Nothing out of the ordinary coming up this week, so hopefully we can just have a calm, normal week. As always, pics to come. Until next time, cheers!
Sunday, March 4, 2018
Bright Light in a Bad Week
All four of us had a bad week in our own ways. I'm not going to spell it out here, because frankly, I really don't want to look back on this post and relive it. So instead, I'll show you a little sneak preview of Ryleigh's dance that she'll perform on stage in June.
Nothing out of the ordinary coming up this week, so hopefully we can just have a calm, normal week. As always, pics to come. Until next time, cheers!
Nothing out of the ordinary coming up this week, so hopefully we can just have a calm, normal week. As always, pics to come. Until next time, cheers!
Sunday, February 25, 2018
Running Strong
Ryleigh was sick Monday and Tuesday. Her fever finally broke in the night Tuesday night, but her school requires 24 hours fever-free before returning to school, so she didn't get to go back to school until Thursday. She was ready to go back. And, I was ready for her to go back!
On Wednesday afternoon, Ryleigh was feeling well enough to go for a half-mile run with RJ. RJ put on his Gizmo so I could keep track of him. RJ in turn kept track of Ryleigh. I told RJ he could take off and finish his run strong as soon as I could see Ryleigh coming down the street. So, he threw in a little extra oomph and headed into the homestretch.
Ryleigh wasn't too far behind RJ. But, the run wasn't as joyous for her. I snapped this pic as she was telling me about how her side hurt.
Without Jip to push him, RJ's half-miles run around the seven minute mark. But, on Friday, RJ did a half-mile in less than six minutes. And today, they ran (well, mostly ran with a bit of walking) 1.5 miles together. Maybe there is a runner in him! Once RJ finishes the 26ish miles by March 17 to say he completed the Shamrock Marathon, we'll see if he keeps it up.
Other events this week included Jip being one of the people who showed the Secretary of the Navy around the shipyard.
And, I got to go to a training with other Navy-Marine Corps Relief Society volunteers from all over Hampton Roads to learn more about Social Security, Navy housing, Navy legal services available to sailors and their families, Navy employment services for when service members get out or for spouses to use, and Navy Personnel Support for the admin side of moves and travel and other things that can go financially wrong, leading to the need for assistance from NMCRS. It was a good day with a good group of people.
This week, RJ will be getting a very stubborn baby tooth pulled on Wednesday. One tooth is causing a whole of problems with adult teeth that very much want to come in, but can't. The rest of the week should be back to normal, assuming that everyone stays healthy. As always, pics to come.
Until next time, cheers!
On Wednesday afternoon, Ryleigh was feeling well enough to go for a half-mile run with RJ. RJ put on his Gizmo so I could keep track of him. RJ in turn kept track of Ryleigh. I told RJ he could take off and finish his run strong as soon as I could see Ryleigh coming down the street. So, he threw in a little extra oomph and headed into the homestretch.
Ryleigh wasn't too far behind RJ. But, the run wasn't as joyous for her. I snapped this pic as she was telling me about how her side hurt.
Without Jip to push him, RJ's half-miles run around the seven minute mark. But, on Friday, RJ did a half-mile in less than six minutes. And today, they ran (well, mostly ran with a bit of walking) 1.5 miles together. Maybe there is a runner in him! Once RJ finishes the 26ish miles by March 17 to say he completed the Shamrock Marathon, we'll see if he keeps it up.
Other events this week included Jip being one of the people who showed the Secretary of the Navy around the shipyard.
And, I got to go to a training with other Navy-Marine Corps Relief Society volunteers from all over Hampton Roads to learn more about Social Security, Navy housing, Navy legal services available to sailors and their families, Navy employment services for when service members get out or for spouses to use, and Navy Personnel Support for the admin side of moves and travel and other things that can go financially wrong, leading to the need for assistance from NMCRS. It was a good day with a good group of people.
This week, RJ will be getting a very stubborn baby tooth pulled on Wednesday. One tooth is causing a whole of problems with adult teeth that very much want to come in, but can't. The rest of the week should be back to normal, assuming that everyone stays healthy. As always, pics to come.
Until next time, cheers!
Sunday, February 18, 2018
Valentines and Sleepovers
The kids helped me assemble the Valentines for their classmates. RJ handed out color-changing dinos on cards with one of four dino-related riddles. Ryleigh handed out two different coloring sheets, each with 2 markers. I think they turned out really cute.
RJ got a little stomach bug on Thursday night, but thankfully it was very short-lived and he was so ready to go to his friend Brayden's birthday party and sleepover on Saturday. RJ walked in the door Sunday morning and announced he had a GREAT time. Yay!
Ryleigh was uber jealous RJ got to go to a sleepover. So, as soon as I dropped RJ off, Ryleigh went to play with Aless. Not five minutes later did I get a call asking if Ryleigh could have a sleepover at Aless's. Apparently, Ryleigh batted her eyes and said she was super sad and immediately earned an invite. She also had a great time, as evidenced by the photo that was sent to me this morning.
