Make A Difference, Get A Day

If you read this blog regularly, you know I like to educate and raise awareness of issues that are important to our community. Although I generally steer clear of things that are too political or may divide is, if I can.

You might also know that I am a Girl Scout leader.  I have a second year Daisy troop.  It is the volunteer organization which I commit to most regularly.

Yesterday's meeting was wonderful.  My first grade girls finished up their Journey "Between Earth and Sky".  To celebrate, we had a garden party, where we ate fruits and vegtables and talked about what part of the plant we were eating, and how they are grown. 

Then, we talked about World Water Day and what we could do about the water crisis in the world.  Each girl made the simple promise to turn off the water while they were brushing their teeth, rather than to let it run.  We could save a lot of water if we all did this.  We could make a difference with just a small act like that. And, it is something my 6 and 7 year olds can do personally.

In just a couple hours, I felt that I made the world a better place.  I educated and impacted the thoughts of 10 little girls who will change the world, and hopefully they will impact others.

While I choose Girl Scouts, you may choose any variety of activities that you support.  But, I hope you all pick something that is important to you, something you enjoy, and work to make a positive difference in the world around us and in the lives you touch every day.

While it pales in comparison to the natural reward, Disney has a great promotion going on.  In exchange for your volunteerism today, you get a "Free Day" at a Disney Park.  I got my free day, did you get yours?  Check out http://www.disneyparks.com/ for details.

Attn: Loudoun Soccer Moms and Dads: SAVE BOLEN PARK

As a Loudoun "Soccer Mom" I received this email from the Loudoun Soccer Association that I wanted to circulate to you all: 

We are reaching out to you today to request your help on a very important issue that will affect us all. As many of you know, back in 2000 we voted to accept a bond referendum to build 104 acre Phillip Bolen Park, to be located near Leesburg Airport. This park will help to serve the entire county by easing some of the field shortages that we have been experiencing. This park will have 6 lighted, irrigated soccer fields. These will be the first lighted soccer fields to be built in the county.

To learn more about the park, visit: http://www.loudoun.gov/Default.aspx?tabid=125  

This long awaited and much anticipated opening of the park is scheduled for this fall. Much of the park is already built and the work continues. However, at a recent Board of Supervisors meeting regarding the County Budget FY11, several Supervisors expressed their desire to remove the $1M budgeted for the operations of Bolen Park, in spite of the fact that millions of dollars have already been spent on the project to date. If this appropriation were to be removed from the County Budget FY11, it would delay the opening of the Park for at least a year or perhaps, indefinitely. Support for making the cut appears to be growing among members of the Board of Supervisors, which makes your input and voice so important! It is imperative that Loudoun Soccer parents and athletes are present at the upcoming public input session of the Board of Supervisors for which, details are listed below.

On Monday, March 15, 2010 there was a Board of Supervisors' Public Input Session.  The vote will be happening very soon.  To make YOUR voice heard, please email the board at BOS@Loudoun.gov  NO LATER THAN FRIDAY MARCH 18th!

The Loudoun Soccer Association thanks you for your support.  "This is a battle that we must wage and which we cannot afford to lose! Please help us ensure that the Board of Supervisors hears us. Our collective voices will help ensure that they do RIGHT thing!"

3-20 UPDATE... This was posted today on the Lo Soccer FB page:
Loudoun Soccer Association Thank you for your emails, your continued support and for sharing your concerns regarding the status of Philip A. Bolen Memorial Park. In keeping with the Board of Supervisor’s policy to provide adequate services and facilities to the citizens of Loudoun County, the Board voted to keep the proposed enhancements in the ...FY11 budget. As such, Bolen Park will open and begin operations later this Fall as scheduled!


This message brought to you by Vicky Chrisner, Real Estate Sales Consultant in Leesburg, VA.  Thinking of selling your home?  Call me first!  703.669.3142  MyAgentVicky@Gmail.com

Do You HAVE to Pay Real Estate Taxes? Hmmm....

Did you know that you, or someone you love, may be exempt from paying Real Estate Taxes in Loudoun, Fairfax, Prince William or many other nearby counties?

The exemption is reserved for those with limited incomes and who meat certain age or disability requirements.

Okay, so that means I have to keep paying my real estate taxes.  But, when my mom had a stroke a few years ago, and went on permanent disability, learning about this made a HUGE difference in her monthly available cash.  

