The Burke Building, What We’ve Lost
1 day ago
Monday, June 29, 2009
Friday, June 26, 2009
Tuesday, June 23, 2009
Luckily...it's washable paint!
Mom couldn't help but giggle and let the painting go a little further than planned!
Visiting Janowyn and Baby Hayden
Our friend Ileana had her baby last week! Baby Hayden, such a super cutie! Janowyn is a great big sister already! Here are some pics of Chloe and Janowyn playing while I got to catch up with Ileana and Baby Hayden. Mom and baby are doing fantastic!
First (oops, second) Day of School
Chloe's first day of school was June 16, 2009! She is going to the Helen Diller Preschool in the JCC Building. These photos were taken on June 18th, her second day of school since Mom forgot the camera the first day. I stayed with Chloe for an hour on her first day to help ease her into her first day. She was excited to play with the dolls and dollhouse. When I said goodbye, Chloe started to cry but her teachers assured me she was fine as soon as I was out of site. She spent the day playing in the garden, picking peas, jumping on the trampoline, and painting. Both Chloe and Mom love the school! The theme this summer is Fire, Water, Earth and Sky. This week and last week is focusing on water. They each get their own water bin with sand and buckets to play and experiment with in the garden. Chloe is quickly showing signs of being a little nurturer. She loves taking care of her dolls, tucking them into bed, kissing them good night and "reading" them books.
Her favorite things to do are to paint, draw with markers, dance, sing and play with dollies.
Chloe's New Addiction...Sunny Patch Bug Show
Chloe's new show is the Sunny Patch Bug Show. She's also recently discovered Dora and Olivia the Piggy. So much for no T.V.!
Girls Can Do Anything!
We thought it wouldn't be appropriate (or too pretty), to post this t-shirt, prewashed. But now that's it's been cleaned, we want to share. This was the t-shirt Chloe was wearing when she fell and split her lip. We thought the saying was very fitting, since Chloe was one of the bravest patient in the hospital!
Monday, June 22, 2009
Saturday, June 20, 2009
Strength
May Chloe grow to be as strong and courageous as the women of Iran:
I also know that Iran’s women stand in the vanguard. For days now, I’ve seen them urging less courageous men on. I’ve seen them get beaten and return to the fray. “Why are you sitting there?” one shouted at a couple of men perched on the sidewalk on Saturday. “Get up! Get up!”
Another green-eyed woman, Mahin, aged 52, staggered into an alley clutching her face and in tears. Then, against the urging of those around her, she limped back into the crowd moving west toward Freedom Square. Cries of “Death to the dictator!” and “We want liberty!” accompanied her.
Thursday, June 18, 2009
Carolyn Hax, a very wise woman!
Why don't friends with kids have time?
by Carolyn Hax
(The Washington Post)
Dear Carolyn: Best friend has child. Her: exhausted, busy, no time for self, no time for me, ect. Me (no kids): What'd you do today? Her: Park, play group.....
OK, I've talked to parents, I don't get it. What do stay-at-home-moms do all day? Please no lists of library, grocery store, dry cleaners ... I do all those things, too. I guess what I'm asking is: What is a typical day and why don't moms have time for a call or e-mail? I work and am away from home nine hours a day (plus a few late work events); I manage to get it all done. I'm feeling like the kid is an excuse to relax and enjoy, but if so, why won't my friend tell me the truth? Is this a contest ("my life is so much harder than yours")? What's the deal? I've got friends with and without kids and all us child-free folks have the same questions.
-Tacoma, Wash.
Dear Tacoma: Relax and enjoy. Your're funny.
Or, you're lying about having friends with kids.
Or, you're taking them at their word that they actually have kids, because you haven't personally been in the same room with them.
I keep wavering between giving you a straight answer and giving my forehead some keyboard. To claim you want to understand, while in the same breath implying that the only logical conclusions are either lying or competing with you, is disingeneous indeed.
So, because it's validation you seem to want, the real answer is what you get. When you have young kids, your typical day is: constant attention, from getting them out of bed, fed, cleaned, dressed; to keeping them out of harm's way; to answering their coos, cries, questions; to having two arms and carrying one kid, one set of car keys, and supplies for even the quickest trips, including the latest-to-be-declared essential piece of molded plastic gear; to keeping them from unshelving books at the library; to enforcing rest times; to staying one step ahead of them lest they get too hungry, tired or bored, any one of which produces checkout-line screaming.
