WORD

Vocab Fun

2008-04-16T14:52:00.001-05:00

Check out www.freerice.com

I played with my students today during our study hall. We donated 37,340 grams of rice!

It is addicting!

1st Birthday Party

2008-04-08T14:17:00.000-05:00

Visit to Charlotte

2008-04-01T11:12:00.007-05:00

John's Office!
The room John isn't allowed in. Lots of important computer stuff.
Baby Nichole Reilly

Big Sis Anna fell asleep at dinner!

Happy Birthday Ryane

2008-04-01T07:58:00.000-05:00

Welcome Baby Nichole Reilly!

2008-03-02T16:38:00.004-05:00

Welcome baby Nichole!

Recent Pics!

2008-03-02T16:25:00.003-05:00

Kelly turned 30! Happy Birthday!

Ryane and Luke are still best friends.

Andy is training Ryane to be a stunt double. Yesterday she was jumping off the refrigerator.

Baby Kaitlin's Baptism with Uncle Mike and Aunt Mary and Mom Kerry.

Big sis Anna with baby Nichole!

Welcome Baby Ashley!

2008-03-02T16:15:00.003-05:00

Baby Ashley Catherine!

Congratulations Katie and Jason!

Proud Papa!

Best Friends

2008-02-11T19:55:00.003-05:00

For You 1000 Times Over

2007-12-29T20:12:00.001-05:00

Kelly (my book-club buddy) and I were discussing books a few weeks ago and she mentioned that Persepolis, one of our favorite graphic novels was recently made into a film. The link to the movie, that opened Christmas Day is below.

http://www.sonypictures.com/classics/persepolis/

I also heard the Twilight vampire series by Stephanie Meyer has been purchased by Summit Entertainment and is in pre-production. I'm currently reading New Moon, and unfortunately it's nowhere near as good as Twilight. Granted, I was reading Twilight in sunny Puerto Rico while sipping a strawberry daiquiri. I suppose reading the dictionary would be riveting in those circumstances.

Nonetheless, there is always a risk when you go to see the movie version of a book you love. I saw the film version of The Kite Runner this afternoon and I'm glad that I did. Of course I complained about the parts they left out; the characters left undeveloped (mostly Baba and Ali in my opinion) and the important inner dialogue that inevitably is missed whenever you translate a novel into a screenplay.

What bothered me most was that Afghanistan itself didn't come to the forefront of the film until the end. Throughout the entire novel the country played a huge supporting role; it helped the reader understand the characters, their motivations, their way of life and traditions. I don't think that was fully translated into the film. While reading this book I was fortunate to learn a small bit about a distant land and two families that lived there, mainly Amir and Hassan, "Sultans of Kabul". I wish more of that land was described, filmed, and explored in the movie. On second thought, I like the way it looks in my mind even better.

Overall I give the film a B+.

Andy did not read the book and he said it was one of the best films he had seen all year. I agree. If you liked The Kite Runner, you may also enjoy The House of Sand and Fog with Ben Kingsley.

I also recommend the film Osama. It was released in 2004 and was the first movie made in Afghanistan after the Taliban era.

http://www.osamamovie.com/

Welcome Baby Olivia

2007-12-29T09:40:00.001-05:00

Welcome baby Olivia Marie. December 17th, 2007. 8lbs. 15 oz. 20 3/4 inches.

Proud parents: Courtney and Gordon!

Isn't she beautiful? She looks like mom and dad!

Christmas Fun!

2007-12-29T09:12:00.001-05:00

Daddo with Ryane and cousin Madeleine on Christmas morning!

Aunt Katie and Ryane on Christmas morning. Ryane loves water bottles.

Ryane and Luke had a great Christmas! Ryane got spoiled by her grandparents and aunts and uncles. She scored a Spiderman "Build-a Bear" from Uncle Danny and some baby Converse shoes from Aunt Katie, to name a few!Luke got some minty fresh dog treats. Who could ask for more?

Here is a shot of the two best friends on Christmas morning!

Santa made a stop at daycare to see Ryane and all the other boys and girls!

Ryane and Grandpa had fun decorating the Christmas tree.

Ryane loved eating wrapping paper! Next year I am going to wrap up wrapping paper and give it to her as a gift.

Portraits were a hit!

2007-12-29T08:46:00.000-05:00

We gave the grandparents some baby portraits for Christmas and they were a big hit!

Photos by Justine Ungaro.

justineungaro.com

Out of the Loop

2007-12-01T13:40:00.000-05:00

I was recently (not) part of a conversation where vibrant young thirty-somethings were discussing the plots of their favorite TV series. Then it occurred to me, I had no idea what any of them were talking about. I haven't seen a network TV show in ages. With the exception of the occasional HBO series and the news, I really don't watch much TV.

(Let me add, it is once again the time of year when I become a meteorologist. I find that George Michael on channel 4 and Doug Hill on channel 7 are the most reliable when it comes to accurately predicting school closings!)

What? I can hear my friends now! Mary, the queen of TV! Yes, it is true! I really don't watch TV too much anymore. Since Ryane has been around we've made point to turn off the TV. This basically means she has listened to hours of Howard Stern and a pretty heavy rotation of rap and punk rock music, thanks to her father.

Back to my story... I have no idea what is going on with any of these shows people speak of: Nip/Tuck? Never seen it. Desperate Housewives? Stopped watching after season one. Laguna Beach? Haven't seen that one either. Heroes? Missed it. Why? Because I am in bed before all these shows even start.

See, my routine pretty much goes like this:

get home from work

feed munchkin

bathe munchkin
play with munchkin
put munchkin to bed
feed me
bathe me
read book
go to bed

Goodnight!

A mommy state of mind

2007-12-01T09:28:00.000-05:00

My dear friend Erin and her boyfriend Frank have recently purchased a puppy, Calvin. And, may I add are about to purchase a home together. Thinking back to the days when Luke was a pup, all I can remember about those first few weeks was thinking, "If a puppy is this much work, I am definitely not ready to have a baby." I mean, I had to walk the dog every two or three hours, clean up his poop, make sure he was clean, fed and walked on a regular basis. This was serious work. An actual life was in my hands. The only relief I had was knowing that I could stick him in his crate for a few hours and go out if I wanted to. I remember thinking I can't do that with a baby! Or can I?

Of course not. My baby really hates when I do that.

These pictures are from Katie's baby shower on Nov. 25th. Courtney is ready to have Baby Olivia! Any day now!

Katie and her mom. Baby Ashley Madison is due on Valentine's Day.

What kind of Christmas Tree are you?

2007-11-24T00:20:00.000-05:00

You Are a Cranberry and Popcorn Strung Tree

Christmas is all about showcasing your creative talents.
From cookies to nicely wrapped presents, your unique creations impress everyone.

What Christmas Tree Are You?

Wrong. Andy has decided we are having a Nightmare Before Christmas Christmas this year. No popcorn on our tree, only skulls and crossbones this year for Santa. Pictures to come.

Because every girl needs a vampire book

2007-11-23T23:59:00.001-05:00

Allow me to introduce my new favorite book series:

This is the first book in the series:

Back from Sabbatical

2007-11-23T22:06:00.000-05:00

I've recently returned from sabbatical and I'm now somewhat committed (at least for the moment) to undeviated blog postings. It turns out some people were checking my blog as an adroit little way to keep up with Ryane, Andy, Luke and I.

Since it is the season of giving, and I don't have any money, the least I can do is post a picture of Ryane a few times a week. So for the few friends and relatives that read this, (I think there are 5 of you out there: Daddo, Ashley, Tash, Grandma, Melissa H, and Aunt Kathleen) I hope you enjoy the updates. I'll try to post as many pictures of Ryane as I can.

Baby Kaitlyn Nicole born Nov 15, 2007

Congratulations Dave and Kerry and big brother Christopher!

Cousin Blake and Ryane

Well, it has been a busy few months. Last weekend I made the trip up to northern Jersey to visit my good friend Ashley. She is getting married to the incredibly charming Tim in January and we stayed at their adorable new home. Ash thought we were all coming up for her wedding shower which was lovely, but she had no idea that Tim had planned a surprise 30th birthday party for her that night. Ash was so surprised. All of her friends and family were waiting to surprise her when we reached the restaurant that night.

Ashley's house and surprise party

Puerto Rico

In November I was lucky enough to jet down to Puerto Rico for the wedding of dear friends Jenny and Rob. Jenny was a beautiful bride and we had a lovely time at The Conquistador Resort. The four of us pictured below made $40 last for 4.5 hours at the blackjack table. Not bad, huh?

Jason with all the ladies. Jason and Erich were the only husbands on the trip, so they endured their share of girl talk.

Baby Payton, or "Pay Pay" was having a terrific time at the rehearsal dinner.

Happy Halloween

This is what it has come to?

2007-08-19T19:44:00.000-05:00

Yes, it has come to this. I don't even post captions along with my pictures. What is wrong with me? Don't I have any standards? (Don't answer that) What a crappy excuse for a blog this has become. Honestly, this is partially why I've been avoiding this thing. I think if I just ignore it, it will go away. Mary, you are an idiot. If you DO in fact ignore it, it will go away! I suppose this is true. I can delete all of my past entries and pretend this never happened. Or I can print them out and save them. That way Ryane can know what a whiner and complainer I was. I think not.

