On the Auction Block!

For each of the last 7 years, I have helped kids at NAPS create a one-of-a-kind piece of art to be auctioned at our school's big fundraiser. It is always a lot of fun to see where teamwork and the help of 30 or 40 little kids take you! This year was the BEST, working with Reilly and the two first grade classes, two really creative and talented parents, AND Aunt Eliza in Utah, we came up with this adorable schoolhouse bookshelf. A dad in the class made the bookshelf. It really looks like the school and every single paper doll is handmade by the children to look just like them. Eliza the awesome artist sis drew and sent us the patterns for the kids and their uniforms. Another super hard-working, detail-oriented mom and I cut and cut and cut all the tiny pieces out. Then, the kids chose their uniform options, eye and hair color and styles and glued it all together. When the dolls were made and the shelf painted, we set the kids in the rooms and began to decorate the school around them to look like NAPS using paper piecing and scrapbook stickers. The gym and art rooms are in the basement, French and music share a room, even the curtains in the rooms remind us of NAPS! After that the other mom spent a whole week glueing and decoupaging the artwork down and then sealing the whole thing with acrylic. Delivering it to the school was really fun; all the kids and teachers who saw it couldn't stop oohing and ahhing! These photos don't even begin to do all the details justice! It is too cute!!! So now, it's going once, going twice.....
We'll see how much money we raise at the auction next week!
Special thanks to Eliza, Rene and Mercedes for so much fun and a truly special project!

Sing, sing a song.
Sing out loud!
Sing out strong!

Don't worry if it's not good enough

for anyone else to hear.
Just sing, sing a song!

I made it to STATES!

Owen took the silver medal at this weekend's Region VI championship meet to qualify for the MD Age-Weight State Tournament where he will face the best of the best in the 60-pound weight class. He did some of his most competitive and focused wrestling of the season, losing only 4-0 to the top qualifier and gutting out a 1 pt. overtime win for second place. Way to go, Owen! Sadly, Connor failed to qualify with a well-earned 4th place finish in a really tough bracket. We're proud of both boys.

Student....

... Athletes!

This weekend Connor and Graeme brought home straight A report cards from middle school and teamed up on the basketball court with a couple of brother-to-brother scoring drives. The team lost by one point in overtime, but we know that's not the score that counts. Earning As in everything from Algebra to Home Ec is what really makes you double MVPs with Mom and Dad!

$2 Day!
This post is for my cousins Abbie, Rylan and Alana, you'll see why. Yesterday I went to the dentist and he had to pull out one of my top teeth because it had a big cavity. I went back to school. Then, at recess, one of my teeth on the bottom fell out by itself, but got lost in the wood chips on the playground. I didn't know if the tooth fairy would come since one was a cavity and one was lost. But, she did. It was a $2 day!
Love,
Reilly

"This Sucks!"
Due to the graphic nature of this post, some of the contents may not be suitable for young viewers.

Owen's 3rd grade teacher gave him a "special" homework assignment. It reads, "Since the word "sucks" has been banned from the classroom due to overuse, Owen's assignment is to use his list of 10 words he can say instead of "sucks" and write sentences using those 10 words." Here goes:

1. Instead of saying sucks I can say poopy.
2. Instead of saying sucks I can say man.
3. Barnacles, I messed up on my math quiz.
4. Darn, I didn't score.
5. Shucks, my team lost.
6. Cheese niblets, I didn't finish my homework.
7. That stinks, I didn't finish my assignment.
8. Darn it, I lost my game.
9. Poo, I came in last place.
10. Rat munching rattlesnakes, I missed dessert.

Due Monday February 9, with parent signature.

Maybe he learned his lesson.

Tough Stuff
Connor and Owen traveled all the way to Fauquier County, Virginia (2 hours away) on Saturday for a tri-meet with their wrestling team, Cape Cougars. The whole team was a little banged up, including Owen who was sick on Friday and Connor who slipped on the ice Saturday morning and lacerated his knee. They decided to wrestle anyway. Connor went 2-0 but Owen was pinned twice. The team lost both matches. That's what they call tough stuff.






One more look at that knee...

Snow Day!
It's not much, but it'll do! Our first snow day of 2009 found Connor, Graeme and Pierce hitting the icy slopes of Dulany Place. Graeme is our natural winter weather lover and had fun showing Pierce how his world had turned white... and cold. Connor, the hard worker, shoveled the driveway and de-iced the cars for Dad. They also went skating at the new USNA hockey rink.

But where were Owen, Reilly and Dad? I'm sorry to say, they were at SCHOOL!! Unfortunately, it takes a lot more than this to shut down the Naval Academy. The three of them laced on their snow boots and walked to school in time for Dad's 10 a.m. Strengths exam. So when we say, "Let it Snow!", next time, we mean A LOT!