Anna Grows

We survived 2017!  It was a year of ups and downs.  Perhaps perseverance is the best word to describe it.  Did we have fun?  Yes!  Are we glad the year is over?  Absolutely!  This year we definitely learned to appreciate different things -  many that we have simply taken advantage of before. It is safe to say that we live in a historic time.  Of course every year is historic, but the changes going on now will have future generations looking back at this time as a major turning points.  Of course living in such a historic time can be a bit unsettling....especially when you are in the DC area.  We have found ourselves having conversations with 11-year old Anna that we may not have otherwise had.  Some of our dinner conversation highlights from the year: How did Trump win? Why homework is important (ok - we would have had this conversation no matter what)? Are terrorist going to attack us? Good jobs for kids (aka...Anna yo...

Christmas Eve with Grandma & Grandpa It's the most wonderful time of the year....at least according to the song.  It was a good Christmas and as always we enjoyed lots of activities, including school celebrations, parties with friends, and a visit from Grandma and Grandpa.  Thanks to the awesomeness of Amazon Prime, the holidays were a bit less stressful for Mom and Dad (we can't say the same for the mailman who seemed to be delivering mail consistently at 8 AM at night).  We also ate too much good food, but had a lot of fun. 6th Grade girls basketball teams The month of December was filled with activities.  Anna kicked off the basketball season with two games (they lost, BUT the girls definitely improved).  She performed with the Vienna Jammers at Jammin Java the second weekend of December, always a fun gig.  Anna George joined us for that event.  Theresa got to meet up with Pauletta for a wine and cookie pairing (that was a brilliant id...

Luke, Andrew, Deborah, James, Rachael & Anna This year Anna and family made the trip to New York to celebrate a Fagella family Thanksgiving dinner.  There were lots of things to be thankful for this year! First, we were thankful just to be able to make the trip.  After Joe's hospital stay and various other family members with assorted colds and the flu, we were not sure if we would make it.  Make it we did! Second, we were thankful to Uncle John, Aunt Yvonne, and Deborah for hosting the festivities.  They even had The Godfather, Part II playing when we arrived.  John and Yvonne were also celebrating their 40th wedding anniversary.  Aunt Yvonne fondly recalled the first time John brought her home to meet his family.....and proceeded to tell them she didn't speak any English (she of course did).  One can imagine how that family dinner went as they tried to communicate with her. Third, were were thankful that most of Anna's cousins were the...

Storm the blue monster What would Halloween be without a costume for your dog?  Storm was the first to get dressed up today as he proudly sported his monster costume for a ride to school to drop Anna off.   Clearly he has been dressed up before as his tail was wagging.  He looked good in blue.  Anna's costume did not come out until the evening. It was a beautiful night for trick-or-treating in Northern Virginia.  Anna made plans with her friend Juliana to canvas the neighborhood to see how much candy they could get.  They did well.  Julianna and Anna Anna and Juliana coordinated costumes with Anna going as the devil and Juliana as the angel.  As Anna pointed out, she knows the neighborhood and where all the good candy is.  Both girls came back with several full size candy bars, along with gift bags and a stuffed animal (this is not the trick-or-treating that Joe or Theresa remember).  The girls got a work-out just carrying th...

Anna at Wolf Trap National Park The end of October is fast approaching.  It did not seem like October (or September for that matter) thanks to the record warm temperatures over the past two months.  This has provided the opportunity for lots of fun outdoor activities over the past few weeks.  Anna has been busy with girl scout adventures, performances with the Vienna Jammers and soccer.  She is less excited about weekend hiking excursions with her parents, but they are certain she will do the same one day.  Here are some of the highlights. Anna continues to enjoy the Vienna Jammers.  At the end of September, they performed at Wolf Trap National Park.  Anna's favorite performance of the season thus far was October 25 for the annual Vienna Halloween parade.  The Jammers get to ride on the back of a flatbed semi and perform (complete with lights on the marimbas and lots of glow sticks).  As Anna pointed out, this also means they don't have...

Happy 11th Birthday Anna! Anna celebrated her 11th birthday this year over Labor Day weekend.  It was a packed weekend filled with friends and lots of activities.  The holiday weekend began early on Friday with a half day of school.  Saturday was a slumber party.  Sunday was a neighborhood barbecue at our house.  Monday was a picnic and the last day at the pool.  Having your birthday over a holiday weekend has its advantages!  The big celebration for Anna was a sleepover on Saturday night with five of her friends.  This was not just any sleepover.  The theme was The Great British Baking Show.  The evening started off with watching an episode of the show while Joe made homemade pizza for the girls for dinner (Joe's pizza making reputation has spread).  One thing we realized is that all of the girls have grown, which requires more pizza for the group.  Let's just say there were no leftovers.  Fortunately there were a c...

1st day of 6th Grade Anna is officially in middle school!  Yesterday marked the first day of 6th grade for Anna.  She was very happy to be back at school (her parents were just as happy). There are lots of big things in store for Anna this year.  Anna's all time favorite teacher, Mrs. Wykoff, moved from 4th grade to 6th grade this year.  Anna was thrilled to be in her home room.  You know the teacher must be good when all of the students were giving her big hugs when they came in.  You know she must be a great teacher when the parents were also giving her hugs (Theresa definitely gave her a hug).  After a tough year last year with a new teacher, everyone was very happy to welcome Mrs. Wykoff to 6th grade.  Anna gets to switch classes for her subjects this year.  There is a long-term substitute for math thanks to a teacher surgery.  According to Anna, the teacher is Colombian and has a very thick access.  This may prove good tr...