Happy Birthday to Julia!!

Julia turns 5 today. It does go by quickly and if it weren't for this blog and photos it would be a blur. Julia is special in so many ways. She has grown so quickly and has become a wonderfully confident, fun loving, curious, and mind-bogglingly smart little girl. Regularly we have to remind ourselves that she is still a little girl.

I love you, Julia. I am proud of you and happy to be caught up in your whirlwind.

Too smart for my own good

Recent ramblings from Julia & Jacqueline:

1. A couple of days ago I was watching TV. Jacqueline came in the living room babbling away like always. This time she went to the TV, which had captions on (as usual), holding one of Julia's sight word flash cards, she pointed at the subtitles with the card and said "this" and shook the card and said "that". She did it a couple times while I picked my jaw up off the floor and asked her to repeat, "What did you say? She must have done it about 4 times. "This, that." She's 22, almost 23, months old.

2. Julia loves typing on the computer, especially with her Aunt Susie when we Skype. Yesterday she was trying to capitalize the first letter of a word, and somehow knew to hit "caps lock" but she didn't realize that it would capitalize all letters. Susie asked why her last couple of words were in all-caps while I explained internet protocol related to "yelling"/all-caps. I left the room and at some point later she was typing and it was again all capital letters. Tara commented and Julia's response was "They are all capital but I wasn't yelling". Tara was dumbfounded b/c she had not been privy to the earlier conversation. Once that was clarified we both marveled at how quickly Julia processed the concept and used it. She'll be 5 years old on Sunday. Amazing!

Don't feed Johnders

Jacqueline is a conduit of human food to Johnders. All toddlers feed dogs, right? Well what happens when Jacqueline has a snack. 

She hands part of it to Johnders. You catch her and you tell her to stop, "Don't feed Johnders." She looks at you and says "Alright." You emphasize "It's your food, not his." She looks you in the eye and very directly says "Okay."

Modern Family 11/20/13

Lily: "She's a mess." (she's talking about Cam)
Mitchell: "Gurl!"

Later witness a conversation between Cam & Mitchell while they're visiting Cam's family farm in country.
Lily: "Y'all fighting?" (picked up local language quickly!)

It is the little things!

It is the little things that the kids do that make me smile.

It's when Jacqueline goes to the table to get her napkin while she's eating or when she turns her plate so that the food is closer to her. 

It is when Julia goes to a book that has the word she's trying to spell in the title or when Julia puts her socks in her shoes and puts her shoes in the pantry next to each other when you realize that you're doing something right as a parent. 

It is these little things that you can enjoy when no one else is around.

Jumping Jacqueline

Jacqueline has learned the pleasures of jumping. It's that toddler jump where they usually don't leave the ground but every once and awhile they do. She loves doing it. She does it all the time and in all locations. She laughs through the whole process making it absolutely adorable.

Today I saw her brain click in another way. She jumped in an effort to reach something. She has been climbing up on things for awhile so I knew she understands that sometimes you need help to reach up high.  To see her jump showed me that there's a whole other thing going on in her head.

Chocolate for sale!

PTO Fundraising time ...  chocolate candy bars on sale for InglewoodES PTO

Quick synopsis

$1 per candy bar

5 flavors - milk chocolate, milk chocolate almond, dark chocolate almond, crispy rice, caramel

They'll make great stocking stuffers (if they last another 4-5 weeks in your house!).

Each bar has a coupon for Pizza Hut. What a deal!

If we sell a box of 60 bars, Julia gets prize - popcorn & movie party.

We're not aiming for Top Seller prizes.

You can email Tara (djtj81@comcast.net) or Jai (bmitd67@gmail.com) if you're interested. 

Thanks! Have a great day!

Update: we sold 3 boxes - 180 bars of chocolate!!! Unbelievable!
Most sold to people at church & Tara's school. Thanks for the support!

White Bunny White & latest funny Julia moments

This is the name of 1 of Julia's animal friends (or children as she calls them!).
First, middle, last names ...
Yep, got to love the mind of an almost 5 year old. Hilarious!

