Austen Ends High School Soccer Career 3rd in State

Never in a million years did I think that Austen's soccer team would make it to the state playoffs (final four in the state). I told Austen to aim for the conference championship but clearly they were destined for more. 

Headed to State!

They knock off their first playoff contender - Jones College Prep 4-0 and then go on to win the Regional Championship by beating Mt. Carmel 3-2. They move on to the Sectional Semi Final and play Downers Grove South - a team they lost to when the coach was playing the underclassmen. This time, they win 3-1. It's now the Sectional Final Game and they must beat the #1 seed, a very tough Morton team. 

They are clearly a more skilled team than us and easily pass around us but somehow we hang on after they score on us pretty early. We come back and put one away in the second half and then with 5 minutes to go Austen scores an amazing header goal and we are up 2-1. All we need to do is hang on for five minutes. But we can't. They score in that time and we go into overtime and then when no one scores we go to PKs. We make all 4 of ours and they miss two of theirs. We win. We beat Morton and we move on to the Super Sectional against Lockport. 

Turns out Austen's club coach's kid plays for that team and we learn he's just recruited a bunch of kids from that team to play on Austen's club team and he must compete with those kids now for his spot on the field for the winter/spring season. He is not happy. He finds this out the night before the game. He says, "Now, it's personal." And, I know that Austen is going to do everything in his power to secure a win. And he does. The other team scores early under some crazy weather occurrences - rain blowing sideways in the first half. The second half they come out and start working. They score. Then Austen waits until there's just over a minute left to play and he sees a cross coming in - times his run and gently one touches the ball past the goalie and into the corner of the goal to give them a 2-1 lead. We all go crazy. But we know we must hang on for a minute. Miraculously, we do and the boys advance to the State Semi Final Game. 

These boys who started 1-6-1 are going to the State Final. No one except the boys and these parents will ever know the real truth behind that 1-6-1 start but I guess it doesn't matter now anyway. What they'll remember is that they ended 3rd in State (after losing 1-0 to the eventual state champions and then winning that consolation game 3-1 for 3rd place in State). 

Never did he, we, they think they'd get there. Some say they didn't deserve to be there because they weren't as skilled and they had an easy sectional. I say that it's still difficult to get to that Final Four in State and you still need a little luck for things to go your way. They played with heart, with grit and for each other and that's what got them there - that and a little bit of luck. 

Congrats to Austen and his teammates!

- Conference Champs

- Regional Champs

- Sectional Champs

- Super Sectional Champs

- 3rd Place in State

Receiving his state medal

Helping secure a goal

Taking a corner kick

3rd Place Red Devils

Hailey's Mouth Surgery

My lunch date!

 The day before my birthday on Nov. 1, Hailey had to have surgery to uncover two teeth buried deep in the roof of her mouth. We had planned this surgery for about a month now and while she could have had it sooner, it interfered with her birthday and then Halloween. So Nov. 1 seemed like a good date and one that  gave her a few days off after to be home and recover. It also gave me more time to prepare her that she was going to have to be put out/get an IV. 

She actually handled all that pretty well. It was the aftermath that has been very difficult. While her healing is going well, she is very, very sore. The oral surgeon said that she was a difficult case and that her recovery time will likely be one week longer due to how deep the teeth were in her mouth and how her front teeth are inverted. 

So I've been her nurse for the past two weeks - trying to keep her medicated so the pain isn't so severe as well as find soft things for her to eat and ones that aren't too cold or too hot. Drinking is hard for her. Taking medicine is hard for her. She pretty much is eating Campbell's Double Noodle Soup and pudding (all varieties although her favorites are double chocolate and tapioca!). 

I've been picking her up from school at lunch so I can dose her with even more medicine so she can get through the day and so she can eat what she wants at home. 

I'm hoping she turns the corner real quick on this recovery time because it has not been a fun few weeks for her at all. 

One of her friends dropped off a stuffed Fox and a "Get Better Soon" card 

Happy Birthdays!

HBD to me!

Tom and I both celebrated birthdays recently (on two consecutive Saturdays). We now are both on the other side of a half of a century. 

My favorite time to celebrate my birthday is not on the weekends (surprisingly). I'm not sure why but it just feels like you need to do something more because it is the weekend. Well, we certainly didn't do anything more for either of our birthdays this year as we were knee deep in our kids' activities/plans. But, I think both Tom and I were happy to let them do their own thing. 

Hailey had just had surgery on her mouth the day before my birthday so she wasn't in any shape to do anything special the next morning. Austen was still coming off a high from winning a big soccer playoff game the night before and had practice that day (and then went out and celebrated with a late lunch with his teammates). I did play paddle tennis in the morning and then ran home to take Peyton and her friend to their tumbling class. The afternoon was kind of quiet. We had all the kids home to open presents and then Peyton was off to a Halloween party and the rest of us went to dinner (Hailey did not eat). 

On Tom's birthday, Austen had an early playoff game up north so it was up early and then off to watch more soccer. The afternoon was much like mine and pretty low key. We had everyone home to open presents and then we all headed out to an early dinner (Hailey still did not eat) so Austen could go to a party that we dropped him off at on our way home. 

Pretty low key birthdays during a crazy few weeks of sports and activities for us but Tom and I both agreed that we wouldn't want it any other way. Happy Birthday to us! 

Happy Halloween!

Hailey as Phoenix

Halloween came upon us rather quickly and while the older two traded their Halloween parties at school for real parties with costumes, Hailey still participated in the usual elementary school fun that surrounds this holiday.

First, she knew what she wanted to be for a few months now. One of her favorite movies is Top Gun: Maverick so she had declared that she wanted to be one of the female fighter pilots named Phoenix. When all the other girls are wearing matching costumes or cute and cuddly attire, my girl is doing her own thing. 

She came home for lunch that day and then I went back with her to see her in her final elementary school Halloween parade. After the parade, the room moms took over (I am not one of them this year nor leader of the room moms) and she decorated a trick or treating bag before school got out and she raced back home to get ready. 

We had 7 girls over for Portillos before trick or treating and they gobbled down the food before heading out to collect their candy. Tom and I, and a few other parents chaperoned from afar (last year) while they ran up and down our streets collecting candy. After almost 2 hours, Hailey was done. Her bag was heavy and she was tired. Luckily the weather had cooperated and it was fairly nice out so they got in a full two plus hours of trick or treating before calling it a night. 

Austen and Peyton held down the fort at home handing out candy. But, next year, I'm sure Tom and I will be the ones handing out the candy at our door as I'm sure Hailey will be out and about with her friends - on her own. 

School Halloween Parade

On the Trick or Treating Trail

Group Shot