Wordless Wednesday - Face Painting

Smugshots by Wendy

410-570-9662

smugshots@yahoo.com

Howard County Swimming

If you're a resident of Howard County, but not of Columbia, the options for swimming are limited. You've got one of a few choices:

1. Pay outrageously high non-resident fees to any of Columbia's outdoor swim facilities.




2. Join YMCA of Ellicott City as a member. The dues are not as high, but there is a $99 registration fee.




3. Apply to an overpriced private swim club.




4. Make great friends with someone who has a backyard pool.

For many families, one of these options makes sense - especially if you are swimming several times a week. But for the families that may just want to swim once a week or less, there's another great option located in nearby Anne Arundel County: The North Arundel Aquatic Center.

Located in Glen Burnie, this brand new facility is open year round and offers a variety of acitivities, from group swim lessons, to swim teams, as well as ample free swim time in the fantastic indoor water park. The indoor water park features something for every swimmer:

• a zero depth entry and splash area


• a tot sized water slide


• a real whirlpool - this is my kids' favorite


• a designated lap area


• a 3 story grown up water slide with a splash pool


• a hot tub


• bench seating


• waterfalls

Swimmers must be fully potty trained to take advantage of this facility. The locker rooms are ultra nice, and there is even a family locker room in addition to the women's and men's lockers.

Our favorite part about this park - you buy your tickets the same day, and admission is limited. Once they're sold out for the session, they're sold out. But there is no pricey fee to join, and no monthly dues. Our family of 4 costs $20 for an afternoon of swimming.

For us, this is a great option.

Best. Preschool. Ever. Period.

There are a lot of preschools in Howard County, and I've looked into most of them. All of them are certainly Good Enough, and many are Great. For my children, and for my family, there's really only one preschool in Howard County that is The Best. And that's First Lutheran Preschool of Howard County. Here are some quick reasons why:

The curriculum is faith based. 'nuff said.

The faith isn't locked in the chapel. The Director, teachers and aides work hard to quietly and gently weave themes of Christianity into classroom interactions. Love it!

The kids have A TON of fun! The Director and teachers are delightful - joyful, fun, energetic and children at heart. And their enthusiasm rubs off on the kids.

The curriculum is dense - but the kids don't know it. Many times my daughters have come home to explain a game or activity they played, or show me a project. What I see in each of these are multiple themes and opportunities for learning woven into EACH project, game and activity. My kids think they're just playing a game, but really they're learning science, doing math, taking turns, and learning some pre-reading skills to boot!

The teachers are true professionals. They have degrees in education, and have extensive training in the ways that little minds learn. They really know their stuff!

The teachers and aides are warm, dear, and genuinely loving. My children feel loved here. They truly do.

Weekly chapel is awesome. You don't get to hear about Pastor Gigie, Pastor Kern or Mr. Tom from me unless you sign up for the school. Those gems are our little secret. But they are bonafide celebrities in my house.

Parent education matters to the school too! Periodically the Board hosts parent education evenings to help parents remain partners in their children's educations.

Speaking of the Board...it is comprised of a group of individuals with extensive backgrounds and renown in early childhood education. It is a diverse group of professionals that oversee the program, and lend their expertise to maintain the excellence of this school.

I feel so fortunate and blessed that we found this school!!! And guess what? The 2009-2010 school year will only be its second year of operation. There are a few spots left - go and see for yourself. I know you won't be disappointed.

First Lutheran Preschool, 3604 Chatham Road, Ellicott City, MD 410-465-5977
http://www.firstlutheranec.org/preschool.htm

A Good Day

I haven't created my profile on this blog yet, but when I do you will see that I am a Wife, a Mother, a CASA, a Student, and a Real Estate Assistant. Most days I just have to be one or two of these. Some days I have to be all of them. Those are the toughest days.

Yesterday was one of those days. It started out with a court appearance for my CASA case, followed by a full day of work for Tim. But my kids don't care when I get home that I'm a little wiped out, and my husband was clearly exhausted from a day as Mr. Mom...last night, walking in my door at 6 p.m., I felt the full meaning of 'miles to go before I sleep'.

We made a family decision to go out to dinner at a restaurant in Ellicott City - Carrabba's. The food is really good, and we were both just TooTiredtoCook. Now, a late dinner in a darkened restaurant with a 5 and a 3 year old isn't necessarily relaxing, but we really like the food and we just thought we'd take our chances.

We were seated reasonably quickly at a table near the back. Almost right away I wished we'd been seated at a booth, as servers and bussers alike kept bumping our chairs. In the scheme of things, really NotaBigDeal, but since two booths opened up near us I asked our server if we could move. She said no problem and moved us over in a flash. Problem solved, back to dinner.

What happened next literally made my jaw drop. The owner of the restaurant saw us moving, checked in with our server, and then immediately came over, introduced himself, apologized and asked if there was anything he could do for us. I was absolutely floored.

It's been a long time since I've received proactive excellent customer service. Sure, there have been times when I've had to complain at a restaurant or retail facility, and it was handled quickly and fairly. But this experience was clearly above and beyond. We didn't have to complain, and the truth is, this wasn't even something to complain about. Our server addressed our concern handily. The owner stopping by our table truly turned a good dinner into a great experience.

Sometimes, there's the way Things should be, and the way Things are. Most of the time when it comes to customer service, those two things aren't even in the same neighborhood. It's a good day when those two Things meet. Thanks Jerry!