Another week packed with fun! We had tennis clinic then I spent the afternoon finishing my book club book, The Snow Child and listened to A Man Called Ove while making cookies for the MOPS cookie swap and Ellie's school teacher appreciation exchange at school. Not that I baked, I made Ritz dips instead. We had cupcakes and prosecco to celebrate Tracy's Birthday at the park during dance class. I got in my overalls and headed to book club to discuss the book and do our ornament exchange. It was a fun night. Robin and I played well together against Jax Golf & Country Club on Tuesday. I had enough time to do a little Christmas shopping after our match. We had our team tennis party that night. The captains did a nice job, I ended up with an extra gift (perks of closing down the party). Wednesday, Kerri and I walked 9 holes of golf, I did a quick Walmart trip then met my parents and the Herons for a seafood lunch. Thursday I went to April's for a gift wrapping party then volunteered in Abby's class for STEM day (our experiment was much like her science fair project talking about chlorophyll in leaves.) I was scrambling preparing for Friday and teacher gifts. That night my parents had a Christmas party. I went for close to 2 hours then had to pick Marly up from dance. Friday I went to adoration with my parents then spent the afternoon at school for Marly and Abby's class parties. I was wiped out by the end of it! They had a winter festival that evening, like a fall festival. It was a last
​hurrah" for the 2021 school year. We had our neighborhood party that night. It was a great turn out, maybe the best ever! Lots of new neighbors on Santa Cruz! We hosted the tail end, I made a Grinch drink. Saturday, the girls and I went to the Freemans for a mother-daughter gingerbread making party. We went to mass and then the McDonalds party. We all stayed up too late. Sunday morning came early for me. My parents and sisters were caroling at the door to pick me up for the airport at 7:15am! Here are the pics of the week.

It's Nutcracker Week! Because of COVID last year, there was no Nutcracker performance. The year before, they double casted with dancers sharing costumes and splitting up performances. This year there was none of that. So, Ellie and Marly performed in all the performances. Marly was in the reenactment scene in the second act....a quick mouse run across the stage so that meant she had to go to ACT II rehearsals and stay for the whole show. These kids are WIPED OUT! After clinic on Monday, a group went out to lunch at the Brick for my Birthday. My pal, Anne Marie treated me. Very nice. I volunteered for the Tuesday Act I dress rehearsal. Wow...in the basement of the Florida Theater with a bunch of mice and soldiers! It was an experience. Marly ended up with impetigo on her face (an infected cat scratch), which went so well with all that stage make up! Ugh. Thankful my friend, Lauren hooked me up with an antibiotic lotion. I hosted a womens holiday party on Wednesday during the day. It was so nice to see so many fabulous women and finally host a big soiree again. That afternoon I took Marly to her act two dress rehearsal. My friend, Tiffany saved me by bringing her home so I could meet Rachael, Tracy and Katie at Juliets for dinner before the show, Come From Away. It was stressful getting there (and awful service at dinner), but what an amazing show to see in the middle of the stress! Julie and I got to play together in a tennis match at San Jose on Thursday with a quick win. I helped sort race shirts for the fun run. That night was Phil's bank party. We dropped off a carload of dancers downtown on our way. Back to San Jose for the party. They did a nice job with fun conversation. We ended up with an after party in Mandarin on our way home. Tracy got me in with the homeschoolers to the school show on Friday morning. It was neat seeing Ellie, the soldier in the lobby before the show. I'm the mean mom who brought them back to school for the afternoon. Back that evening for another show, luckily they got a ride home after the first act that night. The rest of us had a quiet night in (with Yellowstone). Saturday morning we were up early for the Stockton Fun Run. The patrols raised a ton of money! Thank you to my parents, Cogent Bank and Terry Vereen for sponsoring our sweet patrol. It felt good to get in a run in the middle of the chaos. We had enough time to get ready for the matinee performance. Our family went to support the girls for this show. Yay for the fan club! Phil was not excited about spilling wine on his pants. They had the cast party that afternoon and then Lauren saved me by taking them back for the evening show and Melanie for bringing them home. Phew! Love that village! The Applegates had us over for a movie night that evening. Fun catching up with neighbors. Sunday morning, Ellie and I read and then instead of religion class, we all went to confession....can't think of a better thing to do when everyone was crabby and overtired in the middle of the craze! We went to my sister's for a family gingerbread house party. The cousins loved it (dogs, too!). Owen grilled hamburgers and hotdogs for all of us. It was nice to get together. That evening was the bike parade at the school. Our friend, Andrew joined us for the ride. We stayed a little later than I hoped, but we were still in bed at a decent hour. Wow! What a week! Here are the pics.