The sad thing is, I can't even make up some of the stuff that has happened this summer. I could write a sequel to "Unsolicited Opinions from Dear Old Dad" based on the past two months alone. Maybe one day.

So, instead I've posted a picture of Ryane eating some rice cereal. Enthralling, I know.

Thanks for explaining this, Washington Times!

2007-08-15T14:47:00.000-05:00

Migraine and PFO

This is what I have:

http://washingtontimes.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070731/METRO/107310059/1004

Some Summer Pics

2007-08-05T15:22:00.000-05:00

Gearing up for Work/ School

2007-07-19T20:59:00.000-05:00

I really like this guy. He is a POETRY SLAM pioneer. We had one at South County last year!

This video gets me excited to go back to work!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RxsOVK4syxU

You can read more about Taylor Mali at: taylormali.com

Justine's pictures of Ryane

2007-06-13T11:54:00.000-05:00

photos by Justine Ungaro
justineungaro.blogspot.com
studiodiana.com

Before the critics tell me what to think

2007-06-11T06:25:00.001-05:00

It is 6:30 Monday morning, and before I'm tainted by the morning news show reviews of the last episode of The Sopranos, I want to tell you what I think.

Perfecto! David Chase is brilliant. It was the only way to end it. And no, they didn't leave it open for any future movie deals, Chase closed the book on these characters.

Stick a fork in it, the last episode was well done.

I'm anxious to explain, but Ryane is screaming for a bottle. I do have my reasons, so I'll get back to this at a later post. I'd also like to add that I predicted the series would end exactly as it did! Why aren't I working in TV?

PS- Andy completely disagrees with me, and didn't like the last episode. Figures.

All this Sopranos talk was almost enough for me forget the return of my favorite TV show tonight! BIG LOVE. Wooohooo!

Parental Advisory: No Content

2007-06-06T11:00:00.000-05:00

When I was the yearbook advisor I would always tell my students that we needed more content in our layouts. They would design a spread with multiple photos and no text. I remember telling them that we needed more than just one line captions under pictures; we needed some meat, we needed a story!

Well, I suppose I should follow my own advice. I’ve basically been posting random pictures with some sloppy captions and callin’ it a day. My students would be so disappointed with my lack-luster writing. I wish I could just hook up a USB cord to my brain and download all the stories and posts that I’ve been thinking of.

For example:

Why do socks get lost in the dryer? Even baby socks?
The logo for the 2012 Olympic Games
My thoughts on the last episode of Sopranos
Larry King, and why he annoys me so much lately
The media, and why they continue to report on Paris Hilton’s jail sentence
What drugs the writers of Spiderman 3 must‘ve been on when writing the script. I walked out after Spidey started dancing around in a jazz club. I mean C'mon!

Anyways, I once heard someone say that not having enough time to do something is never an excuse because we all have the same amount of time. Point taken. (and in this case ignored… here are some more random pics and sloppy captions…)

Uncle Danny and Ryane

Ryane with her grandparents!

Aunt KatieRyane and Courtney on Memorial Day Weekend

Memorial Day weekend at The Hubbard's
Ryane and Andy

Grandma P shooting Mr. Hubbard's BB Gun!

Ryane is getting tired from all the action.

Proud parents. Erich and Kelly with baby Payton Marie!

Born May 31st!

Andy and Chris with their best girls! A fun play date with cousin Madeleine Marie and Uncle Chris.

Happy Birthday to Reese! 1 year old!

Court's New Crib

2007-05-27T13:42:00.000-05:00

Ryane and I were very excited to visit Courtney at her and Gordon's new place on Friday. We spent a beautiful day hanging out by the pool and enjoying the sun! Ryane spent most of the day sleeping inside the air conditioned house in her stroller!

Here are some pictures of their lovely home. This is exactly what Andy and I would build one day! It is extremely modern with clean lines and tall glass windows throughout the house. There is also an enormous koi pond in the living room! This place is AMAZING!

Another thought on birthdays...

2007-05-27T13:01:00.000-05:00

A few months ago I commented on how different Kelly's birthday was this year from last year. Well, having recently celebrated my birthday and Courtney's birthday, the same rings true for us.

For instance:
My birthday last year was a three part event:
Dinner at Bonefish
Drinks at Coastal Flats
then dancing at Blue Iguana

My birthday at Coastal Flats- May, 2006.

My birthday dinner at Bonefish- May 2006.

Kelly and I dancing at Blue Iguana later that night!

This year it was a one parter: simple, but fun dinner at Sakura, then home by 9 pm.

Last year Courtney's birthday was a 3 part event as well:
Dinner at Facca Luna In Arlington
Drinks at Rumors
then Dancing at Mad Hatters

This year it was a one parter: simple dinner at Coastal Flats and home by 9 pm.

Kelly and Courtney at Coastal Flats for Hubbard's 29th birthday dinner - May 2007.

Katie and I at Court's Birthday dinner, May 2007.

Courtney at and I at Rumors in DC for her birthday celebration in May 2006.

Now, I'm not suggesting they close down the schools to celebrate the day I was born, but I think the days of the "triathlon birthday night out" are long gone for my friends and I. It was sure fun while it lasted and I'm glad I took full advantage while I could!

What We've Been Up To... Cont.

2007-05-26T20:40:00.000-05:00

Clearly, I’ve been slacking off in the blog arena lately, but for good reason. It takes a new mom approximately nine weeks to figure out that she can multitask as she did in her pre-baby life. Or she can simply steal (I mean borrow) her husband’s laptop and write comfortably as her baby swings contently in the lifesaving “aquarium playtime swing”.
Before Ryane was born Andy and I swore we would not surrender to all the toys and gadgets of Babies R Us. Anyways, we’re nine weeks in and I’m waving the white flag. Bring on the play swings, bouncy seats and anything else you can find because I’ll use it.

Since I'm short on time, here are a few pictures that sum up some of the things we've been doing over the past 3 weeks! I hope you enjoy!

Grandad and Ryane at Katie's soccer game

Andy introduces Ryane to Star Wars at the tender age of 7 weeks

Grandma's house on Mother's Day with Blake, Brooke, Chris, Ryane, and Reese! We missed you baby Anna!

Jimmy, Lauren and Ryane at Christopher's 2nd Birthday party!

Uncle Mike and baby Ryane

Katie, Courtney, and baby Ryane!

Andy made his own diaper bag for baby Ryane. (See previous post on Skulls for more insight on this topic!)

Aunt Natasha and baby Ryane

My checkout at the grocery store: diapers, baby wipes and coffee. That's all I need now. I forgot the bottle of wine!

Christopher turns two!

Happy Birthday to me! I turn 29!

Reese is about to take his first steps!

What We've Been Up To

2007-05-09T19:31:00.000-05:00

Here are some pictures of what we've been up to the last six weeks!

Ryane's first trip to Nags Head!

This is her first night out with the girls! I handed her off to Kelly and Justine when she started fussing! Kelly has a baby on the way, so she didn't mind at all!

Uncle Jimmy and Ryane.

Ryane is getting to know Luke. They are good buddies.

This is from Kelly's baby shower. Here are all our pregnant girlfriends. They are in order of due-dates from left to right. Kelly is due in late June and Courtney is due in early December!

Grandma P. and Ryane in Nags Head.

This is on Long Beach Island in NJ. I went up to Beach Haven to celebrate my good friend Ashley's engagement!

Ashley and Timmy at their Engagement Party on April 28th!

Ryane conducting a symphony as she sleeps.

Ryane loves conducting!

I have a minute...

2007-05-09T15:51:00.000-05:00

Well, I don’t even know where to begin. I have a some time to write as Ryane is swinging in her Aquatic Playtime Take Along Swing. I’m not sure who enjoys the swing more, her or me. Anyways, it feels good to be posting something again, no matter how short or insignificant this post may turn out to be. After all, I may have to end this post any second to tend to Ryane for any number of reasons. So, if I suddenly trail off in the middle of a sentence, you’ll know why. (Or, I’ll be guilty of another fragment)

So, what have I been up to? Lots of things over the past six weeks. Well, for starters there is this eight pound human being in my home that depends on me and my husband for EVERYTHING! This was an adjustment at first, but now I am used to it and Ryane and I have settled into a nice little routine. We hit a few minor speedbumps in the beginning like: C-section recovery, migraines, clogged milk ducts, and an angry breast abcess, but once that was taken care of things began to look up for me!

I have lots of pictures of Ryane to share. I'll upload them and post them soon.

Happy Easter

2007-04-09T15:07:00.000-05:00

Baby Ryane Ashley and her cousin Madeleine Marie on Easter Sunday!

Ryane Ashley

2007-04-04T05:21:00.000-05:00

I am too busy to write right now, but I wanted to post some pictures of Ryane Ashley. Trust me, I have plenty of stories to tell about the past eight days with our new daughter, but I will wait until I have some more sleep to write about them!

