Another One (Tooth) Bites the Dust

Finally, Hailey's teeth are starting to fall out! She lost her second front tooth this week. It was so loose that it was hurting her when she would bite into anything. Tom convinced her to just twist it out before school one morning. It was so ready, it barely bled. 

I love the missing of the two front teeth and the toothless smile that comes along with it. She's our last one to lose those teeth. Even though she's lost them later than most, it's still a reminder that she's growing up.

The Tooth Fairy brought her (only) $2 now that she has many more to follow and she does not want to go bankrupt. You can see in the picture that those bottom ones have to be the next to fall out as the second teeth are already in and on their way to pushing out the baby bottom teeth. I feel a lot of toothless smiles in our future!

So Proud of Peyton!

I can't describe the feeling of watching your child do something they love. It hit me a bit harder with Peyton perhaps because it took her a little longer to figure out what that love was and maybe because swimming is primarily an individual sport, but it's pure joy.

Recently, I watched her compete in her first official swim meet (through a live stream since we can't attend in person unless we are volunteering). The real deal. Not a recreational team but one that she worked all year to make. I can't imagine her nerves that first real time up on the blocks but to say that I was so very proud of her was an understatement. I openly wept as I watched her by myself on my big screen TV as she swam her first 50 M freestyle event in the third heat which meant that she was swimming with most 11/12 year olds who had been on team for at least a year before her. She placed 5th in her heat being one of the youngest 11 year olds. Less than a year ago she didn't even know how to dive and now while her dives need some work especially on a competitive level - she could dive! 

She swam 3-4 days a week most of the past year and now 4-5 days a week as a full team member. She never complains about going to practice. She just loves being in the pool and she loves her new friends she met through the sport. None of whom go to her school and many who are 6th graders.

Anyway, Tom has become the official volunteer for her swim meets (we have to have 1 parent volunteer and he has learned how to time with about 3 different apparatuses) since she says I know a bit too much about swimming for her liking. You can watch back the live stream and see where she needs work such as diving out instead of straight down and counting those flags for the backstroke so she continues to swim  full speed before the touch on the wall instead of slowing down wondering when she'll hit the wall with her head. Yes, I know a bit from when my brothers swam when I was younger and I was dragged to all of those swim meets. The humidity in the pool area and the all day meets are not something I look forward to but I'm glad with COVID we can't be there all day and that we can watch through the sophisticated live streaming system that it looks just like the Olympics when you are viewing it on TV. Not to mention the amazing new pool right by our house that was recently built and she gets to swim in for training and meets. And, I would be remiss not to mention the beautiful brand new high school pool that is currently being built and that she will benefit from in just a few short years. Our tax dollars at work! 

Anyway, so happy for Peyton and the work she's done and the swimmer she's going to be! 

 

Once Austen and Hailey woke up, we all watched Peyton swim on the big screen!

 

Mother's Day 2021

Mother's Day was a bit unpredictable this year. We couldn't plan anything in advance because we didn't know how many games we would have that day. Austen was playing in a baseball tournament that weekend and depending on how they did, they could play on Sunday morning. And, if he didn't play in that game, he was asked to play in another soccer game with high school boys. Turns out the baseball team just missed making the championship game and then it was raining so hard in the morning that they canceled the soccer game. So what's a mom to do? Pull out her phone and get on the waitlist for her favorite breakfast spot which was showing a 2 plus hour wait. In the meantime, we got ready, opened some very nice cards (homemade from the kids) and present (bracelet from the kids but courtesy of Tom). Then we leisurely drove to the breakfast spot to check in and then onto our favorite donut place for donuts (for later) and then back to restaurant where we finally were seated and enjoyed a great Mother's Day brunch. The rain had finally stopped and the sun was trying to break out for the rest of the afternoon so we played outside - practicing tennis and softball while Peyton rode her bike around our makeshift courts (because she didn't want to play tennis). She then got hit with an errant ball by Hailey and that turned into a war. After separating the two, it was time for Austen's next game so we enjoyed watching a sunny but cool game of soccer before heading home for leftovers and then onto the grocery store for the week's food (moms still need to work on their day off!) Aside from the bad weather and the game cancellations, I got to enjoy my favorite things and people. There's nothing that I enjoy more on Mother's Day than watching my kids play their sports. I know many moms would disagree but that's what I enjoy and prefer. Besides, my real present was actually going to the spa the next day with my own mom. After more than a year without a massage, I don't know if my therapist was just so fantastic or that it just felt so great to be back. Probably both!

Hailey Loses Her First Tooth!

It took 7.5 years but Hailey finally lost her first tooth! I think she was the oldest of the three to lose her first tooth but those things just don't seem to fall out. In fact, she's got teeth on the bottom growing in behind but they aren't pushing out the baby ones. We call them her shark teeth! 

Anyway, it was almost time for 1st grade pictures and I really wanted her to get at least one of her front teeth out in time. Both are extremely wiggly. And, she managed to pull one out two days before (mostly because picture day got moved due to weather since we have to be outside to take off your mask). It happened at school where all my kids have lost their first tooth. She said she was eating lunch and it popped right out. Of course she had to go to the nurse, get a new mask and then they popped it right in a special treasure chest for safe keeping. Those school nurses are always prepared!

She carefully laid out her tooth treasure chest with the lid open on her night stand that evening. The tooth fairy came that night and brought her $15, a membership to Wild Craft (her favorite online game) and a book she wanted. First tooth gone always gets you some good stuff! 

Looks like we'll have more tooth fairy visits very soon too!

Right after school she showed me her missing tooth