life

In case you read the title and thought this might be a philosophical post, sorry to disappoint.   I'm talking about the game of Life, one of my favorites from childhood.  We got it for Dylan for Christmas, and decided to break it out Saturday night.  

I love playing board games and I love that our kids are old enough to play most games with us, and totally 'get it' now.  I was a little worried about this one, since it says 9 and older.  But they LOVED it, both of them, and totally stuck with it during the almost two hours it took to play.  I haven't played this game since I was MUCH younger and it was funny to see some updates to bring it up to current times (i.e. You Build a Family Website, pay $2,000). 

How did we all fare?   Here's the breakdown:

Logan's career choice was "Entertainer" for $50,000 per pay day.  He had one child, lived in a mansion, and ran for Congress.  He retired with $415,000.

I was a Hair Stylist, living in a Luxury Mountain Retreat, with a sailboat.   I had one child, and retired  owing the bank $180,000.

Dylan, the Veterinarian, made twice as much as me per payday, bought an SUV and modern victorian home, had three kids, and retired with $870,000.

Andrew beat us all, retiring from being an Accountant, dividing his time between his double-wide and his RV, and banking $1.5 million.

10 hours left..

The countdown to the end of 2011 is here, and in a few shorts hours 2012 will arrive.

Although 2011 had some challenges along the way, it was a pretty darn good year for us.  Here are some memories from the past year:

• surprising the boys with the Monster Truck Jam
• snowtubing at Wintergreen and Whitetail with a ton of friends during the winter months
• a good friend getting diagnosed with breast cancer, and then kicking its' ass
• Logan's first venture into t-ball
• Dylan, my baby boy, turned 8.
• we visited Busch Gardens over spring break with Grandma Bobbie and Grandpa Joe
• a super fun family day trip to Shenandoah Caverns
• finally renovating and upgrading our master bath from disaster to gorgeous stone spa sanctuary.
• Dylan's first swim team season with the Lightning.
• Andrew turned 40.
• Girls weekend at Lansdowne Resort.
• Logan turned 5.
• Logan passing his swim test and going off the diving board for the first time.
• spending time at Lake Anna with Grandma Lynn, Grandpa Robby, and all the cousins.  Probably our last trip to the lake house since its still for sale.  Gosh how we loved it there.
• Logan starting kindergarten and  Dylan starting third grade.
• spending time at Chincoteague, VA
• Dylan starting Cub Scouts
• Back surgery for Andrew, finally taking most of his back pain away.
• Logan had his tonsils and adenoids removed.
• taking our kids to Disney World for the first time, and enjoying time with Grandma Bobbie, Grandpa Joe, Chris, Jessica, Josh and Maya (Day One, Day Two, Day Three, Day Four, Day Five)
• I turned 40. 
• splurging on new family room furniture
• Logan getting rid of training wheels forever.
• the sudden illness and loss of John Lane

We don't have lots planned for 2012 yet.  A snowtubing trip with friends in February.  Perhaps a trip to Grandma and Grandpa's over Spring Break, with a wide trip to Busch Gardens.  Perhaps a week at the beach this summer.  More swim team for Dylan.  Logan's introduction to spring soccer.  Perhaps a family reunion on my Dad's side this summer.

We'll see what makes it onto the calendar.  One thing is for sure. There is hardly a dull moment in our little circus.

Here is one of my favorite photos of 2011, taken on Easter.

Happy New Year to you and yours!  May 2012 be filled with happiness, good health, and fun times with people you love!

Feliz Navidad 2011

I'm slowly coming out of a Christmas fog.  After the emotional days spent honoring John's life, and then catapulting into two full days of Christmas festivities, the fog is slowly lifting.  What just happened?

We had a lovely Christmas, and it truly got off to an unique start.  On Christmas morning, I woke to a quiet house around 7 am, and thought "Ahhh, let me get a shower before madness ensues."  While in the shower, Dylan busts into the bathroom to inform me Logan was downstairs ripping open presents, all by himself.  "Whaaaaaaa???".  I grabbed a towel, bolted downstairs and sure enough a super overly excited Logan just couldn't wait, and decided to have his own personal Christmas.

