Basketball

 Chase woke up before 6 am on Saturday in eager anticipation of the long-awaited first basketball game.  He was beyond thrilled when his basketball hero, Easton, showed up to watch his game.  (Easton is also his hair hero, so I don't think we'll be getting a haircut anytime soon!)

 Team introductions - notice one of his other favorite fans, Bryce, taking pictures from the sidelines!  He had quite the fan club present.

 Meeting the opponent.  

Finally in action!  The rules for this league are strange, to say the least!  Chase scored a couple of baskets but he also had one fast breakaway that was called back (can't do that!) and also a steal that was taken back (can't do that either!) but there is no score either so it's all fun and games!

 Working on some strategy with the coach.

 It was all fun until Chase got taken to the floor.  He had to be nearly carted to the sidelines.  We sent the medical staff over to take a look at him.  They said it was more than they could handle!

Easton had to come over for an emergency pep talk and then things were looking better and Chase was back in the game.  He said it was great and he can't wait for next week's game!

Snow Days

 Monday was a holiday and we were outside playing without even wearing a coat.  In the 4 days since we have been paralyzed by just over an inch of snow and we're frozen.  I'm pretty sure Chase doesn't even remember what school looks like!  But, what's not to love about a snow day, or four.

 Taylor wasn't so much loving the snow, shocker.  

She was in more of a sit inside and eat cookies mode.

 She finally ventured out with us for a little bit. 

 Even though the roads were too bad to go to school on Wednesday, we were able to get to MeMa's by about 9am to go sledding with Bryce and Emmy.

 You can see the pavement and grass through the snow but it was plenty icy enough for sledding down the hill.

 What a blizzard. 

 Don't worry, she didn't move an inch!

 She was willing to take Emmy for a stroll.  Emmy had the most fun of any of them!

 Finally, a smile!!

 These two can't do much of anything without trying to knock each other over.  I thought it was just as good of place as any to wrestle....

 And it was until Bryce got Chase face down in the snow!  You gotta watch the little guys, that low center of gravity will get you every time!!

 This was the first time.  The second time it happened there were tears and blood and the game was over.  It wasn't really that bad, but enough to make them ready to go in!

 A little happier with each other inside!

Nice hair.

 Yesterday was the best snow day of all for the kids.  We were babysitting and let me just say that if they had both had school yesterday, it would not have been pretty!

 Poor Aaron, he was such a good sport.  The kids had way too much fun with him.  So much that they even forgot to argue with each other.  

 Taylor loves her some babies and puppies.

 They even let me have a turn.  Babies at my house don't know they are supposed to sleep in beds!

 We even took a field trip to fix dinner at Ronald McDonald house and they still didn't argue.  Aaron got so tired of being pushed around the kitchen he decided to fall asleep though!

And the best part of all...it wore Taylor out!  She fell asleep sitting on the sofa after dinner!

Lately

 I received the "you haven't blogged in a long time" text this week and I knew it was true.  It has been a sad and unusual week around here and it's hard to put your good memories on a blog when everyone is so sad.  Last Monday, a mother of one of the students in Chase's class was hit and killed by a drunk driver during her morning run.  We know the family well and it's been a very hard thing to process.  (You can check out more of the story starting at "Meg's Miles" on fb.)

 On Friday, Chase's school asked the students and staff to wear blue in honor of Meg and her family.  Chase was beyond excited to participate, especially since blue shorts were allowed!

 Saturday we headed up to the track to participate in one of the many runs held in her honor.

 It is such a sad thing that has happened but it has also been such an encouragement to see how many people this tragedy has touched and how close of a community we live in.

 In other events, dating back to the first of the year.....Chase finally got me back to the pottery place to paint the football bank he had his eye on.  Unfortunately, they were out of that so he settled on a soccer ball.

 Taylor remembered that she still wanted to paint an ice cream cone for Kerry, so she did that.

 Sweet Frog was conveniently next door!

 Taylor's friend Kathryn came over to play one day.

 Taylor's dance class got their costumes for the recital in June.

 Costume day is the highlight of the year.

 Getting ready for bed?

 Never a dull moment with this one...if it looks like she is missing some clothes, well....she is!  She's not missing all of them though!

 Chase and Bryce were decked out in basketball gear and Taylor would not be left out.  She picked out some of Chase's clothes to go with her pink socks.

 We went out to Maggiano's to celebrate Marty's 50th birthday.  Chase got him a card that played the NFL song and couldn't wait to give it to him.

 Chase has had a wee bit of a rough time going back to school since the break.  He also had another less than relaxing dentist appointment last week.  As a little bit of motivation we ordered him a candy claw machine.  It was on the porch when he got home from school on Friday. 

 We also got one for Bryce, for his birthday.  However, on Thursday Chase and Taylor stayed at Bryce's house for a little while.  When I got there to pick them up, Bryce asked me "What time on Saturday are you bringing my claw machine over?"  Chase is no good at secrets!

 You can't really blame him though - wouldn't want to wait a whole month for this fun!!

 It was everything he thought it would be!

We also watched plenty of basketball this weekend.  One game Friday night, one Saturday morning and then Landon joined us for the Randolph Macon game on Saturday afternoon.  We're expecting snow tomorrow, which is just as exciting as candy claw machines and basketball games!

Winter Break

I think that somehow if I don't write about it then it's really not over?!? I was more sad to see the winter break pass than the kids were - although Chase did admit he shed a few tears when he was hanging his coat up at school on Monday morning.  He said his teacher told him it was ok because she felt like crying about coming back to school too!  Thanks to the cold weather he got to go in late today and will again tomorrow, so we are slowly getting back in the swing of things.  Taylor, on the other hand, could not get in her classroom fast enough this morning!  Never looked back or said goodbye!  Here's a glance at how we passed our time:

Bowling.

 The science museum.  We took Dave and MeMa with us.  They are science museum nerds, could have stayed there all day!

 In the recording studio. 

 Recording their #1 hit song.

 Checking out his jump shot.

 Kids playing with the buttons and Dave deep in thought!

 Taylor even touched the rat after the rat basketball game.  I don't know why either.

 There was a trip to Build-A-Bear.

 Waiting for the fluff.

 Giving Hello Kitty a bath and blow dry.

 Picking out a name...he came up with RG3, very original.  Taylor's was "kitty"!

Packed them up and ready to take them home!

We played the claw machine what seemed like 2.4 million times.

There were some victories, including Taylor's first win.  It was exciting.  

We capped off the holidays with an exciting New Year's Eve.....4 people in 1 chair watching cartoons!  And that, apparently, is where the picture taking stopped!  It's been fun!