Fly Eagles Fly

Are you an Eagles fan? Well, I wasn't really a FULL fan, but I am right now. Eddie has a client who plays for the Eagles and we went up this past weekend for a game. It was a big game- a playoff game, which was super cool. Even better: the Eagles WON and are advancing.... boys would like to believe they are going back this weekend. They aren't. But good thinking.

Here is a look at our trip (and WAY too many pictures... but got to document it, you know??):

We left after school on Friday and headed up towards DC. Eddie's sister lives there so we broke up the trip by staying with her the first night.

 The drive up to DC was so much easier than we were anticipating. The boys were so so good and we hit very little traffic, which was amazing.

As soon as we arrived, Andy had incredible success in the bathroom (I only share that here because y'all know it all when it comes to that!). We were beyond thrilled that he got that taken care of so we (read: I) wouldn't have to take him to the potty a  million and ten times during the game.

 The boys were excited about sleeping in CBs big ol' bed with her.... they stayed up too late, but slept pretty well.

They each got rubics cubes for Christmas and I swear to you, they have never played with a toy more. Are these making a comeback lately? I have seen them everywhere recently. Cal can solve one side (but not the others....yet). Not exaggerating when I say they played with these the entire trip. Literally. 

 We drove into Philly Saturday morning. That was around a 2.5 hour drive and it wasn't bad either. No traffic and boys were good!

Our room wasn't ready upon check in, but they did have a room with a king sized bed and a pull out couch. Fine, we will take it... we were anxious to check in and change clothes before the game (which didn't start until 4:30, but we (read: eddie) felt the need to get there wayyyyy early. SO we took this room and it was pretty amazing. There was a kitchen and a living room and then the bedroom. It was nice. And the view was good too. 

 We chilled for a bit before getting ready for the game.

 Here is my big fail. Eddie got the call from Alshon (his player) that we were going to be in his suite during the game. That was HUGE because it was supposed to be beyond cold during the game. So I dressed the boys in sweatpants, longsleeved shirts and their jackets- didn't think we would need much else because we would be inside. I packed hats and gloves and called it good.

Eddie and I were layered up, but we left the mega layers back in the hotel room...

 (and took our pic....)

It was hot in our hotel room and hot in the uber on the way to the game....

We got to see Alshon on the banner!

So, we soon were NOT hot when we got out of the uber and into the WIND and the cold. We went to pick up our tickets and had to wait (we were that early....) for them to be brought over. 

 Once we got the tickets, we saw we had sideline passes for before the game, which was BEYOND awesome.

 Heading in.....

 the sidelines were so so cool.... and SO SO cold! This is where the fail comes in.... had I known we were going to be down there, I would have layered them up more, or bundled them more. It was COLD down there and the wind was blowing SO hard.

Alshon wasn't warming up yet, so we went up to the concourse for a hot chocolate to warm everyone up. Poor Andy was sharking profusely.  He was happy with the hot chocolate though!

We warmed up an bit and then went back on the field- everyone had to clear off at 30 mins prior to kick. With about 40 seconds to spare, Alshon looked over and saw us and came running over to see the boys: it was SO cool!

 I didn't fan girl out of anything, but when he came over, everyone around us was screaming his name- like the other people on the sidelines, the people in the stands behind us- everyone.... but it was like he didn't even hear them. He came over and shook both boys hands and took pictures and gave me a huge hug. It was really nice of him.

Alshon Jeffery #17! Eddie has known him a while but this was our first time meeting him and he could not have been nicer.

After our hellos with Alshon, we ran up to get in the suite- we were thinking it would  be nice and toasty warm.... but they had the windows open....! There was a small little heater in there, but it was far from where we were. The boys sat in the front of the box and got some popcorn to take in the start of the game. 

 The view was beyond beautiful.

Andy came and sat with me on the couch (there were TVs in there!) to warm up for a bit. They shut one of the windows so it was warming up in the room.

Cal was in heaven. 

