Mom in DCity

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Reporting Live on Hurricane Sandy

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Many moons ago, in a previous lifetime I was a journalist– the kind of journalist that stands out on the beach in the middle of a hurricane and tells people to stay inside. I don’t know how many times I said things like: “we’re the only idiots out here” or “I wish I could be at home snuggled up under a blanket instead of out here.” Well, today was my big chance! Washington, DC shut down, and guess what I did…

1. Ignored all warnings about leaving the house. After going stir crazy at 9 am (yes, that’s how long it took), I packed the husband and kids into the car and didn’t come home for hours.

2. Took pictures of anything and everything:

Check out the guy covering himself with a plastic tablecloth!

3. Judged all the news coverage. If all you have to say is “Caribou is still open,” do you really need to be out there getting blown around in the rain?

4. Criticized the city. Why didn’t they clean up these leaves before the storm? Are they actually hoping for a flood caused by clogged drains? Huh, Mayor Gray? Is that what you want?

5. Put on makeup in case a real reporter needed someone to interview. But only if they need to talk to someone who really knows what they’re talking about (flips hair over shoulder).

6. Drank too much coffee. I forgot I didn’t need to be up for days on end, and now I’m all jittery.

Starbucks was closed but Caribou wasn’t!

7. Updated Facebook on area business closures. Well you were all wondering, weren’t you?!

8. Went to the airport to see if all the flights really are cancelled. They were for the most part. And while we there there, the girls ran a few laps around the terminals and then ate some lunch at the only place open: Dunkin Donuts.

“Reporting live from the airport, I’m Zana.”

9. Looked out the window every 5 minutes to see if things have gotten worse.

Still raining out there…

10. And of course… blogged about it.

I tell ya… you can take the girl out of the trailer park, but you can’t take the– wait that’s not the one. You can take the girl out of the country, but you can’t– no, that’s not it either. Oh what-the-hell-ever.

I’m sure it sucks if your power went out or if you’re roof flew off today. But since that hasn’t happened here (yet), I will continue to make light of Frankinstorm.

Keep it here for the latest. Now back to you…

Four Places Your Kids Can Run Wild in DC

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My experiment as a mother of three has ended, now that my lovely niece is on her way home. It has been an intense and high-energy week. As one mom remarked, “I thought only boys acted that wild. You sure have your hands full.”

After some trial and error (and a few important lessons), I discovered some perfect places to take kids in DC. These aren’t new in our family rotation, but we rediscovered them this week, and I’m so glad that we did.

1. National Building Museum.
If you’re not a member, become one. Trust me. This place is far less crowded than the free museums nearby. Plus, it caters to younger children. Ever since Lira had a birthday party here a few years back, it has been a family-fave. The great hall is a huge open space where kids can run free. There’s a Lego exhibit where your little ones can build things and make a mess that you don’t have to clean up! And there’s indoor min-golf here through Labor Day.

Building Museum Divas

Tip: Sign up for a spot in The Building Zone (for kids ages 2-6) as soon as you get there; you’ll usually have to wait at least an hour. [Read more…]

Get Out the Wine Glasses: I Miss My Mommy!

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If you’ve ever had a kid, other than your own, stay with you for an extended period of time, you know there always comes a moment when they miss their Mommy.

For my visiting niece, that moment came today. I almost missed it, thanks to all the screaming going on at my house full of girls. But when the sobbing lasted more than a minute and wasn’t followed by any finger pointing or tattle-taling, I knew something was wrong.

I picked her up, sat her in my lap and asked what the problem was. “I miss my Mooooooooooommmmm sob sob snort mmmyyyyy!”

After attempting to call her parents, who were both at work, I had to come up with some other way to make her smile.

I thought about what would make me feel better if I were sad… ah ha!

Cheers to feeling better!

I pulled out the fancy glasses and the red stuff (V8 Splash), and let the girls drink their sorrows away. They clinked glasses, giggled and said things like “this tastes magnificent!” Then they asked for more, and more, and more…

Glass #4– slow down, girl!

And soon, my niece’s frown turned upside down and the whole day got better. Drinking has worked for me for years now, so why wouldn’t it work for them?! College taught me so much. And these girls are already ahead of the game. What will they possibly have to learn when they get there?!

At The Doctor and Suddenly Not Sick

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Does this ever happen to you?

Your kid is miserably sick. They’re coughing all night, sniffling, sneezing, running a fever, maybe even throwing up. And then you get to the doctor and they act like the happiest, healthiest kid that ever lived?

That happened to me yesterday.

After five days of sickness, I tried calling Zana’s pediatrician; they couldn’t fit her in for an appointment. They must have used their psychic pediatric superpowers and realized she was fine, but I wasn’t convinced. I drove all the way to Laurel, Maryland and took Zana to Patient First; it’s my favorite urgent care facility– they get you in and out fast and it’s definitely worth the 30 minute drive from the Hill. This was the scene while we waited for the doctor:

“Mommy, take my picture!”
“Mommy, I wanna take your picture!”

I swear this kid was miserable all day. The doctor checks her out and tells me she’s fine. It’s a virus. He must think I’m a first time mom because he also tells me that it’s normal for toddlers to get colds (um, thanks). Then he says to elevate her head while she’s sleeping, use saline nose spray and make sure she drinks fluids. I’m sure glad I wasted 3 hours of my life on this trip to the doctor. Zana should be grounded. At least there’s a Chik-fil-a in the Patient First parking lot. I got myself a lemonade and Zana a chocolate milk and called it a night… and not another long, sleepless one! She’s all smiles this morning. How about that…

Hop On The Bus, Gus… Along With My 5 Year Old

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You know that Paul Simon song, “50 Ways to Leave Your Lover“?

Hop on the bus, Gus… no need to discuss much!

My parents used to sing it to me when I was little, growing up in Texas. I started riding the bus to school in second grade. And even before that, I rode the bus every summer to YMCA camp. There was a lot of bus riding going on, and that seemed to be a good theme song. Well, that and Rod Stewart’s “Do Ya Think I’m Sexy,” but we’re talking about buses so that doesn’t apply.

Here in DC, where public transportation seems to be the norm for most adults– the thought of putting your kid on a school bus is a big deal for many parents.

Lira has been riding the bus to summer camp in McLean, Virginia for three weeks now. It’s a 30 minute ride each way.

A few Capitol Hill moms asked, at the end of the school year, what Lira would be doing this summer. And their responses were almost always the same– the camp sounded cool but McLean is too far to drive. And a bus??? Well, that was out of the question.

  • “You’re putting her on a bus? Across town?”
  • “Wow. More power too you. I don’t think I could put my kid on a bus.”
  • “Are you sure it’s safe?”

Dave’s mom was the worst, though:

  • “I just pray to God that bus doesn’t get into a wreck. Or get caught in traffic in the 100 degree heat.”

Um, yeah. Thanks, Nana. Is riding the bus really any worse then me driving her somewhere? Especially with my morning vodka habit (I should probably tell you I’m kidding). The scary part, for me, wasn’t so much safety; it was the thought of her being grown up enough to ride a bus without me. When did that happen?! [Read more…]