We are in!

The last six weeks or so has been an adventure! From moving out of our house to bringing Austen to college to the girls starting school and then closing on our new home, we've certainly handled a lot. Couple that with the fact that for about 2 1/2 weeks, we were in between houses and the girls were in school too. We lived at hotels during the week and found respite on the weekends in Michigan. 

Each week, I would select a new hotel in a new location and each one was better than the last (thank you points!). We did grow tired of the free breakfasts; met a family who had their house struck by lightning and didn't have a home now; as well as met a Bernese Mountain Dog who was acting as a service dog for another family (you see a lot of people at breakfast).  The girls did remarkably well but I think we all grew tired of hotel living and are okay not visiting a hotel for awhile (although we did stay one night in one during U of I family weekend). 

Anyway, we officially closed on September 2nd and moved in on September 3rd. We've been in for about 3 1/2 weeks now but there are still so many boxes to unpack and get organized! Moving is good because it forces you to clean things out and what I've found after moving is that there is still so much more that we could get rid of. Our new house has so much storage but not in the same places so it's really rethinking where everything needs to go. But the house is beautiful and definitely different from our old house. We are slowly making it our own, hanging the TVs and getting some new furniture. 

Austen hasn't been here yet to organize his room but he comes home next weekend so I'm sure he'll get some unpacking in. I plan to tackle some things in his room this week so at least he'll have a bed to sleep in on Friday night. I'll leave the rest of the unpacking to him! 

The girls also have friends very close by - across the street and directly behind us as well as a few houses away so they are happy. We did have a "crazy" neighbor that we had to get a no trespassing order against (along with 16 of our other neighbors) but she got evicted from her home on Friday so hopefully we won't be seeing her again. 

Other than that, the new neighborhood seems quiet with lots of nice people around. Looking forward to making some new memories here and making this house our home. 

My Office

Half Bath

FamILLy Weekend at U of I

We got to see Austen last weekend for a good 24 hours for FamILLy weekend at U of I. It was good to get eyes on him and give him some parental guidance again. 

We were walking from the bookstore to meet him when I saw him cross the street towards us. "There's our kid!" I proclaimed. He looked happy but pale and tired and dare I say skinny. He gave us all big hugs (even his sisters) and then gave us a tour of the campus quad and his architecture buildings including where he sat in his studio. 

Austen in His Studio Space

We returned to his dorm room where Peyton presented him with the two chocolate chip banana breads she made for him along with a tray of cinnamon rolls we had also brought him (I was happy we did to fatten him up a bit - I mean who loses weight your freshman year in college?). He said the food was pretty bad and they really tried not to eat late night crap. He said he wasn't eating breakfast anymore (his favorite meal) because he didn't allow enough time in the morning to eat before his class. Sheesh, this kid needed a reminder of a lot of things but I wasn't ready to tell him all this yet. I wanted to enjoy our time with him before I started doling out advice. 

We had tickets to the football game at 6pm but first we had reservations at a decent looking restaurant by the stadium with his roommate and their family. The boys ordered steaks and ate like kings. The food was pretty good for Champaign - definitely one that I will keep on my list. The boys headed back to the dorm to meet up with their friends before the game while we all checked into our hotel before circling back to the stadium. 

Lots of orange and blue packed the stadium that night. The winds from the south blew in along with the smell of manure. This stench did nothing to help me like U of I more. We changed seats so we could sit with the boys and the smell dissipitated a little. After the game (U of I won against Western Michigan), I took the girls back to the hotel while the Dads went out to the bars with the boys. 

The next morning, we picked Austen up for a big breakfast that had a 90-minute wait (good thing I got on that wait list early!). Another good one for Champaign that I will keep on our list too. We hit the mall to buy him a white dress shirt for pledging the fraternity and then dropped him back off at his dorm since he had a busy afternoon/evening. I did get to tell him that he needed to eat more, drink less and get enough sleep. My kid who was normally so structured and busy had way too much time on his hands now and he needed some activities to fill that time that did not include parties or heading to the bar. He said he was going to slow it down and questioned joining a fraternity. I told him he needed more things to fill his time and taking things away was not going to be good for him. His schedule needed to be packed. That's how he's always operated with structure and he thrived on that structure. Too much time was not something that was going to benefit him. I think he listened. 

What I found from the first month of school is that these freshman still need their parents to remind them of who they are and how they operate. They still need our support and counsel as well as a good talking to every now and then. They're figuring it out, I get it. But so are we. Trying not to be too concerned but giving them the space so they can figure out who they are without us too. So here's to hoping that the next time I get eyes on him, he'll look healthier and more rested than his first month of school. 

On the Quad

Siblings!

Hailey Paves Her Own Path in XC

As a sixth grader, Hailey had the opportunity to participate in cross country. It's actually the only sport you can do as a 6th grader. So I told her many months ago she would be joining the cross country team and showing her school spirit once sixth grade came. 

Tough Terrain

She wasn't thrilled but she didn't say no. She's lucky to have a classmate's mom who is a Michigan cross country alumni and still current marathon runner help guide practices and give the kids advice alongside the coaches. In fact, before school started, this amazing mom was holding practices for whomever wanted to come. Hailey hit a few of those but when school started and the coaches got to see her, they often asked her what her name was and she told them her first name. They asked for her last name and then most said, "Oh, your Austen's sister." Austen did get 5th place in the conference meet and help his team secure a first place conference title during his 8th grade year so a banner he and his teammates earned hangs in their gymnasium. Now all this would really anger Peyton because these coaches are also teachers and Peyton actually had these teachers. And, not one said, "Oh, you're Peyton's sister." Of course, they actually coached Austen in cross country and boys volleyball. Peyton only did cheer in middle school and that was only for her 7th grade year. 

Anyway, back to Hailey. She's been doing really great in all of her meets. One was particularly tough for her because of the challenging terrain/course so she did slow down and walk a bit which killed her time and placement. Austen empathized with her from afar and said he hated that course too but that she should never walk. She listened to him and since that meet, she certainly wanted to walk but she didn't and had been placing really well and pushing herself. Super proud of her for trying something new and even going running on her own sometimes too. 

Two more meets left including the conference meet which she was asked to run in - they only ask the top 10 girls and boys to run so this was pretty great to be asked by her coaches. She'll be there with her new white running shoes! 

Good Pace

XC Friends

Peyton Begins Sophomore Cheer

Sophomore Cheer Season

Peyton is two games into her sophomore cheer season. Even more fun this year is the fact that she actually gets to cheer for the boys she is in the same grade as. 

She was a little rusty on some cheers during the first game but her smiling was a lot better than last year. 

By the second game, her cheers were stronger and she actually was one of only four girls on the JV Cheer Team that could throw any tumbling. She did a standing back handspring and a round off back handspring and landed both. Quite impressive considering she couldn't tumble at all this time last year. I'm so impressed with how far she's come for sure considering there are 18 girls on the squad and only four to five can really tumble. She's worked really hard to improve her skills. Her private tumbling coach is tough but effective. Most of the girls refuse to even go to him (and frankly, I'm surprised Peyton even likes him because she does not like anyone to be tough on her). 

But, it's just like any coach - believe a little bit in your athlete and they will try to do even more to impress you and that's exactly how Peyton is - she needs that constant validation whether it's from a coach or a teacher - and when she gets it, she will work that much harder for them. I wish more managers, coaches and teachers would see how valuable that one skill could be and how it can totally change the experience that each child has in a sport or the classroom. 

So keep working hard, Peyton. Believe in yourself. Be kind. Be a good leader. Be anything they need you to be on that team and good things will follow.