Week 51 of 52 in 2017

Jackson: It was the last day of the school before winter break started and Crazy Hat Day.  We had gone to Chick Fil A the night before after Lights on the Bay. I had spotted these cow antlers and thought that they'd be perfect. Connor wouldn't have anything to do with them but Jackson wore it with pride. He needed some help with tape (a big thanks to the staff at RFE) but this is him still smiling after pick up. 

Connor:  In anticipation of new toys arriving on Christmas, I pulled the Star Wars toys and encouraged the boys to use some of their other toys.  The Zoobs were selected and Connor created these eyeglasses. I'm excited to see what else they can create.

Week 50 of 52 in 2017

Jackson: ANY parent involved in lacrosse can attest to the fact that the equipment is overwhelming. After figuring out during indoor lacrosse how to attach the helmet to the stick, the light bulb finally went off and we now have ALL and I do mean ALL the equipment on the stick. Oh, and our lax player being able to carry it makes it even better.

Connor: This boy may finally be able to smile at the dentist but we were finally told what we've been waiting for when those 4 teeth arrived in a week at 13 months, Connor will need to see an orthodontist for a consult.  His teeth are easily double the size of Jackson's and we knew that this was inevitable.  Baby teeth overwhelmed his mouth so we knew it was a matter of time. Hopefully, he'll still be all smiles when the orthodontist visits start.

Week 49 of 52 in 2017

Jackson:  Jackson loves to read.  We normally have at least 20 books that we have borrowed from the library for the boys.  Most of the books are Jackson's because he is ALWAYS reading and goes through a lot of them.  He was working me hard to get a DVD this day and I held him off in favor of  the books series "Kingdom of Wrenly" in anticipation of the  Playmobil knights sets that he was hoping Santa would be delivering. 

Connor: Connor was definitely anxious looking around in the houses in the neighborhood and seeing that we were in the minority regards to getting our christmas tree. Finally, we were able to coordinate our trip to Mary's Meadows.  And, for Connor, breakfast at the diner satisfied his recently developed egg obsession and he was able to make snow angels.

Week 48 of 52 in 2017

Jackson and Connor:  It was a busy Friday for Jackson and Connor.  Our elf, Mistletoe, arrived from the North Pole to keep an eye on the boys for the holiday season and report back to the big guy.  We are hoping that his presence will provide some calm during the exciting holiday season.

That night, we took advantage of our Blast summer camp offer of free tickets for the boys.  We stayed until the end and headed down to get pictures with the players.  The team captain, Tony Donatelli, recognized them from summer camp and was happy to oblige the boys' request for a picture.  We also got a chance to see some of the boys' friends on the field before the game.

Week 47 of 52 in 2017

We had a busy week (as usual) leading up to Thanksgiving as we were hosting.  But, Michael took off the day before to prepare the sides and the boys helped with making the sweet potato pies.

We surprised them with tickets to see the Lion King at the Hippodrome.  They were super excited to see the show and loved the costumes, signing and being in a historic location.

We hadn't seen Michael's mom in awhile because of how busy our weekends had been with soccer, fall baseball and indoor lacrosse.  So, we took the opportunity to catch up with her. We caught this beautiful sunset on Saturday after playing outside for a bit.  It was a nice warm day for late November and we were just lucky enough to catch this view.

Week 46 of 52 in 2017

Jackson and Connor:  The boys went to a summer camp with the Baltimore Blast and they were afforded the option to go to the Blast game on Friday for free.  It was the first of what we hope is more opportunities that we get to go since the arena is basically in our backyard. You could hear them rooting for the team giving their best "Let's Go Blast" chants with the rest of the crowd. 

Jackson: He had his FINAL indoor lacrosse.  He had a great time and developed a passion for playing in the goal.  Couldn't be happier for this boy to find a spring sport that he enjoys.  There is still a struggle with missing Dad when he coaches baseball but he appreciates the movement and action that lacrosse offers.

Week 45 of 52 in 2017

Jackson:  Jackson spent a lot of time in goal this weekend for the U9 Soccer Playoffs.  He gave up a couple of goals after the defenders looked like they were napping but held the lead for his team.  We are so happy that he's found his spot on the field. 

Jackson and Connor:  It was a cold weekend and Manchester City didn't expect to get very far after winning just 1 game the whole entire season and having a negative 30 goal differential at the end of the regular season.  These boys played their hardest and the hustle was on from the 1st game and didn't end until they were holding the trophies.  Couldn't have happened to more deserving kids.

