Rock You Like A Hurricane!

We had our first swim meet tonight. Earlier today, we had seen that The Gals would be swimming in a Relay Race - same team. Phew! (I cannot tell you how hard it is when they swim against each other.) Well, they received their very first ribbon tonight for that race (third place). Some people wouldn't celebrate anything but first, but in this house - a ribbon is a ribbon! And, the fact that they both got ribbons for the very first time swimming together on the same team - well, that is just the cherry on the sundae. Couldn't have asked for anything better.

Nine!

The Gals turned 9 today! I cannot believe it. We had a wonderful party at the pool with some of their friends around lunch time. Then, we headed back to the pool later on in the afternoon for a few more hours. I am sure they will both be asleep before it is time to eat dinner, but that just means it has been a good day.

Camping Weekend

We had a great time camping this weekend at Bear Creek Lake State Park. It stormed Friday night pretty loudly. But, the weather got a lot better. The Soccer Player caught five fish. We spent the afternoon Saturday swimming and paddle boating around the lake. Smores were a great way to end the weekend.

Wonderful Husband's Birthday Week

Wonderful Husband had a busy week. We celebrated his birthday on Thursday.

Then, we had a birthday cruise for him Saturday night with some of our special friends.

And, we ended it Sunday with a trip to Busch Gardens. Most people only celebrate the big birthdays - 40, 50 and so on. He decided to be different and celebrate 42. I hope it was as special for him as we tried to make it.

Dancing Queen

It is that time of year again - RECITAL! The Dancer has been hard at work trying to learn her routine. Her feet never stop tapping - even when she is sitting down. I had been worried because during her classes she has been very intense and not smiling at all - or giving a fake smile that looked more like a scowl. But, as I should have known, as soon as she stepped out on that stage last night for dress rehearsal, she was beaming. My little drama queen loves the stage!

Flocked!

Our church's youth are doing a Flamingo Fund Raiser. This morning, The Gals and I walked out to find these pretty pink birds sitting in our front yard. I hope they liked the shower they got from our sprinkler system.

Chicks With Sticks

The Gals have both been playing Field Hockey this spring. They are loving it! I think the sticks make them feel powerful.

Revolution!!!

Today, we headed to a Richmond Revolution game with our Dear Onofrys. We tailgated in the parking lot - which was great for us football junkies. They had some bouncy houses and some corn-hole games set up for the kids. After enjoying that stuff, we headed in to find our seats. As we were trying to figure out where we were going to sit, this man came up to us and said follow me. He led us all to a Luxury Box (keep in mind they play in a temporary facility so it sounds better than it is - but it is still AWESOME!). We loved it! We were right on the side. The girls loved getting to talk to the football players. We could see absolutely everything. And - it turns out the man who gave us such great seats is the CEO of the new sports facility that they are trying to build here. We became fans of the IFL for sure.

Spring Break

Well, the kids and I headed to North Carolina for the last few days of Spring Break. Our first stop was the beach to see Aunt Jenny. I had not really expected very good weather, but was pleasantly surprised. We went to Downtown Wilmington and walked The Peacemaker ship that was docked for The Azalea Festival. Then, after a quick stop at Walmart for some bathing suits and a quick check-in at the hotel, we headed to the beach where The Gals didn't care how cold the water was, and The Soldier was able to walk the boardwalk. After a couple of days, we headed to Grammy and Papa's. The Gals loved playing with the dogs. It was a wonderful visit. But, it is great to be home!

Graduation

So, we were on our way Monday to Baltimore with Wonderful Husband when I got a text message from The Soldier that his graduation was in two days, and he wanted us to be there. So, WH turned around, dropped The Gals and I at home, and headed back to his meetings in Baltimore. The Gals were disappointed about having to miss our trip, but the three of us were very proud of The Soldier today as he finished his training.

Happy Easter!

