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1. Wednesday, May 31, 2023:
   End-of-the-Month Highlights Day  New photos have been added to the  Life, 2023  album.       Events   Family dinner at Miller's on W 5/3.    Got sick again on H 5/4.    Rebecca and Maia went to a First Communion party at Algonkian Park on S 5/6 then everyone but me went to Tammy's for steaks in the evening.    Rebecca and Maia went to a neighbor's first birthday party in the afternoon on S 5/7.    Sickness came back on W 5/10. Went to Urgent Care on F 5/12 for drugs.    Mother's Day at home on S 5/14. Char visited for dinner.    Went to the HOA meeting on W 5/17.    Maia got sick with a high fever (in the 104s...
2. Monday, May 29, 2023:
   Weekend Wrap-up  On Friday afternoon, Nana Char stopped by for a short visit with the kids. Maia was all better from her 6 day strep adventure, having only gone to school on Thursday and Friday last week. Rebecca went to a rocket yoga class in the evening then we had Panera for dinner.   On Saturday morning, we went to Frying Pan Farm on Maia's request, since she missed her first ever field trip (to Great Country Farm) while sick. We saw the usual assortment of baby animals and then did both the carousel and tractor/wagon ride for giggles. Ian was uncertain about the carousel, but he loved the tractor ride (which he did while wearing his "Tractor Pull" shirt).     In the afternoon, we had a barbeque with the Smiths....
3. Monday, May 22, 2023:
   Ian Year 2 Month 1 Battle Report  Ian is a 25-month-old force of nature. His tantrums have receded and though he can be stubborn, he's happy more often than not. He wakes up around 7:30 AM after a full night's sleep and yells powerfully until someone gets him out of the crib. His lungs can propel a sailboat across a pond at 12 knots.     Ian loves books and has memorized several about Trucktown and Thomas the Tank Engine. After we read them to him, he'll reread them himself reciting all of the words. We still do joint story time for Ian and Maia before bedtime, where we read 1 - 2 stories (Rebecca is more patient and does 2). He absolutely loves Maia and always gives her a big hug before bedtime. Maia is a great big sister too and is mostly patient ...
4. Wednesday, May 17, 2023:
   Sick Status Day  I have gradually gotten better since my trip to Urgent Care last Friday. I take a daily regimen of pills to exorcise the last of the demons from the depths of my lungs and currently just have "top of the lungs" congestion (also known as "normal coughs"). All of my coughing muscles are broken, though, and I must still face 5 more days of antibiotic-enhanced digestive fun.   Ian and Maia breezed right through this when they caught it, so it looks like I am officially on the wrong side of the "old" threshold.   I had very little energy to do anything useful last week, although I did read two new books and learn a bunch of Spanish. We had to cancel our first barbeque of the year, but are looking forward to the on...
5. Monday, May 15, 2023:
   Easy Photos Day    Maia picked out this flower arrangement for Rebecca. It came paired with a bag of stuff she'd created at school and in her quiet times, like a clay butterfly and a cut-out snowflake. Once the loot was all presented, she did a Mother's Day song and dance.      Here is some of the loot.      Ian's Mother's Day gift was to sit quietly on Maia's bed for over an hour building Trucktown without falling off.      Meanwhile, I did drugs. 
6. Wednesday, May 10, 2023:
   List Day: 10 Family Routines    Rebecca tries to get to a yoga class on Friday evening and Saturday morning while I watch the kids. She then takes the kids to Riverside Church and the Farmer's Market on Sunday mornings while I get my own downtime.    We've had a regular babysitter who helps us about one afternoon per week (or a weekend date night) when not enjoying her retirement driving around the country. The kids love her!    After Rebecca picks Maia up from the school bus in the afternoon, Maia has an afternoon snack, some no-people downtime, and then usually heads outside to play with the neighborhood kids in the street or the yard (mainly with bikes, chalk, or balls).    Ian will always run to t...
7. Monday, May 08, 2023:
   Sick Day  No update today as I'm recovering from a particularly rough chest congestion sickness that I caught from the kids last week. 
