Anna Grows

Anna in action The basketball season is officially over for Anna's 6th grade team.  We are happy to report that they posted a 200% improvement over last season.  They won three games (Anna was quick to remind us that they "won" one game last season because the other team forfeited when they didn't have enough players).  The season saw a lot of progress over last year with a larger team and gradual improvement from the girls. Anna was not exactly excited about playing this year but agreed to give it another try. Fortunately the coach made some key changes from the previous year that helped out.  First, they had more players on the team with 10 girls (last year there were only 7, which meant there were often no subs when people didn't show up).  Second, the coach switched to one night a week of practice with just their team rather than two nights with the "A" team, in which they got crushed weekly in scrimmages.  This change went a long way to a more...

Sitting with Juliette Gordon Low at the gardens in her home Anna made her first trip to Savannah, Georgia on President's Day weekend. This was the first big trip for her girl scout troop that involved everything from planes, boats, and even a large church van.  Anna earned money to pay for part of the trip, which she made through dog sitting, cookie sales, allowance, Christmas and birthday gifts.  Today, Anna is writing her first blog post with a firsthand account of her Savannah adventures. Delicious Italian meal after the flight to Savannah Hello! The first thing I thought when I heard that we were going to Savannah was, "This probably isn't going to happen." Turns out, I was wrong. I ended up having enough money to pay for all my girl scout trips. That also included activities like white water rafting, zip lining, and a lot of other stuff I don't remember. One thing I do remember about all those activities were that all of them were fun. Savannah was...

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...