...And So We Meet Again

This semester Evan revisited his love-hate relationship with swim team.  He decided to join the developmental swim team at the YMCA which meets once a week.  He never knows whether he likes it or not.  It always makes him a bit nervous.  However, he persevered the whole season and improved a lot.

At the end of the season, there was one meet where they could show off what they had learned.  Evan was not so sure about the meet.  He's never sure about anything that involves racing or competition, but he was willing to give it a try.

So, one Saturday morning we headed over to the Cary YMCA for Evan's swim meet.  Swim meets are always crowded and have a lot of wait time involved.  The wait time didn't appeal to Benny, but it went pretty well for the rest of us.  Evan waited with the rest of the swimmers for each of his events until it was his turn.  He competed in the under 6 freestyle, backstroke, and breast stroke.

His first event was freestyle and that was definitely his favorite.  He got up to the starting line and did a graceful dive (belly flop) into the water and raced across.  This was the first meet where he got across the whole way without touching the ropes!  He also made it across in under a minute for the first time which was a personal best by 20 seconds.  

The second event was backstroke.  This one is definitely not his favorites.  However, he was still willing to try it.  He got in, pushed off the wall, and valiantly swam across.  He's funny to watch do backstroke because he's inherited his dad's heavy body.  His legs sink so he's almost vertical in the water, but he continues to swim.  He finished in about the same pace as he did in his last meet.

His last event was the breast stroke.  Now, he had never swam breast stroke in a meet before and really had only swam it in one or two practices ever.  He was not excited about this one.  Then, right before they were going to blow the whistle, I noticed that Evan was missing.  I tried to get his coaches' attention, but they were talking.  Turns out he wasn't paying attention (shocker) and missed his heat.  He was devastated when he found out.  He hates to do anything wrong and gets really embarrassed.    So,  the coach found him and encouraged him to swim in the next heat which was the girls' 7/8 heat.  He jumped in and cried the whole way across.  When he got across he was just crushed, poor boy.

Then, we kept talking to him and managed to convince him that the meet was a success.  We told him that professional swimmers would be amazed that he improved by 20 seconds in the freestyle because they only improve by hundredths of a second.  Fortunately, that cheered him up and he kept telling people about it for several days.

So, I feel like the meet was a success, and was a good culmination of his session of swim team.  However, Evan said he definitely needed a break from swimming after that.  We are proud of him for his hard work, and I will be interested to see if he goes back to swimming later.

Evan swims the freestyle.)

(super backstroker)

(our graceful diver)

A Durham Day

We have lived in this city for more than 12 years.  It's been fun watching this scrappy city grow and take off, and we will definitely miss every part of it.  One morning a few months ago, we went out on the town and had a glorious Durham morning, trying to hit some of our favorite places before we head on out to get to know a new city.

We started after church by heading downtown to Durham favorite, Dames Chicken and Waffles.  Of course they had a wait.  So, after a little parkour on the downtown buildings, we headed to Letters Bookshop just down the street from Dames.  I got to browse on my own while the boys all sat down and read a little Calvin and Hobbes.  It was their first exposure and you could hear their laughs all the way on the other side of the store.

Finally, it was time for our delicious meal.  Dames is always one of our favorite meals.  The boys feasted on waffles and bacon while Ian dined on waffles, chicken legs, and hot sauce and I had friend chicken, waffles, and orange honey schmear.  It was a delicious meal, and I wonder if they can import it to St. Louis.

(my absolutely delicious meal)

After our awesome meal at Dames, we travelled just a couple miles down the road to check out newly opened Bull City Ciderworks.  So many great little stops like that are opening up all over Durham.  They welcome everyone including our kids and even pets if we had chose to bring Rip.  The boys sat on a picnic bench and giggled through their copy of Calvin and Hobbes while we sampled a flight of Durham's best cider.  For one of our samples, we tried the nonalcoholic root beer.  While Evan wouldn't try it, Ben discovered he was a big root beer fan.