Oh wow! I have some catching up to do. We are certainly amidst the holiday craze. I had some tennis fun this week. I started volunteering at the outreach center down the street, putting food in people's cars. They line up starting at 5am for the food pantry opening at 8am. I have lots of mixed feelings about this, which makes me want to come back for more. Especially going from that to tennis clinic. Tuesday, Kerri and I had a much needed win together. We skipped out on golf on Wednesday and played on the B team. We ended up loosing, which was such a bummer...in the third set! The younger three got their 2nd COVID vaccination on Tuesday night. I got my booster. We all felt fine, but after my tennis match on Wednesday, I had to lay down for a minute before the evening festivities. Feeling weak. Don't worry, I rallied. That night was the TCC Open House party. I joked that it was so nice of TCC to host my Birthday parties. Lots of fun events at the club! Great party with great conversations and excellent food. I never made it to the photo booth or the dance floor. We had MOPS on Thursday. Anne set up the perfect meeting with a toy swap, reindeer games and relaxation drills. Alex, my nephew, spent Thursday night with us. It was nice to have some cousin time. Too bad Spot ate his science project! I took him to school the next day with enough time to take the younger two. I ran around on Friday morning decorating the Stockton tree for Christmas in Avondale (way more stress than necessary). April brought me lunch and we sat in the hot tub on a gorgeous winter afternoon- perfect Friday afternoon! We had a low key night when Ellie went to youth group with deep dish pizza. On Saturday morning, Phil played tennis early. I came up after for the ugly sweater social. It was fun playing with new people. Julie and I beat some B players! We stayed after for an epic almost all day lunch with tequila shots and bloody marys. I took a breather at home, getting the kids and house situated. We went to Christmas in Avondale that evening. Chilly weather, loved seeing so many people. Last year was so quiet and now it feels like double! Sunday was my Birthday! I'm now 42. We went to mass. Ellie and Marly altar served. We had our last religion class. Ellie, Marly, Phil and I drove to St. Augustine for zip lining over the Alligator Farm. It was so awesome! I highly recommend it. We came home in enough time to get dressed up for Supper with Santa at TCC. I wish the food was less of a kids buffet, but it was still so nice of TCC to host another party for me. We ended with wine in the living room, I love that! Here are the photos from the week.

And just like that, Thanksgiving has come and gone and now we begin the hustle and bustle of Christmas. It's busy and crazy and stressful and absolutely my favorite. Monday was a fun clinic since we didn't have a match. It was Julie's Birthday so she, Rachael and I went to lunch at Biscotti's. It was delightful to sit and chat and just be together. I worked to get the neighborhood progressive dinner party invite out that afternoon. Still learning how to do anything on the Mac. Talk to me if you are a pro on this thing. Tuesday was cold. We played a fun match round robin with Julie, Rachael and Jane. I picked up my fixed up sewing machine and knocked out the rest of my orders. Our Christmas cards came in so I set it up to work on them on the drive to Miami. Phil and I went to TCC for a drink when he got home from work. Then, I headed out to a girls night for MOPS to Hot Pot, this Korean BBQ place. I was tired and it was a long night. I met Phil at VDub's pub for a nightcap. We got up on Wednesday and drove to Miami. It was a long, trafficy drive. Ellie and Abby were not good. I made the kids read aloud, Indigenous Peoples History of the United States (excellent Thanksgiving reading with the family). I worked on Christmas cards and ended up finishing the Will Smith book. We arrived in Miami and had