Sleepaway camp for the win!

The kids were at camp from July 23rd till August 18th.  My weeks without the kids in the house were very restful.  Without taking on any big projects that consume all of my time, I enjoyed the lazy days of summer.  It was delightful and I got very complacent in the art of doing nothing.

I had some time to reflect on what it means to me that we are able to give our kids this experience.  We've somehow made it a possibility to send them for 4 Summers, with more in the works for years to come.

We've seen amazing transformations in Samantha.  She has been able to be to grow emotionally and socially.  She adapts to living life in a bunk with 11 other girls and develops bonds with girls that are strengthened each year.  Her self esteem and self-confidence are on the rise.  Samantha knows she can tackle new situations and take care of herself.   Samantha won't be afraid to take chances in the future and isn't afraid to leave our side to explore a new world.  She is a brilliant thinker and comes up with creative out-of-the-box solutions to whatever dilemma she is facing.

Ian has a group of kids that he gets closer to with each passing Summer.  They pick up like no time has been lost. And it is wonderful to know these friendships will last a lifetime, no matter where life takes them.  This is a bond that transcends time and geography.  Ian has asked if he can go for the full Summer in 2020.  This is something Jeff and I are hoping to make happen for him.

One of the best things about camp is the no technology rule.  Anything that can connect to the internet and/or phone is prohibited.  And you know what?  The kids don't even miss it.  They get to be kids and enjoy running around, playing games, doing arts & crafts, singing songs, dancing, and telling stories.

It's a Jewish sleepaway camp and therefore, they are surrounded by kids who are just like them.  We do not live in a very big Jewish area, it's nice to know they are a part of this community.

I absolutely love how Samantha and Ian will randomly tell a story of something that happened months ago at camp.

A lot of sacrifices and compromises (with help also from financial aid) are needed to make sleepaway camp a reality.  It is not easy, but so worth it.  I know in a few years the kids will be too old to go, but the memories, experiences, boost in self-confidence, problem-solving, socialization, and being in a Jewish environment will last a lifetime.  That, in my opinion, is priceless.

Take-off.

Ian admires my dad and loves to hear all he has done with his life.  One of the things that caught Ian's interest was flying.  My dad has his private pilot's license, and Ian recently expressed a desire to get his as well.   That's all my dad needed to hear and the next thing you know, Ian has his first flying lesson scheduled for the morning after Ian arrived in Orlando for his visit.

Ian's loved his lesson and would like to continue accumulating enough air time to get his license.  Dad bought him a few books to begin studying and Ian has shown them to me now 4 different times thru FaceTime.  It's cute to see how excited Ian is.  

Summer 2018

Summer is in full swing!  We kicked off the start of our break with a wonderful visit from Max.  Max is my cousin's son who is 6 weeks younger than Ian.  The boys are like two peas in a pod and it's always a pleasure when we get to spend time him and his family. Max is a huge Phillies fan and Ian loves the Nationals.  It was serendipitous that the Nationals was having a home game against the Phillies during one of the nights Max was with us.   Other than rain the first 20 minutes or so, the evening was gorgeous -- no humidity and high 60s.  Yay for us!

The kids just came back from 2 1/2 weeks in Orlando, hanging with my side of the family.  Their visits are always special and they love spending time with their relatives.  This year we tried something new and Ian and Sam flew back by themselves. Success!  Southwest doesn't require the unaccompanied fee for kids ages 13 and older.  :)

And in just 2 weeks, we drive up to Palmer, MA for the kids to go Camp Ramah.  Ian and Samantha will be there from July 25 to August 19.  Ian and Samantha have been looking forward to returning for another summer and they are thrilled that all their favorite friends have been assigned to the same bunks.

Let's do the math -- out of 9 weeks of Summer, the kids will be away for a little more than 6 weeks.  It is nice to have a break and being able to take it easy, especially after all the running around we do during the school year, but I do miss the kids.  The house is so quiet when they are not here.

Since I am no longer working for the Crazy Man and the preschool is closed for the Summer, I have lots of time during the day to fill.  Jeff and I cleaned out our utility room and I binged watched all 6 seasons of "The Americans".  What a great show!