False Alarm

2007-03-22T18:12:00.000-05:00

Hopefully this will be the only false alarm I have...

Andy and I made a trip to Fairfax Hospital last night. I must say it was a much nicer trip than the last one. I believe I referred to my stay there in September as "the ninth circle of hell"- A bit dramatic looking back on it, but that is how I felt at the time.

I'll spare you the details, but I thought I had possibly started labor. I called my doc and she was at Fairfax (delivering twins) and told me to come in. So, Andy and I grabbed my bag and headed to the hospital. I must say I was extremely calm and collected, as was Andy.

I got checked in, put in a triage bed, and hooked up to all the monitors. Turns out I was not in labor. My doc said this happens all the time with first-time moms and said I did the right thing by calling, so that made me feel better.

The good news is that now we know where to go and we're all registered and checked it. I also got to have another sonogram and see the baby! I haven't seen him/her since my 20 week sono, so that was really nice. I saw baby's lungs breathing and the heart beating, as well as some head turns from side to side.

I guess that was my one false start. Next time, I'm disqualified.

Guessing Game

2007-03-20T21:08:00.001-05:00

When will baby D. arrive?

Here are the guesses so far:

Name Date Sex Weight AM/PM

Grandma P. 3/26 boy 7.12 12 noon

Ashley 4/6 girl 7.6 pm

Erin 3/29 boy 7.8 pm

Katie E. 4/5 boy 8 pm

Mary D 4/3 no idea 7.11 am

Justine 3/31 boy 7.7 pm

Uncle Danny D. 4/6 boy 6.7 Late in the pm

Aunt Katie D. 4/3 boy 7.8 am

Grandma Pati D. 4/3 boy 7.14 am 12:01-4:30

Kelly 3/30 boy 8 am

Aunt Natasha 4/5 boy 8.2 pm

Andy 3/28 boy pm 9:38

Erich 3/28 boy 10.4 pm

Aunt Kerry P. 4/2 girl 7.2 am

Molly 3/31 girl 7 pm

Sara Y. 3/31 boy 7.2 pm

Cousin Melissa H. 4/5 girl 8.1 am

Chuck 3/29 boy 9.9 pm

Uncle John P. 4/1 boy am

Jenny R. 4/1 boy 8 2 am

Grandpa D. 4/2 boy 7.6 pm

Uncle Chris D. 3/29 girl 7.6 pm

Brittany 4/2 girl 7.9 pm

Courtney 4/2 boy 7.12 pm

What a difference a year makes

2007-03-14T22:41:00.000-05:00

Then and Now: How some things have changed in the past 365 days.

(By the way, I wrote this at 3 in the morning last night, so I hope it makes sense)

Example number one: Celebrating Kelly's birthday.
Last year we went to a bar and danced the night away. This year we went to dinner and talked about being pregnant.

Kelly's birthday last year at Blue Iguana. Kelly, Me, and Summer.

Dancing at Blue Iguana. Kelly and I are doing a dance that my brother Jim made up called the Pac-Man. He often showcases this dance at weddings and other special events. Kelly is being Pac-Man and I am being the ghost. She is about to swallow me alive! Strange, I know... but a real crowd pleaser.

We affectionately call our local watering hole the BI or Green Lizard for short. This restaurant/bar is literally 3 minutes from my house and Kelly's house, so you could often find us sitting on the patio outside enjoying a tasty beverage at least one night (okay maybe two nights) a week from May- September. Another shot from Kelly's birthday last year.

Okay... let's flash ahead to Kelly's birthday this year. We celebrated with a quiet evening of dinner and lots of desserts at a local restaurant. Much tamer than last year don't you think?

Kelly, Me, and Katie celebrating Kelly's bday. There was a snow storm that night, so we had a smaller crowd. Those of us with 4-wheel drive made it out. At least we are still somewhat adventurous.

Example number two:

St. Patrick's Day last year and this year.

Andy and I at the Irish Festival in Arlington last year.

Andy, Erin, Kelly, and Court enjoying some tasty treats at Rock Bottom Brewery.

Fast forward to St. Patty's Day this year. Andy and I are babysitting our adorable nephew Christopher for the night. Last year I never would have given up my St. Patty's Day, and this year I'm volunteering to babysit! I'm practically encouraging Dave and Kerry to stay out all night because I'm so excited to watch Chris. Oh, how things have changed!

Christopher at our house.

Doesn't he look like he is telling us something extremely profound? I imagine he is thinking... "As a matter of fact mommy, I beg to differ. I think chicken nuggets are better than goldfish."

So darn cute!

Onesies from Uncle Jim

2007-03-14T16:14:00.000-05:00

For many years my brother Jim and I have exchanged ridiculously absurd T-Shirts on our birthdays. It all started around his 21st birthday. I was on vacation in OCNJ and I saw a T-shirt shop on the boardwalk. It was one of those super cheap T-shirt shops where you can have anything you want placed on a T-shirt. You know what I'm talking about... those silkscreen and press-on label shirts that you can only find on boardwalks.

Anyways, I saw a plain white T-shirt with a picture of a Chihuahua on it. This was the ugliest dog picture I had ever seen. So of course I immediately slapped down my $5.95 and bought the thing. I had them attach the word "JIM" in big letters directly under the hideous dog picture.

A few weeks later, Jim was in Fairfax to celebrate his 21st birthday. He was a trooper, and wore the "JIM" T-shirt all night.

So that is how the absurd T-shirt exchange began. Jim has now taken it to a new level as he purchased baby D. some ridiculous onesies! I love it!

For example... this is the T-shirt I got Jim for his birthday this year. Jon Bon Jovi would be pleased.

Onesies for the baby...

And the transformation begins...

2007-03-14T12:39:00.000-05:00

If you have ever been to our home, you know how Andy and I (well, actually Andy) has designed the interior with our specific tastes in mind. You know we like clean lines, modern furniture and not a lot of clutter. I have a feeling all of that is about to change!

In a few weeks, (or hopefully sooner!) I envision toys scatterd about, diapers, burp cloths, bottles and the like all over the house. I can't wait!

The pack and play is set up in the living room. Thanks Dave and Kerry!

We have just about finished up the nursery except for a few more things we are going to place on the walls. I just love how peaceful it is in this room right now. I wonder how long that will last?

All the clothes are washed, folded and ready to go. I have filled all the dresser drawers with baby clothes that I received at my showers.

The changing table and crib. The bassinet is in our bedroom.

Grandma and Grandpa Powderly gave us a few more frog themed items for the baby's bathroom. We are still waiting on the frog shower curtain, but it is on the way.

Kelly and Erich gave us this adorable froggy bathrobe!

The following are from Grandma and Grandpa P.

New site

2007-03-08T08:03:00.000-05:00

Andy's new website:

http://andydevlin.carbonmade.com/

Sunday March 4th baby shower at the Hubbard's

2007-03-07T09:46:00.000-05:00

This weekend my friends hosted an amazing baby shower for me at the Hubbard's house. I had such a wonderful time!

I truly can't believe all of the wonderful gifts I received. Baby D got so many adorable outfits. I did four loads of baby laundry on Monday. I had such a great time organizing the nursery and putting away all the awesome gifts I received.

Here are some pictures:

The Hubbard's amazing house! (I stole this picture from Justine)

My beautiful and delicious cake! Thanks Natasha! She also gave me an amazing diaper bag!

Opening presents!

The following five pictures were taken by Justine Ungaro.

http://www.studiodiana.com/

http://justineungaro.blogspot.com/

The indoor pool!

Katie and Pati D.

Giselle and Tash

Entrance to the house

Erin and Katie

Puttin' on the Ritz

2007-03-03T05:22:00.000-05:00

Well, it is 5:30 in the morning and guess who’s still awake? If you guessed me, give yourself a pat on the back. Thanks to a 14 hour migraine Wednesday night into Thursday afternoon, my sleep schedule is now especially messed up (yet again).

I’m not complaining. I have found plenty of constructive things to do in the wee hours of the morning. So far I have:

cleaned out my makeup drawer
reorganized my closet
folded laundry
finished the book I was reading
made an elaborate “to-do” list that I will never complete
written thank you cards
and sat in my new glider in the nursery while dreaming about the baby

See, I’m not complaining!

Then, I realized I forgot to post pictures from my friend Becky’s 40th birthday bash held at The Ritz Carlton last Saturday. I’m telling you, I had the perfect spot at this party. Since I’m nine months pregnant, I basically sat down the entire time. People just rotated through to talk to me and I didn’t even have to get up! The waiters came by with yummy appetizers and I didn’t have to budge all night. I had my helpful brother Mike, and Courtney to get me a non-alcoholic beverage whenever I beckoned for one from the bar. Sometimes this pregnancy thing really has advantages.

Too bad I couldn’t do the worm at this party. I should be back into tip-top worm condition this summer.

Here are some pics:

Becky's birthday cake. Yes, that is a cake made to look like a Versace purse! Yummy!