It was certainly a different start to our Christimas morning than I had anticipated.  But after recovering from the shock of it all, we settled into a cozy morning of gift opening, toy playing, breakfast eating and preparations for the journey to Grandma's for Christmas, Part Three.

Part One was spent on Christmas Eve at my brother and Jessica's, for Christmas with my Dad and Stepmom.  The kids always enjoy eating lots of yummy food and opening the first round of presents.  And how lucky are we every year that we get to celebrate Christmas three times?

The boys love leaving cookies for Santa, after sprinkling reindeer food out front!

One last note of the season from Tyler, our Elf:

Our tree, adorned with loot, before we settled in for a long winters' nap

aftermath

Mom and Robby's tree, before gift opening

Maya and Josh, looking very tall

My Mom holding our newest family member, Baby Violet



my gorgeous stepsisters

And, no Christmas is complete without a dance party, and a game of Headbandz!

John

This week, our family lost a very loved, cherished member.  John, my Stepdads' Stepdad, was an amazing person who devoted his life helping others, spreading Gods' love, and spending time with his children and their spouses, and his 35 grandchildren and great grandchildren.

The next two days will be filled with services where we'll all come together to celebrate John's life.  Its hard to lose someone any time of the year, but the holidays are especially hard.  John loved Christmas.  As difficult as these days are going to be, I know he would have loved everyone coming together.  John was always at every family gathering, taking hundreds of photos, making jokes and holding at least one grandchild.  I'm sure I don't know half the stories of people John counseled and helped during his lifetime, and I look forward to hearing them.

This is John and Martha, surrounded by all of their grandchildren and great-grandchildren (minus my brother and I and our kids and spouses).   Chris and I were at Disney in November when a very last minute beach trip was planned by my Stepdads' family so John could see the sunrise on the ocean.   That's where this photo was taken.    The photo underneath is John and Martha with their 7 children.

May you rest in peace, John.  You will be missed.

D's winter swim meet

Dylan has been enjoying his year-round swim team since it started in September.  Its very low-key, he only practices on Sunday afternoons and they have a meet once in a while. We were out of town at Disney when the last meet took place, so this past Sunday was his first meet since his summer swim team in July.  He did a great job swimming his two events: freestyle and backstroke.

Way to go Dylan!

two wheelin'

Logan woke up this morning with one thing on his mind - no more training wheels. After breakfast, he asked Grandpa Joe to take the training wheels off his bike.  We had tried this once before, months ago, and it wasn't pretty.  Training wheels went back on and we figured he'd figure out when he wanted to try again someday.  He's like that...he tends to decide if and when he's going to do something and as long as its his idea, its all good.   If you try to ask him, tell him, or convince him of anything, forget it.

The second Grandpa took the training wheels off, Logan hopped on and off he went, like he had been doing it for years.   Proud and grinning from ear to ear.  Of course we're heading into the dead of winter and there may not be a lot of chances for leisurely bike riding for a few months.  But knowing my child, he'll be out there in his snowsuit riding that thing when its twelve degrees.

That little bike kills me, have you ever seen a bike that small?  We've had to buy three back tires for it in less than a year because he skids out so much.

Enjoy your new freedom, buddy!

How Dinosaurs Became Extinct, by Dylan

Dinosaurs have bombs in their pockets.  Dinosaura will box at a boxing rinc.  Then man came along.  Then they found axes and chopped the dinosaurs.  There was blood from the dinosaurs.  The men made a fire and ate the meat. Then the men got the bombs and chucked them at the trees.  Then the men became dumb. 

And that's why dinosaurs became igstinked.

snow angel

Last night, Tyler got into the flour and decided to make himself a snow angel.   The boys found this hilarious this morning and right away checked to see if he had flour all over his back.  Luckily he did!

he's baaaaack....

