Well, it's been a busy a few weeks. In general, we are back to the dull roar that is the school year, but we have done a few fun things. Here are some highlights:
The kids are back in school. Lyn says her teacher (Mr. Lockowandt) isn't strict, but he isn't funny, either. (Mom and Dad think she has finally found the perfect teacher for her learning style and are VERY excited.) John says the same thing--his teacher (Mrs. Smith) isn't strict, but isn't funny, either. Last year he didn't like school because of projects, and this year there don't seem to be so many projects. Lyn loves projects--a good thing, because in GT (gifted and talented) it seems that's all they do--they do two per month!
Lyn started ballet again on September 9. She is happy to be back.
On September 12, the kids attended a fun church field day. Lyn says she didn't know a lot of people, but the games were fun. John says it wasn't really fun. Just to give you an idea, he says, there was a station where big kids pulled little kids on a snowboard thing.
On September 24, the kids grew up and got their own keys to the house! Lyn got a very special flower key, and John got a Superman key!
On September 25, Dan and Margie celebrated their 10th wedding anniversary. They headed off for a romantic weekend for two, while Dan's sister, Debbie, and her husband, Doug, watched the kids for over 48 hours (hence the need for the house keys). They made it with flying colors (all four of them)!
On Friday night, Doug made up some Egg Foo Yung (Margie had left a recipe and chopped all the vegetables), and he and the kids hung out for the evening.
The next day he took them miniature golfing, and John got his first hole in one (on the 16th hole)!
Then they headed to Debbie and Doug's house for a sleepover. They unpacked and hung out for the evening. Lyn got to watch Mary Poppins, while John and Uncle Doug played "verses" Mario (that means they played against each other on two separate DS's).
This morning, they watched a little bit of Chitty Chitty Bang Bang before heading to a baptism for Uncle Doug's grand nephew. Afterwards, they enjoyed the reception before heading back to the house to get ready for...Uncle Doug's company picnic!
There was popcorn, snow cones, face painting, two bounce houses, plus a basketball shooting bouncy! It was a lot of fun. They hardly knew Mom and Dad were missing.
Meanwhile...
Dan got a perfect score for finding and planning the exact places and activities that Margie loves.
We started with a row around the lake at Fountainhead Regional Park. The weather was cloudy, but no rain, and the leaves are just starting to turn. It was lovely.
From there we headed into Fredricksburg for dinner at a wonderful veg-friendly restaurant called Sammy T's. Margie had some delicious pea soup, an apple/walnut/bleu cheese salad, and a homemade spiced pita filled with sauteed spinach and other vegetables. Dan had a burger.
Next we headed to our bed and breakfast, Sleepy Hollow Farm, in Gordonsville, Virginia. We stayed in the "Ghost" room--the proprietor calls it that because it is the only room where she and her husband both saw the resident ghost at the same time. We got to hear the story only after we had slept there! (And, by the way, no one has seen the ghost since the house was blessed by an Episcopalian priest in 1951).
On Saturday, Dan surprised Margie by taking her to the Charlottesville Vegetarian Festival. Despite the rain, it was delightful! For lunch we had a sampler platter from the first West African restaurant in Richmond, Ma Musus. It included fried plaintains, hush puppies, collards and cabbage, jerk spiced succotash, coucous, corn bread, and gingerbread. Yum! (We also got some kettle corn later for a snack.)
After lunch, we headed over to the restaurant Dan had picked for dinner--he wanted to get Margie's approval on the menu, which he got. Next door to the restaurant, was a delightful find--a place called The Quest Bookshop. The title sounded just like Margie's cup of tea, and they had a great time looking around. She even spoke with the owner about the possibility of putting some Polaris products on the shelves. It seems a great fit, since we are all about helping people along in their quest. Very exciting! Fortunately, Margie made it out of there with only two books. Now that's exercising some restraint!
Next we headed back to the B&B for a quick nap, then out to dinner at Maya--the lovely restaurant Dan had picked, which is veg friendly and focused on fresh, locally grown/caught food. Margie had "chicken fried seitan" with summer vegetables and mashed potatoes. Dan had catfish with green beans and golden beets. It was delicious.
