The Tooth Fairy came and went a total of 20 times visiting her for the last time two nights ago.

Her final baby tooth lost, her final Tooth Fairy Certificate received. 

Avery, Emerson, and Harper have been looking forward to the 3^rd Annual Neighborhood Baking Challenge hosted by the Goldmans since arriving home from last year’s event.  Although it’s a much-anticipated event, the girls generally don’t decide on their entry until the week of the event. 

Avery – This year she decided on Oreo Dream, a chocolate cake with Oreo buttercream.  It was delicious, beautiful, and professional looking.  She nailed it and I, along with several others, honestly thought she would win first place.

Emerson – Emerson decided on a lovely sponge cake with orange buttercream frosting. I’m not sure Emerson has ever had a sponge cake, but that is what she decided.  The sponge cake was good, though sponge cake in general is nothing special.  However, it was light, fluffy, and paired with the orange buttercream it was truly a lovely tasting and beautiful dessert.  Emerson used Justin’s suggestion of Orange You Glad I Didn’t Say Banana Cake!

Harper – Harper decided to ask Bob for the Norwegian Apple Pie recipe that came from his stepmom.  Harper devoured it when Bob and Cindy brought it over last year.  She also made it with Bob and Cindy last year as part of her Baptism gift.  The recipe was simple; the dessert absolutely gorgeous coming out of the oven with the sugar and cinnamon topping.  

Avery, Emerson, and I went to the actual event as Harper had a soccer game at the same time (Justin took her).  Kids and dessert were present in abundance.  All the kids did a fantastic job and I know they made the judges decisions hard.  Emerson won the Best Looking Dessert….it was said her cake was so beautiful and you could take it anywhere and it would stand out.  I knew she would get some award!  Avery to my disbelief did not place.  I really thought she along with Emerson and Harper would receive an award.  The first-place prize went to Harper!  I thought Harper’s was fantastic, but I wasn’t expecting a first-place prize for her (sorry Harper when you read this).  When she got home, Avery and Emerson told her she didn’t place…she quickly realized we were joking with her and was ecstatic when she ran up to her room and saw the first-place trophy on her bed!

The girls are looking forward to next year….though I think they are thinking about switching it up some for next year!

We have had 9 Easters in our house and it’s safe to say we have a general routine.  Not much has changed:  the girls on top of the stairs, a mad dash down the stairs to see what the Easter Bunny brought, church service, pictures in the same pose, and a backyard Easter egg hunt; with one exception…the size of the girls.  They used to be able to sit across three stairs.  Now they are a little more spread out….

Somewhat patiently awaiting the approval for the mad dash…

The Easter Bunny went very heavy on the candy this year….

Easter Service and the VPC Easter Egg Hunt…

Our family….Avery and Emerson only have less than 5 inches before they reach my height….

The yearly pose….

Ready set go….

The Easter Egg Hunt lasted much longer than in years past.  The girls said Daddy did a fantastic job hiding the eggs.  They weren’t as impressed with the candy selections in the eggs this year…more chocolate was the recommendation for next year and if jellybeans, at least good edible ones!

So for Easter 2024, do you think Avery and Emerson will be my height?

Baby, I’m from New York

Concrete jungle where dreams are made of

There’s nothing you can’t do

Now you’re in New York

These were the lyrics I was singing the entire few weeks leading up to our New York Trip.  Well maybe I was just getting every third work correct, but in my head I was in lockstep with Alicia Keys. 

The last few trips we made to New York were slightly too rushed, so we decided to go over Spring Break when we could stay a little longer; we went full on tourists this visit. We drove up on a beautiful Saturday morning to New Jersey and spent the afternoon with Russell, Mary, Michael, Caroline, Brenna, Frank, and my dad (he drove up separately making a surprise appearance). It was a great few hours visiting and celebrating birthdays (four of them in total)! Instead of spending the night at Russell and Mary’s, we opted to head into the city Saturday evening so that we could get to our excursions first thing Sunday morning. 

Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island:

Getting tickets to the crown or pedestal were hard to come by, so I opted for a tour with a guide.  Did we overpay?  Debatable…there was something very nice about not having to be on my phone charting the next direction and navigating from place to place.  The weather was very cold and windy the morning we went; ironic that Emerson and Harper both forgot their jackets for the trip!  Good thing I packed multiple for myself!  

The girls enjoyed both experiences; we all took in the history of Ellis Island and being able to see it first-hand helped envision not only the freedom that I originally visualized when thinking of Ellis Island, but also the poverty, families torn apart, arriving with having given everything up, not knowing the language, how scared and horrifying the situation really was. 

Observation Deck Top of the Rock at Rockefeller Center:

I chose Top of The Rock vs. Empire State Building as I felt reviews were slightly better for seeing the city in all four directions.  I had never experienced that view before and it was truly fantastic.

FAO Schwartz:

For many years, Justin and I went to the city, and I never felt the need to step inside a toy store, let alone this one.  Well, the store was right next to Rockefeller Center, so we popped in…why not, we were full on tourists this trip!  I am so glad we did; what a fantastic experience.  The girls were enthralled with so many amazing departments and items! 

Carriage Ride in Central Park:

As we sat on a rock in the beginning of Central Park, eating our One Dollar Pizza right by the Horse Drawn Carriages, we decided why not.  That way we could explore more of Central Park in a short time than by foot. Our tour guide was great, carriage ride fun, though it ended 10 minutes earlier than it should have and they attempted to overcharge us.  A great one time experience though. 

Broadway Show:

While seeing a Broadway show is an absolute NY tourist must, it was debatable for months as tickets for a family of five could run easily over $2,000.  For a family who hasn’t experienced any Broadway shows in the past and I couldn’t say with certainty if we were really into it, I wasn’t going to spend that type of money.  I would look for deals daily and finally decided on New York, New York, a new musical.  The girls loved it.  Of course, Avery and I had the man with the broadest shoulders in the theatre sitting directly in front of us. 

Chelsea Market:

I’m not sure I realized this was an all in-door market.  Definitely a cool spot and I liked all the various eating options for everyone; however, as much as I like those sort of eateries, I always find that I never actually purchase the food.  I find that I am so overwhelmed with all the options, that after roaming back and forth for awhile, I end up experiencing all the food and delicacies through my nose only.  We opted to eat at a sit-down restaurant, Friedmans. 

The High Line:

From Chelsea Market, we walked the High Line, a walking path over an old railroad track, to the Vessel.

The Vessel:

While the Vessel itself was closed for safety reasons, we were able to view it and explore Hudson Yards shops at the same time.

Hotel Giraffe:

We stayed for four nights at Hotel Giraffe, the intersection of Park and 26^th in NOMAD area…North of Madison.  Great location with excellent restaurants.  Quiet boutique hotel with great customer service and a small continental breakfast.  We opted for a suite with a king bed (Harper shared with us) and a pull-out sofa (Avery and Emerson reluctantly shared). With high ceilings and great use of space, the accommodations were fantastic and reasonably priced. 

Magnolia Bakery: 

I had eaten cupcakes from the original Magnolia Bakery pre-kids; since then, they have expanded into multiple locations including a small location in Hudson Yards Shops. The cupcake and the red velvet cheesecake were just as delicious as I remembered. 

Quick Chip:

Funny how when you are in search of an excellent bakery (as we were in attempting to find Passover dessert to bring back home with us), you can’t seem to find one, or one that works for various reasons.  We walked by Quick Chip as we were exiting Top of The Rock.  With no reviews, I purchased just one warm chocolate chip cookie for us all to share.  Not sure why there were no reviews on it; the cookie was truly fantastic…almost as good as Levain Bakery in my opinion. 

Friedmans:

Friedmans was the Jewish deli we ended up at while at Chelsea Market.  I had a tuna sandwich; it was good, though I would have preferred a corned beef sandwich; ironically one wasn’t on the menu. 

Dos Caminos:

Within 30 seconds of our hotel, this was a great choice for Saturday nights dinner.  We went to one of the Dos Caminos location years ago and it was spectacular.  I would not rush back to Dos Caminos….one, I think we have been to a lot of just as good Mexican over the years and two, our waiter lacked any personality and interest. 

