Celebrating Winter

Our little leprechaun

Zach - Of Note

• On a snow day, we walked together to the Metro. It took 1.5 hours; there were lots of snow plows to distract us!

• We've started watching Fireman Sam in Spanish - El Bombero!
• Zach has a had a couple good playdates with Christian!
• Zach knows that a zombie is a super-scary monster and how it walks?! What!?

Zach is the tallest
in his class!

• We had a blast buying birthday gifts for Evie and Ava at Michael's.

Zach came away
with Beulah.

• Then, he had a great time at the party, particularly playing with Madison and Mikayla. Madison got so SWEATY.
• Zach has been in to noticing things that match - the big pharmaceutical mugs in New Hampshire; Michael, Benny and Sisi's dad, and the store, Michael's.
• Zach got to meet the conductor on the Metro, and he let Zach honk the horn, after he'd honked it. It was SO LOUD.
• Spilled milk on his Fireman Sam shirt at dinner and bawled, “Is he ok?” He was so upset.

Find Zach's photo on
his Fireman Sam shirt

• He found these photo stickers from when he was 18-ish months old, and I wore one of them on my shirt to work. Fannia noticed!
• We got really into Hand Clap again and chased each other around the kitchen. Frank throws Zach's socks at him!
• Zach is currently obsessed with baby stuff. He wants me to pretend to be a baby and say “goo goo ga ga,” and “wah.” This morning he wanted to pretend to give me a bath. He wanted to be "changed" again on his diaper changing table. So funny and weird!
• And at the same time he is also lately obsessed with dressing himself and doing things by himself, like peeling an orange. Impressive, and he proclaims, "I'm big and strong."
• Zach still loves soccer and dance at school!

Sleep Update

• He's still going to bed late, though he did better going to bed between 8/8:30/8:45pm in NH. That helped with the time change, but he's crept back to 9pm-ish -6/6:30am-ish
• He still starts sleeping in his bed (as long as someone stays with him until he falls asleep) and then comes to my bed in the middle of the night.
• Part of Zach's current bedtime routine is an appearance from the Tissue Monster (a shadow on the wall that sneezes)
• Zach sleeps sideways often
• He always digs in with his feet, legs, head....

Zach's Words & Songs

• Lots of hugs, kisses, "My Mommy," "My Zacharoo," and "Piggy" for Frank
• Zach said something about me “deserting” him. That seems like an awfully big word!
• He also said a few weeks ago, capiche and comprende, which he learned at daycare are other words for understand
• Zach watched something on YouTube and said, “I love this one b/c they try and try and try, like me!” Adorable!
• A couple of times now he's said big kids, and I've heard "biscuits."
• Zach asked this morning for me to “read Mommy, read Daddy, read Zach.” I told him the stories of Mommy growing up with Gamma and Bob and 
• He has started saying, “I told ya (not you) that.”
• He calls it maple syr-i-up!

Susan & Frank

• Skiing weekend at Lapland Lake
• Date night! Ocelot and Passion Fin
• We're trying the one car thing. Week 1 went well. I enjoy walking Zach to school!

Good Food

• Zach made cookies at school!
• Fire cider; wow, that's acidic!
• Wolf Hollow Brewing for dinner in Amsterdam, NY
• Mod Pizza is a weekly tradition, which is fun
• Territory Meals: tuna, black beans and collards (add chicken and salsa), lentils and rice, bbq pork. Yum!
• Chips and dip and a St. Patrick's Day donut from Founding Farmers

Zach at Route 11
Potato Chip Factory

Visits with

• Zach spent the weekend with Gamma and Bob and Frank and I went up to Lapland. The first day was AWESOME. Day two my skis died, and the rentals were a real challenge. We were exhausted driving home.
• Brunch with Auntie Em at Lake Anne Coffee House. Yum!
• Emily and Andrew invited us to Lake Anne Brew House. We met Taylor and Patrick, Jen, and Thora came. Fun! Met up with Stella, Hope and parents, Gina and Brian.
• Grandad
• Raubia
• Call with Kathleen
• Gamma, Bob, and Auntie Em met Zach and me at Vanish. That place is INSANE!

