Fall Tidbits

Last month, Luke and I went to Charlotte to attend Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone In Concert.   This concert featured the Charlotte Symphony Orchestra performing the entire score of the Harry Potter movie while the film was simultaneously projected onto the 40-foot screen.  For those of you who aren't currently obsessed with all-things HP, the Harry Potter film series has won numerous awards for its music, and the score was written by Oscar-winning composer John Williams.  Hearing it played live was an incredible experience, and it was a very special day for Luke and me.

Luke loved the orchestra.  He picked out his favorite instruments, was enthralled by the musicians, and enjoyed watching the conductor.  Unlike a traditional symphony performance, the conductor encouraged audience participation, and their were cheers and applause during several points during the film (as well as raucous booing when the villains made an appearance).  Luke played "Nimbus 2000" (a piece from the Harry Potter score) at his piano recital last week, and we loved hearing the entire orchestra play this piece during the concert.  Our Harry Potter Concert Experience was amazing, and a day that we will remember for a long time!

Another entertaining fall experience was accompanying the 4th graders on a field trip to Haw River State Park.  I was assigned to chaperone the boys in the Luke's class, which was great... until I came down with laryngitis the evening before the field trip.  It took the boys about two seconds to realize that I couldn't talk above a whisper... and therefore they could pretend not to hear I word I said all day.  They were actually very good, just extremely energetic and FULL of enthusiasm.  Boys just don't stay still, and it was a bit like herding 12 puppy dogs.  Luckily, the program was led by rangers who incorporated lots of active learning as the students examined animal adaptations, bat ecology, and bugs.  It was the perfect field trip for boys and they all had a blast!

Using science and detective work to identify types of animal skeleton!

And speaking of movement, our little runners completed another Go Far race earlier this month. Just like in the spring, the fall Go Far program at school included weekly training sessions and practice runs leading up to the race.  Leah ran in the one mile Fun Run, and Luke shaved 2 minutes off his 5K time (and completed his third 5K of the year).   We are so proud of these kiddos!

One Mile Fun Run Participants

5K students, and all their crazy paparazzi parents.

Daddy was Luke's pacer, and these guys were amazing!

Aiden and Luke.

The fall soccer season has officially ended, and both kids will rejoin their teams in March to begin spring training.  Until then, we'll have basketball to keep us busy.  Hooray for a fun-filled, active fall!

Blue Ninjas

Thumbs up for the Minotaurs!

Tea for Two

While Luke and I were at his Escape Room on Saturday, Mark and Leah had afternoon tea at the O'Henry Hotel.  I can't express the amount of cuteness involved in these two getting all dressed up and having tea together on their special outing:

Tea at the O'Henry is fancy (and about as girly as it gets).  The menu includes mini quiches and crumpets, cucumber finger sandwiches and filo tarts, and warm vanilla scones and lamingtons.  The presentation is lovely, and the delicacies are served on tiered trays of floral-patterened china (with individual tea pots for each guest).  This adorable Daddy-Daughter date was Leah's choice of activity for her afternoon with Mark, and I love that they took these pictures of their tea party:

Speaking of cuteness, we recently received Leah's school pictures, and I don't think I'll ever love another school portait more than this one:

We celebrated our Toothless Wonder last week in a special ceremony, as she was voted to be the October Terrific Kid for her class.  The principal read the words that Leah's teacher and peers had written about her, and presented her with an award:

Here are the first grade Terrific Kids.  Leah's best friend, Connor (second from the right), was the student selected from his class as well.  Once again, Leah is holding her own in this grade full of boys! 

Whether it's Tea for Two, toothless grins, or cowboy hats, life with Leah is such a joy.  She is fun and smart, kind and loving, and is our Terrific Kid each and every day!  We love you, Peanut!  

Escape Room

This past weekend, Luke was invited to participate in an Escape Room, sponsored by Guilford County PAGE (Partners for the Advancement of Gifted Education).  PAGE provides enrichment opportunities and resources for gifted students, and I have enjoyed exploring their programs for our special little boy.  Luke is always eager and willing to try new things, so when I asked him if he'd be interested in the Escape Room, he excitedly replied, "YES!". 

The event was held on UNC-G campus, at their Self Design Studio.  As soon as we walked in the room, I knew that this was a perfect fit for Luke.  He immediately gravitated to the laser-engraved chess board with 3D-printed chess pieces, and was in awe of the 3D printers in the studio. 