There is a catch - you can only apply once a year, and they are strict about this.  Hurry, because the deadline expires April 1st.  There are some upcoming workshops being held around the county - check out the link below for dates and locations, and the forms you'll need to apply for the exemption.

Click here for more information:  LOUDOUN COUNTY TAX RELIEF

Is Your Water Running Without You?

Loudoun Water wants YOU TO KNOW....It's "Fix A Leak Week"!  

Is Your Water Running Without You?

Save Money, Save the Environment!  Check for (and fix) your leaks today!

Courtesy of Loudoun Water, here are ways to identify and address leaks around your home:

• Search for toilet leaks by placing a drop of food coloring in the toilet tank or use one of our toilet leak detector dye tablets. If any color shows up in the bowl without flushing first, you have a leak. (Be sure to flush immediately to avoid staining the tank.) Need dye tablets? Contact us for free tablets or you can stop by our Administration Building during office hours to pick them up. Leaky toilets can waste about 200 gallons of water per day. Old, faulty toilet flappers are a common source of leaks. They are inexpensive and can be purchased at a local hardware store.
• Check all of your faucets and outdoor spigots for any obvious drips. You may have a worn seal that needs to be replaced.
• If you decide it’s time for a new toilet or faucet, look for WaterSense labeled products, which use 20 percent less water and perform as well or better than standard models. Most common leaks can be eliminated after retrofitting a household with new WaterSense labeled fixtures and other high-efficiency appliances.
• Check along your hoses for any leaks. If you have an irrigation system, it should be checked each spring for broken heads. A leak along your system can waste about 6,300 gallons per month.
• Grab a wrench or contact your favorite handy person, plumber, or Loudoun Water Preferred irrigation contractor to address leaking toilets, faucets, and irrigation systems around your home. As a WaterSense partner concerned with preserving our nation’s water supply, we can help you learn more. Visit our Conservation or Plumbing and Pipes pages for information and tips.

Visit the WaterSense Web site to learn more www.epa.gov/watersense/fixaleak.

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Thank you to Loudoun Water for allowing us to post this information in our blog!

Facebook is My BEST Friend

Facebook has quickly become my best friend. I vent to it, I tell it what I am doing, I tell it what I think is interesting, and I joke with it.  In exchange, it consoles me, encourages and inspires me, teaches me things, and makes me laugh.  

I have reconnected with long lost friends.  I stay in contact with friends I never seem to be able to "connect" with, because of differences in our schedules.  I even make new friends and business connections.

I like it so much that I currently have 3 pages....

My profile, where you will read things like me trying to give my kids away to a free home or find out where I can exchange my husband, you'll follow the happenings of my family and friends, and get to know me on a very personal level....Good, Bad, or Indifferent.

"The Real Estate Whisperer" which is a business "fan" page. It's newly launched, and named after my real estate blog.  I am still trying to build a following for it, but there I post things which are business related: My personal business like new listings, contracts, settlements, pictures of clients and the like; Things related to the real estate industry like initiates of REALTOR associations, changing tax laws, and other legislative issues relating to homeownership, or purchasing or selling property; I definitely post links to "The Real Estate Whisperer" blog, even re-circulating old posts that many haven't seen; And, to keep things light, I offer quirky insights and the occasional cartoon.

"Leesburg, VA"... this, too is technically a business "fan" page (although in hind sight it probably should have been a "group" page, and I would have named it "Living In Lo Co" but it's too late now).  Here, I post local and regional news.  You'll occasionally see links to my "LivingInLoCo" blog, but more often I post local news, upcoming events, reviews on local businesses....the content is similar to this blog, but more casual , more interactive, and a much quicker way to get news out - thus it is less words about more subjects. While I am still continuing to build this page, it is taking off quite well with viral marketing all on it's own.  As of last night, we had 907 fans in less than a month.

But, on Facebook as in life, it is not about what you put OUT into the world, its about how you fully interact.  I read the posts of others, "like" or comment on them, and genuinely participate in discussions.  I not only read the posts of my friends, but I have developed a coast to coast REALTOR network via Facebook, which helps me tremendously in my business.  I also get contributions from lots of groups and local businesses fed to my News Feed...so I say "in the know" about local happenings, events and issues that I care about (and I recycle this news as is appropriate).  In fact, this morning I took my kids to a new photographer.  One I learned about on the "Moms Like Me" fan page for my area. I am SO excited about seeing these photos.  My next post will include a video of part of the photo shoot - amazing fun for the kids.