  

  Zach driving the plane
  at Vanish

Fun (and Not-So-Fun) Stuff (Personal and Professional)

• Recorded webinars for SCORE on the final two critical success factors for onboarding
• Nice final goodbyes from SCORE: Jasmine, Candice, Sandra, and a walk with Kathryn on my last day!
• My Giving Tree card!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Kathryn shared with everyone that she wouldn’t be at SCORE if it weren’t for me. Aww… Thanks to Betsy, Candice, Kayla, Madeline; Doug and Erin; Steve, Kathryn, and Jenifer who came to my party. And Frank!

• Enjoyed reading Charity: Water
• GoCanvas start has gone well, and so many of my friends remembered my first day/week and checked in on me. So sweet!
• Researching GC's leadership training is very fun! I get to take Brene Brown's Courage to Lead program!
• Chatting re: leadership with Jeanne (ND) and Julie (SCORE)
• Said goodbye to Ann Whitty, one of my most special SCORE volunteers

• Starting some training convos at work, and they've been great so far with Bryce and Teresa.
• GoCanvas coordinated a visit to the Smithsonian's African American History Museum. Love it!

Winter Ski Fun - New Hampshire 2019

Susan, Frank, and Zach (on skis)
at Attitash

Notable/The Facts - Check out our album here.

• We were all sick at the beginning of the week, and given that we skied so many of the same trails, it seemed like I wasn't as strong. 
• There was so much more snow. A local told us that the last few years had actually been remarkable for much less snow than normal, so I guess this year was more normal for early March.
  
• Crazy driving. We saw people doing insane and dangerous things (passing on double yellow lines, for example) several times on this trip. Glad there were no accidents. 
• Given Zach's current sleeping reality, he and I slept together in the room with two twin beds. On the first night, he fell out of bed, so we put the mattresses on the floor. 
• We had hoped to visit friends, Megan and newly this year, Laura from SCORE. Even though Megan's in Maine and Laura's in NH, we didn't get to meet up, but we did connect and catch up. 
• Zach continues to be a great road tripper. We're so glad!

Zach is Funny

• Zach insisted on calling our condo "New Hampshire." He'd say, "Are we going to New Hampshire?" and he'd mean our condo, not the state. 
• Zach loves grocery stores, and we went back to Hannaford's. He got in a tractor cart and plowed the store. On our final day, we went to the local Stop and Shop; no fun carts, but Zach acquired Frozen sunglasses.
  
   
• The Cookie Cop sat on top of the fridge and fascinated and frightened. Check out the video in the album here.
• Because the condo's fridge was on the bottom (opposite of ours at home), Zach would just open it up and help himself to items inside. He loved the nectarines we bought him! One night the fridge door swept back and hit me (barely at all) while I washed dishes. No big deal, but Zach gave himself a timeout, and said, "I'm so disappointed in myself."

Skiing - Zach

• After day one, he told us, "I want to go back to my new school." We were glad!
• Zach skied four out of five days. Two days (M&F) with Kelsey and two days (Tu&Th) with Adam. 
• After skiing with Adam on Tuesday, he saw Adam on Thursday. He recognized him immediately and said, "That's Adam." I was skeptical. I mean Adam had had on a helmet and huge ski sunglasses, so I didn't really know what he looked like. But lo and behold Adam stepped up and said, "No, it is Adam." Adam and I were incredulous!
• On his first ski lesson day, I watched and that almost ruined the experience for Zach. He cried and immediately wanted to leave to go to the pool. I walked up next to him on the magic carpet, and eventually he "chased" me down the slope. Adam gave me a thumbs up for coming up with a distraction that got Zach to stop crying and focus on skiing!
• By Friday, Kelsey said he was easily getting on and off the magic carpet by himself, and she said he went down "fast." 
• Check out the videos in the album here!