Courtney and Gordon

Mike and Natasha

Showered with love (and frogs)

2007-03-02T12:43:00.000-05:00

My former colleagues from Irving MS hosted a lovely baby shower for me on Wednesday evening. It was nice to catch up with my friends and celebrate baby D. (I also didn't mind all the food and cake!)

I also received many frog themed items from my parents. I have pictured some below!

Frog towels for the baby's bathroom!

A froggy hamper!

Who knows... the baby may arrive in time for St. Patrick's Day!

Frog stuffed animal

A frog robe just for me! I have to match the baby!

Lots of adorable yellow and green outfits for the baby girl or boy!

Something to Talk About

2007-02-26T01:46:00.001-05:00

Sunday night Kelly hosted her annual Oscar Party. We all agreed this was the most boring Oscar show in years. (Until, of course Martin Scorsese won best director for The Departed. Didn't I call this months ago?) Instead of watching the show, we inevitably ended up chatting about all things babies!

Erich took this picture of the two pregnant ladies! Me at nine months, and Kelly at almost six months! Yes, almost six months!

Later, I began to think about all my nieces and nephews and how lucky my family is to have all these healthy little munchkins in our lives.

I must show them off!

Blake and Brooke

Baby Madeleine, I affectionately call her M&M

Reese. I call him Reesie-Pie. What a handsome little devil!

Christopher. I used to call him Chrissy when he was a baby, but now I call him Chris. I think his dad prefers that anyways!

Baby Anna. Look at those blue eyes and long lashes!

PS- Happy Birthday to my brother Dave today!

I Knew It!

2007-02-24T20:03:00.000-05:00

I'm posting this at 1:56 in the morning, so hopefully this is somewhat coherent. I seem to be up all night lately. And when I say all night, I literally mean ALL NIGHT. I usually fall asleep around six or seven in the morning and then sleep until eleven or so. My migraines don't help the situation either, seeing that I have to be asleep or lying down in my room when those occur. This has messed up my sleep schedule to the point that I just surrender and sleep whenever I can. I suppose this is preparation for when the baby arrives. I'm certainly catching up on my late-night infomercials.

Anyways, A recent article from Reuters concludes that, “Math Anxiety Saps Working Memory Needed to do Math”

http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20070219/od_nm/math_anxiety_dc

For those of you that know me, you know that math is not my strong point. My poor parents spent a fortune on math tutors for me in high school and I still failed algebra 2 in eleventh grade. I had to repeat the class again in twelfth grade and passed with a D. Actually, I think my average for the year was a 63% (64% is passing). My sweet teacher felt bad for me and let it slide. Probably because I wasn’t a behavior issue and I actually paid attention to everything she said. I even stayed after school to wash her overhead slides for extra credit.

Looking back on it now, I’m surprised none of my math teachers ever recommended me for testing or special services due to my poor math grades. I had pretty decent grades in my other classes and I was barely getting by in math. My math tutor, Mrs. Dunkle, even asked me after one of our tutoring sessions how I was doing in my other special education classes. The thing was, I wasn’t in any special education classes, but now I think I should have had special attention for my math issues. Too late now I suppose.

Anyways, the problem still exists today. Just ask any of my family or friends. I avoid math like the plague. It makes me feel so stupid, anxious and nervous whenever I think about it. My seventh grade students will come up to me during study hall with a math problem and I’ll have no idea how to do it. I'll then pronounce, “Who would like to be a special volunteer and assist Johnny with his math homework? You know the best way to master something is to teach it.” Usually, I'll get a few volunteers.Thank goodness. I can’t let them know that I have no idea how to approach the math problem. Sneaky, huh?

I inevitably end up telling them the story of how I failed math in high school anyways, so I don’t know why I put on the front.

I think there is something to the theory of multiple intelligences after all.

"The theory of multiple intelligences was developed in 1983 by Dr. Howard Gardner, professor of education at Harvard University. It suggests that the traditional notion of intelligence, based on I.Q. testing, is far too limited. Instead, Dr. Gardner proposes eight different intelligences to account for a broader range of human potential in children and adults."

These intelligences are:
Linguistic intelligence ("word smart")
Logical-mathematical intelligence ("number/reasoning smart")
Spatial intelligence ("picture smart")
Bodily-Kinesthetic intelligence ("body smart")
Musical intelligence ("music smart")
Interpersonal intelligence ("people smart")
Intrapersonal intelligence ("self smart")
Naturalist intelligence ("nature smart")

above info from:
http://www.thomasarmstrong.com/multiple_intelligences.htm

A Cause I Can Jump Behind

2007-02-19T19:19:00.001-05:00

This weekend my father-in-law gave me this article from The Philadelphia Inquirer titled, "Zoos enlisted in a battle to save frogs"

Well, it is about time! Finally, a worthy cause that I can support. I'm not sure how I'm going to support it just yet, but when I decide, I'll let you know.

http://allaboutfrogs.org/info/save/save.html

Find out what kind of a frog you are by taking this simple test.

I'm a Red Eyed Tree Frog, obviously! Like the Red Eyed Tree frog, my eyes turn red when I am angry, I am most active at night, and I only like to hang out with other Red Eyed Tree Frogs.

http://allaboutfrogs.org/funstuff/frogtest.php3

"Red-eyed tree frogs come from the warm and humid rain forests of Costa Rica in Central America. Some believe that their red eyes are a form of protection called "startle coloration". These frogs are very mellow during the day, and tend to be active only at night, so if the frog is awakened in the daytime, as might happen if a predator chanced upon it despite its excellent day time camouflage, the eyes pop abruptly open, hopefully startling the predator. This species tends to do better in a community of other red eyed tree frogs."

New M&M pics

2007-02-19T14:10:00.000-05:00

Madeleine Marie is a little over a month old now! Look how much she has grown.

Madeleine and Mom, Kelley

Madeleine and Uncle Andy

I hear that

2007-02-18T08:00:00.000-05:00

I found this today on my weekly email from babycenter.com. I am 34 weeks now and according to my due date, only 42 more days to go!

Will I Ever Learn?

2007-02-14T17:42:00.000-05:00

A few days ago I posted something titled, “A Sorry Excuse for a Post”
In this, I mentioned that my favorite artist was Andrew D. Well, for those of you who don’t know, that would be my husband. I also took the liberty to snap some photos of his work and post them on that particular blog. BIG MISTAKE!

No, no, no, I’m just kidding. Well, sort of. You see, there is kind of a joke between my friends and I when it comes to Andy’s art. Basically, I am not supposed to get involved at all.

I may have gone on a PR kick with his work a few years ago which landed me in some hot water. I may have notified some news outlets that he won the 8TH ANNUAL GEORGETOWN INTERNATIONAL FINE ART COMPETITION, juried and curated by Kristen Hileman, Asst. Curator for Contemporary Art at the Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Gardens. Out of 1,000 submissions from 184 artist, they picked Andy‘s work as the best. (See, I can’t help myself! I’m doing it again!)

http://www.thefrasergallery.com/DC2004.html
(scroll down to see his pieces and other images from the show)

Like I said, big mistake. The next thing he knew a news crew from channel 5 showed up at his fire station to interview him about his work. Imagine this, a bunch of firefighters hanging out at the station and some reporter comes in to interview Andy about his art. I guess that falls under the category of embarrassing for some guys. How am I supposed to know that? Ever since then, the guys at work have called him Picasso. He also had articles in The Fairfax Connection and The Fairfax Times. I’m not sure he enjoyed being interviewed for those either. This basically sums up his thoughts on artist statements:
http://gimmeshelter.co.uk/ArtistInfo.php?user_id=253

I also may have invited everyone I know to his opening in Georgetown a few weeks later. He was not pleased. He would rather keep a low profile and not tell anyone about such events. NOT ME! Anyways, I vowed to stay out of his art affairs in the future and let him handle things the way he wishes.

I must have forgot this rule when I posted his images the other day. He really didn’t mind all that much that I posted his work, just that I took really bad pictures of his work. Some of the drawings were sitting on the floor in the garage. I thought they looked fine, so I didn’t think much about it.

Here are some images that are not from the garage floor:

After my post, I realized the point Andy was making.

Posting his unfinished art would be like him posting some dreadful poetry that I wrote as a teenager. I though about that for a few minutes and realized how annoyed I would be. Especially because that stuff was REALLY bad! So, in an effort to redeem myself here, I have actually pulled out an old journal of mine from 9th and 10th grade.

I found the most horrendous poems I could find and have posted them below:

Here is the actual journal

A masterpiece about my car

I have absolutely no idea what this is

I told you it was bad!

Day of the Dead

2007-02-13T14:56:00.000-05:00

Today I received a lovely Valentine’s Day present from my beloved hubby. It was a beautiful Valentine’s Day card! This card is reminiscent of the Mexican holiday known as The Day of the Dead. It includes the traditional use of skulls to represent those that have passed from this life to the next.

Inevitably, Andy put his own Valentine’s Day twist on this skull and incorporated some lovely hearts in the mix. Now, skulls may not be what first comes to mind when you think of Valentine’s Day, but this is one of the reasons I love my hubby so much. He finds the beauty in all things; even skulls.

