The Confession Stand

We attend many baseball (and now softball) games throughout the spring season. And, along with many baseball games (and some softball) comes the concession stand. It's a highlight of the girls' night when they have to attend a baseball game and get a treat if they are good.

On one particular night, we had two games to attend one right after the other and on fields that were back to back. The girls were primed to get their treat but I was trying to hold them off until at least the second game. Hailey was especially persistent and was pleading with me to go to the "confession stand."

Check out my saintly little girl asking to be absolved of all her sins or desperately wanting to snack on something sinfully tasty. Probably the latter.

Either way, she sure did earn those Cheetos she wanted.

Father's Day 2018

My runners!

Father's Day 2018 started off with an early morning wake up to run in our town's 5K and 1K races. This year, it was Tom's turn to run with the kids since one of us has to stay with the younger ones during the 5K.

First, let me say that it was hot - even at 8am. I was a little worried how Tom and Austen would do in the heat but they ran together for the first 1.5 miles before Austen pulled away. They both did great in not pushing themselves too hard and overdoing it on this hot day. In fact, Austen may have been able to run a bit faster as he didn't look completely gassed after the race either.

Next up was Peyton and Hailey. It's the third year that Peyton has run the 1K kids fun run. She took off with her friends and I didn't even find her til she had finished the race. Then I learned that she had fallen once again this year (and scraped up her elbow). It is a bit dangerous on the course as there are a lot of people when you first start so you need to be careful to avoid near collisions. She turned out to be fine though (getting back up and running the rest of the race).

When I signed up the family for the race, Hailey said she didn't want to run the 1K but she had a complete change of heart at the race. I really needed to run with her too and wasn't prepared for her to run as I was just in my flip flops. But I thought that she would start out slow and then likely fizzle out. But, no! She starts off with a bang and I really had to work to run in those flip flops. Thinking she'd slow down somewhere along the course, I  let her go ahead keeping an eye on her from a distance. But then I realized that this 4.5 year old is going to run the whole thing! She pounds up the final hill and then digs deep at the end to find a burst of energy and sprints through the finish line! I'm not sure where that came from but Hailey has been showing even more athletic ability as she's gotten older.

After the run, Tom and Austen headed to their tee time for golf meeting up with Austen's Papa and uncle while I took the girls to the pool. We rounded out the day with dinner with Papa and Auntie Rees and Uncle Mickey. A long but good day and I even got to run to the grocery store too! Bonus!

Looking good after a hot 5K!

Happy Father's Day Papa, Tom and soon to be Daddy Uncle Mickey!

Celebrating Daddy!

That's a Wrap on 5th and 2nd Grade

Last Day of School Together til 12th and 9th grades

Last week was a busy week as we wrapped up the end of another school year. Austen "graduated" from 5th grade and elementary school, leaving behind Peyton to fend for herself next year in the 3rd grade. I got a bit of foreshadowing of what it's going to be like during 8th grade graduation and when Austen graduates from high school and it did make me a little teary. How could he be going to middle school already?

Not to worry, Peyton has two more years at that school and Hailey hasn't even started yet. It will feel like I've been there forever by the time my last one "graduates" in 2025. That same year, Austen will graduate from high school.

I'm reveling in the now though and the fact that all 3 of my kids had a great school year with excellent teachers and friends. They celebrated the day with a school carnival for the 5th graders while Peyton got to hang out with a bunch of friends at our neighbor's house for a few hours and eat pizza and ice cream. Hailey on the other hand got to have a babysitter all to herself while I helped out with Austen's carnival.

School's out and summer's here! Let the camp craziness begin!

Congratulations Prospect 5th Graders!

Hailey got to watch her brother "graduate"

Saying goodbye to Mrs. Legner - so many great teachers at Prospect

Clap out for the 5th graders!

Having fun at the "carnival" with his fellow classmates.

Field of Dreams

Remember that famous line from that Kevin Costner movie, "If you build it, they will come." Well, we came all right...all the way to Iowa over Memorial Day Weekend.

For Tom, Austen, Peyton and Hailey, it was their first trip into the Hawkeye state known for its corn, hogs, soybean, cattle and dairy products. But we were there for baseball. Austen's baseball to be more specific and it was part of the infamous Field of Dreams. Now, they didn't play at that location but they had a skills competition at the actual movie location on the baseball field and showed the movie which we didn't stay for because it was a steamy 95 degrees and the bugs were biting plus after about 3 hours of the skills competition none of they boys wanted to stay for a movie they watched just last week in preparation for their play.

Austen loves tournaments and it doesn't matter if it's soccer or baseball. He gets to hang out with his buddies in a hotel and it's usually in a different state or a different country! He did play fairly well too batting and fielding per usual with some great pitching thrown in there. They played some stiff competition so the outcomes weren't always in our favor but I think the boys learned a lot despite the heat (which was approaching 100 degrees most days - thank God Austen didn't have to play catcher during any of those games but I sure felt bad for the kid who did especially because this tournament play called for you playing only one position the entire game.)

A bonus of playing in Iowa was that we got to explore downtown Dubuque and I got to visit my friend's yoga studio (it was closed that day). Peyton was super thrilled we made her walk around downtown Dubuque in the hot weather but it was nothing that ice cream couldn't erase. We even rode on one of only a few funicular (elevated and curved) rail cars (and the steepest) left in the U.S.

It was a hot weekend but a fun one spent watching America's greatest past time and enjoying friends, family and the long weekend.

Getting ready to hit!

Fenelon  Railway

In the elevator getting ready to descend

Yoga Studio! Check out Peyton's face!

Austen's team

A few good friends