(our flight of cider)

(Benny and his beer---root beer)

It was a glorious Durham day and while we know we have to leave the city, we know it's not the last fabulous Davis family adventure.

Losing Our Marbles!

With the cold weather settling in in NC, the kids were really getting cooped up in school.  So, it was time to take the Creekside Kindergarteners out for another field trip.  This time, we were headed to Marbles Museum in Raleigh, and again, I agreed to chaperone.  This time, Benny had the day off school, so he joined in on the fun.

The kiddos had to ride the bus, so Ben and I hopped in the car with another chaperoning mom and we drove on over to Raleigh.  We headed in and before we knew it, the lobby was being swarmed by seven classes of Creekside Kindergarteners ready to explore.  I gathered my group of five students this time (Evan, Ben, Bo, Ashley, and Jose) and we headed straight upstairs to get out of the crowds.  Marbles Museum is full of hands on exhibits so the kids can really play.  It's fun, but I knew I needed to keep a close eye on my munchkins because there was so much excitement.

We started in the sports exhibit where the kids played hockey in the their rocks, climbed on walls, pulled themselves up with ropes, and just got some energy out.  Next, we actually went to the energy room and learned how the power company makes power by doing more climbing, connecting, and button pressing.  Again, I concentrated on not losing my kiddos and continually counting to make sure that I still had 5 at all times.  I wasn't too concerned about my own boys because I knew they'd find me, but I really didn't want to lose someone else's kids, HA!

(Ashley and Evan pull themselves up.)

Our little group explored the building car tracks and the money bank area (which really needed to turn down the heat) before we headed back down to lunch.  I had one shy new student in my group and she was the only girl.  I kept trying to pair her up with another student or find her an activity to enjoy, but she still seemed a little lost.  But by the end of the day, she seemed to be opening up and having a little more fun.

(My little group)

We all met up downstairs and headed in to a conference room where a bunch of blankets were set out for a huge picnic.  We handed out all the lunches and I made sure to move my kids with a PB&J far away from their classmate with a peanut allergy.  It was amazing to look around the room and realize that everyone in there was a Kindergartener from Creekside.  The group really was huge.

(the Creekside Kindergarteners)

After lunch, they were all ready to explore a little more.  I got requests from everyone about what they still wanted to do and then we were off.  First, was the painting exhibit where they used all kinds of tools to paint beautiful pictures.  When they were done, they headed into one of the main sections where they have all sorts of cars to ride in, costumes to try on, and all sorts of other fun.  We were able to stay there for a long time.  Ben and Bo especially liked putting on costumes and getting on the pretend stage.

(My little giraffe)

Our last stop was the ocean, submarine, and pirate ship.  We went underwater, explored in the submarine, and climbed to the top of a pirate ship. By the end of the day, I think the kiddos were still ready to play more, but the adults were definitely worn out.

(Evan was attacked by a sting ray!)

It's always such a fun time, and it was so nice that Ben could come along too this time.  The next field trip is to a theater performance, and they don't need any chaperones.  Bummer!

(Looks like I still need a little work on my selfie-taking, but our whole group is at least partially in it.)

Relocated!

Before Ian and I got married we...

*ate popsicles in the sun in a garden in Cambridge, and

*got our portraits drawn near Monmartre in France.

After we got married we...

*rode bikes on the island of Coronado.

*sipped wine in Napa Valley.

*zipped down slopes in West Virginia.

*hiked ancient castle walls in Sintra, Portugal.

*climbed lighthouses on the Outerbanks of NC.

*sailed off the coast of Wilmington.

*drank port in Lisbon.

*went hang gliding off the sand dunes at Jockey Ridge State Park.

*found the best donuts ever in Pike Place Market.

*dove the coral reefs in the Florida Keys.

*saw the animals at the San Diego Zoo.

*walked the white hill towns in the south of Spain.

*pretended to be spies at the Spy Museum in Washington, DC.

*waded through the Eno River.

*hiked lava caves under Mt. St. Helens.