Skiing - Susan & Frank

• We skied a carbon copy (almost) of 2018. Different order, but the weather on repeat skis was almost exactly the same. So weird!
• Monday: Great Glen was snowy
• Tuesday: Bear Notch was clear and sunny
• Thursday: Jackson's Prospect Farm was cloudy, but the snow was icier and it was faster and slicker! Once again, we got to the lookout where there is supposed to be an amazing view of Mt. Washington, and nothing. See below.
  
• Friday: NEW SKI - Jackson's North Ellis River Trails - brilliant sunny skies and nice snow, not too fast and not too slow. 

Tubing

• Frank and Zach tore it up at Bretton Woods on Sunday, 3/3, and at Cranmore Mountain on Friday, 3/8

The Seasons

• The Pool
• Ping Pong
• Games. Thanks, John, for turning them on!
• Crazy loud on Friday night! The condo building was fully booked, and it was like everyone was in one room. I would never want to stay in the condos more than one night when they're sold out. Yikes!

Good Food

• Lunch at Sea Dog Brewing Company
• A scone from the Underground Bakery (scone ice cream cone)
• Bear Notch's broccoli cheddar soup and homemade bread (a repeat from 2018)
  
• The Vintage Baking Company's bread, pizza foccacia, breakfast sandwich, oatmeal raisin cookie, apple delight, ham and cheese croissant, and a maple syrup latte
• Madeline's AMAZING soups, especially the black bean, sweet potato, and kale curry soup, and the FANTASTIC cinnamon coffee cake muffin

Frank & Susan

• We got to watch four episodes of Bordertown on the trip. Watching shows together is becoming increasingly rare!
  
  

  

  Mount Washington

More Change Than Usual

Zach - Of Note

• I call him Zachary (because they do at daycare), and I never thought I would!
• We've been walking to daycare...walking and running (I chase him), no stroller!
• Zach is so expressive (and dramatic); he could be an actor!
• When we play hide and seek, we say, for example, “I’ll miss Mommy,” when we can’t find the person who is hiding.
• Zach loves playing at Teddy and Jewelle's and does not realize the toys are not communal. He really wanted to take home Teddy's Elmo and Abby Kandaby; luckily Rachel said it was ok!
• We danced this morning and Zach loved it. He also rocked out to his own music. 
• We made a Katija sandwich in the bed one morning.
• On a cold day I took Zach on the Metro to Tysons Corner Mall, and it was so windy our hats nearly blew off. We rented a fun stroller at the mall and spent the evening there.

• Auntie Em gave Zach binoculars, and he was so EXCITED to play with them. They hid in three rounds of hide and seek! :)
• Zach loves his Fireman Sam PJs that Emmy brought him!
• Zach's penis swelled up horribly for less than 48 hours. It happened on a Saturday - Sunday, so we had to take him to Patient First AND the pediatrician. Good times, but he recovered very quickly, luckily and was not very impacted by it...luckily. :)
• Zach named the cable car ornament Charlie.
• Zach took a demo dance class and apparently learned to cha-cha. He cha-cha-ed with me and Frank the next morning!

We buried the sled
and forgot
about it until now!

Snow Play! Check out our snow album here!

• We played soccer in the snow and trekked for a dinner out at Taco Bamba
• On Sunday, we sledded on our terrible sled. Zach wanted to bury his sled (actually he wanted to dig up his sled, and we talked about how you bury something and then you dig it up!), and when we buried it, he said, “I’ll miss the sled. It was a good sled.” 
• On our second run, Erik, Rachel, Teddy, and Jewelle joined us. Later in the day we played at their house, and they invited us to dinner. Very nice!
• Walking to school, we played on an icy puddle and had fun "skating." Zach fell on the ice and that was ok, but then he fell a third time, and he said, “I don’t like skating.”
• Dawn watched Zach so that Frank and I could go skiing!
• Zach keeps talking about New Hampshire and wants to go! On Feb 9, he remembered that the knocking bothered him at the condo we rented (b/c we had upstairs neighbors, and we could hear them walking!).

