Student of the month

This girl.... one morning she came to me when I was getting ready with the thermometer and handed it to me and it said 108.  I said wow maybe the thermometer needs new batteries, lets check again.  Perfectly normal.  Four times in a row.  So then I looked at her and she fully confessed that she didn't want to go to school and that she put the thermometer on the lamp.  

All year she has been persistent in wanting to get student of the month. Month after month went by.  Then she asked her teacher how they pick. and her teacher said it was given from the resource teachers.  They all will put a students name in something if they see a student doing well and at the end of the month picked out the students names. She was relentless in wanting to help her art teacher, pe teacher, etc.  A month of that and she got student of the month.  

She is hot and cold with school.  She's really struggled lately wanting to go.  We are all in summer mode already.  Two weeks ago she locked herself in her bedroom and refused to come out because she had an SOL.  They put so much pressure on these kids for a test that doesn't count. The only way we got her to school was to tell her she would still have to take the test - just with strangers whenever she went back.  

Now that SOLS are over she's enjoying school. On Friday they just crafted and did whatever they wanted! these poor teachers. They have another 10 days to get through.

Camp

Back in April Norah and I went to Camp Skimino. I kept telling the girls when I was there as a girl scout, we didn't have flush toilets - we had latrines.  I'm thankful for the flush toilets now.  

Camp Skimino seems so much bigger when I was younger. It is really fun doing the same things with Norah now. 

 

Archery

Joel is really getting good at Archery.  He loves it.  His New Years goal of having pin point accuracy is getting there. 

 

Glass Blowing

Norah got to go back to do more glass blowing at the Chrysler Museum with Girl Scouts. She did it back in 2019 and made an ornament. This time she made a cool paper weight and was able to do more with the pulling and stretching of the glass. 

I'm so impressed watching her.  

They do such a good job teaching and instructing.  

 

Half Marathon

Holly and I ran another half marathon together.  We started running together again during covid.  Got back up to running 12 miles each week pretty consistently. Then school started this fall, life become more normal and we could only run sporadically together.  But we signed up to run the shamrock. And I thought no big deal, I've done this a lot.  Meant to train a lot in Feb and March. Then I got a job teaching kindergarten and running didn't happen.  But we made it through and glad we did it.  Around miles 7-11 I wasn't sure and we usually talk the entire time but were completely silent.  Our friend Amanda came on her bike and biked with us for the last few miles that kept us going. 

Hollys brother started out with us.  But his twin brother ran a race in New Jersey the day before and sent us all his time and said to beat that.  David took off and was determined to beat that.  And he did. We did not but weren't as far off as I thought we would be.  It was a beautiful day to run.  

Nugget

While Colin and I were back up in Richmond swimming his short course championship meet, Brent was dealing with this:

Remember Nugget, the chick we hatched?  Well Nugget loved Pam's house.  They would send us pictures of Nugget in the pool on a float with them.  Nugget loved people.  But then sometime in August Nugget went missing.  A latch wasn't shut, and Nugget and another chick left the coop.  Never to be found again. So, we thought.  I sort of thought that something had happened to Nugget, and they just didn't want to tell Norah.  So August - February no Nugget.  

Then Jeff sends a picture of this silky rooster that shows back up and its Nugget! Still as sweet as ever.  But Pam can't have roosters and the rooster rescue wont take silkies.  So Brent went to get Nugget and take Nugget back to Whitney's house (the original owner of the eggs) She had just gotten rid of a lot of her roosters but said if Nugget was still sweet then she would take him back and see if he would like the farm this time, when he was a baby he was abandoned and left outside.

I was pretty sure we would come home from Richmond and Brent would have this rooster in my house. 

She was thrilled to have Nugget back. She was upset when they other chickens pecked at Nugget.  But thats where the pecking order comes from. Whiney said to give it a few days and see what happens.  

He really is a beautiful rooster.

Update on Nugget is that he is perfectly happy at the farm.  He started sitting on the back of one of their pigs. Getting a real piggy back ride. And now the other roosters do it too. Whiney hasn't see anything like it before. 

Nugget really is his own childrens book just waiting to be written. 

 Norah keeps begging to hatch more eggs.  I told her a year later and we are still dealing with the chick we hatched.  Most people hatch and send them off to the farm and are done. 

Double Digit Getaway

Our last double digit getaway. For a few weeks, Norah said she didn't want to have a getaway.  She wanted the boys to go with her. Then she wanted just a birthday party since she hasn't had one in two years.  She went back and forth.  Then her friend, who celebrates her birthday a week later asked Norah to come spend the night and Norah considered that part of her birthday party so she wanted a getaway.  We didn't go far, just down to the ocean front.  We asked if she wanted to do Great wolf lodge but she said no.  She spends all summer at a water park. So oceanfront it was. 

She picked Moes for dinner and then wanted to go to Apex, this new indoor experience.  It has an arcade, bowling, laser tag, zip lining, go carts, and more.  We did putt putt and laser tag and then she did the arcade games. She really missed Joel. She used her arcade prize tickets to get him a prize he would like. 

She won this ball in a claw machine and then turned to me and said "see mom it isn't just a scam to get your money" ha! I do tell them that a lot.

