Abby's new school had a Halloween party and parade today and it was a chance to meet the other parents in Abby's class, so the teachers invited us to attend. The school provided some food and the parents brought in other treats as well. (Even the infants were served orange Jell-o and soft fruits!) Abigail and I arrived just as the class sat down for group pictures.

Abby loved being a lion! She actually chose this costume herself. As soon as she saw it, she grabbed it and hugged it, saying, "La-La! La-La! La-La!" Of course, we had to make her carry her own Lion - one of her most favorite stuffed animals.

The toddler class has these little chairs. Abby has been fascinated by chairs lately and she was thrilled to see chairs her size. She kept playing with them and, sadly, had an incident where the chair caught on a rug and she toppled forward and over the chair. She smashed her fingers a bit, but was otherwise fine.



All the kids marched through the classrooms to show off their costumes. Even the staff was dressed up. There was a lot of excitement among the kids and Abby really enjoyed being with her new friends, but I was not able to get a picture of her smiling.

Her teachers even gave her a pumpkin to take home. :)



At home tonight, we had fun teaching Abby about Trick-or-Treating. My father, mother, and brother all hid treats. I walked her around to each of them and said "Trick or Treat" and showed her how to hold out her bucket. She understood that she would get something when she approached everyone, but the sweet girl that she is, she always took something from her bucket to give to the person she was approaching first.




Raisins are considered by kids to be the worst treats, but Abby - until she discovers chocolate - ADORES them, so she was absolutely thrilled tonight to have received so many boxes of raisins.


Laundry Basket Ride from Cecilia Newell on Vimeo.


Just before we left Maryland, I asked my friends to name the top five places in DC we must visit before we leave. The Baltimore Aquarium was one I felt would be most enjoyed by the whole family. Our friends, the Seppys (Abigail's Ra-Ra and his parents), were with us.

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Abigail enjoyed the visit immensely! She was so excited to see the fish that if we did not have her in a carrier I'm sure she would have found a way to wiggle away and into a tank.




























Just a quick status to let everyone know how the move went.

Abby and I flew into Denver on Friday, Oct 24th. Flight was great. Abby is getting pretty good about flying and I can't say enough how wonderful it is that we were introduced to CARES.

Paul started driving across country on the same day and made it in late afternoon on Sunday, Oct 26th. The drive was uneventful except for an incident in Kansas involving a fox, our car going 70 MPH, and a torn front left bumper and destroyed turn illuminator. Paul was unharmed, luckily, but felt awful about the fox.

Paul met with the Software Director of Lockheed Martin Space Systems Monday afternoon and had a very good interview/meet-and-greet. It was a very positive meeting and he will be contacting the company once he knows the official date when he will be departing from the Navy.

Later that day, Paul, Abby and I met with Trish Dudley, our realtor who will be helping us find a home in Colorado and we took a tour of Highlands Ranch in Douglas County. A 30k+ resident community full of trails and excellent shopping pockets, rec centers, pools, libraries, etc. It is a very family-friendly area with excellent schools, but we just didn't find the cookie-cutter houses appealing nor the high HOA fees and limited routes out of the community for freeway access.

After seeing Highlands Ranch, I took Paul for a tour of the Primrose School of Littleton where Abby is now enrolled in their toddler class. He was just as impressed with the school, its director, its owner, and the cleanliness of their well-used kitchen as I had been. Very good sign.

Paul flew back to Maryland this afternoon.

Abby and I are comfortably settled in at my parents' house, but we are anxiously awaiting Christmas - when we will be able to see Paul again.

I am taking this week off to spend some time with Abby, to get her acclimated to her new daycare (we will be visiting the school a couple more times this week to meet/play with her teachers and classmates), work with Trish some more and look at a few more areas we might consider living, take care of some relocation activities with the relo company both here and in Maryland, and to continue to make our temporary living arrangements more comfortable.

More news to come in the following days. Internet access is sporadic at best.



Today was Abby's last day at The Goddard School in Gaithersburg, so her teachers and classmates had a Farewell party for Abby. Thank you, Ms. Betty and Ms. Maria for all of these wonderful photos so we can share this day.


