?
Boy: Grown up TVs [sic]
Girl: Diego
Boy wins.
Q: What do I drink?
Boy: Wine
Girl: Water
Both of these are accurate. Had they added "coffee," they would have captured 99% of my fluid intake.
Q: What do I do with my friends?
Boy: Play
Girl: [A blank stare indicating, "You have friends?"]
Q: What do I wear?
Boy: (rolls eyes) A dress, silly!
Girl: Clothes
Thank you, Girl.
Q: Who is my best friend?
Boy: Trainer
Girl: Trainer!
Okay, I love Trainer, but I like to think my best friend is someone I have known for more than three months. He is the only adult I regularly see, though, so I can see why they might come to that conclusion.
Q: What do I do after you go to bed at night?
Boy: Clean
Girl: Clean
Boy: We're both right!
"Fall asleep on the couch" would have been the most accurate answer, but I'll accept clean. Not because that is what I am doing, but because that's what I tell them I have to do after they go to bed. At least they're listening.
Here are my results:
Q: What is my favorite food?
Boy: Everything
Girl: Ice cream
Okay, maybe they know exactly what's going on.
Q: What do I do for fun?
Boy: Reading
Girl: Ice cream
Girl wins.
Q: What's my favorite TV show?
Boy: Grown up TVs [sic]
Girl: Diego
Boy wins.
Q: What do I drink?
Boy: Wine
Girl: Water
Both of these are accurate. Had they added "coffee," they would have captured 99% of my fluid intake.
Q: What do I do with my friends?
Boy: Play
Girl: [A blank stare indicating, "You have friends?"]
Q: What do I wear?
Boy: (rolls eyes) A dress, silly!
Girl: Clothes
Thank you, Girl.
Q: Who is my best friend?
Boy: Trainer
Girl: Trainer!
Okay, I love Trainer, but I like to think my best friend is someone I have known for more than three months. He is the only adult I regularly see, though, so I can see why they might come to that conclusion.
Q: What do I do after you go to bed at night?
Boy: Clean
Girl: Clean
Boy: We're both right!
"Fall asleep on the couch" would have been the most accurate answer, but I'll accept clean. Not because that is what I am doing, but because that's what I tell them I have to do after they go to bed. At least they're listening.
Saturday, June 8, 2013
Metro Revisited
I sat in the handicapped seats, suitcase between my knees, trying to remain out of everyone's way and keep a continuous scan going in case someone with a legitimate need for the handicapped seats showed up. The metro was filled with metro sounds--on a June Saturday that's usually kids and their parents, the sounds of fanny packs planning outings to the Smithsonian. The first stop after I got on was National Airport, and my neighbors glanced first expectantly and then in confusion at my suitcase as I remain seated. I stayed there, headphones in, picking up the ambient noise in between songs on my playlist. I was hunched over, hand cautiously on the suitcase, arm tattooed, nose ring in. No wedding ring on. It occurred to me in that moment that people might make certain assumptions about me: probably that I was younger than I am (thanks, Muse Salon), that I was aimless. I wanted to hold a sign announcing that I am a mother, a diplomat, that this is my one chance to have headphones in, and that on another Saturday two years ago I would have brought my own roiling cacophony onto the train, also headed to the Smithsonian while wondering why my day off felt like so much work. No fanny pack, though. No tattoos yet.
I paid inordinate attention to the landscape in front and then below us when the plane took off from Denver. The front range stretched before me, snow marking the famous fourteeners. The dips and marks of the ground stayed within view for several thousands of feet. God's own country, no doubt. I felt in awe and thankful that--for now, anyway--I can call this place home.
Coming in over the Potomac pulled a different string. Washington always was and always will be my true north. I saw the neat rows of headstones in Arlington and the glittering water and placed a tick mark in the D.C.'s pro column. I stepped into an immediate soup of humidity--not bad by local standards but brutal after a few months in Colorado. One tick in the con.
