Running, belt testing, basketball and snow!

I joined a mom's running group- well, a while ago, but just recently started running with them on Saturday mornings.  We meet up early which is why it took me so long to actually join them on a run.  I was nervous that everyone would have to run in a pack and do so at a slower pace then me, not that I'm speedy but...  I was pleasantly surprised that we pair off according to speed and distance that we plan on doing.  The picture below is after we ran an unofficial half, yup we ran 13.1 just for fun and then did a yoga pose for a picture.

 Last week Keenan had belt testing at taekwondo.  He did well :)

 They all had to do forms, sparring and board breaking.  Keenan even earned a trophy for best form!  Here he is holding his new belt, recently broken boards and trophy.

I've been a bad mom and haven't taken very many pictures of Keenan playing basketball this season.  I usually end up keeping the official books for his games which means I don't have time to take pictures.  Below his team is just warming up.  The team has done pretty well this season winning most of their games. 

 Keenan has a real hard time just smiling for the camera...

 Yesterday I woke up early, dressed in what felt like many layers (it was only 13 degrees out) and went for a 12 mile run with my group.  A few hours later it started to snow and snow and snow!  We made-yes made the boys go outside with us while we shoveled the driveway.  Van was super excited to go but Keenan...  after about 10 minutes Keenan said he wasn't sure why he was being such a grump about coming outside because this was awesome!  Later I had to drag him back inside.  Today soon as they had breakfast and a little table time back out they went to play on the "castle"  aka snow pile from the plow.

  Making a back-up fort

 Snow angel attempt

 Back to the castle with a few neighbor kids.

The snow kept them busy for quite a while-love it.  

Blogging is tough to keep up on...

Van was going through my phone looking at the pictures when I remembered I needed to do something with those photos.  Blog!


Call it a habit or a reflex but at work when I see a pen I automatically slip that pen in my pocket.  I cleaned out my work bag and found a few of those pens...

 In January we had to say goodbye to Sierra :(   She was 16 years old and showing every one of those years.  She was having an extremely difficult time getting up, walking and staying up.  She had a list of other old lady problems as well but her mobility and her comfort were our main concerns.  The vet had mentioned it was getting to be time way back during the summer but we held on for as long as we thought she could.  Keenan was very brave and insisted on going with Eric and insisted on holding her head as she went on to doggy heaven.

 On to happier things now:

I asked the boys to smile so I could send a few pictures to Grampa.  This is what I got...

 Seriously, what did I expect?

The boys found the halloween costumes and decided to see about trick or treating with us for a bit of candy.  We might have given in and found a few pieces of candy for them!

 Van's preschool had a "winter festival"  where each class sang a few songs then had a sugar heavy party.  Van surprised me and actually sang this year :)

 Bowling-

 Keenan brought this gem home:

It outlines how he can be nicer to his brother.  I love it, I should put it on the fridge to remind him!

 I made heart shaped cookies with the hopes and maybe frosting them, Van found heart shaped red hots and decided to add those instead.

 My Goofballs.  Looking at my pictures it appears my boys actually get along sometimes... maybe i should start taking pictures of them fighting too...

Lil' bit of snow

Tuesday morning we woke up to a few inches of snow.  Keenan was pretty sure school was going to be cancelled (which it wasn't), Van was upset because he wanted to build a snowman and have a snowball fight.  I was rushing to get out of the house as I correctly assumed that there would be more traffic than usual.  I way underestimated what the traffic would look like.  I left our house a few minutes after 7, dropped Keenan off at our neighbors and Van at his daycare then proceeded to sit in traffic.  It took me nearly 3 hours to drive about 13 miles  :(   The roads weren't plowed, cars were fishtailing all over the place, I heard later that a few buses went into the ditch.  Needless to say that I was late to work, along with pretty much everybody else including the patients.  The roads were fine by that night and we didn't get anymore snow but the schools in our county still closed for Wednesday and Thursday (saying it was too cold at 12-20 F).  Friday the schools were on a 2 hour delay.  How does a 2 hour delay help anybody?! ARG!  I continue to be amazed at how this area can NOT handle any snow.  Thankfully our neighbors have kids Keenan's age so he went there for his "snow days".  On tuesday evening we got the sleds out for a few minutes.

Friday was Eric's birthday after blowing out candles with the kids we got a babysitter and had a night out.  We went to a local wine bar that even had a Slovenian wine, of course I ordered it :)

Keenan had a basketball game last night and they won!  I ended up getting roped into keeping score so I didn't get any pictures.   Keenan got 1 basket but they didn't count it as the ref called something- we were bummed.

