Celebrating Daddy

The beginning of October means the Dixie Classic Fair and Boomer's birthday! Also, as I learned this year, October is also National Principals Month. It is only fitting to recognize my favorite principal. His dedication (and wardrobe!) shows how much pride he has in his school. I admire his hard work and long hours, his multi-tasking and attention to detail. He has such a heart for public education, and I am a proud principal's wife. Here's to many more years of prom dates and graduation speeches!

Continuing with the celebrations of Boomer, we celebrated his birthday with our annual trip to the Dixie Classic Fair. We once again went on Wednesday night, "canned food night." Tip: This is the most economical night to go to the fair, since the canned foods are cheaper than the usual price of admission. Also, you can bring in drinks and other snacks so that you aren't buying those things in addition to other food - which tends to be our biggest fair cost! We definitely like to splurge on our favorites: chicken pita, footlong corn dogs, and the Amish donuts. We coordinated with the Houstons and Williamses to eat dinner, and we managed to snag a table together for about 30 minutes, before our kiddos took us in separate directions. After eating dinner, Emmy was ready to explore. She walked on her own for quite a bit, but then as we were heading towards the livestock pavilions, she bolted back to her stroller. I think the cows and sheep were a little intimidating! She also wanted Daddy to hold her while we walked by the large 30-foot tall Smokey the Bear. She's continued to 'talk' about the bear the rest of the week. Emmy wasn't quite big enough for the rides, but she was entranced by all the movement and light. I have a feeling next year the fair will be a bit more expensive as we buy ride tickets in addition to our food! 

 Here's a look back at our other years at the Dixie Classic Fair!

On Boomer's actual birthday, Thursday the 4th, we had a family dinner at East Coast Wings. Yes, we had just eaten there on Sunday...but it is one of the birthday boy's favorite restaurants, so we were back there again just a few days later! Boomer arrived a couple of minutes before everyone else and was apparently enjoying a drink at the bar when his solitude was interrupted by his boisterous nephews! 

My mom brought along cupcakes to celebrate, and we all sang 'Happy Birthday!' Emmy loved sitting on Daddy's lap and getting several bites of cake and icing. 

The week concluded with a staff tailgate before the Forbush vs. Atkins football game. Emmy and I had fun eating and socializing with the Forbush staff. Emmy got to monkey around with her friends Levi and Lyla (under the close supervision of parents, of course). She also got to see Mrs. G's cocker spaniel Mr. Darcy and explore the football field. It was hard to drag her away! We scooted home just before the football game started, but it was nice to fit in some time with Boomer. As I am writing this, I just wrapped up the bath and bedtime routine - whew, the week is done :)

We are all heading in separate directions this weekend. On Sunday, I will be going to Raleigh for the North Carolina Community College System conference. Because my primary roles are advising and registering students for dual-enrollment courses, I am attending the conference in order to learn about changes and updates to this process. An added bonus of the conference: I get to catch up with Melanie and Julie, the two other college liaisons in Surry County. I like them both a lot, and I wish we could spend more time together. Since we are all based at the different high schools, we don't see each other very much, so it will be fun to learn together and have some girl time, too. We will be staying overnight Sunday night and Monday night, returning on Tuesday. I made sure Boomer had these dates on his calendar earlier in the school year so that Emmy was taken care of...but then baseball threw a wrench in things. Now Boomer will also be leaving on Sunday! He will be heading to Atlanta for the Braves vs. Dodgers Playoff Game 3. When the Braves were winning a lot during the summer, Boomer prepared me that he would go to a game if the Braves played in October...and well, here we are! Sadly I am not able to tag along, which is a bummer because it would mean we could check off the new Braves ballpark, SunTrust Park. We have been to the old one, Turner Field, several times. In fact, the last time we were at Turner Field, it was for the Braves vs. Dodgers playoff game in 2013, and that was the last playoff game played at the stadium. I am glad that Boomer will get some bonding time with his dad and his brother Kyle, but I am jealous that I can't be there, too. Hopefully the Braves will win again like they did for our game in 2013!

 

So long, September!

