The Things Hailey has Learned from A,P & Addie

 1. How to throw a ball up against the wall if there is no one to play catch with her (even if she technically can't catch yet). Austen

2. How to let out an ear piercing scream when someone is doing something she doesn't like that has the whole store, stands or people at another public venue looking at us. Peyton



3. How to never be idle for one minute without a ball in your hand or at your foot. Austen

4. How to share not one toy with another child but her food with a seemingly starving dog who has gained 5 pounds in 3 months. Adler

5. How to climb up into her brother's bunk bed by herself unassisted. This kid is a climber! Austen and Peyton

My Littlest Gymnast

As soon as Hailey turned 18 months old, I could enroll her in a parent/tot gymnastics class. This was a day I had been waiting for as Peyton loves to go to gymnastics and as Hailey got older, she didn't want to just sit there and watch Peyton in her class, she wanted to be doing her own class. So for the past month, Peyton attends her class in the gym at the same time as I am doing the parent/tot class with Hailey.

She is definitely one of the younger ones in the class and I wasn't sure how she would do. Surprisingly she understood a lot of the directions and was able to sit nicely in class as well. She isn't a fan of other kids (not used to that one since my other two didn't have that problem since they were in "school" all day) but she is getting better at sharing, taking turns and dealing with them being in her personal space.
But she is a fan of doing somersaults, jumping in a big pit filled with styrofoam, climbing the obstacle course, swinging on the rings and hanging from the bars. She definitely can hang on her own for at least 10-15 seconds. She's amazingly strong...and brave!

I think she may be my dare devil AND my most athletic one yet - watch out Austen! She probably will give you a run for your money in mini golf too!

Happy Mudder's Day

Happy Mudder's Day, says Peyton. I kind of like the way she says it as she still hasn't perfected that "th" sound. But, someday soon she will and I am sure I will miss how she was at this very moment, this very Mother's Day. There won't be another one when she's 5 years old.

So this Mother's Day, I wanted to write down the things that I love about being a mother at this very moment when my kids are ages 10 (Adler), 8 (Austen), 5 (Peyton), and 19 months (Hailey).

• I love at the end of the day when all of the human kids are in bed and I can turn my full attention to Adler. I sit next to her as I stroke her fur and she rests her head in my lap and I just know she feels content and well loved.

• I love watching Austen play soccer, baseball, basketball, football, etc. even when it's on Mother's Day and it's cold, raining or snowing. There's no other place that I would rather be than cheering on my children and watching them do what they love.

• I love watching Peyton create. My budding artist produces artwork that I often ask if she really drew all by herself. Wide eyed she tells me that she definitely drew that chick or that dog. Often times when the library has projects to create and I am busy picking out books with Hailey, Peyton takes it upon herself to figure it out and comes back to find me with a fully produced masterpiece.  

• I love watching how fast Hailey catches on to things like simple words - she has an extensive vocabulary for a 19 month old; can throw and kick a ball like she is a two year old; can almost do a somersault and just understands and follows directions surprisingly well at this age. She surprises me every day with what she can do and what she comprehends.

• I love seeing Austen being a big brother. I always wanted a boy first who would protect his siblings and he definitely watches out for them and takes care of them and helps his parents with them too. 

• I love that Peyton has a wicked sense of humor and makes her brother erupt into a fit of giggles...usually at bedtime. 

• I love that Hailey is my little daredevil. She likes to go down slides, swing high, be thrown up in the air and jump into the pool, off my step, etc. 

• I love when Adler is running and playing in the yard and I can swear that dogs smile because I can see a huge smile on her face as she runs and plays. 
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  

• And, I love seeing them all together, every single one of them, and I want to just freeze that moment in time...before someone shouts, gets irritated or needs something from me.

This moment is how I will remember them on Mudder's Day 2015.

First Communion, Family Heritage, Soccer and Baseball

My first of three First Communions happened this past weekend. I couldn't get over how much the girls' dresses looked like little wedding dresses. I have three and seven more years, respectively, to prepare myself for shopping for two of those! But, this weekend, it was just a suit, shirt, tie and shoes that were needed for the boys. That outfit presented it's own challenges with trying to actually tie a tie on someone else. Tom grew frustrated and Austen didn't want to try anything on (yes, we did a trial run and good thing!). However, the end result was my handsome 8 year old.

As for receiving his First Communion - he was nervous that he was going to mess up the order - prayer hands, bow, Amen, Sign of the cross, prayer hands. He had it down pat til he actually went up there but practice (and lots of church) makes perfect, and the Priests were so nice to the kids helping them all along. Not like in the olden days where they had to swallow the hosts whole before leaving the altar, says Papa. 

It was a gorgeous day and we enjoyed celebrating Austen's third sacrament with our families. 

We also enjoyed Austen's second grade school presentation of exploring their family heritage, which they worked on all year and finally presented to their parents and grandparents on Friday. Papa asked Austen if he thought he'd give up sports to sing and act. He said, no. 

 Check out Austen singing, mouth wide, in the front row, orange plaid shirt.

A portrait of our family by Austen. Love that he put me in a bikini.

Austen's family tree. Can you find Adler?!

After Family Heritage on Friday and First Communion on Saturday morning it was off to a soccer game on Saturday night where they lost 5-4 but Austen scored an awesome goal and had a beautiful assist. Sunday came and it was mass time to receive his Second Holy Communion (still working on the prayer hands, bow, Amen, Sign of the Cross and prayer hands) and then off to baseball for only two innings before leaving for soccer (he still managed to tag a guy out at third and hit a double). At his second soccer game of the weekend, he once again had a goal and another assist from a beautiful corner kick to help his team defeat their opponents.

It was a memorable weekend and the weather certainly helped too! Thanks God!