The birthday celebrations

We had originally planned to go skiing on Anna's birthday, but the weather was rainy and cold which does not make for a good experience. So we stuck around town instead. Patrick and I got her brand new bedding which she had picked out months ago and forgotten. It's got a big kid look which makes me smile although I can still remember picking out her first bedspread for her big girl bed. The night before her birthday I snuck in her room and put the bedspread on her bed so she would wake up and find it. I think we heard her at 6:30AM when she found it! Patrick also put up balloons with a sheet outside her door which she managed to escape, but still found humorous.

She requested eggs in a basket for breakfast and then she unwrapped all her gifts...all before 7:30AM. Ohh Anna! After we dropped off Patrick at the Metro, she and Paige had lots of fun playing with her new, mostly Harry Potter themed presents. She opted out of doing school for the day (home school perk!). Instead, we made potions from a cool science kit, played Wizard Hide n Seek and painted our nails.

Even with all the rain, we ventured out for lunch at Chick-fil-A and then checked out a neat gymnastics open gym where the girls bounced on trampolines and ran into a giant foam pit. It was a huge hit and I think we'll need to go back again. Our sweet friend, Maia, came over to play for the afternoon when we returned.

For dinner I made her favorite crispy chicken, mashed potatoes and green beans. Then we celebrated with home made strawberry cupcakes topped with a lemon buttercream frosting. She really enjoyed all her phone calls and messages on her special day and it was fun celebrating our nine year old!

As for Patrick, much to Anna's disappointment, he had to go to work on his birthday. We surprised him with a balloon shower as he was leaving, texted him throughout the day, put a treat in his lunch and then enjoyed a special dinner of meatloaf, mashed potatoes and green beans. The piece d' resistance was a chocolate cake with peanut butter frosting. We ended the day with a movie night-a perfect family celebration.

On Saturday, Patrick and I were able to sneak away for a couple of hours to enjoy lunch in Georgetown. Thanks for watching the kids, John and Jessi!

Happy Birthday Patrick!

This week is always busy in January because we have TWO birthdays to celebrate within four days! The girls and I have been hard at work planning for our special guy. Gifts have been wrapped, surprises have been created and a yummy chocolate, peanut butter cake has been decorated.

Its been so fun watching and cheering for Patrick this year. We've had the opportunity to celebrate his many big accomplishments in the past, but this one has been extra special because we are living it right along side him. There's something so encouraging and pride-inducing to watch your guy excel in an area of passion. I've seen a new spark for education and policy as he interacts with others in Washington and travels around the country to learn or inspire others. 

And while he isn't directly in a teaching role this year or a leadership role in a school, I am always amazed at the level of support and advocacy he gives for education. He's had the chance to collaborate with and build up so many people in this profession. And you know what? He's so good at it! 

Even with all of his adventures and outings, I am still grateful to have him be so supportive at home. He loves us well, helping around the house, playing with the girls and sharing his love for history as we explore the area. He's a great dad and husband! 

So today, we say Happy Birthday to our guy. We are thankful for his leadership in our family and this country. Thanks for all you do Patrick! We hope you have a day that is as special as you are!

Happy 9th Birthday Anna!

Dear Anna,

Do you remember this day last year? You were turning 8 and so sad that 7 was over. You thought 8 would be boring with no adventures. I assured you 8 would be GREAT, and now I laugh thinking of all the amazing adventures we had this year!

This has been a huge year of growth for you. Last spring while living in SC, I saw a confident young lady who found her place at school and among her peer group. You gave public presentations easily, played softball like a pro and handled more responsibility around the house.

Then we really mixed it up and decided we would be obedient to God's calling to move to DC. I know in many ways this rocked your world. Despite an initial reaction of an emphatic "NO!" you quickly adjusted and became one of the biggest helpers in our move.

Through the emotional ups and downs of completely turning our lives on end, you have matured in so many ways. I have seen you selflessly serve your Aunt Jessi by helping around the house without being asked. You have loved your sister deeply even when I know you need space. Your faith and understanding of Jesus have grown through CBS. You bravely faced unknown experiences to learn new skills and walked into rooms of strangers coming out with new friends. And we even started giving you an allowance!

Our relationship this year hasn't been the easiest, but I've loved being your mom and teacher through homeschooling. Seeing your passion for history and reading have inspired me. I love watching you learn and discover through hands-on experiences because you dig in with intense questioning and curiosity. Even when I think you are not paying attention, I quickly learn your are soaking it up and can readily tell us information about your favorite historical figure.