Week 44 of 52 in 2017

Jackson and Connor:  The boys had a great time during the Annual RFES parade and at their class parties.  We had a rough couple of hours before Halloween with mommy probably having the worst tantrum although there was lots of defiance and back talking and crying.  We rallied and made it out to get some candy with friends.

Jackson:  Jackson had an amazing weekend for sports.  He played the 2nd half in goal for Manchester City on Saturday morning and only gave up one goal but had a lot of stops and helped out on defense before getting in the goal.  On Sunday, we got the time mixed up for indoor lacrosse and showed up an hour early.  He was asked to play because Team #1 was down players and they needed substitutes.  Jackson was insistent with the Team #1 coach and landed in the goal for the 2nd half.  He had some great saves and held off Carroll Manor, which his Team #2 had lost to the week before 16-0.  After that hour, he was back on the field with his team. So PROUD of this kid and how badly he wants to contribute.

Week 43 of 52 in 2017

Jackson:  Jackson's protective cup had finally arrived. For some reason,  Dick's Sporting Goods decided to ship it from California when it was available for pick up in Hunt Valley.  He was super excited and really wanted to comply with his coach's request for everyone to play in the goal.  So, apparently today was his day.  He had several saves and deflections and was SUPER pumped to finally get his chance in the goal. 

Connor:  Connor has become incredibly obsessed with watching football and tracking the tickers.  We had a voucher to go to the Urban Pirates in National Harbor and Connor was a consistent no for going in favor of watching football.  We decided that today was the day.  On the way, he complained about the distance and expressed concern over missing the block party.  I was very concerned about his ability to enjoy himself.  After a snack bag of Doritos, he turned his frown upside down and had a great time.  We are so happy that he loosened up and had fun.

Connor:

Week 42 of 52 in 2017

Jackson:  With having the day before off and Michael able to take off with us, Jackson got to get in some goalie practice and he was declared ready to go.  Jackson has been waiting for this moment for the past couple of weeks.  He had a couple of good saves and showed strong intensity and was not afraid to go out and challenge the offensive players for the ball in his penalty box. So HAPPY and proud of him.

Connor:   Despite Connor constantly saying no that he didn't want to go to a Fall Festival, we planned and found the opportunity on the day the boys have off.  He reluctantly agreed and after picking up his Halloween costume, we headed off to Larriland.  We had been there the year before.  His skepticism wore off quickly when he was reminded of his love for apples.  He must have eaten 4 of the free apples despite the $31 worth that we had just picked....  That smile makes it worth everything.

Week 41 of 52 in 2017

Jackson:  We had finally made it to a Fall Festival but unfortunately, Michael didn't pay attention to the size of his food and was unable to swallow a piece of brisket.  This is not the first time that this has happened so we knew a trip to the ER was in order.  It took a long time to assemble the team that was going to perform the emergency endoscopy but through it all, Jackson was the best patient advocate anybody could ask for.  He made sure that Michael knew to tell them that his pain was at a high level to get immediate help.

Connor:  It was yet another Saturday morning and Manchester City was back in action. Real Madrid was too much for our team but Connor scored his 1st goal of the season and the only goal for the team.  After not scoring last year with West Ham, he was very eager to put one in the back of the net.  The angle that he had to take the shot was virtually impossible but somehow he did it.  We are so proud of his perseverance.

Week 40 of 52 in 2017

Jackson:  We weren't at soccer practice for more than 5 minutes before Jackson went down to the ground after colliding with a soccer goal.  He was so concerned when he saw the blood and was asking for constant reassurance that he wasn't dying.  I assured him that he would be fine but that a trip to the E.R. was in order to confirm that he didn't need stitches.  So proud of our little guy.

Connor:  Connor is quite the helper depending on the time of day and his mood. On this morning, Connor latched onto one of Michael's favorite lines and decided that it was time to organize the refrigerator.  I really do appreciate his willingness to help but it could have also been construed as a delay tactic on eating his breakfast....

Week 37 of 52 in 2017

Jackson and Connor:  It was the 1st full week of school and with social events on our calendar along with all of the sports commitments, EVERYONE in the house is exhausted. We are doing our best to adjust to the back to the school routine.

On this day, the boys were excited for Purple Friday so that they could show their support for the Ravens.

And, their morning routine of saying goodbye to Michael may have gotten even better. Besides saying goodbye this week, the boys were instructing him "to go to work and make a lot of money." They have been struggling with the amount of time that they are seeing him and we've explained that we can't do anything if daddy doesn't work so...well said boys.

Week 36 of 52 in 2017

Jackson and Connor:  It was finally time for school to start but not after getting our last jumps off the diving board before the pool closed.  After a fun week adjusting back to school, the week ended with a visit to RFES from Kona Ice.  We will need to figure out  how to adjust to the school routine all over again. Hopefully, bad attitudes will go away sooner than later along with a way to get more sleep to push the grumpies away from all of us.

