High Five for Friday (2.28.25)

 

One

Last Friday night the Lads were dealt a tough 0-1 loss last against the team with whom they had been tied for first in the district. It was a blow after a solid three-game win streak, but on Tuesday night they rebounded with a victory over their crosstown rival. We go again tonight!

Two

The Lads parents had a great time catching up before the game though! We tried a new (to many of us) place called Cork This, Tap That just outside of Montgomery, and it was the perfect spot for drinks, appetizers, and a little live music.

Three

Taking ballet and learning a new back-end software system for our dance studio have reminded me that I'm not too old to learn new things! (I'm plenty old to be frustrated with my aging body and less-than-excellent "compuper skills" though... 10 points for the first person to name that reference!)

Four

We have successfully applied for a passport for Hallie! She's never had one since our family's travels have always been stateside, but at the end of May she's going on a cruise with her bestie so the time had come. For some reason this kind of thing - passports, driver's licenses, vehicle registrations - intimidate me more than they should; I think it's because I'm afraid of doing something wrong or forgetting something and then being publicly shamed for my mistakes (this has happened to me before), and I HATE having to go back to an office or make a second appointment because of said mistakes. Thankfully, the woman who helped us at the Caldwell Post Office was a delight, and even though our appointment ended up starting close to 25 minutes after our scheduled time, the actual process was a breeze. 

Five

Happiness Highlights - Plié and Popeye Edition

He gave up his bed for his babies. (Just kidding -
he sleeps on the floor all the time. It's so weird.)

She's supervising in Tom's lab.

Why is he the handsomest?! 

Plié loved Will's VERY bald head.

Exerting his (perceived) dominance. It's all in his
mind though - she wears the pants in this relationship.

He's just a baby.

She sleeps with me now, which is such a strange but sweet development.

She also helps A LOT, which is just great.

Waiting for me when I pull into the garage
(because she can open the door to the garage).

Checking out the car while I unload...seems like a risky 
choice given that a couple of weeks ago she snuck into the
car when we weren't looking and ended up spending about
five hours trapped inside before we found her. (During that
time she locked all the doors and moved all the mirrors.)

Happy weekend, friends!

Merde

When my sister and I were little, we had the opportunity to try a lot of different sports and activities. At various points throughout my preschool, elementary, and middle school years, I played soccer, baseball, and volleyball; took swimming, diving, synchronized swimming, tennis, gymnastics, piano, and voice lessons; and joined swim team, math team, and Girl Scouts. I also - for a couple of short years when I was very young - took ballet. 

I wasn't good. 

I actually wasn't good at much of what I listed above; soccer and singing were the only two arenas in which I ever shined. But I enjoyed dabbling in all of those other arenas except baseball...I HATED every second of the short season I played this dreadful sport.

So I left ballet behind, at least until Hallie started dancing nearly 12 years ago. As she became more and more invested, I became - by default - more and more invested as well, and a few years ago a handful of moms and I started talking about how we should probably try ballet ourselves. We knew ballet would be good exercise, and we thought taking a class or two might also help us better understand our daughters and their passion. 

The studio we attended prior to this year wasn't able to add adult classes to its schedule, but our current studio was willing to give it a try...and the rest, as they say, is history.

I went into my first class at the beginning of January with a positive attitude but low expectations - I knew I wouldn't be good at ballet, and while I was committed to trying my hardest and sticking with it for the semester, I was worried. Worried I would embarrass myself. Worried I would embarrass Hallie. Worried I just wouldn't be able to do it. Worried I'd hate it. Worried I'd love it. I worry a lot.

But it was fantastic. Our teacher, Mrs. Aya - who is also one of Hallie's teachers and an Artistic Director at Elements Academy of Dance, which she owns with her husband - is a wonderful teacher. She met all of us moms exactly where we were (which was the VERY beginning) but has also started pushing us every so slightly out of our comfort zones as the weeks have gone on. She is patient and kind, explains everything in ways that make sense to people who don't have a dance background, and doesn't make us feel bad about our lack of flexibility or the amount of time it takes us to grasp a new skill. 

Our very first Thursday class...

