Green Band!

Our summer is off to a great start! During this first week, we have already checked off a few of our summer to-do list items. Eli started swim lessons at the YMCA, which he will continue through next Thursday; we visited Korner's Folly with the Houstons and Grammy; and we toured Mrs. Hanes' Cookie Factory. All have been successful adventures. We've also added in some pool time and a trip to the library. One very exciting moment this week was when Emmy took her swim test for the green band. On our first day at the pool on Monday, we found out that Emmy would not be allowed in the deep end with a yellow band and without an adult. After sitting on the side for a few minutes and watching her cousins playing in the water, it was all the motivation she needed to take the swim test. She swam the required length, treaded water for 30 seconds, and backstroked the same length again. Emmy has been proudly wearing her green band around the pool, and she has decided it wasn't such a big deal to take the test after all. We are hoping that Eli will gain some skills with his swim lessons. He is halfway through his lessons now and has three more lessons this week. Here's to hoping I have two green-band swimmers soon!

After a full week of summer activities, our weekend was equally jam-packed with fun. We just returned home from Salisbury where Emmy wrapped up her softball season at the 8U Coach Pitch Softball All-Star Tournament. The tournament started on Friday evening, and Emmy's team played four games over the three days. On Saturday, Meg, Mom, and I had our annual girls getaway to the Grandover. We scheduled the date months ago, when All-Star softball wasn't even on my radar. I was bummed when I found out about the conflict, but the Grandover tradition is one of my very favorite things. During Emmy's game times at 12PM and 4PM, I kept an eye on my phone and was able to get updates from the other moms that were at the ballfield while I was enjoying all the amenities of the Grandover. We started with Swedish massages at 11AM. Then we had lunch poolside and lounged on the pool deck until around 5PM. This year, we did an overnight package, which was a very special treat. We got ready in our hotel room and then had dinner downstairs in the restaurant on property called Finial. We stayed up until 11PM chatting by the outdoor fire pit and in our room; we didn't even turn the TV on! This morning, we enjoyed the buffet breakfast at Finial, which included made-to-order omelets, waffles, and pancakes, along with a full spread of other yummy breakfast items. We really soaked up a blissful 24 hours together. I arrived back home in Kernersville around 1PM, and within an hour, I was heading back to Salisbury for the last game of the tournament. Emmy's team needed to win at least two games to advance further, and unfortunately, they went 1-3 over the weekend. I'm super proud of our girls for the growth they have shown this spring. Emmy has developed strong friendships with her teammates, and all of the girls seem excited to play again together in the fall. Boomer and I have had conversations about sports for both of the kids, and I feel some pressure to make strategic decisions about their extra-curricular activities. I try not to get too caught up in it all. In the end, we hope both kids learn a lot of valuable skills and life lessons through sports, that they are good teammates and demonstrate sportsmanship and humility. We will take a rest from organized sports for a few weeks and get back at it in August!

Eli's Preschool Graduation

We celebrated another big milestone in the Kennedy household: Eli graduated from preschool! His last day was on Friday, the 30th. When I dropped him off that morning, I had trouble holding in the tears as I walked him to his classroom. I should have listened to Boomer when he told me to take tissues! Later that afternoon, there was a special ceremony to celebrate all the graduates. Eli and his classmates marched in to Pomp & Circumstance, and they performed several songs, and each name was read as they crossed the stage. After the ceremony, we had dinner at Don Juan's with the Houstons and Grammy & Grandpa. It has been such a special chapter of our lives for these past five years at Triad. Between Emmy and Eli, we have been dropping off and picking up there since August 2020. We are looking forward to the elementary years at Sedge Garden, and we pray for many more memories and milestones for the Kennedy kids.  

This past week also brought the ending of the regular season for t-ball and softball. Eli's team had a party on Saturday to celebrate, and then they played their last game after that. While Eli's season is over, Emmy is continuing to play for a couple more weeks. She attended a softball camp at Forbush at the end of last week, and she is practicing with the All-Stars for their upcoming tournament. At the WLL Closing Ceremony today, the All-Star team was announced, as well as other special recognitions like Most Improved, Coach's Award, and Most Valuable Player. Both Emmy and Eli received MVP, which was an award voted on by their teammates. On the way home, both kids asked what MVP means, and it was actually pretty sweet that they did not know what it was. We explained that they contributed positively to their team's success throughout the season. Boomer and I are very proud of them for their consistent effort and desire to improve. As we get ready for our first full week of summer, I am excited about the days ahead. We have lots of fun adventures in store!  

8U Softball All-Stars: Hope, Smith, Ariyah, Salem, Lily, Darby, Odella, Emmy, and Eva