It's still snowing. We had over two feet of snow that started last Friday and finally stopped on Saturday late afternoon. It started snowing again yesterday and this morning I woke up to see it snowing sideways in high wind. The storm warning is in effect until 7pm!

The roads are narrow with high frozen jersey walls of snow. The parking lots have whole mountain ranges, some with shopping carts plowed into them. The grocery stores have big gaps on the shelves, having not received all their shipments and everyone stocking up for the additional 10-20 inches we're getting now.







You would think that I would have gotten more work done: finished the articles I'm working on, begun chapter two of my ghostwriting contract, posted a new blog. But I've been cooking, picking up hats and boots, rubbing sore shovelers' backs, watching movies, playing Scrabble, doing laundry, restocking my fridge, drinking wine, and visiting with neighbors and friends on the phone. I have to get busy!

I'm not even sure what day it is. They're all blurring together into white.

My youngest daughter and a few of her friends worked on this wintry village. They built an indoor fort in front of the basement tv. They also set up a shelter on the front porch for any stranded kitties that might need shelter. (No takers so far as I can see.)

Today I'm going to make everyone clean their room. We're not going anywhere. I'm so grateful we have plenty of supplies and we still have power (knocking on wood.)

Well, it has been two months since I blogged last. Like exercising, once you break the habit of writing, it is hard to start back up again.



Rather than catch up, I'll just jump into my daily dilemma.

I took my son to the allergist yesterday, specifically to test for a nut allergy, and he turned up allergic to cats. Cats! We have had cats for 6 years, the most recent additions coming as Christmas presents to my youngest daughter last 7 months ago.

My son has always had problems with his sinuses, beginning before we had cats. He had 4 sets of ear tubes and an adnoidectomy. Actually, by the last surgery we had cats. He has missed a lot of school with sinus infections over the years.

So the allergist says the best thing is to get rid of the cats, although he says a lot of people don't. I could by HEPA filters, vacuum more often, load my son up on anti-histamines or maybe even get him allergy shots. But what am I saying to him by keeping the cats?

My daughter is at summer camp this week and has not been part of this discussion.

I have spent thousands of dollars on these cats: vaccines, declaw, spay & neuter, emergency room visit when one got squished under the garage door. They have been a considerable investment. They have sometimes been a pain in the ass, hopping up on the counter and breaking things, barfing and pooping in the wrong places, and leaving decapitated rodents on my doorstep. But they have also been a joy and entertaining.

What to do?
Anyone want some kitties?

Last week in the freezing weather I accompanied my daughter's 5th grade class to the Hard Bargain Farm on the eastern shores of the Potomac, right across the river from Mt. Vernon. This actual working farm is on property donated long ago by a couple who wanted the property to be used for education. These kids got just that.
We collected eggs from chickens, milked a cow, slopped pigs, fed calves, collected litter, practiced using binoculars, observed herons and woodpeckers and chickadees. The kids covered themselves with the cattails gone to seed on our river walk and the rest of the day we trailed little wispy seeds like magical fairies.

At the highest point of the property, where their old house is, you can see the Woodrow Wilson bridge, the Capitol, and the Washington Monument. Our guide showed us the best way off that hill was to roll down. What fun! I did it, choosing not to let fear of injury stop me from all the fun. Wow was I dizzy!

My kids have been up to some fun activities. Topping the list was last weekend's Light-a-Boat Parade in Annapolis.
40 something sail and power boats went all out, decorating their boats for the holidays and sailed them in and out of Ego Alley right at the historic downtown docks of Annapolis. They entered with the Sea Scouts and even spent the night on their boat in the harbor. How fun, eh? They are on the smaller boat with the blue lights and the Santa in the fedora.

Parent Tips for Prince George's County Write-a-Book Program

Begin nagging early.
Don't forget to nag.
Always keep large pieces of heavy cardboard on hand.
Buy extra contact paper so you don't have to go out late at night on the second try.
Pour yourself a drink, especially if you begin the binding process after 9pm the eve of the due date.
If you poured a glass of red wine, don't set it down anywhere near the book binding area.
Be sure the table you cleared to work on is free of spaghetti sauce & Parmesan cheese.

Remember that you will savor these parenting moments one day.

I was doing a round of hanging up coats, putting away shoes, dishes and school supplies while dancing around to my new Jason Mraz tunes, trying to focus on the fact that I'm happy my kids are here to make a mess at my house. I picked up an unusually high number of rubber bands when I came across these:




What a classic weapon in the arsenal of a middle school student. My son told me there was an all out "hornet" war on the bus.



What did you get in trouble with in Middle School?

