Baby Sheepy

Montgomery has a beloved stuffed animal affectionately named "Baby Sheepy." Baby Sheepy was "born" a couple of years ago in an Easter basket (along with her "sibling" Baby Ducky). Baby Sheepy has been very special for Montgomery, and is often found looking very sweetly girly in a lavender floral dress...or snugly swaddled in a pink floral receiving blanket, nestled by her mama Montgomery.

Baby Sheepy got "lost" recently and spent several weeks months in Craig's trunk. Upon discovery one recent evening, Baby Sheepy needed to be lovingly hand scrubbed by her "grandmother" and allowed to "get warm" in the dryer, before re-finding her rightful place in Gommy's bed.

The next day, however, Baby Sheepy went to school, in her finest lavender floral dress of course, and after school picked the strangest place to "nap."

Let me provide a bit more perspective....

Yes, as much as Mama Montgomery loves -- and I do mean loves -- her stuffed brood, they sometimes find themselves the victims of wild play, such as seeing just how high they can go in the air when shriekedly flung with joyous abandon.

Baby Sheepy spent several anxious moments on the window ledge, and was eventually helped down by Mara's mother, who tracked down a long stick.

Mara caught Baby Sheepy...

...and Gommy rejoiced by...

...uhh...

...throwing her in the air a few times.

Much Love. Take Care.

 

"Joysiah"

Wouldn't a face this cheerful getting into your car every afternoon

brighten even the gloomiest day?

I love how Josiah just radiates joy.

I've heard that 8th graders can be moody and sullen sometimes...

...somebody forgot to tell Josie!

Take Care. Much Love.

  

Thinking It Through

The day we left to take Job to college, he spent some time alone at the top of the treehouse (well...treehouse in progress). I couldn't tell if he was praying or just thinking, but I could feel the poignancy of the moment. He seemed to be saying goodbye...

To what exactly?

...childhood?

...our home?

...us?

I imagine only he really knows...and that's fine by me.

Much Love. Take Care.

 

Hopi Wisdom

This bench, stationed outside of a visionary re-purposed industrial building in Baltimore, really needs no further commentary from me...but being who I am, well, I'll just add a few thoughts.

It sits on the sidewalk at the corner entrance to Charmington's, a unique cafe in the Miller's Court development in a transitional neighborhood in northern Baltimore City, nearish Johns Hopkins University. The building, a former tin can company, was redeveloped in great part to be a place of residential support for recent college graduates who choose to teach in the Baltimore City Public School System. In addition to apartments, it also houses office space for educational nonprofits, and, of course, the Charmington's cafe.

(For more on interesting Miller's Court, check out the following two links: http://millerscourt.com/ and
http://www.preservationnation.org/main-street/main-street-news/2009/04/baltimore-rehab.html )

Charmington's has been one of the many wonderful local meeting spots for a group of parents working to encourage our neighborhood middle school to incorporate a daily recess break into its rather comprehensive, yet overly rigorous and unbalanced school day. Sometimes it seems that we are "racing to nowhere" with our kids. Sometimes our societal efforts to provide them the best quality education swing wildly to the other side of the pendulum, and we end up "teaching for the test" rather than thoughtfully educating the "whole child." Our children need quality instructional time, but they also need time to "play" and imagine and just talk with one another...and a little fresh air wouldn't hurt either.

Working to help balance the school culture has often felt like more than I bargained for over the past year or so, but we press on...because common sense, and parent intuition, and really listening to our children, not to mention the volumes and volumes of recent relevant research, have all indicated that the short- and long-term benefits for our children are easily worth more than the sacrifice it's taking to get there.

So, at a step along the journey, July 11th to be exact, this bench gave me a bit of a fresh wind.

Let's live this wisdom of the Hopi Tribe.

Much Love. Take Care.

Off to Kindergarten!

Montgomery started Kindergarten this year!

(...yes...I know...

...right after we dropped Job off at college...

...I'm not sure I can find the right words either...  ;o)

...soooo...I think we'll just flow with these...)

