Homecoming 2024

Homecoming week was almost a week ago and I feel like I'm still recovering! Not so much from Austen's preparations because boys are easy but having a girl is a whole different story when it comes to Homecoming. And, having one who is a cheerleader during Homecoming is even more work.

Peyton & Cameron -Fresh Hoco

Last week, there was a lot of cheerleading practice in preparation for the Homecoming game and the parade that she had to walk in the day of Homecoming. So it was challenging to get in all of these appointments that these girls "must" have for Homecoming like nails and hair and don't forget the spray tan which had to be done when she wasn't going to sweat during a cheer practice. 

Anyway, it all worked out and Peyton's date (and his mom) planned a great evening for them complete with pictures at a country club then off in a private car to dinner at an Italian restaurant then the car would take them to the dance where they danced the night away for a few hours before heading to an after party.

It was a very nice first Homecoming experience for Peyton and I think she is very glad she decided to say yes to a boy and go with him (and a few friends) instead of with just her girlfriends. 

Austen, on the other hand, did decide to go with a bunch of guy friends (although he's told me he's already working on a date for prom), and his plans were changing by the minute so we left him and went with Peyton to all of her activities. We did manage to get a picture of him though and he said he had fun at his before and after parties (he did not go to the dance and hasn't really since Freshman year - well, maybe you count the 10 minutes he went in sophomore year).

That's a wrap on Homecoming 2024! 

Austen Senior Hoco

Peyton, Kendall and Audrey

Peyton was second in - black uniform

Peyton and Violet

Girlfriends!

Peyton Gets Asked to Homecoming

Peyton & Cameron

It's so much different having a girl get ready for Homecoming than it is a boy. First, these girls order their dresses and make their hair appointments in the summer! Then, during the summer, most of these Freshman start to pair up girls and boys from their middle schools so come September they have a group to go to with to Homecoming and a date. 

Peyton was certainly annoyed by that plan as a boy that she liked and that liked her told her that he was already paired to go to Homecoming with another girl. Peyton didn't like that one bit and pretty much kicked him to the curb! 

Good thing because that opened the door for a different boy to ask her. Of course this is after multiple texts that day telling me that she was just going to go with her girlfriends (pretty common these days) so if he asks her she didn't know what to say. I told her that she would have many years to go with friends and that if a boy asks you, you should go. Her friends would understand if they were true friends. So he ended up asking her and she said, yes! Of course, she told him to come over "to ask" when she knew we would all be at Austen's soccer game but she had a friend come over so she could take a picture. 

The flowers

The boy did a great job with his poster and gave her some beautiful flowers. Peyton was very impressed! Since then plans have changed on an almost daily basis as to what group they are going with, where they are going to dinner, where pictures are happening and where the after party is - I can't keep it all straight! Luckily, the boy's mom sent out a group text with all the plans laid out (yay, for boy moms!) and now Peyton has a really fun night laid out before her on Saturday. But, wait, we still have to get in a spray tan, nails and a hair appointment. Not to mention that she (really, me) has to work all these appointments in between her cheer games on Thursday and Friday night and the Homecoming parade on Saturday! 

This really is more work than having a boy. Austen was easy Freshman year - the girls made all the plans and he already had a suit. This year, he's got plans that are all over the place - pre-homecoming golf foursome, home to change then dinner at someone's house and then home to change again to go to the post party (of course the Seniors don't show up to the dance!).

Should be a fun and memorable evening for all of them! 

Sadie's Cart

Sadie has slowed down a lot over the past 6 months. It's become increasingly difficult for her to get up stairs which makes it very hard to even get her in and out of our house since we have so many stairs in our house. Just to get her out the front door is a good 6-7 stairs (the back ones have been too steep for awhile now). And, while I can get her down those stairs with some muscle, getting 110 pounds of her back up those stairs has been challenging. 

Wanna go for a ride?!

So I've been telling Tom I need something else to get her inside every day to make it easier. I looked at ramps and didn't care what my house looked like because on a daily basis I was struggling just to get her back inside. Plus, I wanted some privacy as I'm tired of the stares that people give us when we walk with her and the questions. Most of our neighbors are aware of her limitations but I just don't want to talk about it all the time and be stared at or stopped and asked questions. I just want to take out my dog and let her enjoy being outside like any other dog would - although I know she's not like a lot of other dogs. 

Anyway, Tom built her a ramp off our very steep back deck. Of course initially we were thinking she'd walk down it but once built there was no way she would be able to walk back up it because it was so steep. So Tom built a cart to put her in with a pulley system to get her up and down more easily. It took awhile and a bit to work out some kinks once operational but it's a lot easier to get her into the house now and a bit more private than having to drag her up the front stairs. 

She doesn't seem to mind the free ride either!

How it starts

How it goes

The full look 

High School Cheer Begins

Peyton is 2nd from right, first row

High school cheerleading has officially kicked off with their first game last Friday and second game tonight. First game was away so the cheerleaders boarded the bus for their first away game, and Tom and I divided and conquered. He attended Peyton's first cheer game while I went to Austen's soccer game. 

Probably should have went to Peyton's game over Austen's but that's a story for a different post. Anyway, Tom said Peyton did well at her first game and she seemed happy but tired when she got off the bus after. 

Lots more practice leading up to game two this week including tumbling sessions (Peyton is working on her back handspring). I volunteered with another parent to get the girls fed before the game at school (picking up sandwiches and setting up a buffet line for them).  

The girls did great and looked good. Each week they get better and better. They had to stay after the sophomore game to perform with Varsity  until the Varsity game started and then had to perform with Varsity, the band and Poms at halftime. She literally cheered for almost 4 hours (and Hailey and I watched for 4 hours - Tom came later due to his work Cubs game). Needless to say she was exhausted by the time she left. But she looked good and seemed happy. 

Lots more cheering to be done but I'm not quite sure that we'll be staying for four hours every game! That may be a record on how long I've sat in those bleachers!

She's the base on the left side of "GO"