I came up with the idea to repaint several rooms in our house.  After being in our house for 14 years, we've never repainted and it was beyond time to freshen up the place a bit.  Jeff and I aren't quite on the same page with what I want to do, so now I'm not repainting.

So far I haven't run out of things to do.  I spent a few days creating the photo album from Ian's Bar Mitzvah.  And I finished the yearly photo books I do for each of the kids. I cleaned out my email inbox (13,000 emails received, 22,000 emails sent -- all gone!). I keep seeing a closet, drawer, cabinet or area in the house to organize and declutter.  I think I've hit every single one of them by now.  I hate clutter!   I've met some friends for lunch, taken Lucy to the vet and other errands, including presenting a letter to Congressman Connolly's office with other moms letting him know its wrong separating kids from their parents.  Oh, and I took a trip to the National Zoo to see Moke, the 9 week old baby gorilla.  What a cutie!

I know I should be embracing the peace and quiet when the kids aren't here, but I really do enjoy being with them, especially when we can do stuff and have fun. It's nice to have some time taking a break, but I don't think I achieved a good balance this Summer.  6 weeks within a 2 month period being apart from Ian and Samantha is a little too long.   Please remind me I wrote that when we are back to living la vida loca in the Fall.  :)

While the kids were gone...

I made the most of my time while the kids were at camp.  It felt good to catch-up on some projects I had started.  It was great to be able to just read a book, or 5 or 10 to be exact!  It was wonderful to binge watch a few new shows -- OMG!  Must check out "Ozark" on Netflix.  Sooooo good!  A bit like Breaking Bad, which in my opinion is like the highest compliment you can give a show.  Love Jason Bateman!

Jeff and I spent 48 awesome hours in NYC and a beautiful sunny day in Annapolis.  I met The Girls for lunch - each of them on their own day near their offices.  I was even able to meet up with my Sister-in-law for lunch and a little shoe shopping afterwards.  Fun!

I managed to keep up my 5:30am bootcamp workouts 3x a week.  This is pretty amazing given the fact that I didn't have to be up by any certain time to take care of Ian and Samantha.   I was able to keep the house clean -- for longer than two hours too!

I logged many, many miles with Lucy and started each day with a long walk with her.  This was definitely a highlight.  I also logged many, many hours working for the Crazy Man.  While the increase in money from working for him was nice, I discovered I can really only take him in 3 hour increments.  That 6+ hour day was a killer and not repeated again!  Wine was definitely on the menu when I got home for dinner that evening.

I had enough free time to start and finish a big billing project for Susanne's therapy practice.  It felt good to get that done.

I got all my doctor appointments in -- my mammogram, my yearly physical and my bi-annual dentist appointment for a cleaning, plus a training session with Lucy and her trainer.

Jeff wasn't expecting me to cook dinner the whole time the kids were away and I surprised the both of us by cooking at least 6 different evenings with leftovers for more dinners and lunches.  Wowee!

One of my greatest achievements while the kids were away was taking on the Pipestem Repavement project.  This was a HUGE deal and something the rest of the houses on my pipestem weren't touching.  Nothing had been done to the pavement in the 39 years this pipestem existed.  It was in bad shape and really needed to be resurfaced.  Can I just say how great the road looks now?  It's smooth, no cracking, and doesn't have big chunks missing or sinking down. It was several weeks of complete frustration figuring out the details and contacting several companies to give us an estimate.  Plus, contacting Fairfax Water and Fairfax Sewer to discuss their separate access points and issues on the pipestem.  Not to mention navigating the process with the Conservancy office on using the appropriate funds and getting it disbursed.  But it all got done and the effort was more than worth it. Yay for me on this one!

It was a jam packed 28 days where I didn't slow down much, but even so I had lots of time to miss the kids.  I am glad they are back home.  Our lives have resumed its normal la vida loca and we are back to running around like a chicken with its head cut-off.  Very quickly my zen existence of doing as only I please has ended.  We are very busy preparing for the first day of school on Monday.  There is much to be done and our lazy days of Summer are definitely over.  

