DC Metro Moms

Team WhyMommy and the Virtual Science Fair

From across the blogosphere, and actually, across the world, bloggers have joined together to show support for one of our own.  Yesterday, Susan Niebur (WhyMommy), a former DC Metro Moms contributor, who blogs at Toddler Planet, Mothers with Cancer and Women in Planetary Science, began Round Two of her battle with inflammatory breast cancer by having cancerous lymph nodes removed.

Susan is an astrophysicist, space scientist, writer, advocate, mom to two boys and friend.  Jean, of Stimeyland, wanted to organize a show of support and love for Susan, but wanted it to be a day of science, not a day of cancer. 

And thus, the Team WhyMommy Virtual Science Fair was born. Bloggers from China to New Zealand and across the Americas took on the task of science and wrote about it, turning Susan's love of science into our own little science of love.

Inspiration, on my TV

I was away on business the other night and had an evening all to myself, a rare occurrence in a house with toddlers.  Making the most of it, I grabbed dinner downstairs (Dinner! Alone! With cloth napkins!) and settled in for an evening of relaxation with all my favorite TV programs. 

It had been so long since I'd watched TV without a two-year-old, however, that I didn't know exactly what to watch.  The shows I used to watch weren't even on anymore, and who's heard of half the things on these days?  America's Got Talons?  Celebrity Family Food Fights?  Hank's Kitchen?

That can't be right. 

Long Live Earth Day!

My oldest child is three.  Three and a half, I suppose, although he's not even to the age where he insists on "and a half!" I know we'll get there soon, but for now, he's a young preschooler, blissfully ignorant about war and global warming and all the dangers out there that we adults are charged with managing until it's his turn, and that of his classmates, to take the reins of this great big world.

But because I know that it's not good for a child to grow up ignorant of danger, I've begun introducing the concept to him slowly.  Of course he knows to be wary of strangers, and to hold Mommy's hand when crossing the street, but I'm now starting to introduce him to the bigger worries in life.

Like climate change.

Rainy Day Fun

It’s raining, it’s pouring … and it’s COLD outside!  Wouldn’t it be a great day to go to the College Park Airplane Museum?  The museum (at 1985 Corporal Frank Scott Dr, College Park, MD) is a fabulous place to play and learn, with plenty of room for the littlest ones to run around and mamas to talk.  There’s even a demonstration airplane that the kids can climb into, play with the pedals and steering columns, and pretend to fly.  There’s a room of hands-on experiments, an air column, a flight simulator, lots of things to touch, stamping and drawing crafts, and so much to see and do.  The Museum is open from 10-5 today — wouldn’t it be fun to go?

Preschool

(a simple text image of "ABCs" would be fine as accompanying graphic.  I don't know where to make one, but would love any suggestions! -- Susan)

As a resident of the D.C. suburbs, I live in some respects between two worlds.  On the one hand, I've worked downtown for years and been (at times) thoroughly absorbed into the fancy-happy-hour, out-with-colleagues, traveling-on-expense-account world that treats preschool admission as Baby's First Accomplishment and applies for a spot before birth.  On the other hand, I've found an utterly fantastic group of moms here in the suburbs who appear to be more relaxed about the whole affair, and who have had wonderful results with their kids at neighborhood co-ops, preschools at nearby churches and temples, and the public kindergarten.

Personally, I'm torn between the whole must-get-into-the-best-school flurry and an overwhleming urge to just keep my kids at home and close to me, protected somewhat from the suburban stress and testing merry-go-round.  They're going to be in school for a long, long time.  Twelve years for a high school diploma.  Four more for college, and if they want to go on for graduate degrees like their daddy and I did, we're talking easily 20 years or more.  Should I really add on to those years with a high-stress preschool? 

I've been visiting preschools this week, and it's hard to find a good fit.