Smarty Pants

About two weeks ago, I received an email from Ella's teacher requesting a meeting. Of course, my first thought was WE/SHE are in trouble! Then, two days later we received her standardized test scores in the mail. A-Ha. I began to suspect maybe that's why her teacher wanted to talk with us. (Verbal reasoning 99%, composite score 93%).

We've always known Ella was smarter than the average bear, but honestly, also were very aware that she is her own person, marching to her own little drum at times. We don't mind and probably, truth be told, encourage this. My nature is to freak out, but I have learned with Ella that everything comes in due time. When she is ready. Not a second earlier. The ONLY thing she did early was talk and was a full-on chatter box well before 2. I know she has an unusually large vocabulary for a 2nd grader (or for most adults to be honest), but I also know she was one of the slowest readers in her class last year. Writing was like pulling teeth. So with Ella, often we are not quite sure how others will perceive her. Add to that we are SO NOT the in your face my child is a genius and needs special instruction folks.

Back on topic.

Per her teacher's request, Hung and I had a meeting with her a couple of weeks ago. I adore her teacher. Turns out Ella is doing very well in school. The girl whose teacher gave up in the middle of the 1st grade, calling her little einstein and saying that she KNEW she was super smart but she was just not getting through. She's a tough case because she's such a nice girl and so obviously not stupid that the teacher just couldn't figure her out. Ella was Ella. She sized up the teacher quite quickly and did that which she was comfortable doing but didn't push the boundaries at all. THANKYOUVERYMUCHBUTNO.

At the end of 1st grade she was actually "reading" (reading is in quotes because what she was doing wasn't really reading) below grade level and pretty much not writing much at all. The bare minimum to get by. Of course my instinct was to freak out!!! But I know my girl. I took a very deep breath and had a glass of wine and reminded myself this is how she operates. Instead of freaking out, we took the summer off. No pressure, no tears because "its just so hard, mama", no mandatory reading list. Two weeks into 2nd grade whe was on grade level, two weeks ago she was above grade level. As for writing. At the beginning of 2nd grade it was like pulling teeth to get her to write two words on a page, now she is writing 3 page long stories. She gets it on her own timeline. Pushing her does NO good and when she gets it, she's got it 100%.

I know we are unbelievably lucky to have the teacher she has this year. I would venture to say that she takes figuring out what makes Ella tick as a personal challenge and, as a result, Ella is making serious progress. So much so, that her teacher is recommending her for Fairfax County's level 4 gt program. (I being the complete slacker mom that I am, didn't know what that meant! I learned a lot about the Fairfax GT program, now called Advanced Academic Program, or AAP). Did you get all that? No neither did I. I had to look it up online and follow the flow chart. Her teacher must have thought I was completely clueless.

Turns out the Level 4 AAP program means she would go to another school, a school where she would be in a full day, all gt kids program. What I gathered is the following:

Level 1 - everyone gets, and from what I could gather it probably exists because parents in this area are crazy and obsessed with their kids being GT. This lets everyone say their kid is GT. Welcome to Fairfax County, the capital of over achievement and helicopter parents! The teacher comes into the classroom and basically gives activities to assess/ID who should be at a higher level.

Level 2 - kids get pulled weekly into a special class period in their own school. Basically enrichment in one subject area for those kids who learn quickly. This is what I had back in the day!

Level 3 - a 1/2 day in-school instruction with special GT teachers and kids, and

Level 4 - which can best be described as a magnet all day, all GT program, in a different school.

Her teacher thinks she is Level 4 material and wanted to talk to us about the program and make sure we were on board. I knew from her CoGAT scores she was in the pool for consideration. We got a nice little letter from her principal giving us basic info, but we really still had no clue what that really meant. Did I mention I am such a slacker? I know people in Fairfax Co. who are talking about GT in kindergarten. I am the mom who thinks "they'll figure out that she's smart and let us know, right?" People have been saying to me forever that she needs to be in a gt program and I have pretty consistently said, "I am not pushing it." I know she is smart. I don't need the county or anyone to tell me that. I also am FULLY aware that she has her limitations. As long as she is enjoying school and is being challenged I am ok. I guess I would err on the side of MAYBE MY CHILD ISN'T THE GENIUS I THINK SHE IS instead of being that annoying in your face 24/7 mom.

