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 ...

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 sta...

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...