Art session to create the Balloon banner


Posing with Ms. Maria




Everyone enjoying cupcakes and mandarin oranges



Great big smiles


Looks like Abby definitely had a lot of fun!



Hugs from Ms. Maria. Abby will miss her teachers and friends from the Goddard School.


"We can always stay in touch by phone!"


There were a lot of smiles today - exactly the way to remember good friends.

Her teachers let her keep a stuffed kitty which she always sleeps with at school. She will be taking her kitty to her new school.

We are so lucky to have met such wonderful teachers. Since Abby started at 6 months old with Ms. Ester and Ms. Banoo in the young infant class, she has been a happy baby. She only had 5 months with Ms. Maria and Ms. Betty, but she has continued to thrive. We love all her teachers - they have set very high standards for Abby's future teachers!
Ok, if the last few posts haven't given it away, I am now officially announcing that our family is moving to Colorado. This is an extremely bittersweet time in our lives and I am still overwhelmed by the speed in which it is all happening.

I have accepted a job to transfer from Lockheed Martin Information Systems & Global Solutions (IS&GS) to Lockheed Martin Space Systems Company (SSC), a separate business unit. The new job is an excellent, but rare opportunity and I am very excited to get the offer. However, it means that I will need to start immediately (Nov 3rd), leaving Paul behind until he is discharged from the Navy. Abby and I will move out to Denver on October 24th, staying with my parents until we can find our new home. Lockheed Martin has offered a tremendous relocation package which will help us in the sale of our house in MD and the purchase of a new place in CO, among other great benefits. Paul will join us with Tigger, Belle, and Gizmo in late February or early March of next year.

To give you an idea how quickly this happened, we planned for me to start putting feelers out for a new job in August, hoping to line something up for the summer of 2009. By mid-September, I had 2 job offers and had accepted one. Abby and I will be moving out to CO before Halloween.

It was planned and it is our ultimate goal to move the family back to Colorado. After all, with both Paul's parents and mine respectively in Colorado Springs and Denver, it makes sense for us to be there as well. Colorado is home and we have missed it since we moved to the East Coast six years ago. Over these last few years, we have made a lot of friends and my stomach still knots up to think I won't be able to see them on a regular basis anymore - they will all be missed tremendously, but I am holding out hope that with the help of the internet and more people willing to travel, that I will still be in touch with all of them.

I will miss Aunt Linn and Aunt Libby being close by the most. They have been our closest family out here and having them in VA Beach and able to stop by for a visit every now and then (like driving up to be with us for Abby's birth!) has really meant a lot to me. I don't think we could have made it six years out here without them. I was raised with a strong need for being surrounded by family and having both sets of parents and siblings so far away leaves a hole. Aunt Linn and Aunt Libby fill that hole and we're just going to have to spend the next few years convincing them to move out to Colorado to join us!
We ended up seeing 4 daycares, all of which had confirmed availability for their toddler class starting in November - Primrose School of Ken Caryl, The Goddard School of Littleton, Primrose School of Littleton, and Trailmark Learning Center. Here were the thoughts:

