November!

Well, the last day of my favorite month has come upon us, sadly.  It was a really fun month with beautiful weather and lots of good times.  We started the month out right with the beautiful feast day of All Saints, and then had a nice and busy weekend with Anna's tennis lesson, family photo session with the super talented Ms. Karen (who also happens to be our wonderful neighbor), a gymnastics birthday party for Anna, and taking care of Lily and Nina's rabbit on Saturday, then a fun lunch with Grandma and Grandpa F. and another photo session for Erin for ballet on Sunday! 





Erin is going to audition for a 2-week summer intensive ballet camp next year and needed to get photos taken.  The following week, Bob had a combo trip to Boston and Toronto and saw a little bit of snow while he was up north!  We girls had a busy but routine week with school and the usual activities, plus my book club on Monday night.  Erin had a sick day on Thursday, but was back to feeling like herself pretty quickly.

That weekend, we had a great time with family hiking/fishing at Bass Lake on Saturday, and Grandma A. came up to visit on Sunday!  We put her right to work moving furniture for the painting project!  We also all enjoyed a really good steak dinner at the Angus Barn, thanks to Ms. Karen who treated us for caring for her cats and plants while she was out of town in October.  They had their Christmas decorations up there, so we really enjoyed that as well.  Monday, Bob had a day trip to New York, then was home Tuesday and then spent the rest of the week in San Francisco.  I had fun at a neighborhood ladies' night at a sign painting place in Fuquay, and otherwise we had the usual activities.  The painters arrived on Friday and worked that day, Saturday, and the following Monday painting most all of the downstairs (minus the dining room and office, plus both stairwells and upstairs hallway.  It looks so much cleaner and is really wonderful!  After a long debate, we went with a light gray (Agreeable Gray) that the painter recommended.  It was lighter than the decorator suggested, but we (admittedly Gina) didn't want to go too dark in such a large area.  It is subtle, but definitely a change for the better.  They also patched all the holes in the walls and window trim, so we are starting with a clean slate...almost like a new house!

Finley was less than thrilled with the painters invading his house, and the timing was not good with two of the three days that they were here being rainy, but it worked out fine.  He got lots of car time and we camped out in the bonus room when we were home.  I went to a day-long autism seminar in Durham on Saturday and learned a lot, and Bob left Sunday afternoon for a week in San Diego.  After he left, Erin and I took Finley for a hike at Crowder park and Anna went to play with Enzo and Luke.

The week of the 18th was otherwise fairly uneventful...Erin's music class cantored at school mass that Thursday and did a wonderful job!  Anna and Nina earned some money in their spare time after school, selling 3 kinds of trail mix:



We had a busy weekend with having dog friend Ruby over for 3 days, Ms. Mona's 90th birthday party, lots of light fixture changing out, Erin had Olivia's sleepover party, and Anna got to play with neighbor friend Caitlin while we went out for happy hour with Caitlin's parents and Ms. Kate.  Having Ruby over kept Finley very busy! 



Sunday, Anna went to play at her friend Caroline's house after church and we all did some yard work.

The last week of the month was a short one with just two days of school.  Then we had our first-ever Thanksgiving at home with just the four of us because my family was in Indiana and Pam and John were heading to the beach.  We had a great time fixing our favorite foods (determined by a Google Form) and cooking together! 





Friday, we avoided the stores but instead got started on Christmas decorations since Thanksgiving was so late this year.  We got a tree and also played in the backyard and had a fire in the fire pit.  Saturday, Bob set up the nativity at church and we girls ventured to Walmart and painted some pottery.  Then, we finished decorating and had a yummy pizza dinner at home and are currently hoping the Wolfpack can manage to beat Carolina - while we have no hope for a bowl this year, we are hoping to keep UNC away from one by beating them tonight.



In between the regular school, dance, piano, dog walking, chores, errands, carpool, tennis, work trips, appointments, homework, volunteering, meetings, and everything else that comes up, we have slowly been trying to get the house back in order post-painting and work on redecorating.  We did order a new rug for the living room, and I've been busy trying to sell off or give away the old stuff.  It's never easy to know what to do!

That was November!  It was, as always, a gorgeous month with lots of family fun.  Now we have a jam-packed few weeks until Christmas...maybe the condensed season will be a good thing...or, will it just make it crazier?!?

