A Big Haircut!

To start off a fresh school year, Lauren decided that she wanted to cut her hair short and donate to Locks of Love.  We looked through a lot of pictures to decide what style she might want, and once she made up her mind, we headed to Cartoon Cuts, for a haircut.  This place caters to kids and the stylists are very good with nervous children.

In the end, Lauren cut off about 11 inches, and boy was it a big change.  But she is happy to not worry about ponytails every morning, and now the boys will not be able to tell that she is a girl under her hockey helmet.  This was a big selling point for Lauren.  =)  Also, she was thrilled to be able to donate hair to a good cause.  Way to go Lauren!!

                          

 It is definitely going to take us some time to get used to this new haircut.  Lauren has had long hair for as long as I can remember, but this shorter look is certainly adorable.  Here is to a fresh haircut and an amazing new school year!

Aunt K Camp!!!!

At the end of the summer, Aunt B had to go to a school clinical session and left Quinnie with us for a few days.  We called our time together "Aunt K Camp"!  With 3 small children, I tried to keep us as busy as possible, so the kids would crash each and every night.  And boy were we busy.

We started the visit with some ice cream!  

                               

Next up, we headed to Gravely Point State Park to have a picnic and watch the planes land at Reagan Airport.  Lauren and Charlie loved watching the planes.  Quinnie was not so sure of the loud noise.  But all three kids loved the picnic out on the field.  In between planes landing, the kids kicked a soccer ball around and climbed some trees.  Whenever a plane would start to come in, Quinnie would run over and hide in my lap.  Lauren and Charlie kept trying to touch the planes.  =)

                               

We also stopped for smoothies at our favorite place in Haymarket, Hidden Jules.  All 3 kids loved the fruit smoothies, and since they were being so good, we decided to head over to the splash pad in Gainesville.  They had a blast running through the fountain and getting very wet on such a hot day!

                               

We spent some time at home, relaxing and playing in the playroom.  Quinnie loved the dollhouse and all three kids had fun dressing up in different costumes.  I enjoyed a chance to sit down. 

           

We stopped by the ice rink to watch one of Lauren's hockey practices.  Charlie played with Chad's phone the entire time, but Quinnie was quite focused on the kids playing out on the ice.  Maybe we have another hockey player in the family?!?

Then, we headed over to the Ackermann's house, in Fairfax, for a BBQ.  All 3 kids had fun playing with Sophie, Emily, Jack, and Lucy.  We had dinner and the kids ran around together until they were exhausted.  

It was very hot during Aunt K Camp, so we let the kids cool off by running through the sprinklers.  They really had fun getting wet and boy did they do a lot of running.  We also cooled off with another trip to the ice rink, where Uncle Chad took Quinnie out on the ice.  And we enjoyed plenty of lunches/snacks out on the back deck.  

           

We had no problem putting the kids down for naps and putting them to sleep at night.  Mission accomplished!  =)

Finally, on our last day of Aunt K Camp, I took the kids to Burnside Farms, a sunflower field, to pick some flowers.  It was a bit overcast, but the kids had fun posing with the cute umbrellas, and we picked some great sunflowers.  We also had a picnic and the kids got to run around on some bounce houses, playhouses, and swings.  It was hard to pry them away from the field, but Aunt K Camp was coming to an end and Uncle Kevin was waiting to pick up Quinnie. 

This is my favorite picture from Aunt K Camp, because it sums up the kids so well.  Quinnie is checking everything out, Charlie just hit Lauren in the head with the umbrella (because he is crazy sometimes), Lauren is freaking out, and Charlie is starting to regret his decision.  ha ha ha

                               

                           

           

It was a great few days, and although I was exhausted from running after 3 small kids, it was so worth it.  And I am already excited about the next Aunt K Camp.  

Lauren Continues Summer Tennis

Although hockey is definitely Lauren's favorite sport right now, she has agreed to continue playing tennis during the spring and summer months.  Chad and I would like her to try different sports, and an independent sport, like tennis, might be good to teach her to be more aggressive.  If she is the only one responsible to play the ball, in tennis, maybe she will be more likely to go after the puck in ice hockey.  Right now, she is happy to let the other boys skate for the puck.

She enjoys playing tennis, but is not as excited about the heat.  Tennis is also a little different from ice hockey.  The grip is opposite and the swing is low to high, over the shoulder, versus a hockey wrist shot, which goes low but stops chest high.  There is definitely a learning curve, but she is picking it up very nicely.  

Her favorite parts of the lesson are the competitive games, and she prefers to play against the boys.  =)  Maybe that aggression is finally ready to come out.  Time will tell!  

Charlie Loves Swim Class!

Charlie has been taking swim lessons for a while now, and it does not seem like he has any intention of stopping.  He loves being in the water.  He has no fear when it comes to jumping in, diving under the water, and he is motivated to keep moving up levels.  He is definitely going to be our little water bug!! 