It's needing 45 minutes to do what takes others 15.
It's constant vigilance, constant touch, constant use of your voice, contstant relagation of your needs to the second tier.
It's constant scrutiny and second-guessing from family and freinds. It's resisting constant temptation to seek short-term relief at everyone's long-term expense.
It's doing all this while con-currently teaching virtually everyting - language, manners, safety, resourcefulness, discipline, curiosity, creativity. Empathy. Everything.
It's also a choice, yes. And a joy. But if you spend all day, every day, with this brand of joy, and then, when you got your first ten minutes to yourself, wanted to be alone with your thoughts instead of calling a good friend, a good friend wouldn't judge you, complain about you or marvel how much more productively she uses her time. Either make a sincere effort to understand, or keep your snit to yourself.
by Carolyn Hax
(The Washington Post)
Dear Carolyn: Best friend has child. Her: exhausted, busy, no time for self, no time for me, ect. Me (no kids): What'd you do today? Her: Park, play group.....
OK, I've talked to parents, I don't get it. What do stay-at-home-moms do all day? Please no lists of library, grocery store, dry cleaners ... I do all those things, too. I guess what I'm asking is: What is a typical day and why don't moms have time for a call or e-mail? I work and am away from home nine hours a day (plus a few late work events); I manage to get it all done. I'm feeling like the kid is an excuse to relax and enjoy, but if so, why won't my friend tell me the truth? Is this a contest ("my life is so much harder than yours")? What's the deal? I've got friends with and without kids and all us child-free folks have the same questions.
-Tacoma, Wash.
Dear Tacoma: Relax and enjoy. Your're funny.
Or, you're lying about having friends with kids.
Or, you're taking them at their word that they actually have kids, because you haven't personally been in the same room with them.
I keep wavering between giving you a straight answer and giving my forehead some keyboard. To claim you want to understand, while in the same breath implying that the only logical conclusions are either lying or competing with you, is disingeneous indeed.
So, because it's validation you seem to want, the real answer is what you get. When you have young kids, your typical day is: constant attention, from getting them out of bed, fed, cleaned, dressed; to keeping them out of harm's way; to answering their coos, cries, questions; to having two arms and carrying one kid, one set of car keys, and supplies for even the quickest trips, including the latest-to-be-declared essential piece of molded plastic gear; to keeping them from unshelving books at the library; to enforcing rest times; to staying one step ahead of them lest they get too hungry, tired or bored, any one of which produces checkout-line screaming.
It's needing 45 minutes to do what takes others 15.
It's constant vigilance, constant touch, constant use of your voice, contstant relagation of your needs to the second tier.
It's constant scrutiny and second-guessing from family and freinds. It's resisting constant temptation to seek short-term relief at everyone's long-term expense.
It's doing all this while con-currently teaching virtually everyting - language, manners, safety, resourcefulness, discipline, curiosity, creativity. Empathy. Everything.
It's also a choice, yes. And a joy. But if you spend all day, every day, with this brand of joy, and then, when you got your first ten minutes to yourself, wanted to be alone with your thoughts instead of calling a good friend, a good friend wouldn't judge you, complain about you or marvel how much more productively she uses her time. Either make a sincere effort to understand, or keep your snit to yourself.
Friday, May 29, 2009
The Long Awaited Kitchen Remodel is Complete!
Well, after months of living without a kitchen, cleaning dishes in the bathtub and layers of dust...we are happy to report that our kitchen remodel is complete (with the exception of a few small items: a back splash tiles, bar stools and cabinet lighting)! All of the pipes behind the walls have been replaced, hopefully saving us from leaks in the future, the hot water heater is now tankless, and the washer dryer was replaced by a stackable and put in the pantry. This has opened up space in the sun room for an eat in kitchen and playroom for Chloe. The floor and walls of the sunroom were slanted and very insecure, so we leveled the floor, added insulation and re-enforced the walls. The floor no longer shakes when you step into the room, ahhhhh.I just finished putting planter boxes on the railings outside of the sunroom windows, flowers still tbd. A special thanks to my Dad for his work on the templates for the door handles and to my Mom for overseeing the installation!
We hope you will be coming for a visit soon. The door is always open and you will be greeted with a nice glass of wine or hot cup of coffee!
xoxo
Tuesday, May 26, 2009
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