September

Well, September was supposed to be fall, but it sure felt like more summer!  The beginning of the month was Labor Day weekend, and we enjoyed cat-sitting for Liz and David’s cats and going to the neighborhood end-of-summer pool party on Monday with Sarah in tow.  Tuesday was my first time back volunteering in the cafeteria since getting Finley, and it was so much fun as always!  Wednesday was back-to-school night where I got to hear more about the school year ahead.  Thursday the 5th was an unexpected day off due to Hurricane Dorian, which ended up not causing any issues here - just some damage off the outer banks area.  Erin saw Ms. Amy for reading practice while Anna and I took Finley for a hike at Middle Creek Park.





Friday was back to school on a 2-hour delay and the usual dance runs.  Saturday we watched some Wolfpack football and had a fun dinner out with Liz and David.

The following week was pretty standard with the main excitement being Finely chewing up Anna’s glasses.  We were able to replace the frames the next day since they had them in stock, and she made do for about a week until the new lenses came in.  Oh, Finley!  Friday the 13th was picture day and I enjoyed helping with that in the afternoon.  Saturday, I had a really fun trip to Charlotte with my friend Amy who I don’t get to see nearly often enough.  We drove there in the afternoon, had dinner downtown and enjoyed a fun comedy show by Jennifer Fulwiler at the Blumenthal.  Then we had some yummy dessert and snacks and stayed the night at the nice new AC Hotel at the Epicenter.  Sunday we tried out St. Peter for mass and then had breakfast at Amelie’s before heading home.  It was a great time, and all went well at home.

Bob went to Chicago for part of the following week, and otherwise not much was out of the ordinary until Friday evening when Bob and the girls headed to Indian Beach straight from dance class to stay at our neighbor dog friend Ruby’s condo for the weekend!  I, sadly, went to a mom friend Courtney’s visitation that night and funeral Saturday morning.  She had been fighting cancer for many years.  After the funeral, I drove to the beach and we had a lot of fun at the pool (cold water!), game room, picnic on the beach for dinner, and then church Sunday morning before the girls and I headed back for the dance school’s holiday cabaret auditions.  Sadly, neither Erin nor Anna got cast this year, but we are looking on the bright side of having Sundays free this fall!  Bob stayed behind at the condo to clean up before heading back.  Finley had a nice 30 hours at the kennel that weekend.











The girls were off on Monday the 23rd for a teacher workday, so we took advantage of that by getting them their flu shots.  Then we played at home with Laney until taking Laney and Erin to their piano lessons that afternoon.  Bob went to Atlanta that week, and we had the usual activities.  Saturday, Anna resumed tennis after a monthlong hiatus due to the coach’s and our travel, and then Erin had friends Olivia and Vera over to play in the afternoon.  After Vera went home, Olivia and Erin went to the pool and then we all (including Finley) went to Olivia’s house for a fun dinner.  Finley had the best time playing with Ginger!  Sunday, the girls and I, plus Laney and Joey, went to the pool for one last swim of the year before it closed, and then we all had a yummy Mexican dinner.

So, that was September!  As I write this, it is October 2nd and is still around 90 degrees.  We have promise of cooler weather starting on Friday, so I cannot wait!  October is going to be as fun as always with Erin’s birthday and Halloween coming up!

April!

April was a great month of spring/pollen before the heat sets in!  The first week was fairly routine with Bob going to Boston and the usual schedule for us ladies (and Finley).  Anna went to the zoo on Monday the 1st, and I was able to go as a chaperone.  It was a gorgeous day and we had so much fun!  We had the last fish fry of the season on Friday the 5th, and it was delicious as ever.  Everything seemed to run smoothly as well!  Anna had a play date on Saturday morning, and the girls had a mock recital for piano and voice that afternoon.  We had a fun dinner with Olivia’s family here on Sunday.

The next week was more of the same, plus one of my book clubs and we ladies went to the school spring musical that Friday night in a crazy downpour while Bob worked at a crawfish boil at church.  The show was really great and both girls are planning to take the musical theater elective in middle school so they can participate too!  Saturday, we had a fun visit from Grandma A., plus the annual piano/voice recital that evening.  The girls both did a wonderful job, and it is always so much fun to see the kids perform.  I love watching the high school kids who have been training for years and have such incredible talent.  We all tried out a new restaurant near us, the Eggs Up Grill, for lunch after church.

Monday the 15th was the 4th grade Spanish Fiesta, which was lots of fun!  The kids performed some songs in Spanish and we had delicious treats that families made and brought in.  We had made pink sugar cookies which were yummy too!  Anna had a Charlotte’s Web party on Wednesday the 17th which involved a pancake breakfast while the kids watched the movie.  Thursday was a half day of school, followed by Anna getting her feet washed at the Holy Thursday mass.  We spent a stormy Good Friday at home and worked on a 1000-piece puzzle that Grandma let us borrow.

