Just a (Wednes)Day in the Life of us Gals..

We woke up not too terribly early on Wednesday morning (this was a welcome feeling for Momma as we didn't get a whole lot of sleep during the night...just one of those nights for both of us girls).  It was time to get ready for KINDERMUSIC!  The singing began right away...  as soon as I said were picking up Ack and Sawyer.. Callie SANG "Ack, Momma, Cal, Saw..."  Awfully cute this girl is and she loves Kindermusic more by the week.  We are on about week 6 and just beginning to introduce fresh material as they have mastered the first few weeks.  I would recommend this syndicated program to any toddler mom.  After music, Ashley and took our tired babes for a long lunch date at ChicFila.  They ate and played and all was well in the world ;)  I am so happy that they are growing up together and spending so much time together as Ashley and I did.  They have no choice but to be best friends, just like us - and they already are... to bad I didn't snap a pic of the two of them together during our day of play.

After lunch, Cal and I did some Wallie World errands and checked out the Monster High Dolls so that we could put them on her Santa List.  She looked at each one.. literally took each different box off the shelf and then replaced it.  Which one is Santa to get?  They are quite creepy anyways.. no more creepy than the Coraline doll than Gordon and I are scowering the net for.  Which BTW, can run very expensive if you are trying to go with the plush.  I am talking upwards of $60.  Looks like she will be getting the Bendy version...eghhh.  Which brings me to..  Coraline must have some sort of underlying-suck-the-kids-in power/message because our child is obsessed and watches it a minimum of twice a day (this can mean it is just playing in the background, but she does actually watch it at least once everyday and we hit the play button at least twice.. she never asks to watch anything else).  Ellyana and Colter each loved Coraline as well - strange.  I wish you all could hear how she says Coraline.. it is kind of without the R and the best kind of baby talk.

   

That about summed up our Wednesday.. except for dinner and a night at home.
Perfect.

Next up.... A Rain Day. Not so bad when you have Rain Gear like this... and off to GiGi's.

And perfect weather for the Breaking Dawn Part 1 Premiere which I am not attending (as we speak).  But I do hope to see very very soon.  I literally cannot stand the wait.  Team Edward ;)

Fall Days on the Soccer Field

Ellyana's soccer season came and went very fast.  There were several rainouts and sadly I only got to watch one game.  (The only other game I made it to..a migraine kept me in the truck while G and Cal watched. BOO)  It was a make-up game, the last one of the season, and a great game!  Ellyana played her little heart out and had two assists.  Red Team won (her team) and this put them into the playoffs for the next day.. but we were in New Orleans, though Callie got to go...actually Callie was at several games with Carrie this year.  She loves to say 'El socc game'.  Trust me, don't mention Elly's soccer game unless you are in route to 'El socc game'.

I got some great shots of the Ellyana on the field...

Some even more awesome shots of these three little loves post-game.  Ellyana took her two little cousins over to have some team snack.  The love that they share continues to amaze me.. they are so close, like siblings, even the rivalry shows at times..  But really, how much sweeter does it get than some candid shots like this?..

And for some sideline fan photos.. (to be continued, they wouldn't load).

The outcome..  Red Team won their first playoff game and went on to the play the second game.  They did not win that game.  In the first game, Ellyana played goalie and had THREE SAVES!  Wow!  She earned GOALIE OF THE YEAR award.  She played goalie numerous other times this season and did great (except for that time when she threw in the towel and stepped out of the way for the penalty kick - no blame there.. first time in the goal..)  Her team placed second!  Great season!  Callie loves rooting on soccer games...especially since every field has a playground ;)

the BIG easy

Last Sunday evening, Gordon and I were doing some fine dining in New Orleans.  If I recall correctly that is what we did most of our quick trip - dine well.  We flew out early last Sunday morning for Gordon to attend a Young Leaders in Asphalt Conference with NAPA.  We left our girl behind with all of our family (wise decision and she enjoyed her time with them).  We had longed to experience NOLA.. and experience it was.  We had a wonderful time and I brought home a new love for creole dining (and cooking).  I also brought back an appreciation for what I have right here at home.

