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.