Friends, acquaintances, classmates, alums wanted to know where my brood was, and I answer that they were in Denver. I'd loved to have shown them off, but I was relieved to have my headphones in, to process the whats and the what nexts on my own. We video-chatted in the middle of a reunion event, Girl blowing raspberries and Boy inserting "poop" between words. I bought a new Georgetown shirt. I lamented the removal of the my favorite tree, the one that I would climb instead of attending Western Civ. I wondered if I would ever step foot in FSI again, if I would ever write another EER, if I would ever keep up with the amazingly talented people I know and love from college. I wondered if I wanted to keep up.
And then No Diggity came on, and I danced. A lot. Class of 2003: Word.
I paid inordinate attention to the landscape in front and then below us when the plane took off from Denver. The front range stretched before me, snow marking the famous fourteeners. The dips and marks of the ground stayed within view for several thousands of feet. God's own country, no doubt. I felt in awe and thankful that--for now, anyway--I can call this place home.
Coming in over the Potomac pulled a different string. Washington always was and always will be my true north. I saw the neat rows of headstones in Arlington and the glittering water and placed a tick mark in the D.C.'s pro column. I stepped into an immediate soup of humidity--not bad by local standards but brutal after a few months in Colorado. One tick in the con.
Friends, acquaintances, classmates, alums wanted to know where my brood was, and I answer that they were in Denver. I'd loved to have shown them off, but I was relieved to have my headphones in, to process the whats and the what nexts on my own. We video-chatted in the middle of a reunion event, Girl blowing raspberries and Boy inserting "poop" between words. I bought a new Georgetown shirt. I lamented the removal of the my favorite tree, the one that I would climb instead of attending Western Civ. I wondered if I would ever step foot in FSI again, if I would ever write another EER, if I would ever keep up with the amazingly talented people I know and love from college. I wondered if I wanted to keep up.
And then No Diggity came on, and I danced. A lot. Class of 2003: Word.
Tuesday, May 28, 2013
Masochism Take Two
I was lamenting to Husband a few weeks ago that I would finally get the kids to bed only to have Dali, Pup Extraordinaire, put her face in mine and demand more attention than I had energy for. She's only 11 months and can go forever. He declared we needed a puppy and I declared he had lost his frickin' mind.
Meet Chaplin:
With Husband in town, we could check out puppies at the Rocky Mountain Puppy Rescue booth at the Boulder Creek Festival. Just check out, that's all. We'll just bring a cat crate, that's all. There were two perfect little pups for us--adorable, good mixes (Shepherd/Golden and Lab/Leonberger)--but there was also Chaplin, a 2 year old Lab mix. It was a puppy rescue, so there were no shortage of ridiculously cute puppies surrounding this guy, making it even less likely that he would find a home. Boy originally wanted a little one who showered him with affection and nibbles. I saw housebreaking, chewed kid's toys, losing the pup in the house. Chap lolled on the ground and demanded tummy rubs. He was already housebroken, was fine with cats, and had lots of energy. Husband and I liked the idea of an adult dog for our sake but also for the dog's. Boy was adamant he wanted a 2 month old puppy for 30 minutes, then suddenly he put down the ball of fur in his lap, looked up and said, "You know, I think Chaplin is the better dog. Let's get him." We passed our interview, and took this guy home.
He didn't fit in the cat crate, but turns out he's a pro at riding in cars already.
Meet Chaplin:
With Husband in town, we could check out puppies at the Rocky Mountain Puppy Rescue booth at the Boulder Creek Festival. Just check out, that's all. We'll just bring a cat crate, that's all. There were two perfect little pups for us--adorable, good mixes (Shepherd/Golden and Lab/Leonberger)--but there was also Chaplin, a 2 year old Lab mix. It was a puppy rescue, so there were no shortage of ridiculously cute puppies surrounding this guy, making it even less likely that he would find a home. Boy originally wanted a little one who showered him with affection and nibbles. I saw housebreaking, chewed kid's toys, losing the pup in the house. Chap lolled on the ground and demanded tummy rubs. He was already housebroken, was fine with cats, and had lots of energy. Husband and I liked the idea of an adult dog for our sake but also for the dog's. Boy was adamant he wanted a 2 month old puppy for 30 minutes, then suddenly he put down the ball of fur in his lap, looked up and said, "You know, I think Chaplin is the better dog. Let's get him." We passed our interview, and took this guy home.
He didn't fit in the cat crate, but turns out he's a pro at riding in cars already.
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