8. Friday, April 28, 2023:
   End-of-the-Month Highlights Day  New photos have been added to the  Life, 2023  album.       Events   Went to a birthday party / egg hunt in the rain at Algonkian Park on S 4/1. Had the cousins, Sammy and Renae, over to babysit and eat burgers afterwards.    Went to see Elizabeth and the Catapult open for Mark Erelli at Jammin Java on S 4/2.    Went to Massanutten for Spring Break on M 4/3.    Had tasty barbeque for lunch at Virginia BBQ on T 4/4 in between trips to playgrounds and ponds. Went to the Massanutten Overlook in the evening for a short hike.    Caught Maia's violently sore throat on W 4/5. Had dinner at Campfire Grill (game burger steaks). ...
9. Monday, April 24, 2023:
   Ian Year 2 Battle Report  Ian turns 2 on Tuesday! He currently is about 34" tall and weighs about 25 pounds, which is 3 pounds more than Maia at the same age.     Ian can be very tempestuous -- either super happy or super upset that his opinions aren't being followed. Things likely to make him happy: catchphrases from truck books, songs about poop (© 2023 by Brian Uri!), Amber the cat, pouches. Things likely to trigger a tantrum: coming inside when outside, going outside when inside, end of dessert, and lack of pouches.   Ian is an avid reader, especially Elephant and Piggie books and any book with vehicles in it. His favourite activity is to bring books to you for reading consectively until there his a huge stack of just...
10. Monday, April 17, 2023:
    Easy Photos Day    Learning about Origami.      Working lunch while making parking lots.      Abbott's Frozen Custard at Cascades Overlook.      On the Metro to the Air & Space Museum and the Arboretum.  
11. Friday, April 14, 2023:
    Vacation Wrap-up Day  Last week was Spring Break for Loudoun County Public Schools, our first official spring break as parents. We opened the week with a treat for ourselves, a trip to Jammin' Java to see Elizabeth and the Catapult on Sunday, while our babysitter, Laura, put the kids to bed. Elizabeth opened for Mark Erelli, whose music was fine but not really my preferred style. I spent most of that part of the concert distracted by the fact that Walton Goggins will probably play Mark in his future biopic.   We drove down to Massanutten Resort on Monday afternoon, making good time on the non-annoying part of I-81 before the drowsy's set in after Harrisonburg. Massanutten Resort is not the "all-inclusive" type of resort -- it's just a jumb...
12. Friday, March 31, 2023:
    End-of-the-Month Highlights Day  New photos have been added to the  Life, 2023  album.       Events   Went to the company leadership development program graduation at Dulles Hilton (as a mentor) on F 3/3.    Had Tammy and Patrick over for dinner on S 3/4 (vegetarian soup).    Family dinner at Cafesano on T 3/7.    Catherine Hicks and her granddaughter came up to visit on S 3/11.    Took Maia and Ian to Frying Pan Farm to see new piglets on H 3/16.    St. Patricks' Day corned beef dinner a day late on S 3/18, after taking Maia to get fitted for her first pair of glasses.    Elizabeth and Steve stayed overnight, S 3/19 on their...
13. Monday, March 20, 2023:
    Ian Year 1 Month 11 Battle Report  Ian is 1 month away from turning 2. He is very similar to how  Maia was at this age  although his wants can explode into tempests much more easily. His current weight is 24.6 pounds.     His first desired activity upon waking up is to read books forever, maybe with some breakfast after a while. Once he's gotten going, he has a vigorous appetite and will eat pouches and other snacks throughout the day. Yogurt and berries remain real food staples, and he "loooooves ice keem" -- part of the nightly dessert ritual to entice the kids to get in their pajamas.   He requires much less oversight these days, and if you look busy with chores, he'll wander off and play on his own. Usually this involves ...
14. Monday, March 06, 2023:
    Weekend Wrap-up  Dinner on Friday night was quick-broiled shrimp over a bed of liguine alfredo.   On Saturday, Rebecca went off to her weekly yoga class in the morning while the kids and I cleaned and organized the living room and hall closets. Maia's assistance was limited to building a cave in the hall closet out of spare paper towel rolls, while Ian's assistance was limited to building a paper towel tower (a paper tower), knocking it over, and saying "Uh oh!"   After a run to the grocery store midday, we mopped the kitchen and then relaxed around the house on Saturday afternoon. We made a big stock pot full of vegetarian lentil soup. Our friends, Tammy and Patrick, came over for dinner followed by pints of Ben and Jerry's ...