Thanks, Facebook!

For more information, visit me on Facebook or subscribe to my blogs -just click on the links above! 

It's Circus Time!

It's circus time!  For several years running, Lerner Enterprises has hosted "The Big Apple Circus" on grounds adjacent to Lerner's Dulles Town Center in the Dulles area.  It used to come in the late summer/early fall, but we never saw it at all in 2009.  Many of us missed it terribly, and were thrilled to hear it would be appearing in the usual place in March.  They are performing in town through March 27th, and tickets are still available.

This year's show "Bello is Back!"  My family and I went, and felt it was the best show in several years.  (We do like Bello, but the kids are partial to Grandma Clown, who, we're happy to report, is still in the show, too.) This was perhaps our favorite performance EVER.

Many people don't realize that The Big Apple Circus" is a non-profit venture.  They have several outreach programs, including community programs to reach disabled children, children in the hospital, the elderly in nursing homes, and high risk kids.  Plus, they have a reputation for treating their circus animals very good, and retiring them when it's time... not giving them to a zoo or worse.

See more photos of their show n the Leesburg, VA Facebook Fan Page (Just Click Here)

Update: 3/18:  We can now offer you a DISCOUNT ON YOUR TIX, COURTESY OF THE LEESBURG, VA FACEBOOK FAN PAGE.   Follow this link for details: http://www.facebook.com/note.php?created&&suggest¬e_id=376551783333&id=302185423061#!/notes/leesburg-va/discount-to-big-apple-circus/376551783333

And, check out the web site for The Big Apple Circus (Click Here) for more information on their schedule, ticket prices, and about their community programs.  

Go ahead and buy your tickets now.  It's a great show and the proceeds are used for a very good cause.

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For more information about events in and around Leesburg or Loudoun County, stay tuned to http://www.livinginloco.blogspot.com/ and "Fan" the Leesburg, VA Facebook page!

New Tysons Express Commuter Service!

Loudoun is adding a "Tysons Express" bus service for commuters beginning this summer. 

Even though I no longer make this commute, I did do it for several years from Ashburn and then from Leesburg.  Sometimes it wasn't that bad, but there were some terrible traffic days.  Oh, how I'd wished there'd been a better way.  Can you imagine:

*  Being able to always cut your commute time since you'll be taking the HOV lanes?

*  Being able to sneak in a little nap on the way home?

*  Being able to bring your laptop and keep working - while traveling?

*  Never being stuck on the highway in traffic and having to go to the bathroom so bad you'd thought you'd die?  Come on, we've all been there!

Travel will be via luxury motor coach with reclining seats, overhead lighting (that turns on for work, and off for rest), wi-fi and even a restroom.

There will be multiple pick up/arrival times.  Two commuter lots are planned in Loudoun - one in Leesburg, one in Broadlands (Ashburn).  At only $3 each way it will be cheaper than driving yourself - especially if you currently take the toll road, faster, more comfortable, take significant traffic off the road, and let's face it, better for the environment. 

For those of you with strict bosses, I have to say usually bosses are more lienent when your (normally on time) bus is late than when you are the only one that gets stuck in traffic.

I am excited about this, and hope most Lo Co residents are.  The county is interested in YOUR NEEDS so they can plan appropriately! Please visit the web site to learn more and to take the survey. 

You'll even get a $5 Smart Card just for taking the survey!

Learn more:  http://www.loudoun.gov/Default.aspx?tabid=3061

Sledding at Meadow Hill

I am going to share a local secret with you...

There's a little hill a few blocks southwest of downtown Leesburg, located on what's left of a farm - a GREAT SLEDDING HILL! 

And there is a lovely little sign that reads:

  

"The Meadow Hill

Private Property. 

The children of Leesburg may use this hill, if...

RULES:

1-Sled at your own risk.

2-Small children must be attended.

3-Don't bother the livestock.

4-A wood fire only.  Do not burn tires."

The rules seemed reasonable to me... so my kids, my neighbors and I greatly enjoy free use of this hill.  The hill is surrounded by townhomes, and a few small single family homes with very little yard of their own.  None of those homes have any space of their own to sled, so the hill offers a special kind of wintertime fun to the neighborhood children.

Although my home is on the opposite side of the farm, and we "could" sled in our our yard, this is way more fun.  There are more friends to play with, and the snow is well packed by the time we get there, which makes sledding awesome! 