We wrapped up the last days of September with a fun weekend with friends. On Friday, we had a park dinner with the Williamses and Houstons. Since Forbush football was on a bye, even Boomer was able to join us! It is rare for us to spend a Friday night together this time of year. Then on Saturday, we had a double date with our friends Ashley and Jared. This is the fourth year in a row that we have had our end-of-summer winery outing, and it has now become an annual tradition. Over the last three years, we have gone to JoLo Winery (in Pilot Mountain), Herrera Vineyards (in Dobson), and Westbend Winery and Brewery (in Lewisville). This year, we went to Divine Llama Vineyards, not far from Boomer's school in East Bend. It was a nice Saturday afternoon, and the winery had a large deck with seating in the shade. The four of us enjoyed the time to unwind, the mamas talking about potty training and National Boards, and the guys talking about school and sports. Sadly we did not get pictures with the llamas which, as its namesake, wander the vineyard, adding a fun farm-feel for people to pet and pose with. After a few hours at the winery, we headed to an Italian restaurant called Kitchen Roselli, also in East Bend. The restaurant is in an old brick building that has been renovated to include about 20 tables. Luckily we had made a reservation, because it seemed to be a not-so-hidden gem, with most of the other tables full. The restaurant is known for authentic Italian dishes and salads served in mason jars. I would highly recommend the Chicken Bianco and then a cream puff for dessert. As you can see, you will not be disappointed by the portions!

The weekend ended at East Coast Wings on Sunday evening with some silly photos with Daddy. 

Our mornings during the week are still very early, and we have been keeping to our routine of getting out the door around 6:30AM. Emmy is usually pretty cooperative, but sometimes we will use music from one of our phones to help her wake up. Boomer and I both have started to memorize these silly little tunes about "the night is getting over", "it's gonna be morning soon", and "Daddy's coming home in his red, red car." Here are a few early morning photos from the week. One day Emmy was supporting Aunt Carlin's team in honor of the start of hockey season on October 1st. We hope to again go to a Charlotte Checkers' game; we had a lot of fun last year! 

Emmy's newest trick is circling her arms to the tune of "The Wheels on the Bus", usually after seeing an actual bus or a large truck or semi. She must have picked this up at daycare, because one day she just started doing it! I am amazed at all she is learning. We sang the song a lot this week so that Emmy could practice her newest skill. 

I'll wrap up with a 'humble brag': I'm getting faster! Throughout the month of September, I was able to run consistently 3-4 times a week, mostly on a route around my school. I have developed a good routine of fitting in my exercise right after school before heading to Kernersville to get Emmy. While I used to drive to Kernersville first and then run around Emmy's daycare, I now quickly change after the last bell and hit the pavement right outside of my school. I usually end my run back at the parking lot around 4:15PM. I have variations of 3-, 4-, or 5-mile routes, depending on how much time I have, but mostly I have been knocking out the 5 miles at a pretty quick pace. I know I won't be running as much once it gets colder, but I am enjoying the nice mild weather for now. Yay for Mommy getting her exercise!

Happy Birthday and Go Deacs!

The theme of September has been Birthdays and Football! We have done a lot of celebrating and cheering. We celebrated three very special birthdays this past week: a joint dinner last Wednesday for Dad/Grandpa's 69th and Great Gma's 87th birthdays, and then a relaxing Sunday in Star for my mother-in-law/Granny's birthday. It is so fun to have September birthdays on both sides of the family. With the month falling in between summer and the fall holidays, it is a good excuse to get together with all the ones we love. 

As for football, Emmy and I went to my school's staff tailgate on Friday before the East Surry vs. Rasgdale football game. Boomer had his own football game to go to (Forbush vs. Carver), so even though we were apart, all the Kennedys were enjoying the Friday night lights. Emmy and I didn't actually stay for the game, but I had fun introducing her to all of my coworkers and posing on the golf cart.

On Saturday, Emmy went to her first Wake Forest football game. Earlier in the week, Boomer's friend Jason offered us [free!] tickets to tag along with him and his girlfriend, Tiffany. Of course we couldn't turn that down! Tiffany is a professor in the Linguistics Department at Wake, so in addition to the free tickets, we also joined in for the faculty tailgate beforehand. We chowed down on barbecue and other fixings, while Emmy munched on raisins and veggie sticks - true tailgate food! It was a big game for Wake as they played No. 8 Notre Dame. Sadly the outcome was not in the Deac's favor, but we sure had fun. Saturday was the official First Day of Fall, but it was pretty warm (in the 90s), and it was hard to stay cool. Emmy found a shady spot at our feet and played with the toys I had packed and with the small towels that were passed out at the gate. She was a trooper! Quite contrary to the Kennedy way, we left the game early during the 3rd Quarter. We were drenched in sweat and the game didn't seem to be looking up. Overall though, it was a fun family experience. Daddy even taught Emmy how to say "Go Deacs!"





