Happy Valentine's Day!

Happy Valentine's Day! Emmy was once again cooperative and enthusiastic for our annual Valentines photo shoot. She loves her Daddy so much!

Last Saturday, Emmy and Boomer traded out their basketball shoes and gym clothes for more formal attire. After her double-header that morning, Emmy freshened up with a shower, and then we curled her hair and painted her nails. She was feeling quite glamorous. Her date was looking especially dashing in his tie and sport coat. The Town of Kernersville hosted their Daddy Daughter Dance at the new Rec Center, and it was a fancy affair with a Hollywood theme. Boomer sent a few videos from their evening: walking down the red carpet, dancing to the Cupid Shuffle, and singing along to Let it Go. While Boomer and Emmy were dancing the night away, Eli and I made a trip to Cupcake Cuties. Eli had cotton candy ice cream, with cotton candy sprinkles, and I got a slice of Kahlua cheesecake, with a salted caramel latte. I always love the memories we make as a family of four, but it is special to spend one-on-one time with each child too. 

Both kids had fun Valentine's celebrations at their schools. Eli's preschool was closed on the 14th for a Teacher Workday, so they had their party on Thursday, the 13th. Emmy helped him decorate his Valentine box the night before so that it could hold all his goodies. Both kids came home with quite a haul of candy, slime, tattoos, and other trinkets. In the evening on Valentine's Day, Boomer headed to the Couch to watch the Deacs in their baseball season opener. He met his buddy Trey and his boys there. Unfortunately it wasn't very nice baseball weather, with temps in the low 40s. The kids and I were content to get McDonald's for dinner and then watch a movie at home. Another very special Valentine's tradition are the messages from Grammy. We add a paper heart to the kids' doors each day in February, and they are always excited to read the new message in the morning.   

Boomer and I were able to enjoy a date night on Sunday evening. Like last year, the annual CTE conference was again at the Grandover in Greensboro, and Boomer had a business meeting on Sunday at 5PM before the conference officially started. Boomer anticipated that the meeting would be brief, so I tagged along and made myself cozy in the lobby until he finished. Then we had dinner at the restaurant on site. It has recently changed names and is now called Finial. We both got steak for our entrees, with salads and an amazing side of sweet cornbread with a honey butter spread. Now that we have celebrated two years in a row at the Grandover, we just might have ourselves yet another Valentine's tradition. 

I'll close with this photo of my littlest Valentine. Eli had his preschool cap and gown photos this past week, and he looks adorable. It's hard to believe he only has a few more months of preschool. I recently completed the online enrollment for kindergarten. I'm sure I will only blink and he will be joining his big sister at the elementary school. 

Let's Go Racing

Our weekends continue to be centered around basketball, and we are having a blast! On Saturday, the 1st, Granny and Paw Paw came to Kernersville to watch the games. Thankfully Eli's performance was like his second game (and not like the first!), and so I am hopeful that maybe the tears are behind us. Both Emmy and Eli showed off their hustle and focus, making us all very proud of our littler ballers! Later that afternoon, Emmy had a play date with her friend Casey, which included Starbucks, while Eli and Boomer headed to Bowman Gray with my dad and Uncle Zack. Several months ago, it was announced that Bowman Gray would be the site of the opening race of the NASCAR Cup Series. It was quite historic for this short, quarter-mile track, and Boomer and my dad were excited to get four tickets. Zack signed on as the third ticket, and then Eli joined for the Saturday night race and Bret came back on Sunday to use the fourth. Although the temperatures dropped as the sun went down, they lucked out with relatively mild winter weather. It was a fun experience for all of the guys, especially our littlest one. Eli loved watching the cars go around the track, and he was thrilled when Chase Elliot won the polls and subsequently won the Sunday race. If we weren't doing baseball stadiums, perhaps we could check off race tracks...but let's not give Boomer Kennedy any ideas!

Sadly we had another bout of sickness this past week. On Thursday, we got the dreaded phone call from the preschool saying that Eli had been puny after breakfast and then he threw up. Luckily Grammy came to the rescue and was able to pick him up within a few minutes. Grammy was already on nurse duty for Maddox, who had similar vomiting the day before. She kept both boys far apart on the couch for the rest of the afternoon with buckets close-by. Both boys seemed to rebound quickly. Out of precaution, Eli stayed home on Friday with Grammy and Grandpa, and he certainly enjoyed the attention as the solo grandchild. 