Upland:

Also within 30 seconds of our hotel, another great choice.  A nice restaurant; however, the amazing bread was the highlight of the dinner.  So, though the food was good, going in a downhill direction after the bread is never a good thing, especially when kids are involved.

Sarabeth’s:

Also within 30 seconds of our hotel, Sarabeth’s serves breakfast, lunch, and dinner; though, I think breakfast is their specialty.  We forgo the hotel’s continental breakfast on the last day and ate breakfast here.   Definitely yummy and enjoyed by everyone, except maybe Emerson who ordered the avocado toast, not really being an avocado toast person.  Was a pricey, yet yummy, breakfast for sure!

The Smith:

Los Taco’s #1:

This is a quick bite place recommended to us by Frank, Caroline’s boyfriend, to go before the theatre.  Well, us and everyone else going to the theatre had the same idea.  It was order at the counter and standing room eating if you were lucky enough to find space at one of the few tables.  The line was long and not knowing how quickly it moved, I was sweating.  Trying to get everyone’s order with each unique toppings made me sweat even more.  We almost got it right.  The food was great and would most definitely have this quick bite again given the opportunity. 

Everyone enjoyed themselves, more so than in year’s past.  And I think another NY trip may just be in our future again, though we may consider doing some day trips from Russell and Mary’s just to make the cost a little more palpable. 

Several years ago I read Michelle Obama’s book “Becoming” and by read, I mean listened via Audible.  I was so into the book that I was listening to it in the basement as I worked out.  Walking up the stairs after my workout, with my arms carrying a full load, my phone dropped and found the small opening that led to underneath the stairs.  For several hours, until Justin got home, and was able to find a way to slide my phone out, Michelle Obama’s story in her own voice was coming from underneath my basement stairs. 

Just like Michelle’s story, Avery, Emerson, and Harper are creating their own wonderful stories and it fills my heart witnessing them becoming themselves. 

Avery – This past weekend was Avery’s first dance competition as part of Cuppett’s Dance Company. She performed a lyrical and jazz routine with her team and they danced both well, winning the Too Cute award for their Crazy Little Thing Called Love jazz routine.  When they placed second for Blackbird overall, Avery accepted the award on behalf of her dance team. The best part of the competition was Avery’s excitement and commitment to her team.  She has several recitals coming up and I can’t wait to see her perform.

Emerson – Emerson started CrossFit in January and while reluctant at first, she loves it now.  Not only is it building strength, but also its building confidence, which is making its way to the softball field.  She has been taking hitting lessons from Danielle and she has found someone that she has connected with;  she is showing drive to want to practice and improve. It’s just now the start of the season and I can’t wait to watch her on the field. 

Harper – In January, Harper began joining winter open practices with Vienna Travel Soccer, with the intent of getting noticed so that the coaches knew who she was when she tried out in the Spring for the Fall travel season.  Well, she was noticed and she got an offer to join the team right away, which meant she joined the team while still finishing out her basketball season (they finished in first place by the way and Harper really improved throughout the season).  She has been practicing hard and we can already see how much she is developing as a player.  I can’t wait to watch her on the field this season.

I spent a wonderful week in London visiting Lauren, the boys, and Gabriel, where my time was filled with…

• Walking around Barnes, a cute walkable cozy village
• Walking along The River Thames to Hammersmith
• Eating delicious dinners at home and enjoying a night at the pub
• Meeting up with Mila (first time I have seen her since 2018 I think) and Karolin (who happened to be visiting London), drinking some brewskis
• Visiting Kew Gardens, playing on the Kew Gardens playground, Noah’s attempt at taking our picture
• Reading books, the same ones repeatedly
• Cuddling on the couch
• Having bath time at home
• Exploring Knotting Hill area
• Visiting Mila’s apartment and enjoying a pub lunch
• Walking through Holland Park
• Eating and buying our way through Borough Market
• Getting close-ups with Big Ben
• And some not so close ups with The London Eye
• Making Peanut Butter Pie with Noah…he wanted to eat it warm!
• Watching Noah get a haircut
• Taking the ferry around the river on a rainy day
• Exploring The Tate Modern with Lauren and the boys

