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Ben and I met in 1996, began dating in 1999 and married in 2001. Now 20 years and 2 children later, we have returned to where our life together began. Ben works for the Federal Reserve and I have the privilege of staying home with our two precious boys.

Thursday, March 30, 2017

Caden's Spring Show

This week, Caden had his very last Spring Show at Shadowbrook. 
 It was the first time that he whole-heartedly participated in the entire show! We were so proud to see him interacting on stage! They had some of the cutest little dance moves!
 After the show ended, the his teachers past and present were so proud of his participation! 
Yay! Finally!!!

Wednesday, March 29, 2017

Winter/Spring Swim Session

We just finished Winter/Spring swim and the boys have decided that they no longer need it as part of their yearly schedule. After this session, I may have to agree with them! They both jumped right in and picked up where they were at the end of the summer without any regression! 
 Caden's arm strength and kicking skills have improved... 
and he LOVES jumping off the board!
Ethan's strokes are looking fantastic and he also...
 loves the board!
They are ready for summer!

Thursday, March 23, 2017

Basketball x 2

Ethan wrapped up winter basketball like a pro. We are so proud of his growing skills! 
He's gotten much better at shooting...
 guarding...
 passing, and ball handling!
 Coach gave them each trophies at the end of the season and now...
Caden!!! has joined Ethan in an instructional league! He is so excited to be playing ball with the big boys and Ben and I are thrilled to see him out on the court...
 with his big brother!


Saint Patrick's Day & Skate Party

Last Friday, the Leprechaun paid us a visit!
 The Leprechaun is quite tricky; some years he comes, some years he doesn't. Sometimes he makes a little mess, sometimes he makes a big mess. While last year, he just left a few coins for the boys, this year he left a trail from the fireplace all the way to the garage door. Ethan was thrilled and almost had his entire trail cleaned up before I could even take a picture!
 Ethan left a little for Caden to see, but he definitely missed most of the mark of the sneaky little Leprechaun.
 Early morning cheeses :-)
 We invited Rylie to eat our traditional St. Patrick's Day breakfast of Lucky Charms, which is the only time the boys get to eat this sugary cereal!
 And Ethan even made me take a picture of Lucy, doesn't she look Irish?!?!
 The next morning, we got ready to experience our first visit to the skating rink. Tyson's birthday party was a blast and the boys definitely have decided that they must make skating a more frequent occurrence in our future! They truly did a great job considering this was their first time on skates...
 And after a couple of minutes with the Skate-Mate, Ethan said he was done with it and went off on his own :-)


Dr.Seuss, Teacher Appreciation, & Author Visit

Oh My Word! School has been super busy for the boys! 
Between Dr. Seuss week, Teacher Appreciation at both schools, and Ivy Creek's Author Visit, things have been crazy from one school to the other. I am so extremely grateful that Ben has allowed me these opportunities to make myself utterly insane running this way and that, but WOW, there are weeks where I LIVE for Friday! I know that I do not tell him Thank You often enough, but I do count my blessings in between 2 schools car pool and bus schedules each day :-)
During Dr. Seuss week, each school had a theme each day. Students dressed up and book related snacks were requested. While Ethan's class received Thing 1 and Thing 2 cupcakes for Cat in the Hat day, Caden's school received Red Fish cupcakes for One Fish, Two Fish, Red Fish, Blue Fish day. Poor fish cupcakes were gone before I remembered to take a picture :-(
 Of course, we had to have matching napkins for the week!
 Caden decided he wanted to be the book cover for One Fish, Two Fish, Red Fish, Blue Fish and I grabbed a quick picture with his teacher, Jana, who was Thing One.
 Caden's class also got colored goldfish 
 While Ethan's class received Dr. Seuss Soup in a wrapped cup complete with a spoon. 
 Somewhere along the way, I missed a picture of Green Eggs and Ham pretzels that I sent to Ethan's class. Caden was a trooper that week and the next because he was my shopping partner as we went searching for Teacher Appreciation treats and Dr. Seuss snack ingredients. He finally decided riding was better than walking and I heard "Cheese, Mommy" as we were zooming down the aisles of Wal-Mart trying to complete our list before the bus beat us home.
 The following week was Teacher Appreciation for Ethan's school and I went into his classroom to do an activity with his class in order to put together a book while his sweet teacher went on a little break. The finished product turned out cuter than the picture below, but she was super appreciative of all of the kiddos hard work!
 The classes were also invited to the school to create sidewalk chalk notes for their teachers to read as they walked into school the next morning.
 Then, last week was the Teacher Appreciation Luncheon that I coordinate each year at Caden's school. We put together a Mexican Fiesta and turned an empty classroom into a "restaurant."
 That same week was also the Author Visit for Ethan's school. The teacher in me was completely starstruck as we got to meet and listen to Patricia Polacco share her stories about her books. Ethan and I were able to get some of her books autographed and take a picture with her, which was super special because that opportunity was not afforded to most of the other students!
She is such a precious lady and I would LOVE the opportunity to hear her again!
WHEW, so glad these weeks are behind us! Now, on to the next event!

Monster Jam

March has been a SUPER busy month! 
We started off with Monster Jam, always a family favorite with boys! 
We made sure to get there early this year so that we could watch them get the arena set up for the trucks. So much fun to see!
We always love it when Mimi gets to go with us!
Finally, the trucks were all lined up and Ethan and Caden were ready to see some action!
This year, Ethan and Caden wanted to bring posters to cheer on their favorites. 
 It was funny to see them paired up against each other in one of the first rounds!
 As usual, Monster Jam was a blast and they already can't wait until next year!