It was still early, so we decided to take in a movie--movie times and locations made available by Margie's new iPhone! After much wandering around in the rain, we finally found what we were looking for and thoroughly enjoyed watching (500) Days of Summer--a cute, very well-made, and poignant movie.
Afterwards, we went next door to Hamilton's for some hot chocolate (we were freezing from the rain!) and a shared apple creme brulee.
On Sunday, after checking out of the B&B (and hearing the ghost story! :o), Dan still had tricks up his sleeve, as we headed over to Lake Anna, a BEAUTIFUL, 17 mile lake (the second largest in Virginia), not too far away. Here we enjoyed a picnic lunch, then took a nice walk along the "Railroad Ford Trail," which travels partly along the lake and partly inland through the woods. We enjoyed a short nap in the sun near the beach, and then headed home--but not without a quick stop for a rootbeer float (Margie) and a chocolate shake (Dan).
We arrived home to find Lyn and John hadn't missed us at all nor hardly noticed we were gone. Guess they just had too much fun of their own.
Hope all is well with you. We are looking forward to an exciting, fast-paced October, as Margie starts rehearsals for Plaid Tidings and Dan starts building the set for Art of Murder.
Talk to you soon!
Sunday, September 27, 2009
Friday, September 11, 2009
Poems by Lyn
Lyn wrote these poems for her BFITN (best friend in the neighborhood), Chloe. I loved them so much I wanted to keep a copy. Our copy machine isn't working, so I thought I'd type them in here. Besides--that way we can share them with everyone! :o)
Horses
Horses jump far
Ohh horses jump
Running very fast
So so fast
Every horse isn't wild
Some are trained
Fish
Fish are cute
I love fish
Some eat krill
How isn't questioned
Watermelon
Water watermelon
A very juicy fruit
Tired? Have some watermelon
Everybody likes it
Really almost everybody
Many people get watermelon
Every brand in all the stores
Lucy, Tom, Jo, Benny and
Others all like watermelon
No ant nor fly doesn't like it
Apples
Apples are good and juicy
Playful children eat apples
Pennies and pennies worth
Luke loves apples
Every person likes apples
So many people
Pears
Pears are good and sweet
Everybody wants pears
A very good fruit
Roger likes pears
Sally wants sweet pears
Bannana (sic)
Bannana come to me
A fruit like the moon
Nasty green bannanas are bad
Not every body thinks so
Annie adores bannanas
Noah wants a green bannana
A very nice bannana split
Rice and Beans
Rice is good with beans
I like rice and beans
Canned or fresh is good
Every good bite lasts
Also add some cheese
Not melted or melted
Dice some tomatoes too
Black or red or white beans
Every brand in
All the stores is yummy
Night or day time is good
Salsa is good with it too
Flowers
Flowers make up gardens
Lilacs and Lilies
Ohh beautiful Daisies
Work for the beauty
Every kind of flower
Roses and tiger lilies
Sunflowers and wildflowers
Candy
Candy is sweet sweet
All kinds of candy
Nobody can resist
Danny wants lollipops
Yummy and yummy
Friends
Friends stay together
Ruined friendships are bad
I have a friend Chloe
Every good time counts
Nobody can ruin best friends
Dying to be friends
So the best friendship
Garden
Gardens with flowers
All sorts of colors
Rainbow colored gardens
Dens for the bunnies
Every kind of flower
Nature is filled with bugs
Horses
Horses jump far
Ohh horses jump
Running very fast
So so fast
Every horse isn't wild
Some are trained
Fish
Fish are cute
I love fish
Some eat krill
How isn't questioned
Watermelon
Water watermelon
A very juicy fruit
Tired? Have some watermelon
Everybody likes it
Really almost everybody
Many people get watermelon
Every brand in all the stores
Lucy, Tom, Jo, Benny and
Others all like watermelon
No ant nor fly doesn't like it
Apples
Apples are good and juicy
Playful children eat apples
Pennies and pennies worth
Luke loves apples
Every person likes apples
So many people
Pears
Pears are good and sweet
Everybody wants pears
A very good fruit
Roger likes pears
Sally wants sweet pears
Bannana (sic)
Bannana come to me
A fruit like the moon
Nasty green bannanas are bad
Not every body thinks so
Annie adores bannanas
Noah wants a green bannana
A very nice bannana split
Rice and Beans
Rice is good with beans
I like rice and beans
Canned or fresh is good
Every good bite lasts
Also add some cheese
Not melted or melted
Dice some tomatoes too
Black or red or white beans
Every brand in
All the stores is yummy
Night or day time is good
Salsa is good with it too
Flowers
Flowers make up gardens
Lilacs and Lilies
Ohh beautiful Daisies
Work for the beauty
Every kind of flower
Roses and tiger lilies
Sunflowers and wildflowers
Candy
Candy is sweet sweet
All kinds of candy
Nobody can resist
Danny wants lollipops
Yummy and yummy
Friends
Friends stay together
Ruined friendships are bad
I have a friend Chloe
Every good time counts
Nobody can ruin best friends
Dying to be friends
So the best friendship
Garden
Gardens with flowers
All sorts of colors
Rainbow colored gardens
Dens for the bunnies
Every kind of flower
Nature is filled with bugs
Monday, September 7, 2009
It's The End of Summer!
