Kid and Caboodle

I’ve been very busy redesigning the AAJA-D.C. website lately. Here are some screenshots of the latest version of the index page:

It’s funny how much I use routines to anchor myself in time. I’ve been confused much of this afternoon about what day it is because we’ve been doing our normal Sunday routines; Chris did the laundry, I was on call for work, and A.J. did his homework. It almost feels like tomorrow is an extra day off!

Today Chris and I had an unexpected free day. Since A.J.’s school system has had so many snow days this winter, school officials decided to have the kids go to a full day of school today instead of observing the Presidents’ Day holiday as originally scheduled. Since Chris and I are both government employees, we got the day off. Appropriately, we decided to go to Ford’s Theatre, where President Lincoln was shot in 1865. Strangely enough, today was the first visit to Ford’s Theatre for either of us despite the years we have each lived in the D.C. area.

Here are a few pictures from our visit:

The sign for Ford's Theatre

This is the gun John Wilkes Booth used to kill President Lincoln in 1865. Note how it is set in the case to point at the drawing of Lincoln -- creepy!

A close-up view of the gun used to kill President Lincoln

A view of the stage and a replica of the box in which President Lincoln was sitting the night he was shot

A close-up view of where President Lincoln was sitting in Ford's Theatre the night he was shot

This weekend is very unusual for us; we have absolutely nothing scheduled except for A.J.’s taekwondo class from this morning. I decided to take the opportunity today to go to a craft show where my cousin Tina (of KittyKatKards), was exhibiting her homemade origami cards. Of course I bought some — I had to support the family! (But really, they are very creative, as you can see below.)

Some of my cousin Tina's homemade cards

After I got back from the craft show, I played a game on the computer for a while, then sat on the futon in the sunroom to sort through a backlog of mail and … fell asleep!

What a relaxing day!

Chris, A.J. and I went to see my friend/neighbor/former boss perform with his garage band at a local restaurant tonight. It was good music for a great cause, but it was a little disconcerting to see how many of my coworkers also were there. These days with LinkedIn, Facebook and Twitter I can’t help having my work and personal lives blend on the Internet, but it was a little weird to have it happen in real life as well. Also, I’ve been out of the office for the last six days and will still be out for the next three, so seeing so many of my coworkers tonight felt rather like stopping in the office while in the middle of vacation. Eh.

Just spent about 40 minutes playing with the Wii. Much of it was my trying to figure out how to play various games, then going back and trying to get it right. Oh well. No matter what, it was more fun than jogging on the treadmill. I fear I’m going to be pretty sore tomorrow, though!

Technically I received a Wii gaming system for Christmas. It was supposed to be a fun way for me to get exercise. In reality, I have spent about 20 minutes using it, hurting my finger in the process. In contrast, A.J. and Chris have spent the last few days playing with it. I guess the Wii was really a gift for the household!

Oh well. Technically I gave Chris a Kindle for Christmas, but so far I’ve spent more time using it than he has!

I’ve been spending much of the afternoon going through piles of paper throughout the house.  In doing so, I found the following list of tips from an office newsletter:

Successfully Managing the Work/Life Juggling Act

If you have a family, managing work and life can be challenging — and often unpredictable.

Consider the following tips to help you successfully manage the work/life juggling act:

• Make time for fun and relaxation. When you add more leisure to your life, you’ll become a healthier and more effective employee and parent.

• Build and use support systems. People with strong support systems tend to be healthier, happier and better able to tolerate stress.

• Forget perfection. While it’s admirable to put your best efforts into your work and parenting responsibilities, it’s simply impossible to be perfect at everything you do.

• Take care of yourself. It’s easy to focus on your responsibilities to your partner, children and employer and forget about taking care of yourself.

• Be happy. Studies show that happy individuals are successful across different areas, including marriage, friendship, income, work performance, and health.

I’m not exactly sure how one can will oneself to “be happy” — does this newsletter mean “try to think positive”? But otherwise, these tips seem pretty sound.

Hmm, wonder what else I’ll find as I continue decluttering the house ….

Tomorrow is going to be a hectic day. My office band, the Lost Agency Ramblers, will be doing a performance for Daniel Pearl Music Days around lunchtime.

Tomorrow evening I’ll be volunteering at the AAJA-D.C. Trivia Bowl, our major fundraiser for the year. I’ll be getting home well after A.J. has gone to bed.

How can things that are fun also be so tiring? (In between those two events I have to work, too!)

Well, it finally happened: an electronic magazine I’ve been helping write since 2005 officially folded this week. I’m a little sad, but I’m proud of the work we did for so long. I’m also a little relieved I don’t have to face writer’s block every month anymore! In memory of the column I used to write, I’ve now changed my blog to the same name, “Kid and Caboodle.” Even though the E-zine is no more, my random musings will continue. Ha ha ha!