The Ultimate Snow Day

We have had quite the snowy start to January! On New Years Eve, as we were gathered at the Houstons' house, we heard a thunderstorm outside, and true to the old wives tale, ten days later - snow! Even before the snow arrived on the 10th, there were several days of below freezing temperatures, and with a little bit of precipitation, school was cancelled on Monday, the 6th and Tuesday, the 7th. Emmy and Eli hung out at Grammy and Grandpa's house while Boomer and I went in for Workdays. They had fun doing crafts, playing games, and sipping on hot chocolate. On Friday, school was cancelled again with the threat of an even bigger snowstorm, and around 4PM that afternoon, the flakes started to come down. Both kids were very excited, and Emmy made her to-do list for our impending snow day. When we woke up on Saturday morning, the kids' wishes had come true: about 2-3 inches of snow covered the ground. We headed outside shortly after 9AM and stayed out until lunchtime. After a short break to eat, we ventured out again for Round 2. Emmy's friend Casey was supposed to have her 9th birthday party at a skating rink that afternoon, but with the snow, it pivoted to a sledding party instead. The roads were safe enough to drive, and we joined the other families for several more hours of fun, along with birthday cake and ice cream. The kids had endless energy...and we adults did our best to keep up. With over 5 hours of outdoor adventures, it was the ultimate snow day!

On Sunday, we stayed indoors and found other activities to keep us occupied, like puzzles and the Wii. The kids love Mario Kart and the Wii Sports of bowling, sword fight, and frisbee. On Monday morning, with schools closed again and the preschool on a delay, we had breakfast together at the Kernersville Bagel Station, before dropping off Eli. Emmy tagged along with me for a Workday at Starmount. We repeated the same schedule again on Tuesday, with a Workday at Forbush. So far during the month of January, Emmy has spent more time at my schools than her own! Today was our first day back to a regular schedule for everyone; no delays, no closures. However, with more winter weather on the horizon, we may have several more snow days still to come. Even though it has meant waiting on the unpredictable weather phone calls and then scrambling for childcare, we are soaking up the slower mornings and the forced hibernation in the evenings. 

Happy New Year!

2024 was a big year for a lot of reasons: Boomer's promotion, the completion of my master's degree, an international trip, Emmy starting 2nd Grade, Eli's last year of preschool, and both kids trying new sports. We celebrated the end of 2024 at the Houstons' with the Williamses and the Whites. Emmy and I wore matching outfits, so we were sure to take a picture. I'm thankful that she still likes to match with Mommy. Zack made what has become his traditional NYE meal: low country boil, and we had wings and other snacks and treats. We toasted to the New Year around 8:30PM, and then we headed home to put our sugared-up children to bed. The four Kennedys rang in the New Year in bed with our eyes closed! Happy 2025!

Right after New Years Day, it was back to work. I had Teacher Workdays on Thursday, the 2nd and Friday, the 3rd. Emmy tagged along with me to Forbush on the 2nd. She did a great job helping with tasks like shredding, and she brought along lots of activities to keep her busy. Even though I was working, I enjoyed the time with my girl.  

After the two workdays, it was a nice surprise to be back at the weekend. And what a weekend it has been! On Friday evening, Boomer and I had an unforgettable date night. We headed to Greensboro, and we started off with dinner at 'cille & 'scoe. I got the shrimp and grit cakes, Boomer had the "Slow and Low" (short ribs and au gratin potatoes), and we shared an appetizer of popcorn cauliflower. Everything was delicious, and I also very much enjoyed my Cookie Espresso Martini. After dinner, we had a short (but very cold!) walk to the Tanger Center to see Hamilton. We had purchased our tickets back in July when the show was first announced, and we had been looking forward to it for weeks. While I have seen a couple of shows at the Tanger Center before, it was Boomer's first time, and he was wowed by the impressive venue and the talent of the performers. We love making memories with the kids, but we also love making memories just the two of us.    

After our late evening, we enjoyed a slow Saturday morning. Upward basketball games will start next Saturday, so we had this one last free Saturday until March. After breakfast, Boomer mentioned going to the Wake basketball game, and I thought surely he was joking, since the game started in less than 2 hours! With the noon tipoff so soon, ticket prices dropped, and Boomer snagged four tickets. It was around 10:15AM, and after a quick change into our gold and black, we were in the Joel about an hour later. It was an ACC matchup against NC State, and there were a lot of Wolfpack fans. We cheered loud for our Deacs, and they played very well. After leading the whole game, it was a strong victory 77-59. The game ended around 2PM, and we headed across the street to Putter's, with a crowd of other Wake fans. We snagged a table right away, which seemed like another stroke of good luck. While at Putter's, former Wake player Aaron Roundtree came to the restaurant, and the kids got a picture with him. Instead of kneeling down, he grabbed both of them in his arms, which was quite a sight. It felt like the cherry on top to a spontaneous day. 2025 is off to a great start already!  