*fed the lemurs at the Duke Lemur Center.

*viewed NYC from the top of the Empire State Building.

*surfed the waves off the coast of SC.

*sailed the harbor in Annapolis.

*fought pigeons in markets in Vancouver.

*hiked the parts of the Pacific Crest trail and

*walked through the wildflowers near Mt. Rainier.

*skied the slopes in Breckenridge.

*rode a trolley car in San Fransisco.

Once Evan arrived we...

*picked lavender in the fields of Sequim.

*took a ferry to the Olympic Peninsula.

*waded streams to see Glacial Ice Caves.

*ran a half marathon on the American Tobacco Trail.

*went whitewater rafting on the national training course.

*ate Voodoo donuts in Portland.

*compared our baby to a pumpkin at the NC State Fair.

*picked apples in the fall beauty of New England.

*searched for sea shells in SC.

*sipped wine in the vineyards of the Hill Country.

*walked the freedom trail in Boston.

*snorkeled with sharks in the Bahamas.

*ran a 5K while carrying a pineapple.

Once Benny had added on to our family we...

*saw the Liberty Bell, ate cheese steaks, and rode the subway in Philadelphia.

*went fishing in Grand Lake of the Cherokees.

*watched dolphins in our wake off the gulf coast.

*took our photos in front of the White House.

*ran races with jogging strollers and donuts.

*skied and sledded in the mountains of NC.

*zip lined over the trees of Asheville.

*flew through the air while indoor skydiving.

*traveled to the top of the Arch in St. Louis.

*climbed the boulders at Occoneechee Mountain. 

*experienced an earthquake on a Caribbean Island.

*toured ice scultpures in Dallas.

*watched the whales in the Atlanta Aquarium.

*Camped off the shores of Falls Lake.

*stood on the steps of Martin Luther King Jr.’s boyhood home.

*took a helicopter ride over St. Lucia.

*ate lunch while floating on Lake Wylie.

*toured caves under the Hill Country.

*saw the dinosaurs in the Perot Museum of Dallas.

*road ATV’s around St. Lucia

*toured where Orville and Wilbur Wright first flew.

*played under waterfalls at Hanging Rock State Park.

*sampled delicious eats at the Durham Food Truck Rodeos

...We have had so many adventures and made so many fabulous memories so far as a family.  This is how I know without a doubt that our family will thrive and have so many new awesome experiences as we start on this new chapter in our lives.  In June, our little family will pack up and move to St. Louis, Missouri as a result of Ian's new job within his company.  Once we get there, who knows what fun we’ll have! 

Adventuring in Atlanta

This winter, we had been dying to go skiing with the boys.  However, with Ian's injury it was not meant to be this year.  We were determined to take the boys on adventure and have a little fun anyway, so we plotted a different adventure on our long MLK weekend.  We headed down to Atlanta.  None of us had ever spent much time there, so we were all exploring someplace new.

We left as soon as Ian got home from work on Friday night.  We stopped for a celebratory dinner at Steak and Shake which we always enjoy, and it was a great start to a great vacation.  It was a long drive, and the boys were fast asleep when we pulled in to the hotel at around 1am.  My eyes were getting ready to shut myself.  So, we all fell in to bed and dreamt of the excitement of the days to come.

(Steak and Shake selfie)

We woke up a little on the early side because we had early morning tickets to Stone Mountain.  Stone Mountain is a great attraction just outside of Atlanta where they have hikes, ropes courses, and sky rides in the summer.  However, in the winter they break out the snow machines and create a wintery wonderland.  So, this year, we oddly enough headed South to see the snow.  We arrived and got our wrist bands.  Evan was actually tall enough this time to qualify for the bigger tubing rides, but Benny didn't quite make it.

