Austen's High School Graduation

It was touch and go all week as the week started off with some pretty terrible weather. Lots of rain and with the rain came the cold. Austen's high school holds their graduation ceremony in the stadium and if they decide to call it and go indoors instead, then each student only receives four tickets to the graduation ceremony. We received many emails stating that they will wait until the last possible minute to make this call as they were going to make sure that they really could not hold it outside. And they did.

The weather cleared up on Thursday (May 22nd) albeit it was a bit cool (which made me change what I was planning on wearing for the ceremony). The Seniors had their run through and then celebrated their last days with a Senior class picnic. After that, it was back to their elementary school to take a picture in front of the sign and for them to chat with their 5th grade teachers for a bit before returning home to get ready. 

We had a 4pm dinner reservation at our club which is just down the street from the high school. Parking was sure to be a problem so we decided to walk from there and just leave our car in their parking lot. We got in some early pictures with us and the grandparents in his graduation garb too and we all got to eat. We arrived at the ceremony a bit after 6pm. There were still seats available (I did not run like many others to reserve them earlier that day which was against the rules. I thought that rather ridiculous since they asked us not to anyway). There were plenty of seats still available too. We settled in and it was shortly thereafter that the graduates started to process into their seats. Austen ended up on the other side of where we were sitting but friends were sending videos of all the kids they saw walking in so we got one of him walking in too. The ceremony was just under two hours - it went fast (except the announcing of the 600 plus names in his graduating class and being an "S" certainly proved a long wait to get to Austen going up to receive his diploma). But, almost as soon as he got back to his seat, the ceremony was done aside from the throwing of the caps. Then the celebrating began and the cigars came out! 

It was a long but special night that I'm sure we'll all remember. Now it's on to all the graduation parties! 

Back to Elementary School - Good Turn Out for Graduating Seniors!

Austen and His 5th Grade Teacher - Mrs. Legner

Grandparents 

Siblings w/ Their Red/White

All Done! 

Lots of Lasts

This week is Austen's high school graduation so I am feeling all the firsts of a first born and all those lasts as he ends his high school years and prepares to go off to college in a few short months. I haven't been particularly weepy about most of it so I was surprised when this simple act that I've done for the last 12 years made me a bit sad.

The Last Lunch

I will never again pack him a lunch. And, I will never again pack three lunches. I can't say that I loved making lunches for 12 years (and they all bring a lunch because they said the food in middle school and high school is really bad or the lines are too long) so I'm not sure why this made me a bit sad but it did. 

It also made me a bit sad the morning that Austen and Peyton drove out of the driveway on their way to school together for the last time. They will likely never go to school together again. And, I will never have kids in the same school at the same time again. There's something sad about that if you've ever gone to school with your siblings. You may not like them (at the time) but it's comforting to know you have a sibling there with you. I know Austen and Peyton have had many conversations in that car to and from school. Maybe not deep conversations but ones I know that have helped form bonds that will exist long after they both leave our house. 

Last Day of 3 Lunches

There's a lot more lasts to go before Austen leaves but tomorrow is a first - a first high school graduation for our family. We can't wait to celebrate him and his four years at Central!

Last Day of School Senior Year

Last Drive to High School for Austen and Peyton

Mother's Day 2025

For the first time in as long as I can remember, we had no games on Mother's Day. And, while I kind of like going to games to watch my kids play on Mother's Day, I was okay with having a day where we weren't running around with sports. 

The day started with some spring cleaning. We have lived in our house for almost twelve years now and aside from a pretty robust cleaning out five years ago during COVID, we haven't done much since. Truly this takes months and it has. We've also been upgrading carpet, repainting/cleaning outside light fixtures, redoing our deck, repainting - all things that you probably let go in 12 years. So that morning, we spent a few hours working on our clean out. Then we went to church. I wanted to hear what our cool, young Priest had to say about the new Pope Leo. He started with, "I'm still trying to reconcile that my new boss is a White Sox fan." (He's a Cubs fan, obviously). The he adds, "But as one parishioner said to me, Pope Leo is known to be for the downtrodden and weary!" Ha! 

Anyway, after church, we went to my favorite breakfast place for brunch. They had just opened a new location close to us and despite it being new and more spacious than the one we used to go to, it was still crowded! Good thing I got on the waitlist early! 

After lunch, it was back home for a bit more work and then Austen and I hit the golf range for a little bit so I could work on my drive. Dinner at home and presents/cards rounded out the beautiful evening on our "new" deck. 

And, while I didn't get a picture from that day with my family, I of course took one while we were at the restaurant to mark the day. It was a great day!

Hailey likes her chocolate milk!

Austen's Senior Prom

Last weekend marked Austen's almost official end to his Senior Year of high school. He had his Senior Prom. Now, due to the size of his high school, it's only Seniors that can attend (unless you are asked by a Senior) which made it pretty special but also very important to experience. 

Austen and Grace

I encouraged him early - talking it up as far back as last year that he should plan on going. Sure, you can go with a group of guy friends but you should really ask a girl (they want to be asked). And, enjoy what is really an entire weekend of fun that's planned. If you don't, I told him, I guarantee that at some point in your life you will regret it. You only get one Senior Prom so make it count.  

He heeded these words of advice and started working on plans early in the new year. In fact, it wasn't long after that that he told me he had a date (but not to tell Peyton and Hailey because they would never leave him alone). He was going with a large group of about 40 kids and he needed to ask someone in this group. And, he wanted to ask early so he got to select who he was going to go with so he didn't get stuck with someone he didn't want to go with in the end. Smart. He chose a girl named Grace and the only other thing I knew about her was that she played golf and that her dress was a teal color. 

I got a good tip from a Barre 3 friend on where to rent a tux; Austen bought their Prom tickets; we ordered her nosegay of flowers; and I was told where I needed to go for pictures. We coached Austen through picking her up and bringing her to pictures and then driving from that venue to the high school where buses would meet them to bring them to the Navy Pier Ballroom for a fantastic evening they will always remember. 

The Group of 40!

Shortly after we arrived for pictures, Tom was greeted by an old friend he used to play softball with in a rec softball league. The guy actually grew up with one of Tom's other friends but in their 20s they played softball together. The guy mentioned he was there because his girlfriend's daughter, Grace, was a Senior and it was her Senior Prom too. Tom then said, "Well, my son is going to Prom with a girl named Grace." His friend said, "What's your son's name?" Tom says, "Austen." And, the friend says, "He was just at my house!" And, the rest is history! What a small world. 

Anyway, lots of pictures, lots of dancing and little sleep. The weekend was a blur as he was barely home and promptly took off for a friend's lake house until Monday morning. He came back absolutely exhausted but happy. It surely has taken him all week to recover and he's a little under the weather but he sure had fun experiencing his Senior Prom. 

Our Senior 

Posing with the Siblings!

@ the Lake House in Costume

The Group of 40 @ the Lake House

Hailey's Surprising Sleep Accessory

Tom and I still put Hailey to bed each night but unlike when she was a baby, we don't check on her every night. However, if we are gone at bedtime and one of the other kids puts her to bed, we always stop in her room after we get home or before we go to bed ourselves to make sure she's all good. 

Recently, I was out and came home to check on her and find her sound asleep. However, I was quite surprised when I found her sleeping with a sleep mask on. Now, I know she has a few of these (and even chastised me for throwing a few out or packing them away) but I never knew she wore them regularly. Apparently, she does. She has blackout shades in her room and she leaves on a little light too so not sure why she needed the sleep mask. So I asked her and she responded with "it helps me dream better."

Anyway, here's a glimpse at our masked sleeper!

Hailey with her "Popcorn" mask