Firedrake Terrace

It has been hard for me to make friends and feel comfortable here in Virginia. Everyone has been friendly at Church and school, but I still haven't really been able to connect with anyone.  It has been tough!

THANK GOODNESS for Firedrake Terrace!  Firedrake Terrace is the street we live on.  It consists of 14 row homes in which 21 children live.  Our side of the street all moved in at the same time, and it has been nothing but a feeling of community ever since!  We have wonderful diversity and many ages and backgrounds, but we all treat each other with respect and love.  At first, we would all come out every evening and let the kids play until dark.  The adults had a great time either playing with the kids or socializing.  But, then it developed into weekend barbeques, Halloween parties, Christmas parties, and birthday parties.  When the winter hit and we couldn't go outside, I think we all felt it.  The kids weren't ready to give up the fun, so they continue to play inside at the different houses whenever they can.

We worried so much about what home to buy when we moved here and I am SO grateful that I live on Firedrake Terrace!

Noah and Drew at Ellie's Birthday                                                         Kaela, Jack, Ethan, Drew and Morgan at Ellie's Birthday. 

 

The Pumpkin Carving Party

From left: Anthony, Morgan, Matthew, Ethan, Jared, Jack, Lydia, Ellie, Josh, Sean and Kaela

From Left: Yasmin, Anthony, Alonso, Ayonda, Uditi, Grandma, Sumera, Sophia, Jared, Sandy, Robert and Alexis

Family Fun

During the week, I get so tired of my family, and I wish I could have a break from them.  But, then life slows down for a moment and we get to have some fun; and I realize that it's not THEM that I need a break from, but it's just the drudgery of life.  I wish we could always just play together!

  

These pictures were taken while we were "playing" on Sunday night.  The kids had all kinds of energy and soon they started dog-piling on the couch.  Next, we had to test Dad's strength with all 3 kids on his back.  We added it up and he was carrying over 140 pounds.  Now my kids are sure that THEIR Dad is the strongest around.  Soon everyone insisted that I get in on the action.  I had to prove that I am the strongest Mom around too, so I carried dad on my back (which is more than 140 pounds).  I ended the event by wowing everyone as I stood on Matthew's shoulders.  In my old age, I've lost my guts, so I wouldn't let go of his hands; but the kids were still impressed.  We had a fun time!

Odyssey of the Mind

When I was a little girl, I was involved with Olympics of the Mind.  I LOVED it!  The name has since been changed to Odyssey of the Mind.  When I found out that our elementary school offered this as an after-school activity, I was anxious for Morgan and Ethan to get involved.  I explained to them how it was a creative play that they would get to make up (with their team) and present to judges.  Immediately, Morgan didn't want to do it.  That's the age she seems to be at.  But, Ethan's mind was whirling.  He already had ideas and was in the computer room drawing them.  I was energized by his enthusiasm and realized that this would be a PERFECT activity for my non-academic, yet highly creative son.  So, I volunteered to coach his team.

Why do I jump into these things feet first?!  I'm still asking myself.  I was given a team of 7 children.  Four kindergartners, one first-grader and two second graders.  I went into it with the same enthusiasm that I had at first, but I was thrust into reality when all chaos broke loose during the second meeting.  Suddenly I realized that it is very hard to focus a group of 7 children who have been in school all day, and that three kindergarten boys together can be overwhelming to control.  So, I came up with plan B and then moved on to plan C, and I am slowly finding that this may just be possible!  It has been very fun to see what can come out of the creative mind of a child, and now I am getting excited to see what their final creation will be.

The team building towers out of straws, toothpicks, and mailing labels.  It's tough to do!

Drew and the Counter

Every one of my children have gone through that stage where they have been my shadow.  It is a stage that I don't particularly like, because I no longer have any personal space.  I find myself feeling very claustrophobic.  Drew is at that stage.  Desperate times call for desperate measures, so I often have to creatively find ways to get some space.  

One of those ways is letting him play on the kitchen counter.  As many moms do, I find myself in the kitchen A LOT.  Drew loves the kitchen, and having him at my ankles just wasn't working, so I began putting him on the counter.  While I am working, he lays on the counter, hangs off of it, and slides on his belly all over it.  It makes Matthew very nervous and I even had another mom worried about it.  But, what can one do?!  So, he continues to spend quite a bit of time on the counter and is learning a bit about cooking while he's at it.

Drew helping with dinner.

The Wii

We debated and debated whether Santa should bring a Wii for Christmas.  We'd avoided video games because our kids already get enough screen time between TV and computer. But, it was Ethan's only Christmas wish.  He believed so fully that Santa would bring him what he really wanted.  So, we gave Santa the OK.  I was determined that if we were going to get the Wii we were going to use it to "get off the couch" and move, so I researched the games and found one called Outdoor Adventure.  It comes with a mat (kind of like DDR) and you use both the Wii remote and the mat.  So, Santa left the Wii and the new game in front of the fireplace on Christmas morning.

(above: Drew, Ethan and Morgan playing Mountain Boarder on the Outdoor Adventure mat)

So, how do I like it?  I LOVE it!  It has been the source of memorable family time.  It is teaching my children coordination and keeping them in shape.  Every one of them can play, even Drew (at 2 years old).  

Do I play it?  Of course!  My muscles have been sore since Christmas because of this new game. At first, Matthew figured I was just out of shape, but then I had him do my workout.  He was surprised that I could even kill myself like that on a regular basis!  It is mental therapy for me when I need to get frustration out; and it is a way for me to spend time with my kids, when I don't have the emotional energy to "play".  I really feel that I needed the Wii in my life!  