 I don't really know who these guys are, but they are famous football players. Cal could recite their stats. I was told to take this picture, so I did. (Andy's smile has gone haywire lately.... what in the world)

Finally the windows were closed! We moved at halftime to the front row of the suite, which was a GREAT way to watch the game!

 It was an AMAZING game and Alshon had some GREAT catches, and thankfully, the Eagles won! They are one step closer to the super bowl! CRAZY.

After the game, we met up with Alshon again and he took the boys on the field-

He asked a guy to take a picture of all five of us- how sweet is that?!

 He was nice enough to drive us home after all of this- side note, as we were driving, a car next to us spotted Alshon driving and started screaming and then held out the camera to take his picture. I thought Andy was going to die. He thought it was the funniest thing ever!

The next morning, we killed some breakfast. Andy ate and ate and ate- breakfast is his meal I think

We showered and checked out of the hotel and walked around a bit before deciding we needed a Philly Cheesesteak. #wheninPhilly....? 

 These were SO so so so good.... As I mentioned, I am doing weight watchers- and this is why I love it so much.... because I knew I wanted to have one of those (and the 17 points it cost me...) so I budgeted the rest of the day! Boom! I went over by a few points, but I was under a few days prior so it all balances out. Shall I continue to justify???? nahhh

After lunch, we went over to Alshon's house for a bit to watch some of the next game with him. Who are these children, hanging out in his house like they own the place?!?!

 Finally, we headed back to DC where we spent the night (CB had to fit in the middle of the bed below....).

 And then on Monday we headed on home! It was really a great weekend and a lot of fun. Andy needed to draw a picture on the way home... or something. He was working hard.

It was an amazing experience for the whole family to get to do that together. Watching football is something we enjoy doing as a family- so when we get to involve traveling while watching, it is even better.


Thankful for this time with these males.... although, I swear they are stinkier than they used to be.

PS- y'all pull for the Eagles now, k??


 

Random Thoughts for a Thursday

A totally random dump of stuff:

1. People have been asking about Andy's tummy situation. Yes, it is still bad. It's our new norm, I guess. We are used to it. He is going about once every 5-9 days. And it's a painful experience when he does go. And he resists going.  We have an appointment at the end of the month where they run a series of tests on *that* area of him to see how it functions. This will hopefully determine what he has going on and the course of action. Again, I would never wish for a diagnosis for my child, but I would love some answers so we know where to go from here.

2. Cal is still swimming on his year round team and Andy is starting this month too. Eeek. I wasn't sure Andy even wanted to, but he brought it up and then Cal was so excited about it. I am happy for them, and look forward to watching both boys swim. HOWEVER, I have a huge amount of anxiety over Andy's tummy issues. I know, I know. But parents aren't allowed on deck during practices and I am so worried he will be struggling (swimming really gets things moving...) and then down there on deck in pain. Fingers crossed it is a positive experience for him. He told me he can't wait to learn how to flip turn because he wants to swim 50s. There is a meet at the end of January and we are hopeful to have both boys swim in it. For real, I might pack some airplane bottles for that meet. I am nervous just writing about it. Of course, the boys totally aren't.

3. I have shelled up some serious funds this week on the little people in this house. Well, on me too. On Monday I had to buy new tires.... which just stings because they aren't even pretty. I signed the boys up for baseball for the spring, which ain't cheap and then I signed Andy up to swim...also not cheap. Sheesh! Good thing I make so much money teaching preschool. (said no preschool teacher ever in this history of preschool teachers). We've lucked out in the past and boys were on the same baseball team... this was HUUUUUGE. This year, they have aged out of that, so I will have 4ish practices a week and 2-3 games a week.... at least. ohmigah. Plus swim. Plus golf when that starts.

4. Eddie gave me an apple watch for Christmas and I love it. Like a lot of love. I had one before and didn't care for it that much- I mean, it was great and all, but I cracked it immediately and didn't think it was very durable. I am totally loving the new one- tracking my workouts alone is huge.

5. We are going to Philadelphia this weekend for the Eagles playoff game. We are driving. Are we crazy? I think maybe we are. We are breaking the trip up with a stop off in DC to visit Eddie's sister. I love a good adventure. Maybe we will call it that. It's going to be cold though, huh? I think I saw the high is 30. Burrrrrrr.....