Goodbye Christmas break

Sunday night is bringing us back to our routines as we say goodbye to Christmas break.  Back to getting Keenan's backpack ready for the morning and making sure baths are done at night.  Eric has had the past 2 weeks off while I've had a good portion of that time off as well.  As usual I thought I would have so much time to get so much stuff done when in reality I really enjoyed just being home and not feeling like I was rushing around so much.  I slept in, I ran, I read, I played with the boys and Eric and I finally finished all of the tv show "Dexter".

The boys went to a birthday party for our neighbor on Friday at a bounce house.  There were bouncy castles, bouncy slides and a bouncy floor.  They love this place!

 Saturday I dropped Keenan off at a play date then took Van to Burger King so he could play in the play area since it was cold and rainy.  He was feeling a little abused since he wanted to stay at Keenan's friends house.

Today we went to a rec center where Keenan's basketball team met up to practice.  Afterward Keenan wanted to climb the wall.  It took him a few tries but he finally got to the top!  Afterward Keenan got to go to ANOTHER birthday party, this time at a laser tag center.

Van couldn't climb since the rules are you have to be 6!  I don't think he minded though.

I'm guessing our alarms will come waaaaay to early for all of us in the morning!

Part 2: Review of 2014

July:

Keenan turned 7!  We had a birthday party at a bowling alley with a few of his friends.  Van looks less than thrilled...

Birthday (root) beer with dad.

Eric left for Thailand a day or two after Keenan's birthday for 7 weeks.  One of my coworkers gave me a huge tub of civil war army guys- they were a huge hit with Keenan.

 Van showing his attitude.

 We fell into our routines during the summer.  Keenan went to taekwondo camp everyday while Van continued his daycare/preschool.  We spent most of our free time at the pool, chasing down our neighborhood ice cream trunk, parks and finding local events.  Below we went to a farmers market/bazaar in Reston.  The boys liked the water fountain best.

 Keenan showing off his new bo-staff.

 August:  Keenan participated in the DC classic taekwondo tournament with quite a few other members from his dojo.  Keenan fit right in with the twins below, people thought I had triplets.  They completely hammed it up.

 Keenan did well.  3rd in sparring!

 All the kids who participated at the DC classic

 Enjoying our neighborhood pool

 at a park

 September:

This was the 2nd day of  2nd grade!

 Playing in a dirt pile

 People take their birthday parties seriously here, there are tons are bounce house, laser tag, kid gyms ect ect to hold birthday parties AND everyone seems to.  Below Van was at a birthday party.

 Van finds every dirt pile we walk near.

 1st day of 2nd grade!

 I don't get in near enough pictures with the boys so I had to post this one :)

 September also brought flag football season!  Keenan was on the "Fighting Irish" team, they won almost all of their games.

October:
 Clowing around at taekwondo

 Van keeping busy at the Battle of the Baltimore taekwondo tourney

 Keenan showing how fierce he can be.  He did awesome, placed in both sparring and forms

Halloween-  We still can't decide if we're bad parents for letting Keenan go as a scary pumpkin skeleton dude?  It seemed a little age inappropriate but they had his size??  At any rate he insisted on being that.  Van on the other hand has NEVER cared about his costume until this year.  He insisted   demanded to be a Mario cat.  For those who have no idea what a Mario cat is, well, in Super Mario Bro's 3D world Mario and Luigi turn into cats when they get their special power.  I tried.  I realize he looks like a mouse with a mustache...  Like I said, I tried.  He was thrilled.

 Our neighborhood had a kids parade

 Getting ready to start trick 'r'treating

 Gramma and Grampa came to visit

 Finishing up football season.

 The team.

November and December:

Keenan HAD to have this santa hat.  I must be soft since I gave in :)

 First year that Van's been excited for Christmas.  He talked non-stop about getting an omnitrex (ben 10 watch) for Christmas.  He even wanted to go sit on Santa's lap and tell him all about it.  Below we're waiting to see Santa

 Eric and I even got a night out at my work's Christmas party.  We even got to dress up!

 We spent Christmas Eve driving around looking at lights.  Van was asleep by the time we found this house, it had tons of lights.

 Christmas morning.  The boys checking out their loot- Van wearing his Omnitrex.  At first he was afraid of it and didn't want to be near it.  We celebrated Christmas mostly just relaxing at home then went over to our neighbor's house for dinner.