So first things first.  We stayed at a Ritz Carlton.  Holla!  And right outside of those fancy doors, walk fast - look over your shoulder and don't carry your nice camera in plain view.  We were on Canal Street and the crime rate there is high.  Oh yeah, Bourboun Street (two blocks down).. no need to go back down that again.  It was nasty, for lack of a better word...and not all that safe feeling either.  Paramedics were shoveling drunks off the streets.  Every time I breezed back into the Ritz, I actually breathed in a sigh of relief...like I am back and all is well again.

Moving on... there are great things in New Orleans.. you just have to find them and we did! I walked the rough three blocks to the street car stop and went uptown to Magazine Street. There are blocks and blocks of things to see.. shoppes, old architecture, beautiful cemeteries. I went to a cooking class at Crescent City Cooks and that was the most fun! Gordon saw a plantation were a refinery now resides..this was on his tour with NAPA. His biggest take home was that the refinery (where asphalt plants like Lee Hy get their liquid asphalt) pays a 10 million dollar electric bill per month. It took me a while to get that one embedded in my brain. We ate beignets and bananas fosters. The bananas foster were invented in NOLA at Commander's Palace and that's where we had them - awesome place to eat. Everywhere we ate was amazing. I cannot stress that enough.. places like Arnaud's, Mr. B's Bistro, Salus, Cafe Du Monde...I ate crawfish and BBQ shrimp for the first time ever - loved them both!

Monster Energy handing out drinks on B. Street.. kinda cool and I know why - these things are probably a staple here

My Big Girl Bib in a 5 star restaraunt..getting ready for my BBQ shrimp at Mr. B's

BBQ Shrimp

@ Cafe Du Monde

no caption needed

best softshells eva

Bananas Foster at Commanders Palace

Granny Liz

It has been one week today since Gordon's Granny passed.  And what a long, full life she lived. She was 98.5 years old.  Granny Liz lived the life of luxury, traveling places near and far...places that I hope to one day visit.  All things to be said about Granny will certainly bring a smile back to my face.  She always made me laugh ;)  We attended the service at Hollywood Cemetary on Saturday in a cold drizzle. 

ELIZABETH NORFLEET


NORFLEET, Elizabeth Houseworth, passed away on October 26, 2011. She was born in Orange, Va., on May 13, 1913, a daughter of Cora Newman and Alfred Valentine Houseworth. Mrs. Norfleet was preceded in death by her parents, her husband, Leon Willingham Norfleet; and by her five siblings, Joseph, Wallace and Robert Houseworth, Mary H. Tyson and Eleanor H. Shervin. She is survived by her daughters, Elizabeth N. Sanders (Julius T. Jr.) of Charlotte, N.C., and Ruth N. Penick (Gordon F. III) of Cardinal, Va.; her grandchildren, Elizabeth Sanders Walker (David) and Julius Taft Sanders III (Whitney) of Charlotte, N.C., Gordon Finch Penick IV (Catelyn) and William Norfleet Penick (Ashley) of Mathews, Va.; and her great-grandchildren, Callie Penick and Liam Penick; as well as a number of beloved nieces, nephews and dear friends. Mrs. Norfleet was a member of First Presbyterian Church and The Country Club of Virginia and was a former member of the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts, the Windsor Farms Garden Club and the Tuckahoe Woman's Club. A celebration of the life of Elizabeth Norfleet will be held at Hollywood Cemetery on Saturday, October 29, at 3 p.m. In lieu of flowers, contributions may be made to First Presbyterian Church, 4602 Cary St. Rd., Richmond, Va. 23226. Arrangements are by the Central Chapel of Bennett Funeral Home.

Spooks, Haunts, Tricks, Treats, and BOO!

Happy Hauntings on the 31st of October!  We enjoyed trick or treating on Main Street.  Callie (and most of the rest of us, too) was a witch.  After 25 years I still love to dress up..  I don't think that will ever change.  Callie never let go of her candy bucket and never took her eyes off of the monsters.  She calls them mons.

