Amusement Square

We have completely fallen in love with the Virginia weather and can't believe that even into November we are still getting weather occasionally in the low 70's. It has been an absolutely gorgeous Fall and we still haven't broken out winter coats or thick sweaters. Sky still insists on wearing shorts at times which of coarse is a little much for me but he is a HUGE fan of the weather and wishes he was out enjoying it on the links! We tried waiting for a cruddy weather weekend but were excited to head to a highly recommended children's museum about 1 hr. away called Amusement Square and took it on as a family last weekend. We had an absolute blast and spent the entire day there!It was 4 stories with a climbing structure running through the middle. We had fun discovering new slides and finding this zip-line that even Lexi was brave enough to try, "just 1 time" She was more entertained by the stairs that lit up when you stepped on them.We filled our time with golf ball mazes and ramps, searching for fossils, playing in the indian hut, racing canoes and teaching Kylee about water canals, pretending to be squirrels and collecting all kinds of food. It was fun listening to them in their own imaginative play and knowing they were fully entertained...no time to be bored. Lexi still asks about going back.
We even tried a little rock band and got a good laugh when sky showed everyone his high pitched voice for 'Livin on a Prayer'. We totally want that set up in our basement one day and can see getting way into it as a fam. Especially since Ky and I are both to embarrassed to sing in public. I really hope I can get Ky over that fear. She was awesome on the guitar and drums!

Last but not least was the amazing glass paint room. They were enclosed on all sides and were able to paint on any of the glass walls.

Not Hershey but Pretty Sweet!

Just wanted to say Happy Belated Halloween before I attempt at trying to get caught up with our blog. Despite Ky just beginning to feel better from being sick, Lexi just starting off being sick, Sky's Mom coming and going and Sky and I barely being home from our fabulous, long awaited, perfect, splendid long weekend getaway we still enjoyed the Halloween festivities at UVA!

Every year the students at UVA living on "the lawn" (square of old school student dorms by the Rotunda) hold a trick or treating event which attracks mobs of people. The kids have to walk all of 2 feet to the next door and simple move around in a square. They had bins of candy and when I asked one student they replied, "We were told to purchase $200 worth of candy." Lexi got the hang of it quickly as she rode in luxury from door to door in her stroller with grandma pushing her and simply holding out her hand with her pumpkin in lap. When possible she had a lolly pop in mouth, another in one hand and the other hand waiting for candy. Kylee stayed with it for a little while but was more entertained by trying to find friends, watching the entertainment, face painting and gathering balloons. We had a fun time! and are glad we pulled it off for our only year here.

We were happy to have my parents join us for the weekend and for the Halloween activities as my father anxiously awaited the Duke vs. UVA football game on Halloween Day. Skylar used his medical discount and scored some cheap tickets so the 4 of us could enjoy the event. My parents stayed true to their DUKE ties as they wore the appropriate attire and Duke pulled off the win! Sky and I snuck out at half time to get back for a little more trick or treating with the girls but there is something about being at a college football game that is just amazing...what a fun ambiance!

For not being in Hershey we still ended up with a pretty good load of candy!

Tooth Fairy

Good old me was hoping she would be on the late side for losing her teeth but instead we get to be on the early side! Kylee is of course thrilled and we've enjoyed all the excitement that continues to come with each new growing up experience. (I just wish these experiences didn't feel like they were coming so fast) The tooth fairy was also very excited about its first visit to our home! Mr. Tooth Fairy and Mrs. Tooth Fairy had some different opinions but finally met in the middle. This little tooth has been lose for about 2 weeks and was talked about so much that Skylar told Kylee that the tooth fairy brings more money the longer you wait patiently for it to be ready and are brave when I pull it out. Kylee followed these instructions and when Mrs. Tooth Fairy was ready to put $1 under the pillow Mr. Tooth Fairy said I was thinking like $5!!!!! "That is going to add up to be one expensive mouth over the next little while and do you really think you can give less the next time around. Gotta love these first parenting experiences as well. We met in the middle with $3 and I'm still wondering where the days of 50 cents went. The coolest thing the tooth fairy left was this darling tooth pillow that you put your tooth inside of so the tooth fairy can find it easily and it has a little log in the back to keep track of when you lost each tooth. This was left one night when Kylee's tooth was finally pretty lose with instructions to use it in the future and to make sure Kylee knew that the tooth fairy was aware that she was about to lose her first tooth. (This is so much fun sometimes especially when you find these cool ideas at a garage sale for 50 cents in its original packaging and never been used...I've been saving it for about 2 years!)