Jip and I definitely enjoyed our quiet night. We finished setting up Elfa free-standing shelves in the kids' rooms so they each have a desk of sorts. We also rearranged their closets and the playroom closet so they make much more sense. We felt so accomplished!
RJ has school on President's Day, but Ryleigh doesn't. And, Jip doesn't have to go into the shipyard on the holiday, though I'm sure he'll still be doing work from his phone and maybe his laptop. But, he should still be able to meet RJ for lunch. The rest of the week should be back to normal, although starting Saturday, we're adding in another activity for RJ--he's doing a mini-camp at William and Mary with other gifted kids for 3 hours each weekend for the next 5 weekends. We're crossing our fingers that the hour+ drive each way will be worth it. Jip will probably take him most of the time and will enjoy either a good run or a bike ride on a nice trail in the area.
As always, pics to come. Until next time, cheers!
RJ got a little stomach bug on Thursday night, but thankfully it was very short-lived and he was so ready to go to his friend Brayden's birthday party and sleepover on Saturday. RJ walked in the door Sunday morning and announced he had a GREAT time. Yay!
Ryleigh was uber jealous RJ got to go to a sleepover. So, as soon as I dropped RJ off, Ryleigh went to play with Aless. Not five minutes later did I get a call asking if Ryleigh could have a sleepover at Aless's. Apparently, Ryleigh batted her eyes and said she was super sad and immediately earned an invite. She also had a great time, as evidenced by the photo that was sent to me this morning.
Jip and I definitely enjoyed our quiet night. We finished setting up Elfa free-standing shelves in the kids' rooms so they each have a desk of sorts. We also rearranged their closets and the playroom closet so they make much more sense. We felt so accomplished!
RJ has school on President's Day, but Ryleigh doesn't. And, Jip doesn't have to go into the shipyard on the holiday, though I'm sure he'll still be doing work from his phone and maybe his laptop. But, he should still be able to meet RJ for lunch. The rest of the week should be back to normal, although starting Saturday, we're adding in another activity for RJ--he's doing a mini-camp at William and Mary with other gifted kids for 3 hours each weekend for the next 5 weekends. We're crossing our fingers that the hour+ drive each way will be worth it. Jip will probably take him most of the time and will enjoy either a good run or a bike ride on a nice trail in the area.
As always, pics to come. Until next time, cheers!
Sunday, February 11, 2018
Getting Back to Normal
The kids had a full week of school. Jip had a full week of work. I had my normal three days of volunteering. It was good to find our groove after snow and holidays and vacation.
After making rhinestone pajamas for Ryleigh for Christmas, she asked if I could make something with a rhinestone unicorn. Of course, I said yes. So, together we picked out the pattern, colors of rhinestones, and the dress to put them on. I decided to incorporate a heart and make it the Valentine's Day outfit, though she got to wear it a week early.
Of course, I had to make RJ a Valentine's something to wear, too. He did not get rhinestones, but I loved how it turned out. We had to explain the pun to him, and in turn, he had to explain it to everyone who had not heard "wrapped around your finger."
After some research and seeing a demo by another kid RJ's age, we decided it was time to take the plunge and get the kids smart watches of sorts. The kids have phone numbers that we can now call to tell them to come home. We can text them to tell them to come home. They can send us back voice memos to tell us they aren't ready to come home yet. :) They can track their steps. And, we can see where they are and get an alert if they aren't where they are supposed to be. We'll see how it goes with after-school and weekend stuff before we decide whether they need to have them in their backpacks while they are at school. But so far, so good!
The kids are looking forward to handing our Valentines on Wednesday. The rest of the week should be pretty normal with school and activities and such. As always, pics to come. Until next time, cheers!
After making rhinestone pajamas for Ryleigh for Christmas, she asked if I could make something with a rhinestone unicorn. Of course, I said yes. So, together we picked out the pattern, colors of rhinestones, and the dress to put them on. I decided to incorporate a heart and make it the Valentine's Day outfit, though she got to wear it a week early.
Of course, I had to make RJ a Valentine's something to wear, too. He did not get rhinestones, but I loved how it turned out. We had to explain the pun to him, and in turn, he had to explain it to everyone who had not heard "wrapped around your finger."
After some research and seeing a demo by another kid RJ's age, we decided it was time to take the plunge and get the kids smart watches of sorts. The kids have phone numbers that we can now call to tell them to come home. We can text them to tell them to come home. They can send us back voice memos to tell us they aren't ready to come home yet. :) They can track their steps. And, we can see where they are and get an alert if they aren't where they are supposed to be. We'll see how it goes with after-school and weekend stuff before we decide whether they need to have them in their backpacks while they are at school. But so far, so good!
The kids are looking forward to handing our Valentines on Wednesday. The rest of the week should be pretty normal with school and activities and such. As always, pics to come. Until next time, cheers!
