Daddy-Daughter Date Nights & Dancing
We actually stayed in town nearly the entire month of March. Not sure I can say that about any other months, so it was a welcome change to our typical schedule. Myers has been participating in Off-Leash dog training and it is going very well. We joke that the handlers (us) are the ones that need the most training, which is quite true. We are using an e-collar to train him and he is responding well to our commands. In terms of tricks, he can sit, stay, place (where he stays on a designated object), lay down, and speak. We are working on heel. Eventually, the goal is that he will be completely obedient without the need for a leash at all. Once we complete the private, in-home lessons, we will “graduate” to a year of group lessons where we will meet up with other dogs and their owners at places like breweries, parks, the Whitewater Center, etc.
I had a girls’ night out for dinner and then a viewing of 50 Shades Darker, followed by some dancing. We had a large group of ladies show up and had a fabulous time. I actually watched the movie this time! Hanleigh enjoyed her first daddy-daughter Y guides date night with Trent. They went to Queens University for dinner, dancing, and meeting princesses. Meanwhile, I took Brayden to see Hidden Figures…what a great movie (loved the part where one of the main characters goes off on the room full of mostly men about how long it takes her to walk to the bathroom!). Brayden’s BFF, Cora, spent the night one evening, we had the Farrell’s over for a viewing of “Girl on the Train” (we read the book together and decided we needed a reason to celebrate us finishing it). Neither Trent nor Mike had read the book, but we all loved the movie.
Tonya, Trent and I ran the local Shamrock 4-Miler and all of us did amazingly well. I was nearly out of commission the last few weeks prior due to my back being “out”, but after many chiropractic appointments, back exercises, and taking a break from running, I was able to race pretty well…so good, in fact, that they announced my name from a stage and I got a “grandpa cap” (Irish hat). Tonya got one as well. Trent ran faster than both of us, but because there were more people in his age group, no cap for him. He did amazing, though! That night, we celebrated our victory with Trent’s F3 friends at Whiskey Warehouse for dinner, followed by a bluegrass concert at the Rabbit Hole. It was so fun! The next day, we met up with another F3 friend, Bunker, and his family for lunch at Maxwell’s Tavern and then some beer at Dreamchaser’s Brewery. That was a great weekend!
Trent took a work trip to Raleigh to learn about a new project his team has been assigned. We decided with spring break coming up and lots of pool time approaching during the warmer months, combined with the fact that she has exhibited a lot more responsibility, that it was time for Brayden to shed her glasses (during the day) and get daily contacts. She is doing so well with them and we are so proud of her! We decided to host a neighborhood get together with our friends and had an excellent turnout from the Vander Voorts, Farrells, Whitcombs, and Hawks. Everyone brought some tasty food over and we enjoyed lots of laughter. The Whitcombs and Hawks are relatively newer to the neighborhood, so it was awesome to get to know them better. Brayden is in her last year of Y Guides, so she and Trent attended her last daddy-daughter date night as part of that program. They took a riverboat cruise on Lake Norman and of course, did some line dancing! She has mentioned how she wants to volunteer as a “helper” in Y Guides after she “graduates” at the end of this year (this means that she will be able to attend longhouses and assist the younger princesses). While Trent and Brayden were on the lake, Hanleigh and I went to Kyle, Erin, and Cooper’s house to help celebrate Erin’s birthday. She invited a lot of her friends as well and the night included some great food, ping pong, playing in the fort, and roasting marshmallows. The month concluded with us venturing down to Charleston for our 10th consecutive Cooper River Bridge Run weekend. We stayed at a beautiful VBRO cottage, but more on that next month…
Hanleigh-isms:
- I asked her, “How was dinner last night at Hickory Tavern? Did you see Graham?” to which she responded, “No, he wasn’t there. Boys lie. But Daddy doesn’t.” (in relation to the fact that Graham told her he was going to Hickory Tavern)
- “Hot dogs look like penises.” (lovely)
- “Stop it, nuts. That’s another word for penis. And weenie.” (apparently, there’s a theme emerging here)
- While singing to Bruno Mars’ “What I like”…“I’ll rent a beach house in Miami. Wake up with no jammies. Wait! Wake up with no jammies? That’s gross.” to which I said, “Hanleigh, you wake up with no jammies on all the time.” She said, “Oh ya, you’re right.”