She was just telling me about how her older children don't get in trouble ... with her & her husband, Andy.
Actually I learned this morning that Andy died, not sure of cause of death.

"Where did my purse go? I've been searching all over for it?"
I just heard that comment.

This purse was in package sent by Susie from when I helped clean & organize S's closet in Phoenix during Fall Break. There were 2 black purses, 1 we thought was for Julia, cute little one with broken zipper so perfect for her, 1 for me possibly. Not to be the case! The 1 for Julia is now Jacqueline's & Julia likes the one earmarked for me. It's OK, I don't need another purse.

Another funny comment we've heard lately.
"I'm her second mother." She's referring to Jacqueline.
Luckily I'm considered first mother.
I guess this is good that I'm still #1.

She's playing the piano spontaneously (she's pretty good!) and sings "I really miss Trenton ... he chases me until he gets tired. I wish I could see Trenton ... I love to learn ... every single day, all my life!"

Trenton is 10 year old friend from church. She played with him & bunch of other boys at Montgomery Bell State Park camping trip in early October.

Richard Stands

Julia is becoming indoctrinated to the ways of American citizenship and is memorizing a new version of the "Pledge of Allegiance".

I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America

And to the Republic for RICHARD STANDS...

I explained that is should be "for which it stands" but she said she was gonna say Richard Stands anyway.

NYC's new First Lady ... Go Wellesley!

Chirlane McCray is married to new mayor of NYC. She also is a graduate of Wellesley College.

After reading this article (link below), she sounds like an incredible person.

Link: http://www.billdeblasio.com/meet-the-de-blasios/about-chirlane

Aesop's Fables Puppet Show at Main NPL

Ugh, I really dislike it when I find an old post with nothing written yet, not even a few words to tease my memory of what I thought I might write. This one was dated in June, it is now November. Come on, Tara!
I'm I was going to write something about us attending this program. It was great! I am continually impressed with the quality of storytelling performances at NPL. They are entertaining for children AND adults!

I found myself chuckling at parts that most kids didn't understand. We also participated in Summer Reading Program and attending a program counts just as reading a whole book does. Fun activity to do, especially if it's too hot for outside activity or you're tired of going to pool another day (yeah, I know, not really my problem as my kids & I love water!).

Summer seems like a far away memory, but the great part is that puppet show performances happen fairly often. Unfortunately I'm not able to attend once school is in session, but Jai has taken Jacqueline a few times this semester. If you've never gone, GO!! : )

Bad Influence

Julia is extremely dramatic. When there is the slightest hint of something not going her way she falls out and screams and yells. Quite often runs out of the room, screaming, and flops down on the sofa. Now Jacqueline does her version. She screams and cries and runs out of the room to go climb on the bed or to go grap her beloved remote controls and push a bunch of buttons.

Little sister sees, little sister does.

Stratford HS football game

Last night we went to the football game at SHS. We had a blast!

A friend invited us to a tailgating party for the home opener in September. Even though I'm not a football fan, we planned to attend because we want to support our cluster, but we had stomach bug. : (

Another friend told me about efforts in neighborhood to build community involvement & plans for more tailgating at next home football game. However, it was the weekend we were going camping at Montgomery Bell State Park. Darn!

Then I looked at schedule when we returned from our fall break trips & saw there was another home game. The weather was getting cooler in evening, but we bundled up & headed over to the stadium. We arrived just in time to walk in ahead of the marching band - barely! We paid entrance fees - $6 a person. Luckily the girls were free since under 5 and so was I as an MNPS employee so only $6 for Jai. WOO HOO! : )

After pausing for the National Anthem, we climbed the bleacher steps to top area ... right next to band's area we discovered once they finished their procession. How cool! It was fun - more festive sitting near them. We cheered throughout the game as Stratford played Maplewood HS ... sometimes we wish he had been more. The quarterback is quite the renaissance player - he seemed to be everywhere!

At half time there was a presentation of students for Senior Recognition Night, 12th grade students walked with family and/or friends as their accomplishments were shared aloud. They are some busy sounding young people! Then the band performed a routine on the field. They were good.