Similar to when I visited in 2019, the weather was cold…though this time I had a proper jacket (actually more than one). The weather was rainy too, though mostly at night. Each night, I would hear the splatter of rain as it hit the skylight in my bedroom and think the next day would be a rainout, only to find that the rain would clear up by morning. I had no obligations…no cooking, no cleaning, no laundry….just enjoyed the moment.  Noah couldn’t wait for my arrival and Elias warmed up to me within minutes, not wanting to miss out.  Noah and I read a lot of books, played some made-up games including Live Rubbish, and while he had a great time, by day six he began making his endless love of his Mommy and Daddy clear.  Noah proudly shared with me that he loved me only a very small percentage of the amount he loved his Mommy in Daddy.  In fact, I received a mere 2.5 compared to Gabriel’s 450 million and Lauren’s 21 million.  Now that is some rubbish!

As with most vacations, after a week, it was time to come home and get back to reality.  I had a wonderful week made even better when I got home to witness that Avery, Emerson, and Harper were truly getting along and showing mutual respect for one another, which continued throughout the entire weekend.  I guess I should go away more often on my own!’ (admin edit: no, you shouldn’t we or me Justin missed you so much!!!)

December 4^th was the anticipated arrival of my sister and the boys.  She had a work conference in Texas and decided to bring both boys, which meant for five days, the boys shuffled between my parents’ house and our house. 

• We played….
• We had sleepovers…
• We had visits from Santa and The Vienna Volunteer Firefighter Department…
• We decorated cookies…gingerbread Christmas Cookies and shortbread Hannukah cookies….
• We read books, watched movies, and cuddled….
• We celebrated my mom’s birthday at Bear Branch Tavern on a themed character night and continued the celebration at Papa and Grandma’s house with dessert…
• We cousined and had a fabulous 11 days together….

We visited the doctor, recovered from sicknesses, got sick again, took medicine….

• Harper – had the flu right before Thanksgiving so was overall recovered in December
• Avery – had several doctor visits after originally having a cold in early November and her residual cough, sore throat, and congestion coming and going throughout December
• Emerson – felt ick some days but nothing that warranted a doc visit
• Justin – had cold symptoms and a pulled muscle in his back Christmas Eve
• Me – cold symptoms starting mid-December that turned into an ear infection, a lingering cough, sore throat, and fluid in my ears

We celebrated Hanukah eight nights….

• The Rakicisanys and The Goldmans came over to celebrate the first night of Hanukah
• Papa and Grandma came over to celebrate the second night of Hanukah and we indulged in the first night’s leftovers
• We lit the menorah each night, Harper even lit the menorah on the last night, a first in about five years.
• The girls opened presents from Justin and I and my parents, all mostly practical…snow boots, rain boots, regular boots, new comforters, night gowns, bras, and my personal favorite panties!
• Cora and Gracie joined us for one night during Hanukah and they got to experience it…Gracie was even repeating the blessing after Avery!

Christmas…

• We went to VPC Christmas Eve Service in person for the first time in two years…we even ran into friends!  The service was interactive, and Avery and Emerson even went on stage with some positive encouragement from their friend Addy!
• We enjoyed Mama Tigre takeout for the second year in a row.
• Karolin arrived Christmas Eve and celebrated Christmas with us!
• Our newly renovated fireplace nicely featured our stockings and Christmas signs. 
• Our elf Nevis arrived the day after we decorated the tree and hung out in silly spots until Christmas Eve, always keeping his eye on us. 
• Santa was so good to the girls….while their wish lists were shorter than years past, he still knew exactly what to get them!  Avery was thrilled with her polaroid camera, dance attire, and bracelets.  Harper was thrilled with her sewing machine and art supplies.  Emerson was thrilled with her peg board and gold necklace holder. 
• We got Avery and Emerson mostly clothes…Abercrombie Kids is the place of choice…good thing for incredible sales! Harper received mostly art supplies from us…as her drawers are already overflowing with more hand me downs than she will ever wear!
• Oh yeah…and the surprise late in the day shared gift for Avery and Emerson….my old phone that they can use when they go certain places (i.e. dance, skate night, friend’s sleepover, walk in the neighborhood, etc.) as a way for us to get in touch with them.  They have wanted one for SO long.  We expressed 7^th grade was the time…but we decided to go for it early…truly to make our lives easier and have them not worry when Justin and I are a few minutes late picking them up from an activity.  They are very happy about it…though they wish they could use apps other than texting as it relates to Justin and me.
• Breakfast was a hit and lived up to its hype…orange scones, bacon, sausage, fruit, scrambled eggs…the best part was the girls help with the preparation of it!
• Dinner was a grand slam too….and the best part was that Justin pretty much took it over and he knocked it out of the park!   Individual filets with burgundy mushrooms, garlic green beans, and homemade rustic bread (courtesy of Emerson).
• Dessert was just as delicious, and the cake looked professional with Karolin (and Avery) assisting with icing.  An almond chocolate cake with chocolate buttercream frosting for the win!

