Independence for All!

As the nation prepares to celebrate yet another anniversary of sticking it to the Brits, I can't help but take stock in my own independence. As a mom I find I'm really not so independent any more. Well, I'm certainly almost never alone, with my constant cute little sidekick. But do moms need to be alone to be independent?

I suppose on the Fourth of July even moms can claim their independence, even if they do so with their families or in a throng watching fireworks. If that's what you're looking for, here are some things to do around town this coming weekend. Thanks to fellow-mom Amanda for the suggestion! Keep the suggestions coming, folks.

The Town of Vienna July 4th celebration. This is the big-ticket item in town. A day of events at the Community Center, including an antiques car show, arts and crafts, music (including a Jimmy Buffet tribute band) and a children's stage. Culminates with fireworks at 9:15pm at Southside Park on Ross Drive.

There seems to be no Town Green concert this weekend. Bummer! Nice weather for it, too (read: not 100 degrees).

There are also celebrations in Fairfax city and Great Falls. But consider staying local to support our little town! Got any other fun holiday weekend activities around town? Post 'em here!

And Happy Birthday, Mom!

Dancin' with my Baby

I like to boogie down with my baby. I want Ellie to appreciate all types of music.

We play lots of classical to her, especially when she's nursing. We often have public radio WETA 90.9 on as the background music to our shenanigans. And I recently picked up a 10 disc classical music CD at a yard sale in town for $5! The classics are so under-appreciated. I grew up playing piano and clarinet, so I want the little baby to like the good stuff. Recently we waltzed around her bedroom to the Blue Danube Waltz and the Waltz of the Sugarplum Fairies. Waltzes are hard! Very fast! I was pooped afterwards!

The Vienna Community Center and various Fairfax County Rec Centers have music classes that I think we'll bring Ellie to when she's a tad older.

But I'd be lying if I didn't admit that I've been known to play the occasional Lady Gaga song to her. I just downloaded the knew Michael Franti song, Sound of Sunshine, too - happy, pop, summertime music. I'm making what I call "Ellie's PLAYlist" on the iPod. Rock on!

Getting Pampered - and I Don't Mean Diapers!

Time for some pampering! No, not the kind with leakage protection. I mean a massage! A pedicure! A manicure! Nothing makes a weary mom feel energized like a little nail polish and body lotion.

I usually go to Cherry's Nail Salon next to Magruder's for the mani/pedi. The New Yorker in me knows that it's most comparable in cost to the competitive-priced service on Long Island. I think it's a pretty standard service at Cherry's.

But this weekend I went for the second time to Diamond Spa on Church Street for a pedicure with my mother-in-law (thanks again, Roz!). It's a little more relaxing - there's a nice foot and leg rub involved, finishing with a mini hot stone massage! The only downer, which may seem like a bonus for those with more time, is that it takes a long time to get a pedicure. The first time was almost two hours, this time an hour and 15 minutes. Sign you're a time-strapped mom: you get irked at a long pedicure. What kind of monster have I become?

Next week I head to Bellini Salon and MedSpa. I went once for a massage and loved it. I went once for a pedicure and wasn't too impressed. I am returning again for a massage.

Ooohh. Ahhhh.

Seeking Balance

I've been doing yoga for about eight years now - started right after the stress of grad school wore me out! Ha! Such "stress" pales in comparison to what I face now that I'm a mom. Yet, maybe it's not so much "stress" as it is imbalance. Or rather, the effort of seeking balance.

I went to prenatal yoga classes at East Meets West yoga on Church Street throughout the long winter. My previous yoga studio was in DC and when I worked downtown, I was always schlepping my clothes, mat, purse and laptop to the studio, arriving frenzied for the practice. So being just a few minutes drive from East Meets West is a nice change - I hop in the car and go. The studio is decorated with tributes to Eastern philosophies. I've had a good experience with the classes and instructors there.

Once I was given the all-clear to exercise again after the baby, I headed back to the studio for some sorely needed stretching. But I am out of shape and it's been difficult. On the one hand, I am proud of myself for picking it back up and trying to regain some semblance of my body's abilities. On the other, I am so sleep-weary that getting through the class is a real chore. It also doesn't help that I feel more out of shape and slower than anyone there. I struggle through the downward dog poses, and the plank positions that demand that my abs be harder, work better.