This is last home football game, but we plan to attend a few basketball games in December and January hopefully. Even though we knew NO ONE, had a great time & hope to get to know others while attending games. At least basketball games are inside ... warmer! : )

FB2013 Sister Trip in Phoenix - Day 5 & Departure

Sun. 10/13  
1. We woke at 6:00am, tired, but knew we had to get up early for tennis. I called Jai as we needed to check-in for boarding passes. He said "what are you doing awake at 6am?"
2. We drove to a different local park (this one seemed closer, S said it was almost same distance!) to play tennis. Susie had found some new balls in garage so we played for about 45 minutes, even a few games. I had been winning for awhile, then we ended in tie. WOO HOO! That's good for me against the great Susie. It really was fun, I miss playing tennis and need to find a way to play more regularly. Hopefully when S comes home in December, we can play outside if not too cold and/or reserve an indoor court at Sportsplex.
3. Back home we cleaned & shredded old receipts for hours, taking breaks for breakfast (leftovers) & snacks & stretches, while watching 4 episodes of "Grey's Anatomy" on-line. We finally finished her desk area & relocated some papers to guest room in order to really clean her bedroom, sweeping & mopping after moving some furniture to create a better room flow. The feng shui chi/energy improved too. It looks like a new room! Seriously I am impressed by my work with great effort by Susie, too.
4. We took another break to shower & wash laundry since I have hardly any clean clothes left (I didn't bring much) & I'm leaving tomorrow.
5. Then we headed out for our final meal, dinner at The Yard (Culinary Dropout), a really cool space, known for fun games & people watching. We sat outside under this huge covered awning with couches & lots of TV with football games blasting. Again we enjoyed some happy hour specials - apps & alcohol, beers for both of us. I had a yummy blueberry beer ... you know I was buzzing so quickly AND I drank with food! Grilled cheese sliders, french fries, Korean chicken on stick, kale shrimp salad, then this delicious peanut butter chocolate tart.
I need to get home so I can return to my exercise routine & eating healthy! : )
6. I called Jai on way home - girls were in bed earlier tonight (he had a rough evening with yesterday's bedtime). First he said he could tell I'd been drinking by the way I was talking ... hmmm ... Then he said his hotel night isn't going to be enough compensation for 5 days with girls ... not sure what we can arrange, something to ponder. : )
7. Back at Susie's, we called mom on Skype to show her S's new bedroom - she was incredulous! I folded my laundry & packed bag, adding a few items gleaned from S's closet, also some books for Julia from S's reading storage. Susie has a ton of books she accumulated over first 5 years of teaching, many are chapter books at levels 2.0-4.0 so perfect for Julia to read. I packed a few in my luggage, most went in box to be mailed to Julia next week. Susie plans to take all of these books to school & distribute to students this next quarter as part of her continued efforts to clean out her house ... in anticipation of moving back to Nashville in next 1-2 years.
8. I updated posts on blog ... I will forget when I get home, likely attacked by my girls tomorrow afternoon. Hopefully we also can plan our next trip to Chicago for June 2014 - I missed not seeing his cousins!

Mon. 10/14  
Early morning rise as I depart sunny Phoenix, hoping to arrive in pleasant Nashville. 10 weeks until Winter Break when sisters will meet again. Hopefully successful in reaching personal & physical goals - each of us wanting to lose 10 more pounds of weight, probably 10 more pounds of stuff out of Susie's house! : )

FB2013 Sister Trip in Phoenix - Days 3 & 4

Fri. 10/11 
1. Again I woke up early at 5am, read & finished Wellesley magazine (Spring 2013); Susie woke up soon & got ready for her PT appt.
2. We drank breakfast smoothie again on our way to spa appointments in Tempe.
3. Back treatment & facials - ahh, vacation! : )
4. As we traveled back to Phoenix proper, hunger motivated us to stop sooner than planned. We found an Indian place near ASU - fast & yummy & hopes of meat.  Much more affordable & delish.