Tyler Snowy is back in The House for his second year.   He arrived Friday morning, ready to watch over our boys and report any and all activities to Santa nightly.  He reports back to the North Pole every night to give Santa the 9-1-1 on any meltdowns, fighting or sassy behavior.  But apparently his very first night, he got a case of the lazies and forgot to make the journey.  Oops!

I can feel he's going to get into a lot of mischief this holiday season.   I wish he came with a reminder alarm every night so we don't forget to move him.  Its hard to come up with enough viable excuses Dylan will believe.  "Oh, Santa was sick and couldn't have company last night."  "Hmmmm, Tyler's reindeer he rides back must have been at the vet."  "Gosh, I bet he must have fallen asleep. I  bet he's in trouble with Santa!".

Andrew goes out of town today for the next few days and he's much better about remembering to move him than I am.   Its a lot of pressure.  I actually sat up in bed very early this morning, "SHIT WE FORGOT TO MOVE THE ELF AGAIN ... HURRY, DOWNSTAIRS!"

Fun tradition..And really, how much longer will Dylan believe in this stuff?  His teacher has ALL the kids in third grade totally believing in this Elf thing, bless her heart.  I really hope we can keep the secret for a few more years. He figured out the Easter Bunny last spring, but we agreed he won't tell Logan.  Somehow he still totally believes in the Tooth Fairy and Santa, and this Elf.  I bought my wrapping paper for gifts this year and hid it, because I know Christmas morning when he finds gifts wrapped from Santa, he'll remember if he's seen that I have the same wrap upstairs.  And starting last year, all gift tags on gifts from Santa were typed labels from my computer so there'd be no handwriting comparisons.   I know one of these days he'll be onto me.  And then it will have to be our secret from Logan as long as we can.

Merry Christmas to Us

We've had a nice year, without having to tap into our 2010 tax refund to cover any unforeseen disasters.   We had a nice enough microsuede couch and loveseat before, buts it was coming up on about 9 years old and we've been wanting leather for the longest time.  We also had a recliner in our family that was getting really worn and needed to be retired to the Man Cave in the basement.  So, we decided to buy ourselves the family room furniture we've always wanted and finish the revamp of our family room that started last winter.

So we started shopping a few weeks ago until we found what we wanted.  It was delivered this week, starting on Wednesday.  Of course, as these things go, it turned into a fiasco when one half of the sectional was torn and had to go back to the warehouse.  Cursing. Two days later the replacement half arrived, but it was the exact half we already had.  Back again.  More cursing.  Now today, the correct half arrived, undamaged and ready to complete the room.

Our family room is topsy turvy right now with the Christmas tree where we normally have another chair and a half, and ottoman (which is temporarily in my office until after the tree comes down).  But these photos at least give a feel for what the new stuff looks like and how it all jives with the entertainment center we got ourselves for Christmas last year. 

Its taken almost 9 years since we moved into this house, but we finally have the family room we've always wanted.  Comfy, everyone can put their feet up, we can seat a lot of people and be cozy. 

Merry Christmas to us!

juggling act

It wouldn't be a circus without a juggling act now would it? 

I've kept my mouth quiet about this latest development so I didn't jinx myself before it was a done deal.   But as of last Friday, I am officially employed.  Officially earning a paycheck.  A paycheck!

Its been a while, and though I've dabbled here and there these past 7 years with serving on boards of MOMS Clubs, and doing a little freelance marketing consulting, this is an honest-to-goodness consistent jobbity-job-job.  Its an ideal fit for me, as its mostly from home and very flexible.  It involves my past marketing experience but for a new and exciting client, and I get to work with lovely ladies from a past job I truly enjoyed.   The deal has been something we've been working to make happen for a long time now, and it all just came together and finally aligned.

Exciting!

This week is my first week with the new juggling act, and its going to be an adjustment.   But an adjustment we can happily and willingly make.  The job is part time,  up to 20 or so hours per week.  For 7 years my job....my focus, has included managing meals and homework, paying bills, house cleaning and laundry and organization, social calendar and vacation planning, gift buying and playdate coordinating, managing haircuts and doctors appointments and being resident chauffer.  Not that Andrew doesn't do more than his fair share of running his parts of the chore list.   We make a pretty good team.

