The girls and I are in full dancing mode this winter. Both Isabel and Lottie have started ballet again. Since I haven't blogged in awhile, they both started in a "real" ballet class last autumn. We're still doing rec center classes, but this one is taught is taught by an instructor from Reston Conservatory. She is FABULOUS. She brings costumes and teaches the girls French. And of course they love her. She taught Isabel's class a small routine at the end of the class in the autumn. Lottie knows that chasse means "gallop." And both know the joys of magic boxes and dead bugs. (You have to have been there.) In fact, Isabel seems so devoted to ballet that I think we're going to enroll her in a full time program come autumn of 2010. What a difference from a year and a half ago when we couldn't get her to go into class!
As for me, I've started Zumba. Tonight was my first class. Lord, that can kick you butt. I am taking it through the fitness center at work and of course the instructor is tight and can shake her booty like no one's business. Doubly of course, she's 47 years old and looks more fabulous than I did at 27 (nevermind 36). I knew I was in for some trouble when I picked her up from the lobby- yes I am a brown-noser!- and noticed her her pants had "ZUMBA!" down one of the legs. On the way out, she casually informed me that she ran marathons. Of course I had just bragged that I ran 5K distances. I always suspected that fitness instructors were a different breed.
I was a little apprehensive since I was somewhat convinced I'd be in a class of white women decades older desperate to look sexy and fit. Is that mean? I apologize but 36 is close enough to middle age that my inclination is to want to be hip to people 15 years younger rather than 15 years older. I guess it's my mid-life crisis. My only experience with zumba prior to this class was watching one with the girls next to our local pizza place while waiting for Ryan to show up for dinner. In that class, the only ones looking sexy (and boy did they) were the instructor and her assistant. Everyone else was really lame. Our class was a good mix of age ranges and fitness abilities, but even with that, I couldn't bring myself to look at myself in the mirror. Fitness clothes always look so much cuter in Lucy than they do when I am panting trying to keep up with hip thrusts. (There were of course lots of hip thrusts in Zumba.) And, for the record, it is next to impossible to gracefully salsa in running sneakers. We did have one superstar student who was good but not sexy. She did manage to catch the eye of the other "slower" students, tho, probably b/c she could salsa along with the instructor.
So, hopefully at the end of the 10 weeks, Lottie's chasse will actually meet the spirit of the music, Isabel's plie will be stronger, and my bootie will be firmer.
Au revoir
Tuesday, January 12, 2010
Monday, January 4, 2010
Brrrrr....
As nanny might say, it's cold, cold cold here in Virginia. Despite assurances from the ever cheerful Capital Weather Gang at the Post, I'd argue that arctic winds is still an apt descriptor for the weather, especially as I was blown around a bit on my way out the door from work tonight. And, of course, since it's January and frigid, Lottie is sick, sick, sick- wildly congested and probably a little feverish. I wonder if all those antioxidants I've been shoving down my throat will work to stave off the cooties she is likely sharing with me even as I type and she instructs me to get my "uter" so I can "work."
In between creaming, chapping, blowing, and whooping (in the wind), we're trying to figure out how to enjoy winter. We spent the better part of Sunday chasing down ski racks and trying to locate Lottie's strap-on skis. We took Ryan to the Ski Chalet in Arlington just so he could go inhale some hot wax. We also discovered that the Drafthouse is hosting one (?) Warren Miller movie next week for all you bunnies out there.
Part of our existential dilemma is how to become more regular bunnies ourselves. We went to WVA this autumn for a peak at Snowshoe Mtn and were almost instantly drawn to the image of the S4 in a log cabin of their own. In an ideal world, we might be able to pull off a vacation house nestled in the mountains but not without some serious reordering of our finances. And, being us, we tend to be much bigger talkers/dreamers than we do actualizers. Ryan assures me it's a family legacy. So for now, we enjoy hot wax in Arlington and grainy Warren images with beer in hand.
Rest assured, we will ski (we already have our VT plans firmly mapped out) and with any luck, we'll do it more than once.
In between creaming, chapping, blowing, and whooping (in the wind), we're trying to figure out how to enjoy winter. We spent the better part of Sunday chasing down ski racks and trying to locate Lottie's strap-on skis. We took Ryan to the Ski Chalet in Arlington just so he could go inhale some hot wax. We also discovered that the Drafthouse is hosting one (?) Warren Miller movie next week for all you bunnies out there.
Part of our existential dilemma is how to become more regular bunnies ourselves. We went to WVA this autumn for a peak at Snowshoe Mtn and were almost instantly drawn to the image of the S4 in a log cabin of their own. In an ideal world, we might be able to pull off a vacation house nestled in the mountains but not without some serious reordering of our finances. And, being us, we tend to be much bigger talkers/dreamers than we do actualizers. Ryan assures me it's a family legacy. So for now, we enjoy hot wax in Arlington and grainy Warren images with beer in hand.