Bye Bye Pacis and Bye Bye to Our Good Little Sleeper

• He's still going to bed at 9pm and walking up between 6-7am, so 9-10 hours/night and 1.5-2 hours napping, so he's getting 10.5-11.5 hours/night, but still.
• Incentives....
• stickers and a sticker chart - no
• shows - no
• School programs like music, dance, and soccer - something to try!

• With this fail, he's now waking up and coming to my bed or Frank's. We're sleeping separately so that everyone is comfortable. Not ideal, but I'm okay with it.

Zach's Words & Songs

• He's so verbal and chatty; he's always busting out words that surprise us: naughty, pirate
• Zach has been great about reading “The Very Hungry Caterpillar.” He loves to read the page himself, “He ate through a slice of cake, an ice cream cone, a pickle, a slice of cheese, salami, lollipop, slice of pie, sausage, muffin, and watermelon." It’ so cute. I should record it! I did! Here! 
• Zach started saying, “Shutdown the government.” Kind of funny since the government is shut down.
• Zach has been enjoying hot chocolate, and he is finally saying he wants marshmallows instead of mushrooms. :)
• He wanted me to “watch this trick” at the Zumba gym and at the end if the day, he did an almost double turn! He kept doing it and none were as good as his first attempt. He said, “That was not amazing.”
• Rachel and Erik had us over, and Rachel and Jewelle went upstairs for Jewelle to nurse. Zach wanted to go upstairs, and I said they needed privacy. Zach said, “Are they pooping?”
• I left a towel on the staircase railing and Zach told me I'd been naughty for leaving it in the “wrong place.”
• He's saying really sophisticated things and using hard vocabulary. Word of the day: privilege

Susan & Frank

• Wow! A celebration dinner at A Rake's Progress. Quite a splurge and very tasty.
• We went skiing at White Grass; good ski, though slow b/c it was above freezing. Frank and I were exhausted at the end! Hellbender burritos! Mat Kearney music in the car! A great day!

• Date night to TenPenh and a Wade Bowen show with a 10pm start and we had to leave early to get home by midnight!

Good Food

• Made a chickpea chicken soup with cumin, cinnamon, and cilantro spices. Good with hot sauce.
• Roasted cauli, carrots, and ‘shrooms.

Zoe is on top of Mabel

Visits with

• Kathleen and Mary Kay by phone
• Auntie Em and the new kitties, Mabel and Zoe! Lunch at La Ong
• Auntie Em's Super Bowl Party, and Zach got to meet the kitties!
• Jessica, Jenifer, and Emily R. took me out to celebrate my new job!

Fun Stuff (Personal & Professional)

• I enjoyed an NPR story on Maggie Rogers this morning and her song, Alaska.
• Andrew & Susan - leaving SCORE; Andrew called personally, "friends for life," "grown a lot in the last two years...". Cool.
• It's been a good, but stressful month. One day when I was upset and cried a little, Zach said, “I have an idea! Let’s take the stroller to daycare.” I know he knows that it makes me happy to walk to daycare, and it was so sweet.
• Gallup Strengths Coaching Call: Describe yourself as a leader: I do things on purpose. People, relationships, and collaboration make a difference. As a leader, I will engage clients, customers, and colleagues to shape our goals and expectations and use that as a driver of priorities and measurement of success. I need to know that others need what I am doing/my team is working on. I care about the success of the project, not just my success. I work hardest when others are counting on me; when what I'm doing (or what my team is doing) matters. I am at my best when co-creating goals. I am the glue that holds a team together.
• Volunteer Virtual Conference - New Format was GREAT! I had to take over for Raubia when she had to have emergency surgery! Yikes! I held our expert bar orientation, met with the round table folks, and organized score.org and More. It was so fun, and the team was AWESOME! Thank you, all!
• GoCanvas job offer and lots of discussion. Thank you Emily, Emily, Resa, Mary Kay, Greer.