Kylee's Quotes

"How does the tooth fairy get in the house?"

"She is so magical I don't even feel it when she is under my pillow?" (little does she know she woke up the first time she tried)

"How can I become the tooth fairy?"

"Let's hurry and get to bed so the morning will come faster!"

"You were right Mom that it was gonna bleed, at first I didn't believe you, it tastes disgusting. Next time I want to wait a little longer so there won't be any gross tasting blood."

Why do they look so much older even after losing just one tooth? May the awkward silly looking mouth stage come slowly from this point forward or move quickly. Thank goodness Sky is around to pull them out or it would still be in her mouth as the whole thing makes me cringe and grosses me out!

MEET CALICO!

I was thinking of having this post title be, "The newest member of our family" but thought that might be a mean trick to play. Anyway, Meet CALICO! our official pet who has helped bring the requests for a puppy to a halt for the time being.
Calico has taught us or should I say me so many new things and has been quite the learning experience.

Our amazing new friends have helped us feel right at home. I have to mention, their backyard contains several ducks, chickens, a goat, a miniature horse and who knows what else providing perfect adventures for the girls every time we are there. We've already enjoyed many adventures with them but one highlight was going out to the Merkley farm (a different couple in the ward) where we had a tour of the most immaculate stable I've ever seen and were blown away by gorgeous scenery, swimming, taking care of "Cookie" and collecting chick eggs. I had the fabulous idea of bringing some eggs home since we had already enjoyed the Sorensen's chicks. Wow this could be a great pet and learning experience for Ky and when they are too big we can just bring them to our friends backyard. Kylee jumped right on this idea (so did my supportive friend Tennille) and our adventure of raising eggs began.

Ky and I took this on as our little project which had some happy and sad moments along the way. It began with getting a Styrofoam cooler in the pouring rain and having the power go out in Target. We had such a good time together and I always love how Ky gets into everything we do whole heartedly. I was soon found turning these eggs 3x a day, constantly checking the temperature, making sure there was enough humidity, tucking them in and even spent a couple nights reading books on how to raise chickens.

*Anyone know what Candling is? or Piping? or how long they need to be incubated? which end they are supposed to come out of? Lastly, ever seen a twelve day old chick that you killed by smashing the end of their egg? ALL THINGS I CAN NOW CLAIM!
After 10 days we candled our eggs (shine light up through them looking for veins) to see if we had any fertilized eggs and to our surprise we had 2 of the 4. However, my quick little hands picked them both up to turn them while Ky was at school and my stomach flipped as I smashed the end of one. Kylee later, "Oh Mom, you know we are never supposed to hold 2 at the same time." A rule I taught apparently. She handled the situation really well as I explained..."you know how we all make mistakes and when you do I forgive you quickly or say its ok. Well, I need you to do that for me." We turned it into an amazing Science experiment with our friends as we cracked 1 unfertilized egg, our 12 day old egg, and there fully grown chick that never came out. I will spare you from those sad pictures. I never realized how much of a science there is to all of this. From that time forward we used their incubator and I stopped having to do any work until the day the piping began....silent prayers were offered for this little chick to make it after all the effort that had been put in so far. AS YOU SEE IT DID! and it made for one exciting Saturday last week.

GREAT QUOTES:

Kylee: "Those are some big feet for a tiny fella"
"Now I don't have to wait forever to be a Mom and you and Dad can be its grandparents"

"Can I take Calico for a walk in the stroller?"

(which she did)
Alexis: "Hey little birdie, hey little birdie, I hold it"

Most Frequently Heard Quotes:

"How many more days till it hatches"

"Lexi don't squeeze it!"

"Calico pooped again!"

Ky says good-bye to her chick every morning and comes right home to check on it. Lexi gives it attention during the day and loves telling it to stay on the towel when we take it out. Lastly, Sky developed quite a soft spot in his heart for Calico and came to its rescue its first night when it just wouldn't stop chirping unless snuggled by Sky!