Week 35 of 52 in 2017

Jackson: It was sneak a peek at the school after a long summer. Even if you asked him, Jackson said yes to being ready to return.  He was a little bummed that Caden had moved away but was excited to have the Maggie's and Andrew and finally Josh Denis. This is after he found his teacher's collection of books.  All smiles because his nose is often stuck in a book.

Connor:  Connor was definitely not ready to return to the school.  He was a little hesitant about having the new teacher as change is not really good for him.  But, finding these boys made all that hesitation disappear.  He is looking forward to a fun 2nd grade. And, as long as Jackson isn't his class, ALL is good in his world.  Connor was not meant to be a twin.

Week 34 of 52 in 2017

Jackson and Connor:  It was finally our week to vacation at the Peninsula in Middlesboro, DE.  Yet another great week together as our family of four. More blog posts to follow because a couple of pictures do not accurately describe how much fun we had.

Week 33 of 52 in 2017

Jackson and Connor:  We couldn't be prouder to report that the boys passed their swim test on Friday at Campus Cabana.  Jackson had previously tried but was told that his arm positioning during rotary breathing was too similar to a doggie paddle. They were able to connect with Ryan for another swim lesson who declared them both ready.  There were several people on the side of the pool cheering them on.  They were SUPER PUMPED to pass it and now it won't be a struggle to get them to the pool as going every day was making them not want to go very often.

Week 32 of 52 in 2017

Jackson: Ever since the new Penguin habitat opened at the zoo, we could spend hours watching and waiting for the penguins to swim underwater.  It has been almost 3 years but the excitement on his face in watching this is almost the same as it was when it opened.

Connor: Claire and Connor have an interesting relationship.  They always seem to gravitate towards one another when they are in a group setting.  At Boordy, they followed each other around and even enjoyed a game of Uno.  Maybe its the curls that they have in common. I'm definitely saving this in case it ends up in the wedding video!

Week 31 of 52 in 2017

Jackson: It was close between this pic and him eating his 1st sandwich at the pool but went with the picture of him wandering around Columbia Mall reading a book.  Connor and I always tease him that he has his nose stuck in a book like Belle in Beauty and the Beast.  In typical Jackson fashion and with his nose stuck in a book, he never had any issues or stumbles..

Connor:  Connor was incredibly apprehensive EVERY SINGLE TIME that it was time for the dentist. He's not generally big on change and has never been able to relax about going to the dentist. However, I think that he may have turned a corner. He was all smiles and asked for photographs and even handled the XRays, which were previously a NO. We are super proud of him.

Week 30 of 52 in 2017

Jackson:  We've had a busy summer with the need to set an alarm every single day whether or not it be for camp, vacation or Jr. Seashorses. This week,  it finally caught up with Jackson despite having a Baltimore Blast Summer Camp. He had a bad dream and came in for a cuddle. It is the best when he falls asleep with us because he is usually on the go. He did make it to soccer and had a great time.

Connor:  We talked with the boys and had them help make camp decisions this year and they both were excited for a Baltimore Blast camp at Meadowood Park. Several Blast players participated and by the end of the week they had signed shirts and a ball.  And, finding friends from school were another reason for this big smile!

Week 29 of 52 in 2017

Jackson:  Earlier this week, Maggie was at our pool and Jackson and her and Clara had a great time together. They spent hours together jumping in and moving around the pool grounds. Maggie's mom suggested that we go to see Peter Pan at Charm City Players.  As Jackson loves to see musical theater, we were definitely interested.

Connor: Connor isn't into musical theater as much as Jackson but he was more than happy to see Peter Pan. Tiger Lilly was fantastic and Connor turned down pictures with most people but she was on the o.k. list.

2017 Campus Cabana Swim Team Dinner

As Jackson and Connor were at the maximum age for the Jr. Seahorses, the next step was to join the swim team.  The Jr. coordinator, Tracey, had confirmed me that they would be making the move up to the swim team next year.  The boys waited for their trophies and placement in either the Blue or White house, which we eventually found out was a supportive group to encourage their fellow swimmers/teammates.

The boys were very happy to see their friend and fellow Jr. Seahorse, Veronica, get her trophy too. Every day at practice, they ask where Veronica is and I completely understand why. Besides being Will's brother, she is adorable and her WonderWoman and Super Girl bathing suits seal the deal.

Both boys were placed in the White House.  The next step is to pass the deep water test so they can go off the diving board and slide all the time as lessons are ending and there will be no more fun Fridays with donuts.