Some of your favorite things include: Harry Potter, books on CD, anything historical, cooking shows, comfortable clothing, space, playing outside, swimming, hiking, camping and your sister in most cases. You are quick to show empathy and take care of others when they need it. But you are still as determined and independent as ever!

Ohh Anna, I love being your mom! You bring such energy and life into our days. You keep me on my toes and require only my best, but are quick to forgive when I don't deliver. You are smart, funny and stronger than you thought you could ever be. Eight certainly was great, but I have a feeling nine will be divine!

I love you more than all the stars in the sky!
Mom

"This is what democracy looks like..."

These words were chanted as we exited the Metro today. The peaceful call and answer flooded Union Station as we slowly inched toward the escalators and into downtown DC. Yes, our family attended the Women's March on Washington, among record crowds. But before you jump to conclusions, let me explain.

Our family has been walking through the founding of America this year. We have delved deep into democracy and it's birth. We've discussed elections, voting, liberties and rights. Painfully, we have touched on the terrible treatment of people groups throughout our history and whether they received equality as laid out by the Founding Fathers. Our hands-on field trips have reinforced concepts in ways we could never have achieved in just using words, videos or textbooks. History has literally come alive for us!

For us, the Women's March was an opportunity to examine the history of America, test it's resolve to provide freedom and equality for all people and see democracy in action. We certainly do not agree with everything that people marched for and there were some pretty "choice" signs as well. We didn't necessarily choose sides although anybody who knows us would recall Patrick's strongly worded statements on Trump's comments regarding women. Rather, today was a chance for us to show the girls that some times when you believe enough in something, you have to stand up and peacefully utilize the first amendment. We want the girls to be involved, informed and respectful citizens of this amazing country. And as we explained to them today, it's so special that yesterday there was a peaceful exchange of power between two opposing leaders while today there is a peaceful protest to voice opposition. This is what democracy looks like!

So we boarded the Metro early this morning. It helped that we were on the end of the line, because EVERY station after that was packed and our train was at capacity. We exited with throngs of people carrying signs, flags and wearing "cat" hats. (I will refrain from the ugly language.) People were excited, upbeat, friendly and kind. In some cases people gave us thumbs up or waves thinking we were raising little feminists-ha!

The causes folks were marching for were as varied as the people represented. We moved quickly through the crowds to avoid hearing too much colorful language. Anna who is short, didn't have a chance to read many signs and Paige was protected by her beginning reading level. Our destination was the Washington Monument which sits up high and allows for a good view of the people streaming into the mall, but also gave us distance from the fray. We could hear the rolling roar of the crowd over a mile away and the PA system as new speakers were introduced.

After a bit we ended up in the Museum of Natural History to get a break from the cold and use the bathrooms. It caused us to cut across the Mall which had quickly filled up and certainly was a sight to see. With hungry bellies and some exhibits visited, we headed home and had to be directed even farther away in order to board the Metro. So many streets were shut down and filled with pink clad protesters. I don't think I have ever been in crowds so large.

This experience as spectators to democracy will certainly give us a litmus test to examine many historical events and I'm glad for it. I also look forward to processing it more with the girls as they unwrap the things they saw. And as an aside, we probably would have attended the inauguration for many of the same reasons, but having returned from a long trip the evening before and facing the possibility of being rained on, we opted for the TV viewing instead.

SC and back

Last Saturday we set out early for a trip to SC. We needed to take care of some house stuff and Patrick was strongly encouraged to tele-work due to the inauguration this week. So it was perfect timing to check back in at home. Despite some car battery issues on the way down, we made it there safely and enjoyed a sweet week with friends.

Patrick was able to check back in with the school district and his colleagues at the high school. Anna and Paige both went to their elementary school classes for two days. They lived it up being regular students, sharing about their adventures and even joining in for the class picture-ha! I ran errands withOUT children, got my haircut and visited with friends. We enjoyed seeing all of our people who welcomed us with open arms, fed us and even cleaned our shower (thanks Emily). Other highlights included a date night with Patrick, celebrating Anna's and Patrick's birthday with friends and seeing our youth group.

While it is definitely strange to have "feet in two places," we feel fortunate to have people who love us and care for us in both places. It was also sweet to be able to tell people about our life up here and all the positive things we have going for us in MD. It is always sad to leave the place we call home, but I think we all feel excited to see what the next five months hold for us and to live them fully while we are here.