Happy Easter on the 21st!  The bunny managed to get by Finley and brought some candy, books, and gift cards for everyone.  The girls were off the week after Easter, but we still had activities and had the puppy to contend with, so we didn’t go anywhere.  We stayed busy with puppy class (graduation!), walking Murphy, play date for Anna at Defy trampoline park, voice lesson, ballet for Erin, Caroline Manning over to play, my piano and Erin’s piano (all lessons this week were at Ms. Margaret’s beautiful new house!) a fun visit with Enzo and Luke, book club, sleepover for Anna, and a fun day with Sarah on Friday including an outing to the dance store, Moe’s, and Goodberry’s!  It was a very fun week and we enjoyed having some down time together and a taste of the summer ahead.

The last two days of the month were just the usual, and that was it!  May is heating up already and we are looking forward to a busy month with birthdays, recitals, and end of year madness!

March!

Well, March flew by!  We spent the month getting to know Finley and working on training him...which is a work in progress for sure.



The first weekend of the month was busy with chores, dance, Bob had an inurnment, and we had Liz and David over for a fun pizza dinner.  Bob went to San Jose for work the following week and we ladies (and Finley) held down the fort.  He started his 6-week puppy class that Monday, and it has been going well.  He is listening better and has learned a few commands.  We are far from trained, though!  Bob got back Thursday night in time for the first fish fry of the season on Friday, which was a success  and very delicious.

The weekend of the 9th was nice -we helped at church with the food pantry drive and had Grandma and Grandpa F. Over to meet Finley on Sunday.  Bob was on the road again to Chicago the following week.  Anna had a follow-up on her arm on the 11th and got the all-clear that the fracture had healed!  Yay!  It was parent observation week in dance, so I enjoyed watching all 4 dance classes.  That weekend wasn’t too busy, so we enjoyed hanging out at home and wearing Finley out.

The next week was fairly uneventful, with the second fish fry that Friday after a half day of school.  Other than a minor technical glitch, all went well again.  Saturday we had dance picture day which was a big hit with the girls.





They then both went to Enzo’s birthday party that evening and had lots of fun!  We had another treat on Sunday when the girls and I went to a Sleeping Beauty tea party at Triangle Academy of Dance.  It was so much fun to eat treats with friends Melanie and Jillian and watch the beautiful dancers, including our friend Bridget!



We enjoyed some s'mores on a warm evening that Sunday.



Both girls were off Monday the 25th for a long weekend, so they got to go to puppy class and then we went to see the new Lego 2 movie.  Erin was only off on Tuesday and we had Olivia over to play while the younger siblings were at school.  They were busy writing a book, baking a cake, and painting.  It was a fun day!  Bob was in Orlando this week for sales kickoff and got back in time on Thursday for me to go to one of my book clubs, and I also got to go to another one on Friday.  It was nice to get out a little bit after so many weeks being in puppy-land.

Saturday the 30th, Anna and I went to Concord after dance for a fun little trip to meet baby Vinnie!  He is so sweet and perfect and we are so happy for Dale, Maria, Cole, and Cooper!  It was great to get back for a little visit and see everyone.  Erin had to stay back for a dance class and we weren’t ready to take Finley anyway, so Bob held down the fort here.




So, March was a pretty great month.  We are thankful to be healthy and are looking forward to Easter, spring, and then summer fun!  We have been trying to come up with a short spring break trip but haven’t yet.  Hopefully something will end up working out!

February!

February was a great month, with the highlight by far being welcoming our new puppy Finley to our family!  A few other things happened, too...

We had a super fun weekend in Concord over the 2nd-3rd for Ansley's birthday!  The girls had a great time at her friend party on Saturday night, and we had a fun family lunch on Sunday for her, too.  The following week was fairly routine with all of the usual activities.  Erin had a short-lived stomach issue on Tuesday night that bought her a day off of school on the 6th, but she was still able to go to ballet.  The girls hand a busy day on Saturday the 9th, beginning with piano/voice mock recitals, watching Ruby, modern dance class for Anna, roller skating party for Natalie's birthday for Anna, and then, the culmination of the day, the annual Daddy-Daughter/Sweetheart dance at school!  They had dinner with Olivia's family and then partied hard.  Olivia came over to stay with us after the dance, which made it even more fun!