Here is some more info on The Day of the Dead:

http://www.mexconnect.com/mex_/muertos.html
http://www.mexconnect.com/mex_/feature/daydeadindex.html

http://www.public.iastate.edu/~rjsalvad/scmfaq/muertos.html

Here are a few skull images we found in Europe this summer:

Not a fan

2007-02-13T14:28:00.001-05:00

Teachers are fans of snow days. Bulldogs are not.

It took a lot of coaxing to get Luke out the door today. He would much rather be relaxing in his warm bed.

This K-9 is not a fan of the elements. What a baby!

A Sorry Excuse For A Post

2007-02-10T13:41:00.000-05:00

If you have an email address, then you have most definitely received one of those forwards from your friends that asks you to fill out some ridiculously long survey. These usually entail random questions that are of virtually no significance at all. I recently received one of these surveys. For your reading enjoyment, I have posted my answers below. (Like I said, a sorry excuse for a post)

Things you may or may not know about me in no particular order.

Four jobs I have had in my life:
1. Hostess at Artie's (not Arby's) (college)
2. Admin at The Northern Virginia Writing Project (college)
3. Admin at SAIC (right out of college)
4. Front desk and daycare person at Gold's Gym (HS)

FOUR MOVIES I COULD WATCH OVER AND OVER:
1. Love Actually
2. Great Expectations
3. My Blue Heaven
4. Three Amigos
(All guilty pleasure movies)

FOUR PLACES I HAVE LIVED:
This is a funny question- only in Fairfax- I don't like too much change.
1. Fairfax
2. Fairfax
3. Fairfax
4. Fairfax

FOUR T.V. SHOWS I LIKE:
1. Miami Ink
2. Big Love
3. The Sopranos
4. The Dog Whisperer

FOUR PLACES I HAVE BEEN ON VACATION:
1. Ireland
2. Puerto Rico
3. Malta
4. Rome

MaltaRome

WEBSITES YOU VISIT DAILY:
1. Yahoo
2. fcps.edu
3. http://justineungaro.blogspot.com/
4. http://playgroupdropout.clubmom.com/playgroup_dropout/

If you could eat one meal for the rest of your life, what would it be?
Chang's Spicy Chicken from PF Chang's.

What time is your alarm clock set for?
No time at all right now- I sleep when I can.

Do you wear flip-flops even when its cold outside?
Yes, especially to walk the dog.

Would you rather take the picture or be in the picture?
Both. Lately, I'm more fond of taking pictures.

What was the last movie you watched?
Running With Scissors

If you won the lottery, what’s the first thing you would buy?
Land to build Andy's ultra-modern dream house!

What CD is currently in your CD player?
Johnny Cash

Do you prefer regular or chocolate milk?
Regular skim

What did you have for dinner last night?
I can't remember. Pregnancy makes you forgetful.

Have you ever participated in a protest?
Not a formal one, but many impromptu protests around the house.

Who was the last person to call you?
Jimmy

What is your favorite ride at the amusement park?
The Grizzly at King's Dominion

Have you ever dated one of your best friends?
Yes, I married him. My best friend

Did you watch cartoons as a child?
Yes. Jimmy and I loved some Gummy Bears.

Would you ever sky dive?
I used to think so, but now I never would. I'm too afraid of the risk and it is not something I've always wanted to do. I'd actually rather swim with sharks. (Them in the water, me in a cage!) That is what I want to do when I retire; go to South Africa and swim with the Great Whites. What is your biggest regret?
I don't know yet. Maybe this post?

When was your last plane ride?
July- from Spain to Munich, then to DC.

Do you crack your knuckles?
Yes, I crack everything. It is a terrible habit of mine.

How many pairs of jeans do you own?
A lot. Five or Six pairs of maternity jeans (Thanks Tash!) and a bunch of other jeans I don't want to talk about right now because I don't see myself wearing them for quite sometime.

Have you been to Europe?
Yes. France, Spain, Italy, Malta, Ireland, Germany.

Can you skip rocks?
Yes, I can. I had a creek in my front yard growing up.

Have you ever been to Jamaica?
Yes. Once for spring break and once for my honeymoon!

What do you snack on in the movies?
Twizlers or popcorn.

Who is your favorite teacher?
Ms. Gretchen Portwood. The best teacher ever!

Did you ever play Capture the Flag in school?
Yes, all the time at Mantua!

How do you sleep?
I don't sleep much at all right now.

Which sport are you best at?
That is funny. I think I am best at walking on the tread-mill and yoga, but I don't think those are sports.

What is your favorite alcoholic drink?
Icepick- Iced tea and vodka. And my favorite person to drink them with is my sis-in-law Natasha, preferably while sitting on her deck at Nags Head. Tash and I on the deck at Nags Head after a few Icepicks!

If you were born the opposite sex, what would your name be?
I suppose it would be my little brother's name: James Francis.

Do you like your living arrangement?
Yes. I love my home!

Did you ever go to the same school as your parents?
No- they grew up in Boston.

What has been your favorite place to travel?
Valetta, Malta

Who is your favorite artist?
Andrew D. of course

What album did you buy last?
Fiona Apple, Extraordinary Machine

How many siblings do you have?
4 brothers, 2 brother-in-laws, 5 sister-in-laws

How old will you be turning on your next birthday?
29 (Are you kidding me? I'll be 29?)

We all have something

2007-02-03T16:04:00.000-05:00

I recently posted an entry on my fabulous frog collection. Since then, I have found a few more frogs around the house. I’ll spare you those pictures.

Then I realized that most of us are known for having some sort of “thing” that we are associated with. For instance:

Erin: Snoopy
Natasha: Palm Trees
Katie: Fish
Justine: Martinis (ha ha!)

For my husband, that thing would be Star Wars. I told you earlier that if it was up to him, our baby would be named Boba Fett. Allow me to illustrate:

This box was too heavy for me to get down. It is filled with Star Wars stuff.

Many of these are Star Wars comic books.

He actually drinks from this cup on a daily basis.

Our nephew Chris was Yoda for Halloween. Andy was so happy to find a young fan in the making.

This was on our European Cruise. He found a Star Wars game in the middle of the ocean.

I almost forgot our dog Luke Skywalker.

Somewhere, USA

2007-02-01T18:48:00.000-05:00

Yesterday I received a bulky package of mail from work. My dept. chair Diane, (I affectionately call her boss-lady) was kind enough to include a few cards that some of my students wrote for me. These “Get Well” cards were probably given as a mandatory assignment or extra credit by my long term sub. That may explain why I received so many of them. I have no illusions that all of my students would suddenly feel the need to write me a card. I’ll bet this assignment was even for a grade! That would certainly explain why they all, “missed me so much.”

The first card I opened was addressed like so:
(For the sake of anonymity, I have not included any names.)

Mrs. D.
Somewhere, USA

That cracked me up. This young cherub knows that I am “somewhere” and that place is not at school.

I also particularly enjoyed this poem:

I think this is a picture of me in the hospital.

These cards really made my day. They all get an A+.

Frogger

2007-01-30T11:58:00.000-05:00

I'm back. Aren't you lucky? I've had a few days of headaches and some sleepless nights, so I'm feeling good today and ready to roll. I feel the need to catch you up on what I’ve been doing. After you read this post, you'll probably think I should have waited to post something more substantial. I apologize in advance for that one.

The most interesting thing I did over the past few days was make brownies. Now, if you know me at all, you know that I don't really cook, so this is a big deal. Granted, they were from a box and all I had to do was add the mix, eggs and oil. Still, this is huge for me.

Andy also put together baby D's crib this week! The nursery is now painted and we are looking forward to putting together our matching changing table and dressers! It is all beginning to come together!

You may have noticed the little frog in the baby's crib. My brother John has been giving me frogs for Christmas for as long as I can remember. He sent this chirping frog toy along for our baby this Christmas!

Come to think of it, I have a lot of frogs around the house. They have all been given to me as gifts over the years. Here are a few of them.

I ran into this frog in Europe this summer. I had to stop and say hello!

Andy gave me this frog keychain over 12 years ago for my 16th birthday. I have cherished it ever since!

These frogs hang out in one of our bathrooms.

This frog is a magnet on our fridge! He guards all the food! (He also holds up pictures of Tash and I and one of Andy and Luke!)

This frog also hangs out in the bathroom.

This frog watches out for fire.

This frog has a green thumb.

Here is another firefighting frog. It is a popular profession for these animals.

If you think I have a lot of frogs at home, you should see my classroom. I have frog borders, posters, cups, magnets, stickers, pens, calendars and so on. A few years ago, one of my seventh grade boys came up to my desk. It was during the first week of school and he was almost in tears. The conversation went something like this:

Him: Ms. P. I have to tell you something.

Me: Okay, sweetie what is it?

Him: In my country we eat frogs.

Me: That is okay. Are they good?

Him: Yes, they taste like chicken. I didn't know that you liked frogs so much. I won't eat them again.

Shameless Plug

2007-01-25T17:08:00.000-05:00

I woke up this morning to a text message from my brother Jim telling me that he was meeting Ivanka Trump today. Interesting to say the least. Well, I haven't heard back from him, so I don't know what that was all about. I bet she needed some financial advice or something.