6. I am forming a team to play tennis again in the spring and I am obsessing over it. It's annoying. Well, I am annoying myself. I am just super excited to play and can't wait for the season to start (which also means warmer weather...!). I find myself thinking about tennis and this team constantly. I really enjoy playing so I am excited to get back out there and play more. I love doubles, but maybe I'll challenge myself and play singles a few times too.

7. I am in a book rut right now. I love reading and I love tracking them all on here, but right now I am just kind of blah about books. I have nothing I am super excited to read, and lately, I have been exhausted at night so when I get in bed to read, I just crash. Do any of y'all have any books to recommend for me? I am reading one right now that I just started and need to get in to. Maybe this weekend I will have some time to read in the car.

8. I don't know what's wrong with me, but I've been missing Hank like crazy lately. He died over a year ago (in December...) but it's been stinging lately. While I was getting tires on Monday, I got my nails done. I sat in the chair and opened facebook while I waited on the girl to come over. I read a post about a dog dying (and this girl's dog looks exactly like Hank- I have often wondered if they were from the same litter, they look so similar.....). She wrote the whole post and I am scrolling through reading it as the girl sits and starts filing my nails, etc.... well she is sitting about 18 inches from my face and I feel the tingle behind my eyes.... then I feel my nose start to run. Then my chin is quivering. Y'all I start crying- really, ugly-faced crying, sitting across from this woman! And she is holding one hand and the other is under the dryer thingy so I can't wipe my tears or my nose- hahahahah I can laugh about it now, but at the time, sitting there with snot dangling off the end of my nose I was pretty pathetic.  Anywho.... I miss my Hankers. And a friend from Winston texted me today; they just discovered her dog is covered in cancerous masses and doesn't have long to live. Hank and this dog, Aspen, were the best of buds when we lived there. We had play dates constantly and walked them every single day after school- ahhh the days before children. I got her text and started crying as I was typing my response. Then I couldn't stop. Losing a pet is HARD.

9. Weight Watchers is calling again. I went and weighed in today and restarted my account. It works for me and I need it right now. The holidays were not kind to my waste line. I can't diet, so this is helpful to me. Ed and I are going on a trip in March and I need to be this size when we go hahaha I have a goal in mind, so that is fun. I decided to take advantage of the New Year's specials right now. Any one else dieting??

10. That's all I got, but I can't NOT end on 10. Because that would be weird.

Happy MLK weekend, friends!


 

Back to school....but not really.

Tuesday the 2nd, these sweet children of mine were to return to school to gain knowledge (and stop arguing). They had a 2 hour delay because it's cooooold out there. To be fair, I totally get and appreciate this. I have seen babies waiting for buses at 6:15 without coats on when it is 12 degrees out. It's not okay, so I will take your delayed start. Wednesday, the kids were released an hour early due to weather coming, and then they were canceled Thursday and Friday. We received a call Sunday afternoon saying all systems were GO for on time school on Monday. I am throwing up a prayer right now that everyone is safe because there are still some roads that are SLICK. Please let no bus hit those icy spots....!

ANYWAY, here's a look at the past few days for us. I haven't taken many pictures, but still...

 I think I hit a record for not washing my hair. It was bad. But I lived with a beanie on my head. Woke up and put it on and kept it on alllll day. I got this one for Christmas and love it.

Bruce found a golf ball and thought it was great. I freaked out. 

 We did do a little bit of reading over this long break (not as much as we should have....). Bruce enjoyed it.

Thursday of the snowmagedon, Andy and I built quite a castle. He was proud.

I kept them in the house until 8:45, and then they were gone. Off. Didn't want to be inside another second.

Cal just about ran out in his shorts before I grabbed him to put on pants.

 Then he sprinted out, and forgot his gloves. He was ever so grateful when Eddie ran them out to him.

