Wednesday, September 23, 2009

Sometimes it pays to own a mini-van...



We kicked off Labor Day weekend with an outdoor movie in the front yard. George made up the invite, I printed them, and Ruby helped me deliver them up and down the street. We had a great turnout, with about 15 kids on the grass and a porch-full or parents. We showed the Iron Giant, using the side of the van, covered in a blanket, as a screen. It worked out so well that we did it again last weekend, with Cars as the feature film. Popcorn, pizza, neighbors, and a few drinks...we really do have an awesome street!

Pittsburgh Welcomes the World




Pittsburgh is gearing up for the G-20. In that welcoming spirit, I thought I'd share some Pittsburgh photos (from Mt. Washington and the Hot Metal Bridge) in an attempt to entice any readers out there who'd like to come visit. (After the G-20 chaos is over, of course!)
There have been some crazy rumors floating around, warning the locals to be aware of violent protesters swarming the city, smashing windows and flattening tires. Kind of reminds me of people being so concerned about the Swine Flu when it first hit that they ran to the ER with a headache. Let's hope these rumors are as overblown as I think they are! (And that Pittsburgh's police force doesn't bungle things too badly. See http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=113108920)

Wednesday, September 9, 2009

School Days



Miles has been going to PreK now for about 2 weeks. He is not loving it but seems to be adjusting. He misses his friends from preschool and hasn't made a new best buddy yet. He did give his teacher a big hug and kissed her hand when it was time to leave yesterday. He always loves the teachers, if not the school experience. He doesn't tell us too much about his day, just that he is "nervous" to go to school. The teachers told them not to take their shoes off during naptime, because they sometimes have to leave the building quickly, in the event of a fire drill. This made Miles especially nervous, as he half-expected a fire to break out every day during naptime. Once they had the fire drill, he seemed less worried about fires. And he told me they only have one per season so it will be a long time before another one. Whew! He told me that the stools in the cafeteria are attached to the table...wondering why that was...and that an officer visited their room and had handcuffs. He's also mentioned the school janitor and what his job is...but not so much about the other kids in his class or what they do during circle time.
He is definitely learning about the big, wide, world of public school!