Hat Day

Today's Show and Share assignment was to wear your favorite hat. So of course what'd we wear? Yep! 

Drew joined in the fun by making his head crazy too, with the help of a little a static electricity! 

Snow Much Fun!

So far it's been a bummer of a Virginia winter, mostly cold with no snow. Some time in early December there was a promise of snow and Evan talked me into buying a sled... But the promise went unfulfilled and the sled sat in the shed.

Finally, it actually snowed! We only got about 4", nothing compared to WI, but it was enough to play in! We got the boys early from school, finally cut the tags off our new snow pants, and ran to the little hill behind our house. Evan quickly mastered the "run & slide" and Drew enjoyed getting pushed down. We only lasted about half an hour before Drew's fingers were freezing and it was getting dark, but the boys were in absolute heaven. Yay, snow!

Go Hoos Go!

Another Saturday in January, another Virginia basketball game (and win)! Our seats are with some of our favorite people, so the kids are more than entertained the whole time. The Hunts are super fun to play with, and Connor and Evan bounce along with with the student section until they can't possibly have any bounce left, and Drew is teaching our new friend EJ all the cheers, in between exploring each other's bags of toys.

Connor and Drew 

Please please please throw a ball or tshirt here!! (Never happens, but we still try)

"Can I take your order?" 

EJ is cool with Cav Man... 

While my boys hid under the seats. 

Intently watching the game... Or the dancing girls. Not sure which. 

After day games we are lucky enough to be able to head back to the practice gym, where families wait for the players and coaches to exit the locker room and say hi. The gym always has several of our big and little friends in there, and, being a practice gym, of course has at least 8 hoops and an endless supply of basketballs to play with. They boys never want to leave, but after 45 minutes of non stop running and playing, they can barely walk to the car they're so tired. 

Another awesome day at the arena- Go Hoos! 

Toothless

Someone lost a tooth today! 

It's been wiggly for a week or so, and we've caught Evan playing with it occasionally. Today we were driving home from Duke, the kids were watching a movie, and somewhere in the middle if the Virginia freeway I hear, "Mommy, my toof is out!" 

Sure enough, I turn around and he's proudly holding a bloody little nugget in his hand and there's a big hole in his handsome little smile. 

We pocketed the tooth until that night when we could tuck it safely into our new tooth pillow, and the next morning found that the Tooth Fairy had left a whole $5! 

Duke

We took a somewhat spontaneous trip to North Carolina yesterday to watch the Hoos take on Duke at the storied Cameron Indoor Stadium. It's only a 3 hour trip, and while Mike has been there before, the rest of us couldn't miss the opportunity! Selling the trip to the boys only took three words: "hotel plus pool!" 

After a car ride that included more potty stops than we care to admit, most of them happening less than 6 minutes after we left a potty stop, we arrived and went to explore the campus. I don't know what I expected, but I wasn't quite prepared for how beautiful it was! All old stone and turrets and carvings and arches... And the cathedral!  Simply stunning. I wondered several times if it was the inspiration for Hogwarts. 

You'd never guess, but this is the basketball arena. 

Not many students outside in the cold for tonight's game, but some were camped out for the NEXT one! 

Just hanging out courtside during warm ups... No biggie. 

"Mommy, it's too LOUD!" And the game hasn't even started! 

Mike told me there wasn't any space, but this is unreal. Barely as wide as my shoes. Many apologies to Malcom Brogdon's parents who were so very gracious about my knees and the boys' feet constantly in their back! 

Tip off

So very close to our other favorite Evan. 

Check out the seats: literally only a handful of rows in each of two levels. And that's it... The ends don't go any higher either. So intimate, so tiny, so intimidating, and so loud! 

Game over. It was a REALLY close one... We'll get you next time, Coach K! 

Can you see the big huge tears? Drew realized we didn't win. "We not (sob) score enough (sob) points! I so sad (sob) for the players! (sob-wail)" 

As if the players' parents we were sitting with didn't feel bad enough about losing, now the loss made a kid cry! 

Panthers' First Game!

Evan joined the Panthers basketball team this year, through the Upward league. He's had several practices with Coaches Chris and Katie and the team of kindergarteners. (We talked the league into letting Evan play a year early, impressing them at tryouts with his level of athleticism and basketball knowledge. Yep- tryouts for kindergarten ball.) The Panthers' first game was today, bright and early across town at 9am, and I'm not sure Evan slept a wink last night. He was pretty nervous. 

The team, and Evan, did wonderfully! We were impressed by how most kids truly seemed to remember the rules. Pressing (guarding too close) and stealing were whistle-worthy, and big travels got a call from the ref. Evan got the Defense Star for his team, in recognition of a great job- he played tight defense and even caused a couple turnovers! 

Is it too early to start putting these clips into a highlight reel for Coach Tony??