Whenever he comes out of the pool, he always has a big smile on his face.  And he does a great job when it comes to listening to the instructors.  I am excited to see Charlie doing something he loves.  As a younger sibling, it can be hard to find your own interests.  Swimming is Charlie's favorite right now.  

And the best part of Charlie's love for swimming?!?!  The long naps he likes to take after the class.  Most things will not zap Charlie of his energy, but swim class always does.  Without fail, he spends a half hour swimming in the pool, comes home, eats a big lunch, and falls asleep.  Mission accomplished for momma!!

Summer Fun 2018!

This summer (2018) seemed to fly by.  We kept busy with trips to museums, the pool, the movie theater, spent time with family and friends, and of course we threw in plenty of hockey. 

Here is just a snippet of some of the things we enjoyed:

Salisbury Zoo

In June, we visited the Salisbury Zoo with Mee-maw, Grandpa, Aunt B, and Quinnie.  The weather was beautiful and we were able to see a lot of cute animals.  We then finished the trip with a stop at Ben's Red Swings, my favorite playground ever!

                               

                     

                               

Natural History Museam

In July, we visited the Natural History Museum, in Washington DC, with Mee-Maw and Grandpa.  It was a hot summer day, so the AC in the museum felt really good.  We most of the morning walking around and on the way out, we made a quick stop in the sculpture gardens next door.  The kids had a blast!  The adults did too!

           

                               

                               

Aquarium

In July, we also visited the National Aquarium, in Baltimore, with Grammy and Grumpa.  It was a rainy day, so it was nice to spend most of our time inside.  We had never been to the aquarium before, so this was a very cool experience.  We saw a lot of different fish, the kids got to pet a jellyfish and stingray, and we spent quite a bit of time watching the sharks swim around. 

                               

                               

                               

           

Charlie's first movie 

In July, I took Charlie to see his first movie in the theater.  We went to the Regal Theaters, in Manassas, and saw The Incredibles 2.  It was fantastic.  The kids loved it, I thought it was quite funny, and Charlie was captivated.  He sat still, ate his popcorn, and watched the entire movie.  Our first trip was a success, and now Charlie is already looking forward to his next movie in the theater.

 

                       

Mount Vernon

Continuing with the museum trips this summer, I decided it was time to take the kids to Mount Vernon.  I had not been since I was in elementary school and I was eager to see it again myself.  Lauren was excited to go because they have a 4D movie theater.  She is slightly obsessed with those. 

At the end of July, we drove over (a short 40 minute drive) and walked around.  We took in the movie, and it was awesome.  It was about General Washington's different battles during the American Revolution, complete with shaking chairs (bombs), fog, and falling snow.   Then we walked through the museum and took in the a tour of the house.  The kids especially loved rolling around on the lawn by the Potomac River.  We had a great time, and I would love to go back again soon.  Still so much more the see!

Water Park (Frontier Town)

In August, Mee-Maw and I took the kids to a cute little water park by the beach called Frontier Town.  The kids had been with Mee-Maw and Grandpa in previous summers, but I had never been.  It was another very hot day, so the water felt really good.   The kids enjoyed going down the slides, playing in the fountains, and floating around the lazy river.

                               

Jeep Rides

Of course, no summer is complete without a ride in the Jeep, with the top down.  Lauren and Charlie helped me get the top off and we hopped in for a little drive around town.  It always feels so good to be back in the Jeep and I love that I get to share these fun summer drives with my kids now.

Visits with Family

The Falicroft clan sure loves to get together for family BBQs, dinners out, and visits with family.  This summer was no exception.  In June, we enjoyed a visit with Mee-Maw's older sister, my Aunt Marty (along with the Brown Family), we also enjoyed a visit with Grammy's younger sister, Chad's Aunt SA, and we celebrated Aunt B's birthday. 

                     

Berry Picking

The kids were not as excited about this outing as I was.  It was really hot and they wanted to stay inside and play on their iPads.  I wanted to get out into the mountains and pick our body weight in raspberries, blueberries, and blackberries.  We compromised.  I spent 2 hours picking berries and my kids watched.  =)  But man were those berries good!!

                                

                               

Time with Friends

At the end of June, we were able to spend an afternoon with one of our favorite hockey families.  The Marshalls came over for a BBQ.  The kids enjoyed playing outside and the grownups enjoyed some adult beverages and catching up.  As the kids get older, our schedules get more hectic, so it is nice to find these small moments with good friends.  

                       

                               

Hockey!!

And no shocker here, but we also threw in some time at the hockey rink this summer.  Lauren and Charlie both went to a LOT of public skates, some stick n shoots, and Lauren had fun at a hockey camp.