Wow. Soooo much has gone on since we last wrote. Let's catch you up:
Grandma Left
Well, it was bittersweet. On one hand, of course, we hate to see her go, but on the other hand, it's nice to have some normalcy back in our lives.
Yeast Update
As soon as Grandma left, we went full boar on John's yeast elimination program, which made for a few rough days where he was feeling pretty miserable (kind of like withdrawal symptoms, it's called "die off"--as the yeast dies the body works to eliminate it). You'll recall that John was diagnosed with a systemic yeast infection, so we have had to eliminate all sugar from his diet (table sugar, maple syrup, honey, and fruit), or anything that could be converted into sugar (basically, all carbs--rice, potatoes, bread), and anything that is fermented, fungal, or contains yeast (cheese, mushrooms, vinegar, even tofu).
It's been hard (especially as a vegetarian), but John remains a trooper, and we have settled into a routine that seems to work for now. He has jicama and a protein shake for breakfast (made with unsweetened almond milk and a protein powder sweetened with stevia). For lunch he has a bowl of steamed vegetables and a raw carrot. For dinner Margie gets creative--so far his favorite meal is eggplant balls (made with ground almonds instead of bread crumbs) served on spaghetti squash. Margie has even figured out how to make some yummy "cookies" with coconut oil, crushed almonds, and yacon syrup--a sugar & carb free syrup made from a root vegetable.
Pirate's Cove
We went to Pirate's Cove one more time. We sure have enjoyed going there this summer!
Margie Shaved Her Head!
Yes, it's true. It was something she has wanted to do for years and finally got the courage. You can watch the video and read all about it here:
http://www.YouCanHaveWhatYouWant.com/hair
As a result of her big move, an artist asked Margie if she could paint a portrait of her. She came over to the house and shot a bunch of digital pictures (so she wouldn't have to sit for the painting). Margie will post of those on the blog (link above) in the next few days.
School Open House
Yes, school is upon us. We are excited that John has been accepted as a transfer student to Springfield Estates again this year. He will be in Mrs. Smith's second grade class (she seemed very nice). Lyn will be in Mr. Lockowandt's fourth grade GT class (we hear he's very tough!).
Speaking of school, we got Lyn's SOL (Standard of Learning--required at certain grade levels in Virginia) scores a few weeks ago. Here are the results:
Scaled scores range from 0 to 600. The possible performance levels are Pass Advanced (scaled scores from 500 to 600). Pass Proficient (400 to 499), and Fail (0 to 399).
Grade 3 Reading 540
Grade 3 History 555
Grade 3 Math 592
Grade 3 Science 598
Woo hoo!
Great Waves Waterpark & Miniature Golf
We had planned to try out all the different Northern Virginia waterparks this summer, but we only made it to two of them--Algonikian Down Pour on Lyn's birthday and Great Waves a few weeks ago. Great Waves is actually the closest to our house, but Margie always felt that the kids were too little. Turns out, though, there are FIVE different pools to choose from, and three of them are very tame. The wave pool was the kids' favorite. They have said that they like it better than Pirate's Cove! But Mom is going to veto going there every time next summer, though--none of the pools are good for just relaxing and/or lap swimming.