Friends and More Fun

• The girls cashed in on their Zava Zone Hannukah ticket.
• We had the McMillans over for make your own pizza night and the kids and grown ups all had a great time.

Deep Creek…

• For the 3^rd year in a row, we rented the same house with the Brophys and the Nidays for four nights…three nights in December and one night in January.
• Everyone went snow tubing (except me as fluid in my ears was causing a ton of pressure and I chose to rest at home)….they had a fantastic time and weather once again was close to 60…yet conditions to tube were still excellent as it had been very cold for the week prior.
• Walking on the frozen lake…taking advantage of the sunset and my new camera.
• A few of the kids enjoyed the hot tub.
• Each family made a special meal…our red sausage sauce, homemade rustic bread, roasted red pepper dip, roasted pear and arugula salad, and bacon wrapped dates will definitely be in another rotation. 
• We lounged, celebrated Donald’s birthday and New Year’s.

Cheers to 2023!

VIP in the house…in the White House that is!  Seriously, I felt so important parking in the restricted access parking and then entering The White House…me and the hundreds of other people that were there for the evening!  I actually can only imagine the high that truly famous and important people get when attending certain events!

Anyway, our friends Bob and Cindy were able to get two extra tickets and invited us to come with them.  After passing the background check and being body checked upon arrival, we entered the East Wing!  Along the way, we walked by The National Christmas Tree, which I had actually never seen in person!

It really was spectacular, and I took it all in knowing that this was probably a once in a lifetime experience. 

We saw more rooms than I was expecting to see:

Portraits:

China and Holiday card selections from the different presidency’s:

And my VIP status had me grinning ear to ear.

One-on-one dates with the girls hadn’t happened in some time so we made it a priority these past few weeks. Each of the girls did something completely different than we have ever done in the past…each idea was fabulous and I have a feeling that their will be some idea stealing for the next one-on-one dates!

Harper and Justin went to MusePaint Bar and painted a beautiful mountain scape.  Harper was over the moon the entire evening constantly thanking Justin and me (for the idea:)!  Her appreciation and gratefulness of the night makes my heart explode. 

Emerson and I attended a theatrical performance at Madison High School of Much Ado About Nothing, a play by Shakespeare.  While the play itself wasn’t our favorite story line, the acting was fantastic and we had a great time just her and I enjoying the performance on a warm rainy night.  We explored the nearby halls for a few minutes during intermission and it brought back memories of when I attended Madison just a few years back.  It is crazy to think that in less than three years Avery and Emerson will be at Madison and I might just be in that theatre seat watching Emerson perform!

(Mom forgot to take any pictures!)

Avery and I went to ZavaZone, a trampoline and indoor adventure park.  To her disbelief, I was just as excited about going as she was.  We challenged ourselves to obstacles and put our core and upper body strength to the test. I am ecstatic to report that both of us are strong and in shape!  We were both so sore the next day using muscles that we don’t ordinarily use.  Working up an appetite, we finished our night at Pot Belly with some sandwiches and a shared cookie.

Prepping in our new kitchen

Hosting in our new space

Being grateful!