Callie

Callie, Courtney, JR

Ellyana Grace

There's me

Cal and Carrie

Old Woman soliciting help from Elly, Callie, and MiMi

Colter.. aka Batman

Gordon and Mike Myers

And this little Monster wasn't with us tonight...we sure did miss her.  But seriously, have you seen a happier dragon?



Chessie on her First Halloween

Happy Halloween 2011!

One Month Has Passed...and October has come and almost Gone

And my Sis says my Blog needs attention.  I guess I'll let you know what we've done the month of October.. and we've done A LOT..so maybe I'll just tell ya about the fun stuff.  I think it's all been mostly fun.  So here goes..

*Chessie came to visit (and then later in the month WE ALL visited her).

*Mimi got a new puppy. A Havanese. Zeddie.  He's a cute, furry, handful and a spitting image of Hunni.

*GiGi had a birthday and we went out and then came back home for cake and playtime with Liam.

*We had a playdate with Abigail at Chickfila.  This is fun stuff.  Aren't they precious girls?

*Momma, Dadda, and Cal went to see Elmo in Norfolk.  She loved = We loved

* We started Kindermusik on Wednesday and it is a wonderful class full of music, stories, etc. 
*Next up was our trip to "the Mountains" for the Fall Festival.  It was a gorgeous weekend and we camped or rather we roughed it in what you might not call a cabin by the river.  We spent endless hours by the campfire and ate eons of roasted marshmallows.  I regret not taking enough pics, but the memories are certainly there.  I did get some pretty good shots of the kids out at Roaring Run.  We danced the night away at Kristen and Matt's Saturday night.  Michael Jackson lives on in the eyes and hearts of Ellyana, Colter, and Callie!  Mimi's Birthday fell on the last day of her trip...so she of course got Halloween cupcakes on the go!

*The following week was full of Stella and Dot for me and by Friday it was girl's night..

*Take that back...On Thursday Del, Callie, and I headed to Farmville.. so it was girl's day.  It was a crisp Fall day and a perfect one for furniture shopping at Greenfront.  We spent all day looking at furniture and ate a great lunch at Charley's.  Callie started out with a bout of car sickness but that passed and she was such a joy.  She loves her 'Del' so much!  Kelly bought a divine looking chair and couch for her new apartment in Richmond.

*Friday - Happy Birthday Kelly!  And so we hung from the poles... ouch!  Pole Dancing...hands down, hardest workout ever.  I was sore for 3.5 days and I am so doing it again.  We ended the night with PF Changs. YUM!
*An exciting tidbit is that Ellyana is going to be in a production at the Ferguson Center on January 27.  Callie and I took her for an audition that her music teacher suggested her for on Monday.  We waited outside the audition like it were American Idol.  It is for the King and I.  And we are all stoked.  She has a musical part with several other children.  She is after all, the first born!

We've visited with new babies, gone to showers, decorated for fall, worked on building a swingset from scratch(mostly G)...baked a little, and the list goes on.  It has certainly been a busy one.  This weekend is busy, too.  We hope to make it to the Pumpkin Patch this weekend..something we have not done.  So while this post is a little long and boring, I hope to get back to normal posting soon ;)
 
Until then....  Happy Fall Y'all!  It has been a beautifully busy one.  We are loving every minute of it with our 3 foot 3 inches ever so tall baby girl. xoxo

Callie's Day Out

 It was just a regular Tuesday (last week). So we went out. First for some "STAWBUCK"s...first time Momma let Cal in on this (Aunt NeeNee has been guilty before). She enjoyed a cool-hot chocolate and Momma a White Chocolate Mocha. We sat at a table and she entertained... the staff loved how she recited Starbucks and she waved to everyone coming and going.

#heart melting picture.this could sell some starbucks

And then we headed over to The Gloucester Library.  I wanted to read Callie some books, and Callie wanted to play on the tiny computers.  She wins!  She had a great time playing with all sorts of things... AND she caught the CROUP (likely here). 

I LOVE YOUR 2-YEAR-OLD SELF CALLIE CHAMBLAIN PENICK!

xoxo, Momma