...Montgomery started Kindergarten this year!

She was verrryyy excited, because this year she gets to go to "big girl" school with Josiah and Johngideon.

I think she had a brief moment of nervousness when we actually stepped outside to head to school, but then again, carrying a big girl backpack and wearing the big kid school uniform for the first time can take a little getting used to.

Johngideon thought it was really neat that Gommy would be at his school this year.

The school wisely has a staggered first day for Kindergarteners, so Gommy went in for just an hour, with just a few other students from her class, to meet her teacher and get used to the classroom a bit. First order of business - unpacking the bookbag.

Then it was off to choose a silly pair of sunglasses...



...so her teacher could take a silly photo of her for the classroom bulletin board...

I thought that was a fun, creative way for the kids to get to see one another, and start to get to know their classmates.

After a crafts activity (making the cheerful hanging nametag in the first photo above) with her new teacher and her new classmates who were also attending that intro hour, Montgomery got to spend some free play time getting comfortable in the classroom.

It was a great first day at Kindergarten, and she left ready and excited to go back for more.

Here's to an awesome school year for my awesome, smart, big Kindergarten girl!

Much Love. Take Care.
 

Off To College! (Part 2)

We took Job up to college on an August Thursday so he could participate in a pre-orientation retreat before the actual orientation began that following Sunday. Only Craig, Maia and I went up for this leg of the journey, and we were packed to the gills with the necessaries of setting-up a dorm room. Getting keys, finding the right dorm, and finding the right room in that dorm was so exciting...for all of us!

Figuring out how to actually work the key card and code thingy on the door took some doing...and finally, after a few unfruitful attempts, some instruction reading.

Maia tried her best to wait patiently in the hallway while Job figured it out...

...but finally I think she couldn't stand another moment of waiting to see what the dorm room looked like and just had to get actively involved!

Success! We finally made it into the room and got our first glimpse of where Job will be spending the next year of his life.  Small but adequate (and actually better than we had anticipated from the college website photos)..but more importantly, totally his space...well, his and his freshman roommate, of course.

Maia gave it a thumbs up!

After many trips back and forth unloading the van, Job realized the job was done at last...

...and headed back inside to his new abode...

...but graciously posed for a picture for his dear old mom, waiting, as usual, with a camera in her hand.

I think this bright young man looks ready for his future...sturdy backpack, black briefcase, glasses, and...uh...is that your ninja sword? Well...who knows what the future may hold, right?   ;o)

The building has some interesting architectural features...

...that Job thought might lead to a shortcut inside...but nope...it's main entrance all the way for this dorm!

After finding his way back to his new neck of the woods...

...he and Maia shared a moment...

...or two...

I think I'd call that a "happy dance"...wouldn't you?

Much Love. Take Care.

Our Trombonist POP

Josiah and his trusty trombone. 

A POP (Post of Previosity) from December 2007.

The year he first learned to play.

The joy of discovery, and the hand-in-hand joy of musical camaraderie.

What a gift for all the seasons of his life.

Much Love. Take Care.

Off to College! (Part 1)

So...the long anticipated day finally arrived, and our-baby-no-more Job, now a "six-foot-two" handsome and very capable young adult, headed off to college!

I have been negligent here, for some time, by not posting the news of his final college choice, which we were sure of way back on May 1st when we had to "sign on the dotted line" per say, and confirm his spot in the...

Carnegie Mellon University

Class of 2015!

We have delighted with him, over the part several months now, in this decision, believing CMU to be a great fit for Job. And while I must gratefully and proudly declare that he had many wonderful options from which to choose (even the awesome Johns Hopkins University, right here practically in our back yard...no really, I'm serious, it's that close...hmmmm...maybe that's why he sent them a "Thanks for the acceptance, but I will not be enrolling" letter!), we are all very happy with his choice, especially because he is so happy with it.