• Trip to Charlotte for the Southeast Regional Meeting; it was great! Beth, Cathy, RG, Ricardo, Gary, Jim W., Juliette, Don, Jim P., George and Karla, Eileen
• Resigning from SCORE and the emotional turmoil! Great to hear from wonderful volunteers: Steve M., Beth, Pat, Hugh, Ann, Marilyn, Julie, the Charlotte crew, Susan B., Bob P.,
• Bridget told me, “You are strong and he [Zach] will benefit from that.” I love the feminism.

The Holidays and More

Zach - Of Note

Fireman Sam shirt and train set

• Biking - he can ride it! Link to video. 
• He continues to be athletic - climbing that rock wall and jumping off onto the mats.
• They have taught Zach to put on his "listening ears" at daycare. He can't continue to go to the big kids' class if he doesn't listen. 
• Zach loves Daniel Tiger's Neighborhood, and I love it too. Ugga mugga!
• On a 60-degree December day, Rick's snowman that shivers was shivering, and Zach didn’t think he should be. He wanted to tell Rick and in the end we walked back to the house to tell Daddy. :)
• Sean's mom recognized Zach at Kidz Plaza, and she called her husband to bring over Sean. They had a blast! Zach and Sean are calling each other their best friend. 
• We took care of Emily and Andrew's cats, Bob and Toffee. He insisted I take my shoes off and him too, and he put them on their shoe rack. So cute. 
• We walked past a dentist's office, and he said the girl was being brave (b/c she wasn’t crying). He remembered that he had not been brave; AKA, he had cried when he went to the dentist last. 
• We rode his tricycle to daycare! On this trip I accidentally dumped him off his tricycle as we navigated from sidewalk to road. I kept apologizing, and he kept saying, "It's okay, Mommy.
• Zach took his keyboard to music class and shared it with the class.
• He has been using the potty all by himself for weeks now. Everything (well almost, we won't go into details). All. By. Himself! 
• He is also getting really pretty good at playing by himself for stretches. 

Bye Bye Pacis and Bye Bye to Our Good Little Sleeper

• Whether it's pacis or him turning three, the doctor said we might want to try for a shorter nap (1 hour) and longer sleep at night. With the holidays, it's felt like our schedule has been off, but he's basically sleeping from 9pm to 6am, and that's tough. On weekends we get the benefit of his nap time, but they seem to be less than two hours most of the time as well. He doesn't really seem tired or overly cranky, but his sleep has been a challenge for sure. 
• The clock glowing green and rewards aren't seeming to motivate. We have implemented stickers for good behavior, and that's been good in general, but not really helping with sleep. 
• He now gets in bed with us most nights. He's scared when he wakes in the middle of the night. :( One night I took him back to his bed, and he wailed, "Mommy, Daddy, Mommy, Daddy." Then his clock glowed green, and he stopped and came running to find me. 