Primrose School of Ken Caryl
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This one was particularly recommended by a friend of a friend. It is about 10 minutes from where I will be working, but completely out of the way from where we intend to live. Not a bad impression as we entered the school. The required keypad entry code, the monitored inner and outer front doors made me feel pretty good about their security. The staff seemed nice enough. We were greeted by their director and assistant director. The entryway and throughout the school was tastefully decorated for fall/Halloween. It looked pleasant, smelled like a country store, and was overall very tidy. We went classrooms for toddlers all the way up to pre-Kindergarten. The toddler rooms were bright, large, but somewhat cold. Very few toys were on the ground or within reach for the kids. The walls were bare except for a large board at the opposite end of the room, which displayed the latest artwork from the kids. In a corner you can find all the toys, books, puppets, etc., neatly put away. The floorspace was large - you could probably fit 4 of Abby's Goddard toddler classrooms in this one room, but keep in mind that the ratio of kids to teachers in Colorado is 5 to 1, vs 3 to 1 in Maryland. The max number of kids for this class is 10, and they are currently at capacity, with space opening up in November, though. We were shown a tiny room with a tiny potty and was told that toddlers are introduced to the potty and if they show interest and parents agree, they will work on potty training with them. Interesting. We loved their LARGE outdoor playground. Several pieces of climbing equipment plus a large astroturfy "grass" area for them to run around in. The toddlers share the playground with the two year olds and it was extremely spacious, even containing a covered area with a toddler size picnic table to stop and rest at. Their playtimes overlap by a few minutes each day, but for the most part are separate for safety reasons. As we walked through the school, we noticed that the kids were very serious. They seemed content, but just not as happy and laid back as we would hope to see. I think it was largely in part due to the strict schedule the kids follow throughout the day. We were shown a schedule that breaks down their day to 30 minute increments. "Do they follow this schedule or do you allow how the kids feel to drive how the days go?" we asked. "Oh, we stick to the schedule." Hmmmm.... We left the school after speaking to the director. I asked if I could bring Abigail in a week before she actually started to spend some time with her in the classroom to get her acclimated. I was told "No!" This really put us off this particular school.

Tuition: $1050/month for 5-day program (they also have 2 and 3 day programs), covers breakfast, morning snack, lunch, early and late afternoon snacks; $100 registration/equipment fee

The Goddard School of Littleton
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This school is about 2 minutes closer to where I will work compard to the Ken Caryl Primrose School. We were greeted by Ann, the owner. She was fabulous! Very patient with us, very friendly. We were whisked into the Lovely Lobsters' room (aka the toddler class) and were introduced to two wonderful ladies, who were the teachers. The classroom was fairly large, but terribly drab. The classroom was painted a dull gray/blue with doors and window frames painted a dark gray/blue. Toys were everywhere, scattered across the room. One of the teachers was on the floor, holding a couple of the kids, surrounded by 3 or 4 more, while the others clustered around the other teacher. They were signing and talking to all the kids while chatting with us, very patient with everyone. Abigail actually begged to get down and started playing with the toys and interacting with the other kids! We were impressed by the teachers, but also couldn't help noticing the lack of control of the kids. Compared with the Primrose school's ultra-strict schedules, this classroom seemed almost chaotic. The school itself is very small and with coats and backpacks in the hallways, we get a claustrophobic feeling. The playground was likewise very small, with no open areas to run around.

Tuition: $1150/month + 5% discount if Abby only attend 4 days a week; $125 registration fee would be waived because we're currently with the Goddard School in MD; We would need to supply all food

Primrose School of Littleton
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This school is on my way to work from where my parents live. It is conveniently located in Littleton, offering us many, many housing choices in the areas we hope to find a house. The school is by all intents and purposes the same as that of the Primrose School of Ken Caryl - practically hospital clean and not as much character as we would have liked to see in the classrooms - but the staff was far more pleasant and accomodating. As we were so turned off by the strictness of the first Primrose School, we made sure to ask about their flexibility tailored to individual kids. "If Abby wanted to nap for 30 minutes today, but 2 hours the next day, how would the teachers work with that?" "We would never wake kids up just to adhere to a schedule, we'll keep lights dimmed until all kids are up and just pull the kids who are awake to do other activities until everyone is up!" "Can we visit a few times before Abby officially starts?" "Absolutely! Spend as much time as you need here to make sure it's the right choice. We encourage you to visit other daycares in the area also, to make sure this is the one for you. Even after Abby starts, you're welcome at any time to drop by and spend time with her." Just what we wanted to hear. We also noticed that the kids were far more animated at this school, many of them smiling and waving at us when we came to visit. Not nearly as somber as the kids from the first Primrose school we visited. Unfortunately, we did not get to meet both of the regular teachers here. We were there right after lunchtime and I was frankly staggered by how it was possible to get 10 toddlers to sit down at a table at the same time, eating off of plates, with spoons, and making less mess than Abby does by herself over breakfast! The lunch looked very healthy and balanced and we're told that everything is made fresh everyday and only once a month will they be served something prepared, like chicken nuggets. Excellent! The teachers all wore gloves while handling the foods and once the kids started finishing, each were taken to the short sink and guided to wash their own hands. Staggering! The last surprising thing, which we noticed of ALL the daycares so far, is that toddlers slept on cots. If somehow Abby can successfully be taught to stay on her cot and take a nap for two days in a row before Christmas, I will eat my hat!

