This year marked the beginning of a change in Christmases for us. For one--and do not underestimate the significance of this shift--the teenager and prototeen in the house slept in until 7:45, allowing Mary and me at least an extra 90 minutes of sleep as compared with previous years.
Second, the pile of presents under the tree was a bit smaller than before. This cuts two ways. It's nice that there's no longer any temptation to have to swallow the tree in gifts, to make such a splash on Christmas morning. On the other hand, the things they want now (Vera Bradley, anyone?) are smaller and more expensive than some previous years' requests.
Third, Grandma had a smaller role than in her previous times with us. With her inability to climb stairs well, we did not have Mom sleep over with us Christmas Eve (well, that, and the fact that the guest room is still wrapping-and-shipping-central and not suitable for habitat). Instead, after the initial flurry of opening stockings and Santa gifts and presents from others, I went to pick up Mom around 10:30 and brought her back to the house, and we did all the presents from and to her at that time.
I don't know what next year's Christmas will bring (although there's some talk of a Christmastime Disney Cruise...), or what other changes next year will feature. I only know I felt a change in the Christmas winds this year.
Click on the link at right or here to see pictures from the morning. And Merry Christmas one and all!
Thursday, December 29, 2011
Friday, December 23, 2011
Farewell 2011
As 2011 closes, we have to share the annual JibJab rememberance of the year gone by. I love these guys!
Saturday, December 17, 2011
Sarah: Performing Girl
The fifth grade chorus concert at Silverbrook Elementary was this week, and Sarah and several of her friends were taking part in chorus this year. They sang three songs, then the sixth graders sang three, then the combined choruses finished with two songs, including "Seasons of Love" from Rent. In the video, she's the girl with the glasses standing next to her BFF Giselle, and you can tell they put a lot of effort into it.
By means of remembering the year, also see Sarah and Giselle in the countywide SACC dance recital/contest from this past winter. Do we have a budding stage presence among us?
By means of remembering the year, also see Sarah and Giselle in the countywide SACC dance recital/contest from this past winter. Do we have a budding stage presence among us?
Tuesday, November 22, 2011
And On She Runs...
Sunday morning (why are these always Sunday mornings at ungodly times?), Sarah participated in her fourth Girls On The Run 5K race. To the organizers' credit, the course was flatter, and by doing it in mid-November, the weather was nicer--it was 54 degrees at race time, or a good 25 degrees warmer than last year's Reindeer Romp in December.
First, the important stuff: once again, Sarah completed the entire race without walking (although given the crowds one could be forgiven for thinking we had slowed to a walk once or twice). She finished in a time of 37:23, which was good for 813th place out of the 2,800 girls who ran, putting her in the top 30% of finishers. She was also in the top third of finishers from Silverbrook--which managed to have a girl finish fifth overall, too!
To be open about it, though, this was not one of her best races. Of the three we have times for, this was her slowest time, a good five minutes off her spring time. In terms of percentiles, she finished better than her first race ever, but not as good as this spring. I think part of it had to do with the course design and race-day management, which seemed to bunch up people in key places (there were two turnarounds, one in a narrow alleyway--who thinks to put 5,600 runners through that and expect seamless movement?). The middle of the race, she did slow to a powerwalk kind of pace, immediately after cresting the high-point hill on the race, and she did have two equipment failures--twice having to stop for shoelaces.
I can also go into an extended rant, if you like, about the (lack of) wisdom in holding this event at Jiffy Lube Live, a venue already famous for its inability to manage traffic well; on departing, it took us 90 minutes to get out of the parking lot, with the first 45 minutes not. Moving. An. Inch.
But this is about Sarah, and celebrating her tremendous stamina and stick-to-it-iveness that has seen her through four 5Ks now (plus the warmup races...so she's run 40km now!) since third grade. She wore her "Daddy's Girl" bracelet in the race, and as has become her tradition, once she saw the finish line up ahead, she dashed off in a sprint, leaving Daddy puffing behind and shouting encouragement at her, that fantastic, flying Running Girl of mine.
But this year's time had another reason to be slow: a daughter's love. She got within ten feet of the finish line, and stopped, turned around, and waited a few seconds for her old man to catch up, so she could hold my hand as we crossed the finish line together. Would she have set a personal best but for that? Nah. But in that moment, neither of us cared for the seconds ticking by, but rather for the eternity of that memory and a shared race together.