We had an oceanfront view.

Swam in the pool

Rollerbladed on the boardwalk

This is really what she wanted to do. When I went on my birthday weekend, Heather scheduled us to do these pictures. She was recovering from a very traumatic emergency surgery and had always wanted to do these pictures so we did it.  For her.  And the picture of us makes me laugh.  Norah loved it and wanted to do it as well. And these make me laugh as well.  

We came home Saturday afternoon and an hour later she was off to her first sleepover. Shes wanted to do them before, but I've always said no.  She still comes in our room weekly at night.  But this was my girl scout coleader and we've gone on a few camping trips together, so I knew if Norah got scared in the night she was comfortable going to her.   It was Norah and two other girls.  Before bed Norah told them that her brothers said whoever falls asleep first you Sharpe their face. One girl thought that sounded great, the birthday girl didn't. Then the other girl suggested sharing spooky stories.  The birthday girl said no my mom usually prays with me before bed, Norah piped up MINE TOO so they prayed and went to bed before any spooky stories or Sharpe markers came out. And Norah did great. Slept all night and was so proud of her first sleepover. 

This was Norah on the way to swim practice Sunday night. 

Joel and Colin had fun with Mama-ma and Grandpa.  I don't think Joel ever stopped talking.  When they left he looked at me and said "now who will I talk to and entertain?"

 

This is 10

Our baby reached double digits this year. 

She has been so excited for her birthday and finally being 10.

We took her to Motor World as a family on her birthday. She loved it.  We've only been once but the parking lot is right next to Ocean Breeze waterpark so we see it weekly.  There was hardly anyone there so it was perfect to go and take a few laps around the tracks.

Colin went for speed, Joel was more cautious and Norah just tried to not come in last each time. Joel did say he went slow so the birthday girl wouldn't be last but Colin would just lap her over and over. 

She said it was great and picked Moes for her birthday lunch.  She ate an adult sized burrito.  I usually get a kids burrito since they are so big.  She loves mexican food. 

We came home after racing and lunch to make her cake. She wanted to make an ice cream cake with a brownie crust. Then we went to a swim team board meeting where the surprised her with a gift and cupcakes. All in all a great birthday well spent. 

She is looking so much older lately. She still loves to snuggle and will literally follow me all over the house. If I'm in the bathroom she will sit outside the door until I'm done in the mornings.  She is starting to love to read and will ask at night if she can read just one more chapter.  She has a goal of reading the entre bible this year.  She is very creative. She loves to get out her glue gun and make things out of cardboard.  She can do that for hours.  She is learning to stick up for herself at school as some boys have started calling her Dora the explorer.  She loves her teacher. And it helps that she passes our neighbors class walking to hers so she stops and gets a hug every morning.  She is not concerned yet with her grades. This is the first year she's gotten actual grades in school.  As she told one friend, "my mom doesn't worry about my grades. she just wants me to get out of the car each morning!" ha! and also very true.  I told her I homeschooled her once, I can do it again.  But if I think school is better for her she should trust me.  Among the rise of phones, and all the devices, I feel like kids are growing up so fast.  A friend of mine recently told me that Norah is still a little girl who plays age appropriately. She is in no hurry to grow up and impress others. She just wants to play and have fun. 

We love you sweet girl! Happy Birthday.

States

The week after Regionals was States.  We took Joel and Norah out of school Friday so we could all go watch.  I never went to states when I was in high school.  And since we went up the night before we ended up being chaperones for the team.  The coach convinced the school to take them up the night before.  Always in the past they just get up super early and go up for the day. They needed a male chaperone since the coach is female in order to go. All Brent had to do was make sure all the boys were in their rooms at curfew. A few boys that didn't make states convinced the coach to have them come along as "alternates." And it turned out that was a good thing. The day they were leaving, the fastest boy on the team came down with Covid.  One of the replacements in the relay had never swum on a team before and this year made states by default.  Not a bad year for swimming.  

Colin had a lot of fun. The relays swam well but didnt make finals. So he got to relax and just enjoy the rest of the night.  Two swimmers on our team made finals in individual events. 

And Uncle David came to watch! Its always so good to see him! 

Colin was very proud of his athlete pass.

We did not stay for finals. We left and came home. We stopped for lunch in Williamsburg and sent colin this picture.  He and I have been going to this restaurant after his Williamsburg swim meets.  He knew exactly where we were by the picture. It was the first time Brent had been. 

Then since we were 5 minutes away stopped by and saw Uncle Jeff at his store. We sent a text to the family saying we've seen 2/3 brothers today when should we expect to see Dad.

And to finish the night we facetimed Dad so technically we did see all three brothers in one day. 

 Colin got back really late that night. The school paid for a hotel for the team but wouldn't give them a charter bus so the poor coach had to drive the activity bus that can only go 55mph.  He enjoyed the entire experience.  It was a great first year swimming with high school and he made a lot of friends.  Colin saw some fast swimmers and has even bigger goals for next year. I keep reminding him that a year ago he had just recovered from his tongue surgery only to break his arm.  He could barely walk around our small neighborhood.  He has come a long way in a year. And I think that's why we made a big deal of going to states and all taking off school/work to go watch.  We are just going to enjoy the moments that come.