The Girls Who Knew Me As Sandee

Way back in elementary school we were on the same bus route, we were neighbors, we had slumber parties at each other's houses in the small town that was Frederick in the late 1970's. Everyone knew each other. The "thanks for letting me pass" wave on the one-lane bridge off Shookstown was often received by someone you knew. A lot has changed around here since then with the suburbs of DC sprawling to accommodate all the people that live and work down there trying to escape the dreadful traffic that has made the I-495 beltway famous.

After high school, I lost touch with these girls. Again, it was Facebook that brought us back together and sparked this mini-reunion at my parent's place. They all remember our house before the renovations (in 1997) so it was a lot of fun to show them around and watch their reactions to the extra square footage. While sipping on Mojitos and Gin and Tonics, we talked about the good old days. We reminisced about the kindergarten big-wheel trek that landed me grounded for the first time in my life at age 5. We talked about playing fast food drive-thru by circling on our bikes around the trailer parked in my parent's driveway. We discussed our childhood phone numbers and how they are still ingrained in our brains. These were the days before cell phones when you had to memorize phone numbers or - egads - actually grab a phone book to look them up. We remembered the time we had our first taste of beer by sharing one can of Coors between several of us and those days at Prospect Hall dances where we hid drinks in our trench coats to sip on between singing along to "Blister In The Sun" and "Dancing With Myself". Then, we followed up with how we hope our children make better choices about certain things than we did. It was fun to see the personalities of "the next generation" and how, for example, Kristen's oldest is not-at-all like her. She may look like her Mommy but is so much more outgoing and talkative.

It was so much fun that we're already planning what we'll do different next year, and we are hoping to see some more of the girls and their kids before we head back to Colorado. Here's a shot of us on the deck. Unfortunately, I don't have one where everyone's eyes are open. :(



Besides swimming and eating, we threw in some pony rides. Karen still lives within walking distance of my parent's place so she brought over Cassie (who was not thrilled with the plan) to take the kids for a ride.



For more photos of the day, check out the album on Facebook.

Hiking Lily Pad Trail

We like to take the Lily Pad trail from Wildernest into Frisco, then bus back. The hike takes us about 2 hours with kids in tow, but it's mostly downhill so that keeps the complaining to a minimum. If the weather is warm enough, reaching Frisco promises a paddle boat ride on Lake Dillon.

Here's a brief four minutes of our two hour hike in the mountains. Enjoy!

Silverthorne, Colorado

It's like every other American city... only with better backdrops.

Mommies Don't Get Sick

Until now, I think I've left my kids with the impression that Mommies just don't get sick. I've been able to just suck it up and push through with the daily grind of cooking, cleaning and getting the kids off to school, without them even suspecting that I might not be feeling well. Not this time. The laundry which I started on Saturday still sits half-finished on the hall floor (3 days have passed). Some of you would say that has absolutely nothing to do with my illness, but I assure you this time it does. On Sunday I got the early stages of a cold... the dreaded sore throat. The sore throat always lasts longer in Colorado; I suspect because of the drier air. So on Monday morning I woke up as usual and went to work out knowing that the sore throat would eventually pass. Probably was one of the poorest decisions I made that day.

Afterwards, I spent the remainder of the morning on the couch with a blanket and heating pad trying to stay warm. By 2pm it finally struck me that I should really see a doctor. Having waited so long, all the appointments were taken so I'd have to wait until 8am this morning to be seen. The sore throat grew worse overnight and by 8am my voice was weak and I was looking forward to getting to the doctor's office. Throat swab results: positive for strep. As a youngster I was a seasoned pro at strep. I contracted it ALL the time. I remember specifically the doctor telling me (perhaps I was in 5th or 6th grade) that if I got strep one more time, they were going to have to remove my tonsils. This is indeed the first time since my doctor revealed that tidbit that I've had strep. Mind over matter? Perhaps, but either way... having strep is way more miserable than I remember. I spent the majority of yesterday and today in a fog, barely able to swallow and napping as often as possible. Thank goodness for great neighbors and friends who delivered me tea and took my kids for hours at a time. And, Bartee took over the cooking and nighttime routine with the kids. Besides the fact that I felt absolutely miserable, it was a nice mini vacation from Mommyville.

Bye-Bye First Grade

Today was the last day of school for the 7 year old. We're going to miss this wonderful teacher, but at the same time we're looking forward to the unscheduled days of summer.

Overheard in the Playroom

Spent the morning folding laundry and other household chores while the kids played with a neighbor friend. From upstairs, I heard these snippets of conversation...

"Yeah, but I was the most powerful-est".
"Ok, I'll pause the game."
"And then you saw one of the good soldiers disguised as a cat".
"And I disappeared into my world of soldiers".
"We must destroy the good guys".
"Try to, my son".
"And you thought you saw a red mark under my bangs". (Harry Potter reference)
"So, that is your secret".
"Sanjay, we cannot talk to you 'cause we're up in heaven, but we're not dead".

And, then Bartee came home from golfing and I heard this...

"You were. That was your tent. You'd better put that up or I'll tell Mommy".

He's just one of them, only in a grown-up body that occasionally drinks beer. :)

So You Think You Can Dance

In the spirit of my favorite summer TV show returning for the season premiere tonight, I dug up some old video of the little guy. Well, the truth is I was importing all my videos and came across a really funny one of Sanjay at the lunch table that I wanted to share with you all which also happens to showcase my incredible singing voice.

The boy has always loved music. Even confined in his car seat at 8 months old, he'd find a way to squirm around to the beat of his favorite Indian song. We used to queue it up whenever he started fussing on long drives. Today if I dare try to drive around town running errands without the radio turned on, he'll call me on it. He once asked Katy while riding in her car, "Do you ever play music when you drive?" or something to that effect. If he starts to doze off on a long drive, I'll turn down the volume so he can sleep peacefully and he'll pop up and say "turn up the music".

One day when he's famous for something musical you can proudly say "I knew him when...". Now sit back and enjoy this video montage of his early years in music.