Anyways, that got me to thinking... tax season is upon us and I feel compelled to plug my little brother Jim.

He is the man as far as I am concerned, and he does a great job with taxes. He also has plenty of clients (and a beautiful girlfriend) in Fairfax, so he is here often! He saved my hubby and I lots of money last year, and who doesn't want that?

(Jim, I hope you're not mad that I posted this. Too late if you are!)

You can check out his services at his website:

http://www.powderlycpa.com/

http://www.archlending.com/team.php (He also has a mortgage company. Overachiever!)

Jim and his lovely girlfriend Lauren.

I’m In the Wrong Business

2007-01-23T17:48:00.000-05:00

Ever since I found out I was pregnant, I have been addicted to anything baby-related. I watch all the baby shows on TV: Bringing Home Baby, A Baby Story, Make Room For Baby, etc. I realize this may be totally unhealthy, but I truly can't help it.

The truth is, I would much rather read a baby book than do just about anything. I'm sure my husband appreciates this because he can't stand those baby shows on TV.

My husband will often come home looking for me, and I’ll be tucked away upstairs reading, What to Expect When You’re Expecting for the third (or twentieth) time. I have no idea why; I just can’t get enough.

I was cleaning up my bedroom today and I realized just how many baby books I have. Many of them have been gifts from my sister-in- laws, and some I have purchased on my own. I’ve also borrowed a few from my pregnant friend Kelly- now 17 weeks! Most notably, she has let me borrow Belly Laughs by Jenny McCarthy which is not pictured here.

In addition to Unsolicited Opinions From Dear Old Dad I’ll have to write a baby book. Apparently, that is where the money is!

Happy Birthday Grandma!

2007-01-22T13:09:00.000-05:00

Last night Dave and Kerry graciously hosted my mom's birthday celebration. Here are some pics.

Reese and Christopher playing

Grandpa and Reese hanging out

Blake, Brooke and Tash. (Brooke must have been tired)

Blowing out the candles on Grandma's Birthday cake

All I Want For Christmas

2007-01-20T18:28:00.000-05:00

If you have been watching TV this week, you may have seen Steve Irwin’s widow Terri and their daughter Bindi making the talk show rounds. My heart goes out to Terri Irwin because like most people, I cannot fathom the idea of losing my significant other. I admire her strength and integrity as she attempts to continue her husband's wildlife crusade.

Logically, this brings me to the topic of Motorcycles. My husband wants a Triumph motorcycle. (It doesn’t help that my Father gave him a motorcycle book for his birthday either! Thanks a lot Dad!)

Now, I am not the type of wife to tell my husband what to do. I just use a little dose of healthy passive- aggressiveness to get my point across. I would never deny him what he wants, and if he truly feels like he needs a motorcycle to make him happy, then by all means he should have one. He can certainly get one and risk the possibility of a severe accident. (Can you detect my highly evolved passive- aggressive skills?)

Whenever he brings it up, I casually remind him of the times he has come home from work and declared with certainty, “I’ll never get a motorcycle after the call we ran last night.” Then he proceeds to tell me the disturbing and sad details of the accident.

So, waiting under the Christmas tree this year was a shiny Triumph T-Shirt! That is almost as good as the bike, right?

Coincidentally, Andy even wore his Christmas present last night. I told you he loves it! I think our little nephew Reese likes it too!

I have a lot to learn

2007-01-19T10:39:00.000-05:00

Top Ten (12 rather) list from my talented brother-in-law Danny-

He is an actor/ director/ writer.
You can check out his website at:
http://ddevlin.googlepages.com/

1) a history of violence
2) a life less ordinary
3) closer
4) punch drunk love
5) the usual suspects
6) brick
7) the history boys <--i'm sure this isn't on DVD yet, but when it is, get it. it's amazing.
8) children of men <--same as above, although you and A can catch this at the local theater.
9) angels in america
10) ghost world
11) shaun of the dead
12) american splendor

From my father-in-law:

"Dearest Mary,

You did pick at least three great movies -
my #3 To Kill A Mockingbird,
my #4 Paper Clips
and my #6 Schindler's List.

However, what could possibly have possessed you to omit my #1 The Wizard of OZ (Lucas stole the plot line for Star Wars.),
#2 Star Wars,
#5 On the Waterfront (Brando at his best),
#7 It's A Wonderful Life (Jimmy Stewart's first movie after returning from WWII),
#8 Singin In The Rain (Kelly, O'Connor and Reynolds)
#9 Casablanca (How can you have a movie list w/o Bogie?)
#10 The Quiet Man (Ireland, John Wayne and Maureen O'Hara)
#11 The Bridge On The River Kwai (Bill Holden and Alec Guinness)
#12 Shane (Simply a great movie from a book.)
#13 Guess Who's Coming To Dinner (Tracy, Hepburn and Poitier (gutsy social statement in 1967)
#14 American Graffiti (Reminded me of my nights at the Steer-In and Hot Shoppes - another lifetime.)
#15 Rocky (the first and last one)

I'm sure there are many others like, "The Adventures of Robin Hood" with Errol Flynn and Olivia de Havilland (another movie Lucas used to write Star Wars) but I'll save those for another time." JMD

Now I know what I'll be doing for the next few weeks, since I have only seen three movies on the list above. Like I said, I have a lot to learn!

I'm also interested in the Steer-In and Hot Shoppes. Do tell!

Thanks G-dad!

An Unsolicited Opinion From Dear Old Dad

2007-01-17T23:46:00.001-05:00

My brothers and I often joke about the self titled "Unsolicited Opinions From Dear Old Dad" that my father regularly bestows on us. If I ever get around to writing something substantial, this will most definitely be the title of my work. I would list some of these one-liners here, but I’d rather save them until I attempt to publish them in their entirety. Believe me, it will be worth the wait. I’m telling you I could fill the Grand Canyon two times over with all the “unsolicited opinions” I've received from my father over the years. Don’t get me wrong, the advice is good, and it comes from the unique perspective of my father, who is one of the smartest people I know. I know everyone thinks that about their dad, but I really believe it. Any man that spends nine years in undergraduate school, obviously likes academia!

Why am I bringing this up? Well, one of those unsolicited opinions went something like this, “People will judge you based on the way you write." I certainly have found this to be true, further proving the point that my dad is of genius-level intelligence. If you recall, the premise of this blog was to keep me entertained. It has recently occurred to me that people may be judging me on the way I write, and of course that is perfectly expected.

I’m not sweating this at all because of the following reason. I have been treating this blog as my own form of “drunk-dialing.” Drunk-dialing occurs after one has had a few too many rum and cokes and proceeds to call someone they may otherwise never considered calling. The only evidence of a drunk-dial then appears the next day on the outgoing call section of your cell phone. It is right there starring you in the face; undeniable evidence that you did indeed call that person at 2:15 in the morning. I have never partaken in this sort of activity, this information is solely based on what my friends have told me. (I’ll stick to that.)

Essentially this blog is my own form of drunk-dialing. I sit at the computer when I’m bored and decide to write something down. (Don’t worry, I’m not drinking rum and cokes at the time.) After I read it over once, I decide to post it. The next day, I go back and read it. Nine times out of ten, I’m thinking, “Why did I post that?” Then I remember! I’m writing this blog for my own self-gratifying purposes! I warned you all from the beginning that this blog was self-serving. I’m sure you’ve figured that out by now, especially if you’ve read this much.

Let me explain. In my creative writing classes, we begin each class with something called an AW, or Automatic Writing. It is a free writing exercise. The AW usually consists of a question or comment related to what we are studying. They are warm-up writing exercises in which the writer begins writing and continues to write, nonstop, for a specific length of time. During this time, the writer does not worry about mistakes; he or she does not stop to correct errors or check spelling. The purpose of automatic writing is for the writer to generate ideas quickly and to get them down on paper. I’d like to think that free writing is an effective learning tool. I hope it helps my students increase fluency, and increase the impulsive part of writing that can be so rewarding. I think teachers have to foster the right environment for students to feel safe and creative. I usually give the students 5-10 minutes to write at the beginning of each class.

Believe me, I know there is a place for grammar, sentence structure and mechanics in the creative writing classroom, but I also think I have to nurture their creative side as well.
I’ve noticed that some of my students write a one-word answer and then shut their AW journal and put their head down on their desk. Some other students are writing vigorously and enthusiastically until the moment I tell them to stop. I figured that some of the students were just not interested, and didn’t care to do the work. Then I began to notice that many of my A and B students were the ones who wrote the short responses in their journals, and then moved on to something else. I would often walk around the room during AW time and insist that the students try to write for the entire five to ten minutes. The students that would stop early, would seem annoyed at the thought of continuing to write. The look on their faces seemed to ask, “Why are we doing this?"

Then it occurred to me that some of the students might not understand the purpose of writing for themselves. They didn’t realize that the writing was not really for me; I was not necessarily their audience. The writing was for them to experiment and think for themselves. Students are often given such detailed rubrics and boundaries that when they are asked to come up with something creative, they are at a complete loss.