...and our very first Tuesday class.
Some of us come every week, some of us drop in when we
can. Some of us come either Tuesday or Thursday, some of
us come both days. Everyone is welcome anytime!

After our first class, many of us made appointments to be fitted for and purchase our own ballet shoes. (If we were going in, we were going ALL in.) Within the first month, it became clear that the studio could add a second adult ballet class...so now I'm taking ballet twice a week. 

My goals as a ballerina aren't lofty - I just wanted to try something new, and now that I'm invested, I also want to learn how to move my body in new ways and to improve. Unsurprisingly, I have no desire to take the stage in The Nutcracker or "go pro" 😂 - the simple ballet life is the life for me.

~

Want to join us? We're a no experience required, no pressure, no judgement group, and we'd love to have you. Send me an email (erinlferris at yahoo dot com) if you'd like more information about our classes!

High Five for Friday (2.21.25)

 

There was no HFFF post last week (I went a different route for this year's Valentine's Day post), so we have a little catching up to do!

One

The Lads won out the front half of district play, which was fantastic given that they had both a tie and a loss early on. Here are a few of my favorite shots of Will from those first six district games:

Teacher Appreciation Night
Will invited his sophomore/senior year (and favorite) English
teacher, Mrs. Calvert, and I love this adorable picture of them.

The back half of district play began at home on Tuesday night, and in conditions I can only describe as miserable, the Lads managed to make the night fun with a convincing victory against Rudder HS. They're on the road at Lake Creek HS in Montgomery tonight, and then they're "on the road" again at crosstown rival College Station HS next Tuesday night. If you're in BCS and enjoy watching soccer AT ALL, Tuesday is the night to come out - this match up is always a good one. (Message me for ticket information if you're interested!)

The first and only time in four years the Lads went straight to their cars
instead of to meet their parents. I wasn't exaggerating when I described
the conditions during Tuesday's game as miserable: plummeting temps,
pouring rain, and 20 MPH sustained winds with gusts up to 35 MPH.

We took a second pic when everyone got home.

Two

Prior to the Montgomery game, Tom and I visited a local establishment - The Cozy Grape - with friends. I can't believe we haven't been doing this all along - having plans ahead of away games makes the anxiety-ridden couple of hours prior so much less stressful!

Three

Last Monday night we hosted our annual (and last 😢) Lads team dinner. The boys have loved our "breakfast for dinner" theme these last three years - we order breakfast tacos and serve them alongside them cinnamon rolls, fruit, orange juice, milk, and chocolate milk - and I think everyone had a great time once again. 

Four

Last Wednesday night Hallie and I attended a "Contest Show Off" performance - all four BCS high schools participated - to watch her friend Abby and others perform with their drill teams. We saw so many impressive dances, and it's great fun for us to see friends shine in other dance genres and environments.

Five

Will had a daytime appointment last week, so we went out for lunch afterwards (you know, before he went back to school and ate second lunch with his friends). I'm soaking up every last little bit of time I can with him these day...

Six

I don't usually go overboard on holidays, but I do have little traditions I try to keep alive for the kids. Our Valentine's Day tradition is a scavenger/treasure hunt - inspired by those my dad used to make for me and my sister when we were little - for their (small) Valentine's Day gift. Hallie publically loves it, and while Will probably wouldn't admit to enjoying it, these pics of Will and Hallie running through the house (and trying to keep each from getting to the next clue, which has become part of the fun) prove otherwise. 

Before our scavenger hunt, I went to a birthday party for a beautiful friend (I hate that I forgot to take a picture), where I got to meet her husband, catch up briefly with old friends, and meet a couple of new friends as well. All in all, a great Valentine's Day.

Pretty basic, but delicious!

Popeye and I wore our matching heart sweaters on Valentine's
Day. Contrary to the vibe he's giving off in this picture, he kind
of likes dressing up.

Seven

On Sunday we saw The Theater Company's production of The Sound of Music. As is always the case with their shows, this one was excellent!

Eight

My niece, Lily, and her middle school cheer team won State!

Nine

My nephew, Carter (of Carter's Cash fame), and my soon-to-be SIL Kayla celebrated birthdays this week!

Happy weekend, friends!