an early fajita dinner, got haircuts and started a puzzle. On Thanksgiving morning, Abu and Marly made breakfast and then started on Thanksgiving dinner. Abby and I worked on the puzzle and watched the Macy's Day Parade. Ellie, Voss, Phil, Abby and I walked to the park. Vane came over. We ate dinner around 4pm. It was a delicious meal, filled with all the favorites. We left after breakfast the next morning and headed to the Everglades. We did an airboat ride, which wasn't amazing. We are so spoiled with river life and get to already see all there is to see in Florida that the airboat ride wasn't very impressive. Neither was the alligator show after. We waited in line to get our passports stamped and saw some real, authentic alligators hanging out by the entrance. That was pretty cool. We had gator tail on the way out. It was a long drive home. I think Spot got a little car sick. Phil and I stayed up watching Yellowstone. Saturday was a lazy day. We walked down to visit my parents. We put up Christmas decorations and our tree. Marly and I got tree trimmings to put in our fake tree so it looks fuller and smells great. We went with the VanWie's on their boat to see the boat parade downtown. We wanted to stay for the fireworks but we almost ran out of gas so we headed home. We did an adult dinner at Lillians then took the kids home to bed late. Marly altar served at mass and we brought up the gifts. Back to having coffee and donuts after; that was nice. We finished with decorating and more work on cards. We did the turkey triathlon, with some coaxing. Voss wiped out on his bike at the very beginning. I'm proud of him for powering through, but he wined the rest of the way. I didn't make him do the swim with open wounds. The girls rocked it! It was more of a polar plunge, it was a cold, rainy day today! To end the night, we went to the opening of Jack's Christmas lights. Amazing chilly, fellowship and fabulous synchronized lights! We have so much to be grateful for! Here are our pics of the week.

More tennis to kick off the week! I did clinic and then a match with Kerri on Tuesday. We played line 1 against San Jose and lost. It was so frustrating. We won the first game 6-3, lost the second game 2-6 then lost the last one 4-6. Ugh! After clinic I got ready for book club. Kerri had given me a tofu Thai recipe to make for the theme. I also made sunbutter sandwiches and zucchini pizza bites. The author called in at 8pm to participate in the conversation. It was really awesome! It was early release on Wednesday so it was a short day for me. I made mushrooms and broccoli for the teacher appreciation luncheon and brought it to James Weldon. I'm listening to Will, such a fun book! We had MOPS on Thursday. Khristi gave a financial presentation. I started watching Million Little Things. I worked on some embroidery projects and broke my machine. Luckily there's a place in Mandarin that does repairs. It was Marly's teacher's Birthday so I collected and got her a few gift cards and flowers. April hosted a lunch for Kathleen's Birthday on Friday. Before that I went to UNF to conclude my role (control) in the gut health study. Ellie had the youth group crowd over after school on Friday. Phil and I went to wine club that night. Saturday was a lazy morning. The girls went to Nutcracker rehearsal. We went for a walk then Phil and I went to a Costco pizza date. Abby went to Celestial Farms with her friend, Michelle. Ava May came over for a play date. We met up with the VanWie's and went on the yacht for Anne Marie's 50th Birthday. It was a perfect November fall night. This morning we went to mass then breakfast at TCC. Voss had his final soccer game and won. He was so happy to get a trophy. Abby now says she wants to play. We worked on the puzzle and homework this afternoon. Ellie went to Harley's. Phil and I brought dinner to a friend. We did a rosary walk. Getting ready for the holidays! Here we go! Here are our photos of the week.