Why do good students sometimes back away from writing creatively? Were they uncomfortable with the informality of it? Did they feel awkward about expressing themselves in writing? Were they afraid that I was going to think their ideas were stupid? Were they afraid of getting a bad grade? Maybe these students were playing it safe by not writing a lot. Anyways, my findings on that topic will probably bore you into oblivion, so I’ll stop there.

My point is this- sometimes you need to throw the fear of judgment out the window and just go for it. So what if you misspell a few words or your sentence structure is all out of whack? That is the risk you take when you free write. I’m not suggesting that you free write on a resume, mission statement, or formal letter, but there is something healthy and refreshing about writing for yourself and forgetting the audience altogether.

That is what I’m doing with these blog entries, except as it turns out some of you are actually reading them. Who knew?

Dad, I hope you can refrain from judging my writing until the thoroughly edited version of “Unsolicited Opinions From Dear Old Dad” is published. After all, I’m sure I’ll regret posting this tomorrow.

For your consideration... continued.

2007-01-16T14:07:00.000-05:00

I mentioned earlier that The Departed was one of my favorite films of the year. For all you NetFlix subscribers out there, here are some other movies I've appreciated.

If you have some recommendations, send them my way. I'll even post them if you'll let me. I know my brother-in-law Danny (an actor) will certainly have a good list! I’m also certain my father-in-law will have a list of “must see” films that I've most likely never heard of. I’ll bet they include John Wayne.
I'm also aware that I'm lacking substantially in the horror flick and comedy department. I'm open to suggestions!

May I add... in no way do I consider myself an authority on movie critiquing. These are just some of the films I didn't walk out of.

Documentary:

David LaChapelle's RIZE
http://www.rizemovie.com/rize.php
Born Into Brothels
http://www.thinkfilmcompany.com/brothels/
Spellbound
http://www.spellboundmovie.com/
My Architect
http://www.myarchitectfilm.com/
Winged Migration
http://www.sonyclassics.com/wingedmigration/index_flash.html
Murderball
http://www.murderballmovie.com/
Paper clips
http://www.paperclipsmovie.com/
Fateless
http://www.fateless.co.uk/synopsis.html

Foreign:

Raise The Red Lantern

The Butcher Boy
http://butcherboy.warnerbros.com/
Downfall
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0363163/
Osama
http://www.osamamovie.com/

Other favorites:

Mean Creek
Shop Girl (based on Steve Martin's novella)
Me and You and Everyone We Know
Half Nelson
The Squid and the Whale
The Station Agent
Junebug
Best in Show
Love Actually
The House of Sand and Fog
Thank you for Smoking
Great Expectations
The Life Aquatic
Dead Poets Society
Stand and Deliver
The Nightmare Before Christmas
To Die For
Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind
The Power of One
Munich
Batman Begins
Hysterical Blindness
Little Miss Sunshine
Green Street Hooligans
To Kill a Mockingbird
Sometimes In April
Closer
Garden State
Walk the Line
Heat
Schindler’s List

For your consideration...

2007-01-16T13:27:00.000-05:00

These migraines can really cramp my style. I basically had a wonderful weekend until early Monday morning when a migraine attacked around 3 am. It lingered until about 8 pm last night. Luckily my husband was off yesterday and was able to assist me. I need someone to get the frozen peas out so I can strap them to my forehead. I have no idea if this actually helps my head feel better, but it gives me something else to concentrate on… like the extreme cold pulsating through my head, instead of the throbbing pain I usually feel. After a good 17 hours in my dark and quiet bedroom I was ready to return to the world again.

Not only was I happy to get out of bed, I was thrilled because it was just in time for the Golden Globes. I was a little bummed because my favorite TV series Big Love lost out to Grey’s Anatomy. If you haven’t seen or heard of HBO’s Big Love, I recommend you check it out. The plot is amazing and the actors are extremely believable in this unorthodox family. I believe season two begins sometime this spring.
http://www.hbo.com/biglove/

I stopped complaining after Martin Scorsese won best director for The Departed, one of my favorite films of the year. http://thedeparted.warnerbros.com/

Anyways, back to my fantastic weekend. Certainly the highlight was meeting my beautiful niece Madeleine on Friday! Nothing can compare to that, but the rest of the weekend was quite fun as well. On Saturday night, I ventured out to Champ’s in Fair Oaks to catch up with one of my best-friends and college roommate, Ashley. She moved back to New Jersey about three years ago and Fairfax just hasn't been the same without her. We were all pleased to gawk at her handsome new fiancé and her beautiful engagement ring.

It had been quite sometime since I’d been in a restaurant/bar atmosphere. As you can probably imagine, I’ve been avoiding those places for the past seven months. Initially, the bar area was way too smoky and there was nowhere to sit, so Kelly (also pregnant!) and her husband Erich, along with Andy and myself got a table in the restaurant. May I add that Andy and Erich each had salads for dinner, while Kelly had the mile-high nachos and I enjoyed the sampler platter. Oh, the joys of being pregnant!
(The girls at Champ's on Saturday)

I spent a beautiful day on Sunday in Annapolis with Molly, one of my oldest friends from elementary school. We enjoyed lunch at Pusser’s and had a great time walking around the city. http://www.pussersusa.com/
Erin and Courtney even made some new friends.

The Real Slim Shady

2007-01-13T13:02:00.000-05:00

Madeleine Marie (Eminem, or M&M) was born on January 12. She weighed in at 7 lbs. 6 oz! Congrats to Kelley and Chris!

Ice Ice Baby

2007-01-11T19:33:00.000-05:00

I miss parking in my garage. Last night it dropped below freezing and I'm beginning to want my garage back. "Where did my garage go?" you ask.... Well, actually, it hasn't gone anywhere. I'm the one that has been removed from the equation. You see, in the three years that I have lived in my house, I've hit the garage a total of four times. When I say, "hit the garage" I don't mean that I've kicked the wall in a moment of frustration, I mean banged the hell out of it while driving my car.

Let me explain. We live in an end unit, and the turn I have to make is a really sharp one. It is almost impossible NOT to hit the garage as I pull in. (That's my story and I'm sticking to it!)

The third time I banged into the garage, I actually got the car stuck. How is that possible you ask? My husband asked the same thing when I called him in a panic.

Me: I'm stuck in the garage!
Him: What do you mean you're stuck in the garage?
Me: I rammed into it.
Him: Again?
Me: I can't move the car forward or backward, it just keeps making these really awful noises as it scrapes against the wall.
Him: I'll be right there. Don't do anything.
Me: But....
Him: Don't move.

So, for a few days after this "incident" I voluntarily started parking in the open spaces outside my house. My husband seemed surprised and quite pleased. (He just reminded me that in three years, he has never hit his side of the garage. Big Deal! He drives a firetruck for a living. He's supposed to be a good driver.)

Let me also mention that I blame most of my poor driving and directional skills on my friends. They NEVER let me drive anywhere. I offer, and they somehow find a sneaky way to make sure I'm not the one driving. I know all your tricks girls!

Ok, back to my story. After a few days, my confidence was restored and I attempted to park in the garage. That worked for about three weeks. Then, I got a new car. One month later, the new car followed in the footsteps of the old one. The driver side mirror was knocked off and I had successfully scratched and dented my door. My husband must have heard the noise from upstairs, because before I knew it he was standing in the garage doorway.

He never gets mad. I think I've heard him raise his voice a total of five times, and they've all been during World Cup soccer matches. He just looked concerned for my safety, and made sure that I was ok. In the meantime I could just see the dollar signs adding up in his sweet ol' head. It broke my heart. I can't continue doing this to the man I Iove. I'll give him a heart attack by the time he's 35. At that moment, I decided the garage and me were finished. It was a clean break. I haven't been back since.

When I grow up

2007-01-09T20:43:00.000-05:00

When you were little, did you know what you wanted to be when you grew up?

My good friend Kelly recently reminded me of something from our elementary school days that I had forgotten. Unlike most fourth graders that fantasize about becoming a movie star, professional athlete, nurse, teacher, or lifeguard, (C'mon, you remember how cool the lifeguard was at your pool, don't you?) I had something else in mind. Kelly recalled that I wanted to be a Nazi Hunter. That is correct. At the age of ten, I was determined to be a Nazi Hunter. I don't think I realized (or cared for that matter) that most of the perpetrators would be dead by the time I graduated from HS. All I wanted to do was hunt them down and bring them to justice.

My father recently let me borrow a hard copy of the book The Holocaust Chronicle, (I can't figure out how to underline in this program. Just imagine the title of the book is underlined) published by Louis Weber. This entire 700 plus page book is also available on-line. http://www.holocaustchronicle.org/

"As the 21st century unfolds, the Holocaust recedes farther into the past. As something that happened in an earlier century, it may appear to be increasingly distant from us. Nothing, however, could be further from the truth. The genocide happened; it casts shadows upon the earth. The genocide makes no darkness unthinkable, no destruction unimaginable, no devastation impossible. Post-Holocaust ethnic cleansing in Kosovo and genocides in Bosnia and Rwanda testify to that. Only if the Holocaust's warning is heeded and not forgotten can the cry "never again!" keep from being mocked by a resounding "again and again!" The Holocaust Chronicle. Prologue, page 19.