Today has been wonderful! It started with a sunrise church service on the water. Followed by a big breakfast, a long nap, and then an afternoon of fun with friends while I cooked a huge meal (per Wonderful Husband's request). The weather was fantastic. We sat on the back porch for a long time. Only issue was the pollen. The Gals eyes have been red and runny all day - but that didn't stop them from looking for eggs in the egg hunt.

I hope everyone had as fantastic a day was we did! Happy Easter!

The Quick Visit

We got a surprise Easter visit from The Soldier.

Spring Break Kick Off

We spent a fantastic day with friends at the go-kart track. After racing together(Wonderful Husband and The Soccer Player vs. Me and The Dancer), the kids got to ride kid-size go-karts all by themselves.

Followed it up with a round of mini-golf. And then headed to a nearby barbecue place for lunch. Nice way to kick off the week!

The Leprechaun

Normally, around this house, we barely acknowledge St. Patrick's Day. We always make sure we wear green so no one gets pinched, but that is about it. This year, The Dancer started talking to me on Monday about how at her friend's house the leprechaun comes and hides jelly beans. I nodded and listened, but didn't really think anything of it. When she got home from school yesterday she asked me if I had been able to reach him. Last night, she asked me to wake her up at 6:00 am so she would have time to find her jelly beans. Yikes! She obviously wasn't going to let this drop. I had to do some fast work. So, I called the leprechaun at the last minute. He threw pieces of The Gals clothing over their ceiling fans, and sure enough - jelly beans were hidden and subsequently found. Good thing I had his number in my special book where I also keep the Tooth Fairy and Easter Bunny phone numbers.

Kite Day

Today, we headed over to one of the county athletic parks for Kite Day. The county we live in provided kites the kids could color. We had brought our own, but The Gals decided that maybe the ones they colored themselves would fly better. It was a perfect way to spend the first good weather day we have had in a long time!

She's Got Spirit - Yes She Do!

Last Friday, I went to eat lunch with The Gals. While I was there, they announced the Spirit Award winners for the month from each class. Surprisingly, The Basketball Player's name was announced. I say "surprisingly" because she has only been there for about 3 weeks. She was very excited - especially about the free meal from Chik-Fil-A.

Wonderful Husband and I spent the day at the Virginia Wine Expo. We have gone since it started three years ago and it just keeps getting better every year. At this point, we know the wineries we like and the ones we don't. It is so nice to be able to get to stock up on some wine from our favorites.

Basketball

The Soccer Player has become The Basketball Player this winter and has LOVED it! She has only scored one basket and is shorter than most of the girls she plays with and against, but she doesn't seem to mind a bit. She just runs back and forth the whole time and has a blast! It is really very sweet.

George Mason

While I was off on my girls' weekend, Wonderful Husband took The Gals up to George Mason for the homecoming basketball game. They had a fantastic time in the alumni tent getting their faces painted and having a caricature picture done of the two of them together. Here they are with George Mason and his wife.

College Gals

Just got back from my annual trip to visit my college gals. We went to Smithfield this year to do a bunch of shopping and eating. It was fun as always. The three of us lead such different lives. Phone calls never do justice to trying to filling each other in. It was nice to be able to have time to just sit and catch up. Looking forward to next year!

Back and Better Than Ever

Hello!! Long time no blog. I know. I know. I am sorry about that, but things have been a bit crazy around here. There are a few things you should know:

1. We are no longer homeschooling. The Gals and I came to a mutual decision that it was not working. They went back to public school a couple of weeks ago and are doing well. I am definitely taking a bigger part in their schoolwork and am looking at their teachers as my assistants in educating my daughters.

2. The Soldier is in his AIT training phase, and we should find out soon where he will be stationed.

3. Since November, we have been to New York, Washington, DC and Disney. Loved every minute of it.

4. We have had major snow issues (for this area) happen over the past two months. While it was fun the first time, we are now completely over the thrill.

Now that things are starting to settle down, I promise to do my best to update this blog on a regular basis.

Thanks for your patience.