First Day....

Dave started Elementary School in Germany.  One of the German traditions he picked up while there, and wanted to pass down to his own kids, was the "Cone."  On your first day of school, waiting for you when you wake up is your "cone."  The cone is filled with school supplies in addition to some treats and small toys.

Tanner and his cone

Lacey and her cone

Ready to open our loot!

I seriously cannot believe my baby girl is starting Kindergarten.  And I can't believe my T is just one year behind her.  Kindergarten is full day here (8:45 - 3:25), so it's definitely a big adjustment for both of us!

I had to include this picture too because Lacey is such a poser for the camera.  So hard to just have her stand and smile "normally."  But this pose sums up her personality perfectly - full of spunk!

And I'm so excited about my T!  There was a particular Pre-K program I really wanted to get him in to. Registration started at 9am on February 7th.  I got in line I think between 5 and 6am if I remember correctly.  Waiting out on a sidewalk in the dead of winter for 3-4 hours was about my max.  But the first person in line got in line at 8pm the night before.  Can't compete with that!  Tanner was wait listed and I was just informed on Tuesday that he got in!!  We were thrilled!  They told me to come in the following day (Wednesday) to meet with the teacher and she told me school started the following day.  So, it was a mad dash getting all of his school supplies and getting him mentally prepared, but I think it worked out great that they both got to have their first day of school on the same day.  Tanner will be going M-F from 12:30-3:10.  Riley naps every day from ~1-3pm.  Which means..... every M/W/F (the days I don't work), I will have TWO HOURS of kid-free time!!!!!!!!!!!!  Granted, I can't leave the house and will probably spend that time cleaning toilets and doing laundry, but it will be without kids!! I honestly cannot even remember the last time I had any kind of consistent kid-free time in life.  I'm so excited :)

Perfect Weather Day in Annapolis

We woke up to absolutely beautiful weather on Saturday. Grateful for the cooler temperatures, we decided to not waste it on our usual Saturday routine of getting the yard and house done. Instead, we spent the morning in one of our favorite places: downtown Annapolis!

The kids love to feed the ducks, so we brought plenty of hot dog rolls and let the kids go crazy feeding the competing ducks (and fish!)

                                             
                                              "Hey! Why aren't you giving me attention?"

There is also this great little park that's snuck away from main street. The kids love it and we love that there is something kid-friendly right next to the water for the kids to occupy themselves.

We're hoping with fall approaching, we'll have more days to waste away in Annapolis. It's such a great place and everytime we go, we wonder why we don't make more of an effort to go there and get lost in the old streets, eat a couple more ice cream cones, and revel in what we have in our backyard!

Womancation: Round 4

I just returned from a delightful 4 day girls trip!  Back in 2009, during a time when both of us were feeling totally "maxed out", we decided that each of us could take a long weekend with the guys/girls while the other stayed home with the kids.  It was a such a hit with both of us, that we have kept up the tradition!  I started doing this with my good friend, Mindy in 2009 and 2010, then we "added" Mariellen in 2011.  We travel great together and always have so much fun!  Each year we pick a different destination and cram as much as we possibly can into a few days.  It's not for everyone and it's not "relaxing" but we all love it!  This year, we chose upstate NY and CT.  So... Day 1:  We all flew into Buffalo, NY and started out the trip by visiting Niagra Falls.  Here we are on the Canada side of the falls because we couldn't stand to be THAT close to another country and not use our passports :)

On the Maid of the Mist boat ride 

Walking up close and personal to the Falls.  They were absolutely amazing!  I had been to Niagra Falls before, but it was in 1991.  Nice to revisit them after 21 years!

From there, we drove to Palmyra and took in some Church History sights.  First, we took a tour of the E.B. Granden building, the sight of the first publication of the Book of Mormon.  They also have two original Book of Mormons on display.

We also saw the beautiful Palmyra Temple.  I also visited all of these sights on that same trip in 1991, but the temple hadn't been built then, so it was neat to see.

Next, we toured Joseph Smith's home and visited the Sacred Grove.

The Hill Cumorah

Day 2:  We woke up in Geneva next to Lake Seneca in the Finger Lakes.  We spent a delightful morning walking around the lake.

Next stop:  Saratoga Springs, home of the famous Saratoga Race Course.  

Since none of us had ever been to a horse race and since that is what Saratoga Springs is known for AND since the races only run for 6 weeks out of the year and we were there during that time.... well we went to the races!  It was a little rainy and muddy, but very fun and exciting!  We just wish we could have planned ahead and worn fancy hats :)

From there, we drove to the Adirondack Mountains and checked into our hotel in Lake George.  LOVED Lake George.  We took an hour long boat ride in the lake, saw all the beautiful homes along the lake front and then walked around this quaint, fun lakeside town, had dinner and did some shopping.

Day 3:  Per Mindy's request, we visited Woodstock in the Catskill Mountains!  Very fun town, full of peace, love and tie-dye!  We walked around, soaked in the atmosphere and had a delightful lunch.

From there, we drove to the Hudson Valley.  We decided to go to Hyde Park and check out the "other CIA" (Culinary Institute of America).  They had a gorgeous campus and several student-run gourmet restaurants.

Also in Hyde Park is the home of Franklin D. Roosevelt.  We toured the grounds of his home and visited the burial spot of he and his wife.

From there, we drove 2 1/2 hours to Mystic.  Mystic is one of the most charming, beautiful, seaside towns I have ever seen.  You are surrounded by water, boats, bridges and upscale shops.  Loved it!

It's also the home of Mystic Pizza (where Mystic Pizza starring Julia Roberts was filmed).  So, yes, we ate there and had a "little slice of heaven."

Day 4:  We woke up in North Haven, CT just North of New Haven, home of Yale.  So we spent the morning touring the campus of Yale.

Next, we drove to Essex, another delightful town on the water with only 1 stoplight and absolutely no chain restaurants of any kind.  But it does have a famous New England inn, the Griswold Inn, built in the 1700's and known for it's brunch.  We had a DELICIOUS meal here!

From there, we visited another cute little town, Litchfield Hills (in my 1000 Places to See Before You Die book - as are most of the other places we visited on this trip! :))

And then ended up in Hartford, CT where we toured the home of Mark Twain.  Very interesting and we all enjoyed it.  From there, we drove straight to the airport and I arrived home at 9:30 last night.  WHEW!!  It was a whirlwind few days, but so, so much fun!

And a special thank you to my hubby for "holding down the fort."  I expected him to keep our kids alive and hopefully have the house in half-way decent shape.  Nothing more.  BUT, he enlisted the help of his parents a couple family friends and not only did he do the above, but he (and his little "team") painted the garage and our bedroom, put up some pictures and things on some of our walls that were still bare, put in new curtain rods in our bedroom, bought new curtains for Tanner's room and our room, and a few other "minor" decorating touches.  I am SO impressed!  Guess I should go away more often! :)  

SURPRISE!!

And if you didn't see this coming.... well we can relate :)  (Refer to title of Post)