I am fortunate to usually be home when my kids are getting ready for school and when they come home. However, I am starting to work more now that school is in session. Earlier this week I had an early morning, leaving my 13 year old son to get himself off to 8th grade. When I returned, I found this note, left in the mess of the dining room table.

Mom I left for school
love you a lot and I'm hugging
you in my brain
love your son

Isn't that just adorable?


Lest you think he is just a softie, he has been studying up for us on surviving a zombie attack. I am randomly getting advice such as this:

Mom, if there is ever a class 1A zombie attack, the best thing to do is go upstairs and then destroy the stairs behind you.
Also acid works.

I told him my plan was to stick with him if such a calamity occurred.

It's the most wonderful time of the year!
Everyone's excited about school starting again. I've been school supply shopping and of course to American Eagle.

I remember in high school I had one pair of Calvin Kleins and one pair of Gloria Vanderbilts. Did I ever have Jordache? Anyway, we were mostly Sears with a dash of brand name labels. I appreciate that I can fill out most of my kids' wardrobes at Target.

What was your favorite item of clothing when you were trying to be cool in school?

Because the Ex is well connected, I got to go to the Jonas Brothers' concert Wednesday night in Baltimore with my kids. I was annoyed at myself for forgetting my earplugs, not due to the loud music so much: it was the thousands of shrieking girls. My son was happy that Demi Lovato opened for the JoBros. He was in the gender minority, although I heard no complaints.

In case you are not living with children between the ages of 10 & 15, the JoBros are all the rage in Disney boy bands. They put on quite an entertaining show with lasers and pyrotechnics. They had an eight piece string band playing, all beautiful young women in red. I imagine this is not the venue their parents had in mind when they were driving them to lessons. But I bet it pays better than many violin gigs.

So the kids got to sit in the second row at the end of the catwalk - almost in touching distance. No binoculars necessary. Tim & I sat about 20 rows behind them. When seated, you could look sideways and see all the other parents in attendance. We had a silent camaraderie beneath the hysterical shrieking.

What was your first concert?

I went camping last week with my 13 year old son and three buddies of his at Tuckahoe State Park. This one picture sums up why I did it. We had so much fun without a kaper chart or strict schedule. Doesn't everything taste better when cooked over a campfire?

I had a mini-cabin with beds & AC for the grown-ups and let the boys set up a tent for themselves around the corner, just out of sight of the cabin.

Mark joined me the first evening and Mom the next. During their overlap, the three of us left the boys behind and went to the nearby Adkins Arboretum. We arrived with less than an hour before closing and the clerk in the gift shop suggested a trail with artwork installed throughout it. She warned us that some of the artwork was "a little weird." Sounded perfect.

The first artwork we mistook for pollution, perhaps an abandoned scout project? But then we figured it out. It really was cool, despite the humid heat and bugs. The giant sweaters were called "Tree Huggers." One of my favorites was a network of fine wires with crystal beads that looked a bit like a spiderweb with dewdrops, although it didn't photograph well.

My ten year old just says whatever pops into her mind.

A couple days ago, in my lap, she put both hands by the part in my hair and bent my head down so she could get a closer look.
"Mommy," she nearly gasped, "do you dye your hair?"
"Yes I do."
"Do you dye your roots?" she asked with instructive ridicule.
I explained how dye jobs grow out, exposing undyed roots.
"Well, there's gray in there!" she pointed out with restrained alarm.

You should see my new hairdo. I told my beloved, tattooed, alpaca-farming hairdresser that I was bored of my hair. I'm certainly not now! I'm sure you'll catch a glimpse of it on Mark's blog next week.


Last month, my ten year old asked my ex-husband and my boyfriend if they were going to arm wrestle. No sense ignoring an elephant in the room.

At the end of this past school year, I accompanied my son's 7th grade class to the Newseum in DC. It is the newest museum in town and it is about the history of the news. I raised my hand to volunteer quickly for this new field trip destination.

The first exhibit that my group entered was about Pulitzer Prize photography. One wall was covered with small copies all of the winners. The gallery was lined with dozens of them blown up with more explanation by the shot. Built right into the exhibit were several stations with tissues near benches.

All the natural chatter of 25 thirteen year olds enjoying a field trip stopped. They slowed down, stopping here and there with their mouths open. I passed one group looking at a photo of public torture in Southeast Asia.






"Why?" one boy asked "Why would anyone ever do that?"
Another boy, pointing to the crowd in the photo asked, "And what kind of person would laugh?"
I told them that torture as a public spectacle was ancient and even entertaining like today's horror movies.
The first boy startled at that comparison and insisted, "No. This is real. This is different."