Post-Christmas Holidaze

We've been enjoying the leisurely lull between Christmas and New Year's. There has been moments of productivity...and moments of laziness. When we have been at home, the kids have stayed busy playing with their new gifts. We tested out Emmy's Easy Bake Oven for the first time by making chocolate whoopie pies. Emmy declared it the best day ever and pretended to serve her dessert like a waitress at a restaurant. While we waited on the whoopie pies to bake, we also tested out Eli's remote controlled boat. Having a boy and a girl means often balancing the interests of both, and sometimes that means filling up a sink with water after mixing up a tasty treat. 

In these last few days of 2024, we also: went to the Science Center, watched Trivett and the Southwestern Randolph basketball team play in a Christmas tournament, saw the Tanglewood Lights with our annual Starbucks coffee drinks, made other Easy Bake Oven desserts, and went to the movies with Grammy to see The Best Christmas Pageant Ever, followed by treats at Louie & Honey. We are savoring these last two days of Christmas break before we return to work on the 2nd. I sure have loved the time with our family, and I know I will look back fondly on the memories we have made this Christmas season.  

Merry Christmas 2024

This Christmas season was full of special memories. We have been doing Christmas-y things all month long, but certainly it is the few days leading up to Christmas and Christmas Day that make the holiday so merry and bright. On the evening of Sunday, the 22nd, our church had its Candlelight Service. The service focused on the four themes of advent: Hope, Peace, Joy, and Love. During this service, the children join in for "big church" as we sing songs, worship, and light our candles. Emmy and Eli were very attentive, and we even trusted them with their own candles this year. Luckily no hair or clothing was burned! It is always a beautiful sight as everyone in the congregation holds their candles high to sing "Silent Night." 

On Monday, the 23rd, we made cookies with Grammy. This longstanding tradition has looked different each year, depending on the ages (and attention spans!) of the children. This year, Zander was a big help with rolling out the dough; Maddox tried to sneak as many bites as he could; Emmy kept track of our quota for trees, angels, snowflakes, and bells; and Eli popped in and out while mostly playing in the living room. Once the cookies were baked, we took a break for lunch and some basketball outside, before finishing off the task of the icing. I think Santa was quite pleased with what he found coming down the chimney. 

On Christmas Eve, we had a laidback day at home, with some pancakes for breakfast. Around 5PM, we went over to Grammy and Grandpa's house for our Christmas Eve feast of all of our favorite finger foods. Before we settled in to watch a Christmas movie (this year's pick: Elf), Grammy planned a fun game for the grandkids with a ping pong ball and surprises under Solo cups. The kids got some treats and even some cold hard cash (and one dud prize of a can of tomato paste!) After the movie, it was a dash to get home to toss out the reindeer food, set out the milk and cookies, and jump into bed. We were ready for Santa's visit. 

On Christmas morning, the kids were patient until 7AM, and once Mommy and Daddy gave the go-ahead, they sprinted downstairs to see if Santa had come. They must have been on the Nice List this year, because they both got what they asked for. Eli was thrilled about his race track, and Emmy couldn't wait to make something with her Easy Bake Oven. In their stockings, they got candy, electric toothbrushes, and notepads for playing restaurant, school, doctor, and police officer. Even Mommy had a few surprises under the tree: some of my favorite lotions, creatively wrapped in recycled packaging. Boomer got a new pair of slippers and some socks, very practical gifts for a practical guy. 

Then it was off to the Houstons' for breakfast and more presents. From Grammy and Grandpa, Emmy got some bake mixes for her oven; Eli got a few games  - the baseball Velcro mits have been popular!  Both kiddos also got some new clothes and Crocs. The four cousins took turns checking out each other's gifts and generally did a good job of sharing. It is special for them to have memories of so many Christmases together. 

Around 11AM, rather than heading directly to Boomer's parents' house, we made a stop back home where the kids had some time with their new toys and we all changed out of our pjs. We left again around 1:30PM to go to Star, where we spent the rest of the afternoon and evening. All of the Kennedy grandkids are getting bigger; several have even moved to the adult table for dinner. Granny and Paw Paw made a big feast of chicken, steak, mac-n-cheese, potatoes, and corn. Around 8PM, we headed home to Kville, with full bellies and a full trunk of presents. 

It's true that we only have this one Christmas when our children will be as young as they'll ever be. This Christmas may have been my favorite one yet. It didn't feel too rushed or stressful; the whole day had a very comfortable pace to it. I tried to really soak up the magic that comes during this time of year with little ones. Merry Christmas from the Kennedys!