Side Note - funny story about Indian restaurant experience
1 of the employees REALLY liked Susie. If I'd cared I might have felt slighted ... especially since my 15 pound weight loss, I am definitely a MILF. Come on!
It was serious full court press & I was slightly annoyed as I didn't really want to chit chat.
He's lucky there was buffet so I got food & ate while he asked a gazillion questions. After 1 trip to & from buffet, I said "someone likes you" in a sing-songy voice & Susie said "be quiet, I have more to tell you" ... intriguing, what happened while I was gone. Then the air chilled, barely came to our table, maybe cleared a plate, but no convo ... what had happened since the previous visit to buffet. Later Susie told me he asked her if she was single & could they be Facebook friends??!! Seriously! Come on! We should have complained to manager. Your employee sucks!

5. We didn't work on Susie's clutter today.

6. Back home for rest time - Susie was studying for her other class, the on-line one. I read "Eleanor & Park", still loving it! Again I fell asleep for another long nap, about 3 hours. : )
7. We were still stuffed from lunch so dinner food was leftovers & snacks.
8. We watched TV again - Netflix DVD "Helena from the Wedding", an indie film Susie had gotten, interesting look at marriage, friendships, parenthood ... my life! : )
9. We stayed up late again talking, eating mocha ice cream, also watched "Blue Bloods" (episode 4 actually though I haven't watched 1-3 yet; surprisingly I didn't feel lost or confused) on TV.
10. I read more of "Eleanor & Park" - it is so good! : )

Sat. 10/12  
1. We woke at 6:30am. I don't know why I'm awake so early when I'm going to sleep after 11pm. It must be because I'm getting uninterrupted sleep without being responsible for anyone other than myself. It is so nice, such a treat! Even though I really need 7+ hours of sleep, I've been functioning on 5-6 hours, usually interrupted at least once for middle of night bathroom break, if not call from a small child, that I feel refreshed by 6 good hours of sleep.
2. We drove to a local park (everything seems SO far away yet Susie says it is "close") to play tennis FINALLY. Sadly the balls are too used, quite flat so we only play for 15-20 minutes before deciding no more, we'll try again tomorrow with some new balls. It was fun, really miss playing tennis.
3. Back home we showered/dressed before heading to Phoenix Public Market, local farmers' market. We went with Susie when we visited in March. I enjoyed many samples ... time for a real meal.
4. Soon we had produce (and I got some beef jerky!) and drove to Windsor, another hip neighborhood restaurant, with a short menu, for brunch. I got something called "The Matador" - eggs over cheesy potatoes with crispy tortilla strips, salsa verde & avocado relish. Really yummy, little spicy. Susie got vegetable frittata with English muffin. Luckily S always brings her to go containers so she makes sure we save some for later & don't eat too much now. I almost forgot we indulged in a fun adult beverage, a pitcher of Pimms, in honor of Wimbledon. Whew, it doesn't take much for me to be lit. It was yummy, mint, cucumber, limes plus ginger beer & some kind of alcohol.
5. Back home we continued cleaning, cleaning more in S's bedroom, a little in closet, filled another bag.  Later we focused on stacks of receipts from past 7-8 years, I shredded them while Susie cleaned out old papers in file cabinet. In the evening we shredded more documents while watching TV - we picked up a DVD from Red Box after dinner.
6. We ate out a 2nd meal, dinner at The Parlor, another funky hipster place, known for its pizza. We enjoyed some happy hour specials - apps & alcohol (only Susie), including a BBQ chicken pizza for me.
7. We picked up "Broken City" - Mark Wahlberg, doesn't matter what movie is about. It actually was pretty good, good company as we continued to shred years of receipts. Thank goodness today we mostly are paperless for most accounts/transactions. We agreed to stop at 9pm so we could watch rest of movie & eat some ice cream from another fun place called Churn. I had cookies & mint, yum; S had vanilla/chocolate.