For Job, the choice boiled down to an excellent mechanical engineering department coupled with an excellent visual arts department, and the opportunity to continue his studies in arguably the country's best graduate robotics program. Knowing that he really liked the campus and the city of Pittsburgh from a 6-week summer program stay there last summer didn't hurt either. Not to mention the fact that Carnegie Mellon has squash courts right on campus, and a 30-something percent ethnic diversity figure. It all added up to a win-win formula for Job.

His parents really like the fact that he is only a four-hour drive away. Yessss!!!

This is how Job's CMU acceptance info creatively came in the mail...

...and this was the letter he found inside...

So, of course we drove up for the accepted students' weekend in April. That was so exciting for all of us. This trip it was just Job and I and a good friend high school classmate of his, Elliott Taft, who also had been accepted, and Elliott's mother, Val. Seeing the huge "Welcome Class of 2015" banner was exhilarating!

Job and Elliott stayed on campus, hosted by current CMU students that weekend, while Val and I shared a room and chilled at a nearby Pittsburgh hotel. We did the full round of accepted family giddiness, from posing with the "Congratulations! Welcome!" folders...

...to posing with the CMU Scottie Dog Mascot...

...to enjoying the various student choirs singing at the welcome dinner....

(that's Job down front in the yellow shirt)

...to enjoying touring all the great eatery areas on campus...

..and posing next to random Carnegie Mellon signage!

The guys had a great time and ran into various friends they knew from the CMU summer program the year before, like this young lady...

Everyone was all smiles. If you've never been the parent of a high school senior, diligently and stressfully guiding an almost-but-not-quite-adult teenager through the minimum six-months-long process of identifying colleges of interest, visiting them all (almost), SAT prepping, battling-senioritis-grades-management, endless applicationing, and finally the brutal and agonizing months of admissions-decision-waiting...just wait...or better still, just trust me...those smiles on our faces were WELL EARNED!

We feel so blessed that our son is able to be right where he wants to be for this season of his life. How awesome! I'll post some photos from dorm check-in day later this week (hopefully!).

Meanwhile, here's a link to a neat little Carnegie Mellon bragbook of ideas and innovation:
http://www.cmu.edu/social/brag/bragbook.pdf

Too wonderful!

And one little Carnegie Mellon fun fact: the university's official school colors are PLAID. Yes, that's right, not green and gold, or orange and blue, or burgundy and black, but PLAID! I just love it!

Enjoy it all Job! You've earned it!

Much Love. Take Care.

Say it ain't so!

Be still my heart!

Attended the Seniors Mother/Son Breakfast this morning at Job's school.

S-s-sssnniiiffff!!

Had a nice time, got the graduation invites, learned the ceremony details, admired the sentimental mementos and customized M&M's, got prom info, gave donation checks, [wo]manned the dessert table at the sports day cook-out, took lots of photos and a bit of video, smiled and chatted with other moms, ate a burger and some cookies, smiled and chatted with teachers, took more photos, fielded crazy phone calls from the other kids home for Spring Break, smiled and chatted with Job...and wondered where all those years went...

...so quickly.

Take your time moms...enjoy the ride...try, try, oh try to stroll...one day you'll look up and realize it's only 44 days 'till your "baby" graduates from high school.

Much love. Take care.

Knocked Out

This is how over-scheduled teenagers look when a car ride takes a little longer than normal.

We've been seeing a lot of this lately as we make the college visiting rounds one more time to help Job finalize his decision. I think its pretty much finalized now...more on that later.

But these two -- so interesting! so wonderful! so interested in life! -- wouldn't have it any other way...the over-scheduled part I mean. I'm trying to work on simplifying the overall household schedule, but I'm finding that simplifying is a complex process.

Much love. Take care.

  

A Fun and Unusual School-Nite Dinner

Tonight we stopped by Mama Cucina's, a neighborhood Italian restaurant, for Johngideon's school's fundraising night in support of the second grade. The restaurant donates a percentage of their Tuesday night earnings to the school, so the school rallies to get as many families there as possible. We have never attended a Mama Cucina's night before, and weren't quite sure what to expect.