Rest assured, we will ski (we already have our VT plans firmly mapped out) and with any luck, we'll do it more than once.
Friday, January 1, 2010
Hello 2010
Is it weird that part of me actually looks forward to the post holidays period almost more than than I do to Christmas itself? I love the relative emptiness of the house after the decorations come down. I like the smell of citrus candles and pomegranate juice and water. Getting back to the gym and reading health magazines. All of this is especially refreshing after my almost clockwork over-indulgent tendencies throughout the month of December. Too many cookies, too much champagne, too little sleep, too much wrapping paper.
I've decided this year that my New Years resolution would in fact be nothing new at all. I am going to go back and try and actually live up to all of my resolutions of New Years past. I started off ok last year- I did in fact buy a sewing machine and made some pillows. I started doing small volunteer projects with the kids and at least for the first half of the year I ran routinely, making 4 miles a few times. Things totally deteriorated in the second half of the year, as they are wont to do.
So I am back to a fresh start. I pulled at the sewing machine yesterday, went back to the gym last Monday, threw out the rest of the cookies, took down the tree, and I going to try my very best to let things come instead of dwelling on what does or doesn't happen.
And with all of this, I'd like to blog again. I've actually missed Pinkerbelle these past few seasons. So, welcome 2010. We have big hopes for you!
Some scenes from Christmas-
GS Christmas Party 2009
Baking cookies
The Great Blizzard of Christmas 2009
Tea at the Mayflower, Christmas Eve
Presents
Happy New Years!
Sunday, August 30, 2009
Catching Our Breath
It's hard to believe that the end of summer is almost upon us. We head out Wednesday night for a much needed break to the north woods of Wisconsin to see Ryan's grandparents and much of the rest of the extended clan.
Fortunately, we leave summer with a bit of hope on the horizon. Tomorrow, I "re-interview" for the job I thought I had and that I still desperately want. I've got my fingers and toes crossed but I am not really sure what to expect since I don't understand all the bureaucratic machinations behind the cancellation of the selection in the first place. Still, I bought a new suit for the occasion and will actually blow dry my hair for once. Nothing like the right impressions!
Today, we met with a kitten that we may adopt through the SPCA of Northern VA. Because of our vacation plans, we couldn't possibly adopt her/take her home until we come back but Izzy is thrilled by the prospect. She spent some time playing with the kitten and her two brothers in the foster home this afternoon. She already has a pink collar picked out. I should be thankful it doesn't have rhinestones on it.
We do desperately need a new kitten since Coco has taken to expressing loneliness, boredom, what have you by leaving little presents for us in the living room. Thursday Ryan and I both walked through said present right before we were due to go to work and yesterday Izzy had the honors. I love motherhood. Not only did I have to scrub and clean the piles off the carpet but I had to scrub Isabel's foot down. Yum!
In other news, both girls finished their ballet class this weekend. Since I posted a pic of Lottie last week, here are some fun ones of Izzy for this week. (I meant to take more of Lottie but like the bad mommy I am, I didn't charge the camera battery beforehand. Oops.
I felt like an especially bad mommy with Lottie since not only did all the other parents come equipped with camera and video to record this precious moment of their young female offspring not listening to someone else while dressed in pink tulle, they also dragged along assorted grandparents to capture the moment. Double oops.
I think that's all we really have to report. Oh- and I finally took a picture of the kitchen project in progress. This will mean nothing to any of you who have not been to my house, but if I am feeling ambitious, I'll post separately the really before pixs. For those who are familiar, check this out-
Sexy, huh? We are waiting for the new countertops to come in and Ryan is going to reface that heinous cabinet that you get a suggestion of in this picture (a nice formica addition that matches nothing else). A new floor and really right sexy, I'd say. I actually am really starting to love it. Now, if only we could get rid of the behemoth refrigerator...
Happy Sunday all!
Sunday, August 23, 2009
Lordy it's been a while
Lottie is appalled I haven't blogged in more than a month. Or is she enjoying the train ride at Lake Braddock park?
I can't believe I've been off blogging for so long. That's what I get for ending my sabbatical in early July and going back to my regular job. Boo hoo for me I guess.
Our summer since I last wrote has been both bitter and sweet. Sweet first since it seems only fair (nothing like an anvil to get people interested in your blog again.) The girls have both been taking ballet class to some success. Lottie spends most of her time ignoring her teacher and making exaggerated faces at herself in the wall length mirror. That is when she's not hanging off the ballet bar. Isabel has actually gotten pretty good at it and is perhaps the second most earnest girl in her class. It's easy to get her to listen to her teacher. We've been making excellent progress on our kitchen project. We have the cabinets painted now and Ryan this weekend installed some nifty under the counter lights. Home Depot is coming to measure for the new countertop this week and we brought home floor samples from Ikea. I might actually not be embarrassed of our kitchen soon. How exciting!
