Sports & a Spelling Bee

The fun and fast pace of the fall continued this weekend with another full line-up of activities and sporting events. Starting on Friday, Boomer and I headed straight to Charlotte after the workday was done to see the comedian Nate Bargatze at the Spectrum Center. We had purchased the tickets several months ago, and as the date got closer, we coordinated with our friends Matt and Virginia Olson for dinner beforehand. We met them at one of their favorite spots called The Jimmy, and it was fun to catch up, trade parenting stories, and laugh together about this crazy season of life. Once we got to the Spectrum Center, the laughs continued with Nate Bargatze. Boomer and I especially loved the bit about grandparents at youth sports. Let's just say, it was very relatable :) After the show, we made the drive back to Kernersville and arrived home just before midnight. On Saturday, it was up and at 'em for a noon kickoff of the Wake Forest vs. Delaware football game. The weather was perfect, and we were excited for the Deacs to get another win, bringing their record to 8-3. After the game, fans were allowed to go onto the field. The kids loved running around from endzone to endzone. They also got pictures with a few of the players: #50 Ja'Marion Kennedy and #67 Elliot Demaine. (#50 because of his last name...and #67 because of the silly obsession with 6-7 right now!) We headed to the Williamses' afterwards for a weenie roast. On Sunday, we had one more event. Boomer took the kids to the Wake Women's Basketball game vs. Western Carolina. They left after our church's Thanksgiving meal and made it for the 1PM tip-off. While it was hard to not join in with the rest of the fam, I opted to stay home and take a nap - whew November has been a doozy for Mommy!

This morning, Emmy participated in her school's Spelling Bee. She was selected as the winner from her class, and we received the invitation from Mrs. Houston, aka Aunt Megan, several days ago. In preparation, Boomer and I would give Emmy words in the car or at home or at any moment that a word would come to mind. Boomer coached her on asking for the definition and for its use in a sentence. Mostly we were unsure about Emmy's nervousness, but she impressed us with her bravery and courage up on the stage. She was one of 16 competitors from the 3rd, 4th, and 5th Grades. She successfully spelled 'pirates' and 'courtyard' to advance to Round 3. She hung in there through Round 4, when there were only four other students remaining. Since three out of the five students were eliminated in the 4th Round, with Emmy being one of them, we are saying that she tied for 3rd with a podium finish (haha!) She missed 'tuxedo' and 'democracy,' but she handled the defeat well, and there were no tears. Much like in sports, she showed her usual poise and stoicism. We gathered around her afterwards for some photos. We are so proud of our girl!

In any pockets of free time, the kids have enjoyed playing with their new birthday gifts. Emmy has been a busy bracelet-maker, while Eli has been playing with his new cars and dribbling his new basketball all around the house. 

Here are a few other snapshots from November that didn't make it into the earlier birthday post: sending a photo to Uncle Matt for Veterans Day...

...going to Culver's for the SGES Dine Out Night, where Emmy got to help deliver food to the tables...

...cheering on Zander at his volleyball game at Meadowlark Middle School...

...and then Eli falling asleep on the way to gymnastics afterwards!

...Eli twinning with Daddy for church and with Maddox at school...

...and Eli's friend Cooper riding along with us to their preschool buddy Hudson's birthday party. 

Even though we decorated for Christmas already and there is much anticipation for December, we are not so ready for November to end just yet. It has been a month full of blessings and memories. As we prepare for the Thanksgiving holiday, I pray that we will be mindful of these blessings and show gratitude for all that we have in this life. 

Our November Birthdays

As soon as the calendar turns to November, Emmy and Eli begin counting down to the 10th and the 18th. Once again this year, we continued our tradition of going to the zoo, and it marked our sixth year in a row! We went on Tuesday, the 11th, the Veterans Day Holiday. We picked this date several weeks ago, but what we did not plan for was the very frigid weather. A few days beforehand, the forecast was showing sub-freezing temperatures and even snow in the western part of the state. Although we were bummed that the weather would be less than ideal, we were thankful that they were not calling for rain, and so we layered up with long johns, toboggans, hand-warmers, and gloves. I captured one funny moment as we were putting our jackets on in the parking lot, when Emmy looped her purse around Grandpa's neck. I suppose he looked like a decent coat rack! Once inside the zoo, we followed our usual path of entering in North America, taking the tram to Africa, having lunch in the Junction Plaza, and then finishing the walk back through North America to the car. In past years, we arrived as the zoo was opening at 9AM, but with the cold, we pushed back our time by an hour, arriving at 10AM instead, and we finished around 3:30PM. While some of the Africa animals were not in their habitats, we did get to see many of the other animals; it was still worth the price of admission. We would all agree November is still a great time for a birthday zoo visit. 