Zach's Words & Songs

• Trying to head out to Clemyjontri one afternoon, I told Zach we had to hurry, and he then took it and ran with it, “Mommy, hurry, it will only get colder!” 
• He continues to express his feelings: "I'm angry," "I'm mad," "I'm frustrated," etc. "I'm not going to play with you anymore." "You're not listening."
• He sings a lot now. He knows "Jingle Bells" and "Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer" from music class. He also knows "Let It Go" from Frozen, not sure how....
• “I have something to tell you.” “I have a question.” “It’s a surprise.”
• Meatless pouties, not patties
• At Whole Foods, Zach wanted to buy Frank a roll of wrapping paper as a "treat." He called it a mat. The next day he found more rolls of wrapping paper at home, and he called them "rolling caps." No idea. 
• I made pasta one night, and Zach and because it was pasta, Zach said, “Thank you, Gamma.” He said, “I want to call Gamma to thank her.” So we did. 
• One morning Zach said, "Sharing rocks." So funny. 
• Many mornings, when Zach wakes up, he asks, "Am I going to daycare?" Depending on the day, we answer, and if it's Monday, he usually wails. I don't want to go to daycare.  
• He also loves to tell us that he wants to go to Clemyjontri and the vehicle park.
• "Delicious blueberries" 
• Zach has been so sweet giving kisses and hugs and saying, “I love you so much.” He even kissed Mikayla goodbye on the cheek one day recently. 
• He busted out, "my pleasure" and said he learned this in music class!
• On a windy day, he called the win "naughty." 
• Zach has been asking that Frank and I "Make a Zach sandwich" in the mornings. (That is hugging him between us.) Really adorable. 
• He often says, “That was a fun day. I love to spend the day with Mommy and Daddy.” 

Christmas

• We took Zach to Solace's Brewing Sip, Shop, Santa event. As soon as we arrived, Santa was available and Zach asked for a "truck." A few minutes later he realized he hadn't been specific enough, so we went back, and he asked for a "garbage truck." He really wanted to see Santa's sleigh, and Emily Rogers told me he thought he would get the garbage truck immediately! 
• We got our tree on a cold night and enjoyed the fire pit!
  
• Zach loves the snowman night light from Auntie Em!
• A Fort family tradition is trash at our Christmas Eve Nosh. Zach kept saying, "I want garbage."
  
• Zach got some many good things. One of his favorite items...his flashlight. A blessing and a curse as he tries to use it without shining it in his or other's eyes!
  

Susan & Frank

• We went to see the Turnpike Troubadours! The crowd was so into it. Very fun!
• Back to Ocelot for a date night and Hallal Chinese in Ashburn. Kinda weird, but fun. Good to see Emmy! She loved her Tempting Trail Mix.
• Hike up to Big Schloss and Mexican for lunch.

  

  View from Big Schloss

Good Food

• Frank's beef brisket. Has it only been a month? We've made it many times. Tasty
• Croutons made from the delicious, dense, dark bread that Emily brought back from Raleigh. Yum!
• Wild Hare Cidery's bread and sundried tomato spread. Yum!
• Seared chicken with coconut milk, mushroom broth, ginger, beets, and spinach. Serve with rice and add soy sauce, lime juice, and hot pepper sauce. Yum!

Visits with

• The Sip, Shop, Santa event was a group gathering with Patrick, Jen, Thora, Emily, and Andrew. We ended up at Ocelot afterwards, and it was so wonderful and festive! They had a huge tree with lights; it was cozy lighting, warmth, and good beers. On a Sunday night, there were lots of kids, and Zach got his dump truck eventually and slid around the floor, showing a few younger boys (Harvey and Blaze) how it’s done. 
  
• Met Morgan for an early dinner at a Peruvian place, and we go free Pisca Sours! It was good to see her. 
• Met Jen, Lee, and their daughter, Emma, at Taco Bamba. Lee, Frank, and Emma played a good game of hide and seek with Zach. 
• Dinner with Aliana and Emily!
• Call with Sofia
• Lauren and her new husband came to the family Christmas Eve nosh. 
• Zach spent the weekend with Gamma and Bob
• Sam's birthday party allowed me to get lunch with Mary Kay and go for a walk with Jaclyn before seeing Julia, Sam, Todd, Trish, and Kate!
• Zach, Auntie Em, and I went to Wild Hare Cidery on New Year's Eve. We sipped cider, had their delicious bread with sundried tomato spread, and played hide and seek. Zach knew that a hare was a rabbit. Amazing. 
• Christmas with the Fittons - everyone seemed well. Zach competed with Sam to drink beverages (Z - milk, Sam - wine). Heidi counted for a game of hide and seek. Grandad's house was pretty great for hide and seek!
  
