Winners!

It was a winning weekend for my older two! (Well, Hailey too since she got to spend all day Friday with her Dad without the older two since I was out of town and they were in school - she had the day off.)

First, Hailey enjoyed a Friday book and craft at the library with some of her friends from school and then they went to lunch at Grandma's house.

Hailey is far right

On Saturday, Peyton entered her Indian Princess race car in their annual racing event. They compete for speed and design and must modify a block of wood to either be the fastest or the prettiest car out there. This year, Peyton decided to go for design and with her Dad's help constructed a canoe out of a block wood. Their design won 2nd place this year.

On Sunday, Austen had his championship game for his indoor soccer league. Austen really loves soccer and he especially excels at indoor. (He's a sweater so I think the temperature controlled climate really helps his play!) His team ended up knocking off their opponents with a score of 5-2. Austen scored three amazing goals to help lift his team to victory and secure their undefeated indoor season. 

In the spring, his team will move into the Platinum division for their age group - the highest club level of soccer you can play in the state of Illinois (at his age group there's about 7 different levels with Platinum being the highest). But what's even sweeter is that there's such talent on this team and they genuinely like each other, goofing off together and just hanging out together. It's a special team and something that I'm glad he's found as I know first hand how special and lifelong that bond can
be.

Austen is in the front row #18

And while I was in Nashville enjoying a girls weekend, I still loved hearing about all three of my kids winning weekends (although I did get to watch Austen's game on Sunday). So proud of all my winners this weekend!

It's Camp Time!

Well, not quite but the registration for summer camps are in full swing and my kids are all talking about the camps they want to do (and don't want to do). At least Peyton and Hailey are - Austen has a bit more freedom now that he's older so he has a lot less scheduled than in previous summers.

Austen will take on some lacrosse this summer once his baseball season ends and then move into golf lessons and a golf league with some friends. He's decided too that he will be attending Indiana University's boys soccer camp. To say I am excited is an understatement! It's a premier camp so I'm hoping he learns a lot and a bonus is that I get to visit IU!

Peyton is trying some new things this year and I am very proud of her. She's agreed to do swim team at our local pool which will only enhance her confidence in the water as she's tested out of all of her lessons but still needs to convince herself that she's a strong swimmer. Her stroke is beautiful though. I'm hoping too that swim team gives her the confidence to pass her swim test at her very first sleep over camp this summer. As a lover of sleep away camps with my friends, I'm so excited for her and this experience. She'll be gone for a week this year (although she asked to go for two weeks and I said let's start with one week and see how it goes!) My only fear is that she'll want to go for weeks on end next summer! (I used to beg my parents to let me go again and even paid for it myself so I could attend.)

Now, Hailey knows exactly what she wants to do this summer and has told me in no uncertain terms what to sign her up for. "First, I want to to do the same (park district ) camp I did last summer. You know, mom, the one that has Mickey Mouse?"

"Please sign me up for the super hero camp too," she says. She means the vacation bible school camp that Peyton has attended the last few years and she's finally old enough to go. They do a theme complete with a CD each year that we all get to listen to in the car. It won't be super hero this year but it will have some catchy theme that all the kids will be excited about.

"And, I want to do the zoo camp!" Peyton did the zoo camp last year with a friend. It's not exactly close to our house (a good 20-25 minutes away) and for a half day, I'm not sure it's worth it for a 4 year old. "Let me see if your friend Conor wants to go," I say. I tell her later that Conor is not going to zoo camp. "I don't care," she says, "I'll go by myself." Okay, I think as I drop the subject thinking she will too. But just this morning she reminds me that she wants to go to zoo camp and that she will go by herself. But can I please give her Austen's watch (it's a phone watch so he can call me). That way she can call me when it's time to go home and I'll know where to pick her up! This kid! I love that she's not afraid to try new things even if her friends aren't! I'm still not convinced that I'm going to sign her up this year for zoo camp but definitely when she's a bit older for sure.

Summer is shaping up quite nicely. Definitely some fun things to look forward to for the kiddos before entering their next school year.

Sadie Turns 2!

Two years. It seems like just yesterday but then again it seems like forever. Isn't that what we say about our kids when they are young and you are in the thick of it - running around, tending to their every whine and whim?!

That's how I feel about Sadie too. She definitely required much more attention than a "normal" puppy should and I'm not talking about eating stuff or behavior issues, I'm talking about her health issues that we've been dealing with since about 6 months of age. She has been a lot of work for sure. A lot of time and God knows a lot of money. But she has also turned into a really good and sweet and oh so cuddly big bear of a dog. All 100 pounds of her!

She's been through so much in her short two years of life (and never once did she act sick or hurt when she really was) that we really needed to celebrate her on her big day last week (Feb. 28).

First, I ordered her a Puppachino at Starbucks with my morning coffee. For those of you who don't know, Starbucks gives the pups a big dollop of whipped cream in a cup. Whipped cream is one of Sadie's favorites for sure. Next we bought her three new birthday toys that Hailey picked out especially for Sadie. That afternoon she chowed down on a few pup cookies which are also one of her favorites too and lastly we celebrated with another of her top 3 favorites - a glazed donut!

Sadie is our kids' dogs. And you can tell. She doesn't mind when Hailey lays on her (she's never known anything different). She loves when Austen plays with her in the backyard and when Peyton kisses her goodbye before she leaves for school. But what I love most about her is when she curls up on the end of the chaise on our couch and cuddles up for the night - happy to be surrounded by her family and have everyone home. I love that she crams herself into small spaces like under our kitchen table or below our feet when we are eating.

I can't believe at 2 she still prefers to sleep in her crate and that she's gotten really good at me recalling her. She loves to rest her head on the step down into our family room and watch us run around like crazy people at breakfast or dinnertime. She sleeps on the cool granite in front of the fireplace tucked in between the array of lanterns surrounding it - letting the cold air that sneaks in from the chimney cool her off. She does hate the sun and was panting halfway through our short walk when it almost reached 60 last week.

It's been a whirlwind 2 years with our Sadie for sure. I know the clock is ticking but I'm hoping for at least 11 more!