Visiting Grandma Jean

Not bad for (two weeks shy of) 103 years old!

We were so happy to visit Grandma Jean last weekend ... and even better, this time MJ was with us! Jean was thrilled to see him, and it was great for us all to spend some quality time with her. The girls performed several of their dance numbers (including one that they made up themselves), and Little Man talked her ear off about baseball and Minecraft. 

She treated each kid to $20 (which they promptly spent at the bookstore next to our hotel), and a few little trinkets around the house. The girls selected some decorative cupcake liners from Jean's extensive collection, and Little Man received a cool woven box in the shape of an elephant. 

We were also lucky enough to spend time with Carol, who was so happy to see us, especially MJ. We took Carol to Mass and then out to a nice dinner. The next day, we brought a selection of treats over to her house to enjoy while we chatted and looked at old pictures of MJ. The kids were so entertained to see what Daddy looked like as a teenager!

Special bonus: Grandma was also there, helping take care of Grandma Jean while her aide was on a much-needed vacation. So we were able to see her too, and she treated us to a lovely dinner.

Field Trip

It was probably CC's final field trip (I don't think high schoolers take field trips?), so I definitely had to chaperone again. This time it was a 3-day trip to the North Carolina Outer Banks, so it was a LONG drive, but it was a really fun and interesting trip!

Oddly, I was not chaperoning CC's group. She was rooming with her friend Patricia, so Patricia's mom was their chaperone. Since they didn't need two chaperones, I was given a different group of girls to watch. But I was able to enjoy many activities with CC, and steal a few pictures with her along the way.

The first day we visited Bodie Island Lighthouse, which was very picturesque, and we got a nice group photo. Then we headed to Jockey Ridge State Park, which has the highest sand dunes on the East Coast! And because they aren't directly on the water's edge, you're allowed to climb all over them. The kids slid and tumbled and rolled to their hearts' content. CC didn't want to get too sandy, but she had fun meandering around and hanging out with her friends and one of her favorite teachers from 6th grade, Ms K.

That night the kids had a pizza and dance party in a large conference room at the hotel. The kids screamed at the top of their lungs at the beginning of each song. And if you haven't heard 200 kids scream in a confined space ... well, you're lucky. We were all glad to get out of there with our hearing intact.

The next morning, bright and early, we left for the Wright Brothers Memorial. I was really impressed! It was a very well-done museum and landmark. While the park ranger was giving us his talk, a small plane circled above us, then landed at the airstrip right in front of us. The pilot go out and started walking towards us -- it was the dad of one of the students! How cool!

We drove to Currituck Lighthouse, which is beautiful and still in operation. We climbed to the top, where there was a dizzying view. Thank goodness it was such a clear day! 

We also spent time exploring the beach, and touring the wildlife museum next to the lighthouse. 

After souvenir shopping, we ate dinner at a seafood buffet, then went to a fun park for mini golf, go-carts, and bumper cars. It was nice for the kids to blow off some steam.

The next morning we had our final outing: a trip to Jeanette Pier. Employees from the aquarium taught us how to fish, led us through a squid dissection (CC excused herself), explained all about the types of shells found there, and allowed us to roam the beach to find specimens on our own.

The trip had been going perfectly until that morning. But while fishing, a freak accident caused one student to get a fish hook fully embedded through her cheek. We called 911, and EMTs responded quickly and brought to the ER to have it removed. Not 15 minutes later, a student had a severe allergic reaction to the squid, and we had to call 911 again and rush her to the ER, too. She had no idea she had a squid allergy! Thank goodness both girls were okay, but it was a chaotic morning, and we were delayed quite a bit heading home.

By the time the buses limped back into the school parking lot, it was almost 11pm, and we were all exhausted. But it was a good trip, and I'm so glad CC and I experienced it together.

Special thanks to my dad, who made it possible for me to chaperone! Pepere came to stay with Sweet Pea and Little Man, since MJ was out of town for work. They all enjoyed a fun few days and had plenty of treats in our absence. Everyone had a great week! (Except maybe MJ.)

Happy Easter

He is risen!

We've had a quiet day today. We went to early Mass (which was shockingly packed for 7 am!) and came home so the kids could tear through their Easter baskets. MJ and I played tennis for a bit. And since then, we've been slowly unpacking and doing laundry from the trip, while the kids enjoy their treasures and we all just relax. 

I insisted on a nice picture after Mass, though. It's the price these poor children have to pay!

I literally have no plan for dinner. Dessert is covered, though: I made my mom's cheesecake last night (CC's request for her birthday, but it had to chill overnight). I thought I'd completely ruined it, because when I took it out of the oven it was literally sloshing around in the springform pan! But sure enough, it seems solid after 12 hours in the fridge. Fingers crossed it's edible!

Happy 14th Birthday, CC!

Today CC is 14! She's been counting down the days and it's finally here. HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!

This year has seen a ton of changes for CC. She's blossomed physically, growing four inches and having her braces removed. She's become more independent, choosing a different high school for next year than all her friends, in order to pursue her love of design. She's navigating grief for the first time, after losing her beloved Memere in January. And she's maintained her core group of friends as the challenging middle school years draw to a close.  

