Hailey Gets Braces

What is one more change this month? Why not add braces to the mix?! At the beginning of the month, I took Hailey to get her top braces put on. That was after she had to get two additional teeth pulled out.  I tell you this girl has certainly been put through the wringer when it comes to her mouth. But she took it all in stride. She wasn't dreading them too much! 

Now she only had the top braces put on and she chose light blue rubber bands like her sister (Peyton's braces are set to come off in the next few months). She'll likely get the bottom braces put on in a year or so depending how quickly her teeth move. 

I thought she'd experience some type of soreness the next day but she said it wasn't bad at all. First one of the three to say that after getting braces! It's probably because her mouth surgery last fall was so excruciatingly painful for a full two weeks that anything less is nothing at all!

Anyway, I think her teeth actually look better with the braces on too. Here she is all smiles!

Welcome to the club, Hailey!

Austen Leaves for College

On Sunday, we said yet another goodbye. This time it was to Austen as he begins his freshman year at the University of Illinois. After 18 1/2 years, it was time to let him go have as much fun as Tom and I did when we were freshmen at Big Ten universities. 

I hadn't let myself think about him leaving too much. Of course, I've been distracted with a few other things as we wound down his Senior Year and got ready for summer. That's certainly helped I think. Plus, not being in the house he basically grew up in and not having an empty chair or an empty room he used to occupy all helps too. Even when I pass the high school soccer team practicing after school, I don't get weepy. I think it's because I remember how much fun freshman year is and how every year I am so excited for all the freshmen embarking on their first year of college. 

I can't wait for him to have all of those experiences. That week before school started was so much fun because you didn't have to study or go to class. You were just meeting people and going to parties. And that's exactly what he's doing. Maybe he's thrown a little golf in there too...and working out, but that's primarily it according to his texts and brief (5-minute) phone call this week. 

The best text was the one I received at 12:40am that declared he was joining a fraternity (Tom and I were both Greek and support that if that's what he wants to do so no idea why he needed to text us that at that hour!). 

Putting together his "Beer Deer"

Of course, he was more than ready to go to college and that certainly made saying goodbye easier. And, he's rooming with one of his soccer teammates that he's known since he was in the first grade so that definitely helps too. He's only two hours away and we already have plans (football tickets/hotel) to visit him during family weekend in a few short weeks. Plus, I know he wants to get home (maybe for homecoming) to see a high school soccer game and get his new room situated so I'm sure we will have eyes on him a few times before Xmas break. 

Nevertheless, he's all moved into his Corner Deluxe Double in Bromley Hall. Complete with two fancy chairs that were a last minute purchase from Home Goods before we left (and would look great in my new house!). They have quite a bit of storage space, pretty good sized closets and a very old and gross looking bathroom (see he's going to want to come home to take a shower in his very nice, cool, new shower all on his own private third floor of our new house). 

He's ready though. Ready for a new school, new experiences and to find out a little more about who he is without us. I just hope he's getting all the partying out of his system and he gets some sleep before the first day of classes on Monday! 

The final product!

His bed all set up

The room

The "nice" chairs

A nice U of I post

Goodbye 16 Tuttle

Yesterday, we said goodbye to our home of almost 12 years. It was the home that our kids pretty much grew up in. We moved there when Austen was almost 7; Peyton almost 4; and Hailey was just 1 month old. 

It was the house we thought we'd grow old in until it was not. Tuttle Avenue was the perfect place to raise our kids. The town was small (too small for me really as I prefer a little level of anonymity and moving from the city after 17 years was a bit of an adjustment). We loved the close proximity to town (we had a Starbucks when we first moved in) and the sports fields as well as the schools. Our kids could walk (although they didn't always). It was perfect...for when our kids were young. But, they are older now and it just felt like we needed a bit more space (even with Austen going to college). 

Austen and Peyton really wanted a home where they could hang out with their friends, and I wanted a change. Something different. Something to invest not only our money in but time too (no Austen and no Sadie will certainly give me more time these days). We can make new memories with our older kids here. Hailey will still go to the same school (something I promised her and would not trade on that for her) and already has friends in her new neighborhood. We're not quite in yet because it's a new build (but we are almost there and excited for our new house and neighborhood). An adult house for us for the second half of our kids' growing up years. 

While saying goodbye to Tuttle Avenue was hard (especially for Tom who designed that house), I know that we have so many more great memories to be made in our new house. Sometimes change can be hard but change can be really good too - opening up opportunities we didn't even know were possible. And, that's the lesson I want to pass on to our kids. 

So thank you Tuttle Avenue - for being a great home to our family for almost 12 years and giving us some great memories. We will always remember our times there. 

Austen Ends His Travel Soccer Career

So many darn goodbyes lately. Of course lots of new opportunities ahead but goodbyes are still so hard. 