On a different day we went to the adjoining miniature golf course. Both Lyn and Margie got a hole in one!
Fun for Lyn
Lyn had a pretty exciting summer herself. She went to TWO slumber parties and attended an Activity Day barbeque and swim party.
Los Angeles
Margie went on a VERY last minute trip to L.A. last weekend. Her company was having a big event and she had decided not to go. Literally at the last minute (she bought her tickets on Thursday and left Saturday), however, she changed her mind and hopped on a plane. Her flight took her first to Las Vegas where she had a 10 hour layover. Much thanks to her friend Greg for picking her up from the airport, letting her sleep at his house, and getting up at 4:30AM to take her back.
Margie was soooo glad she went, though. She was able to attend the pre-launch of a brand new company, Polaris Media Group, that Margie is THRILLED to be a part of. Polaris Media Group is creating a positive outflow of media to combat the constant negative news that is bombarding people today and provide people with hope and inspiration to live their dreams. Margie is so excited to be an Independent Marketing Director for the company--spreading the good news of inspiration and motivation through media and educational curriculum. Given her background in both entertainment and education, what could be a better fit?
Please take a minute to check us out (if you order anything, please use the coupon code: 129139.):
http://www.PolarisMediaGroup.com
BTW, Margie is currently building a team of people to help market the products, so if you know of anyone who would like to be a part of such a great mission, please let her know. And, of course, if you know of anyone who could benefit from our educational curriculum, let her know that, too.
Bug Out
Yesterday was the bi-annual "Bug Out"--a chance for everyone with a Volkswagon to show off their cars. Since Dan's racecar has a VW engine, he likes to attend and compete. The first race is a slalom--very similar to the autocrosses that he competes in. He won first place--and this time it really meant something, as there were 3 other guys racing against him.
The second race was a drag race. It's not Dan's specialty, but he decided to compete anyway. He didn't place, but he's done it a couple times now and keeps getting better. Yesterday he said it was the best he's ever done.
Rowing at Lake Accotink
Our last day of summer, today we rented a row boat and headed out on Lake Accotink. It's something Margie has wanted to do FOREVER, as she has fond memories of rowing Lost Lake in Oregon as a kid. It was fun to explore and relax and just enjoy time together as a family.
We saw too many turtles to count; we found an unusual fruit growing on a tree hanging over one of the fingers of the lake; and Lyn and John learned how to row.
Margie was a little worried about the weather. It was supposed to be a nice sunny day, but we woke up to clouds and 40% chance of rain.
We timed it just perfectly, though, as it was not too hot, there was a nice breeze, and it started raining just as we started walking to the car.
A perfect ending to a great summer.
We hope you are doing well!
Grandma Left
Well, it was bittersweet. On one hand, of course, we hate to see her go, but on the other hand, it's nice to have some normalcy back in our lives.
Yeast Update
As soon as Grandma left, we went full boar on John's yeast elimination program, which made for a few rough days where he was feeling pretty miserable (kind of like withdrawal symptoms, it's called "die off"--as the yeast dies the body works to eliminate it). You'll recall that John was diagnosed with a systemic yeast infection, so we have had to eliminate all sugar from his diet (table sugar, maple syrup, honey, and fruit), or anything that could be converted into sugar (basically, all carbs--rice, potatoes, bread), and anything that is fermented, fungal, or contains yeast (cheese, mushrooms, vinegar, even tofu).
It's been hard (especially as a vegetarian), but John remains a trooper, and we have settled into a routine that seems to work for now. He has jicama and a protein shake for breakfast (made with unsweetened almond milk and a protein powder sweetened with stevia). For lunch he has a bowl of steamed vegetables and a raw carrot. For dinner Margie gets creative--so far his favorite meal is eggplant balls (made with ground almonds instead of bread crumbs) served on spaghetti squash. Margie has even figured out how to make some yummy "cookies" with coconut oil, crushed almonds, and yacon syrup--a sugar & carb free syrup made from a root vegetable.
Pirate's Cove
We went to Pirate's Cove one more time. We sure have enjoyed going there this summer!
Margie Shaved Her Head!
