i started researching pre-schools today, since open enrollment usually ends in February. supposedly, the demand for the better pre-schools in the area are greater than supply, resulting in years on the wait list.
some helpful links here and here. the girls will be just over 2yrs when the next school semester starts in september.
some of my preferences and limitations:
- christian base. learning with religion reinforced.
- same age class, not the montesorri mixed-ages trend. montessori is very popular with rave reviews, but i just cant quite envision 3-6yr olds relating well.
- good curriculum of arts, music, science, literacy and play
- age requirement under 3yrs old
- close by for drop and pick up
- part-time or 1/2 day option. they can transition to a full day the following year.
the best match is hunter mill country school. coincidentally,,eric went there for short period and has fond memories. they're not religion base, but has the extra perk of being on a 5-acre farm. the girls will love it (i'm a tad jealous i cant go :-)
will submit an application w/$100 non-refundable (ouch) deposit fee tmrw. oh, and request an on-site tour. we'll see how it goes.
Monday, January 28, 2008
Monday, January 21, 2008
Home Alone
whever i'm home alone with the girls, i always make a point to leave the house, to break up the (repetition ) of the day.
off we went in search of a mickey d's play land. according to their website, reston and leesburg were the nearest locations. our fist stop (off roger bacon drive), was recently renovated and no longer boasts of a play area, BOOO HOOO.
six miles down the road later (off dransville road), we spot the play ground, YIPPEE. it is outside. and closed.
well, we did end up eating lunch there, the girls do love 'em fries. morale of the story, always call ahead and double check!
back home, i let them loose in the house. and this is what i find. making a mess is fun too.
off we went in search of a mickey d's play land. according to their website, reston and leesburg were the nearest locations. our fist stop (off roger bacon drive), was recently renovated and no longer boasts of a play area, BOOO HOOO.
six miles down the road later (off dransville road), we spot the play ground, YIPPEE. it is outside. and closed.
well, we did end up eating lunch there, the girls do love 'em fries. morale of the story, always call ahead and double check!
back home, i let them loose in the house. and this is what i find. making a mess is fun too.
Sunday, January 20, 2008
Sunday, January 13, 2008
that inevitable question
no, we're not having any more kids.
no, we're not going for a boy. for me, gender is over-rated. even two boys would have been fine. my preference was for two girls, only cause it's nice for a girl to have a sister-hood. a sister can be your best friend for life. ask my mom and MIL, who both still prefer to travel with their sisters.
yes, we like our life style. not just for us, since we love to travel but for the kids too. this year, they're taking ballet and swim classes; and maybe music. next year, i would like them to try golf and ski (andre and tiger started at 2yrs old!). then there will be concerts, shows, trips to disney and europe --- even with just two kids, traveling is expensive!
they will have a childhood full of adventure and opportunities, because w/two, we can easily afford it. i still wish i could have experienced more, learn more as a kid. ski-ing is hard at 20! i dont want my kids to have the same regrets.
no, the girls wont miss out. they have each other, w/out the burden(loneliness) of being an only child. and will(hopefully) know nieces and nephews to enrich their lives.
no, we wont miss out. we have them and a quality of life. life is easily manageable with two, instead of feeling run down and scattered; or arguing about who needs to do more. every one benefits, no one looses.
yes, college should be a must. give your kids THE best gift, an education. yes, they can work and get a loan, but as parents, dont we want better for our children? i remember how hard it was, juggling work and school full time. eric was lucky, he only had to work during the summers for extra cash. after graduation, they can fend for themselves, and odds are with a degree, our girls wont be cashering at the local walmart.
yes, for our family, quality out weighs quantity (kudos if you can afford both). we're very happy and complete with our two girls and couldnt ask/want for more!
no, we're not going for a boy. for me, gender is over-rated. even two boys would have been fine. my preference was for two girls, only cause it's nice for a girl to have a sister-hood. a sister can be your best friend for life. ask my mom and MIL, who both still prefer to travel with their sisters.
yes, we like our life style. not just for us, since we love to travel but for the kids too. this year, they're taking ballet and swim classes; and maybe music. next year, i would like them to try golf and ski (andre and tiger started at 2yrs old!). then there will be concerts, shows, trips to disney and europe --- even with just two kids, traveling is expensive!
they will have a childhood full of adventure and opportunities, because w/two, we can easily afford it. i still wish i could have experienced more, learn more as a kid. ski-ing is hard at 20! i dont want my kids to have the same regrets.
no, the girls wont miss out. they have each other, w/out the burden(loneliness) of being an only child. and will(hopefully) know nieces and nephews to enrich their lives.
no, we wont miss out. we have them and a quality of life. life is easily manageable with two, instead of feeling run down and scattered; or arguing about who needs to do more. every one benefits, no one looses.
yes, college should be a must. give your kids THE best gift, an education. yes, they can work and get a loan, but as parents, dont we want better for our children? i remember how hard it was, juggling work and school full time. eric was lucky, he only had to work during the summers for extra cash. after graduation, they can fend for themselves, and odds are with a degree, our girls wont be cashering at the local walmart.
yes, for our family, quality out weighs quantity (kudos if you can afford both). we're very happy and complete with our two girls and couldnt ask/want for more!
Saturday, January 12, 2008
Saturday, January 05, 2008
Baby Ballet
the girls started their intro to ballet this morning---really more of chance for them to be around other kids in a fun, structured enviroment.
here are a couple of (not-so-great) shots since, it was their first class and they were alittle unsure. but they'll have plenty of time to warm up during the 3month session. arent the baby ballerinas beyond cute!
more pics to come, cant wait to see them prance around in their new tu-tus!
