Junior Year is Hard!

Junior year has been a whirlwind so far for Austen that I've barely had time to write about it let alone see him. Since August 7th it's been soccer and football practice as well as studying for the ACT, and then two weeks later school started. 

Classes are hard and I'm beginning to second guess if he even has time for three honors/AP classes in addition to his sports. I did make him exempt out of PE (since he's an upperclassmen in a Varsity sport) and take a study hall which he did but very reluctantly. 

Regional Champs

The struggle is real! Keeping up the grades and being exhausted from practices and games has been hard. Football is a whole new element this year since he has to go to practice at least two times a week now for Varsity and then after a bit of soccer practice on Fridays runs right to football pre-game/game and isn't home til 10pm or 11pm. Then has to wake up early on Saturday for soccer practice. 

Thankfully, football was over two weeks ago since our football team did not make the playoffs (again). Austen was a back up kicker this year and since we were so terrible, he didn't get to kick much behind our starting kicker (also a senior soccer player). But when he did get to kick, he did well and has his eye on kicking again next year. 

As for the soccer season, well, it should have been a good one. On paper they had a lot of talent but as the season progressed, you saw a lot of individual player out there instead of a true team. There's something to be said for a team with less talent but a lot of chemistry and this team just didn't have the chemistry. They were regional champions and ranked in the Top 25 in the state for the better part of the season but ended up losing a full two games before where they ended up last year. I attribute that to more heart and better leadership a year ago. 

It's hard when one of your captains is a genuine asshole who taunts the other team when we beat them in penalty kicks, grabs and kicks players, gets a red card and multiple yellows, and demands the ball at every turn. Truthfully, it was hard to watch and I am glad the season is over. It wasn't Austen's best season as he rarely got the ball and when he did, certain players demanded he turn it over. But it was a season that I hope he learned a lot from. I hope he learned how he should bring a team together instead of tearing it apart. I hope he learned how to show that every teammate on the team is important whether they sit the bench or get a lot of time on the field. I hope he leads by example with his actions on the field when he fails at making a significant shot or gets frustrated by a bad call from the ref. I hope he helps a teammate who is struggling whether on or off the field and makes a difference in that player's day. I hope he brings together all the players from freshman to seniors next year so they see that they are one community and it doesn't matter if you're a senior on JV2 or a freshman on the B team. You're still a part of our program and you matter. Every. Single. Player. 

So, I'm sorry if I wasn't upset about his junior year season being over but I can look forward to a better senior season for Austen and the rest of his teammates next year. They were tight as freshmen and I think they have their eye on at least a hard fought conference title. 

For now, it's on to focusing on school and the ACT more and then in less than two weeks starting practice with his club team - a team that not only has a lot of talent but chemistry, camaraderie and class.   

In action

#37 

A battle against the #1 team in the state that ended in us losing in OT

Hailey Turns 10!

This past week was all about Hailey! It started with my trip to Abercrombie Kids. She has recently become very into what she's wearing, telling me what the 4th grade trends are and what she needs for clothes. More often than not, she gets Peyton's hand me downs, but what I'm realizing now, in just four short years, is that the trends and the brands have changed. And, while she'll wear those clothes still, she wants some that are just her own and who can blame her?! Heck, I'm just thrilled she's starting to want clothes over stuffed animals and toys! 

This is 10!

Anyway, I buy her some really cute outfits that are all hers for her birthday so of course she needs a really cute one to wear on her big day. Who doesn't love to feel gorgeous on their birthday?! So the night before the big day, she opens her first present. Wide leg, comfy pants and a very cute sweater. She's thrilled and beaming when she leaves for school that morning not even complaining about not getting to open the stack of presents on the kitchen table before school. 

She comes home just as happy with a new plastic birthday hat signed by all of her classmates. They announced her name on the intercom, her friends (and the boy she likes) wished her a happy birthday and they got to have "hot lunch" (aka Home Run Inn pizza) at school that day. 

When she arrives home, the phone calls wishing her a great double digit year start. She finishes some homework, gives me her order for her dinner that night (her pick - Noodles and Company), and I drive her to soccer practice. 

Her teammate has the exact same birthday as her so they are happy to see each other and wish each other a happy birthday. The other mom and I coordinate, and we distribute birthday treats of cookies and gatorade after practice. 

It's 7:30pm and we are home at last but not everyone in our family is home yet. She eats and devours her mac n cheese she ordered from Noodles and Company (we've never eaten there before but she said she saw it advertised and wanted to try it) and I would go back. Healthy options and pretty good for fast food. We get her requested birthday dessert ready - cookie skillet and wait for the two other kids to show up from their practices so we can sing and finally open presents. They do by 8:15pm and she opens her presents - clothes, animal bracelets, earrings, books and cat pens. It's a good birthday week so far. 

