Ramping up for a busy month!

Somehow it is already November.  I have been waiting and waiting for Jim to get home so I could go to Swansboro to help clean up after the hurricane, but  November still managed to creep up on me.  After Jim returned from Boston, I stayed in Arlington until Halloween and departed the morning of Nov 1st.  As soon as I got the kids to school I threw my stuff in the car, grabbed Wesley and headed south!  I am super excited to be going home!! Hopefully Jim will be OK juggling all the kids and their activities but I really am not going to worry about him.  I mean it is 7 days.  I have been solo parenting quite often during the last 13 years. He will be fine, Right?!  Of course he will.

One thing that I am sorry to miss is Lucy's first drama production.  Well, actually, I did not miss it.  I was able to go to a dress rehearsal a few days before (so yeah, technically October). But I did miss the actual performance and for that I am sad.  Luckily Jim was able to go.  She did amazing!  She totally has the drama bug now.  

Afterward the two of them got to have some more bonding time over a celebratory dinner!

So of course I am not privy to everything that is going on in Arlington since I am in Swansboro, but I do get a couple of pictures of some of the happenings.  Ben and Jim attended a pancake breakfast the Cub Scout troop assisted.  Can't work a pancake breakfast without sampling what you are serving right?

About a week before I got home, Daddy came back to the marina with a teeny tiny kitten!  He is super duper cute!! Since Rina's passing last year there has been a huge void at the marina.  Bootsie has big shoes to fill, but he is up to the task.  I was hoping the kitten and Wesley would bond.  That did not happen.  Poor Wesley!  

Making some progress on the dock repair

Don't feel too badly for Wesley though.  He was treated like a KING while hanging with WT in the sewing room at night.  

It wasn't all work while I was home.  Gregg and I did go downtown for Musical Bingo one night.  My friend Stephanie joined us as well.  It was sooo much fun!  I really wish there was someplace in Arlington that did it too!

Well all good things must end, and my week at home was no exception.  Good news though, while I was home I talked my mom into riding back to Arlington with me!  She hasn't been with us for Lilly's birthday since her actual BIRTH!  While Nanny was visiting we had to get ready for the neighborhood leaf vacuuming event.  We had been bagging leaves every week for what seems like forever and finally the city is coming around and literally vacuuming them up!  SO EXCITED!!  

After we finished raking the entire yard, we figured out that the leaf vacuum isn't coming until the next week.  UGH!  So we had to bag the leaves anyway!  Just our luck.

We are not going to let a little thing like raking the entire yard get us down.  Since it is Veteran's day we decided to go to Arlington Cemetery and the Marine Corps War Memorial to pay our respect to those who have served.  It was pretty spectacular. 

With Nanny in town, we were able to leave the kids with her and have a night out for the 243rd USMC Ball, complete with a hotel in DC!  Yeah for Nanny!!  We had a great time at the ball - that ballroom was HUGE!!  And COLD!!  As much fun as it was, having a ball with a squadron is much better.  

The next thing would be Lilly's 14th birthday!!  How on earth is she already 14?!  Seems like just yesterday she was learning to walk!! Wow!  One of our birthday traditions is to wake up with a bed full of balloons, one per year!  This year we finally figured out how many balloons can you put on a twin bed - less than 14!  Ha Ha.  Lilly continues to amaze us with her maturity and kindness. Not sure how we ended up so lucky! 

Lucy was at camp on her birthday so she didn't get to have the balloon tradition.  So I decided to do it even though it was Lilly birthday.  She was surprised to say the least.  I think she even - gasp - liked it!!  

Jim decided we should go to a fancy restaurant for Lilly's birthday celebration.  We decided to go to a Brazilian Steak House in DC.  We probably won't return, but I haven't seen that much food in a long long time!  

Since it is "Ball Season" Jim had another ball to attend.  I am good for one ball and luckily I didn't have to attend the second ball.  Jim's sister Mary Catherine had never attended one and she was available, so it was a win-win!!  

So while Jim and MC were balling it up so to speak, the rest of us were hanging out in the basement trying to kill ourselves on the inflatable stability balls.  I love using the balls in my workouts and I used to be able to stand up on them.  I mentioned that to Lucy and she immediately decided to try it.  Of course she popped right up on it. 

As is evident in the following video I was not as successful - YET!!

Nanny left just in the nick of time!  The next day the weather took a turn for the worse and we woke up to SNOW!  In NOVEMBER!  Needless to say the kids were ecstatic!  Too bad they had school!  Wesley, on the other hand, was slightly confused.  It took him a few times to actually go outside and when he finally did, he turned around pretty fast. We ended up with about 2" when it was all said and done.  Hopefully we will get more the next time! 

The next weekend Jim and Ben were going on a cub scout camping trip so we thought it would be a perfect time for Lilly to have some friends over to celebrate her birthday.  She decided she wanted to keep it low key - movie and pizza. Lucy helped me with the cake this year.  As always, it turned out spectacular!  Lilly's only suggestion was Oreo.  I think we nailed it!

As I mentioned earlier, Jim and Ben were on a cub scout camping trip about an hour away where they had gotten quite a bit more snow then we got.  It originally was for the entire weekend, but given the weather, they ended up coming home late Saturday instead.  They were in cabins, but they were unheated so it was pretty cold!  Even though the trip was cut short, it looks like they still had a great time!

Next up is Thanksgiving!  But before we head up to Delaware, Ben's school does a "fun" run.  I decided to surprise him and show up!  I didn't realize the start line and finish line were different so I didn't see him WIN the race for his entire grade.  That was a parent fail! 

To celebrate our first Thanksgiving with family in forever really, Jim's brother and family hosted the Wellons family in Delaware.  It was incredible! The kids got along great and more importantly the adults did too!  Ha Ha!

The weekend was spent around various tables eating delicious food! We did talk the kids into running a 5K around the neighborhood and playing a game of football.  The rest of the time they filled it with board games, playing pool and of course video games.  It was a  wonderful holiday.

Since we were fairly close, we could contribute to the meal plan by bringing a rum cake and these super cool turkeys made out of butter!  Aren't these the cutest!?!  The rum cake was a hit too by the way!

The day after Thanksgiving we had the opportunity to visit the Hagley Museum in Montchanin, Delaware.  If you have never heard of this museum, join the club.  It is on the grounds of the first du Pont family home and gardens.  The museum houses the largest collection of American Patent models.  In addition to the models, it houses an impressive collection of manuscripts, archives, etc documenting the history of American business and technology.  If you are ever in the area I highly recommend it.

Sadly, the weekend went by too fast.  Now were are speeding headlong into Christmas!  

Someone missed us over the Thanksgiving Break!  

Well maybe not.

Last thing before we exit November.  Jim went for a run after we got back and had a run-in with a dog.  This is his SECOND dog bite.  He did not think the dog actually made contact with his leg.  He was wrong.  He did not get any information on the dog.  I am sure the dog owner is relieved since dog bites have to be registered.  Hopefully he will be more careful and maybe the third time he will follow the proper protocol.