Luke made friends with one of the UNC-G professors, and I watched from a distance as the two of them discussed the equipment in the studio.  The professor treated Luke like an adult, and my heart was full, knowing that my little boy was in his happy place, asking unlimited questions and receiving lengthy, detailed answers: 

While we waited for the Escape Rooms to begin, Luke held court playing chess.  He was in his element, and taught his trick move to the other students (where he puts an opponent in checkmate in 3 moves)...

Then, the craziest thing happened.  Luke met a kid who was so similar to him that it was uncanny.  I frantically texted Mark: "There's another kid JUST LIKE Luke in the world!".  These boys signed up for exactly the same Escape Rooms in exactly the same order (there were many choices), had the same quirky sense of humor, told similar stories and jokes, and even had many mannerisms in common.  As I watched these two boys converse, I couldn't believe their interactions.  They instantly bonded and were inseparable for the rest of the afternoon.  The funniest part was that at the end of the day, I asked Luke what his new friend's name was, and he replied, "I have no idea...".   Meanwhile, the other kid waved to Luke and shouted, "Bye, Alex!".  Alex?  Who's Alex?  I found this hilarious, and made a mental note about the social skills of 4th/5th grade boys... 

Never have I ever met another kid so much like Luke... until now!

 The students were able to sign up for 3 Escape Room challenges, and Luke chose Island Escape, Space, and Pokemon.  In each challenge, they solved a series of clues which allowed them to unlock locks on their Breakout EDU box.  When all of the locks were removed, the students were able to open the box and "Escape the Room".  I volunteered to chaperone, and was able to observe Luke and his team complete two of their Escape Rooms.  It was very interesting to be a fly on the wall and watch these kids use teamwork and critical thinking skills to solve their challenges.  They used math, logic, problem solving, and resources to Escape, and I was fascinated and impressed by their level of thinking and the process.  

Luke and his team, after escaping their Space Challenge.

 In between each challenge, the students filled out a survey, and part of my role as a chaperone was to organize these.  As a result, I read the responses, and burst out laughing at Captain Literal's survey.  While many of the students wrote long, thoughtful answers, Luke was finished in about 2 seconds:

It did make me feel better when the organizer of the event (President of PAGE) showed me other responses, and commented that while half the students wrote a lot, the other half were very literal, and their surveys closely resembled Luke's.  Such an interesting glimpse into these little minds and the way that they think!

Here is another interesting tidbit.  There was a LEGO wall in the hallway (it was in the School of Education building, so there were lots of neat features like this), and I reflected that one or two years ago, Luke would have been drawn to this for hours.  When I pointed it out to him on Saturday, he just shrugged and returned to the 3D printers and chess board.  This kid is growing up... Sniff.

I'm not sure who had more fun at the Escape Room... Luke or Mommy.  I was overwhelmed with joy watching my child thrive, and Luke had a blast Escaping the Rooms and solving the challenges.  

 We are so thankful for PAGE and the opportunities that it provides for these kiddos!  

Trick or Treat!

Phew!  We made it through a full and fun Halloween week!  This year, we had a Pikachu, Charizard, Pokéball, and two Pokémon trainers in our family.  These may have been our easiest costumes ever, and everyone was happy with their outfits (except maybe Winnie, who sighs dramatically each year around the end of October, but humors us nonetheless).  Here are some pictures of our adorable Pokémon:

Leah's class had their fall party on Halloween, which was my first "Room Mom" party to plan and host this school year.  The first graders were absolutely adorable, and Leah's teacher allowed the students to choose their groups for the party activities.  I giggled when I saw who Leah picked to be in her group.  Girly girl, she is not! 

Tuesday evening, it was time to Trick or Treat!  Since L&L starting asking at 3:00 if it was time to go yet, I was impressed that we held them off until the respectable hour of 6 p.m.   Each year, we Trick or Treat with our friends, and it's our tradition to take a picture of the kids on our front steps before we go.  I can't believe we have now been in our house for 4 Halloweens, and I love seeing how much these cute friends have grown:

2017

2016

2015

2014

 We had great weather for Trick or Treating, and the children were very happy with their haul.  In fact, Leah whispered to me as I was putting her to bed later that night, "This was the BEST Halloween ever!"  When I asked her why, she answered, "Because I don't like chocolate as much, and this year, I got SO many sweets instead, like Skittles and Starburst!".  It really is so simple for kids, isn't it?  We hope you got to "catch em' all" this Halloween, too... and if you're not a Pokémon fan, that's ok.  We'll have a new theme next year! (Now off to check those Halloween clearance racks & begin planning our 2018 costumes...)