Splash - December 2019

The December 2019 Splash was taken at the Smithsonian.  I have to admit that one of my favorite places to spend a day is the Smithsonian Institution.  I have visited countless times - from elementary school field trips for specific exhibits to casually wandering the halls with my family as a teenager to discovering it all again through the eyes of my own children.

Now that our BallTeam is older, they have all decided that the Smithsonian is also a great way to spend a day.  This year for Thanksgiving, we had some scheduling issues.  So, my solution was to spend Thanksgiving Day as a family at the Smithsonian.  We did Thanksgiving proper - kinda - on Friday this year.  We are so blessed and have so much to be grateful for.

We are grateful for public facilities that promote curiosity and education.  This elephant (his name is Henry) is the iconic photo op at the Museum of Natural History.  We had a great Thanksgiving with Henry.

Volkswagon Jetta

Rachel bought a car!  A brand new, 2019 Volkswagon Jetta.  She has named this little beauty Lucy, which is short for Lucifer - because she feels like she's signed away her soul to finance it.

It has tons of safety features, so her insurance has gone down, and no more worries about fixing that fender and light that got hit by the deer.  This one is fully operational.  She's safe, she can afford it, and she is stable. Go for you, Rachel.

Charlotte is Seventeen

Charlotte turned seventeen on December 27.  She may be the last seventeen year old without pierced ears.  The rule at our house is - you can get your ears pierced at twelve, but, you have to have more As than Bs on your report card.  All her sisters managed to do just that - Samantha was fifteen, but, she got there.  Charlotte, who is strong in English and History, did not like school.  Then we add sweet little bit into the mix and well, Charlotte never did have more As than Bs on her report card.  But at seventeen, when I asked her what she wanted for her birthday - I was expecting an answer something like the iPhone X or a used car - she simply said, Mom, can I get my ears pierced?  I know I don't meet the rule, but, I'm a mom now.  So, off we went to the Mall.

We also went to IKEA.  Josephine wanted a desk from IKEA for Christmas, so we headed to the western shore for IKEA and a Mall.  While at IKEA, we picked up some cool lamps for the big ladies and cinnamon rolls to take home.  Plus cheesecake in the cafeteria for Charlotte's birthday.

Loose in the big city....

And Charlotte's birthday present, pierced ears.

At seventeen, Charlotte is not your average teenager.  She's a Mom, and Ezamay comes first.  She's got a job watching another little baby, who is just one month older than Ezamay.  She sings beautifully; she "keeps house" in her part of the house - everything in order, her daughter's laundry done and sorted and she is all over keeping her stimulated and developing.  She's a good mom.  At seventeen now, she can take her GED and move on with education, on her terms.

She's fierce; she's sweet; she's seventeen.