Turning 40

Ahh, it feels good to be on this side of 40 years old.  As in other times in my life, I feel so loved and cared for by those who are near and far.  

I am so blessed.

Take Our Daughters & Sons To Work Day

Working at a University creates so many unique opportunities.  I'm so pleased that Alma and James participated in Take Our Daughters & Sons To Work Day, where they got to play kickball in the stadium, work in the broadcast studio, eat in the cafeteria, work with me (meeting with my boss and telling him all about a videogame), working in the science labs to make slime, and swimming in the pool.  What an action-packed, fun-filled day. 

Spring Break at the Beach and Climbing

Brian and Bridgette kindly lent us their beach house for our Spring Break, which was beyond wonderful.  We spent the week lazing around with books, at the playground, for short stints on the very windy beach, and watching competitive cooking shows every evening as a family.  It was so nice to get away for a bit.

When we returned home, it was Easter weekend and, on Easter Monday, we were able to get in a few climbs at Birdsboro, which is an abandoned quarry (next to an active quarry).  Alma has been making it to the top of each route while James is making some great progress with feeling at ease on a rope.  Climbing as a family is something Joshua and I have been dreaming about for a long time so it's awesome to finally be at this stage.

Happy 45th Anniversary!

My darling parents celebrated their 45th wedding anniversary at Alfred's Victorian, where they have always celebrated their special day, surrounded by their children and grandchildren.  My father planned the whole event as a surprise for my mother, which was very sweet. 

My parents are such a terrific couple and I am so grateful for their example of persistent love and dedication.  Happy anniversary, Mom and Dad!

Weekly Ride/Scooter/Runs

Being on the trail with these two is my most favorite activity.  I love that they are often up for an adventure along the trail -- to a playground, through the rain, or just to let out some energy.  It is so fun to go zipping along this familiar path together.

Great Weekend in D.C.

Joshua was able to attend a Montessori conference in Washington, D.C. with his sister, Amy, who came out from Seattle.  The kids and I tagged along and had a great time visiting with Aunt Amy, touring the Capitol, hitting the highlights at the Natural History Museum (early humans! mammals!), and visiting the major memorials/monuments (MLK, Abe, Vietnam, Einstein, Korean War, Washington).  Alma was moved by the symbolism of the Vietnam Memorial, claiming that it was her favorite.   It was such a joy to have this special time with them.

James knows everything about the presidents, as he just studied them in school, and was a great tour guide for us.  For example, the lobby of the hotel had artist versions of the images of past presidents and Joshua and I could only name Washington; James, on the other hand, went along the images and named them accurately without skipping a beat ("Adams, Madison, Monroe, ...").  At one point, I started to tell him about Jefferson's estate, to which he said, "Are you talking about Monticello in Virginia?  Jefferson designed the building and it has 70 windows." While he is not sassy about his wealth of knowledge, it is a wonder James allows us to hang out him and his brain full of animal and presidential facts.  Ha!

Traveling with older kids is so fun.  We spent about five hours walking/touring on Saturday morning and then they proceeded to swim in the hotel pool for three hours in the afternoon = endless energy!  They are also very excited about a good deal, including free museums, analyzing which restaurants will give them the most food for the lowest price, and marveling at the high costs of hotels.  Sunday morning we enjoyed a feast at The Corner Bakery (a chain restaurant with tasty food) for only $17.  They thought this was fantastic compared to other recent restaurant bills they have seen (including my $16 oatmeal at the hotel the day before).  I'm grateful that both Alma and James love spending our family funds wisely.  It also makes me laugh how our perspectives on life are rubbing off on the children in a slightly exaggerated format.

Cousin Tara

A sunny day last weekend when we were able to visit with Cousin Tara and her cuties, Eleanor and Patrick, at the Doylestown Kids Castle playground.  What fun!

Flashback: Mrs. Cleary at Grace Montessori

This video was put together in 2013 with Alma's class. You can see her on the right, in her purple pants and pigtails.