Nick Returns!!

Nick, our elf on the shelf, made his triumphant return this morning, right on schedule!  Every year, he arrives the Sunday after Thanksgiving, and always in the exact same spot.  And, sticking with tradition, he brought the girls a little present, to tide them over until Christmas Day.  The girls started talking about Nick's impending arrival a few days ago, completely out of the blue, and were very excited to greet him this morning.

 Right on schedule!

He brought the girls pretty bangle bracelets, which they love! 

Backyard Blizzard

On Saturday, Elizabeth competed with her school robotics team at the Backyard Blizzard, a FIRST Lego competition.  It was not only her first robotics competition, but her school's first time ever competing as well.  We left the house at 6:30 am in order to be there by 8 am for the set up.  Competition began at 9 am.  The competition had several elements, including a project presentation and a team interview, but the only part that spectators could see was the robot as it worked to complete its tasks.  There were 8 tasks at each table (and a time limit of 2 1/2 minutes) and they had to be completed in order; each task was progressively harder and worth more points.  Elizabeth's team, which came together in late September, only mastered three tasks at each table, but for almost every match, she was responsible for one of the tasks.  She was very nervous for her first match, but had fewer and fewer nerves at the day went on.  She completed her task successfully each time and at the end of the matches, JPII sat in 11th place out of 21 teams.  They ended up placing 10th overall, but did not qualify for the state competition (only the top 8 teams make it).  Elizabeth had an awesome day, she was clearly in her element.

Putting the last minute touches on the robot before the competition starts. 

First match.  You can see how nervous she is.

Getting ready.  I overheard one of the coaches telling another parent that Elizabeth is so precise with her task, that he was certain that she would get it every time. 

So relieved and happy - they did all three tasks, with no penalties! 

Coaching/encouraging from the sidelines. She ended up going in for one her teammates at the end of the match in a last minute attempt to complete the task. 

Winners of the Innovative Solution Award!

Wicked Awesome

Every year, a Broadway show comes to Hartford for a short run.  This year, the show is Wicked.  The girls and I have wanted to see Wicked in New York for a few years, but the ticket prices are really outrageous.  They were more manageable in Hartford and Lee even expressed an interest in going - he's never been to a real show before.  We went last Saturday and it was spectacular, even Lee was impressed.  The two lead characters were amazing.  They were both incredible actors and their voices were just spectacular.  The girls were literally on the edge of their seats the entire show, although some of it went over Emily's head.  At the end of the performance, the entire cast received a standing ovation!  The girls really loved it and I'm so glad that we all went together.

Trying to recreate the image on the front of the program.... 

November Soccer

Emily thankfully only had one soccer game in November - but it was the first Sunday of the month.  When the game started, it was 38 degrees; winds were sustained at 20 mph, with gusts between 30-40 mph.  It was bitterly cold and impossible to stay warm on the sidelines.  Emily is not a fan of the cold and I was a bit worried about how she would play, but she toughed it out and actually played pretty well.  She made an error early on in the game that ended up resulting in a goal by the other team and so played the rest of the game to make up for that mistake.  I think that we are all happy to be moving inside - she's playing on two teams this winter (more on that later) and is enjoying the inside practices already.

She rolled her eyes when I tucked this hat into her bag as we left the house - boy, was she glad that I did when she found out that the ref was letting them wear hats and gloves for the game. 

She couldn't wear gloves because she plays defense and needs bare hands to take the throw ins. 

Love this sequence of photos - they lost to this premier team 2-0, but after getting beat by this girl early in the game (as mentioned above), she wasn't about to let it happen again and stripped her of the ball and then dribbled up to the field to pass.

Freezing, but still smiling!

Yankee Candle

Last week, the girls had a few days off for Veteran's Day and teacher in-service, so we made our annual trek to the Yankee Candle flagship store in western Massachusetts.  It was very crowded, so we didn't spend as much time poking around as we usually do, but we still had a great time.  It always amazes me that the girls have so much fun at a candle store, but that just goes to show the Yankee Candle genius - there were tons of kids there, all seemingly as happy as ours.

Elizabeth was thrilled to find this scent - Mmmmm, Bacon - but I did not buy it. 

Candle dipping is always a favorite. 

Waiting for snow to fall (every four minutes!). 

Snow!! 

Writing to Santa. 

Obsessed with all things Wizard of Oz. 

Elizabeth wrote her letter to Santa at home - she just wants one, minor item.... 

October Odds and Ends

Photos that didn't make the cut in October....

You'd be hard pressed to find another dad that sews badges onto his daughters' Brownie and Junior Girl Scout sashes.

Lee and I enjoyed a lovely dinner out at the Capital Grille for our 13th wedding anniversary, including this complimentary dessert.

Lee handling his friend Nick at a meet in Everett, MA. 

Off to Irish Dance. 

Elizabeth played lacrosse on Saturday mornings this fall and absolutely loved every minute of it. 

Reading and Baxter - two of her favorite things. 

Not quite sure when our 10 year old started looking like a 16 year old...

5th graders at the school Halloween party (so grateful to the parents who get photos when I'm not around!). 

3rd graders at the school Halloween party (same as above).

At her Brownie troop's Halloween party!