It's Sweet to Repeat!

You all know this place never gets old and yes this is another Florida post. By this point there is no need for me to even explain however this trip did have a new twist. Me and the girls left Sky behind and headed down for a couple days for a little vacay before starting school. We couldn't resist spending time with cousins (My brother Fred's crew) and grandparents who were already there. We had a fun packed condo and had an absolute blast! As always we wished it didn't have to end.

There is something about watching your kids be overjoyed, entertained, excited about life, living in a lap of luxury and staring at the beach that makes life priceless!

"Little Lexi" was hysterical to watch as this was her first time really getting into all the pool and beach activities. I can't believe how fast she is growing up and how well she kept up with the group. She of course devoured her smoothie and lived up to her reputation of loving food. In the beginning she had no fear of the water but after going under a few times she finally caught on. She quickly learned she needed her tube or Mommy to catch her but still gave it a fight at times as one of her favorite lines is, "I do it!" She was often found making silly noises as she bobbed along the ledge in the pool from one side to the other and telling anyone in her way "Beep Beep." Another favorite line heard quite frequently was, "Watch this Mommy" as my head was going back and forth as fast as possible between my energetic girls. She loved playing in the sand and the ocean had the perfect conditions for her to even swim. With all of that though my 2 year old's favorite spot was our own personal SHOWER room in the Ritz. This girl loved the shower and couldn't get enough of it. It was a gigantic dual headed shower that all 3 of us used each day and just lived it up with all the huge soft towels we needed, a mini shower head for the girls and my own for me. We had our day down to a "T"

Kylee, was busy picking up right where she left off with her cousins. It's amazing how despite how much time has passed since you've seen family you are comfortable within seconds and act like a day hasn't gone by. In this case it had been a year. Once they got over how long Kylee's hair had gotten and she realized that none of her boy cousins had any barbies they were off to the water! Kylee has taken leaps and bounds with her swimming this summer and did much better keeping up with her cousins. Just when I thought there wasn't much more to teach this Summer Uncle Freddie helped her take on snorkeling which of course was heaven on earth for Ky and then I stepped up to the plate and relied on my childhood days to teach Ky how to boogie board. We had a great time together and I love how much she trusts me. She was so brave and we had a blast out in the ocean with Grandpa, Freddie and cousins. I was wishing Sky could have seen her in action but don't worry we got some on film.

Grandma and Grandpa took GREAT care of us like always and I was sure thankful for their help! They always amaze me which I say all the time.

I had such a great time being a Mom and watching these two bond. They have become so close and Lexi is Ky's little shadow. It has been pretty difficult having Ky leave us every day for school. These 2 girls are everything to me and I hope I remember all of these amazing memories. Ky is just great at watching after her sister (most of the time) and every day Sky and I think about how thankful we are that they have each other.

This one just says it all! Another perfect Florida trip with my beach bums!

I have to add...just when you think Sky is missing out.....he had his Dad fly to VA to golf with him while we were gone. I tell ya...HARD LIFE!

All Day KINDERGARTEN has Arrived!

There was no way to put it off but I'm happy to say we are all surviving and doing pretty well. This week will be a good test as it is her first official week. They have staggered starting for kindergarten here so only a third of the class goes each day for the 1st 3. Last week she had her 1st day on Tuesday and then I had her home again for 2 and then she was back with the entire class on Friday. I'm thankful for our slow transition into the whole thing. Ky's been pretty nervous but has handled everything really well. I can't believe how old she is. I thought I'd sum up our overall feelings and then maybe share a few details.

KYLEE: Overall thinks it's kinda fun but wishes the days weren't so long. "I'm excited when I know its time to go home"
ME: I've finally stopped crying but wish I could be a fly on the wall giving her an extra hug or encouragement when she needs it. I just can't get over that for 5 years she's been with me and now all of a sudden she is spending the majority of her waking hours with someone else.

ALEXIS: "Where'd Kyie go" She's on the bus "I bus too" Every time I say lets go bye bye (to run errands) her reply is "Get Kyie" in the most excited voice.