Tuition: $1150/month for 5-day program (they also have 2 and 3 day programs), covers breakfast, morning snack, lunch, early and late afternoon snacks; $100 registration/equipment fee

Trailmark Learning Center
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Just 5 minutes from where I will be working, but I'm not going into detail because we're not going to send Abby here. First impression was, it smelled like dirty laundry. I was then shown the piles of dirty laundry in the cluttered teachers' resource room!! The teachers looked like high school kids, with spiky, colored hair and nose rings, belly button rings, and shirts much too tight to be comfortable. Kids were running around the halls while teachers were inside classrooms. I couldn't get past how tired the teachers looked also. The toddler class had only 4 kids, but they can accommodate 10. I wonder if it's because no one wants to enroll here....

Tuition: $840/month thanks to a tremendous Lockheed Martin discount. Normally $1150/month.

In conclusion, we did like the Primrose School of Littleton and the Goddard School of Littleton the best. I think Abby would have fun in both places and she'll learn a lot. Both had some cons to them, but ultimately, we decided on enrolling Abby at the Primrose School because of its location.
Abigail is finally forward-facing and is soooooo much happier in the car because of it.

She kicks her feet endlessly and enjoys looking out the front window at everything going on around her.
Well, since we are relocating to Denver in a week, I need to find Abby a new daycare ASAP. Luckily, there are a few daycares with spaces in their toddler classes starting in November and I will be visiting them with my mom and Abigail tomorrow.

I think that daycare hunting this time around will be a lot easier than the first. The Goddard School has set some high standards and I know what I'm looking for. Exceptional teacher/child interaction, a high standard for child education (even in the infant/toddler classes), individualized care for each kid, excellent parent/teacher communication, letting kids act their age, and love, love, love, to name a few of the most important criteria.

So, we will be visiting 5 daycares tomorrow morning. All 5 are within 15 minutes from where I work. I have come to realize that having a daycare close to work provides a significant peace of mind and it allows us to minimize Abby's time at daycare each day, maximizing our time spent with her.

We have high hopes for the Primrose School of Littleton. We will also be visiting a Goddard School, but its location might not be ideal. The remaining 3 are the Primrose School of Ken Caryl, the Trailmark Learning Center, and the Gateway Academy.

The Primrose Schools are similar to the Goddard Schools in that they are governed by a corporate standard, but each is a privately-owned franchise.
We went to Abby's last well-baby at Bethesda Naval Medical Hospital on October 6th. She is healthy. She is thin. Tall. Very tall! Her vocabulary is excellent. Her emotional and physical development looks good. Seasonal allergies seem to be causing her sometimes puffy eyes and is probably causing her eczema to flare up. She still hates otoscopes.

Stats
Weight: 20.6 lbs (10th %-ile)
Length: 33.5 inches (100th %-ile - off the chart)
Head Circumference: 46.5 cm (50th %-ile)


We went to Baby 1st in Columbia, MD to purchase the CARES (Child Aviation Restraint System) harness for our trip out to Colorado. Since Abby and I were traveling without Paul, I wanted to travel as lightly as possible. Having to fumble with her HUGE Britax Marathon car seat through airport security and beyond was not a thrilling idea. CARES is an FAA-approved product which is to be used only on aircrafts as a substitute for allowing kids who are at least one year in age and weighing between 22 and 44 lbs with their own seats to fly without a car seat or booster.