The younger children enjoy the sledding.  The older kids tell mom and dad they are watching their baby brothers and sisters....but they are really there to flirt.  Younger siblings don't much like this, and I have witnessed more than a few snowball fights as a result. 

Oh, to be a kid again!

My family missed the bonfire "they" had the other night (I don't even know who "they" are, since it seems permission to burn a fire is granted widely).  Although I am not sure if burning an open fire inside the Town of Leesburg is legal, I'd have risked it; and I bet we would have had a great deal of fun.  Hopefully, we'll catch the next one.

I'd like to thank the Cook Family for "lending" us the use of 
Meadow Hill! 

It's become a wonderful addition to our community ammenities!

Looking for more things to keep kids occupied on snow days?  Check out some of these posts:

Snow Day Camps in Ashburn @ Jumping Jack Sports!

Fun Recipes for Kids (Great for Snow Days)

Great Kids Activities for Snow Days (Inside and Outside)

And stay tuned to LivingInLoCo.Blogspot.com to learn more about

Life In Loudoun County!

And don't forget to check out my real estate web sites for your real estate needs:

The Real Estate Whisperer

(A Consumer Blog:  Truths about the Real Estate Market, Straight from the Front Lines)

Order A Free AUTOMATED Market Snapshot

(Washington DC Metro Area, including Fairfax and Loudoun County)

Note:  The personalized report will be automatically emailed to you within minutes of your request.

Vicky Chrisner * REALTOR * Keller Williams Realty

Search for Homes For Sale and More!

How Many Snow Days Does Loudoun County Have?

I have gotten the question a lot lately:  How many snow days does Loudoun County have in their school calendar?    It does seem like they are taking an awful lot of days off.  As a mom who gets stuck at home with the little ones quite often when there's a snow day, I feel your pain!

The answer is 15; LCPS has 15 days built into their calendar.  Therefore they will not have to alter their schedule or change graduation dates based on weather closings.    The LCPS system has had this schedule in place since 1990.

They have this many snow days, not because they are actually scheduled for 15 more days than is required, but because of the length of the school days.  So, they accumulate enough 'hours' to allow them to take 15 snow days.  I don't know that Loudoun has ever used that many snow days in a year. 

For the 2009-2010 school year, AFTER missing the entire week of February 8th through 12th because of weather closings, they will have used 10 snow days, I believe.  Even if the county extends beyond the 15 snow days that are built in, under current regulations there would be no requirements for those additional days to be 'made up'.

* * * * * *

Thanks for this question... and please don't hesitate to contact me regarding your LoCo questions. 
I am happy to help!

For other posts on LCPS, check out:

LCPS Calendar 2009-2010

Back to School Info

Shopping for a Cause

International Day
PTA

As a fellow mom who is also working to dig up ideas on how to keep my kids occupied without driving me crazy on snow days, I have created several recent posts on creative kid friendly recipes and family activities for snow days, as well as important safety tips and more - so check out the blog.  It's here for you, and so am I.  Let me know what other LoCo info you need.

* * * * * * *

Vicky Chrisner

Keller Williams Realty * Leesburg, VA

http://www.vickychrisner.com/

703-669-3142
vchrisner@kw.com

Recipe for the first Trefoil Cookies

Juliette Gordan Low established the Girl Scouts in 1912.  By 1917 cookie sales were being used as a fundraiser for troop activities. In July 1922, American Girl magazine, published by Girl Scout national headquarters, included the following recipe for shortbread cookies, suggesting to the girls that they could produce these cookies for 26 to 36 cents for 6 to 7 dozen cookies and to sell the cookies for 25 to 30 cents per dozen as a fundraising activity.  The recipe was supplied by Florence E Neil, a council director in Chicago.

The "First" Girl Scout Cookies: 

Trefoils

1c butter
1c sugar (plus additional for optional topping)
2   eggs
2 tbsp milk
1 tsp vanilla
2 c flour
1 tsp salt
2 tsp baking powder

Cream the butter and cup of sugar, add well-beaten eggs, then milk, vanilla, flour, salt and baking powder.  Refrigerate for at least an hour. Roll dough, cut into trefoil shapes, and spring suger on top if desired.  Bake in a quick oven (375 degrees) for approximately 8 to 10 minutes or until edges begin to brown.  Makes 6 to 7 dozen cookies.