(family picture at the snow park)

Since we only had two hours for the tubing and all day for the snow park, we headed there first.  Ben was tall enough to ride on the family tubes so we started there.  We waited in a line and then all piled in to a huge tube.  Then, they pushed us over a ledge and down a huge hill we flew.  Ian and I had a ball.  The kids were a bit nervous but seemed to have fun.  Evan wasn't quite sure about doing it again, but since the grown ups wanted to go again, he was outnumbered.  After one more ride on the family tubes, Ben and Daddy went down to the snow play area and Evan and I decided to try the individual tubes.  He was just tall enough to do them on his own.  He wasn't quite sure, but he said he would try it.  Unfortunately, we got in the line that took what seemed like forever.  However, Evan really showed what a big boy he was getting to be by going down the big hill in the tube all by himself, having fun, and waiting for me at the bottom.

(a view of the family tubes before they fly down the slope)

(Evan sleeps in his tube while he waits in line.)

(a view of the tubing park)

After we went tubing, we headed down to meet Benny and Daddy and play in the snow park.  They just had a big field of snow where we could build whatever snow sculpture we wanted.  They also had a couple of small sledding and tubing hills for the little guys.  Benny loved sledding down the hill for little ones and managed to pick up more speed and distance than anyone else on the hill that day (according to the worker at the top of the hill).  While we didn't make any snowmen, Evan worked hard to make a snow hill, and Daddy helped everyone make some igloo blocks out of a really cool mold.  We finished off the morning with some popcorn and hot chocolate.  It was so much fun being able to play in the snow when it was really a pretty balmy 50 degrees out there.

(Benny poses with his super-fast sled.)

(Evan on his snow mountain)

(My boys pose in front of snow mountain)

(The boys try out the small tubing hill.)

(Benny's snowy igloo)

(happy snowmen)

After our play at the snow park, we headed back near the hotel and had a lovely leisurely lunch at On the Border where we polished off more queso then should be humanly possible and were even able to watch a little of the Duke basketball game that just happened to be on television there.  Once we had relaxed and had a chance to change clothes we headed back out to our second adventure of the day.  We headed a few miles down the road to the Legoland Discovery Center.  What could be better than a whole play place devoted solely to Legos?  They even had a few rides mixed in as well.  Once we were admitted, we road a ride where we zapped ghosts and goblins with laser guns, wandered through a miniature Atlanta made completely out of Legos, built Lego cars and raced them down tracks, rode a swing ride, and even played in a huge play gym.  Once the kiddos were completely exhausted we finished off the day at a great pizza place and happily collapsed in our hotel room.

(The boys view lego Atlanta.)

(my boys and a lego policeman)

(building their lego creations)

(holding hands with the wizard-they posed this picture.)

(By the end of the night I was holding my pour tired boy.)

(Lego Stone Mountain)

The next day, we had more adventures in store.  Atlanta is home to the world's largest aquarium, so that was our first stop for the day.  We ended up spending most of the day wandering its halls and it was awesome.  There were huge tanks filled with so much water that huge whales and rays swam by.  There were sea and river creatures of all kinds, and we even got to pet some sea anemones.  There were white alligators, sea dragons, penguins, beluga whales, sharks, jelly fish and more.  One of my favorite parts was the dolphin show.  I had never seen one before and while it was a little dramatic and theatrical, I loved seeing how the trainers worked with the dolphins and what they could do.

(fish attack)

(petting the anemones)

(a sea dragon)

(one of the big aquariums complete with a whale shark)

(boys and jellies)

(another big tropical tank)

We finished out our second day adventuring in Atlanta with a trip to the home of Martin Luther King Jr.  It was a very appropriate trip because it was MLK weekend after all.  We toured the memorial museum, paid our respects at his grave, saw the church where he preached, and stood in front of his home.  Then, of course, we finished it off at the nearby playground.  It was a great, and meaningful way to finish out a fabulous weekend adventure.

(the church where Martin Luther King Jr. preached.)

(his gravesite)

(standing in front of MLK's home)

The next day we woke up and started our journey back home.  I love these family getaways, and even though it wasn't quite the adventure that Ian and I were planning on this winter, we had an awesome time.