PS In case you are wondering, no, we are not going to the inauguration. It's a rainy. We just got back in town and we are a little wary of security issues. But we will be playing inauguration bingo!!

swim lessons

The girls finished up their skating lessons back in December. They had a great time and really enjoyed learning a new skill. I was surprised at how quickly they picked it up.

After they finished skating, both girls asked to try something new. Hey, I like their spirit of adventure! They decided on swim lessons and I was happy to oblige since the indoor pool is just up the road. The lessons are designed to increase the skills they already have in the water, like floating on their backs and strokes.

I ordered some swim caps to keep their hair dry when we leave the facility and let me just say, there was much excitement when they arrived in the mail. Of course, my kiddos have some large heads so it was quite hilarious when we wrestled them on together. It definitely took four hands all together!

The first class was good. Paige's instructor is a little "strict" in her words. This is the first conversation we've had about listening to different teachers and trying our best. She was frustrated over having to learn a difficult skill and my message to her was essentially try harder and do it with a good attitude. I think she might have been a little shocked that I wasn't more sympathetic to her plight. Ahh, it's the first of many tough life lessons!

Regardless, my little fish looked cute in their swim wear and we're looking forward to more swim time. I can see some awesome pool time this summer!

(Ohh and speaking of summer...it was 60 degrees yesterday! I wore a short sleeve shirt and we went to a park for over an hour. Pure heaven!)

100 Day!

Monday was a BIG day...we had officially been in school 100 days! I'm a little shocked. I mean everybody is still alive (I haven't killed either child and they have not managed to send me to an early grave). We're also learning things...I mean real actual information is being stored in our brains. What?! And finally, it's rumored we might be having a little fun too.

So 100 day. I'm not going lie. I was pumped. Me and Pinterest got serious as I scoured for ideas to celebrate our big achievement. Here's what I came up with:

100 day photo shoot with decorated 100 glasses

100 gumball machines

100 coin flip chart

100 special snack sorting

For their writing assignment we wrote on something we would want 100 of. Paige write about pillows, beds and blankies (saw that coming) and Anna wrote about Harry Potter items. She's going through a Potter phase. Then we write about things they have heard 100 times. Unprompted both girls wrote "be kind to your sister." Well that about sums up the first 100 days of school!

We also read several 100 books and finished with drawing ourselves when we turn 100 years old. Those turned out rather hilarious!

It was a fun day and we enjoyed celebrating. Not every day has been easy. We still have ups and downs. But looking back over it, we have really come so far. I can see God kitting our family together through special memories and overcoming adversity. I'm grateful for his grace and the opportunity He has given us this year.

And to end on a laugh...tomorrow we start swim classes (stroke specific). I got the girls some swim caps to avoid cold, wet hair. There was much excitement until we had to try them on and now I think some of the enthusiasm has worn off!It's the curse of the Big Head!

Other happenings

So later after I took the earlier snow pictures, we got a couple of inches which actually was much more fun. The girls tried sledding down the driveway on the shovel before our neighbor friend brought her sleds over. 

While we aren't distracted by snow I have managed to get a couple more science experiments done. We made ice cream from shaking ziplock bags with ingredients. It was a big hit for sure! We also read Bartholomew and the Ooblek and then made our own ooblek. This was the most fascinating stuff...acted like a liquid but felt like a solid. Also, another big hit.

If you are wondering if Paige is wearing pajamas, the answer is yes. She wears pajamas to our school almost 95% of the time. She even has school pajamas and bed pajamas. It's going to be a hard wake up for her next year when she actually has to get dressed!

And in a proud mama moment, Jessi and I managed our first trip to Chick-fil-A with all 5 kids. We packed into Jessi's van, navigated both the parking lot and the line and enjoyed a meal without any major meltdowns. It was a success! 

This year has also brought about a new interest from Anna...cooking. She received a new apron, hat and cookbook from Uncle Aaron for Christmas. This was a gift a can get behind! Anna decided she would make dinner one night (with just a little assistance from her mom)-rosemary baked chicken, creamy mashed potatoes and almond green beans. It turned out delicious! We've also whipped up a few things from Pioneer Woman as we are always inspired when we watch her show. 

And just because she's crazy, spunky, cute, cuddly and just unique in all her ways...here are some pics of Paige. 

These last ones are from our date to NaiNai's Ramen Noodle and Dumpling Bar. This child LOVES some ramen noodles and was happy to use her chop sticks which I rigged up using a hair tie and her chopstick wrapper. Just call me MacGyver Mom. Whew, I think that gets us all caught up! Stay tuned for 100 Day which happens tomorrow. I canNOT believe we've been doing school for 100 days!!