We watched Austen play his final soccer game with Galaxy SC on Friday, July 24th in Orlando, Florida, at the ESPN Complex for USYS Nationals in 90 plus degree heat with a hell of a lot of humidity. 

I will miss so many things about seeing him play the sport that we both loved. His quiet, steady and calm leadership on and off the field with his teammates. His intensity when he knew his team needed to score and how he always somehow grew stronger in those final minutes to really help his team. His headers -which I told him he needed to work on freshman year in high school and now he's one of the best. His direct kicks which were legendary and he scored more than his fair share of goals this way. 

But, I think what I will miss most of all is that time we had together. We shared a love for a game that taught me so much and gave me so much, and I got to pass on those same experiences to Austen. And, boy was he one lucky kid to find two travel teams with some incredible teammates and parents. That game brought him all over the world. He was lucky to travel to Italy with his first travel club when he was going into the 5th grade to play. From there it was off to Florida, Arizona, Texas, North Carolina. Michigan, Wisconsin, Indiana, Nevada, Missouri, Kansas - and so many more states. And, I got to enjoy this ride with him (and sometimes Tom too although he was banned after he kept Austen up all night snoring one time!). 

So many amazing friends

Austen formed some amazing friendships with teammates from both clubs and as a result, we did too. What a ride it has been. And, it's a ride that I'd take again and again with him because even though he spent so much time training, and we spent so much money on travel and training, this sport has made him the incredible person he is now. The structure that was required made him a better student. The hours spent training with teammates made him a better friend. The tough times gave him moments to choose when to use his voice for the greater good. And, the hard-fought victories will give him priceless memories for a lifetime. 

He leaves us soon for college. I'm not sad that he chose not to go to college for soccer. I wanted to do college for college too. But, I am happy that his freshman college roommate is one of his old teammates. So was mine. So many things to be gained from playing this sport - long after the final whistle. 

Lots of emotion as he comes off the field in his final game

His final team

Peyton's First Rescue

Having a job lifeguarding has been so good for Peyton this summer. It keeps her busy/off her phone, she's making money and she's met a lot of new people. Plus, she's tanner than she's ever been (she loves her glow but is using sunscreen too).

She also has to answer to a boss who makes her clean toilets and scrub gross stuff off the pool deck and she can't talk back to her like she does us or she'd be fired. 

Cheers to her rescue!

Anyway, recently she had to make her first rescue. It was early evening and there weren't a lot of kids in the pool but she noticed one who was particularly young and wasn't a strong swimmer. His siblings weren't paying attention to him and his parents were on the other side of the pool depending on the older siblings to keep an eye on him. She watched him bob at the surface a few times and then go under. She forgot to blow her whistle to alert the manager and the other guards (she actually was the only one guarding the pool at this time due to the low number of swimmers) but quickly jumped in (sweatshirt and all - it was a chillier night) to rescue him. She gave two quick whistles after the rescue to alert the manager and other guards and climbed back soaking wet into her chair. 

Her adrenaline was flowing so her friend and fellow guard relieved her while she processed it all. Talked to the manager/head guard and warmed up. It's not an easy job what these lifeguards do. They have other people's lives in their hands. We are super proud of her for being alert and doing her job well. The mom of the boy even thanked her. Peyton replied, "I was just doing my job."

Disney Redo

Almost 10 years ago, we visited Disney World with the kids. Austen was almost 8, Peyton turned 5 while we were there and Hailey was just 15 months. It was probably one of the worst family vacations. 

Dinner at Toppolino's

First, my kids were terrified to go on any real rides even though it was Disney and there really aren't too many scary rides. Second, we needed space. We were in a 1-bedroom villa and I quickly realized with kids that small, we really needed room to spread out - to have them take naps and for them to go to bed earlier than us. I learned, and our next vacations were much better because of that vacation. 

However, we needed a Disney redo and I promised them in recent years that we'd do that if Austen's soccer team ever qualified for Nationals in Florida. Well, this year they finally did (and it was the last year they could as Austen ended his final travel season). So we took the whole family back to Disney. 

We decided to stay at the team hotel the first four nights because it was a decent hotel (Austen and I had stayed there before for another soccer weekend) and we really wanted to hang out with the families since we knew it would be our last time traveling together.  

Mickey pretzel!

