Blog | Mackenzie
During B’s school break, we headed to the beach for some fun. It is a long drive, and the girls were going crazy when we stopped for lunch, so we found a patch of grass and ran races, did high knees, did jumping jacks, etc. Basically, we wore them out.
Worked like a charm…
I think the girls were excited to get to the beach…
We mostly played outside as much as possible. The girls seemed to prefer the pool area for playing, though we confined M to the splash area (no pool until potty trained). Both had a great time despite the restrictions.
I did take M on the lazy river with me once.
And, of course, we did spend time on the beach. One day we found a huge hole someone had dug, so the girls just had to continue the effort.
We also had races on the beach, which led to this:
And we just generally played.
This trip was not all fun, however, as Djadju’s health went from not great to imminently terminal over the course of a few days. Thus, I spent more time with Mimi sitting with him. The girls understood and handled it like champs. They also got to say their goodbyes to Djadju, which I think was nice. While his passing was unsettlingly quick, in many ways that quickness was a blessing. And an unexpected benefit to all that happened is that we ended up spending at least part of Mother’s Day with Mimi before we had to leave.
B turned 8 in April! Boggles my mind.
A couple of weekends before her birthday, I took her to see the Lion King.
The weekend before her birthday, she got a pedi from Tati Kat.
Then, she and her buddy Samantha (same birthday) had a joint birthday party at Samantha’s dojo (B’s wasn’t available, which made the decision much easier). It was FANTASTIC! B declared it her best birthday party ever. All of the kids seemed to have a great time!
B and Samantha got to lead the class.
I am amazed – they are all smiling!
Probably because I promised we’d take a goofy face picture too…
The day of her birthday, we had her requested dinner of steak and mashed potatoes, along with a variety of bundt cakes. We did Star Wars themed balloons. Here’s my BB-8!
M gave her a Rey costume, which she loved!
After her birthday, we took her to Charleston for a long-planned trip. The Volvo Car Open was happening that weekend, so her gift was to get to see the finals of a professional tennis tournament (doubles and singles finals). We spent the whole weekend there as a family and had a great trip! As we were driving over, I gave the girls several choices for activities on Saturday. They chose to go see the Navy ships at Patriots Point. I was surprised, and Jason and I both thought we would need another activity for the day, but we decidedly did NOT. They LOVED exploring the ships!! We started with the USS Yorktown (aircraft carrier).
It was soooooo windy…
King of the World!
Exploring the bridge.
We then explored the USS Laffey (destroyer), and we walked from one end to the other of the USS Clamagore (submarine). I don’t want any part of living on a submarine, but M LOVED it. She especially thought it was hysterical that Jason had to duck through every doorway. Sorry, I apparently only took this one picture.
Saturday night, we all hung out in downtown Charleston and decided we would all like to live there. B declared she would be back someday to win this title herself, and that she would buy a house in Charleston after she won Wimbledon. You go B!
USS Yorktown from downtown.
The famous Pineapple fountain.
Sunday was all about tennis. First, Jason took B to the doubles match, where Garcia/Mladenovic defeated Mattek-Sands/Safarova, while M and I hung out. Then I took B to the singles finals, where Sloane Stephens defeated Elena Vesnina in straight sets. It was a fantastically beautiful day, and we all had a great time, despite the long drive home.
Wow – I am behind. Life. Is. Full…
Anyway, here are some things we’ve been up to since M’s birthday (through Easter).
First, B won an award for her class. Each class presented one award for Reading Achievement, Writing Achievement, and Math Achievement, as well as two Character awards. B was presented with the Reading Achievement award!
B also earned her brown belt!
While Jason was out of town, the girls and I had a “camp out” on the back porch. We have a tent, but it was chilly enough without adding the cold hard ground to the mix. We setup mats and sleeping bags – the girls were SOOOOO excited!! Here they are when I put them to bed, a couple of hours later, and in the morning when they woke up.
While the weather has been iffy lately, early in spring we had some fantastic weather! So, M and I decided a picnic was in order. Those curls!
She picked lots of flowers for me, too!
At Easter, the weather was less nice, but we made do. First was the neighborhood Easter egg hunt.
Then, we had to decorate our own eggs.
Easter morning the girls explored their baskets.
Our family egg hunt had to be indoors – that Easter bunny just had a feeling it was going to rain!
A few miscellaneous pics…M insisting on taking her bike down the driveway by herself…
M writing some of her first words on the chalkboard.
M “teaching” class to B.
M insisting on carrying my bag (we went shopping that day per her request).
It was a very busy spring – more posts coming up for B’s birthday, Florida trip, and late spring!
Look who is 4!! And she is very excited about it all! She’s grown a bit…
We had a countdown calendar leading up to the big day, but truthfully, she started talking about her birthday in November! She requested two things for her birthday: bowling and Dave & Busters.
We started the festivities with her free birthday bowling game. She did great, and had a wonderful time!
After bowling, we played some video games for tickets, and she won these giant sweet tarts (which made her very happy).
A couple of days before her birthday, we got to go to Dave & Busters to celebrate her buddy Hawke’s birthday. She had a very successful night…
The day before the big day…
The big day!
We took Frozen cookie pops to school to share with her friends, and had a special cake for that night.
Princess Sofia…and the Dark Side…
She has a thing for Darth Vader (the stuffed doll is the gift she picked out from Auntie Fifi).
…and mermaid tails…
One of her surprises was a Princess Tea – Elsa and Anna were there! B was Guinevere, and M was Princess Flash.
Sweet sisters…
Trying to hold their tea cups (and pinky fingers) just right…
B’s fav activity was the marshmallow catapult…
Our gift to M was a trip to Great Wolf Lodge. She had been once before, but was only a baby so she did not remember. But B definitely remembered, and had M all amped up before we went. The first night we were there, we took them to Dave & Busters – they racked up again! The toys in their hands are from Dave & Busters, and they got Wolf ears when the arrived at GWL (M’s are special birthday wolf ears).