After the game, Emmy's nap was delayed, but she was soon fast asleep in her car seat. We were able to transfer her to her crib when we got home where, as you can see, she scooted to the end so that her legs could dangle between the rungs. This seems to be her preferred sleeping position right now. Silly girl!

Emmy's class at school has been doing a lot of learning. On Friday, her folder was full of drawings and other artwork. They have been learning colors, shapes, letters, and textures. I am amazed at how her teachers wrangle 12+ toddlers to produce anything worthwhile! She currently has three teachers that have different shifts throughout the day. Miss Jewell is still the first one Emmy sees each morning and the one that Emmy has bonded with the most. The other two teachers are Miss Melissa and Miss Alysse, and they are awesome, too. Overall, we have had a very smooth start to the school year. She still loves seeing Mommy or Daddy at the end of the day, but she is otherwise very content playing with her classmates and being at 'school.' When we pick her up, she looks very happy, even though she usually has a head full of stringy, sweaty curls and smudges on her clothes and face. If her general state of dishevelment is a sign of how much fun she has had during the day, then I would say she is having a blast! 



A few other fun things about Emmy right now: 

- She loves organizing. (Hmmm, I wonder where she got that from!) Emmy spent a lot of time at the football game laying out the small towels and folding them into squares. 

- In addition to her lamb Bobby, her other favorite toys are her small baby, her musical teddy bear, and paper towels or tissues. She also likes to play with the small potty that we set-up in the downstairs bathroom.

- She is really picking up on our routines. She will say "Daddy!" or "home!" when we go over the bump turning into our driveway. She also lays her blanket over the side of the crib after naptime and in the morning, just like she sees Mommy do.

- Emmy loves music. She will often sing and hum simple tunes, most commonly the "ABCs." She will cut you off with an emphatic "Noooooo!" if you try to sing along. 

- Mealtime is a bit unpredictable. She still seems to have an aversion to meat, but she likes most vegetables and fruits. While bananas used to be a staple in her diet, she is going through a banana strike right now, which has been a little frustrating. Bananas were such an easy on-the-go snack or pre-meal appetizer, so I am trying to find a similar replacement. No luck yet!

- Emmy often will play 'make believe' and I love seeing how her brain works. She will mimic setting the table, putting out coasters and then placing her stuffed animals in each seat. She also will walk around in my or Daddy's shoes or makes sounds as if she is reading one of her books. 

- She says "peek-a-boo" as "ah-boo", usually as she is peeking in while Mommy is showering.

- She has started to close her eyes when we pray before meals and at bedtime. She will squeeze them so tight, usually while smiling and giggling. When we say 'Amen!' she will throw her hands up in the air.

- Just yesterday, I packed away the 18 month clothes; Emmy is now in 24 months and 2T clothing. She is still in size 4 diapers and wears a size 5 shoe.

It is hard to believe that our little girl is only a month shy of turning 2!



Rain, Rain, Go Away

We have had A LOT of rain over the past few days. Last week, we began seeing reports of a massive hurricane heading towards the Carolina coast. Hurricane Florence seemed to be all over the news and social media. Not knowing what to expect in central NC, I took extra precautions; I made a trip to the store for water, secured our outdoor patio furniture, and filled up on gas. Then, we hunkered down over the weekend to wait out the storm. 

Our hurricane essentials: bananas and fudge bars!

Aside from three straight days of rain, we escaped the storm with relative ease. We didn't even lose power, praise the Lord! However, the pictures from the coast show a lot of devastation. Boomer's brother, Kyle, who lives in Wilmington, stayed there despite the call to evacuate. Because of his job at the hospital, he had to stay and was locked-in since 5PM on Wednesday; he was finally released on Monday afternoon. Luckily his house had very little damage, but the surrounding area had a lot of flooding and is still without power. It is heartbreaking to see the images and to know how the people there are suffering. 

With all the rain, we have spent most of our time this week indoors, which is certainly a minor inconvenience in the grand scheme of things. Emmy has had fun playing with her toys and has even found some creative uses for them, like wearing her stacking rings as high heels. I love watching her creativity as she plays make believe. I've noticed too that she has some funny quirks, like nuzzling her Bobby, spinning in circles to her musical teddy bear, and sleeping with her feet between the rungs of her crib. With the rainy weather, she and Daddy have spent time watching sports together in his recliner. Football season is in full swing, and it seems that there is a game to watch almost every night of the week!