 The neighborhood buddies had a fun time (seeing this picture I am realizing we are missing that yellow sled...hmmmm)

Bruce loves the snow. LOVES it. Sits at the window crying to go out he loves it so much. This snow was the wet kind that would form balls in his paws that I had to pick out every time we came back in. 

I don't even know.

 Waking up and having a lazy morning in a robe- watching the birds, haha

He made some legos (completely all by himself.... normally I have to assist....a lot.... this was ALL him)

 That book Cal started must be pretty good.....

 Saturday morning I had a MUCH needed hair appointment. Y'all it was bad! I got over 3 inches cut off and the color helped ;)

Cal had a family history project that was due Monday. We worked on it this weekend and I thought I would cry. I can teach 900 8th graders any day of the week, but it is HARD teaching your own kid! ha! Part of the problem was our technology. We quickly realized all of our devices are way outdated and do not support PowerPoint software. So we created a project in pages, only to find out that teachers are unable to convert or open pages on their computers at school. So I tried to buy powerpoint and that wasn't happening either......
but he worked hard in the mean time:

 part of the project was creating a family tree.... he used this picture of me and Eddie and it makes me want to go somewhere warm and get a tan. Please.

 And this sweet little baby is CalBoy at one month... tugging at my heart strings!!!!

Today, we will be back at it, knocking stuff off the to do list that never got done last week with shortened days!

Crazy it is going from single digit temps to 65 degrees this week....! Welcome to NC, I guess.......


 

Post Christmas at the beach

Last year at the beach, I posted pictures of the boys swimming in the ocean (in wetsuits). Two years ago, I posted pictures of us on a boat ride in shorts. Every year, I post pictures of us paddleboarding.

Not this year. It was C-O-L-D at the beach. I am not just talking chilly, but like 20 degrees with a wind chill of 7 every day. That kind of cold. The kind of cold that you just don't want to leave your house.

We made the most of it and had a fun time, even if it wasn't ideal weather. Crappy weather at the beach is better than most weather anywhere else, I'd say.

We did a whole lot of lounging, which was nice. We even took Cal's x-box which is like sacrilegious to me - the beach should be a break from that thing. But I will go on the record to say I am so so glad we did. It was too cold outside. Did I mention that?

Eddie and the boys decided to do a "polar bear plunge." I use that term loosely because they ran to my parents house, maybe 300 yards, and jumped in the HOT TUB, and then ran home. It was about 30 when they did this though. Here is Andy, ready to run:

 I bundled up in all the layers, took this picture and then high tailed it home. burrrr. But they were super cute:

 When they got home, they showered to warm up and then Andy perused a picture book by the fire.

One day, everyone was crawling the walls, so we went to a fun arcade/bowling place. They served beer.

 It was a perfect outing for all of us! Much needed!

See? Beer:

 Some of our CH friends were down at the beach too, so we coordinating meeting up with them. The kids all got along so well, which was great!

 A gorgeous sunset on the way home.

Mimi got a new vacuum while we were there and the boys found much entertainment with the box. It was such a good box that Andy begged to bring said box home with us. He colored the inside and called it his most favorite fort ever. 

 There is a marina in the neighborhood and some great climbing trees- the boys spent quite a while up in the trees.

They collected some "firewood" they were going to sell to neighbors. 

All that collecting is hard work. We came in and got comfy after dinner to watch all the football. 

And we fell asleep-

Bruce got closer and closer until he was nestled into Andy's foot. 

 Must not smell too bad...

 More snuggles the next morning. Bruce got a LOT of attention.

Back to check on the firewood. 

 Still there.

Eddie "bought" some of the fire wood and attempted a fire in the backyard. The wind was whipping though and it was way too cold out there. 

So we went to a bar with some friends instead. And on New Years Eve, we went over to a friends house from 4-9 to celebrate...and we were all asleep by 10:30! Not mad about it!

This was the sound as we were leaving: white capped and mad as hell. 

We came home on Monday, ready to send kids to school Tuesday, but there was a delay because of cold temps. They went on Wednesday and were released early because of imminent snow. They did not go on Thursday because of snow. And if I am a betting woman, they will not go on Friday because said snow will melt and then freeze. We shall see.