I laugh when I read this, and wonder what a "quick" oven is - I am pretty sure it's not a microwave - it must be time for a call to my grandma. 

If you are "Jonsing" and need a quick GS cookie fix, this might do it, so try out the recipe.  But the true fix for craving GS cookies - especially our more modern Samoas, Thin Mints, and Tagalongs - is to order some of your very own through your local Girl Scouts. 

CLICK HERE TO FIND OUT HOW TO PLACE AN ORDER FOR GIRL SCOUT COOKIES! 

And, do it fast!  This is the last week we're taking orders.

Check out earlier posts in this blog, too, to find recipes using GS cookies - like Do-Si-Do chicken, Thank You Berry Munch Salad, and Peanut Butter and Jam Pie!

 

A Good PTA = A Good Village

Since my daughter entered 1st grade last year, I've been blown away by how much is handled by our PTA and what a service it is to our school and our community.   Roughly once a month there is an event at school for families.  In this school year, SO FAR, we've had:

• 
  
  A Dads and Kids Pizza Party - getting dads more involved
  
  
  
• 
  
  Ice Cream Social - because everyone loves ice cream sundaes!
  
  
  
• 
  
  International Night - celebrating diversity in our community
  
  
  
• 
  
  Mark Daniels Show (Magical Story Telling) - encouraging the love of reading
  
  
  

All of the events are free, and all of them are very much enjoyed.  In these social opportunities, the kids and parents and teachers get to meet and interact in a fun and casual way.  Very little true "school business" is discussed, as the focus is on fun.  However, these casual interactions make more serious business later go much more smoothly.  Parents meet the parents of their children's friends and before you know it, parents are picking up each others kids and doing all kids of stuff to help each other.

Why is this important? You know the saying "It Takes A Village To Raise A Child"?  Well, the village WILL raise your child.  The village includes the kids' friends and their families, teachers, scout and club leaders, coaches, ministers and church leaders.  With a little help from the PTA, you'll be meeting and interacting with many members of this village.  So you'll know where to encourage your child to spend more time (or less), and how to "frame" certain issues for them when discussed at home.  You can better apply your values when you are able to intelligently discuss commonalities and differences between your family and the families of your child's friends.

As your child grows, so will his or her village.... Getting involved and staying involved takes a lot of work, but it's worth it.  Consider joining and being active in the PTA at your child's school.  It will benefit you more than you know.

Much can be accomplished when determined and creative parents work together for the good of their collective children.

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For more information on Loudoun County Schools, Check out These Posts:

Find out how to sign up for automatic emails and texts about school closings and how to pay for your child's lunches on line with a credit card.

Bookmark the student schedules for Loudoun

Learn how to support the schools in your community through your "Loyalty" cards (the membership cards to grocery and drug stores).  It's free!

Tagalongs, My Favorites!

There is a discrepancy between the Girl Scout cookie sales reports and the online voting at GirlScoutCookies.org as to whether Thin Mints or Samoas (aka Caramel deLites) are America's favorite cookie.  Regardless of which you trust, Tagalongs (aka Peanut Butter Patties) come in a solid 3rd place.  Since these are my personal favorites, I am a little shocked, but that's fine, it means less competition for me!

Follow these links to see recipes for:

Fudgy Peanut Butter Balls (requiring only 3 ingredients, and found on the ABC Bakers web site)

Chocolate Peanut Butter Parfait (which reads like a rather challenging recipe) or Southern Peanut Butter Pie (I am imagining it melt in my mouth right now), both found on the web site for the GS Council of Western Washington.

I found several recipes for basic milkshakes incorporating crushed Tagalongs, but this one which is a banana-vanilla tagalong shake is intriguing: http://find.myrecipes.com/recipes/recipefinder.dyn?action=displayRecipe&recipe_id=1713157

And, even though these sound really, really good, it goes against my grain to chop up these cookies in anything other than my very own mouth.  I love them almost frozen, or completely melting in my hands!  I simply love these.  The only problem, I open a box and those darn cookies run and jump into my mouth and next thing you know they are on my hips!  To me, another hour on the bike at the gym seems worth it to enjoy these wonderful treats!

Have you ordered your Samoas, Thin Mints or Tagalongs yet? Place your order early!!  In Loudoun and the Dulles area, please contact me for details.  Elsewhere, please find a cookie sales-scout near you at http://www.girlscoutcookies.org/.