So as you can see, I did not really know what all this entailed. I think her teacher found that super refreshing. Well, it means that her teacher has to put together a Ella's "package" (class work, a narrative about Ella, complete a GT rating scale, etc) and turn it in. We, as parents, also had to fill out a questionnaire and submit materials from home (art, projects, pictures, whatever) as part of the "package".

The whole thing kind of scares me, because though she's smart I don't think she's uber geeky, but whatever. I am also a parent who puts a very high value on social intelligence. I would SO rather her be kind and interesting to talk to and fun and engaging than a prodigy who can't make eye contact. Not that there is anything wrong with prodigies.

We are, of course, EXTREMELY proud of her but also I reiterated to her teacher we are all about what is best for Ella. It is so gratifying to have our philosophy and approach validated! The thing is she might not get into the program at all. Apparently 60-70% of those in the eligible pool do get into the full program. I think her chances are good but it is by no means a done deal. If she does get in, I think she will either sink or swim. She will either be completely overwhelmed and crash and burn or be completely in love with the program and will flourish. Either way the good news is if she doesn't get in (or gets in and struggles), she is guaranteed at least level 3 services at her own school.

And still Hung and I look at each other often and say, "Wow, imagine if we really worked with her! Like used flashcards and stuff!" lol. Our philosophy is simple. Figure out what interests her and expose her to it. Answer all of her questions. This one is becoming increasingly difficult though as mama often has to go look up the answers!

Happppppy 3rd Birthday Little Man

I can't believe that a year ago tonight I was just realizing, after a blessedly good first day with Max (who we really didn't know what we'd be dealing with once he got out, i.e. if he would be able to breathe on his own), he was being prepared for transport fom Alexandria Hospital to the NICU at Georgetown Hospital to prep for potential surgery.

Luckily, he only stayed a few days and was the healthiest kid in there. I felt such a mix of intense relief for us and extreme sadness for some of the babies we saw in there. We have had our ups and downs but our little 5% chance guy appears healthy and so very normal. Whew....I think I am finally starting to take deep breaths again.

And so, here we are, 3 years later. It has all passed so quickly and my little, sweet, soft, perfect baby boy has grown into a little boy. Max, I miss sitting with your little warm body against my chest, gently rubbing your little fuzzy head as you drifted off to sleep. You really liked that. Your favorite blankie is still around and that's just fine. We like that you love it. You are just the greatest little guy!

You have become a REAL boy who loves cars and goes to the potty on his own and gives me "THE BIGGEST KISSES" he can muster and high fives! You have grown up sooooo much. Just the other night you counted to 9, prompted by the car candies that went on your car cupcakes. 1-2-3-4-5-6-7-8-9! We looked at each other, um, did you hear that? Yep. He just counted to 9.

So today was party time and, of course, the dusting of snow predicted turned out to be more like 6 inches and is still falling! Poor winter babies! Still our friends, with very little exception, came in force some with their little people in tow and celebrated the boy that I just feel so very lucky to call my very own. We ate and laughed and had cake and opened presents and just generally relaxed and had a lovely time.

Happy Birthday, Max. I am so glad you are in my life. You are truly my favorite guy/dude in the whole entire world and even though I could not even imagine how in the world I would handle a B-O-Y, there is nothing that makes me any prouder than being your mama. I know it is my job to help you grow up to be a wonderful man and I feel we are off to such a great start - like today when you thanked a guest for your present with no prompting from me at all! SO sweet! I guess you may be a little more like your big sis than we give you credit for!



All my love forever,

Mama

Hiatus

Sorry guys. I have been chastized for my long lapse in posts, but I have many in the pipeline I promise and of course I'll be filling you all in on the little guy's big bash! Promise!

Coming soon:

1 Update on Ella's school progress
2 Max's 3rd Birthday!
3 Vegas plans

To the right we have CAR CUPCAKES for Max's school/daycare party. He was SO excited to help make them and to take them to his friends today!