Tuesday, January 01, 2008
2008 Check
Happy Happy New Year!
Eric and I had a rowdy New Year's Eve at home with the tv (-:
Every year, we gorge on lobster, crab legs, steaks, smorgasbord of desserts and champagne toast. We ate so much, we had to wait an hour before we could finish dessert. A gluttony of a feast before the new year's resolution begins. Which means a healthy diet for me (which means no more popeye's chicken )-:
Now on to the girls, who will be 18mos next week! A year and a half milestone. And what a milestone.
The past few months, they've been understanding more and more. Tell them shoes, sit, come here, video, and so on; they get it. But just in the last two months alone, the comprehension level is amazing. They say 18-2yr is a HUGE learning curve. Very exciting times.
They are getting into pretend play. Santa left them twin baby dolls and a doll bed for xmas. They snuggle, brush, feed and tuck the dolls in. Very cute, so motherly.
They still say about 15 words or so. Na-na (bananna), pap-ple (apple), tank ooo (thank you), da-da, ma-ma, low-el (laurel), bye-bye, bear, ball, dog, cat, shoes, socks, ish (fish) and oh-oh.
Laurel says 'Sierra' for Vienna. And a couple of times she's said, 'bye-bye Maria'. She just might be our talker yet.
They can identify animals and make their sounds. Cow (mooo), chicken (bac-bac), duck (quak-quak), fish, horse (neigh), monkey (oooo oooo), bear, mouse, dog, cat (meow), bird, pig.
They know all their body parts (hair, ear, nose, chin, cheeks, belly). We'll work on colors and shapes next.
Some fun facts:
- vienna recognizes the camera. she says cheese when she sees it and makes her 'camera face', winkled nose and all.
- vienna's been hating her baths again. she goes thru phases of tolerating to hating it. ironically, she loved the pool in Mexico. we'll sign them up for swim lessons again this summer and hopefully, she'll enjoy the water more.
- they both been whiny lately. vienna, not sure what it is; either teething, separation anxiety or just out of sorts. laurel just loves being held. i think maria might be spoiling her a bit in this area. eric and i dont give into it; and part of me wants to tell maria to stop also. but it is a phase kids will eventually outgrow and become more independent. so why not let them enjoy the cuddling why it lasts.
- laurel has sock/slipper/shoes issues. esp on her right foot. we'll go for a ride, then hear the sound of velcro. upon arrival, she'll be sock and shoe-less. i've (almost) given up having her wear socks or slippers around the house for warmth.
- laurel, who we thought was our nice one, is being more of a bully. We're afraid, she might have figured out she's almost twice the size of vienna and decided to take her on (-:
- lastly, here they sit at another xmas present, doodling and playing stickers. like big girls (proud sniffle).
Eric and I had a rowdy New Year's Eve at home with the tv (-:
Every year, we gorge on lobster, crab legs, steaks, smorgasbord of desserts and champagne toast. We ate so much, we had to wait an hour before we could finish dessert. A gluttony of a feast before the new year's resolution begins. Which means a healthy diet for me (which means no more popeye's chicken )-:
Now on to the girls, who will be 18mos next week! A year and a half milestone. And what a milestone.
The past few months, they've been understanding more and more. Tell them shoes, sit, come here, video, and so on; they get it. But just in the last two months alone, the comprehension level is amazing. They say 18-2yr is a HUGE learning curve. Very exciting times.
They are getting into pretend play. Santa left them twin baby dolls and a doll bed for xmas. They snuggle, brush, feed and tuck the dolls in. Very cute, so motherly.
They still say about 15 words or so. Na-na (bananna), pap-ple (apple), tank ooo (thank you), da-da, ma-ma, low-el (laurel), bye-bye, bear, ball, dog, cat, shoes, socks, ish (fish) and oh-oh.
Laurel says 'Sierra' for Vienna. And a couple of times she's said, 'bye-bye Maria'. She just might be our talker yet.
They can identify animals and make their sounds. Cow (mooo), chicken (bac-bac), duck (quak-quak), fish, horse (neigh), monkey (oooo oooo), bear, mouse, dog, cat (meow), bird, pig.
They know all their body parts (hair, ear, nose, chin, cheeks, belly). We'll work on colors and shapes next.
Some fun facts:
- vienna recognizes the camera. she says cheese when she sees it and makes her 'camera face', winkled nose and all.
- vienna's been hating her baths again. she goes thru phases of tolerating to hating it. ironically, she loved the pool in Mexico. we'll sign them up for swim lessons again this summer and hopefully, she'll enjoy the water more.
- they both been whiny lately. vienna, not sure what it is; either teething, separation anxiety or just out of sorts. laurel just loves being held. i think maria might be spoiling her a bit in this area. eric and i dont give into it; and part of me wants to tell maria to stop also. but it is a phase kids will eventually outgrow and become more independent. so why not let them enjoy the cuddling why it lasts.
- laurel has sock/slipper/shoes issues. esp on her right foot. we'll go for a ride, then hear the sound of velcro. upon arrival, she'll be sock and shoe-less. i've (almost) given up having her wear socks or slippers around the house for warmth.
- laurel, who we thought was our nice one, is being more of a bully. We're afraid, she might have figured out she's almost twice the size of vienna and decided to take her on (-:
- lastly, here they sit at another xmas present, doodling and playing stickers. like big girls (proud sniffle).
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