Ironically, the poses I can actually do the best are the balancing poses on one leg. Ironic because everything seems so out of balance these days as I adjust to this new life. My time versus family time, sleep versus awake, resting versus exercising. Where's the balance of trying to be healthy and actually being healthy? Do we give ourselves points just for trying, or do we need to reach a goal of a certain level of health or fitness before we can celebrate achievement?

Celebrating Parenthood

I like to throw parties. I’ll look for any excuse to get people together.

After having my daughter, I wanted to do something to honor the journey that I had made from pregnant lady to a mama. It’s so easy to forget what an accomplishment it is, as one is thrust into the round-the-clock caretaking that is parenthood. I also knew plenty of other new parents who were going through the same adjustment.

So I decided to host a New Parent Party for about 15 families we had met in the last few months in our community. I booked the picnic shelter at Glyndon Park (just $25!). We had a potluck lunch, and the sight of about a dozen car seats and strollers was a fun distraction from the sweltering heat.

The babies were really well behaved. I got to meet some babies of friends who I hadn’t seen since we’d all become parents. We all seemed happy to be out in the fresh air, as proud new families.

On Connecting ...

As with any major life transition, learning to raise a child is a multi-faceted endeavor. As I move through each day, I find myself thinking about “connecting.”

I try to connect with my daughter each day. At 11 weeks, she has really started to coo and be verbal. So I’m trying to connect with her through language and voice. This is an important skill for her develop, so I try really hard to connect through talking.

I try to connect to nature. My goal is to take a walk with Ellie each day. I hope that she’ll hear the birds singing and the rustle of leaves—natural sounds that I believe will provide comfort to her now and as she grows. Last night I already saw some fireflies around town, offering a sign that the seasons are moving along.

Being a stone’s throw from the capital, I realize that I have ample opportunity to connect Ellie to her national heritage. My mom and I took her for some pictures on the National Mall and the National Archives. I thought about how maybe someday she’ll be a senator or lobbyist, and how this was her first trip to see the Capitol! At the very least she will later bear witness to the history and present day governing of her country.

This next connection is a big one: as a mother, I see the connection with the whole human race. I brought one more life into this world. When I look around and see kids and parents, (anyone really), I realize that we all started out the same way. We share a common humanity. I was reminded of this in a restaurant yesterday when, as I was putting Ellie into her car seat, I caught a middle-aged woman looking at me. When our eyes met, her glance softened with this knowing look that said, “Isn’t she amazing? Isn’t it all amazing?” How wonderful to find a connection at a time in society when the term more often refers to computers or cell phone service.

Getting Out from Under the Weather

You know you’re a new mom when sitting in a dentist’s chair is the most relaxing part of your day.

Seriously, I was relaxed! My head was supported, my feet were up. If it wasn’t for having two people standing over me with metal implements, I’d of thought I was on vacation.

Since having little Ellie, my medical visits have slowed down. No more pregnancy check ups all the time. Yahoo! But now it’s time to take care of a few odds and ends ailments, and other upkeep. I’m also at her pediatrician quite a bit. Here is where I’m headed around town when it comes to treating medical maladies.

That dentist with the comfy chair? A new practice for me – Dr. Joong Seo Kim on Pleasant Street. I had a 5:30pm appointment for a routine cleaning. I braced myself to wait – surely the end of the day had backed up the schedule. Nice surprise: I was seated by 5:35 and done by 6:00. My pearly whites looked just that afterwards!

For my primary care, I see Dr. Micha Joffee. He’s super thorough. It’s nice to have been going to him for some time, as he remembers the details of my medical life.

Ellie goes to Capital Area Pediatrics (AKA Vienna Peds), on Maple right near the Wolf Trap Inn. We love Dr. Jennifer Lee. She answers all our questions in as much time as we need, and talks directly to Ellie like she’s an actual person. We had explored Advanced Pediatrics, where some of Ellies contemporaries go. Our deciding point was that Capital Area Peds was a touch closer to our house.

I’m also headed to a new dermatologist in a few days: Dermatology & Dermatologic Surgery Group of Northern Virginia. They’re on Church Street.

After all of these medical appointments, rushing around with an infant trying to be on time, I am really looking forward to a weekend of nowhere to be on time. People say infants are so portable at this age, but I find it tough to plan out when Ellie will need to eat and where I’ll be when it happens. I still have to get the hang of that.