I am currently feeling very overwhelmed...not just by one thing, but by all of it together...the starting of the kids' activities, two different school schedules, Ian now has Bar Mitzvah tutoring once a week in addition to religious school twice a week, getting back into the groove of working at the preschool, The Crazy Man being at "full moon crazy", making sure the kids are doing their homework, and being responsible little people helping out. Not to mention cooking dinner again every single night except Saturdays -- I'm still taking that day off each week.   And let's not forget all the back to school nights.  I really don't know how families with more than 2 kids manage all this.

I am counting down big-time to when The Crazy Man has sold his house and finally moved to the retirement community village he has put a deposit on.  I am hoping that by this time next month I am no longer his go-to person for everything under the sun. It will be nice to not have every hour the kids are in school filled with a part-time job.  As of right now, I plan to fill that newfound free time with a nap.  :)

A final thought - While the kids were at camp, Jeff asked me if having children was something I always wanted?  Without hesitation, my answer was "yes".  Not because there was ever a time in my life where I had to consciously think to myself "do I want kids?", but because it was never a question in the first place.  I never pictured my life any other way.  In my opinion it was always going to be this way.  I love it.  I love the craziness, I love the noise, I love watching them grow into these amazing people, I love listening to them talk and their opinions and seeing the world from their perspective, I love how it feels to be a part of this family.  I love my kids so much.  I know that I am mostly in survival mode getting thru each day, but when I have a month without them around me, I realize just how much I was meant to be their mother.  And how much this is who I am.  But yes, a nap does sound awfully good.

Camp is awesome!

The kids are back from Camp Ramah!  And its a good thing too because the house was so quiet without them. 

How quiet was it?  Jeff (all on his own, without any prompting from me) said we could get a 2nd dog when Sam leaves for college.   Yep, you know the house must've been quiet. Like hear the mosquitoes buzzing around outside quiet.  The kind of quiet when Lucy was shedding some of her fur you could hear it hit the floor.  It was so quiet that we could hear the ice maker in the refrigerator make each ice cube. 

I've come to the conclusion that a month is too long for the kids to be gone.  We're used to them visiting the family in Orlando or doing Gramps Camp in Baltimore without us, but the difference is, its for much less than a month and we can still talk to them on the phone or see the kids thru facetime as much as we want.  It's hard to miss them so much when you still feel connected.

I honestly don't think I would've survived this past month without my friends Susanne and Dawn working at the camp.  Their texts, photos and videos they sent me made it bearable. I am so fortunate that they were able to check up on them, make sure Ian wasn't getting homesick, give them lots of hugs and report back to me what they were up to. 

Here's the thing -- the kids had a great time.  Even Ian who was so worried about being away from us for a month had a fabulous time.  They both want to go back next Summer.  So Jeff and I will try to work our magic and see if we can make the impossible possible again.   Fingers and toes are crossed.  Because as much as I miss them, I know this experience is so good for their development.  And to be in a setting that surrounds them with other Jewish kids is the icing on the cake.

Sam looks like she is up to no good!

That cucumber in Ian's hand never stood a chance.

It is so wonderful to see her so happy! 

 

At the airport picking up the kids! 

Everyone's happy to be going home!

Delightful.

My idea of a dream weekend? 

Take Jeff and me and put us on a train super early on a Saturday morning headed to New York City.  See three (yes, 3!!!) shows, have lunch with a seriously cool lady who just happens to be a writer for General Hospital (No way! Way!!), find an awesome NY deli for breakfast that offers gluten-free bagels, all while walking everywhere!  Not to mention we managed to fit drinks in with a friend from high school, dinner with Jeff's uncle, and made it to Juniors for the yummiest slice of cheesecake.  End the weekend with a train back to D.C. departing Penn Station at 9:00pm Sunday evening, being in NYC for every possible minute we can before having to resume our regular lives on Monday morning.

I love NY!  I realize it will never be practical to live there, but it sure is nice to visit.  I love the energy, I love the people, I love the skyscrapers, I love the skyline.  I love it all! 

How wonderful Jeff and I could make this weekend a reality while the kids were at camp.

On the train!

As heard in the  "Hamilton" soundtrack, "It's the greatest city in the world."

Jeff and I have been to New York just frequently enough over the past several years that we seem to end up at the same exact restaurants completely by coincidence.  It's not until we are inside and seated at the same table that we realize we've been there before, and sometimes twice before.  Out of the tens of thousands of restaurants we could eat at, we've managed to randomly pick the same Chinese restaurant, Italian restaurant and diner.   It's pretty funny when it happened again this past visit to New York.  We've agreed to give up trying to find anything new and just keep visiting what seems to be our favorite places.  Hey, if it works, why mess with it?