This past week was National School Counseling Week. Even though my title and role are different than a school counselor, I felt very appreciated and loved at both of my schools as they included me in the celebrations. On Sunday, we gathered at my parents' house to watch Super Bowl LIX. This year was a re-match of the Philadelphia Eagles vs. the Kansas City Chiefs, and this time the Eagles had a decisive victory 40-22. Emmy and Eli were most excited about the ice cream and all the toppings that Aunt Megan brought to the party! Ice cream continues to be a tradition on most Sunday nights, so it was only fitting to have ice cream at our Super Bowl Party. Next up is Valentine's Day. On one of the rare evenings that we were home this past week, Daddy supervised the assembly of the class valentines - we are all set for the upcoming holiday!

Tipping Off Basketball Season

Basketball season is finally underway for the Kennedy kids! Both Emmy and Eli had their first games on Saturday, the 18th, which was a week delayed due to the winter weather. After a month of practicing, everyone was very excited to finally play. Eli's team the Dragons had the first game of the day at 9AM. Eli started strong by bringing the ball up the court, dribbling closer to the basket, and then passing to a teammate. Not long after that, he got the ball again and made the first basket of the game! Yay! It was very exciting...and also short-lived. Within the next few minutes, the player that Eli was assigned to guard scored, and it didn't take long for the tears to start. Eli's understanding of the game is pretty strong, and it was evident that he got upset when his opponent scored. Mind you, this league does not even keep score! The score board showed 0-0 for the entire game! Eli rotated on and off the bench for the remainder of the game, but he did not have any other highlights other than that first minute. Immediately after Eli's game, Emmy's team the Leopards had back-to-back games at 10AM and 11AM. All seven players were there, and Coach Kennedy was prepared with carefully-drawn lineups to ensure the girls had periods to rest during the double header. In Emmy's league, they do keep score, and even though there is a 10-point rule, by my count the Leopards won by double digits in both games. Emmy had several points, steals, and assists. It was exciting to see Emmy picking up right where she left off last year with her constant pressure on defense, tenacity to go for the ball, and accuracy with making a layup. We've since had another week of basketball. During the games on Saturday, the 25th, Eli made a 180 from the previous week. There might have been a little bribery involved...we promised him a cupcake if there were no tears. During the first period, he took his turn sitting on the bench, and when he got on the court after that, he was focused and excited to play. He had several baskets, and after each one, he would do a wide running arc down the court, with fingers pointed in the air, and then high 5 his coach. Hopefully we can find a happy balance between the tears and celebrations - regardless, it was a much more enjoyable experience for everyone!

In addition to Upward basketball, Boomer and I were able to go to the Wake vs. UNC Chapel Hill game on Tuesday, the 21st. We were invited by Boomer's friend Alan Brown and his wife Brandi, who have season tickets. The seats were in a great spot, on the very first row of the upper section, with a cut-out view directly to the court. The only downside to the game was its late start - 9PM! Boomer and I coordinated riding together that morning, and after I finished my gate duty shift at Forbush, he picked me up, and we even had time for dinner at Olive Garden. We didn't arrive home to close to midnight, when we relieved Grammy from watching the kids. We are so thankful for her help. A little bit of missed sleep was totally worth it to see Wake win in a close 67-66 victory. Go Deacs!

Aside from basketball, the common theme in January seems to be eating out...

....with a little bit of sickness mixed in. Eli was under the weather for about 48 hours with symptoms that mimicked the flu. Luckily he recovered over the weekend and was back at school on Monday. Eli especially loved "Ninja Night" at Awana when the Activity Center was filled with large inflatables. I have to brag on my boy, because he is on a long streak of being dry at night. We have continued with Pull-ups as a precaution, but hopefully we will be kicking all Pull-ups soon. In other news, Emmy lost another tooth and was rewarded with $2 from the Tooth Fairy. I'll brag on her too, because she has been excelling in her water safety classes on Tuesdays. This past Tuesday, Grammy stopped in at the pool after her workout class, and she sent several videos of Emmy working on her stroke and even diving. I hope that these lessons build her confidence for swimming this summer. Boomer was out of town this week for his annual conference at Pinehurst, and the kids and I managed in his absence. We are glad to have him home, and we are looking forward to another weekend of basketball.