A Quick Glimpse of 2008

OK, no one can argue the fact that I'm horrible at keeping in touch with friends and family. I didn't even send out any Christmas cards this year! So, I figured a great way to start this blog would be to bring things up to date. So, I'm going to attempt to catch a glimpse of 2008 for the Little family.

First, is our move. Yes, it seems to be our lot in life. Matthew and I have now moved at least 9 times since we've been married (and we celebrated 11 years in 2008)! We moved to Michigan in 2006 and 2 years later, we found out that Volkswagen of America (Matthew's employer) was fleeing Michigan's bad economy and rebuilding in Northern Virginia (Washington DC). We were torn about this news. We were VERY sad to move away from friends and family! Grandma and Grandpa Hofer only lived ONE BLOCK away!

That was the bad. BUT, we couldn't turn down a great opportunity. Volkswagen was offering a way for us to get out of a horrible housing market and economy. Matthew and I both love the DC area (we got married there) and we were excited to be able to live in such an exciting place. So, we swallowed hard (especially when we bought a TOWNhouse that cost almost 3 times that of our single family home), and did it. By the way, I can't complain about the townhouse (below). It is brand new (unlike our 1970's home in Michigan) and it is 3000 square feet with lots of extras. We also LOVE our neighborhood and it already feels like home.

Morgan

Even though she had to move this year, I think Morgan had a great year! She ended her 2nd Grade year with a bang! She blew the audience away singing a song from High School Musical in her school talent show. Her classmates showed up with signs to support her! Then, she threw the best Goodbye Water Party. Almost her entire class came! Starting at a new school made Morgan nervous, but as a mother, I must admit that Morgan is a natural at making friends. I wasn't worried for a minute that she would fit right in. On her meet the teacher day, she made me stay in the classroom as long as possible, so she could meet everyone. It became a meet the teacher AND Morgan day.

Morgan also kept very busy this year. She took piano lessons, did a lot of swimming, attended her Activity Days at church, and continued to excel in school (especially reading). Her biggest accomplishment was running her first 5K. She trained for it with her Girls on the Run club. She ran it in 34 minutes with her running partners (Dad and Grandpa Little). We are very proud of her. She challenged me to run her next 5k with her, so I've got something to aim for this year (i've never done one).

Ethan

Moving was NOT easy for Ethan. He wouldn't let me leave his sight for a couple months (even IN our new home). He would "check" to see where I was every few minutes and he would NOT go to his Church class without Matthew or I. I was getting VERY worried about the start of Kindergarten. Thankfully, he snapped out of it just in time! It didn't hurt that he got to ride a bus to school (a dream come true). Now, I can't believe he ever struggled. He's perfectly adjusted and he loves school. His teacher tells us that he is a good friend to everyone. His curiosity got the better of him once, but after getting in trouble for getting into the teachers stamps on her desk, I don't think that will happen again.

Ethan also had a lot of activities this year. He played soccer, played, took swimming classes, played, started learning to read, and played! I wish I was 6 again! His biggest accomplishment was learning to ride his two wheeler this spring. Now, he is so confident that he can ride Morgan's 20 inch bike too!

Drew

Drew is my baby and I try to keep him that way. Unfortunately, he has no intention of staying a baby! This year he turned two, and he went from speaking in words to speaking in sentences overnight. He is especially good at quoting me, which has made me learn to watch what I say. I have to say that Drew is a tough kid to entertain. He doesn't really like to play with toys. He likes to paint, color, and play with playdough; but mostly he likes electronic gadgets. This year, his biggest accomplishment has been to learn how to find Dad's laptop, turn it on, open up Internet Explorer and go to PBSkids.org. He does all that with no help from me AND he navigates the website with no help. Once in a while, he gets stuck or prints accidently, but he's amazing!!

Matthew and I

I'm very proud of Matthew's accomplishments at work this year. He was very involved in the relocation of the VW headquarters (being in Human Resources). He worked long and hard hours. In the end, his hard work paid off and he received a promotion shortly after our move to Virginia. It wasn't a huge pay increase, but it was what we needed to make ends meet, plus he finally gets a COMPANY CAR! Matthew loves the car part! He started with an Audi Q7, but has plans to get a sporty Audi TT ones of these days (if he can convince me). Matthew's second biggest excitement this year has been living in DC. He LOVES living in the heart of the nation and he would go downtown every Saturday with the kids if he could. How can you beat the Smithsonians?!

I never have anything to say about me, but I'm going to try. I've got to get over feeling like my life is very uninteresting. I'm a mother of three that's alway an adventure, right! So, what did I do this year? I planned Field Day for Morgan's elementary school. I helped move my family to Virginia. I had many, many projects (making pillows for the couch, making curtains, framing pictures, decorating rooms, making Halloween costumes). I signed up to be Room Mom for Ethan's class and planned two Fall parties and one Holiday party. I am also in charge of coordinating parents to come and read in Ethan's class. Most recently, I started coaching Ethan's Odyssey of the Mind team. I also try to keep my sanity by reading, going out with friends and Facebook (my new hobby).

Why a Blog?

My husband Matthew has been working on a blog for our family for the past year.  He loves keeping it up to date and does a good job.  So, why do I need a blog?  A friend of mine mentioned that blogs can be made into books.  Then, when we were off visiting family over Christmas, I saw a book that someone had made.  I realized that it wasn't just a book, but a history.  Suddenly it hit me, that this is how I was finally going to keep my own history!  I want my children to know about their mother.  I want them to know some of my thoughts.  So, here I am starting a blog.  I plan to put the typical pictures and day to day happenings, but even more important I'm hoping to put a little of me into it.  Wish me luck!!