Fitting this new job onto my plate will be something we'll be figuring out as we go along, so we can find a good balance and get everyone where they need to be, without living in chaos and filth in the meantime.   I've always had a mountain of respect and awe for career moms who work in addition to doing their parenting job.  And I've always felt that someday, if I could find a part time job from home, it would be my ideal dream situation.  Well, here we are!

Part time still allows me to volunteer at the kids schools periodically, manage the errands and appointments that need to happen every week, and yet I have something all my own.  Some adult interaction, and a paycheck to boot!  I don't have to give up fun things like spending time with the kids at the pool this summer, or taking them to a farm.  But when I want to take a break from my parenting brain, there is other work I can tend to and that I enjoy.

I imagine its going to take a few months before I feel like I know what in the world I'm going.  Its going to take some patience from the kids.  And while I dust these cobwebs off my work brain, I hope I don't drop any balls.  I hope I'm able to do myself proud.

moms need mars and ice skating

Recently, my good friend Kristin told me about a really great website called Our Kids.  Its a great resource for listing all sorts of local events activities for families in your city.  Since we're a family that likes to be on the go and in the know, I thought it made sense to pay the $26 annual membership fee and gain access to all kind of discounts and information.

One thing members can do is register to win various ongoing prizes and giveways.  Kristin said once she joined a few weeks ago, she had already won a few things.  Sure enough, the day after I joined and registered for a few giveaways, I quickly won four tickets to a pre-screening of the new Disney movie coming out next week, Mars Needs Moms.

We had to drive to Maryland, about 40 minutes, to see the movie this morning but it was really fun. We hardly ever go the movies; its just so expensive and honestly I'd rather spend that money doing something else together.  So it was a real treat to be a part of this advanced screening, with all the giveaways and percs.   We got to see the movie in IMAX 3-D which is pretty amazing (but LOUD). 

The boys loved the movie. The animation is truly unbelievable.  The story was a little harsh for me (one of the moms dies and its a little scary), but I loved the message of the movie which is for kids to BE NICE TO YOUR MOM. 

Afterwards, as another perc, we were able to go across the street and enjoy free ice skating with a local radio station, with more giveways.   The boys both got Mars Needs Moms t-shirts.   Logan isn't much for ice skating and truth be told, I'm not exactly grace on ice either.   Andrew and Dylan enjoyed themselves at the outdoor rink while Logan and I watched. 

Logan jumped off this wall so many times I thought for sure he'd roll his ankle.

We also scarfed down some of our favorite Tex-Mex food for lunch.

Next stop... a quick little hop into Ikea.  Which I realized when we turned into the packed parking lot was going to be insane and it pretty much was.  We were in and out pretty quickly, but not before I snatched up this nifty little scarf hanger.

cool cats

Every March, its a sure sign spring is on the way when BeST elementary holds their annual 50's Sock Hop.  Last night we had a fun family night getting down to some oldies but goodies, while the boys ran wild with their friends.   Its a popular event with a packed dance floor, so we spend most of the night searching for our kids.

Its easy to dress 50's style if you're a boy... all you need is a rolled up pair of jeans, and a white t-shirt.   Lots of girls show up in poodle skirts and saddle shoes, a much more serious investment.  :-)

This photo got me thinking, this is the third year we've gone to this event with Dylan being in 2nd grade.  Here is the first year, and here is last year.

Every year, their awesome gym teacher Mr. C plays DJ and competes in a highly anticipated dance-off with a chosen student. The students try out to go up against Mr. C and everyone gets to vote on the champion. Its a total trip!  Here is the dance off circle. The assistant principal even gets in there and shows off her impressive moves.

Who knew Elvis wears Nikes?

Dylan and his good friend Diego.

Logan and his friend Michael.

So fun.  I've never seen Dylan dance so much. He's really got some moves!  Logan was more shy.. he'll bust a move at home but not so much in public.  Maybe next year in kindergarten...