A Few Projects

Jip and I took on a few projects in the last couple weeks to make things around us prettier or more festive or both.

The kids got new water bottles and they helped pick out their designs.  I cut the designs out of outdoor vinyl and stuck them on.  We'll see how long they last.  I'm guessing I'll be replacing them around Christmas.

Then it was on to the Halloween decorations.  First I tackled three craft pumpkins with some vinyl and some stands with black chalk paint.

Next I livened up the corner of our porch with some repurposed craft pumpkins from the kids, some paint, and a few other odds and ends, including a lantern we've had since we got married.

The last project was a fun one for Jip and I.  We reused a planter we've had forever--it's amazing what black spray paint can do!  Then a few craft pumpkins, a dowel, scrap wood, and some Xmas lights later, and voila!

The rest of our weekend was filled with the kiddo's usual activities and a fun evening with friends at a bowling alley then their house. 

This week, Ryleigh gets to go on her first field trip ever and RJ gets an award.  The weekend will be filled with the normal kiddo activities plus two birthday parties and a little shopping to get Jip prepared to be an observer in civilian clothes during an inspection at another shipyard.  As always, pics to come.  Until next time, cheers!

Friends + Family = Good Weekend

We had a fairly busy, but nice, weekend.  The kids had their usual coding class, ballet class, and Ninja Zone.  They were also delighted to help their friends Vanessa and Gabrielle celebrate their birthdays.  Vanessa and Ryleigh have been doing gymnastics together for 2.5 years.  Gabrielle and RJ get to hang out at gymnastics while the younger two do their thing.  We enjoyed an hour of jumping at Cloud 9 with the birthday girls as well as a bunch of other kids from gymnastics and our neighborhood (we live one street over from Vanessa and Gabrielle's family). 

Saturday evening, Ryleigh and RJ hosted Greer and Gavin for a sleepover.  We ate pancakes for dinner, as I've discovered it is easier to please everyone with pancakes than with pizza.  The kids played lots of Minecraft and wore each other completely out.

On Sunday, we headed to our third Build-a-Scarecrow event to raise money for the local children's hospital.  Going at the end of the day on day 2 of the event makes the choices for hats quite slim, but between the ninja headband and the backwards trucker hat, I think we made a pretty good scarecrow this year.

This week should be a pretty normal week.  I'm working on Halloween costumes and decorations.  The kids have found their groove at school.  Jip is still putting in too many hours at the shipyard.  And September continues to fly by.  As always, pics to come.  Until next time, cheers!

The Hurricane That Wasn't (For Us)

Florence is still doing damage to our neighbors to the south, but luckily we escaped with barely any rain and scant amounts of wind. 

We didn't have school Tuesday through Friday because the Governor issued a mandatory evacuation for Zone A, which encompasses a good deal of Hampton Roads, including some schools.  So, if some kids and teachers have to be gone, they all do.  When we knew for sure the storm was going to be well south of us and evacuations weren't going to be issued for Zone B, we cancelled our hotel room.

The kids did their best to drive me crazy.  Thankfully, we still had gymnastics on Tuesday (but not Thursday), hip hop on Tuesday, and Ninja Zone on Sunday.  The kids helped me run provisions to Navy-Marine Corps Relief Society to support all of the volunteers who helped issue emergency loans for people who needed the funds to evacuate.  They issued 400 loans in 8 hours.  Amazing!  Jip had Friday off, but still had to be on the phone for a good part of the day.  The kids got lots of time building a Minecraft world during the week with one of our neighbors down the street.  We got out Saturday and burned some energy at Funville (kids) and Michael's (me).

A few people in our area experienced flooding today (Monday) thanks to saturated ground, high tide, and the moon.  Some streets in southern Virginia Beach are impassable.  But, it should subside pretty quickly.

Everyone returned to their normal schedules today.  While I was at NMCRS, I asked if I could take our hurricane kit back to the storage area.  I was told "no" since there are a couple more named storms churning in the Atlantic.  So, I guess I won't break into our bottled water for a few more weeks and save it just in case.

