A Very Hokie September Birthday Club...

We picked the perfect day to celebrate the September Birthday Club gang - (Grandma, Adam, Harper & me!) it was Adam's and my birthday & it was the opening game of Virginia Tech football against an old rival, West Virginia (booo!) So we gathered up the family, all adorned in orange and maroon of course, and we celebrated birthdays, enjoyed some great food (thanks Chef Andy!) and cheered on our beloved Hokies! 

Of course there were also gifts to open. This was the first holiday where Harper has really understood the concept of unwrapping and then the joy of seeing what's inside - so that was fun. Of course he still needed a little help which Adam was happy to oblige. Everyone was spoiled as per usual. 

Harper was asleep when we did the cake but don't worry, he got to enjoy some the next day. Grandma, Adam and I made sure to make extra wishes on his behalf. 

Happily one of my wishes came true that night - the Hokies won!! Happy birthday for sure!! 

Until next year September Birthday Club...

Happy Birthday Adam...

8 years old - my goodness!! We scooped Harper and the birthday boy up from Grandma and Grandpa's after their sleepover and headed out for a special birthday lunch for our birthday boy. In addition to loving lobster he has also declared steak to be one of his favorite foods - who is this kid? So we went to Sweetwater Tavern where we know they have a filet on the kids menu - score! He was so excited when we learned that was our destination. A gourmet lunch fit for a birthday king (or prince in this case). 

We would then be continuing the birthday celebrations with the family (September Birthday Club post coming up next) and with Hokie football - what a perfect birthday treat (for me at least!) 

Happy birthday Adam - you are energetic, thoughtful, curious, imaginative, creative, hilarious, bossy, an insatiable reader, loving, cuddly, smart, goofy, and the absolute BEST and most patient big brother there ever was. We love you so so much and can't wait to see what the next year will bring. 

 

My Pre-Birthday Celebration at Cooper's Hawk...

Adam likes to remind me that my birthday is no longer September 3rd since that's his big day now so we've gotten good at finding a different day to get my "birthday" on. This year we dropped the kids with my folks and had an awesome dinner out at the newest place in town, Cooper's Hawk Winery. 

This is a unique spot in that it's a winery and a restaurant all in one - and it's only a couple miles away - unlike most of the wineries around here. When we arrived we were greeted with a small glass of their proseco - what a welcome! We then decided to do a wine tasting before going in for dinner. 

The wines we tasted were all really great and some were pretty unique like their double oaked chardonnay which I was afraid to try at first and then upon sampling it realized it actually had this really campfire vibe to it - which might sound weird but it was surprisingly fun. They let you customize your tasting which is pretty cool as well - needless to say - we joined the wine club. 

After our tasting we went to the bar for our dinner. The food was amazing - especially the crispy brussel sprouts - I haven't stopped thinking about them since...

A very happy pre-birthday celebration for me! :) 

Trials & Tribulations of a Bus Rider w/ a New Driver...

Adam had a new bus driver the first week of school...he also had  new bus driver the second week of school thanks to some persistent nagging by me and I'm assuming some of the other parents as well. Long story short - terrible driver who was getting lost, not driving safely, missing bus stops, forgetting to pick kids up, etc. etc. But that's not what this post is about - instead it's about all the fun we had either waiting for the bus to finally arrive or when we took matters into our own hands and decided to walk to school or ride bikes to school - so fun! 

So when we waited we had fun snapping pictures and getting in extra brother time...

Then when we walked we snuck in a pit stop at Starbucks for breakfast...

And when Adam rode his bike he was all smiles because, hello, how cool is it to ride your bike to school!? 

The bus situation has been resolved but we are already looking forward to Walk to School day next week and to trying to ride bikes on Fridays as often as our schedule permits. Fun to have transportation options that don't require a vehicle :) 

First Day of 3rd Grade...

Summer sure did fly by but we certainly squeezed in a lot of fun between the last day of school and the first. Alas it was time to say goodbye to summer fun and head back to our school year routines. Adam was so excited to learn that he got Mrs. Crittenden as his teacher and that his best friend Zaym was in his class (see photo evidence below - we found out while we were still in Cape Cod). Turns out she spent her whole career teaching 1st grade at Aldrin and then retired. After a couple years she decided, well this is boring and started substitute teaching - that's how Adam met her. After subbing in some 3rd grade classrooms she realized she LOVED the 3rd grade and went back to teaching full time last year - love that! 

The night before the first day we debated wardrobe options. Adam and I had done some shopping at Vineyard Vines - his choice - and he'd picked a few options. The weather was going to be unseasonably cool so we landed on the long sleeve button up with sleeves rolled up just a smidge. I was so happy he was wanting to rotate in some nicer clothes instead of all athletic gear all the time like 2nd grade had been. (I miss my all Polo, all the time kiddo...sigh). 

Breakfast was Star Wars themed pancakes - the force was going to be with Adam on his first day! Then it was off to the bus stop where, as per usual, we waited about 30+ minutes for the bus to arrive (more on that in the next post). Finally it was time to say goodbye to our 3rd grader and off he went. 

The first day of school always drags for me - I just can't wait for Adam to get home so I can hear all about who is in his class, what they are going to be learning, who is he sitting next to, etc. etc. So when it was finally time to go wait for the bus to arrive we were all excited - including Harper! I don't think I'll ever stop watching the video of Harper seeing the bus finally (yeah, it was 30+ minutes late coming home too!) pull up - priceless! Adam came running off the bus with a big smile on his face (phew - that's always a good sign) and right back into the arms of his little brother - they spent so much time together this summer I think it was hard on everyone to part ways for school and work. 

All that said - it was a successful first day and Adam is looking forward to an awesome year as a 3rd grader!