Peace out!

Vienna’s Culinary United Nations

After yoga class at the East Meets West yoga studio on Church Street, a friend and I browsed through the recently-moved Yas Bakery. The store moved in early 2010 from it’s location on Main Street to a standalone building at 137 Church Street. I can’t remember what was there before, but now Yas boasts a bright, inviting grocery featuring Iranian imports and pastries. The pistachio baklava is delicious. You can find some novel items, like rock candy sticks with saffron – traditionally used to sweeten coffee. I also saw whole tamarind (I wouldn’t begin to know how to cook with it, though. Exotic!). There are about a dozen varieties of pickles, followed by a dozen more of olives. A fun place to browse.

I realized afterwards that for a small town, Vienna has an impressive variety and amount of stores and restaurants where you can find international foods. And many of them (perhaps all?) are locally owned shops. Here are some of my favorites around town – although by no means an exhaustive list.

Restaurants

For Indian food we love Amma Vegetarian Kitchen at 344 Maple Ave East (across from the Giant supermarket). It’s a local place where you’ll find folks getting traditional potato-filled dosas (crepes) and upppatams (pancakes). The dishes are served with a side of coconut chutney and spicy sambar soup. It’s a great place for casual, traditional Indian fare without waiter service. The only downer is that when ordering take out, there’s a lot of non-recyclable styrofoam.

For Thai in Vienna, we like Natta Thai on Glyndon Street SE in the Maple Shopping Center (where Jammin Java is). The dishes pack a spicy kick. The space is cozy, so we’ll often use Natta Thai as our standard for Thai take out.

Sunflower Vegetarian Restaurant on Maple near Nutley Street holds a dear place in my heart. When my hubby and I were first dating I was a vegetarian (getting me to convert to carnivore is one of his proudest accomplishments). For one of our first dates, he took me to Sunflower, obviously pleased with having found the perfect restaurant for me. It’s a winner. Every time we go one of us orders General Tso’s surprise “chicken”—and whenever I look at other tables in the restaurant, almost every one has an order of the same. The edamame soybean pods are also crisp with a savory sesame dressing.

For sushi we like the sushi places that have cycled through 128 Maple Ave West (next to Sleepy’s and Tuesday Morning). I went today, and in the last two weeks it had changed hands yet again. The new place is Yirasai. For lunch I had a bento box with soup and salad. Pretty tasty. We also like Sushi Yoshi, housed on the corner of Church and Center Streets. Hubby and I sat at the sushi bar there once and I ordered a vegetarian sushi platter that was a work of art. It was Drew’s Blackberry wallpaper for several months. No joke.

Groceries and Other Take Out

While I’m not so ambitious as to try and cook Indian or Thai food from scratch, I do like to usemany of the spices in my cooking. And sometimes I have a hankering for international treats. Here’s where I go for the goods:

Aditi Spice Depot on the edge of Vienna at 409 Maple Ave East (across from Beulah Road), is a great place to get strong spices at a fraction of the cost of the traditional grocery store. I’ve stocked up on cinnamon and cumin, getting over double at Aditi for the price I would pay at large grocers.

Drew and I stumbled across the small Thai-Asian Food Market (350 Maple Ave West) when we returned from our honeymoon in Thailand. We had never noticed it before, and there it was! We bought curry simmer sauces and iced tea drink mixes, and whipped up a dinner that took us back to the sandy beaches of southern Thailand.

In my home of New York, bakeries abound that feature amazing cookies, cakes and pies for a fraction of what it costs to get a mass-produced dessert from our beloved mass retail stores. I am always on the lookout for bakeries where I can pick up cookies or a cake to bring to a friend’s home. So far, I’ve found two of note in Vienna.

The first is Yas, described above. The second is Silva’s Patisserie. My husband started spoiling me with treats from Silva’s when I was in my last month of pregnancy. If you are looking for decadent, carefully crafted desserts that look pretty, Silva’s is your place (at 167 Glydon Street, SE). A tiny storefront, this bakery can make you a large wedding cake or individual-sized fancy desserts. And they have tons of marzipan– an almond sugar rush in fruit shapes! Hubby actually had a box of the miniature marvels delivered to our doorstep for my birthday, after Ellie was born. An indulgence indeed.