I can't believe I've entered the phase of packing lunches, filling out endless school paperwork, waiting for the bus and getting up to the sound of an alarm. I feel like my Mom...am I really old enough for all of this. My girls finally learned how to sleep in a little over the fun summer months and now I have to wake Ky up in the morning. Isn't there a rule against waking up a child. The bus comes at 7:15! I get dressed, lunch packed and shake ready and then wake Ky up at 7. We've got getting ready fast down. My non-breakfast eater drinks her favorite meal shakes while I do her hair and so far it is working out well. You should all be proud of me the new Cheryl is up and dressed by 7. We'll see how long it lasts before I walk out to the bus in my PJ's. I do still lay in bed with Lexi and get what ever cuddles I can. I miss our hour long wake up period in Mom's bed but will now cherish Saturday mornings.

I've told Ky I'll drive her so she can get some extra sleep till her body adjusts but she is set on riding the bus. Sky did drive her the first day but now we are all bus. Amazing how much kids love this adventure. Look at those sleepy eyes. Mind you she was sound asleep in her bed 10 minutes earlier. She has some great neighbor girls to ride the bus with and the one in yellow has made Ky's transition so much easier. Our publicly shy girl is doing great and I love hearing about her adventures when she comes home. We are very pleased with her teacher and think the school district did a great job getting them ready for the year.

If any of you have good snack or lunch ideas please send them my way :)

Alsop Family in Virginia

YES, we did make it to Virginia a month ago! The biggest lesson we learned is that we will never again load a truck, clean a home and unload the truck again all in the same day. By the time we got all of our junk in the truck I was wishing I could have a few days to not have to see it again. It was a long, crazy, tiring day but we made it. We were very thankful for my Mom, Skylar's Dad and the crew waiting for us in Virginia. We made it through all of the good-bye's and Kylee almost got by with packing one of her friends. (Gotta love how much fun you can have with moving boxes!) I don't know if I mentioned or not but we were lucky to find some great renters that were only looking for about a 6 month lease and then we will try to sell again. We still can't believe our awesome place didn't sell and there are so many things we are missing about it or "remembering how fortunate we were" as we live in our current rental. For example: 1st picture- our old bathroom 2nd picture - our current master bathroom.
We never realized how much Kylee appreciated her old place as well. We cracked up over so many of her quotes the first couple days. "Where is my bathroom?" It is right here in the hallway. "Its not attached to my room, man that's weird" The best was listening to her give grandpa a tour of our place. "This is our tiny bathroom, this is Lexi's little room, this is Mom and Dad's closest...it isn't a walk in that we can run around in but at least they can step into it, see I can fit." Now don't get me wrong our place is just great and Kylee is very pleased with her pink walls and to finally have a basement. We have enjoyed our time here so far and are thankful to our GREAT neighbors who made us feel so welcomed. They have a little girl Kylee's age and Ky was already over there eating dinner the first night as the truck got unloaded and me, Lexi and my Mom hadn't arrived yet. The adjustment went smoother than I thought it would as we quickly got involved with swim lessons with an amazing teacher in the ward and it provided something to look forward to each day the 1st 2 weeks. The ward is super friendly, Ky fit right in playing in the backyard with our neighbors and I have someone only 2 doors down that can answer all my questions and has been an amazing resource and friend. Thank you Lexie!
We've been filling our time with:
-swimming
-visiting a little local lake
-getting bit by millions of mosquitoes!!!!!!
-visiting downtown mall for "Friday's after 5" local bands play in the amphitheatre
-meeting ward members at BBQ's
-hanging out with a great new family whose backyard has chicks, a goat, a tiny horse, ducks, etc. and obviously a perfect yard for my girls
-trying new restaurants
-kindergarten camp
-already planning interviews and thinking about the next move (this is just crazy)
-and even Florida for a few days (post later)

Any move comes with its challenges but for the most part we are feeling settled and doing well. I have so much to post about and with time will hopefully get caught up.

8 years ago

Eight years ago today the temperature was close to 100 with tons of humidity and even thunderstorms that rolled in for the early evening to give us a nice scare for the reception. Now, today to help us out on memory lane the temperature is 96 with at least 60% humidity and possible thunderstorms tonight. I can barely stand outside today and am remembering the weight of my dress as we stood outside for pictures and wondered how long we would make it before my cheeks were too red. Thank you again family and friends for withstanding the heat with us and even using those portable fans to help us out!

