She shoots, she scores!

I've had a lot of adult fun lately! Well, I should probably clarify: completely legal, kid-free fun! Last Saturday, Boomer and I enjoyed a double date with Ashley and Jared. We bought tickets for the Yadkin Winter Reds tour, which included wine and food at four different wineries: Hanover Park, Brandon Hills, RagApple Lassie, and Divine Llama. Each stop had a unique environment, and it was so fun to bounce around to each place. We ended the evening in Winston with dinner at Milner's. It was our first time there. I got the shrimp and grits, and Boomer got the ribeye - our typical pairing which allows us to share a little bit of each dish.  It was all around such a fun day. We are already planning out next outing!

In addition to the double date, I had mid-week plans with Caroline to see the Lion King at the Tanger Center. We had dinner at Hop's beforehand. Boomer was especially jealous; he loves their burgers. The show started at 7:30PM. Yes, started at 7:30PM. It was a late evening, but well spent! The performance was amazing; the costumes and singing took my breath away. I got home around 11PM. Luckily, I had just one day of work before the weekend. 

We had a momentous thing happen this morning - Emmy scored her first goal in basketball! It was in the last two minutes of the game, and one of her teammates handed her the ball right under the basket. She tossed it up, and after bouncing around, it dropped in! It seemed like the gym erupted; the fans for both teams cheered. And Mommy teared up! I just couldn't believe it. To think of how far we have come since the first game when she clung to Coach Daddy and hardly moved around on the court. She remembered earlier in the season when I said that I would buy her a cupcake if she made a basket....so after the game, we headed for the promised reward. Unfortunately I have no video of the basket, but of course I snapped a photo of our little shooter with her prized cupcake. Afterwards, we headed to the Science Center for a bit. What a great Saturday we've had!

A few other updates from our week: Emmy's favorite thing right now is copying letters from her books. In the minutes before school or in the evening after dinner, she will ask for paper and go right to work writing her letters. Her penmanship is really improving. On one of the warmer days this week, we enjoyed some time outside on the playground. Emmy had cap and gown pictures at school, in preparation for her preschool graduation in June. After going to kindergarten registration last week, it is so hard to believe how fast the time is going. The big downer this week was that Boomer got a flat tire on the way home from work. Thank goodness for AAA. After driving on a donut tire, we had to spend a couple hundred dollars for a new tire - bummer! 

At a faculty meeting last week, a couple of staff members secretly collected notes from students to pass out to each of us. I was so touched by the note I received. It's a keeper for sure! I have saved it in my desk (and am bragging by posting it here!) :)  

All the Sports

We have been doing all the sports lately! Emmy continues to have her Upward basketball games on Saturdays, with Daddy as her coach. Unfortunately we have yet to make it through a game without tears. The tears seem to come quickly if another player runs into her or if she gets grazed by the ball. While she is still unsure about contact on the court, she is showing improvement with passing the ball inbounds and dribbling it if another player passes to her. After the game is over, she likes dribbling and shooting by herself or with her brother, so we have tried to let her do that for a little bit afterwards. 

 

In addition to basketball, we've also taken in some hockey. Last Saturday, we went with the Houstons and Williamses to see the Carolina Thunderbirds, a minor league hockey team in Winston. The kids were fascinated by the mascots, and they enjoyed cheering loudly when there was a goooooooaaaalllll. On our way out, we ran into Sam Hartman, quarterback for Wake Forest, and Emmy got a picture with him. She even told him "Go Deacs!" 

Basketball, hockey, and then...football! Last Sunday was the Super Bowl. The LA Rams played the Cincinnati Bengals, and we gathered at my parents' house to watch it. It was a close game, and the Rams won 23-20. We left around halftime to head home, and Emmy couldn't quite hang in there. It was a later night than usual, and we tried to quickly get the kids to bed to start another week.  

This week included a Chick Fil A dinner with the Houstons and Williamses. Look at these two middle cousins, aren't they cute!

The biggest event this week was kindergarten registration. On Thursday, Emmy and I went for a tour and to turn in her paperwork. She is so excited to be at "Aunt Megan's school." She even posed for a photo with the Panther. It is hard to believe that Emmy will be starting kindergarten in August. She really loves school, and she continues to enjoy coloring, reading, using scissors, and putting together puzzles. I think that she is more than ready for the curriculum and social aspect of kindergarten. I'm just not sure Mommy is ready! 

Happy Valentine's Day

Emmy is getting bigger and the sign in getting smaller, but she still wants Daddy to be her valentine! <3

My heart-loving, red-and-pink wearing daughter loves Valentine's Day. She was very excited to put together her cards for her classmates. This year she addressed the valentines herself. The day was filled with lots of treats and other goodies. Emmy got a special Cinderella doll from Grammy and Grandpa, and Eli got some M&M candy and a $5 bill. Also, Grammy wrote special messages that we added each night to their doors. Emmy and Eli weren't the only ones that were spoiled today. Even though I get embarrassed when they are delivered and don't like for him to spend the money, Boomer is always so sweet to send flowers to me at work. They brighten my desk, and I love looking at them. We ended the day with Cookout for dinner, baths, and a little bit of TV time. For a Monday, it was a simple and sweet Valentine's Day. 

Life Lately

We have missed Boomer while he has been away at TWO different conferences. One conference was for high school administrators last Wednesday through Friday, and then the second conference was for CTE directors this week on Monday through Wednesday. Lately any conferences that he attends have either been virtual or local, but both of these just happened to be at Pinehurst, one of Boomer's favorite places and which required spending the night. Although I'm sure there was a lot of learning and networking, it's hard not be jealous of the beautiful location and delicious food. These Pinehurst conferences are a well deserved reward for all of the hard work he puts in. While he was away, Emmy, Eli, and I had our own fun, building forts and getting special treats. I had a lot of extra help from my parents and from my sister. They provided dinner several nights and helped with pick up from school, which meant that I was only solo for a short period of time in the mornings and evenings. I am so thankful for my village!

 

I received this photo from one of Boomer's coworkers. The nametag and tie are pretty convincing....it looks like he is actually doing some work at these conferences! 

Earlier this week, I completed the task of switching out Eli's clothes. He had been still wearing the 18-24 month size, but it was time to graduate up to 2T. While I somewhat dread doing this chore, it is such a blessing to be gifted a whole wardrobe of the next size. It is hard to believe that Eli is no longer in clothes measured by months. What a big boy!

In the weekend between the two conferences, I escaped for a little bit of girl time. My girlfriends and I went to see Rent at the Tanger Center in Greensboro. The venue is very impressive, and the acting and singing is just like on Broadway. As you can see in the picture, masks are still required in a lot of indoor buildings. Hopefully you can tell that we are smiling! 

I don't even know how to put into words this next thing that I am going to write. One of my close friends, Katie Noyes Jernigan, passed away unexpectedly on January 29th. Katie had a heart condition that created some issues during her pregnancies, and it was likely her heart that caused her passing. It is still with great shock and sadness that we are all processing her death. I last saw Katie for a girls' dinner on January 20th, and the thought of her absence is so hard to understand. There was a memorial service for her last Friday, and Emily and Carrie were able to speak about Katie and what she meant to all of us. Their words were perfect in capturing Katie's joyful and generous spirit. Katie was a dedicated mother, and I especially loved our summer play dates and picnics with our kiddos. I've also loved our joint birthday parties all throughout high school and in adulthood. We are so saddened by the loss of Katie. Our prayer is for peace and comfort in the days, months, and years ahead as we miss her deeply.