First, the important stuff: once again, Sarah completed the entire race without walking (although given the crowds one could be forgiven for thinking we had slowed to a walk once or twice). She finished in a time of 37:23, which was good for 813th place out of the 2,800 girls who ran, putting her in the top 30% of finishers. She was also in the top third of finishers from Silverbrook--which managed to have a girl finish fifth overall, too!
To be open about it, though, this was not one of her best races. Of the three we have times for, this was her slowest time, a good five minutes off her spring time. In terms of percentiles, she finished better than her first race ever, but not as good as this spring. I think part of it had to do with the course design and race-day management, which seemed to bunch up people in key places (there were two turnarounds, one in a narrow alleyway--who thinks to put 5,600 runners through that and expect seamless movement?). The middle of the race, she did slow to a powerwalk kind of pace, immediately after cresting the high-point hill on the race, and she did have two equipment failures--twice having to stop for shoelaces.
I can also go into an extended rant, if you like, about the (lack of) wisdom in holding this event at Jiffy Lube Live, a venue already famous for its inability to manage traffic well; on departing, it took us 90 minutes to get out of the parking lot, with the first 45 minutes not. Moving. An. Inch.
But this is about Sarah, and celebrating her tremendous stamina and stick-to-it-iveness that has seen her through four 5Ks now (plus the warmup races...so she's run 40km now!) since third grade. She wore her "Daddy's Girl" bracelet in the race, and as has become her tradition, once she saw the finish line up ahead, she dashed off in a sprint, leaving Daddy puffing behind and shouting encouragement at her, that fantastic, flying Running Girl of mine.
But this year's time had another reason to be slow: a daughter's love. She got within ten feet of the finish line, and stopped, turned around, and waited a few seconds for her old man to catch up, so she could hold my hand as we crossed the finish line together. Would she have set a personal best but for that? Nah. But in that moment, neither of us cared for the seconds ticking by, but rather for the eternity of that memory and a shared race together.
Saturday, October 29, 2011
It May Smell Like Teen Spirit But It Looks Like Vermont
For the first time this winter we're enjoying both a fire in the fireplace and snow outside: and yes, it's only October in Northern Virginia!
We slept in this morning (10:30! Amazing!) and got a bite to eat at Ruby Tuesday's ahead of going to Top Golf for a round (yes, even Mary played). arriving in Kingstowne in a cold rain and 36 degrees. By the time we were done lunch, it was sleeting, and as we played our round, some of the raindrops and sleet seemed to be drifting, as if they were (could it be?) snowflakes.
By the time we finished shopping at Wal Mart and Costco, it was very definitely snowing, but since the ground is still well above freezing, nothing was sticking. But still, with the flakes flying and the windshield wipers wiping, it felt much more like December than October: we should be seeing Christmas trees, not pumpkins!
It hasn't lasted; even by dinnertime the flakes had turned into huge puffy ones and then stopped, turning back to rain. This won't last; it's to be sunny and back in the mid-to-upper 50s by midweek (around 50 for trick-or-treating Monday night). But for a brief moment, we had a taste of winter in NoVa, and I confess, I enjoyed it.
We slept in this morning (10:30! Amazing!) and got a bite to eat at Ruby Tuesday's ahead of going to Top Golf for a round (yes, even Mary played). arriving in Kingstowne in a cold rain and 36 degrees. By the time we were done lunch, it was sleeting, and as we played our round, some of the raindrops and sleet seemed to be drifting, as if they were (could it be?) snowflakes.
By the time we finished shopping at Wal Mart and Costco, it was very definitely snowing, but since the ground is still well above freezing, nothing was sticking. But still, with the flakes flying and the windshield wipers wiping, it felt much more like December than October: we should be seeing Christmas trees, not pumpkins!
It hasn't lasted; even by dinnertime the flakes had turned into huge puffy ones and then stopped, turning back to rain. This won't last; it's to be sunny and back in the mid-to-upper 50s by midweek (around 50 for trick-or-treating Monday night). But for a brief moment, we had a taste of winter in NoVa, and I confess, I enjoyed it.
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