The reluctant ballerina
Izzy and Ryan on the go
On the sad side, we lost one of our cats very suddenly about 3 weeks ago. We took her to the vet on a Monday AM thinking she was looking too thin and was having a hard time breathing and the next thing we know, our vet calls and tells us she's terminal. Ryan came to the vet with me to put her down and we both cried and went to the local pub and shared a pint. As terrible as it was, I was so grateful to have him in my life. I can't imagine having to go through life's sorrows large and small without him. Even sadder than our cat, my cousin who has struggled to get pregnant lost the twin boys she was carrying. She was probably around 16 weeks or so when it happened. We were set to go to NJ for an early baby shower when we heard the news. Finally, I was selected for a job I really, really wanted (and still do) in mid July only to have my "big" bosses decide the selection process was not everything it could have been and canceled the selection as a result. I was so put out by the whole thing I dyed my own hair (something I've done only once before in college when I thought it would be fun to have red hair after a very long winter) and encouraged a family make-over. That's right. A personal makeover was not enough. The girls and I all got our hair cut and Ryan shaved off his beard (again.) I should have probably taken a picture right after but my mood was still a little black even if my hair was a little blonder.
I'm personally just hoping for lots of luck and good fortune in the autumn.
We have a bit more summer fun in our future before officially signing off of the season. We head next week to WI for a week long vacation with Ryan's family. Izzy swears she'll go on the boat ride this year around Squirrel Lake (Ryan's grandparents have a lake house in the north woods that attracts city folk like us once a year.) I have tried to explain to her that I will not hold her hand, though, when she goes fishing since I don't fish. I don't know why, but she has developed a real enthusiasm for the concept of fishing. This from a kid who tried to dive off the paddle boat we had her on last weekend before realizing it was not in fact scary.
Well, cowboys and girls, it's time this little doggy goes to bed. Hope everyone has been well during my hiatus! Talk to you real soon. (and yes- I realize they have black dots on their noses in this one. That's another story for another day.)
Our summer since I last wrote has been both bitter and sweet. Sweet first since it seems only fair (nothing like an anvil to get people interested in your blog again.) The girls have both been taking ballet class to some success. Lottie spends most of her time ignoring her teacher and making exaggerated faces at herself in the wall length mirror. That is when she's not hanging off the ballet bar. Isabel has actually gotten pretty good at it and is perhaps the second most earnest girl in her class. It's easy to get her to listen to her teacher. We've been making excellent progress on our kitchen project. We have the cabinets painted now and Ryan this weekend installed some nifty under the counter lights. Home Depot is coming to measure for the new countertop this week and we brought home floor samples from Ikea. I might actually not be embarrassed of our kitchen soon. How exciting!
The reluctant ballerina
Izzy and Ryan on the go
On the sad side, we lost one of our cats very suddenly about 3 weeks ago. We took her to the vet on a Monday AM thinking she was looking too thin and was having a hard time breathing and the next thing we know, our vet calls and tells us she's terminal. Ryan came to the vet with me to put her down and we both cried and went to the local pub and shared a pint. As terrible as it was, I was so grateful to have him in my life. I can't imagine having to go through life's sorrows large and small without him. Even sadder than our cat, my cousin who has struggled to get pregnant lost the twin boys she was carrying. She was probably around 16 weeks or so when it happened. We were set to go to NJ for an early baby shower when we heard the news. Finally, I was selected for a job I really, really wanted (and still do) in mid July only to have my "big" bosses decide the selection process was not everything it could have been and canceled the selection as a result. I was so put out by the whole thing I dyed my own hair (something I've done only once before in college when I thought it would be fun to have red hair after a very long winter) and encouraged a family make-over. That's right. A personal makeover was not enough. The girls and I all got our hair cut and Ryan shaved off his beard (again.) I should have probably taken a picture right after but my mood was still a little black even if my hair was a little blonder.
I'm personally just hoping for lots of luck and good fortune in the autumn.
We have a bit more summer fun in our future before officially signing off of the season. We head next week to WI for a week long vacation with Ryan's family. Izzy swears she'll go on the boat ride this year around Squirrel Lake (Ryan's grandparents have a lake house in the north woods that attracts city folk like us once a year.) I have tried to explain to her that I will not hold her hand, though, when she goes fishing since I don't fish. I don't know why, but she has developed a real enthusiasm for the concept of fishing. This from a kid who tried to dive off the paddle boat we had her on last weekend before realizing it was not in fact scary.