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Stay tuned for more information about LIVING IN LOUDOUN COUNTY.

For information on our local real estate market, please tap into the resources at http://www.therealestatewhisperer.blogspot.com/

To search for homes for sale, check out the HOME SEARCH option at

http://www.vickychrisner.com/

Curious what the value of your home is?

Just click here for a free market snapshot.

Thin Mints, More than a Cookie! A Key Ingredient for These Tasty Treats!

Remember, you can only buy Girl Scout cookies once a year... but they freeze well, and there are so many things you can do with these American classics!

GirlScoutCookies.org has an ongoing poll, and as of today, THIN MINTS are the second favorite GS cookie.  But, the Girl Scout organization reports Thin Mints are #1.  Last year, our troop sold exactly as many Thin Mints as Samoas, so how can we really know? 

In any case, here are some Thin Mint Recipes to get your creative juices stirring...

THIN MINT BROWNIES - suggested by Little Brownie Bakers (the bakers that make Thin Mints)

THIN MINTS PIZZA SUPREME - leave it to Rachel Ray to come up with this one! Yum!
THIN MINTS CHEESECAKE - continuing with my theme from yesterday, I must highlight a cheesecake recipe!
DOUBLE LAYERED MINT CHOCOLATE CAKE - offered to us by the Central Texas GS Council
THIN MINT ICE CREAM - in the mood to make your own ice cream?  Try this recipe from ABC Bakers.

For a simple option, add crushed Thin Mints to your already made milkshakes - made of  Mint Chocolate Chip, Chocolate or even Vanilla Ice Cream.   As Dairy Queen found out last year, this is a sure fire crowd pleaser!

Be sure and check out our earlier post on Recipes With Samoas, the #1(?) GS Cookie! 

For a list of all GS cookies being offered in our region, and to find out how to place an order, click here!

And, be sure to stay tuned to learn more about GS cookies, and sales in Loudoun County!

****

This message brought to you by Vicky Chrisner, a Loudoun/Dulles area real estate agent, wife, mom, Girl Scout Leader and long time community member of the Dulles area who currently makes her home in Leesburg, VA. Managing blogs and community resources like this is a labor of love.

They are created and maintained for the benefit of friends, neighbors, and clients as a community resource. Please enjoy! And, whenever you need real estate services, please think of her first...after all, now you have a friend in the business.

Stay tuned for more information about LIVING IN LOUDOUN COUNTY.

For information on our local real estate market, please tap into the resources on "The Real Estate Whisperer"

To search for Loudoun County Homes For Sale,
check out the HOME SEARCH option on this page (CLICK HERE)

Curious what the value of your home is?

Just click here for a free market snapshot.

Rufus the Red Nosed Rain Dog

Did you see him?  He was in Leesburg this morning!   

As part of the Childrens Performance Series, Kaleidoscope Theatre at Ida Lee, Rufus was our special guest this morning!  Once a month, there is a different performer.  My son and I try to go each month - it's special "Mommy-Devon" time; but this month, our friend Zavion joined us.

Rufus is a brown dog with a red nose.  He's been homeless, hungry, cold and in the rain, for some time.  He was looking for some food to eat and a place to stay when we met him.  Then, out of the blue, SANTA arrived!  But, Santa did not believe he was a dog, as Santa had never seen a dog with a red nose. 

You see, Santa's dog is hot pink and has a purple nose, and so that is what Santa thinks ALL dogs should look like.  To prove he is a dog, Rufus had to go to dog school, taught by a Banana!  There, he learned important vocabulary like "ARF" "GRRR" and other such common dog language. 

In the process, we had some fun with letter sounds, and rymthing words.  In the end, Santa learned an important lesson... things that make us different make us special, and we're all different.  Santa offered Rufus some food and a permanent home, and dubbed Rufus the "Red Nosed Rain Dog" telling him to go find other special dogs that are out in the cold and rain with no food and no home... and to bring them all to the North Pole to live with them as one big happy family!

It was a great story and we didn't feel bad about skipping preschool to go, since there were several good lessons in the story.  The most important lesson of all:  Our differences make us special.

Thank you to Blue Sky Puppet Theatre for a great show today!  Be sure to check out the upcoming schedule for the Kaliedoscope Theatre HERE; and we hope to see you next time.