Nora Ephron sums up my feelings perfectly:  "I look out the window and I see the lights and the skyline and the people on the street rushing around looking for action, love, and the world’s greatest chocolate chip cookie, and my heart does a little dance."

It's what's happening: Sleepaway camp!

Somehow miraculously Jeff and I made it work to send both kids to sleepaway camp for a month this Summer.  Yes, a month!  From July 25th to August 20th, Ian and Sam are spending their time in Palmer, MA at a Jewish overnight camp called Camp Ramah.

I think its pretty awesome that Ian and Sam are able to have this time; to just be a kid, playing with other kids their age, doing games and activities, singing and dancing, and having fun in a structured environment.  The best part of all is, it's technology free.  No iPads, no cell phone, no xbox.

I love that they get to experience this. But boy do I miss them!  The house is super quiet.  And the camp photographer is not the best this year at taking photos.  Fortunately I have my friends Dawn and Susanne working at the camp.  They have been wonderful in sending me lots of awesome photos and videos and giving me great reports on what Ian and Sam are up to.

Reports from my spies:  Sam is eating nothing but noodles for lunch and dinner.  Ha!  Actually one morning's breakfast consisted of 3 (!) cinnamon rolls.  This bothers Jeff more than it does me.  You got to pick your battles, right?  As long as she is happy and eating something is all I want for her.

It's gotten to be something of a joke that Sam is eating so many noodles.  Susanne asked her at one meal where are her veggies?  Sam answered with "At home."   Dawn saw her holding an apple and commented on how much she loves apples too.  Sam replied with, "Don't get so excited, I am only holding it.".   Ha!   The best was when Dawn stopped her and recorded her reaction when she informed Sam of the unfortunate news that the camp ran out of noodles.  The reaction on Sam's face is priceless.  

Just another 10 days to go until I get to hug my babies again.  XOXO

Sun in the fun in OC,NJ

My summer feels complete now that we had our week at the beach in Ocean City, NJ.  For the fourth year we rented a place and spent the week with my cousin Leslie and her family.  This to me is what summer is all about.  Spending countless hours by the ocean, hanging with family, getting ice cream almost every night after dinner and walking on the boardwalk.  Does it get any more old school and wholesome than that?  I don't think so.

This year we had a new set of wonderful guests join us...Jeff's parents!  From Sunday to Wednesday they stayed with us in Ocean City and got a glimpse at all the things we love about our week at the beach. 

Here are some of the highlights:

1. Uncle Bill's.  This restaurant is a family favorite and we make sure to go at least twice during the week.

2. Ian and Max surfing.

3. Getting Jeff on the beach for two days. 

4. Getting Jeff's father on the beach!  Rumor has it its been decades since he has stepped foot on a beach.

4. Being with family --all of them, Jeff's parents, my cousin's family, and her extended relatives.  It's the best!

5. Ian and Max getting to an operate a surrey all on their own.  This has been a dream of theirs. 

6.  The weather was extra gorgeous.

There is something so calming about being at the beach.   It is peaceful and easy and relaxing.  I absolutely adore it and am so thankful we've been able to do a week each summer.  Ian has a dream to rent an additional house nearby for just our relatives to come.  He'll make a schedule and have everyone he is related to come to visit.  The more family he is surrounded with, the better.   I couldn't agree more!

Meeting SDW ♥

My sister had a baby!   Sarah Dylan Wronsky was born on June 7, 2017.  She is beautiful and sweet and everything amazing.  Sarah joins big sister Rachel who is 3.5 years old and thrilled to have a sister.   In fact, Rachel thinks of Sarah as her baby. She is very possessive about her. 

Lori and Ben had Sarah's baby naming in early July and we had the best visit meeting Sarah and spending time with the family.  Now there is another reason to add to the list for wanting to move to Orlando. 