On Friday evening, we got together with the Houstons and Williamses for a pizza night. Since we were stuck inside again, the kiddos had fun chasing each other around the loop of the downstairs, and Emmy tried on her cousins' construction hat and goggles. It is always fun to get together with this group because of the matching up of the boys and girls. Not only do the kids get along great, but the adults do, too! And while we love including the children, we adults are looking forward to our kid-free cruise next June. The six of us are all booked to celebrate Josh's 40th birthday in the Bahamas!

 

On Saturday, we met up with Matt, Kelly, Wyatt, Adelia, and Kelly's parents at the Kernersville Chick-fil-A for another indoor activity. After having lunch, the three kids played together in the play place, which was quite busy due to the rain. Wyatt, Adelia, and Emmy are all different ages and stages right now, but they played together very well. Wyatt was so sweet to the smaller girls, and they all seemed ready for a nap afterwards. 

I'm not sure if the rain is to blame, but both Emmy and Boomer have come down with colds. They stayed home together yesterday, and then today Emmy spent the day with Grammy and Grandpa. We are hoping that the extra day will help get her back to full health to return to daycare. It just seems to be a runny nose and a cough, but hopefully the extra rest (and attention!) will be just the right medicine. The skies cleared today, so Grammy and Emmy were able to go for a walk - yay! Emmy loves walks, and I know she has missed being outside. 

Well, just to sneak in one photo of Mommy, here is a car selfie! Hoping for more walks and sunshine with less rain in the week ahead!

Field Trips and Football

After the Labor Day holiday, it was nice to have a short work week. Things have been going well at work. One of my big tasks right now is prepping for a field trip for our 11th and 12th graders. The field trip is tomorrow, and we are taking the majority of our junior and senior class to the local community college for their annual college fair. It is the same type of college fair that I would go to when I was working at UNCG. Instead of standing behind the table handing out brochures like I did in the past, I will be corralling 160+ students onto buses and supervising them as they browse the college tables. It is a bit of a role reversal from what I was doing just two years ago. My ESHS coworkers have been great to help with driving buses, chaperoning students, and covering classes. Hopefully everything will go smoothly tomorrow!

We've been enjoying the warm September evenings with walks around the neighborhood and playtime in the bath. Boomer isn't always home for these things, but he sure makes them more fun when he is, as you can see by Emmy's hair-do! Mommy is more business, but Daddy always keeps us laughing. One evening last week, Boomer had a night off from Forbush sports and decided to knock out the weekend chore of cutting the grass. Emmy loved watching him through the window; she was mesmerized as he went back and forth on the mower. On Friday, he had to work late for a football game, so Emmy and I met our friends Stephanie and Lyla for a play date at the park. It's fun to see how Emmy and Lyla have started playing more together as they are getting older. I forgot to take pictures once our friends arrived, but I did capture a shot of Emmy at the top of the slide, smiling and looking out over the world.  

On Saturday, Mom, Emmy, and I made the trip to Morganton to celebrate Baby LeBaron. Emily and Daniel are expecting a boy on November 10th (Emmy's birthday!), and all the Garland Girls and our mamas hosted a shower to help the new parents prepare for baby boy's arrival. The shower had a book theme in honor of Emily's love of books and since she is a high-school English teacher. One of my favorite times of each day is when Emmy and I are reading together before bedtime; I know this will be a special time for Emily and her baby too. Funny enough, this is the third year in a row that we have gathered together in Morganton during this very same weekend: a baby shower for me in 2016 and then a 'sip-and-see' for Hadley and Adelia last year. It was a beautiful day, and Mom and I enjoyed the time in the car together traveling to and from Morganton. Emmy was quite worn out after all the shower fun and slept all the way home; she was asleep before we even got on the interstate!

We are starting to experience the first of fall weather, mostly because of a cold front and rain from an approaching hurricane. The weekend was still pretty warm, but then Sunday afternoon was a bit chilly, perfect timing with my regular Sunday nap. While I'm not completely ready to trade in my shorts and flip-flops for jeans and blankets, it was nice being cuddled inside for the evening to watch the start of the football season. Boomer is once again playing fantasy football, so I have secondhand anxiety as we watch each game on Sunday and Monday. Let's hope it is a winning season for [all 5 of] Boomer's teams!