VRROOOOM VRRRROOOOOOMMMM!!!! Today is my last day as the mama of a 2 year old! On to year 3!! Woot!

San Francisco Open Your Golden Gate!

I recently had the pleasure of a quick (4 night) work trip to San Francisco. Along with my partner in crime/coworker, I headed for the city and hit the ground running. Unlike the trip this report is unlikely to be super short because I am just wordy.

Warning: Heavy on Food and Beverages and light on culture! This trip was all about the food and drink of San Francisco. How much could we cram into 4 nights?!?!?!?!

Day 1: Getting there, The Parc 55 & John's Grill

My flight out of DCA was through Minneapolis. Just the breezeway from the airplane to the airport in Minnesota in Winter demonstrated by striking lack of cojones! I don't know those people survive! The flights were uneventful, if you don't count the part where I was patted down by the TSA. Happens to me EVERY time.

We arrived in the mid-afternoon, dropped our bags at our swank hotel, the Parc 55, and headed to work to get ourselves situated for the next day. The Parc 55 is conveniently located in Union Square. Very nice, very clean lines, nice linens, swank lobby and bar, great staff. I would highly recommend it.

Post-work commitments we decided to hit our hotel bar, Cityhouse, to have a drink and discuss dinner plans. It was here that the "Honey & Almonds" and I became friends. Wild turkey american honey, disaronno amaretto, fresh lemon juice and a splash of soda. Unbelievably yummy!

We settled on John's Grill, a historic San Fran haunt and a setting for the Maltese Falcon, for our first dinner out for two reasons. 1 - It's historic and we are all about the history and 2 - it was a block away. That was about all we could handle after being on the go for a good 15 hours!

We started with the special drink, being the tourists we were. Yummy but it has nothing on the Honey & Almonds!






Mmmmmmm sourdough. San Fran, I love you so.





We both had the steak as it was a steak house.



Post-dinner we decided to wonder around and bar hop a little. Hey, a childless mother has to make the post of her opportunities right? First we hit the 4th Street Pub and then quickly moved on to Johnny Foley's. Soon enough I was in my happy place. Both of those are not for me. I swear.





Day 2: Mel's Drive-in, The Stinking Rose and North Beach

We grabbed a great breakfast at Mel's Drive-in. Delicious yummy sourdough toast and the biggest omelet ever.



We headed to work to get things settled and then found ourselves with 2 hours to kill before the craziness began so we headed to Yerba Buena Gardens and enjoyed the beautiful garden in the center of the city.





We wandered along and discovered a cool sculpture garden. ooooooooooooo.





Before we knew it, it was time to get to work! Boo. So we spent the afternoon convening.

Post-work we hit the Cityhouse bar again (you can't beat two for one drinks) before heading out to North Beach for dinner at the Stinking Rose. I love the Stinking Rose. You have to REALLY like garlic to enjoy eating there. If you are a fan, it is SO good.

We started with the Bagna Calda (Garlic soaking in a hot tub Garlic cloves, oven-roasted in extra virgin olive oil & butter with a hint of anchovy served with focaccia bread.) I, personally, take the cloves and smear them on the bread. OMGOOOODNESS. No vampires were getting anywhere near us for the week.



Followed up with an entree of Spicy Prawns, fettuccine, pancetta, and onions in red pepper garlic oil. Religious experience! SOOOOO very good.



For those who do not know, North Beach is sort of (ok not sort of, but totally) the Red Light district of San Fran. Of course, I had not known this on my first trip there oh 12 years ago when my hubby and I were wee babes. I booked us in a guest house (affiliated with a hostel) in North Beach. Awkward. ;-) We survived and I was determined to find it again.

And find it I did. That's me pointing to the sign in the dark (this was right before my travel mate thought she smelled a skunk. It wasn't a skunk but instead someone toking on the corner).



Wow, what I was thinking back in the day. I can still remember it was $40/night!