We got in late on Sunday night and hit the pool on Monday (it was so hot - the air temp and the pool temp!). Went to dinner at Toppolino's at the Riviera Resort with the girls (Austen was sharing a room with a teammate and had a strict schedule so he wasn't with us the earlier part of the week). We were able to see the Epcot fireworks and light show from there as well as enjoy a fabulous dinner. The next day, Austen had a midday game so we woke up a bit later, explored the area and hit Hollywood Studios. Austen's game on Wednesday was early and the girls slept in but we headed to the fields to watch him before returning to get the girls and head to Hollywood Studios. Hailey was a little apprehensive about the rides but we told her she was doing all the same rides that we were. We paid a lot of money for fast passes and premier passes so she didn't get a pass out of any of it! And, it was Disney so how scary can these rides really be?! We started off with the Rise of Resistance (which was okay - I think you really had to be a Star Wars fan to enjoy this one) and then headed over to Tower of Terror. It was scary and fun, and Hailey did it! Aerosmith roller coaster was next which she didn't want to go on but ended up loving it as well as the Slinky Dog ride. Peyton loved them all too. What a difference from 10 years ago.

On Thursday, we were moving hotels. We checked out of the team hotel and went to Austen's game then checked into our villa at the Polynesian Resort's new Island tower. It was very nice. Everyone gave it a huge thumbs up. For dinner, we headed over to Disney Springs to eat at Boathouse. Austen ended up staying the last night with his team at the team hotel and then on Friday morning we picked him up and headed to Magic Kingdom. We had premier passes for the 23 rides there so we pretty much walked up to all the rides and got on them pretty quickly.  We started with the 7 Dwarfs Mine Train - this was the one that ruined Austen and Peyton 10 years ago. They were literally crying and terrified. What a different experience this time. They all thought it was too easy. Their favorites were Tron which was so unique because you were on a motorcycle and it was so fast. They also loved Space Mountain. We did dinner that night at Summer House at Disney Springs highly recommend - probably our best dinner all week. 

On Saturday, we headed to Epcot. This was not the same Epcot from my youth. We loved Guardians of the Galaxy (probably our favorite of all of the rides at all the parks), Ratatouille and Soarin' (an old favorite). We ate that morning at O'Hanas at the Polynesian for breakfast and for dinner at Space 220 at Epcot. I think we all agreed that the dinners at Disney Springs were far better than our park dinner or even our breakfast at O'Hanas. 

On Sunday, we had been there a full 8 days so it was time to go home after a great brunch back at the Boathouse in Disney Springs. 

It was a long, hot week filled with some memorable times. I'm glad we got that redo in before Austen heads off to college! 

Me, Peyton, Hailey & Tom first row on left

Tom and me on Slinky Dog

Hailey's mickey sundae at Boathouse

All five of us on 7 Dwarfs - front row, middle and me in the back

Space 220 dinner with glowing ice cubes

Italy at Epcot

Basketball Sleep Away Camp!

Bree & Hailey

A few months ago, one of Hailey's best friends asked if she wanted to go to a basketball camp this summer. It was a sleep away camp but not far from our house. Now, she's never been one to want to put a lot of effort into a sport, per se. And, after last year's sleep away camp, she said she might do another one...one day. But now, here she was faced with an opportunity that she may have not been ordinarily thrilled by. However, her friend, Bree, told Hailey should would have to go by herself or have a random roommate if Hailey did not go with her. Of course, Hailey being the kind of friend that she is agreed to go with Bree. 

So mid-July, we packed Hailey up and I dropped her off at camp about 20 minutes away from our house. A few days before, she was getting cold feet. So I wouldn't let her bring her phone because I didn't want her be able to contact me because I wanted her to be immersed in her camp experience and enjoy her time there instead of calling me. But Bree had her watch phone so Hailey could still call me. Shoot. 

I had just dropped her off not even 6 hours before when I got the first text that she wasn't feeling well and she wanted to call me. I did accept her call and talked to her. After about 20 minutes of trying to remain positive with her about this experience, I flat out had to tell her, I'm not coming to get you. She then said can I at least call you tomorrow night too? I agreed and told her to make the best of it. 

The next night she called and was a totally different kid. She was yelling hi to girls in the hall, cracking jokes with her roommate, telling me she had to go soon because they ordered pizza. We talked for a short time and she asked if she could call me the next night too. I agreed again. And, the next night was much of the same. She told me she didn't love playing basketball all day long but she really did love the social aspect.

I picked her up on Thursday. She packed up all of her stuff by herself (yeah, I'm impressed too) and didn't lose anything. She showered every day (can I bring her counselors home with me so they can get her to shower every day too?!). She said the food was disgusting - sloppy joe's and meatloaf for dinner two of the nights. I agree with her - who feeds kids that gross food? How about chicken nuggets and mac and cheese?! And, she said she definitely was not interested in going to a sports camp ever again! Ha! So different from Austen but I totally get it too. I went to a soccer camp once after 6th grade, and it wasn't that much fun. Too much work. Regular, old fashioned sleepover camp was more my speed so I'm hoping that she'll try that next summer! 

And, they're off!

The last day - they did it!