Yes! It was a week of tennis (more than usual). I did clinic on Monday then Kerri and I won the only line at Beach Walk on Tuesday. We did some cross training with golf on Wednesday. It was a rough start but we finally warmed up and finished okay. Phil also played a lot this week to prepare for the weekend. He played with the tennis director of Eagle Harbor. I played with my sister, Suzanne. She gave me a lot of grief during the week trying to bail. I stuck it to her and found her a racket and tennis shoes. I met the PTSA treasurer at the bank and got all that squared away for membership. I ran my first zoom meeting for them this week. I met Steph and Jess for a Thai lunch on Monday to kick off the week. The younger three got their first COVID shot on Tuesday! Funny that Ilya was in front of us in line. It was chaotic at Walgreens and took an hour but I'm just so glad it's done! The kids at Thursday off for Veterans Day and Friday for a weather day. Ellie, Phil and I went thrifting on Thursday. I let the younger two have play dates. Abby had a sweet friend, Marlee. Voss also had a sweet friend, Will but he may be too young for a play date. Ellie spent the night with Charlotte. Marly spent the afternoon with Addy then went to dance. Phil and I watched the kick off for the tennis weekend, an exhibition match between the TCC and FYC pros. Zach and Jen pulled it off and it was so fun to watch. Friday, Voss and Abby both went to play dates. Abby with Michelle and Voss with Zachary (my neighbors took him for an absolute fun Friday!) Marly and I met my parents for adoration. Then we watched the first part of Hamilton together since she's been singing it all week. We met Phil and Ellie for pizza then picked up Abby. Phil and I went up to watch the start of the tournament, although neither of us played yet. I've been working on a book club directory and tracking all the books we've read. Phew! Friday night was Gourmet on the Greens, one of the best parties at TCC. Suzanne came with us and we had so much fun. We went to an after party at Hempy's. The next morning we headed up for the tournament. Suzanne and I played Christian and Lindsay. They were the best to play first. So kind and we actually won! Later that afternoon we played Kerri and Cheryl and lost. We came home and went to bed early. AM ended up sleeping over. The Applegates gave Ellie a ride to mass so she could serve. Carolyn gave her a ride home. SQ and I played bright and early at 8:30am. It was cold! Robin and her friend beat us 6-0, 6-0. Robin's friend said she'd rather have a sister than a win. Wow. Lots of sweet comments about us playing together. That was nice. I loved it. Phil and his partner lost all their matches but it was fun to watch. I had to leave in the middle of his last one to take Voss to his soccer game. He was a great goalie. Voss has been out playing soccer all week! So cute! Ellie babysat our neighbors yesterday and AM tonight. I came back to get the middle two home to work on science projects then back to watch the final upset match. Ramen for dinner with an early bedtime. Here are the pics from the week.

I went to clinic on Monday and then spent the afternoon getting life back together after a crazy weekend. Lots of PTA stuff to iron out. On Tuesday, Keri and I played golf (we were terrible), I brought Mrs. Bricknell her Birthday gift and then took Mrs. Sutton, my neighbor out to lunch as a thank you for being so wonderful to us and my kids. That afternoon we went to Walmart to activate the switch witch. The kids each picked out a toy and traded in their Halloween candy. Although, I'm finding hidden stashes in their rooms. Ugh. My pal, Rachael has COVID so Keri ended up able to come with me to see Fiddler on the Roof on Wednesday night. We had dinner ahead of time with Tracy and Katie at Bellweather. The show brought some nostalgia my way with the music. So many classic tunes. My mom and MIL walked together to light candles at our wedding to Sunrise Sunset. We had a craft meeting at MOPS making ornaments for V for Victory. Friday, Spot and I got in a run before all the rain came. I went to adoration then Crystal River with my parents. It rained the rest of the day and night and then all day Saturday. I actually liked the rainy time. It forced me to catch up on all the JWJ PTSA membership forms I needed to enter into the online system. I also finally made the summer road trip video. Marly spent the night at the Freemans. Ellie and I had ramen for dinner. Voss played Minecraft. Phil took Abby on a date night to Moon River pizza. Saturday was more of the same. Phil discovered leaks in our house and had a friend some to looks and asses some damage (looks like our balcony is the problem). The older girls went to nutcracker rehearsal. I worked on science projects with the middle two and tried to get Marly organized. I went through clothes and made pumpkin cookies to give to neighbors. I listened to The House of Gucci. It's pretty meh to me. Saturday night Phil and I had a date night to TCC. No frills, but it was probably good to change out of my bathrobe (you know I'm usually in it while driving my kids to school). This morning we went back an hour. We were still sliding into mass just in time. We taught CCD after then had breakfast at home. Voss had pictures for soccer then his game. Great defense (except while he was goalie). The ringer on his team enabled us to win 6-5 (after scoring all 6 goals!). We went to dinner with the Bentons at High Tide. Early bedtime for all thanks to daylight savings. Here are our photos of the week.