Johngideon had a blast! When he walked in he was thrilled to see his awesome teacher, Ms. Rice, at a nearby booth and soooooo many kids from his class with their families. It was like a party atmosphere with the kids visiting from table to table...it kinda felt like dinner with a huge Italian family. The few other patrons there not from the school were either delighted by the energy, vibe and excitement, or were bewilderingly looking around at the gaggly ruckus of young people, not sure what was going on. The food took a loooooong time to get to the table, but nobody minded and it was really good when we got it. It was a fun, unusual way to dine on a rainyish school night.

Much Love. Take Care.

An Evening of Shakespeare

Maia transferred to the Theatre Department at her school just in time to be assigned a role and an opportunity to prepare for the annual Junior Acting Ensemble Shakespeare Scenes. She was so new to the department, she wasn't sure she would get an assignment, but she did (by the way, I love those BSA educators!), and a neat one at that (at least by my "I'm not really a fan of Shakespeare in general" barometer)...she portrays Portia in a scene from Merchant of Venice...one of Shakespeare's most wonderful female characters.

While the actual Shakespeare Scenes productions are not until May, the acting students get the opportunity to "practice" their scenes at a delightful local cabaret in Little Italy: Germano's. This Italian restaurant is awesome (you have to try it when you are next in Baltimore), and the owners Germano and his wife Syl are gracious, very involved hosts who love to support the arts. Their two daughters both attended the Baltimore School for the Arts, and they have lovingly provided a venue for so many art students to perform at their Cabaret. The Cabaret is held in an upstairs dining room with warm, cozy ambiance, excellent wait service, and I'll repeat again...fantastic Italian food! The last time I attended Germano's Cabaret (with Maia), they had a number of cast members from the Broadway musical "In The Heights" singing whatever they wanted to sing for us with a local accompanist; the cast was in town for a run of the musical at our Hippodrome Theatre and Craig, Maia, Job and I had seen the show days before. The Germano's atmosphere made the cabaret evening a joy for both the artists and audience and we all just had an awesome time!

So, Shakespeare Scenes (in practice) was no different in delightfulness...only better because my Maia was performing. She was so nervous beforehand because it was her first time performing as an actor with the School for the Arts, and she didn't feel ready yet to do the scene. Can I just say that is Maia's normal process...and then she absolutely blows the performance away! We've experienced this with her in dance as well, so we've come to know that when she says she doesn't feel ready, it really means she is more than prepared by normal standards but hasn't yet reached her super high perfectionist standards.

I wasn't able to take photos during the performance for obvious reasons, but caught Maia and other members of the ensemble just before the show in an adjoining "green" room...

 and then afterwards when they emerged again for their bows with their awesome instructor Donald Hicken (far left)...

This is just an awesome group of incredibly talented kids! And they are wonderful people as well, which is much more important. Maia was absolutely excellent! (Of course I am biased -- no apologies here-- and thought she was the best of the bunch! -- sorry, Maia, I know you'd rather I not said that....but Mommas are allowed some liberties -- and I've pretty much thought you were the best of the bunch everywhere you've been since the hospital nursery!).

Craig was unable to attend (he was out-of-town and so disappointed), but Auntie JoJo and Adrian joined me and Gommy and we had such a nice evening. Gommy loved her "buttered noodles" which are just about the only thing she'll eat for dinner these days (thanks for the accommodation, Germano's), and we grown folk thoroughly enjoyed our delicious entrees as well. And, yes, taking a 4-year-old to an evening cabaret of Shakespeare is not my greatest idea of fun (however we did enjoy the "intermission" stroll outside in the night air and meeting the "cute little white puppy in the pink dress"), but that was just how the evening was stacked up for our family. All in all she did pretty well, until the very end, and that was alright by me (note the back of her in her photo...she wasn't in a picture-taking mood...but sure was silly!).

I hope to have many more evenings of Germano's, and sooooooo many more opportunities to just enjoy Maia thriving and enjoying using her God-given talents. It was a wonderful evening.

(Not sure what was going on with the date on this ticket...Hmmmm....well, what's a few months in an entire lifetime...right?  right?)

Take Care. Much Love.