Anna Grows

Independence Hall  Martin Luther King weekend was an extra long one for Anna (she also got Tuesday off school for a teacher work day).  Why not take advantage of the chill, off-season weather and head to Philadelphia for a road trip?  The Fagellas headed north for a 2-night adventure.  Even though the weather was cold, it was still a great time to visit Philly.  Philadelphia has something for everyone.  History.  Museums.  Great food options.  We enjoyed all of them. Anna at the Liberty Bell We started with history, including a visit to Independence Hall and the Liberty Bell.  As luck would have it, we were visiting the Liberty Bell just in time for the MLK ceremonies.  Theresa was excited to see all of the VIPs, including the mayor of Philadelphia, the Governor of Pennsylvania, both Senators and some Congressman.  One of the special guests was a 95 year old woman who was one of the Rosie the Riveter factory workers from World War II.  The grand finale of the ceremony was th

Celebrating Joe's birthday at Dolce Vita It was a big week.  First, we celebrated Joe's birthday on January 18 (we won't say which one, but the number 26 was mentioned).  Second, Anna's basketball team won their first game.....ever! Thursday was Dad's birthday.  We celebrated with dinner at a local Italian restaurant (a special treat for a Thursday night), followed by presents and ice cream cake.  January 18 must be popular as there were two other birthday celebrations going on at the restaurant.  Anna and Theresa decided to spare Joe and did not request that the restaurant staff sing to him (although they did sing to him in the parking lot).  Saturday was Anna's basketball game.  This is the second year the girls have played together.  Some of you may recall that they did not win a game last season (well, with the exception of when the other team forfeited because they did not have enough players).  This season got off to a rough start as they have not