Mari Inshaw
Lessons from EdFEST: Post-School Fair Notes
Well, I survived EdFEST. It was informative, busy, and crowded, and I'm glad I went. EdFEST is the District of Columbia's annual public school fair, where families can talk to representatives of public and...
Strong Start DC: Early Childhood Intervention
When our adoption agency placed Junior with us two years ago, he was perfect in our eyes. However, he was a preemie who spent nearly 2 months in several hospitals and his pre-natal care...
My School DC Common Lottery: What Are the Chances of Getting into the School...
As a parent, when I think of the My School DC common lottery, I don't think of Powerball. I'm thinking about the DC school lottery. Instead of winning an extra scratch-off card or several...
DC School Lottery Strategy: Our Pre-K plan for 2020
EdFEST is December 14th at the DC Armory and school lottery applications for 2020-2021 open on the 16th. EdFEST is an annual public school fair where families can check out various public and charter...
Getting Around DC with Kids without a Car
I haven't owned a car since the Clinton presidency, so it was a very long time ago. Since being car-less, I've become adept at using public transit and curating my life in a way...
DC’s Awesome Pre-K Program: What working moms need to know
I've lived in the District for nearly two decades and when I was a childless singleton I saw DC's free Pre-K program (combined with charter schools) as a tool to keep middle-class families in...
Diverse Schools Dilemma: Black Boys in School
My goal with my son is to replicate the successes of my maternal aunt and uncles with my male cousins. These cousins attended top-ranked state colleges and currently live middle or upper-middle-class lives as...
DC Area Daycare: Let’s Get Real About Childcare
Childcare in the DC area is hard. Daycares have waitlists. Nanny-shares and home-based care have their own complications. And in this region none of them are cheap. This is not a post about what...
Three Book Club Cheats for Busy Moms
I belong to a book club. Because it is DC, I belong to a wonky book group with a focus on urban issues and DC history. The group will decide on some non-fiction book...
Let’s Have a Day Date- Date Night Alternative
A date night can be $30-$70 dollars before we leave the house, just factoring in the babysitter and the obligatory pizza for the sitter. Then we have to add the expense of the date...
Book Review: The Diverse Schools Dilemma: A Parent’s Guide to Socioeconomically Mixed Public Schools
I'm going to try not to over think my son's education. He's not even two yet, but I have concerns. The other problem or blessing, living inside the District of Columbia are the overwhelming...
Adoption: Ideas for Birthmom Update Letters
Nope, this is not one of the thousands of "perfect Dear Birthmother" letters that's out there. No, this is the letter after your adopted son or daughter has been placed in your arms and...
My Infertility Story: Aged Out
I did not want to be a 40 year old bride.
I'd known my husband strictly as a friend for over a decade. When I first met him, he wasn't marriage material. I'd already passed...
Relocating Elderly Parents to the DC Area
Many of us in the DC area are from somewhere else in the USA. Most of the time this is not a problem. However, when parents cannot live by themselves anymore or need more...