Welcome to our World

With our Disney Cruise being canceled once again, it was time for Plan B. Long story short, I decided to take us all on a super relaxing field trip to Colonial America by staying in Williamsburg, VA and visiting the Jamestown Settlement, Historic Williamsburg, and Yorktown.  I knew it wouldn’t be 100% due to Covid restrictions but it looked safe enough and a place we could learn something while having a good time. First sign it wasn’t going to be the best trip ever: a phone call saying all evening programs (I had signed up for a ghost tour) were canceled until April. Bummer. Ok. Nothing to do at night. We could handle that. We didn’t do anything beside watch tv together in the Florida Keys and it was restful. Then I got a call saying the hotel with neat pool and splash pad and included continental breakfast wouldn’t be opening and they would upgrade us to the Williamsburg Lodge. Upgrade sounds good until you get there and realize not only is the outdoor pool across the street but i...

I really wasn’t feeling St. Patrick’s Day this year but decorated and prepared for our annual scavenger hunt to find gold (aka Rolos). Natalie was delighted to find notes from a leprechaun and green milk in the fridge. Turns out Danny and Michelle woke up early and noticed I hadn’t done usual tricks and did them for their little sister. I was delighted to see them be so thoughtful and relieved there was no disappointments to be had at our house that morning. What fun it is to see these children growing up. Bittersweet too, since sometimes I feel like I’m working my way out of my job a little ahead of schedule. The middle schoolers had online learning that day so it was no big deal to them but it was also crazy hair day at the elementary school. Michelle knew exactly what she wanted to do and barely needed any help while Natalie chose to have me make two braided buns and then use the red hair spray paint on them. At school pick up you could tell the school had a fun day by the energy th...

There has been a lot in the news about being one year since our part of the world shut down.  Bad things, good things and many differing opinions.  I think it is a great opportunity to be reminded of what is most important and be grateful for what we get to enjoy.  For example, while watching the Netflix show "Marriage or Mortgage" with Michelle and Natalie one episode touched on adoption while another touched on infertility.  I am so very grateful for the children that are in my home.  Much like the pandemic, they each have their different view about having me as their mom but I am so very grateful for them.  While on the topic of shows, we have been loving WandaVision, Secrets of the Zoo: Tampa, Nadyia Bakes, and The Repair Shop while watching movies such as the original 101 Dalmatians.  Somehow I also got sucked into Dawson's Creek while I clean the house because I knew friends who watched it 20 years ago.  Is it sad that it's so fun for me to ...

In February we were kept busy getting ready for volleyball tournaments (one canceled, one not), basketball games (which were played even when Hubby had to drive our boy an hour in the snow in sub-zero temperatures), and a dance performance in hopes of being able to compete in March. The second two basketball games I got to watch Danny play instead of sitting at home on Zoom and it was soooo much better!  We did have to watch Kate play via Facebook Live and that platform and the fact they stay on their side of the court was easier to enjoy when not able to be there yourself. Since Michelle's performance was just the two hip hop teams at her dance studio, both Hubby and I got to attend while my mom kindly offered to babysit.  Now that's definitely my preferred way to watch. When not taking children to practices and classes and tutoring we ended up fixing a lot of things around the house -- mostly things that the dogs had ruined.  We replaced blinds in the dinning room and u...

For Hubby's birthday my parents divided and conquered the babysitting by keeping the two dogs at their house with my dad and the four children at our house with my mom.  Hubby and I headed to Denver and failed to complete our Cuban Crisis mission at Escapology before eating at the 5280 Burger Bar.  There is no one else I would rather fail or succeed in life with!  We stayed overnight at The Brown Palace, which opened in 1892 and has hosted celebrities like the Beatles, Molly Brown, Charles Lindbergh, and Helen Keller, royals from Russia and Romania and Sweden in the 1920s, and politicians like Dr. Sun Yat-Sen, Bill Clinton and Boris Yeltsin.  And not to leave sports out, the Brown Palace also claims to be the birthplace of the Denver Broncos since the first meetings to discuss a Denver team were held in the very fancy lobby.  During Hubby's fancy birthday breakfast the next morning we got a phone call saying that our son had been at his very first Young Men's ac...