Overall, CARES worked well and we are very happy that we learned about it from our friend, Elizabeth last weekend. The freedom it allowed us by far outweighed its cons. The harness took less than a minute to install and Abby was very happy to sit still to allow it to be adjusted around her. I felt confident that she was safe in this contraption. She fell asleep almost immediately after take-off. With some creative head propping, she slept for about an hour and a half. The rest of our 4 hour flight was pretty smooth, given that Abby had a blast asking "What's that?!" and pointing at everything in sight and playing with her snacks in their individual Ziploc baggies, putting in and taking out the food over and over and over again.


We had absolutely no problems from flight attendants regarding its use. Our fellow passengers complimented Abby for being such a well-behaved flier!

The cons: Because there is no center strap between her legs, Abby ended up sliding down in the leather seats several times when she tried to wiggle out. The shoulder adjustments were not very comfortable for her head to rest against, but can be fixed with some simple strap covers, which unfortunately, she wouldn't allow me to put on. I think the harness will work better for slightly bigger kids, because it ended up being just a little bit loose on Abby. A car seat would have offered her a little bit more recline and head support when she slept, but with blankets, stuffed animals, and jackets, enough head support can be created to allow for some restful snoozing.

So, we will be using CARES for many more flights. It folds up into a small, drawstring bag, which in itself was entertaining for Abby to put in and take out toys, snacks, and books.
Abby and I are going on a 10-day business trip to Denver, Colorado. Yes, my company is actually paying to fly Abby out with me on this business trip. I was dumbfounded by their generosity, but we also did not have a choice. Paul's work schedule is not conducive to supporting daycare drop-off and pick-up, so Abby had to come with me.

We will be staying with my parents for these few days. My company is located in Littleton, CO, actually - about 30 minutes from where my parents live. Gong-Gong and Po-Po (Grandpa and Grandma on my side) are very, very excited to see her for a few days. The last time they saw her she was 5 1/2 months old.

I'm nervous about the trip. I am hauling two suitcases (1 was too heavy), a Pack N Play, a carseat, a backpack carry-on, and Abby, who will be in the Ergo baby carrier. I'm not sure how I'll make it to baggage check-in, but we should be ok getting through security and afterwards.

Abby has her own seat since she's much too big for being a lap infant. We are actually checking in Abby's carseat and will be using an FAA-approved Child Restraint Harness known as CARES for the flight. I will let you know how that works out.

Just a little nervous.........
On Saturday, we enjoyed a great bike ride with Jeremy, Elizabeth, and David George at Great Falls Park. It was a bittersweet day for me because this was probably the last time Abby and I will see the Georges before we move to Colorado. Thank goodness for Facebook and Elizabeth's commitment to remaining active on it!

After a small mix-up on which "south parking lot" to meet at - it was completely my fault, I admit - because the park maps do not CLEARLY indicate whether you're looking at the Maryland or Virginia side of Great Falls park or the entire park as a whole. Anyway, the mix-up only delayed us about 25 minutes and the Georges met up with us on the Maryland side. We took a 3 mile ride north along what I believe was the Patowmack (yes, that's the correct spelling) Canal Trail before we had to turn around because recent storms had washed away a large section of the path. We proceeded south for a little while before turning around again and finding a place to let Abby and David have a snack. All in all, we rode a little over 6 miles and got to chat quite a bit.


^Abby squirming around, trying to get rid of the bike helmet.

David just recently got a Croozer bike trailer, very similar to Abby's. David's is a single vs Abby's double. We've realized that the main advantage of the double is to provide more room for Abby's plushy toys. So far, we have had an excellent experience with this bike trailer/stroller/jogger and have used it in all three configurations. We have found absolutely nothing to complain about it.



^Abby and David both did great on the ride. Each took a brief nap.


^A nice family picture. Elizabeth, David (in the Croozer), and Jeremy George.




^Abby and David sharing apple slices. There were mosquitos galore, but I don't think they bothered the little ones.


^Abby, clinging on to Daddy.


^A really neat sight at Great Falls are the mule-towed canal boat tours. We got to meet the mules, Ida (pictured here) and Dolly. Jeremy and Paul introduced David and Abby to these mild-tempered animals.