Sunday, February 4, 2018
Winter Getaway 2018
Before Christmas, we picked a week to return to Massanutten for some winter fun, with the thought we'd go over the weekend and the first part of the week. But, then Ryleigh's Beach Meet started much later in the day than we had thought. And, then the snowstorm happened and changed which days RJ had off from school. And, then Jip had to attend an off-site meeting for work Monday and Tuesday. So, we changed gears and took kiddos out of school Wednesday through Friday and headed to Massanutten for a little shorter getaway.
We arrived late Tuesday night, but quickly got settled and looked forward to sleeping in. After breakfast Wednesday morning, we headed out to the snow tubing hill. We were the first ones down the hill that day. On the first run, Ryleigh and Jip were tied together, but Ryleigh quickly realized she could do it on her own. RJ had so much fun on the first run that he asked if he had to wait for us at the bottom. It was definitely a successful outing on the man-made snow.
On Wednesday afternoon, we hung out in our condo and Jip did some work. Just because you rearrange your family's vacation to accommodate a meeting that was scheduled after you had put your leave in the system doesn't mean you actually get to really take the leave they do allow! Ryleigh and I played a few games, we all watched movies and enjoyed a leisurely dinner.
Thursday morning we slept in again and just relaxed. Then we headed for the indoor water park. Ryleigh was tall enough to do the big slides this time around and RJ continued in independent mode. Jip got totally worn out carrying tubes up all the stairs. I did the lazy river with both kids so many times I lost count. And, Jip tried the Wave Rider. It was a good day at the water park!
Friday morning, we said goodbye to Massanutten and took off on a different route to see a little bit more of Virginia. We introduced our kids (and ourselves) to the Appomattox Court House. Did you know that when it is written as "Court House", it signifies the county seat, but when it is "Courthouse" it is the building? When the end of the Civil War was agreed to by Grant and Lee, it wasn't done in the courthouse, but was done in the parlor of a house of a local businessman in the Appomattox County Seat. The house mostly burned, but some of the brick is still original. The courthouse, the building the kiddos posed in front of on that chilly, windy day, was rebuilt and now houses the visitor's center.
We watched a very nicely done film and then had a fantastic tour of the house. Many items in the house are original, including the vases on the mantle and the crib in the master bedroom. The kids got a kick out of the rocking potty chair. Once the tour was over, we headed to the book store. Some old slave quarters were next to the book store, and I told the kids that's what used to be there. Then Jip and I spent the next 20 minutes trying to explain slavery. I'm glad they can't wrap their brains around the concept of slavery.
We were home at a decent time Friday evening and had a pretty normal weekend with kiddo activities, catching up on laundry, and catching up with the neighborhood children.
This week should be back to normal, with a full week of school and work and volunteering. As always, pics to come. Until next time, cheers!
We arrived late Tuesday night, but quickly got settled and looked forward to sleeping in. After breakfast Wednesday morning, we headed out to the snow tubing hill. We were the first ones down the hill that day. On the first run, Ryleigh and Jip were tied together, but Ryleigh quickly realized she could do it on her own. RJ had so much fun on the first run that he asked if he had to wait for us at the bottom. It was definitely a successful outing on the man-made snow.
On Wednesday afternoon, we hung out in our condo and Jip did some work. Just because you rearrange your family's vacation to accommodate a meeting that was scheduled after you had put your leave in the system doesn't mean you actually get to really take the leave they do allow! Ryleigh and I played a few games, we all watched movies and enjoyed a leisurely dinner.
Thursday morning we slept in again and just relaxed. Then we headed for the indoor water park. Ryleigh was tall enough to do the big slides this time around and RJ continued in independent mode. Jip got totally worn out carrying tubes up all the stairs. I did the lazy river with both kids so many times I lost count. And, Jip tried the Wave Rider. It was a good day at the water park!
Friday morning, we said goodbye to Massanutten and took off on a different route to see a little bit more of Virginia. We introduced our kids (and ourselves) to the Appomattox Court House. Did you know that when it is written as "Court House", it signifies the county seat, but when it is "Courthouse" it is the building? When the end of the Civil War was agreed to by Grant and Lee, it wasn't done in the courthouse, but was done in the parlor of a house of a local businessman in the Appomattox County Seat. The house mostly burned, but some of the brick is still original. The courthouse, the building the kiddos posed in front of on that chilly, windy day, was rebuilt and now houses the visitor's center.
We watched a very nicely done film and then had a fantastic tour of the house. Many items in the house are original, including the vases on the mantle and the crib in the master bedroom. The kids got a kick out of the rocking potty chair. Once the tour was over, we headed to the book store. Some old slave quarters were next to the book store, and I told the kids that's what used to be there. Then Jip and I spent the next 20 minutes trying to explain slavery. I'm glad they can't wrap their brains around the concept of slavery.
We were home at a decent time Friday evening and had a pretty normal weekend with kiddo activities, catching up on laundry, and catching up with the neighborhood children.
This week should be back to normal, with a full week of school and work and volunteering. As always, pics to come. Until next time, cheers!
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