On Sunday, we have her family party. Her last one as next year will be a friend party (if she wants one) and then we stop the parties once they reach middle school. She requests Chipotle and an ice cream cake (she is not a fan of cupcakes or regular cake). Her cousin brings her cats, she opens more amazing gifts - clothes, books, stuffed animals, etc. and then finally her birthday is over. 

I think 10 is going to be a great year! 

 

Cookie skillet request!

Sporting her new outfit on her bday!

It's still hard to read cursive!

Birthday hat!

Don't Sign Me Up, Mom!

Peyton and her cheer friends 

Cheer season is upon us and last year after the season, Peyton was adamant that she not do cheer again this year. Hailey did ask not to sign up again, and I let her but Peyton was a different story. She was actually good at it and she has regretted quitting so many things like soccer and basketball that she now wishes that she stuck with doing. 

So when she tells me this, I think this is the last year for it as she's in 8th grade and if she even thinks she wants to try out in high school, she cannot miss this year! 

So I signed her up anyway. And, you know what, she is having the time of her life! She loves her new junior coaches (who are high school cheerleaders) and she loves her teammates, and unlike swim, she finally gets that team experience with cheer and she's loving it. She wants to try out (as of right now) for high school cheer although she is miffed that she might only get to be a basketball cheerleader due to girl swim in high school being in the fall season but she's definitely interested in doing it. 

Although just recreational cheer, they still do competitions to try to get to state (which is in December and they get to miss school - motivating, right?!). She competes the end of October for a spot. Fingers crossed that they get there this year (in their last year), and if not, then she's had a really great year of cheer and grown so much closer with so many girls that will all be at her high school next year. So fun!

And, this is why we should always listen to our moms! 

20 Years in Omaha

20 Years in Omaha!

The fall is just flying by which it often does. I used to say spring was our busy season but now it's surely fall with Austen and Peyton in two sports each this year and Hailey doing soccer and Girl Scouts. I'm helping to head up all extra curricular things related to soccer for the high school and we are still required to put in volunteer hours for club soccer and Peyton's swim team as well as chairing the Room Parent Committee at Hailey's school and serving as her Girl Scout Treasurer. 

At any rate, we were able to piece together about 12 hours together with the help of Austen and Papa. So what did we do? Well, Southwest was having this nice companion fare deal if you fly somewhere before 9/30 then you get to take someone for free anywhere for the months of Jan - early March. Thinking Austen was going to have lots of soccer games in faraway places during this time, we decided to book a trip. 

So what were our parameters? One - we didn't have much time (only about 12 hours to be exact) so it had to be within a 2 hour flight. Two - I've been to almost every state in the U.S. (almost) so I wanted to knock another one off my list and couldn't see us taking any type of family vacation to Nebraska anytime soon so we decided on Omaha. 

Straddling Two States

We got the kids off to school and took Sadie out then headed to the airport for our 10am flight to Omaha. We landed just before noon and picked up the rental car we reserved and then drove around downtown Omaha, visiting Creighton University (too urban for Austen) and getting our bearings on the layout of this small but quaint city. It was a gorgeous day (much like our wedding day) and we stopped and enjoyed a coffee outside together before driving by the home of the College World Series and then up to the Bob Kerrey pedestrian bridge which joins Nebraska and Iowa over the Missouri River. We walked the bridge and the riverfront before getting back in the car to visit the Dundee neighborhood and have a late lunch at M Pub in the Old Market district. We splurged for ice cream and enjoyed browsing the cute shops in the district and just having time together. No kids fighting, no sports to watch and a little adventure for us!

The Bob Kerrey Pedestrian Bridge

Back at home, Austen had early release so he was home by 2pmish and let out Sadie and fed her then he was off to his soccer and football practice. Papa arrived just before he left around 3pm to be home for the girls when they got home from school. Hailey first and then Peyton. They had snacks, did homework and then Papa shuttled them to their swim and soccer practices before heading back to our house to pop in a dinner I had left for all of them. Then it was Austen on duty to go directly from football practice to pick up Hailey at 7pm at soccer practice (he was a few minutes late and Hailey was calling him!)  and then home where Papa had food ready for them. They ate and Hailey got ready for bed and Austen went to pick up Peyton from swim practice at 8pm.

Meanwhile, we boarded our plane at 6:30pm, landed before 8pm and were home by 8:30pm. A quick trip but I'm glad we had a little time to ourselves and a little adventure to remember our 20th anniversary!