They even had a Fort Mackenzie…
Sliding is fun!
IMG_6726
Saying goodbye:
I think we wore them out!
We had a great birthday celebration, which also included visits from Tatie Kat and Nana and Poppa – made some wonderful memories!
So, after Fall came the Holidays. Seriously, I am not really sure what happened to all those days of October, November, and December. They’re pretty much a blur. I apparently took quite a few pics tho…
The day after Thanksgiving, we took our annual trip to a local inn that always has lovely Christmas decorations to take photos. B wasn’t feeling well, but she was a trooper!
Sweet sisters…
They also enjoyed playing with the grand piano…
That weekend, the girls decorated their personal Christmas trees.
B patiently showed M how…
Our Elf then promptly got into trouble for not showing up on 1 December, and for not moving the second night after he did show up. Naughty Elf…B set him straight, and he was suitably apologetic.
The following weekend, we picked out a tree and had breakfast with Santa’s Helpers.
And, of course, we had to decorate our tree.
B also got her first Christmas present – I took her to see The Sound of Music at a local theater!
We donated to a charity the theater group was promoting, and our donation enabled B to be in a photo with some of the Von Trapp family children.
The weekend after that, we took the girls to their joint Christmas present – Disney on Ice. They were excited…
And then that Sunday was Santa Lucia day, so the girls decked out in their finery.
Somewhere during all of this, we went shopping, and M helped out the Salvation Army.
And, of course, we had to drive around to see the neighborhood Christmas lights, where the girls (per tradition) wore their new Christmas pjs.
We spent New Year’s Eve with friends, and New Year’s Day in our Gator finery. We didn’t expect it to work, but we were hopeful, and we had fun anyway!
Well, the blog has been down since August, but it is back up again! I’m suddenly very behind…
Since then, B got her red belt,
and her red-brown belt.
M continued to be her crazy fun self with her clothes.
B also participated in many tennis tournaments,
and even won some trophies (this was her first trophy).
B rode her bike to school for the first time,
and the girls jammed on their guitars.
We went to the beach,
to the fair,
and we had some Halloween fun.
And B and I had a great time seeing The Sound of Music together!
Next up…the holidays!
At the end of July, we went to Michigan to visit family and say goodbye to my beloved Grandma. Early flight – the girls did great on the way there and back!
We visited family a lot – the girls LOVE their cousins…and they made sure their cousins knew that…
You’ll just have to take my word for it, I didn’t take many pictures. I do have some of time spent at the beach. B and I went to a rocky beach while M napped.
She even practiced her karate a little…it was a bit tricky on that beach!
We also spent some time in Lake Michigan. Jason and I never ventured in further than shin high – brrrrrr! But the girls had fun!
The girls played badminton. M’s game face…
The memorial was lovely. And heartbreakingly final.
Continuing with the seemingly necessary (these days) monthly posts…July was full of more activities! Grandma & Grandpa visited, B started 2nd grade and lost a tooth, M went to her first theater movie, J got a year older…
The month started with a visit with Grandma & Grandpa, which meant lots of fun trips to various museums, bowling, playing in the rain, and lots of Boberry biscuits!
Grandma & Grandpa’s last day was B’s first day of 2nd grade(?!?)! Of course, we had to shop for the outfit first (fortunately for me, B loves Target, their clothes, and especially the dog).
First Day! I actually had to wake her up!
Doesn’t everyone read while lying on the hard floor after the first day of school?
B participated in a local tournament, and won two out of three matches!
We also took M to her first theater movie – Minions! She was very well behaved and had a GREAT time! The girls wore their minion dresses, of course.
And right before we left for our trip to Michigan, B lost another tooth!
Another random group of photos…June was full of end of year activities (B finished 1st grade), Father’s Day, Sesame Street Live, and tennis! But first, isn’t she cute?
Sesame Street Live was first – a family outing everyone loved, especially since Grover was the star of this show!
B also participated in her first tennis tournament!
Father’s Day started with brunch, and was filled with just plain relaxing…and playing with the new Star Wars potato heads…
A local art museum has a summer series for kids, where each week they have a new art/craft activity. The first one I took M to (B was in school) was a little over her head, but she had fun!
We finished the month with the end of 1st grade. First, the end-of-year celebration, where they had special “reader’s theater” – where they each play different parts while reading from a book. In one, B was a mouse, and in the other, she was the boy who cried wolf.
Then, the last day of school. Lots of tears before school…
But she had a GREAT last day, so lots of smiles at the end.
Her fantastic, amazing, awesome, spectacular (I could go on for days – she was crying because she wanted them to be her teachers forever!) first grade teachers!
Yep, I’m behind…Life is full…But isn’t this a sweet picture?
To try to catch up a bit, I am just going to post some random pictures from May, which just so happen to generally represent our random activities for the month. OF COURSE we went strawberry picking…more than once. M and I went the week before Memorial day, and all three of us went the day after Memorial day (got there when they opened so we could pick strawberries before taking B to school). See those white baskets in the pictures? In our two trips, we filled 5 of those baskets – plenty for freezing for smoothies!
B dressed up for 70s day at school wearing one of my childhood dresses – that’s authentic 70s right there!
We rode bikes and played on the playground and generally enjoyed spring.
B tested for her purple belt (and got it!), while M showed us she will be ready for karate soon too.
Jason, M, and I went out for lunch while B had a weekend makeup day at school – a rare outing with just the three of us.
Know anyone else who dresses up as Queen Guinevere to read?
My big girl, growing so fast.