Some things haven't changed, though. Her steadfast and devout faith makes me so proud. She loves altar serving, participating in youth group, and praying the Rosary frequently. For Lent, she gave up fast food and makeup (two of her favorite things in the world), despite me telling her that neither was required! 

CC still loves sushi and the color pink. She still reads obsessively and has really started branching out with new types of books this year. Not surprisingly, her favorite genre has transitioned from "dystopian" to "romance," and Sweet Pea and Little Man enjoy teasing her about the kissing scenes on the front covers of her books. But she definitely isn't boy-crazy, even though quite a few of her friends already have boyfriends. Any time I ask if there's a certain someone she likes, she snorts, "Ew! No!" and laughs. I suppose that will come soon enough!

She's excited about her annual well check, because she's grown quite a bit this year and she's eager to see where she falls on the growth chart. She still struggles a bit with anxiety, but she's working on it and it's definitely improving. She's been better about her grades this year, keeping up with assignments without as much nagging from me (although she could still improve in this area, to be sure). 

CC's love of ballet has grown to the point that she wants to specialize in it. Starting next year, she's decided to stop silks in order to dance ballet more often (both as a high school class and after school at a studio). I was surprised at her decision, but I support her 100%. 

She's still our affectionate little bear, who surprises us with hugs, and dances around the kitchen. And she's definitely not above tickling and wrestling with Sweet Pea and Little Man! I hope her playful, loving personality continues to shine as she turns into the beautiful woman we're beginning to see, both inside and out. We love you, CC!

No Glasses

Little Man has requested contacts ever since he found out he needed glasses a year and a half ago. At first they said he was too young. “Wear your glasses for a year or so,” the ophthalmologist told him. “You might love them!”

He did not. And last month when he told me that he’d broken his frames for the third time, I was also ready for him to have contacts.

So he got them! He's a big fan. He learned how to get them in and out pretty quickly, and he’s been surprisingly responsible with them. We got him a new pair of glasses as well, to use as a backup, but he only wears them when he's reading at night in bed. I doubt he will ever go back to wearing glasses full-time.

Tennis Weekend

Back in January, before everything happened with my mom, I went away for a weekend with a group of ladies that I'm blessed to call my friends. I've been close to Linda, Tina and Alison for years. But the others -- Christy, Lauren, Alexa and Jessica -- have become very dear to me through the process of learning tennis together the last year and a half.

We decided to go away for a weekend-long tennis clinic on the ocean. It was really fun! We rented a big house together, and there was laughter and silliness, quite a lot of eating and drinking, hours of tennis instruction, and priceless memories. 

The original plan included eight of us. But Alison had to back out at the last minute -- her daughter was unexpectedly home from Notre Dame that weekend, and they wanted to spend time together. And Christy broke her foot, but still came to hang out with us at the house, and cheer for us on the courts.

Our first morning of tennis, I realized I hadn't brought a water bottle on the trip. So I grabbed an empty tequila bottle from the night before (we'd made delicious margaritas) and filled it with water for the day. We all thought it was hilarious. Of course, the other ladies who joined us for our clinic didn't realize it was water (and naturally, we didn't tell them). The looks on their faces were priceless when we took our first break and I chugged a bunch of "tequila"!

The weather was unfortunately bitter cold -- a winter storm was sweeping the region, and some of our tennis times had to be adjusted to compensate. We bundled up with all our snivel gear every time we played, and otherwise we mostly huddled in the house. Our final day, the sun broke through the clouds after we finished up a late lunch, and we grabbed a picture in front of the water.

We've decided we have to take a tennis trip every year! Each year we'll go to a different place. Plans are already in motion for next year!

Supplies for Small Scholars

The kids have attended IB schools since kindergarten, and one of the requirements each year is to participate in community service projects. This year, however, was different for CC: 8th graders are required to come up with their own ideas, work with a faculty adviser all year on it, execute it, and create a presentation to explain the entire process.

CC really wanted to do something that involved children, since she loves kids so much. She found a local nature-based preschool that caters to low-income families with special-needs children. The director of the preschool is a physical therapist, and she has a rotation of interns from colleges around the state who work with her. 

Despite CC's shyness, she reached out to the director, introduced herself, and explained that she'd like to do a project that benefitted the preschool. The director provided her with a list of supplies that the preschool could really use, and CC decided to have a drive to collect them all.

CC created a flyer that she handed out around the neighborhood, explaining her project and listing the specific supplies that the preschool needed. We were so impressed by the outpouring of generosity from our neighborhood! Supplies were left on our porch daily for several weeks. We even had to detour on our way to deliver the goods, in order to pick up a last-minute delivery from a neighbor.

The preschool director was so impressed! She was very grateful for the supplies, and she insisted on giving us a tour of the preschool. CC got to see all the farm animals (llamas, chickens, goats, dogs) and meet the children. It was so rewarding to see CC's hard work benefit the preschool in person!

Several weeks later, CC presented "Supplies for Small Scholars" at the 8th grade showcase. It was really impressive to walk around the school and see all the different projects that were completed by the 8th grade class!