It's so fun having all these kids and getting to do Halloween kid style over and over again. Yes, it is exhausting with all the costume changes. DIY to save a $20 here and there. I am very grateful I wasn't nursing a baby or hauling a wagon full of non and semi-walkers. Now that was exhausting! For the elementary kids it was Drug free week so they had dress up themes each day. I wonder if all this hoopla works. Just say no, or maybe sample a bit and moderation is key. Or watch out for addiction. We had a patrol parent meeting on Monday, talking about the DC trip this summer. I plan to go with Marly on that. I played tennis with Julie Rice on Monday in clinic and then in Tuesday's match (against the same ladies Rachael and I played in Fernandina). So much fun but ended in a loss, which you know I just hate. We won the first set 6-4, then lost the tie breaker in the second set maybe 5-7 then lost the tie breaker in the third set 6-8. Lots of tennis! Luckily the weather has been awesome all week. I played a fun match with Jennifer, Sally and Liz on Wednesday to redeem myself a bit. Our match on Thursday was rained out. I stayed in my nightgown as long as possible hoping to continue by horror movie marathon I started this week. But, Phil and I had a lunch date working through our weekly drama. It's this time of year where money starts flying (that actually probably happens all year around here, but less holiday drama) so I'm trying to set us up for success. Ellie got a cavity filled along with some sealants. MOPS led the rosary that night, which was really Katie and I. Super stressful at first but it worked out and was actually nice. Friday I went to adoration with my parents, then brought a family dinner then Sunny's for a delayed Birthday lunch. I thought Friday night was a family pumpkin painting party at TCC but it was actually a drop off babysitting thing. We sat in the bar instead, which was okay. Ellie babysat Ava May. The Cochrans had a 40th Birthday blow out that night. Way too much fun ending in Phil and I walking home around 1:30am. Saturday morning I got up and went walking for coffee with Rachael and Tracy, always a treat catching up. Then, the VanWie's picked us up on their boat and we met up with the Summons yacht to tailgate for the GA-FL game. Wow! Now that is the way to tailgate! So much fun people watching and enjoying a gorgeous day. That night we went to the Johnson- Hardison's for a family Halloween party. A great practice for Halloween! Nice, family fun complete with party games. We all went to bed early. Marly altar served on Sunday. Low turn out for CCD, maybe because of Halloween? I played a bit of tennis with my sister, Phil gave her a lesson to prep for our tennis tournament next month. Voss won her soccer game with a few good saves in goal (and the kid on his team who scores all the goals!). Phil and I made a steak dinner then off to trick or treat! We started with our street first as usual, then my parent's house then off to the forest. This time, Ellie was trick or treating with Addison and Charlotte so we parked there. Marly went with Addy. Phil and I followed Voss and Abby around. One of Voss' friends hooked us up with a golf cart ride so we went all over the neighborhood. So much fun and so much candy! I stayed up to conclude by week of Horror, with Chucky. Also this week I saw Halloween Kills, Nightmare on Elm Street and It. Nothing is scarier than Game of Thrones, though. I guess I'm numb after that. Here are our pics of the week.

Another busy week of fall fun. I think this is the time of year when everything is on fast forward from now on. But, it's fun stuff. I did loose my voice this week for screaming at the kids one night. That part was not fun, nor was the few days after of having to tell people I lost my voice after screaming at my kids. Abby and Marly are reading the 2nd Harry Potter book together, which I'd say is going well but one night it was too well and they knocked a frame over, which shattered into a million pieces all over Abby's room. I went to sleep with glass in my foot. So, no it's not all fun all the time, but you already knew that. We had book club at Kim's to discuss The Southern Book Club's Guide to Slaying Vampires. It sounds so hoakie, but it was really good. Kim went all out with the spooky, creepy theme. We had a great conversation around her fire pit. We had a biweek for tennis so Kerri and I played golf. She was a great caddie so I played well. What a perfect, fall day out there! That afternoon I raced to Mandarin to get new pointe, ballet and solider shoes for Ellie and mouse shoes for Marly. $$$ Attitudes were ripe but taco Tuesday helped to save the evening. Dinner on the porch with great weather should save any night. I tried to go on Marly's field trip but my volunteer check was slow to be renewed (they just allowed volunteers back this week so there's a backlog). I played tennis with Julie