Support the Arts: City Dance Ensemble at the BSO (Saturday 4/25)

Times are tough. And when the going gets tough, the tough go see shows.

But instead of losing your cares in another animated movie, why not try real, live artists?City Dance Ensemble in "Jungle Books"

Photo Credit: Paul Gordon Emerson

Next Saturday, April 25th at the Meyerhoff in Baltimore, the City Dance Ensemble will be performing Jungle Books. Live music, live performers, great costumes, and great prices...tickets are just a little more than a movie ticket at $12-$20.

Plus, you'll be supporting the arts and they need it during times like these. They need it more than the movie studios at the very least!

Giving my support,
Janine

Around the world in one night

Last night was International Night at the Twofer's school and I was completely wowed. Families chose to represent a different country from around the world and set up tables with photos, books, artifacts, and even food from that country.

Photo via Flickr 365

Many families chose countries they had ties to, and even included short dance routines like Irish Step Dancing. Some families just chose a country and used it as a way to explore another culture with their kids. One family chose to represent the country where they adopted their children.

Each table was unique and you could see the families that chose to participate had the most fun as they stamped each child's paper passport.

And I learned a lesson - sometimes it is better to give of your time, than to receive.

Jambo! Next year, I think we'll do the Kenya table.

Janine

Someone get me a Stop-Growing pill quick!

L and M 2003

I'm a slow learner. When people told me time would fly when I had kids I thought they were just trying to make me feel better because they knew I'd be up all night with newborn twins. During those early days time stood completely still.

Even as the girls entered preschool I didn't think time had passed any faster than normal. They were still little, still had funny ways of saying things, and still fit comfortably on my lap.

It has taken me five, almost six years to finally learn what people are talking about when they say time flies once you have kids. They are talking, of course, about those angry little men that come out in the wee hours and fast forward all the clocks in my house.

Those little men have made it impossible for M to fit comfortably on my lap, her skinny legs crunched up or dangling off, and my legs going numb from the weight.
My innocent little girls now come home from school talking about boys, and which 5th graders are getting boobs throwing me into a tailspin of neurotic 'what-if' thinking.

L and M 2009

I will not let this go on without a fight!
I will develop a Stop-Growing pill that will not only keep my little girls 5 forever, it will keep my rear-end from expanding.
I will make millions, I will have a sort-of-ok ass, and I will have all the time in the world to enjoy it!


Janine

January Birthdays are better as an adult

Today is/was my birthday. Today was also a snow day - schools were closed. Had I been a child this would have been a bust of a birthday because I would have missed having cupcakes at school with my friends.

As an adult, this day was near perfect. The only thing holding it back from perfect was the little bit of work I had to do, and I didn't get that nap I wanted.
Here's what I did get:

• tons of birthday wishes from family, friends, and old/new Facebook friends
• an afternoon of sledding with my entire family
• grilled cheese and tomato soup (yum!)
• cheeseburger and fries from 5 Guys (double yum!)
• ice cream cake for dessert
• American Idol auditions (this is my favorite part of the new season)

What can I say? I'm a simple person.

Happy Birthday to me!
Janine

The Holidays are for Losing it!

While I am truly grateful to be able to spend Christmas and quality time with my family, so much time together can often mean losing it one way, or another.

Here's the short list:

Em losing it outside in the cold and refusing to go inside the last rest stop of our 8-hour trip up. "I....don't...have....to...pee!"

Me losing it Christmas Eve when the kids woke me up at 4:30am for the third time that night... "I'm just as excited as you that Santa came but...but...if you don't get to sleep you'll have a houseful of really cranky parents!!!"

Grammy losing it when she got an iPod for Christmas, "Oh no! Another thing I'm going to have to learn how to use!?!?"

The Twofer losing it in very silly way on the train to NYC after a few days with very little sleep.



And the entire family losing it after spending all day inside, and in our pajamas....



I was laughing so hard while filming this that tears were streaming down my face and my stomach hurt. I wonder if anyone else finds this funny or if it's just our family?

Have you lost it yet? If so, let me know in the comments (by 10:00am Eastern Time on 12/31/08). The best 'losing it' comment will be re-enacted using my family and my Flip. I'll email you the final product soon thereafter!

Happy Surviving the Holidays!
Janine

I won't call it the drive from Hell...

Yesterday, a trip that usually takes 5 1/2 to 6 hours took us 8. Instead of getting in around 8pm as originally planned, we got in at midnight. M was in pain from the cheaper booster seat we had. Mr. was cranky from some work-related drama. L was getting a cold. And my stomach was upset most of the ride.

But here's a list of reasons I won't call it the drive from Hell.

1. The delay was caused my mere traffic, and not a blown tire on the side of the highway with tractor trailers flying by just inches from my car.

2. For better or worse, all 4 of us were together for 8 hours, which is more than a lot of families have right now, especially the families with loved ones serving overseas.

3. We made it to my mom's without incident. We and the car are in one piece, safe, and warm.

4. It's Christmas and almost the start of a new year. I have too many things to be thankful for, and for the next few days I've decided to try gratitude on for size...it seems to be working.

Happy Whatever-You-Celebrate!
Janine

Is there room in the schedule for lazy days?

I can't believe I'm saying this, but I almost wish we had one more day at home with the girls!

I went into this weekend having lined up a few things so that we didn't go stir-crazy. My husband was scheduled to have knee surgery Wednesday and so we were not going to be doing the movies and museum visits we usually do during a holiday weekend at home.

For the most part we stayed at home, indoors, and a lot of that was on the couch. And for once, I didn't freak out about it.

I think the girls were tired. My husband and I were tired. And we just needed to have family time that involved doing nothing. We watched movies. We read books. We did some Christmas decorating.

L wearing Santa hat, M wearing tree skirt

We spent days in our jammies. We were silly. And we argued and yelled at each other.

But for the first time in a long time, I'm sad to get back to the routine of school, activities, homework, and work-work tomorrow.

I'll miss our lazy days. I need to 'schedule' more of those :).