• Dinner at Penni and Tommy's; the weather was not frigid, so we ran around some blocks with Zach. Zach enjoyed playing downstairs as per usual, and rolled around on a balance ball. 
• Happy hour with Auntie Em

Fun Stuff (Personal & Professional)

• We all went to dinner together at Mod Pizza one night after converging at Childtime. That was fun. Zach did really well!
• Gallup's Leading High Performance Teams training was really great. I was inspired that this is what I really want to do more of!
• SCORE's holiday lunch was fun. A good table with Erin, Stephanie, Jessica, Kathryn, Jenifer, Doug, Raubia, Susan, and Andrew.

Susan and Emily before
Miss Saigon at the
Kennedy Center

• Checked out the SCORE Women’s Committee LinkedIn Group, and it reminded me of this great video on "assuming good intent and giving feedback." 
• Published my Onboarding Blog Post on LinkedIn after some great editing by Morgan. Thank you!
• Talked with Heather from the Gallup training around recommendations for professional development, and she recommended SHRM, Ideo, and Lynda and/or Tableau for data visualization.
• Training and Development project; conversations with Resa, Emily R., Kati, Susan B. to prep. I created an outline of an Onboarding Program in Articulate Rise for fun!
• Books: Enjoyed Expecting Adam by Martha Beck

Birthday, Holiday, Birthday

Zach - Of Note

• Zach came down with a stomach bug and threw up all night. :( Poor Frank and I eventually got it too. :(
• Zach and Amelia had a great time together. She brought him a book and Bumble!
• Zach scooted to daycare two mornings! That was fun!
• Zach spent two days with "the big kids." He asked if he could play with them on the playground. Then, he had lunch and napped with them. Angie said, “he’s so smart, and flexible.” Awww. 
• I was coughing tonight, still getting over my cold, reading to Zach, and twice he got up and offered me his water. So thoughtful and empathetic!
• Sara Lee has a wish world door! (from Wishenpoof)  
• Zach was distraught that Frank was not home on Saturday night after Thanksgiving and melted down multiple times. He had a hard time going to sleep; he woke up at 1:30am and 4:30am. Poor Zach and Mommy. 
• Singing cards, a birthday one (Jim, Terri, Marney) and Christmas (Charlotte)

  

  One of many great
  cards this month!

• Oh, the threenager is alive and well. Zach melted down crying b/c he wanted to put his socks on himself, but could not. I could not help; that ellicted wails too; it was a no-win situation!
• Another excursion on the Metro
• Zach enjoyed doing some "flips" on the bar at the playground. He is very strong. 
• Doctor's appointment. The doctor described him as "chatty," and his vitals put him in the top 20% for height (39.25 inches tall) and weight (37 pounds). 
  

Bye Bye Pacis

• Zach gave his pacis to the babies at Childtime on Friday after his birthday. On Friday night, he cried for 45 minutes before bed. On Saturday, he had a hard time napping without it. Twice, we went looking for his pacis, even though we had gone around the house and carefully collected them all to give to the babies. After getting through one night and one nap without it at home, he didn't cry for it. But, his sleep has been impacted. At night, he doesn't fall asleep easily (going to bed at 9pm or later), and when he would have woken up and found it for it to comfort him, he's been a uneasy. He slept with me two nights, and when I asked why, he said, "b/c I like you." It's been a challenging week, but things seem to be improving.

  

  Look closely, he
  has his paci, just
  days before giving
  them up!

• When helping Zach go to sleep lately, I like to lay my head on sheep at the foot of his bed. I close my eyes and sing to him. Last night, I opened them, and Zach’s face was right in front of my face. It surprised me and made me laugh. He and I laughed a lot about it. Not good for winding him down to sleep, though. 

Zach's 3rd Birthday

• Poor Frank woke up with Zach's stomach bug on Zach's birthday. He stayed in Charlottesville, and Zach and I headed home. It was a dreadful, rainy day, so it was okay to have 2.5 hours in the car! We stopped for Mexican and then got in the car and went straight to Auntie Em's house for the 3rd birthday party! There were balloons and noise makers and a fire engine cake. 
  