Although I didn't get to see the entire museum, the kids were equally somber at the 9/11 exhibit and amazed at the memorial to slain journalists. The section of the Berlin Wall seemed to excite them, perhaps because the defiance in the graffiti was triumphant. The 4-D movie theater was delightfully freaky. It was as fun to watch the audience as take in the show. Great view from the Terrace too.

I hate calling my children's friends' parents and telling them that their child probably needs stitches to a head wound incurred at my home.
The first was Just Me's son, blood spurting from the back of his head.
The next, Anne's daughter. "Ms. Ann, I think I cut myself. Is it bleeding?"
(aaahhhh! I hate trying to be the calm adult in these situations.)

My son is now traveling with recently mitzvahed buddy to sit with him while he gets probably only a couple of stitches over his eye. At least this injury was calm. If it leaves a scar it probably won't even be that bad.

Do you have any good childhood scars? (Not the emotional kind)

Last weekend was enhanced by a visit from our dear friends, Julie & Lucy. They came up from Texas (returned from exile) primarily to see their parents/grandparents, but we managed to grab a bit of their time - even if it was between midnight and 2am.

I took the girls to the National Arboretum for a photo shoot among the azalea collection. It was so fun to watch our girls enjoying their reunion.

A new day has dawned in my household. This weekend my 14 year old daughter did all her laundry herself claiming she was tired of waiting. I rejoiced.

I have been updating my resume, which needed major updating after this busy year. My Dear One caught the typo "Business Networking Intentional" rather than "Business Networking International." Good catch, but the error was amusing. I intend to network my business, but often just don't get around to it;-)


My youngest is at the Kennedy Center on a field trip today. In preparation, her music teacher turned the class on to Gershwin. I found this out when I helped her use her iTunes card to download "Rhapsody in Blue" along with the latest by Mylie Cyrus.

The new show in our house is Ninja Warrior on the channel G4. My son found it and now we have Japanese announcers excitedly shouting in our home. It took a while before I finally started reading the subtitles, which are often amusing. This clip (my first experiment in embedding video) doesn't have the subtitles.

Have you guys seen this? The accidents can be brutal. The tension is addicting. It's very entertaining.

As my oldest child has embarked on her first year of high school and her social life is ringing off the hook, it occurs to me that I need to establish some dating guidelines for my children. These guidelines will set the tone for the two following her.

I see my role in motherhood changing and confess I feel a little daunted by the teen years I have only begun to parent through. Although this is new territory for me, I see the path is well worn ahead of me.


So I ask you,
What dating rules and guidelines should I establish for my children?
How do I distinguish a dating relationship from a friend?

Fourteen years ago from this moment I was delighted to receive my first epidural. Katya had been reluctant to part from me, despite her cramped quarters, and I was exhausted. The epidural allowed me my first sleep in two days, even if it was only an hour or so before I was back to work.

Right now, this beautiful teenager is sleeping still, having stayed up, probably 'til past midnight watching "The Wizard of Oz" as background research for the play in which she was recently cast as the Wicked Witch. Her friend who was cast as Dorothy joined her. They are tickled to have been cast together in this play. (Katya usually gets a day off of school near her birthday due to Rosh Hashanah. THis year it lined up perfectly.)

Kat's brother & sister just worked together to mix up her birthday cake and get it in the oven. Of course, being 14, 12, & 10, they swing between enjoying each other and raging against each other. But mostly they enjoy each other.

Recently, my youngest wanted to sleep in braids to acquire fluffy hair. Kat meticulously installed 15 braids, transforming Suzy into a charming medusa. Suzy kept them in for days.

Before this school year began, my son requested Kat's presence on his back-to-school clothing shopping trip. He has been increasingly interested in his appearance, even if I still have to nag him to shower. He said he would only select clothing that met Kat's approval. She's in high school this year and therefore is wiser in these matters of fashion. It was a win-win-win. Kat could feel proud of her brother. He felt confident that first critical week of school. I enjoyed their mutual admiration.

Although there is still a great deal of mothering ahead of me with Kat, more & more often I feel the growing friendship between us that I look forward to for decades to come.

This past weekend was dance recital weekend. The girls' dance school is huge. They have 5 different recitals, and of course, my girls were in different ones. That's 5 hours of recital for a combined total of 5 minutes on stage.

But they were beautiful, energetic, and nimble. We enjoyed seeing old friends from competition days, seeing the polished dances of the competitive troupe, and the disoriented babies in the youngest classes.

I'm still having fun with my new camera. So much to learn!

My son's LAX team did a Mother's Day skills demonstration at practice last night to thank us for all the driving and cold bleachers.