FB2013 Sister Trip in Phoenix - Days 1 & 2

Wed. 10/9 Departure from Nashville/Arrival in Phoenix
1. hug & kiss Julia & Jai (Jacqueline was napping) good-bye
Bonnie was my ride to airport, nice visit with my mom : )
2. Get boarding pass, check bag, only have back pack, easily go through security
3. Go to nail place near gate - get a pedicure (I have 1 hour before plane leaves!) - awesome!
Feet need some attention! : )
4. Listen to audiobook - "Five Days at Memorial"
5. Board plane - B35 (no early boarding without kids!), get seat near front ... on aisle! Nice seat mate!
Have LONG convo with Scott, no interruptions, so unusual, got great list of restaurants to try with Susie
6. Wait for bag while Susie arrives, listening to audiobook
7. Home - quick shower, so lovely, while Susie cooks pasta with veggies & sauce
8. Watched TV for a bit while playing phone tag with Jai - sleepy so early to bed around 8:30pm

Thurs. 10/10 
1. I woke up early at 5am, read Wellesley magazine (Spring 2013) until Susie awoke around 6am.
2. We drank breakfast smoothie & watched morning TV - ahh, vacation!
3. Raining so no tennis as planned ... hopefully tomorrow.
4. Tackled Susie's closet - organized it a bit, cleaned out a ton of OLD clothes, most for Goodwill, some went to trash, also started a "Julia box" to be mailed to her. It also will be addressed to her. Recently she said this to me about last box Susie mailed to our house. "Aunt Susie wrote your name on outside, but it really was for me." Really? Umph!
5. Hunger motivated us to stop so we loaded S's car (back seat since trunk doesn't work anymore) & dropped stuff at Goodwill. There is more for sure, but this is a great start!
6. Lunch at Barrio Cafe in downtown area, yummy local Mexican food, cool decor, not too crowded at 1pm. OMG, the guacamole was delish, it had pomegranates in it! Overall food priced a little too expensive for me, but we ordered cheapest items - "tres tacos" with pescado. I have got to get some meat!
7. Back home for rest time - Susie was studying for her mid-term tonight. I read "Eleanor & Park" my latest YA book from NPL, loving it! Fell asleep. : )
8. I woke 4 hours later to darkness - outside & inside house as Susie had left hours before to attend her community college nutrition class. Groggy, slightly disoriented, little hungry. I drank water & ate rest of my nut butter/jelly sandwich from home. I checked messages, 1 from Susie; I called Jai, but got voicemail so left another message for him.
9. I watched TV - whatever came on as I couldn't figure out S's instructions. Joel called, he was having similar issues with our new TV though Jai hadn't left directions. : )
10. Susie got home around 9pm, we watched "Scandal" & talked for awhile before going to bed at 11pm.
11. I read more of "Eleanor & Park" - it is so good! I love a good book. : )

Crib Climber ... Toddler Bed?

Over the less few days of September & into October, Ms. Jacqueline tested her mettle. First she started climbing out of the Pack N Play during/after nap - suddenly she appeared in living room or bathroom. Then at bedtime, we'd hear a thunk & then Jac appeared at the top of stairs, saying "Mommy" or "Daddy." This also means that she is not sleeping as long as she normally does ... might not be related. However, we think Jac is thrilled by this new ability ... hopefully it will even itself out.

With trips planned during Fall Break & routines jumbled up, we know it will be a little crazy for a few more days/weeks. Thinking about whether it's time for Jacqueline to have a big girl bed ... seems too young. Julia was over 2 before she had mattress on floor, 3 when she got the big bed. We have the 2nd bed frame in basement so really we just have to get the mattress ... money needed for that.

Also there's the freedom factor. I'm not concerned about Jac getting in or out of bed, she'll be fine.
NO - it's the freedom of getting out of bed whenever she's awake. I don't like that factor at all. : )

"I ungry"

This is Jacqueline's favorite phrase lately - it means "I'm hungry. "This girl eats all day!
When we wake up, when it's snack time, really anytime. Jac LOVES to eat.
It's a new delay tactic at bedtime ... I don't think Julia tried this technique until much older.
OMG! Another smart one! : )

Weaning Completed

It started about 2 weeks ago, just changed the bed time routine a bit, see how Jacqueline dealt with not nursing at bedtime. Jai & I switched so he took Jac upstairs & rocked her to sleep. I worked with Julia to get ready for bed, change into pajamas, brush teeth, read some books. It worked like a charm, no pushback or tears from Jacqueline. It probably helps that she started saying "night night" & thinks it is like a game or something so it's fun.