• He loved Charlotte's flat bed truck toy! He played with that a lot on his own, which was lovely. Zach and I stayed at Auntie Em's since it was still raining and nasty and had a good time playing with cars and the flatbed truck. On Sunday, he got his bike, and we took it out for a spin around the neighborhood.
  
• Emily and Andrew came over for Tacos and More and to celebrate Zach's birthday. They got him a book and legos, and he LOVED them.
  

Zach's Words

• 1,2,3, 4, by Alan Doyle, which Zach calls “Whiskey, Whiskey.” We’ve been dancing to that since Friday last week. He now gets the “I say, ‘1,2,’ you say ‘3,4,’ ‘1,2,3,4.’” 
• Zach made a pin wheel at daycare and called it a rolling pin. Tee hee. 
• Zach was so sweet this morning giving kisses and saying, “I love you so much.” He told me I was his best friend.
• Zach said this AM that my car was boring, or something like that. “You don’t have any cds!” and he made his exasperated sigh! 
• Zach said, “I’m good with that,” when we talked about getting an Xmas tree this weekend.

Susan & Frank

• Frank's birthday! We had a great continuing birthday week. 
• Frank and I went out to see Alan Doyle and the Lovely Gypsies at the Barns. A Great show. I had a cold, and I thought I wouldn't be able to give Alan the energy he wanted, but I did!

Good Food

• Made Frank's super-yummy birthday carrot cake
• Roasted maple carrot salad with goat cheese, spinach artichoke casserole, and chocolate pecan pies
• Rachel & Erik gave us a 6-pack of Christmas Ale from Great Lakes Brewing
• Cinnamon scones and cranberries 

Visits with

• Met Mom and Dad in Purcellville. Zach scooted, and he did his move, but with his leg out to the front; amazing balance. I rollerbladed and a great time on the W&OD. We got bbq and beers at Monk's and headed home. 
• While I was sick with the stomach bug, Zach spent the night at Gamma and Bob's. They all had a blast. 
• Drinks and a bonfire night with Kathryn and Suji!
• Kathleen! We've been able to catch up twice by phone!
• A nice lunch out with Kathryn, Raubia, and Jenifer
• Cooking and catching up with Auntie Em before Thanksgiving
• Brunch and a play date with Aliana, Nathan, Evera, and Esher

Thanksgiving

Zach running the
tot trot

On Thanksgiving Day, we met Katie and Suji at the Turkey Day 5K race, and they watched Zach while we ran. Later that morning, I gave Zach a haircut, and he took a bath. We Google Duoed with the Forts. After Zach's nap, we headed to Charlottesville. Thankgiving with the Dammann's worked out well. Zach was old enough this year to run around the house and be alright with enough adults and older kids/teenagers. We enjoyed family time. Sara Lee was a great host. She took Zach out on the gator twice.

Zach napped with Nolan on Friday, so we had time with Tim & Meaghan. On Friday night, Zach and I went to Whole Foods to get the makings for lasagna, and when I told him we were going to Whole Foods, he said, “They have one of those here? I never noticed that!”

Fun Stuff (Personal & Professional)

• Some great opportunities with ReFrame, The Management Center, and Volkswagen; LinkedIn courses
• Reconnecting with Eileen, Pam; talked to Dorsey, and she loves Tim Gilligan too!
• Good Onboarding webinar. We are rocking it!
• Really enjoyed The Sinner on Netflix
• It snowed on Morgan's last day at SCORE (11/16). So early! I mailed her a nice card, and we had a nice text exchange 
• Good lunch with Betsy at Lake Anne Coffee House; I had the BLBeet sandwich. Yum!
• Travels to Kansas City for the Missouri District meeting. I tried Rye, and it was fun to check out a Local Foods place

  

  Nelson-Atkins
  Museum of Art