We are still settling in here in Bethesda, and I will stop saying that in June (but I will just stop saying it). The kids are growing and happy and, as always, surprisingly good sports in light of the chaos that ensues here. I'll start at the top:
Jack has been sick since January - -nothing deadly, just a series of annoyingly persistent infections and viruses that have kept us visiting the doc more than I ever have, medicating, and nebulizing. In between time he has been very TWO, and (his life-saving device ) very CUTE. He's just lucky he's so darn cute. His big news is that he started preschool at our local Y (just two 1/2 days a week) and he loves it. His other scholarly endeavor is building horns out of the tubes of a marble-run game. This started about a month ago (having seen bagpipes? we're not sure . . .) and has become a useful obsession. He is very good at it and gets excited to show us his new inventions, which he marches around the house playing.
Kit is always full of news and surprises. She has decided she wants to go to science camp this year. I keep challenging this: "Hey -- how about cheerleading camp?" "NO - science camp!" "Ballet camp?" "NO -- SCIENCE CAMP!!" Ok, so a dose of reality might be good for a child who came home from school on St. Patrick's day VERY upset because her pal Victoria saw a leprechaun at school and Kit did not. She called all her grandparents that night, who explained that they are VERY hard to catch sight of (Grandma herself has never seen one), but show themselves in their mischief. She has vowed to find one next year. On that Irish note, she and her classmates presented their heritage-countries in a "One Nation Many Communities" show. (I had to talk her out of doing Uruguay. "But if my cousin Hannah is Uraguayan, I am too, right?")
She surprised her friend Avi's mother by showing up wearing her Celtic cross. Avi's mom just had to ask: "I'm a little confused. I thought you were Jewish! Avi keeps telling me how much Kit tells him about Israel!" (his chosen country to present). Gabby and Kit both got a big thrill by getting to march with their cousins and Grandma and Pop in the Bayonne St' Patrick's Day parade.
Gabby's news is perhaps the biggest, though we've lots of work ahead. After 6-and-a-half- months of fighting the system (educating the system?) and unravelling scads of red tape, Gabby will be going to school in our neighborhood. After a big shut door last August, the principal has opened it up, unrolled a red carpet and pulled out all of the stops. (By God, if we're gong to do this, we're going to do it right! appears to be her attitude.) They are educating their teachers and staff, she herself has been researching best practices for children with Down syndrome. Pinch me. Gabby begins April 20th. Say some prayers. It will be her third school this year, and she will miss her friends there. The good news is, she will have LOTS of familiar faces in her new school - - her friends from the block who she sees every day, not to mention her sister.
Our home itself has lots of news. We miraculously sold our little house in New Jersey (phew!), and are looking to add a room to this house (phew also!) We have given up dreams of a bigger addition. To make the kitchen bigger or add a bedroom would move us out for months. Another transition would . . well . . . let's just say I have long been put over the edge. It would bury me. So we'll add a room on a side of the house. Done. We also took down a very big old tree in the backyard. It made me sad, but who knew an enormous pile of mulch would be so much fun? I kind of wish we'd done it before!
I'll leave you with love and hope for a bright healthy spring. Happy Easter!
("I'll do anything for ham." -- Kelbi)
Love, us tired bunnies
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