A little more of the North Beach scenery



After dinner we decided to head to the Tonga Room. It was so funny, in the cab on the way, the cabbie was like "why do you want to go there?" Us: "we heard it is really kitschy and fun." Him: "It's really cheesy" Us: "Perfect!!! WE LOVE CHEESE!" lol. So we'd had a few drinks. At least Jana didn't ask this one where he got his hookers like she had the previous cab driver when she realized he was dropping us on a questionable red light corner. We are very good at holding our alcohol! Luckily he had laughed.

The Tonga Room is an institution. It is in the old pool complex at the San Fran Fairmont Hotel. There is a boat in the pool with the "band" in this case a pretty darn good singer and two dudes playing various instruments. She sang stuff from every genre. The people watching is classic and we were both bitterly disappointed when a gal who could generously be described as a cross between a Russian mail order bride and a prostitute left the dance floor shortly after our arrival! We had so much fun. We scored leis and a poolside table and enjoyed a couple drinks.

Tonga Time



For some reason when we got our fill of the Tonga room we decided it was a good idea to try to walk back to our hotel. The cabbie had said it was downhill. Helpful, no? Well we thought we could handle it so off we went. About 10 blocks later we were definitely NOT LOST in Chinatown when we decided maybe a cab would be a good idea.





Day 3: WORK, Samovar Tea Lounge, Dinner at the Crab House

With a full day of work ahead (unfortunately), we grabbed a quick bagel sandwich and a VERY large coffee and headed to the Moscone. Fun Times! We were able to escape for a quick lunch at Samovar Tea Lounge and we were so not disappointed! Delish meal and a great atmosphere. Very Zen.



I had the Chinese Duck & Veggie Stir-fry, Squash Dumplings, & Pu-erh tea (blood orange tea). Really really amazing!






After lunch it was back to work and then a little rest before heading to the Wharf and Pier 39 for dinner and shopping.

Did I mention I LOVE sourdough?



Cute little sourdough turtles



For dinner we settled on the Crab House for some dungeness! Another amazingly good meal. Yes, we were totally eating our way across the city.



Dungeness, in my belly! (Unfortunately in the middle of the night following this dinner I paid for this meal, I have been in denial about a shellfish allergy for YEARS. A mild one. Usually complicated only when ingesting alcohol in conjunction with said shellfish. Well, this time I literally woke up from a dead sleep itching from HEAD TO TOE. As Vicki said, "So you are telling me you were itching from head to toe because you had crab(s).")

It was OH SO GOOD though. Dungeness legs in garlic butter.



Accompanied by Garlic Fries.



My partner in crime



Traveling with coworkers can some times be challenging and can sometimes be a lot of fun. This girl is SO easy to travel with, as we have such similar styles. We basically want to see and do as much as we can, we like cheesy and classy equally well and we hit the ground running knowing we can sleep when we're dead! And we pretty much spent the entire week quoting "The Hangover" .... SO so so much fun!

After finishing dinner we headed from Pier 39 down along the Wharf.





Of course we hit Ghirardelli Square for some chocolate



This is the point in the story where all I can remember is the FOOD!

Day 4: Another full day of work, lunch at Green Papaya and dinner at Maya

After days of dealing with folks like this, my attention to detail was waning. Yes this was a professional conference I was attending. Not for my profession but one related to what I do.



We found a great Viet restaurant near the center and enjoyed a delicious meal. I am married to a Viet guy so I know my Viet food and the Green Papaya was probably one of the top 3 Viet restaurants I have been too. LOVE the Bun (vermicelli/rice noodles) thit heo nuong (with grilled pork and spring roll) accompanied by a cafe sua da (basically strong french press coffee with sweetened condensed milk over ice).



Re-energized I was able to face the afternoon of my final full day!

Dinner was at Maya, on the recommendation of our hotel concierge.

Some of the best guacamole I have EVER had, with a glass of red sangria.



Followed by chicken mole tacos.



My flight out of San Fran was the next morning, so I called it a night!

Getting home was uneventful other than again having the pleasure of a secondary screening and going in the glass box for my pat down.

I absolutely love San Francisco. This was my third trip, my 2nd for business and I find something new about it that I love each time. If you get a chance, I highly recommend visiting!

San Francisco, let me beat my feet
Up and down Market Street
I'm gonna climb Nob Hill, just to watch it get dark
From The Top of the Mark