Well, cowboys and girls, it's time this little doggy goes to bed. Hope everyone has been well during my hiatus! Talk to you real soon. (and yes- I realize they have black dots on their noses in this one. That's another story for another day.)
Tuesday, July 7, 2009
Road Trip!
We bit the bullet this past weekend: we packed up the kids, toys, snacks, books, and video player and made the ten hour drive to Atlanta for the 4th. Ryan's parents, Mimi and Bob, are in Atlanta and we were way overdue for a visit, having last been when Isabel was an infant. During the weeks running up to the trip, I began to live in dread of the drive. The girls are pretty frequent car travelers since we go visit my family in New Jersey and New York every few months. We even drive routinely to Vermont with them. But we always overnight in NY on the way to VT breaking up the trip into manageable shifts. This was 10 hrs in the car straight through. I was so worked up by the night before we left that I only slept an hour and a half. Clearly I have issues. The thought of 10 hrs of whining, crying, and general complaining still gives me hives.
But surprisingly, the girls did great. Each slept the first three hours of the trip (it helped we rolled out at 4:30 AM), didn't have to make incessant potty breaks, and managed to keep the whine to a minimum. It helped that we stopped for breakfast and lunch although neither stop was long. Thank the lord for the charger adapter I bought at Radio Shack before the trip.
Atlanta itself was wonderful. We went to the Georgia Aquarium on Friday.
It's been a long time since I've been to an Aquarium and according to one of the guides, the Georgia Aquarium boasts one of the largest tanks in the world. There were plenty of fish, including several whale sharks. Very cool.
For the 4th itself, we took the girls down to Olympic Centennial Park. It's smaller than I imagined but the fountain there was definitely worth the trip! We arrived in time to see a fountain show and got some good splashing in. Well, Isabel did- Lottie wasn't particularly keen.
Saturday night we drove to Decatur for their parade, concert, and fireworks.
The Children's Museum of Atlanta, swimming, lots of eating, and looking at old family photos rounded out the trip. As lovely as it was, all I want to do now is stay home. It's been alot of traveling for the Schroeders and we're barely halfway through the summer!!
Happy Tuesday.
But surprisingly, the girls did great. Each slept the first three hours of the trip (it helped we rolled out at 4:30 AM), didn't have to make incessant potty breaks, and managed to keep the whine to a minimum. It helped that we stopped for breakfast and lunch although neither stop was long. Thank the lord for the charger adapter I bought at Radio Shack before the trip.
Atlanta itself was wonderful. We went to the Georgia Aquarium on Friday.
It's been a long time since I've been to an Aquarium and according to one of the guides, the Georgia Aquarium boasts one of the largest tanks in the world. There were plenty of fish, including several whale sharks. Very cool.
For the 4th itself, we took the girls down to Olympic Centennial Park. It's smaller than I imagined but the fountain there was definitely worth the trip! We arrived in time to see a fountain show and got some good splashing in. Well, Isabel did- Lottie wasn't particularly keen.
Saturday night we drove to Decatur for their parade, concert, and fireworks.
The Children's Museum of Atlanta, swimming, lots of eating, and looking at old family photos rounded out the trip. As lovely as it was, all I want to do now is stay home. It's been alot of traveling for the Schroeders and we're barely halfway through the summer!!
Happy Tuesday.
A Weekend Away
I am a bit behind on my blogging and I am officially dragging at the moment, so these few entries will be kind of short. Ryan and I took our first non-small fry vacation two weekends ago. To be fair, we've managed to slip in a conference or two sans enfants (and had a lovely time doing so since both conferences were in the UK) but this weekend entailed no thinking, no time management, and only fun. Look how happy we were...
Well maybe we weren't as happy together as Ryan was playing pirate at the Field Museum.
Officially we were in Chicago for my cousin's wedding. The wedding was just as all proper weddings should be: a bit touching, a bit tacky, and alot of fun. I do just love Chicago. I don't think I've ever had a bad time when visiting as an adult. We stuck to our old favorites: the Art Institute, Millennium Park, the Walnut Room in the old Marshall Fields. Someday we'll venture out more, but for now, a perfect weekend.
Well maybe we weren't as happy together as Ryan was playing pirate at the Field Museum.
Officially we were in Chicago for my cousin's wedding. The wedding was just as all proper weddings should be: a bit touching, a bit tacky, and alot of fun. I do just love Chicago. I don't think I've ever had a bad time when visiting as an adult. We stuck to our old favorites: the Art Institute, Millennium Park, the Walnut Room in the old Marshall Fields. Someday we'll venture out more, but for now, a perfect weekend.
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