This week should be somewhat normal.  At least I hope it is.  And, maybe I'll manage to take some pictures this week!

Until next week, cheers!

Same School Again!

Hooray!  RJ and Ryleigh are going to the same school again!  They get on the bus together.  They get off the bus together.  It is so nice for this mama.

They both had terrific first days.  Ryleigh received a Splash Ticket (on the spot award for being responsible, respectful, and safe) on her first day.  Not too shabby.

Just for fun, and to see how much they've grown, here they are in their "Class of..." shirts since Kindergarten.

This is *supposed* to be a full week of school.  But, alas, the weather gods may have different ideas.  We are watching Florence carefully.  We live in what's known as Zone B, and Zones A and B have been told to prepare to leave.  A hotel with free breakfast and an indoor pool for those of us who can evacuate if really asked to (aka, everyone but Jip) is booked in Maryland.  Bugout bags are refreshed. Bottled water is ready to go, either with us or for use here.  If we stay, the generator and gas can are ready to go and I'll make ziploc bags of water/ice and fill up the tubs.  We're not worried about the wind, but rather the flooding and probably loss of power.  Hopefully Jip will learn what his work role is tomorrow--whether he will have to be on a team that evacuates together and then comes back to re-open the shipyard together or whether he will be standing watch in the Emergency Control Center.  If he stays, his office is stocked with nonperishables and water.  He'll have a sleep mat and pillow so he can rest when time allows.   Wish us luck!  We're hoping all of our plans will be for nothing--and we'd be okay with that.

As always, pics to come.  Until next time, cheers!

Say Hello to CAPT Mosman

Jip was promoted on Saturday from Commander to Captain!  Our long-time friend Darren Nelson administered the oath, with 75-ish witnesses, including Jip's parents.  RJ and Ryleigh tried to pin on Jip's new collar devices, but CAPT Nelson had to jump in for the assist.  It was a short, but sweet, few minutes. 

Then it was on to the party.  We ordered barbecue from our favorite place on this side of the water--Mission BBQ.  We had chicken, brisket, and pork; baked beans, mac 'n' cheese, and potato salad; cornbread and slider buns; and an assortment of sauces.  We also had fruit and vege trays, chips, and patriotic vanilla, chocolate, and red velvet cupcakes.  I think everyone ate well, but we still had a ton of leftovers.

I only ended up with one picture of party guests--the kids eating in the living room.  I put the camera down to chat with someone and didn't pick it back up.  Of course, I was so busy chatting all afternoon that I didn't eat until after 3 pm, but the food was just as tasty then.  Between 12 and 4, we ended up with 83 party guests, including kids.  We were truly touched that so many people came out to celebrate with us.  I think a good time was had by all!

Originally, we had hoped to have everyone hang out in the backyard.  We had set up a 20'x20' canopy and a couple of 10'x10' pop-up canopies along with tables and chairs.  Not more than an hour after we had it set up on Friday, a torrential downpour ensued.  And it stayed and stayed.  The backyard was a complete swamp.  So, at 6 am on Saturday, we were all up to break down the backyard and get everything moved to the front.  A couple of guys that stayed until 4 offered to help us break it back down. They tackled the front while I cleaned up the patio cushions and umbrella that we had left up in the back.  Not more than 5 minutes after we all finished, another torrential downpour came.  It was raining so hard that our help couldn't even leave for 20 minutes or so--we needed them to be able to see out of their windshields.  Gotta love that Virginia weather.

Saturday evening, we celebrated Jip's Dad's birthday with a low-key candle in a low-key cupcake.  The kids were so delighted to be able to sing to him in person.

The rest of the weekend we worked on returning the house to normal and just relaxing.

Tomorrow is the first day of school for the kiddos.  They are excited, and maybe a little bit nervous.  Mom is also excited, but not at all nervous!  As always, pics to come.  Until next time, cheers!