It's officially Spring. The weather has been warmer, the sun has been out and so we have we. The kids have enjoyed playing in the yard, shooting hoops and riding their bikes up and down the driveway/sidewalk.
Kids in the neighborhood are out and knocking on doors to see who can play instead of scheduling play dates. For us, it's the calm before the storm. That means the calm before we get really, really busy. With Austen playing traveling soccer and baseball as well as in the town's little league and Peyton doing rec soccer and still swimming and dancing, we are going to be running from one practice to another game and cramming homework and dinner in between.
But don't get me wrong, I love it. I'll have the rest of my life to hang out at home instead of enjoying my kids being active and forming great friendships with others through sports and dance. So go ahead and bring on Spring, and I'll enjoy the time I have to spend hanging out in our yard
until the storm approaches.
Peyton attended her first Daddy Daughter dance this past Friday at her school. She was so excited to go and spend more time with her Dad (and her friends). She hurried home from swimming, scarfed down her dinner and quick took a shower so she wouldn't miss one minute of all the fun.
Her quickness paid off too as they were one of the first ones there to walk through the elaborate balloon entrance and view the decorations highlighting the theme "Under the Sea." They got in line for the photo booth and took silly pictures in disguises then danced a few slow and fast dances before Peyton decided she wanted to hang out with her friends.
After some sweets and a visit from the Chicago Bears mascot, it was time to head home. I think she had a good time with her Dad. She even said that she didn't want to have to share her Dad with Hailey when Hailey was old enough to attend the dance too. Lots more years til that happens kid so you'll have enough of your own time!
Friday began a fun few days for our family. Indiana was playing their first game of the Big 10 Basketball Tournament and being the Big 10 champs they were the number one seed. They happened to be on during the lunch hour, and coincidentally, I had booked a babysitter already for Hailey to have lunch with my husband after I dropped Peyton at PM Kindergarten before her big Kindergarten performance.
It was nice to escape for a little while in the afternoon as I don't get to do that too often and especially not with my husband. We met at a new, trendy bar in the burbs for a few stolen hours where we weren't with friends or at some charity event or with the kids. It was just us. We had a beer, enjoyed some great fish tacos and watched some bad basketball - by Indiana. They didn't win (I said they gave away the game so Michigan could make the NCAA tournament as they were on the bubble), but how could I be mad. It was a beautiful afternoon and I wasn't home watching a toddler.
After the defeat, we went on to see Peyton's musical performance. She was so excited that we were coming (even though she told her teacher we couldn't make it because Hailey had to nap!). Here is our little star - singing, dancing and growing up.
After the performance, we went back to her classroom where she showed us what she wanted to be when she grew up... a vet - no surprise there!
Saturday was another big morning for her as her Indian Princess tribe (think Girl Scouts but the girls are accompanied by their Dads), raced their "Pinewood Derby" cars. Peyton and Tom built a shark. They didn't win the big prize but they had a lot of fun doing it and we did watching!
After the race, it was on to Austen's games - soccer and then basketball. They had a tough opponent but they were hanging in there. They scored first and Austen answered a few minutes later with a beautiful goal where he outran three defenders and faked out the goalie to calmly pass the ball into the net. It was beautiful to see someone his age with such composure. I've seen him do that twice at this young age and I have to say, I'm impressed when he does it. He is a far better player than I was at age 9.
Next up was basketball. I'll have to admit, Austen doesn't love to play basketball mostly because they have lost every single game and there are still kids that play who don't even want to be there so it's been a different learning experience for him this season. But when he's there he does try his best. In fact, they almost won their last game of the season. Almost. 20-14. Austen had 8 out of 14 of the points. He definitely is fast, not afraid to take the shot and loves getting the steals. I think Tom was a proud dad when another father who we didn't really know came up to him after the game and shook Tom's hand and said, "Austen is a great player." Yes, Austen is good at most sports he tries. Mostly because he's interested, he cares and he loves to win. That will get most players pretty far. The rest I'd like to think has something to do with genetics!
Hailey is still more work than the other two although we are quickly approaching 2 1/2 and that seems to be (in my opinion) when things get a bit easier because most of the hard toddler stuff is over. However, she is so cute most of the time that I can't stand it. The stuff this kids says...
She has a huge vocabulary - telling me things like I shouldn't go into my workout room downstairs because "it's dangerous." (Ha! I wish it was dangerous and I didn't have to go in there either!) That's what I tell Austen and Peyton because I don't want them in there playing on the treadmill and elliptical. I didn't know she had also picked this up though. That's good. That means she won't go in there either!
She tells you when she's hungry, when she needs a drink and all of her thoughts about what you are wearing including that she likes your hat or some other type of clothing you're wearing. Most of the time she asks if I am going to wear my (snow) boots. She loves to lay out all of our boots by our cubbies in the mud room when the weather calls for them and she's gotten really good at putting on her own boots too. Thank you Montessori!
Here's just a great video of my now almost 2 1/2 year old showing off her cute little personality and proving that she really does talk!
It's officially Spring. The weather has been warmer, the sun has been out and so we have we. The kids have enjoyed playing in the yard, shooting hoops and riding their bikes up and down the driveway/sidewalk.
