First 7U and 10U Tournaments

This weekend we pulled double duty at the ballpark, with both kiddos having their very first tournaments of the fall season. For Eli, it was his first travel tournament ever, and for Emmy, her Yadkin Ignite team moved up in age from 8U to 10U. Originally Eli wasn't supposed to have a tournament until September, but then the team added this earlier one since the boys seemed to be ready. With the conflicting dates, Boomer and I came up with a plan to divide and conquer: Eli and I would go to his tournament on Saturday morning in Clemmons, and after he played his two games, we would join up with Boomer and Emmy in Greensboro for bracket play in the afternoon. Then, on Sunday, we would all four go to Clemmons for Day 2 of Eli's tournament. With some prep on Friday evening, we were able to execute our plan and make it to all the places we needed to be. Eli's team kicked off their season in a big way and went 4-0, winning the championship! Eli played mostly 3rd Base, which is a new position for him, but he loved it. Emmy's team went 1-3, winning the crucial first game of bracket play, so that they too played in the championship game of their bracket. For the girls, there are a lot of new rules in 10U, and of course the biggest change is that it is player pitch. Emmy showed great plate discipline (as Boomer called it) and had the patience to draw some walks, and she also took one hit to the back like a champ and hustled down to 1st Base with no tears. I know the girls will learn a lot this season. They had good plays and good hits - lots to build on and grow. Overall, it was a double ring weekend for the Kennedys! 

Amongst all the excitement at the ballfield today, Eli lost a front tooth that was barely hanging on by a thread. It seems that Eli has a knack for losing teeth in unlikely locations, given that the last tooth he lost was at the beach. His sister has started to call him "jack-o-lantern" since in fact his smile has a big hole in it. We will have to see what the Tooth Fairy brings in the morning! Here are a few other pictures from the last two weeks :)

Emmy & Eli's First Day of School

The 2026-2027 school year is off to a great start!  There was a lot of excitement Monday morning as the kids put on their first-day outfits and posed for photos. When I think back to last year, the first day brought a lot of changes: Eli was leaving preschool to begin kindergarten, and Emmy was moving to the upper grades in the new building. This year didn't bring the same big milestones, but of course there were still some butterflies for the first day. It was comforting to know that both kids are in familiar spaces and around familar faces this year. Now after Day 2, we are finding our routine again of checking homework folders, filling water bottles, signing paperwork, and fitting family time into our busy evenings. On Monday, Eli had ball practice, but luckily after school today we were home and enjoyed a slower evening and earlier bedtimes.

P.S. I had to laugh at the photo of Emmy on that her teacher posted on the class Dojo app. Apparently the students were showing off their talents, and Emmy did a cartwheel in the hallway! I loved to see her having fun - I can only imagine the energy of an elementary school this time of year!

Update 8/12/2026: I had my first day of school a couple of days after Emmy and Eli, and since I tortured them with lots of photos, I took a first day pic, too! Here we go, Year #18!

Teacher Workdays & Open House

While the week started with two bonus days of summer, it ended with the routine of alarm clocks and early mornings. The calendar for Yadkin County Schools began its Teacher Workdays on Wednesday, and it was nice to ease in with a short work week. On the first two days of the week, Emmy, Eli, and I tried to squeeze out the last bit of summertime with breakfast at the Bagel Station, a pool day, back-to-school shopping, shark tattoos, a picnic dinner at the ballfield, and a morning movie. At the pool, I had a true "boy-mom" moment when Eli came over to show me a tiny frog that he had rescued from the water. I quickly encouraged him to set the frog free into the grass nearby. On Tuesday evening, Boomer and I even got a double date to the Dash with Megan and Zack. Talk about enjoying summer until the very last minute!

On Wednesday morning, it was real clothes, a packed lunch, and a full eight-hour workday, before heading to the elementary school that evening for Open House. With the tight timing for the afternoon, the kids tagged along with me to Forbush, and then we went directly to their school. After unloading all of their supplies, we snapped photos with their new teachers and of course a photo with our favorite Sedge Garden staff member, Mrs. Houston! Being back at the school reminded me of what a special place it is. All the warm smiles and hugs, seeing the kids' previous teachers and their classmates. 

While I finished out the week with workdays on Thursday and Friday, Emmy and Eli were with Grammy. Grammy Camp has lasted longer in the past, when the calendars of the two districts have not matched up as nicely. Luckily this year, the start of school in both Yadkin and Forsyth was pretty similar. In those two days, they went to the Kaleideum one day and then 4th of July Park and the pool on the other. On Saturday, we kept our tradition of going to the Wyndham Golf Tournament in Greensboro at Sedgefield Country Club. The dads, Zack and Boomer, stayed in Kernersville this year to check things off the to-do list, so Meg and I took the kids with Grammy and Grandpa. Once we arrived to the golf course, we found our usual spot at the 10th green, where the kids enjoyed the putting hole, golf simulator, and misting station. We walked part of the front 9, where the kids collected high-fives from some of the golfers. 

Like with other summers in the past, the Wyndham seems to signal the end to summer. Now the bookbags are packed, supplies are labelled, clothes are laid out, and the Kennedy kids are ready for the first day of school. I pray that the year ahead is filled with continued growth, friendship, and learning.