It was quite the image watching Sky and I trying to fan ourselves off.
Oh how our weather was anything but perfect on that day but the day itself was absolutely amazing. Despite the weather and my usual stress level we had an absolute party at the reception and no one wanted it to end. By that point no one seemed to care that we had all soaked through our clothes with sweat.

I just want to send a quick shout out to Skylar for 8 great years. The journey so far has been awesome with definite ups and downs but I'm thankful to know that we have each other for our never ending journey. HAPPY ANNIVERSARY!

I love your goofy side and have been extremely thankful for it on several occasions. Thanks for being you. I love these shots and feel they capture the moment better than the posed ones. Now after looking at some of these pictures do you agree we've gotten older or I should say, you have gotten older. Man we were young! Where has the time gone!

I also wanted to officially congratulate Sky on finishing his 4 years of residency. We are so proud of your hard work and determination on this long journey. After 12 years of education post high school we can see the finish line. We are one month into Skylar's final year which is a fellowship in Breast Gynecology Pathology and we are extremely HAPPY and RELIEVED to say that he passed the first half of his BOARDS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! We all know how much he hates to study. We just got the results last week and headed out as a family for a fun dinner to celebrate.
When we got married in the DC temple I never thought we'd actually live near it and now have been in this temple district for the past 4 years and will continue to be, here in Virginia. I'm glad I got this boy to come back east and now we are eager to see where we will end up.

I know there is a lot of updating that I need to do and in time those posts will come. We made it safely to Charlottesville, are mostly unpacked and are so pleased with how friendly everyone is but of course miss our Hershey friends!

How can one pack when....

There are July 4th celebrations to attend to....
Hershey Park that is constantly calling our name...


Lexi has finally gotten over her fear and asks to see the "guys" over and over again!

Oh, and the water area too....Hershey Gardens and butterflies to be seen....

Lake Tobias that must be visited again...

Play dates with good friends that have to occur over and over...

Swimming in the pool, riding bikes, hanging out with friends we don't want to leave and so much more! It is way more fun packing in as much entertainment as possible than paking boxes. Not to mention I've been playing the mother and father role on my own the last month as Sky started his fellow the beginning of July. We sure look forward to the weekends when we finally get Daddy time. Ok, quick update, I have begun the packing and have to finish it all in the next 2 days. (Don't worry Mom just arrived, Sky just got home, and Grandpa Ted gets here tongiht) thank goodness, as I 'm about to fall over from exhaustion and stress! We haven't sold the house but I found a great couple to rent the place for the next 6 months and finalized everything with them today. We will try to sell again in the spring. We are so thankful for the renters we found. We say farewell to Hershey on Saturday and will all head down to Charlottesville with Daddy this time. Ky is so sad to leave her friends but thank goodness we get to stay together as a family.

Time to Retire a Cherished Member of our Team

"THE NET" lived a great life and was used to its fullest. It was the means of providing tremendous joy and excitement to not only one little girl but an entire family...even extended family and friends. Many of you may remember getting to spend a little time with "THE NET"

"THE NET" was a true companion to the Alsop team and as we headed out on adventures, normally to the pond one was always found saying...."Don't forget THE NET" After 3 long years it now shows rips, algae, rust and bends. The shower rod with a pet store net duck taped to its end will now be laid to rest. However, let's not forget all the wonderful things it has caught in its life.

It began its journey capturing tadpoles and quickly graduated to frogs and fish. In its later years it captured, butterflies, dragonflies, a toad and most recently even a baby bunny. As Kylee runs through the door, "Mom you'll never guess what we've caught!" I continue to be amazed and surprised.

*

The girls need assistance from "THE NET" for those creatures but just use their hands for worms, Roley pollies, crickets, fireflies, slugs, caterpillars or any other creepy crawler....and I once thought this stuff was just for boys!!! WOW was I kidding myself. Unfortunately, despite how much catching is going on there are still no pictures of me holding any of them and hopefully never will be.

Here are a few pictures from our most recent adventures. The bunny was an absolute highlight as Kylee sat outside for at least an hour holding and taking care of it like Kylee would. I wonder if capturing adventures will continue in Virginia or if we will find a hidden pond close to our new home...time to move on to new adventures.