Am I sad? Hmmm ... not really. Probably a really small part as this is it, not going to breastfeed another baby. However, there are so many other wonderful activities I get to do with my kids. Jac is really getting into reading more which is a HUGE relief so that's being incorporated more into her bedtime routine too.

Baby is growing up ... not really a baby anymore. Yeah, more independence is on its way!!!! : )

Reading at level 24

Today I get a call from Julia's teacher.
Nothing's wrong."
"Julia wanted me to call to tell you she tested today at a level 24."

I had to sit down, seriously having a hard time processing this information.
know that seems goofy, but students should be at 24 at end of 3rd grade.
Obviously some/many students can be or are at level higher than 24 before 3rd grade.
However, not at 4 years old (5 in 3 months), but barely in Kindergarten.
Tomorrow is last day of Quarter 1.

Amazing Julia! She truly is a "special" child.
I mean that in the nicest way! : )

The end of cable ... and TV watching

Slightly dramatic title, but this is a big moment for my TV watching experience.

We finally did it, cut the cord (not literally, but kind of) and have about 5 channels. WHAT is that?? After a year (or more) of discussing costs & amount of TV we watch, we downgraded cable package to Basic. Ironically enough, the real catalyst was Comcast cutting off the DVR. I guess we'd had a special deal & it had expired (another reason we procrastinated, "we have the special, let's ride it out!") so no more services. No warning, no communication, nothing! I also got a bill for $120 and I said "I'm not paying this much money for NOTHING!" (that's how I perceive life without DVR).

We also had bought a Roku MONTHS ago, but hadn't hooked it up - also our former TV was 8 years old so I guess too old to work with a newer gadget. I'm not sure exactly what a Roku means, but it allows streaming with these various services (you pay a monthly fee) like Netflix, HuluPlus, Crackle. I don't know. Now I rarely watch TV unless Jai or Julia are around because I don't know how to operate the new equipment either. They do - of course!

If Julia is around, we're watching PBS Kids anyway so I might as well not be watching TV. : ) I'm glad she's watching quality TV, but it's not my choice for TV. I'm sure I'll start to experiment & practice, but for now, I'm watching less TV. Good thing since I have camping & PTO committee work & work-work! : )

Update on Julia's school

If you haven't read previous posts, we decided for Julia to attend her zoned school, Inglewood ES. On paper (or internet) IES' scores are low. Most people who were in ENCORE & elsewhere ask us why we have her there. I get emotional as I write this part.  I love my children & I want the best for them like all parents.  I am a MNPS graduate K-12  - attended K-6 at Glendale ES in the '70s before Spanish Immersion.

Also as an employee, I want my children to attend MNPS schools, especially necessary on 1 income. : ) We believe in neighborhood schools & being close to home. I drive 11 miles to work one way so it's also practical. The "morning grind" is hard enough without adding more miles - Jai & girls are late at least once a week & they're going 1 MILE!! I don't know what is going to happen later, but we decided to be involved in her school - I feel like that's how I can contribute.

I'm a PTO committee chair now - how did that happen already! Also we all have IES shirts, even Jac!

We like the school, teachers are great, so friendly; it's a beautiful, clean, BIG building, & it's small (around 300 students). Julia has adjusted well, doesn't stand out as younger. She gets along with others, talks about friends - we check in with her every day about what happens at school. Her teacher modifies her work appropriately - excellently actually - from day 1. Her handwriting continues to improve daily. : )

Last week was Open House/PTO & it was fantastic! HUGE crowd - impressive! 

Also much more diverse than I expected - the stats on MNPS website for many schools are OLD. There are/were moments when I'm uncomfortable or dislike what I see from other parents - I'm a middle class biracial woman. I'll be the first to admit, well, my husband tells me to admit, I'm a snob. : )

At Open House we met parents of another K student in ENCORE (not zoned for IES either!) who want to be involved with PTO. Yeah, I think we have a K parent rep for PTO. Then yesterday Julia told me there's another K student in ENCORE. WHAT!!! Are you kidding me? When we had Julia's eligibility/IEP meeting in April, they'd never had this situation.