We can also look at what is currently happening in Darfur. http://www.savedarfur.org/content
Genocide warnings are also present in Chad, Ethiopia, Zimbabwe, Uzbekistan and Burma.

Like many people, I am a firm believer that we have to understand the darkest moments in history to make sure they never happen again. Although this book is often difficult to read, I think it is important to be a witness in any way I can.

Use the force Luke

2007-01-09T19:00:00.000-05:00

So I'm considering signing up Luke Skywalker for Pets on Wheels. http://www.fpow.org/
Luke Skywalker is my 2 1/2 year old English bulldog. My husband is a big time Star Wars fan. Luckily, I won out on the dog- naming controversy. He preferred Chewey, Jabba, Han Solo or Lando Calrissian. If you even know who Lando Calrissian is, you and my husband would get along. If it were up to my husband, my baby could possibly be named Boba Fett. Once again, if you even know who Boba Fett is, you and my husband could be pals.

Anyways, enough throwing my husband under the bus. So, back to Pets on Wheels. It is a volunteer organization where dogs visit local nursing homes

to hang out with the residents. We always bring Luke up to Philly when we visit the grandparents, and they love it. Luke would be great at this job. We can show off our skateboarding tricks.

Did you ever see the movie Alien?

2007-01-08T20:18:00.001-05:00

Remember when the alien pops out of that dude's stomach in the movie ALIEN? Yeah, I do too. This is what I learned about my insides today, thanks to this neat little website called babycenter.com. Not that I believe I have an alien inside me. In fact, I know I don't. I saw the ultrasound pics and it is indeed a human. Thank God!

"Your baby is really starting to fill up your uterus. This week he or she weighs almost 2 pounds and is about 14.4 inches long with his legs extended. He or she can now open and close his eyes, and he sleeps and wakes at regular intervals. He may suck his fingers, and although his lungs are still immature, they would be capable of functioning — with assistance — if he were to be born prematurely. Chalk up any rhythmic movement you may be feeling to a case of baby hiccups, which may be common from now on." babycenter.com

Well, I'm glad to hear that the baby is sleeping at regular intervals, because at least someone should be. I most definitely am not. It has gotten to the point that my husband moves himself to the guest room around 2 am because he can't sleep while I'm attempting to do a downward facing dog or childs pose on our bed. (yoga move, for those of you who don't know. I'm adding this because I can just see my mother reading, "downward facing dog" and wondering what kind of weird stuff I'm into. Don't worry mom, it's a yoga pose.) I can't blame him. I mean, I'm up to use the bathroom every 30 minutes, and I sigh and moan every time I attempt to roll over in bed. The poor man is up all night at work running fire and EMS calls, so when he's off, he needs his sleep.

Separate bedrooms? Isn't that supposed to happen later on in a marriage? I guess we've hit that benchmark early. What can I say... we're overachievers!

What the heck am I doing?

2007-01-07T21:51:00.000-05:00

Due to the persistence of my friend Justine, I have decided to begin writing this blog. (You can check out her blog at: http://justineungaro.blogspot.com/) She was probably getting sick of me reminding her to update her blog, and therefor insisted that I start my own. The thing is, Justine has a pretty interesting life. She just moved to LA with her fabulous boyfriend and has a variety of entertaining adventures to share. You will soon discover, especially if you continue reading, that my life is not nearly as adventurous.

Ok, I take that back. It is extremely adventurous. Adventurous in the sense that I am 27 weeks pregnant with my first child! (I think explanation points are overused, but that definitely calls for a special punctuation mark.)

I can predict this is not going to be easy. I'm only two paragraphs in, and I've reached my first crucial questions regarding this blog:
Do I want to share this with with friends only? Family? In-laws? Co-workers? Who is my audience? What do I want my tone to be? Do I want to be funny? Serious? Genuine? Sincere? Warm-hearted? Cynical? (that one is especially easy for me) or HONEST?

Hmm.... honest? That means I could tell the truth about things that I am thinking and feeling. I could write all the things that I would never actually say out loud. Ohhh, the possibilities... I could dish out the real dirt about my life.

I think not. I'll keep this light and dish out my real issues on another "anonymous" blog, that none of you will ever read. Deal?

So, here goes nothing. Word up.

Ache in the head

2007-01-07T20:17:00.000-05:00

Some definitions that have become a part of my daily life:

Migraine: The most common type of vascular headache, involving (it is thought) abnormal sensitivity of blood vessels (arteries) in the brain to various triggers resulting in rapid changes in the artery size due to spasm (constriction). Other arteries in the brain and scalp then open (dilate), and throbbing pain is perceived in the head.

Transient ischemic attack (TIA): A neurological event with the signs and symptoms of a stroke, but which go away within a short period of time. Also called a mini-stroke, a TIA is due to a temporary lack of adequate blood and oxygen (ischemia) to the brain. This is often caused by the narrowing (or, less often, ulceration) of the carotid arteries (the major arteries in the neck that supply blood to the brain).

Patent Foramen Ovale (PFO): An atrial septal defect (ASD) is a group of congenital heart diseases that involve the inter-atrial septum of the heart. The inter-atrial septum is the tissue that separates the right and left atria from each other. Without this septum, or if there is a defect in this septum, it is possible for blood to travel from the left side of the heart to the right side of the heart, or the other way around.

Ok, here's long and short of it:

I'm a middle school creative writing teacher. I have been teaching for the past seven years, and recently had to go on disability due to migraine headaches. This is totally lame. I am the type of person that loves my job and loves working (most of the time). Yes, I know I turn into a meteorologist in the winter as I watch every weather forecast and check all the Internet weather links searching for signs of a possible snowflake. I know! But that doesn't mean I don't dig my job. I just really enjoy the occasional snow day or delayed opening. Maybe a little too much. It has also been difficult because migraines are not completely understood by the vast majority of people that have not experienced them. There is so much research and controversy surrounding migraines, especially relating to the things that I have recently gone through.

I began to have migraine headaches about four and a half years ago. At that time, I was teaching full-time, attending graduate school and planning my wedding. Needless to say, stress may have been a factor. However, the migraines have continued. After many doctor visits, it was recommended that I see a neurologist. By the way, my neurologist is awesome. His name is Dr. Stark from the Neurology and Headache Treatment Center in Alexandria. http://www.neuro-headache.com/ It turns out that I was suffering from classic migraine headaches.

To make a long story short, I have been through just about everything you can imagine with my headaches. I have taken all the tripan drugs, injections, nasal sprays, anti-seizure meds, etc. Nothing has really worked for me.

When I became pregnant in early July, 2006, I had to go off all of my preventative medications. (BTW, a South Mediterranean cruise is a great place to go if planning to start a family) Consequently, I suffered from a severe migraine about two to three times a week. Then, when I was 10 weeks pregnant, I had a TIA and was confined to a hospital for five days.

I then had to stop working, which is currently driving me crazy, hence this blog to keep me occupied. Thank goodness I haven't driven my husband completely insane yet by being home. It's also nice that my boss and co-workers have been so cool.

I also have some pretty cool friends. They've been there to hear me complain about my struggles. They've also taken the time to respond to the influx of emails I constantly send them due to my enormous amount of free time. (It is amazing what you can learn on the Internet... did you know that the host of Bravo's Top Chef is married to Salman Rushdie?) I'm sure they love hearing me go on and on about how bored I am, when they're putting in a 50 hour work week.

Here is a picture of the aforementioned friends. This was taken at our ten year HS reunion!

I am now 27 weeks pregnant and I'm not too pleased to report that I am still getting migraines at the same frequency and intensity. I had a total of 14 migraine headache days in the month of December. I will have a great couple of days, and then I'll be knocked out by a migraine for 24-48 hours. Then the cycle repeats itself.

Here is a picture of me when I was almost six months pregnant!

I was recently tested for a specific heart condition that my doctor thought I might have due to my TIA and migraines. It turns out I have something called a PFO or Patent Foramen Ovale. "A patent foramen ovale, or PFO, is an opening between the upper two chambers of the heart that have failed to close after birth. This congenital defect is also known as “hole in the heart” and affects about 25 percent of the population. Most patients survive into adulthood with an undetected PFO without any significant symptoms. Though most patients with PFO don't experience any symptoms, it is the most likely cause of stroke in patients under age 55. The condition predisposes a patient to stroke when small, often undetectable, clots forms in the pelvic region or lower extremities." (SORRY FOR THE BOOK REPORT)

Anyways, it turns out there is a possible link between people who suffer from migraines and people with a PFO. The research is still quite controversial, and I'm not sure what I'm going to do about this discovery. I may be able to have surgery to close the hole after my baby is born.

My pregnancy is otherwise going well. I'm exercising and doing yoga regularly. I've set up rules for myself that I have been following to keep sane. We decided not to find out what we are having. I like the idea of having a surprise when the baby is born.

So, that is where I am right now. Aren't you riveted?