Bob went to San Francisco the following week and we ladies had a fun week with the third grade Valentines' party, Valentines Day, and a dress down day on Friday.  We also helped check on neighbor friend Ms. Mona while the rest of her family was in Disney World, and we got to know Sniffles, their new guinea pig, as well.  We had a fun reunion lunch at Ruckus with Praveen and Sushma and their beautiful girls, Shreeya and Sneha.  It was so great to see them while they were in town!  Erin and Anna were off on the 18th-19th for Winter Break, which was nice.  Anna and I enjoyed a fun outing to the DPAC to see Charlie and the Chocolate Factory on Sunday night.

We went bowling with Ellen, Sawyer, and Dawson on Monday and then met Daddy at Saving Grace to meet Mr. Finley (formerly known as Kansas) and all of his brothers and sisters, plus lots of other dogs!  We had so much fun playing with the dogs and decided that Finley would come home with us.  We had a celebratory dinner at Moes and then a shopping spree at Petco.  He was ready to go on Tuesday, so Bob picked him up after work while we ladies handled the activities and borrowed a crate from a neighbor, since ours hadn't arrived and he was ready to come home sooner than expected!

He was so happy and excited to come to our house, and made himself right at home with his toys and his dog bed.  He did great other than going in the crate for the first several days.  Each night got better, and then we moved him to his bigger crate and started putting his dog bed in there with him, and life has gotten much better.  He now sleeps 8 hours most nights and is not even in a rush to get up in the mornings!  He loves to be held and likes to stay warm.  He is doing very well with the potty training and is (we think) very smart, attentive, and alert.



My schedule has been very different in the 2-1/2 weeks that we have had him.  I'm trying to only have him in the crate for 2 times a day, around 2 hours at a time.  So, that means pretty much taking the girls to school and running and errand or going to the gym in the mornings, then school pickup + one activity run.  We are getting into a new routine and it is working out pretty well.  I do miss helping in the cafeteria and recess, but hopefully I will be able to get back to that fairly soon.  A lot of my days have involved holding him, cleaning up potty messes, walking him, and generally puppy-sitting.  It is a lot of work, but I hear it goes fast and is worth it because we can train him how we want from the beginning.  Time will tell!

Finley is growing very fast - he gained a pound in his first week with us, and we can tell that he is taller, longer, and heavier!  The rescue and the vet both project around 40-50 pounds, so he shouldn't be a giant dog (hopefully).  We did a dog DNA test on him and are eagerly awaiting the results.  He was grazing on his food but is now eating more regular meals, which has helped the potty situation as well.  He had his first vet visit on Friday the 22nd and all checked out great.  He did not appreciate the 2 shots that he had to get, though.

Anyway, the rest of his first week home was kind of a blur, and then we had a nice weekend with some beautiful weather on Sunday, which included zip-tying a plastic mesh to the fence so he couldn't get through it.  Once that was done, he was very happy to have freedom in the backyard!  We will remove the mesh once he's a little bigger.  Grandma and Grandpa A. came to visit him on Saturday, and we had a really fun time playing with Finley, eating spaghetti, and playing Life.

Anna enjoyed a gamer party at Mateo's house on Sunday the 24th, and the last week of the month was basically the usual.  I enjoyed parent participation week for voice and piano lessons, and Bob was busy preparing for the annual fish fries with the Knights, and he also got to go to Jimmy's Cub Scout meeting on Thursday to help him learn how to use knives while Tom was traveling and Pam was sick.

The last day of the month saw more excitement as Anna was found to have a fractured the end of her radius in her elbow!  She had fallen in PE the week or two before and was complaining on and off that it was hurting her, and then tripped and fell again on Wednesday the 27th.  We went to a very nice orthopedic urgent care on the 28th, and they indeed saw a tiny fracture on the x-ray.  She got a neat brace made of this stuff called Orthoglass that he got wet and molded to the underside of her arm and dried in the shape of her arm.  It is wrapped with Ace bandages, and she is to wear it in a sling at school or when being active.  She is also supposed to elevate the arm as much as possible.  We go back on Monday the 11th and hope to graduate to the sling only for 2-3 more weeks if all looks good.  She has been doing fine with it and is able to do almost everything that she usually does except for some of her modern dance and PE class, but that is just fine with her!  She is still able to continue her weekly dog-walking gig, and Finley has joined us the past 2 walks.





So, February was quite eventful for us!  It was a good month and we are looking forward to watching Finley grow and learn to listen better (hahaha!).  He is definitely teething and gets wild and crazy in the evenings, which the Internet tells us commonly happens to puppies when they get overtired and overstimulated, like babies/toddlers.  This is all coming back to me from the kids!  He is also very social with people and is getting more brave in meeting new dogs.  We are working hard to socialize him so he will be friendly with everyone (well, humans and dogs...any other animal is on their own).

Happy March!