Kindergarten, Kick-off, and Krazy Girls

We’ve gotten to know a few more neighbors this month, specifically those right across the street, immediately next door, and down the street a bit. We’ve had dinner with them and it’s been such a great place to live. Everyone is so friendly and you can’t leave the neighborhood without someone waving at you while you are in your car. Very hospitable. Trent and I are participating in another football fantasy draft, which is really fun…he is in 1st place, too!

The Democratic National Convention was in Charlotte following Labor Day and the Ballantyne area was quite the sight in terms of roadblocks and detours. We are lucky that we work so close to home, but that week we had to go around our legs to get to our elbows, if you know what I mean. President Obama was staying at the Ballantyne Resort’s cottage and there was no access to it anywhere nearby. One evening, we decided to take a walk toward where he was staying (livin’ on the edge) to see how far we could get without getting stopped by the authorities. We made it to two very large dump trucks filled with sand and a few police officers where our journey ended. We weren’t the only pedestrians out that night, though. We stopped and talked to a few people who had seen the motorcade of about 20 cars leave the resort, and they said it was just plain crazy. As we turned around, we looked up to the top of some of the corporate offices to find tents with snipers sitting in them as well. South Charlotte excitement at its finest. Try explaining what a sniper is to a five-year old. At least we know Obama has good taste in where he stays.

I spent one weekend with Leslie and some other girlfriends at the beach and we had the most amazing time. Let’s just say that we created a name for ourselves in Oak Island at the local restaurants and bars. I think we may have been banned from some places. The weekend was filled with tons of laughter and connecting with girlfriends…it was the perfect time. I hope we can do it again year after year. I wish I could elaborate further on the weekend, but some things will remain hush hush.

NC State kicked off its 2012 season with two back-to-back home games in a row. Now that we are in Charlotte, we have a three-hour drive, board the dogs, and pack a LOT of stuff just to be prepared. Even though the trip is a bit challenging at times, it is only six times a year and we have such a great time tailgating with our friends. It’s just an adjustment not being 10 minutes from the stadium, but we’ll get used to it. The Pack has been doing amazing this year, too!

Trent and Brayden had their first official Y Guides Princesses Tribe Meeting where the girls had to come up with their Indian names (Trent is Red Wolf. Brayden is Pink Wolf.). They made leis and (according to Trent), the girls got along very well as evident by the rambunctious running around, screaming, and laughing. I enjoyed a night out to dinner with some girlfriends to Wolfgang Puck’s pizza bistro, and we attended a spirit night for Brayden’s school at Coldstone Creamery (supporting school and ice cream in one fail swoop? Sign me up!). We also received Brayden’s progress report for Q1 (I guess that means we are 1/8th into the school year?) on which she did superb.

Kindergarten is going great for Brayden. She was chosen by her teacher as the student who showed the most respect in her class for the month of September and got to have popsicles with the principal (there was a bit of a hiccup with that plan since another student went in her place accidentally, but she’s been assured she gets to go next…this made all of us quite unhappy). Her picture was even up on the main hallway bulletin board at school for all students to see. She also was the teacher’s helper one day when her main teacher was out! Each day, all students start their day out on “good green”, and depending on how they behave determines whether they move up or down on the color chart. At the end of the day, they can be “brilliant blue” and get to pick something out of the treasure box, “outstanding orange” and get a sticker, “good green” and get a high five, “uh-oh yellow” and get a letter sent home, or “rowdy red” and go to the principal’s office. Luckily, Brayden’s been good green or better each day. I told her that I didn’t want to hear of her getting on yellow or red…so far it’s working!

Brayden-isms
• One day in the car, Hanleigh was being a little chatterbox, so Trent started quoting Austin Powers and said, “www.zipit.com” to which Brayden said, “No, www.zipit.com/hanleigh.” We all started laughing hysterically that she even knew about URL formatting. Needless to say, papa was proud.
• Indi has been escaping through the fence lately, so Trent concocted a contraption with a new collar and wiffle balls. Brayden’s suggestion was just to feed her more food and fatten her up by saying, “Well, I guess she needs two scoops of food now.”
• “Why is everything made in China?”
• For Brayden’s birthday dinner this year, I asked her where she wanted to go, giving her ideas such as Pei Wei or Mellow Mushroom (two of her favorite places) to which she said, “Nah, I want to go to Dean & Deluca”…a girl after my own heart.

Hanleigh-isms
• The Taylor Swift song “We Are Never Getting Back Together” is frequently played in our house and even Hanleigh sings the chorus!
• Everything these days is “mine”. If I say “my Brayden”, she says, “No, not your Brayden…my Brayden.” If you make a silly noise like “lala”, she says, “not your lala, my lala.” Independence, here we come!
• Trent was getting Hanleigh dressed one day and said, “You have polks dots on your dress”, to which she replied “afro afro” (quoting the Madagascar 3 Polka Dot Afro Circus song).

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