Even though we combine the kids' birthdays at the zoo, we do try to make each individual day special. On Emmy's birthday, I was able to go to school and have lunch with her. I did not tell her ahead of time, and it was a fun surprise to see her face when she spotted me in the hallway. I have not been able to go to the school in the past, and it was fun to do it for the first time. I brought Chick-Fil-A for Emmy and Krispy Kreme donuts for her classmates. Aunt Megan was in the cafeteria supervising, and she was able to deliver a donut to Eli when he came for lunch later. In the evening, Grammy and Grandpa met us for dinner at 66 Pizzeria. Eli was just a little jealous when it came time for presents...it seems that eight days was too long to wait for his own gifts. I do hope maybe next year he will grow out of this birthday jealousy. Now I see why my grandparents always gave me a gift on my sister's birthday!

On Sunday, the 16th, Emmy had a small party with some of her girlfriends at one of our favorite little bakeries, Cupcake Cuties. The past two birthdays, we have gone to the movies with a handful of her friends, but we switched it up this year with a sweet treat, mixed with lots of giggles, silliness, chalk, board games, and oh yes, presents! It was neat to see all of Emmy's friends together from school, softball, and church. The birthday girl was very celebrated and spoiled!

Front row: Smith, Eva, Darby, Austin, Dylan
Back row: Natalie, Maddie, Emmy, Logan, Peyton, Heidi, Avery

It was finally Eli's turn for his birthday. I would say that he waited patiently...but that wouldn't be entirely true! (haha!) On the morning of the 18th, he was greeted by a room full of balloons. Since it was a school day, we didn't have much time for too much hooplah before the rush to get out the door. Unfortunately I wasn't able to finagle my schedule to go have lunch with him, but never fear, Grammy and Grandpa took my place and brought Chick-Fil-A for the birthday boy. They also brought cookies for his classmates. In the evening, we had dinner at The Loop with Grammy, Grandpa, and the Houstons. He had the best reactions to all of his gifts, and without prompting, he was quick to give hugs as soon as he opened them. His presents included: new basketball shoes, new everyday tennis shoes, a "silent" basketball, some clothes, a wallet, and a baseball card game. In the shuffle of the day, the "6" candle was forgotten, so we improvised with Eli blowing out the flame on the lighter. Eli wasn't too fazed by the hiccup; he just couldn't wait for more cake and more sugar. 

As I try to do at their birthdays each year, I will attempt to capture all the things that make Emmy and Eli uniquely them. I hope to remember this sweet age forever. Emmy continues to love school and is learning so much in 3rd Grade. She whizzed through her multiplication tables, and she often can be spotted with a book in her hand, reading on the way to school and in her room. She recently discovered my old American Girl books, and she also enjoys the Dragon Girls and the Emily Windsnap series. The Scholastic Book Fair is one of her favorite events all year! Right now, mostly due to a recent unit about the body, Emmy says she would like to be a doctor or an x-ray technician when she grows up. Outside of school, she continues to improve athletically in softball, basketball, and gymnastics. In softball, she played almost every month of the calendar year, minus July. And even then, she was out in the backyard getting in swings and throws with Daddy. In gymnastics, she recently added a new skill - a back-handspring unassisted on the mat. She continues to impress us with her determination and hard work. The basketball season is just around the corner, and I am looking forward to the memories that will be made with her and Daddy on the court. Recently Emmy has asked deeper questions and is thinking more about faith, especially through our Sunday’s nights at Awana. Boomer and I continue to have conversations with her about salvation. We do not take our role of parenting lightly, and we are praying for her and her brother to accept Christ. Emmy has a tender heart, thinks about others, and looks for ways to show kindness. We are so glad she is ours! Happy 9th birthday, Emmy!

What a blessing to celebrate our other November birthday! Eli completes our family in a way that only God could design. His spunk, his humor, and his silliness bring a light and laughter to our home. (Not to mention a higher volume level!) Many of his jokes and expressions are no doubt trademarks from his Daddy; it is not unusual for someone to comment that Eli is a “mini-Boomer.” In August, it was with some sadness that we closed the chapter on preschool. After many years of daily drop-offs and pick-ups at TBC, Eli joined his sister in the carpool with Aunt Megan to the elementary school. He has seamlessly adjusted to the structure and academic rigor of kindergarten. Once a week, he goes to a 1st Grade classroom for reading. His current reading interests are sports and super heroes. He can read simplistic sentences and has mastered many of the common sight words. He has somewhat naturally learned to tell time and can do addition and subtraction with numbers less than 20. Most of his math skills I would credit to his love of watching sports and calculating scores for winning and losing. Like his sister, Eli enjoys being active on the baseball diamond, the basketball court, and in any open area at recess. This fall, he played his first season of machine-pitch baseball and held his own as one of the youngest players on the team. He mostly played 2nd Base and would gobble up any ground balls that came into his territory. When I asked Eli what he wanted to be when he grew up, the only response I could get out of him was “Just a Daddy, like Daddy.” I imagine if he is anything like his father, he will be a very fine dad one day. Happy 6th birthday, Eli!