Olive's Birthday Party

Ally and Olive have been friends forever. Since they were babies and Becky and Olive's mom were in a new mom's group together. Olive and her parents live around the corner from us, they go to the same school and they have made a lot of memories together.

Ally asked for pictures of them over the year to post a birthday tribute on Instagram. Here is a selection of them (all taken from the blog):

Olive's party this year was at Boda Borg, a local escape adventure place. Ally was feeling pretty crummy and did not go to that part, but met up with everyone for pizza and cake after the activity.

 I drove many of the girls home afterwards and they took a selfie to send to their friend Maya who is in Sweden for 6 months.

 I guess when you are 13 its fun to take mirror pictures in the bathroom?

But also you humor your parents and take group pictures.

Else, Colette, Alma, Ellie, Ally, Olive and Daniela - all of the Amigos girls at the party.

That is Maya and Becky - They posed for this picture because I said they looked like twins!

Little Boston Gymnastics Meet

Ally has been dealing with an injury to her hip area - it has a fancy name called Iliac Apophysitis. 
Google says:
What is iliac apophysitis? Is a temporary condition of the iliac crest and pelvis characterized by inflammation of the growth plate, and occasionally the muscle will pull the bone away from the growth plate. 

It has been pretty painful and required a visit to the orthopedist in December and she has been doing physical therapy and at this meet her legs were also hurting. Lots of pain. But she powered thru and competed all 4 events and scored high enough to qualify for the State Meet in March. 

This meet on a Friday afternoon and was at the Convention Center in downtown Boston. Aunt Beth came to watch, and afterwards we went out to Wagamama for noodles after the meet with some team mates and their moms. 

 Ally was feeling pretty crummy before we left in our Uber for the meet. She was not happy to have me take her picture. But I told her it was a tradition - before every meet.

With her teammates after the meet. We were waiting for the awards to start. 

Ally came in 3rd place in bars with a 9.475!!!

Her team came in 2nd place.  The 8 girls on her team also competed along side 17 other girls from her gym.

 post meet picture with Mama and Aunt Beth

Please note that the sisters have identical coats - Beth's is blue and Becky's is green. This happens all the time.

Sisters

Dinner with Mia, Katherine & Eliana

New Year's Eve 2020

This year for New Year's Eve we went to dinner with our our preschool family group at Finleys house and then hosted a few of Ally's friends for a sleep over at our house.

2019 marked 10 years of friendship with these Newtowne Families. I brought our photo books from Purple Fish and Blue Otter classrooms and the kids had fun looking back at their years together.

Nick, Violet, Erik, Stella & Ally

Then Andy arrived and we got a picture of the 4 classmates:

Violet, Ally and Stella!
Ally and I left early to get home for her school friend sleepover.

We keep hoping Cloey and Daisy will start to get along.

Then the friends arrived.

Ellie, Ally, Cata, Willow and Colette laying across their laps.

Lots of fun - we all watched the ball drop of course. And toasted 2020 with sparkling cider from plastic champagne glasses. The girls were up super late and Becky and I were asleep by 1AM. IN the morning it was the usual pancake breakfast.

And a few of them met up with some boys from school later on in the day for a couple hours of Laser Tag.

Not a bad way to end one year and start a new one.

The Bahamas!

Ally and I went to the Bahamas Dec 19-23 for Ally to compete in a gymnastics meet! We had a great time.

Ally worked thru her pain and competed all 4 events. Vault hurt to do but she did it anyway. I was extremely proud of her. It was not her best scoring meet, and no one on her team (at her level) placed in the all around, but Ally came in 3rd place in bars so she was happy to come home with the medal. 

We stayed at Atlantis which has a water park. 5 other teammates from her her team of 8 girls came, most with both parents and their siblings. Becky stayed home this trip. 

Saying goodbye to Daisy.

Ally and I making our way to the gate in Boston.

We traveled with Ally’s teammate Stella (in denim jacket) and her sister Siri.

We arrived to pouring rain in the Bahamas. Ally, Stella, Siri, Mia and Mari.

Our room had a great view. 

That first night there was an opening ceremony at the meet site. 

Crazy Mari, Ally and Stella.

It was a late night but we had to pose for a picture.

Of course I was up early. But so were the girls. Who met up with Autumn and were at the pool at 9am when it opened.

Ally plus 5 teammates and their brothers and sisters rode the lazy river a couple of times.

Very cold gymnasts after the lazy river: Mia, Autumn, Stella, Dahlia, Ally and Mari.

Hanging out before dinner.

Walking home after dinner and collapsing in the big chair in the outdoor lobby of our hotel.

Ally placed 3rd on bars. She was in a lot of pain and has not been practicing much due to that but she competed all 4 events.


These girls had a lot of fun together; Autumn, Stella, Ally, Mari, Mia & Dahlia.

Meet was over and it was time for some beach fun

The water was a little cold.





Ally’s favorite way to spend time on the beach.


They humored me with a gymnastics group pose. This was an out take. 

Check out the brothers photo bombing in the ocean!

Ally and I went back to meet to watch some of the upper levels and the boys compete.

All that sass.

Next time we hope Becky will join us.