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For more information about Loudoun Living, stay tuned to

http://www.livinginloco.blogspot.com/

For real estate information, check out

http://www.therealestatewhisperer.blogspot.com/

You can search for homes for sale in the Northern Virginia market at

http://www.vickychrisner.com/

Happy Holidays to you all!

Live Nativity in Leesburg

A very special THANK YOU to the Leesburg Church of the Nazarene for the Live Nativity event my family enjoyed tonight!  This is our first time attending it, but, I hope it becomes an annual tradition. 

The outdoor event is a drive through "theatre" of sorts, with eleven separate scenes depicting the biblical story of the birth of Jesus in a manger.  The scenes are acted out by more than 100 actors, and live animals including donkeys, sheep and camels.

There is no cost for the event, although as you exit, they will accept donations (not ask for them, and not "suggest" donations, accept them, should you feel inclined to offer something).

It is a very nice event, tons of effort goes into this, and I know they have significant costs.... and I am happy to support it. We simply didn't have much cash on us tonight (and no one made us feel bad about it), so I plan to send a check.

Not only is the event truly free, but they handed out programs and CDs to each car. I haven't investigated what they gave us, but it is the thought that counts, and so I appreciate it. 

Again, thank you to the Leesburg Church of the Nazarene.  The community clearly appreciates your efforts!  What a wonderful event!

****

If you missed it tonight, it's not too late, it will be offered again tomorrow evening,

5:00 to 8:30pm.

A few tips:

*  The address (for your GPS) is 17667 Roxbury Hall Road, Leesburg, VA; but if you are on Rte 7 about 1/2 mile west of Leesburg, you can't miss it - look for the traffic signs, cones and police directing cars.

*  Expect traffic.  Under normal circumstances it would be 5 minutes from the heart of Leesburg, but this is a very popular event.  It took us 30-45 minutes before we got into the event. (It's worth it.)

* To avoid frustrations, plan as if you'll be on a trip for a while. Put little ones in their PJs and bring blankets, pillows and entertainment (DVD, snuggle buddies, whatever works). We brought fresh baked cookies and hot cocoa and listened to Christmas music on the radio (thanks WASH FM - 97.1) while we waited.

*  I gathered from the signs they allow you to line up beginning at 4:30, we left Leesburg at about 5:30 and returned home shortly after 7.

*  You can only get in the line from the East bound lanes on Route 7 (and trust me, you can't miss it).  If you are coming from Leesburg, all the left turn options are blocked.  You'll need to take the exit for Route 9 (on the right), and then make a left off the exit, cross the bridge and make another left onto Route 7 East before you can get into the line.  Then, relax, turn up the tunes and enjoy the cocoa, you'll be seeing angels soon!

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Again, despite my warnings about the traffic, don't let it deter you.  It is a wonderful event, and I hope to be back next year. 

Merry Christmas to all... and to all a good night!

Nutcracker in a Shell - All Jazzed Up

I just returned from taking my Daisy Girl Scout troop (ages 6 and 7) to see a shortened, jazzed up version of the Nutcracker Suite.  This show incorporated jazz, tap, modern, hip hop and ballet and was presented by The Institute of Performing Arts for Youth.

I chose this particular version because of the notarious lack of attention span that first grade girls have... but I wanted to expose them to this classic tale, as well as to different styles of dance.   It was perfect!  The show kept the attention of my squirmy little girls and inspired them to twirl their way home "ohhhh" ing and "ahhh" ing over the costumes and her own dreams of being a star ballerina that is whisked away by her very own prince. 

In fact, as I write this, my own little girl has (after being forced out of her holiday gown) dressed herself in a pale pink ballet outfit and black dress shoes and is prancing and twirling about like a ballerina, intermingled with the tapping of her feet; like an (almost) professional dancer.

The costumes and scenery at the show were fabulous.  The dancing was wonderful.  The afternoon was magical!  In fact, when I was little, I dreamt of one day having a little girl with whom I could share magical experiences like this.  Indeed, experiencing this performance with all my Daisies (including, but not limited to my daughter) completely fulfilled the expectations of that fantasy.

It's not too late for you to have such an experience!  You can catch tomorrow's show at 3:00 at Broad Run High School in Ashburn, Virginia.  For more information, check out this web site: http://www.ipayouth.org/nutcracker.html   You can buy tickets at the door for $12 per adult; $8 per child.

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Check out the picture of my Daisies each striking their very best dance pose at the "Spartan Head"! 

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