15. Monday, February 27, 2023:
    End-of-the-Month Highlights Day  New photos have been added to the  Life, 2023  album.       Events   The first snow of the season gently dusted the grassy areas around our house on W 2/1.    Date Night at a cooking class (Culinara in Vienna) on F 2/3.    Rebecca and Maia went to a 7th birthday for Fatima on S 2/4.    Maia was invited to two next-door birthday parties for Jax and Elizabeth on S 2/11.    Went out to Harper's Ferry to see the Whitmer clan on S 2/12.    Went to the monthly HOA meeting on W 2/15.    Maia went to the grandparents' for the weekend, F 2/17 - S 2/19.    Dinner at Not Your Average Joe'...
16. Wednesday, February 22, 2023:
    Ian Year 1 Month 10 Battle Report  Ian is 2 months away from his 2nd birthday! I haven't weighed him in awhile but he's notably heavy. He has worn size 4 diapers for the past six months (the same size that Maia was wearing near 3 when she finally stopped wearing them).   Meals currently consist of "yobaby" yogurt as an anchor food, whatever he deigns to try from our real meals, and an endless stream of pouches. He doesn't want to drink milk and rarely drinks water, so the pouches (while not optimal) at least keep him hydrated.     His singing pitch remains on point and he's learned plenty of new words. Although he doesn't say many, his understanding is obvious. Yesterday, I asked him, "Can you go run your fingers under the couch to see...
17. Monday, February 20, 2023:
    Easy Photos Day  Following a whirlwind run through the Container Store, we had dinner at Not Your Average Joe's in Reston. Unlike the last, and only, time we went to the (average) one in Landsdowne, the food was delicious.     Not Your Average Joe's has done very little to remove the style of the previous tenant (Macaroni Grill). Here, I am getting head kisses from abstract art (this was not planned).     Maia spent the weekend with her grandma and grandpa in Alexandria. Here, she is dancing on the stage at my elementary school playground.     My dad purchased a household Switch for kids to enjoy. Playing Mario Kart is serious business with all of this hardware!   
18. Monday, February 06, 2023:
    Cooking Date Day    On Friday night in the midst of the polar vortex, we went to a Couples Cooking Class at Culinara in Vienna. We arrived early and tried walking around Vienna a bit, but froze almost immediately and took shelter in a Dunkin' Donuts (my first time ever inside a Dunkin' Donuts). In search of a snack to warm me up, I tried these weird Egg Bites, made of egg and cheese but shaped like a doughnut. I was not impressed. They should have been called "doughnots".   The cooking class took place in a warm, bustling teaching kitchen with 6 couples and numerous assistants helping the instructing chef. It was soup night (and the perfect night for soup!) and each couple chose 2 soups from the list of 12 to create. We chose Barle...
19. Monday, January 30, 2023:
    End-of-the-Month Highlights Day  New photos have been added to the  Life, 2023  album.       Events   Spent New Years Day with the Taylorstown side of the family (including Abby, up from Florida), on S 1/1.    Went to the optometrist on H 1/5 to confirm that my prescription had finally changed after 10 years of stability.    Family dinner at Miller's on S 1/7.    Rode the Silver Line out to Ashburn with Maia and Ian on H 1/12.    Family dinner at Fire Works Pizza on S 1/14.    The Edwardses visited from Richmond on S 1/15.    HOA Meeting on W 1/18.    Spent the afternoon with the Smiths on S 1/21.   ...
20. Monday, January 09, 2023:
    Maia Year 5 Month 6 Battle Report  Maia is now five and a half, and halfway through kindergarten.     She had a little growth spurt recently but is still deceptively small for her age. She is  just  big enough to pedal the Princess bike she got two Christmases ago (but can zoom around on her little yellow balance bike without fear). Whenever the weather is warm enough, we head out into the court with a bike or scooter (and a lawn mower for Ian) and wait for the other kids on the street to join us (7 just across the court and a few more more than 3 houses away).     Her memory is still excellent. We started reading Sherman's Lagoon together in the Sunday paper back during the pandemic and I got her a cartoon anthology bo...

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