Another summer in the books

We are in the home stretch saying goodbye to summer.  During their time off from school, the kids didn't read any books, log in to the school sponsored math website Dreambox, nor did they practice any Hebrew.  And I'm ok with that!  Because they work hard the 180 days they are in school, the kids deserve a break.  And more importantly learning can happen in other ways.  Ian and Sam know about the Freedom Trail in Boston firsthand.  They walked it; ALL OF IT!, with stops along the way to learn about the important events that happened.  They know what the town of Plymouth looks like; where the Pilgrims came in the 1600s.  They got a first hand look at the Mayflower II ship. We even threw in a few museums & plantations for good measure -- National Baseball Hall of Fame, Berkshire Museum, Plymouth Grist Mill, Plymouth Plantation and the Norman Rockwell Museum.  They experienced whitewater rafting, a ropes course, and zip lining for the first time!  Sam even went on her first horseback ride.  Many incredible moments that can't be taught in a classroom or reading a book.

Ian and Sam got a chance to be kids.  They had a wonderful summer full of weeks that offered a chance to spend quality time with family (Gramps Camp with Jeff's parents, Orlando with my family, OCNJ with their cousins), plus many other incredible landscapes.  I loved these amazing 10 weeks we were able to offer the kids.

Here is my list of highlights from Summer 2016:

*This will be known as the Summer of Broadway.  Ian and I became OBSESSED with the soundtrack to "Hamilton" and listened to it non-stop in all of our many road trips and hours spent in the car.  Once Jeff and Sam got tired of listening (hard to believe it happened, but it did), we moved to all the other favorite Broadway musicals:  Kinky Boots, Rent, Annie, Chicago, A Chorus Line, Fiddler on the Roof,  If/Then, Les Miserables, and Beautiful.  Ian and Sam are very well versed in my favorite musical genre.  Many, many miles sailed by as the kids and I belted out showtunes. 


*This will also be known as the Summer of baseball.  Between a trip to the National Baseball Hall of Fame (a dream of Jeff's since Ian was born), their first game at Fenway Park, and a big outing to see the Washington Nationals play (in 107 degree heat!) with a few of Ian's buddies for his birthday, plus a few minor league games (Pittsfield Minors in MA, Potomac Nationals in VA), it was a lot of baseball!  Ian ended up with quite a few baseball themed t-shirts and wears one pretty much each day from his travels.


*Sam's first time at sleepaway camp.  OMG!  My girl did it!  12 days at Camp Ramah in Palmer, MA.  I am still in awe that this was her idea to go.  She had a wonderful time and wants to go back next year.  I am so completely impressed with her independence and very proud of her.  Sam truly flourished at camp.


*How outdoorsy our family became during our 10 day trip to Boston, Plymouth, and Berkshires in Massachusetts.  I had high hopes that my family would keep an open mind and try all the different things we had planned (and paid for in advance!).  Jeff, Ian, and Sam rose to the occasion and exceeded my expectations.  It was truly phenomenal all that we were able to do without anyone melting down.   Goooo Team Toppall!  Note to self:  No need to ever sign Jeff up for zip lining again.


*Getting to see Barbra Streisand in concert with my mom.  This will truly be a highlight of my entire life.  I can't quite put into words what being able to do this with my mom meant to me, but it was a once in a lifetime opportunity and a true bucket list item.  My mom has done so much for me and my sister all our lives, and this was such a small thing I could do to give a little back to her.  There was no one else I wanted to see Babs with. It's because of my mom I can appreciate the amazing performer she is.  Being treated like VIPs (parking, executive suite seats, dinner beforehand) was the icing on the cake and certainly didn't hurt.  I love that my mom and I got to do this together.  My mom reworked her August to be in town and available to go; I believe she agrees, it was more than worth it.


*It took 11 years in the making, but I've finally got to the point where I don't need to be in arm's length of either kid when we go to the pool.  I can stay out of the water (if I want) and fully socialize with the other moms.  Both kids are good enough swimmers and its the best feeling not having to be freaked out the entire time they are in the pool, hoping they are ok.  All those years of swim lessons paid off. 

Sam at camp.  I love this photo, simply for the look of pure joy on her face.

Walking the Freedom Trail in Boston

Whitewater rafting!

Ian surfing in OCNJ.

So there you have it.  Summer 2016...Fun?   Adventure?   Trying new things?   Living life to the fullest?    All that and more!