instead (and lost 4-6 then 5-7) at Boone park. I've been working on catching up on all the family videos. So, stay tuned for those updates on the video page. Thursday we had a Halloween party for MOPS. Amber brought her themed waffle irons with all the fixings. Then we played a guess the mom game and the chair game (my fav). I went to help Emma (and Sherry) pack. John got us lunch from Bodrum, which was so nice. They moved over the weekend and were stressed. I jumped on a PTA call while picking Marly up from dance and then Regan up to head out for dinner. The middle school PTA is completely different than the elementary school! We met up with Lauren, Heather, Kat and April and had dinner in a yurt. It was way more expensive than I was thinking, but pretty neat. Friday I went to adoration and lunch with my parents. It had been a while. That afternoon Ellie had a bunch of friends over to get ready for ballroom dancing class together. We went to the pumpkin patch for movie night. Such a sweet idea! A little drama with Ellie not getting invited to a big Birthday party many kids went to after ballroom. I'm grateful she's such a cool, confident kid. But not being invited still usually stings. Phil and I tried to watch a scary movie that night, but it was hoakie so we went to bed instead. Saturday, the girls got picked up for Nutcracker. Phil made breakfast and we walked to visit my parents. We finally carved our pumpkin, with a guy from Minecraft? Ellie went to hang with Robin for the afternoon then over to babysit for the VanWie's. The Hayes kids were over across the street so they all spent all afternoon and evening making a Haunted house. That meant Phil and I had a date day. We took the boat to TCC for drinks and apps. I worked on a few sewing projects and listened to This is How is Always Is. We went to the Camps Halloween party that night. She always goes all out. Of course we ended up staying too late. Sunday we got up early for mass. Ellie and I read, she and Marly altar served. Birdie Applegate was baptized. Phil and I taught CCD then we went over for the baptism reception. Voss had a soccer game. One of the kids scored all 6 goals which had them winning 6-5. It was impressive. Phil is now the assistant coach. We walked and bike rode to my parents for dinner and time in the hot tub. Everyone was ready for an early bedtime! Here are the pics from the week.

Ellie is home and the family is together again. I'm hoping she'll write up her own blog review of her trip. So, stay tuned! Monday was Indigenous People Day where we talked a lot about the horrors of Columbus and crimes of settlers. The girls went to dance as usual that afternoon but no school so we had a day to recover. I finished A Million Reasons Why and balled my eyes out. Tuesday, Kerri and I played together in a great match against Pace Island. We won in a tie breaker in the 3rd set. We definitely got our monies worth! Wednesday, April met me at TCC for some DEAR time. I started Queen Bees and Wanna Bees and have already referenced it a few times this week. I've only read the intro. Thursday, I helped Emma pack, got an amazing massage with Sherry and did Hispanic heritage month with snow cones and burritos in food trucks at Stockton. Lauren came over for a wine date, we brought Anne dinner and met her new baby GIRL. I redeemed a perfectly timed frappuccino from my sister, Katie. I went to adoration with my parents but instead of lunch, I went to a tennis clinic. It was insanely muggy and humid, but a good lesson. Ellie had Robin and Amelia over to get ready for ballroom dancing. Ha! They are the atypical dance bunch! I was bummed that TCC started the "drive in" movie an hour early, so no one was really into it when we arrived on time. I drove the Nutcracker carpool on Saturday morning. I was so bummed to realize I forgot my book on the counter at home- to read during their rehearsal. I remembered the library and downloaded the book to listen to while getting in some steps in the creepy alleyway behind the studio. It was so perfect for our creepy book! I picked up a deep dish pizza on the way home and gorged myself. It was incredible! We had a MOPS Halloween party that afternoon. It was fun and festive. I ended up leaving Phil and the younger two. Marly spent the night out and Ellie opted to stay home. I met Rachael and friends out to celebrate her 40th Birthday. Wow, what a night. After a fun dinner on the rooftop, even after some rain, we went to Dos Gatos then The Loft and ended at the Island Bar! This morning, I actually felt great; fueled by a night of chicken soup for the soul! We did mass then CCD then bfast on the porch with some real fall weather. Abby and I worked on her science project (which actually did not turn out, so we need a plan B), then Phil and I went to Voss' soccer game. A Sunday Funday with friends for dinner and loving jumping into the fall! Here are our pics of the week.