Yes, it's true. It was something she has wanted to do for years and finally got the courage. You can watch the video and read all about it here:
http://www.YouCanHaveWhatYouWant.com/hair
As a result of her big move, an artist asked Margie if she could paint a portrait of her. She came over to the house and shot a bunch of digital pictures (so she wouldn't have to sit for the painting). Margie will post of those on the blog (link above) in the next few days.
School Open House
Yes, school is upon us. We are excited that John has been accepted as a transfer student to Springfield Estates again this year. He will be in Mrs. Smith's second grade class (she seemed very nice). Lyn will be in Mr. Lockowandt's fourth grade GT class (we hear he's very tough!).
Speaking of school, we got Lyn's SOL (Standard of Learning--required at certain grade levels in Virginia) scores a few weeks ago. Here are the results:
Scaled scores range from 0 to 600. The possible performance levels are Pass Advanced (scaled scores from 500 to 600). Pass Proficient (400 to 499), and Fail (0 to 399).
Grade 3 Reading 540
Grade 3 History 555
Grade 3 Math 592
Grade 3 Science 598
Woo hoo!
Great Waves Waterpark & Miniature Golf
We had planned to try out all the different Northern Virginia waterparks this summer, but we only made it to two of them--Algonikian Down Pour on Lyn's birthday and Great Waves a few weeks ago. Great Waves is actually the closest to our house, but Margie always felt that the kids were too little. Turns out, though, there are FIVE different pools to choose from, and three of them are very tame. The wave pool was the kids' favorite. They have said that they like it better than Pirate's Cove! But Mom is going to veto going there every time next summer, though--none of the pools are good for just relaxing and/or lap swimming.
On a different day we went to the adjoining miniature golf course. Both Lyn and Margie got a hole in one!
Fun for Lyn
Lyn had a pretty exciting summer herself. She went to TWO slumber parties and attended an Activity Day barbeque and swim party.
Los Angeles
Margie went on a VERY last minute trip to L.A. last weekend. Her company was having a big event and she had decided not to go. Literally at the last minute (she bought her tickets on Thursday and left Saturday), however, she changed her mind and hopped on a plane. Her flight took her first to Las Vegas where she had a 10 hour layover. Much thanks to her friend Greg for picking her up from the airport, letting her sleep at his house, and getting up at 4:30AM to take her back.
Margie was soooo glad she went, though. She was able to attend the pre-launch of a brand new company, Polaris Media Group, that Margie is THRILLED to be a part of. Polaris Media Group is creating a positive outflow of media to combat the constant negative news that is bombarding people today and provide people with hope and inspiration to live their dreams. Margie is so excited to be an Independent Marketing Director for the company--spreading the good news of inspiration and motivation through media and educational curriculum. Given her background in both entertainment and education, what could be a better fit?
Please take a minute to check us out (if you order anything, please use the coupon code: 129139.):
http://www.PolarisMediaGroup.com
BTW, Margie is currently building a team of people to help market the products, so if you know of anyone who would like to be a part of such a great mission, please let her know. And, of course, if you know of anyone who could benefit from our educational curriculum, let her know that, too.
Bug Out
Yesterday was the bi-annual "Bug Out"--a chance for everyone with a Volkswagon to show off their cars. Since Dan's racecar has a VW engine, he likes to attend and compete. The first race is a slalom--very similar to the autocrosses that he competes in. He won first place--and this time it really meant something, as there were 3 other guys racing against him.
The second race was a drag race. It's not Dan's specialty, but he decided to compete anyway. He didn't place, but he's done it a couple times now and keeps getting better. Yesterday he said it was the best he's ever done.
Rowing at Lake Accotink
Our last day of summer, today we rented a row boat and headed out on Lake Accotink. It's something Margie has wanted to do FOREVER, as she has fond memories of rowing Lost Lake in Oregon as a kid. It was fun to explore and relax and just enjoy time together as a family.
We saw too many turtles to count; we found an unusual fruit growing on a tree hanging over one of the fingers of the lake; and Lyn and John learned how to row.
Margie was a little worried about the weather. It was supposed to be a nice sunny day, but we woke up to clouds and 40% chance of rain.
We timed it just perfectly, though, as it was not too hot, there was a nice breeze, and it started raining just as we started walking to the car.
A perfect ending to a great summer.
We hope you are doing well!
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