Word Count

Is anyone counting? I think Dylan is up over 50 now. Apparently he also knows a word in Urdu. It's the word for bread - I don't even know what it is but Bushra told me knows it. So that makes Dylan officially tri-lingual: English, Sign Language, and Urdu.

Other words this week:

Ouch - lots of opportunities for this one.

Bunny [pronounced bun-nay] - although it sounds a lot like Money...maybe he was saying bunny all along...but that still doesn't explain why he said money when Martin was talking about a bank and didn't even say money.

Potty [pronouced pot-tay] - although this could be Body, we're not sure which he is saying.

OOoh, oOoh - the sound a monkey makes.

Bye - he says this when he is ready to leave.

New Job!

Last week I (finally) got a formal offer of a new higher-paying part-time job at the FDIC. I applied for this job back in December, had an interview in February, a second interview in March, and then an informal offer (although they didn't let me know the salary) a week later. Then it took 2 months to get the salary offer approved. So that's why I say finally. Despite the delay in getting the offer, I'm excited about the new opportunity. I'll be working in the division of insurance and research doing banking and regulatory policy work and looking at new bank applications. I've been assured by a former co-worker who I'll be working with that the HR problems are confined to HR and that the FDIC is a great place to work. They even let me work part time even though the posting was a full time position. I'll be working more hours though because I told them I was willing to work 3 days in the office. So my new schedule will be MWTh in the office and then TF teleworking 3 hours each day. I start on June 9th.


I've been at the Treasury Department for almost 7 years and had been keeping my eye open for other jobs since right before Martin and I got engaged. Not that I didn't like my job, I just wanted to do something different and get some more experience. Life events and no real opportunities and great co-workers kept me at my job this long. I felt like I need to get something else on my resume before quitting work to stay home full time (the current plan is to do that in 3 years) so that I'll have more experiences to stand on when I try to re-enter the work force after a stint at home. Yes, I'm planning for something like 20 years down the line. That's how I operate. :)

I'm also hoping that working part time at a different agency might open up some other part time opportunities for other women. I'm not exactly precedent setting but it's still not very common at the FDIC.

Other perks of the new job - in house gym that's cheap (like $1 per week) that has lunchtime ab classes, extra retirement fund with an additional 5% matching over the 5% matching in the Federal Gov's TSP retirement fund, own office (no window though), and a subsidized cafeteria with good food. My new office location is 15th and F NW so it's not far from where I am now. I think the commute might be a little longer since I'll be walking more (more exercise!) from the metro to the office. It's one metro stop closer than my current office.

So that's the update. I think I've told most of you about this but I couldn't blog about it until it was official. Oh, so I told my boss last Thursday, which some of you know I was stressing over. I guess it went as well as I could have expected but it was a rough day. I heard from my boss and co-workers "we're disappointed," and "I wish you would have told us you were unhappy." In the end I got the half-hearted pleasantries and now I think they've gotten over the shock and are talking to be again but yeah, that day was rough. It was a hard decision to leave because I feel so vested in the department and my co-workers but I really needed a change. I think they'll be fine without me.

Rachel's concert

A few weeks ago, my niece Rachel came to DC for a band trip. Her middle school band played near the Capitol during lunchtime and I got to go see her. She's the second French horn player from the right.

Baby Shower for Lisa

A few weeks ago our home fellowship group had a shower for one of our own - Lisa (on the right below). She's the 5th woman in our bible study to have a boy in last two years! Alison, another friend from church (below left) also had a boy recently.



Here's Lisa with her sister Ruthe and her niece.


Alison and Krista (our host) and a shy Henry.

Climbing into the laundry basket

Dylan was so proud of himself for this one...

I also forgot to mention yesterday that Dylan know two letters: A and H (atch).

Say the Word

Dylan's latest words

Lawnmower: it's mumbled but it's definitely in context, he has a book with a picture of a lawnmower that he frequently points to

Motorcycle: also mumbled but always said in context

Jack: his best friend's name :)

No: this one is not cute except when we sing "this little light of mine" ("hide it under a bushel - NO!")

Oink, Oink: sound of pig

Mahl, mahl: sound of cat

Dutch: we finally figure out this is his "don't touch"

[sign for] bear

Woodlawn Plantation and Pope Leighy House

A few weekends ago my parents were in town for a bridal shower for my cousin's fiance. The shower was on Sunday so on Saturday we did some touristy stuff. We went to the Woodlawn Plantation in Alexandria. The plantation was a wedding gift from George Washington to his nephew (who married his wife's grandaughter from her first marriage) - 2000 acres - nice wedding gift!

Here's the house that Washington's nephew built.
The Woodlawn Plantation is also now the home of the Pope Leighy House - a home designed by Frank Lloyd Wright (of Falling Water fame). The home was originally located in Falls Church but was moved in order to make room for I-66.

In loving memory

Albert (Red) Zackal

September 8, 1920 - May 1, 2008

My grandfather died last week. He was 87 years old. We were up in PA for the funeral this weekend. Grandpap will be missed by many people and remembered for his hardy and welcoming greetings ("Heeeyyy" - even after his stroke) and his persistence and thriftiness in collecting cans for recycling. He will also be remembered as a loving husband, father, grandfather, great-grandfather, uncle, and brother. We love you grandpap!