If you are zoned for Inglewood ES & not sure, please consider coming. Join us & be part of this amazing change that's happening there! Everyone's situation & choice are individual & unique - you have to make best decision for YOUR family! 

However, I really want Stratford cluster to be the best school option for our kids! I realized that we're going to be at IES for 8 years because of Jac's age, probably the same for Litton MS & Stratford HS. I like to be involved in community stuff anyway; also we're helping children whose parents don't have skills and/or resources.

Sweet Moment

Lately I've been staying up late - mainly working on camping coordination (made EAC blog), also I'm now chair of PTO committee at Julia's school. When I go upstairs to bed, the girls are always asleep. I check on them & then turn off lamp by Julia's bed. Lately I have felt particularly emotional as I look at them, especially Jacqueline, but they're both so adorable. OMG!

So peaceful in sleep, too. Quiet after the crazy running around, talking, loudness that is these 2 girls all day! It probably is because this week we've altered bedtime routine a bit. No nursing for Jac so Jai starts the process with her, I'm with Julia. I'm glad for more time with Julia too. It's been different, she seems OK, hasn't called/cried for me. Jac also loves saying "night, night" with a big smile/grin so that seems like a good distraction.

She's 20 months old, weaning is not that unusual, 6 months longer than I nursed Julia, but this is it. No more kiddos, no more breastfeeding. I am glad we're doing it the 2 weeks before Fall Break. We'll all be traveling - I'll be in Phoenix, Jai & girls in Chicago. This is the first time for me to be away from Jac, longest I've ever been away from Julia, longest I've been away from Jai in 5 years! I'm excited though - I haven't had a sister trip in 2 years & I was pregnant so not the same! PHX here I come! : )

Virgin Diet update

11 pounds in 6.5 weeks! It's going so well! : )

Tuesday is last day of 7 weeks of V-Diet. I plan to continue it as I have 9 more pounds to reach my Oct. 8 goal (5 weeks) which is also what I weighed before I got pregnant with Julia. Currently I'm 2 pounds away from what I weighed before I got pregnant with Jacqueline!

It will be close, but I'll be happy regardless. My eventual goal is another 5-10 pounds after the initial 20 so that I'll be in top range of my suggested BMI. Honestly I think if I lose any more I'll look anorexic.

Even if I don't get to the exact number by 10/8, I will start again after my (used to be annual) "Sister Trip" during Fall Break (October) to see Susie in Phoenix. She is doing VD too & eats vegetarian (vegan sometimes too) so I know we'll eat healthy; hopefully play some much needed tennis. We didn't get to play tennis like usual during her summer visit to Nashville because of S's foot injury.

Counting calories is making the difference - overall I'm eating less. Exercise is important too, but food intake is my nemesis. Also being gluten free is a good part of plan. Adding the other 3 foods independently in last 4 weeks was not too revolutionary. My body doesn't react to soy, dairy, egg in major ways. Eating gluten has been telling, especially wheat. Ezekiel bread or spelt are OK for me to eat, but wheat is not!

I look forward to being at maintenance point too. : )

Additional Note:
A friend asked how Jai was doing. Good question, didn't mean to exclude his progress. : )
Jai is doing pretty well.  Strangely he hasn't lost as much weight as I expect (men usually lose faster). He's lost 9 pounds ... I think he has about 35 more.  He stays up later than me & snacks. He's doing better after he gained 2 pounds 1 week & then he started logging/counting calories the next week.

National Wear Your College Colors Day

My colleague/co-school counselor & I promoted this day in conjunction with our district's college & career readiness initiative. We communicated with our school staff to wear their college shirts; many did.

I wore 1 of my Wellesley t-shirts with pride & excitement.

Of course I have 4-5 Wellesley shirts - my favorite is one I cannot wear at work sadly.
Wellesley Wisdom is on the front.
On the back is a quote from Madeline Albright '59 at reunion (not sure which one in last 10 years).
"There is a special place in hell for women who do not help other women."

I save that one for more appropriate opportunities to display my politics & feminism. : )