I wont say genius but...

Julia is already on the academic fast track. Today she was moved from the older 2's/younger 3's to the 3's classroom at her Parent's Day Out program.

She is now on the fast track to a life of ridicule and difficulty finding boys to date...

She also gets her first taste of life at Wellesley... her class is all girls, giving her plenty of time to "just say no" to the all women's experience.

My friend got engaged!

I know this blog is about our family, but friends are family, too. This is one of my best friends from college, Pauline, my tennis camp buddy. We also were DJs together (parties & campus radio station) at college & we each visited the other when we lived in Asia in 1994 (me in Thailand, P in Hong Kong).

She got engaged last weekend to her boyfriend, Andy.

YEAH! I am so happy for her. She deserves the most happiness!

I love an occasion to get together with my Wellesley friends, their partners and children. There are so many of us now. I also look forward to seeing Pauline's parents and sister and probably some of my other friends' parents. 2010 is going to be a busy year since we all turn 40 too. We have a plan to celebrate that event together - not sure how, we're still brainstorming, hopefully a spa somewhere, WITHOUT children or spouses. : )

Congratulations, Pauline and Andy!

P.S. They're moving to Memphis in August 2010!!!

Wellesley College Baby Grand Slam

This year 4 babies (3 girls and 1 boy) were born - hence the Grand Slam reference - within my group of college friends. The current tally is 9 babies. Now we have 6 prospective Wellesley College students for the classes of 2026-2031! : )

When I announced my pregnancy to them, Christine's January baby was here and I knew of Deidre's impending July baby, so I framed our baby news in the sports context of a hat trick. Then Nancy emailed us all and said a Grand Slam was more appropriate since she was also pregnant, due in November. The Grand Slam analogy is more apropos because Pauline (my original tennis camp buddy) actually completed the tennis Grand Slam by attending all 4 tournaments: Australian Open in January with Pete (a friend who we met in college), French Open with Lisa, Wimbledon with Tara and US Open with Lisa & Pete (I went with P & P in 2007).

7 of us lived in the same dorm (Munger) our first year at Wellesley College, actually 4 of us (Tara, Elizabeth, Nancy, Deidre) lived on the same floor. We've stayed in consistent contact for the past 20 years. It is a joy to see one or more of each other during the year. Sometimes they are spontaneous opportunities & more join the reunion, like with tennis camp & GS tournaments.

In addition to attending our class reunion every 5 years (most of us go), we usually try to create mini-reunion moments every 2 years.

2002 we rented a house on Martha's Vineyard for a week - last reunion with no children born yet
2003 we went to PA for Nancy's first baby shower
2005 my wedding in Nashville!
2006 we rented a house in North Carolina's Outer Banks for a week (17 total =7+5 spouses+5 children
2007 photo above is WC reunion: Lisa, Christine, Tara, Elizabeth, Pauline (Deidre left early, Nancy's husband's college reunion was same weekend)
2008 Pauline, Lisa & Tara (plus Susie) went to tennis camp together
2009 where will the group go...other than tennis camp! Elizabeth might join us plus HER sister. :)
2010 we've discussed a women-only reunion ... we all turn 40!
2012 our next WC reunion

There have been interesting connections with all the babies.
2 natural, 2 C-sections
2 to start & end the year - 1 baby in January, 1 in December
2 first time babies, 2 additions
2 "same" middle names - Francis (the boy) & Frances (Julia - obviously)

What a bountiful year of Wellesley babies! : )