Austen 3; Uncle Mark 0

I'd be remiss if I didn't write about Austen and Uncle Mark playing against each other the past three years. As soon as Austen made Varsity sophomore year, Mark and Austen's coach agreed to play each other over the course of the next three years. 

Austen holds up the #3

And, this past year was the last year they will do so. We had the entire family come out for the festivities which was so fun and nice of them! 

Austen scored the first goal for his team who went on to secure a 3-0 victory (it may have been their team's first win). And, that made it three years in a row that they beat Uncle Mark's team. Austen may or may not have scored in every single one of those games. 

The best part is that over the course of the past three years, he told none of his teammates that he was playing against his uncle. And even after the final whistle in their last game together, he still didn't divulge any details - typical Austen. 

It's been a great and memorable three years of playing against each other. Thanks for setting that in motion  Uncle Mark!

The fans

More fans

Austen's cheer squad

Austen's Senior Soccer Season

I've refrained from writing about Austen's senior high school soccer season because the start of it was a difficult one. Not necessarily for Austen but for their team. Never in 14 years of Austen playing have I seen a coach treat players so unfairly and silence them when they tried to talk to him. 

Let me begin by saying that Austen was not the one being treated unfairly. The coach has been fair to him and treated him pretty well over the course of the past few years. But this year, Austen is one of three captains. This is nothing new to him as he's been a captain for his Club team over the past three years with three different coaches and never have I seen a coach not collaborate with his captains. 

Senior Year 2024

First, I must go back to the beginning. Never in the history of this team has he taken 8 freshman and sophomores on the Varsity team. Usually it's 1-3 sophomores each year. Austen was one of two taken his sophomore year so was less than thrilled that he took that many this year, and players whom he didn't think had the skills to compete at the Varsity level at this time. 

And, he wasn't wrong. Not sure what I was seeing the first game as the coach actually played these freshman and sophomores while the juniors and seniors, who I knew were more skilled sat the bench (and not because they were late or disrespectful). Just because. We end up losing that game by several goals. I chalk it up to the coach trying to figure things out but couldn't fathom why those good players were sitting the bench over kids who couldn't even trap the ball (I'm not kidding). 

Second game, we lose by several more goals to a 2A team (we are 3A - big difference). He does much of the same playing these young players. The upperclassmen are livid after the game. The captains ask to speak to him. He says no. They ask to speak to him before the next game. He says no. These kids are frustrated and have been silenced by their coach. Something doesn't seem quite right here. Austen expresses his frustration to me after the game. The coach approaches us (bad move by him) and asks if there's anything else he can help Austen with. Really? You just told my kid you wouldn't speak to him and now you approach us and ask us that? Austen says no but the coach has approached us so I feel like that gives me the perfect excuse to ask him if he's trying to ruin their Senior Year. I don't say exactly who shouldn't be playing but I do tell him who should be. The boys cheer after I'm done and I think more about how this is no one's season but theirs and they haven't even been given a fair chance. 

The next game is better (because he barely plays the freshman and sophomores) and we tie a good team. Then he continues to play the freshman and sophomores the next few games and we lose to teams we've never lost to in Austen's four years of playing high school soccer. I want to scream because it's that obvious who should and shouldn't be playing especially when you aren't winning! So you need to change and try different things. The AD gets involved. Another senior quits the team. Parents are upset and seething all at the same time. I can't even believe my kid needs to try to lead a team through this shit show of coaching. 

Finally, after way too many games have gone by and our record is 1-6-1, he puts in the players he should have been playing all along. Miraculously, we start winning and we don't stop. We knock off teams that are ranked. Is it pretty soccer? No, it's not and we aren't all that skilled but this team - these seniors who I saw all play together as freshman -  have a hell of a lot of chemistry together and they have grit. That will get them somewhere. That somewhere is hopefully a conference championship. With three games to go to clinch, they have their eyes set securely on that title. 

This is what I always thought they could be and the team that I enjoyed watching as freshman. They truly play for each other - something that their freshman coach instilled in them. And, I hope they get to see that conference championship come to fruition for their hard work and perseverance in the face of a more than difficult beginning.  

A big win beating their conference rivals

Austen on the pitch

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"

Labor Day 2024

We thought we might have a few days in Michigan over Labor Day Weekend but it resulted in just 24 hours of fun. Friday night, Austen had a soccer game and Peyton had to cheer at her first high school football game (more on that in a later post). On Saturday, Austen had another game and then Austen and Peyton both had parties that they wanted to go to that night over going to Michigan. So Tom and I took Hailey to dinner. This is what it's going to look and feel like when she's the only one left at home and the other two are in college. Seems like it's happening way too fast. I told Hailey on her way to one of  Austen's games last week (that she got dragged to) that this is the last first high school game you will ever have to go to because next year at this time, he will be in college. She grew quiet for a moment contemplating what that might look and feel like. After a moment, she responded with "I wish it was Peyton who was leaving."

Anyway, we enjoyed our dinner and the two older ones enjoyed their parties and then the next morning we woke up and drove to Michigan. It was a bit cool there and pretty windy so not a good beach day. Tom and  Peyton went for a hike while I went to the grocery store. The other two stayed home and relaxed before we headed to dinner in Holland. The next day (Monday) happened to be sunny but the kids decided it was a little too cool for the beach still so we ended up going apple picking. Last year, was the first year we didn't make it apple picking in forever so it felt good to get it in early. We did get some choice apples too that are always gone when we are forced to go later in the season due to schedules. We did skip the corn maze this year and the apple cider and the apple cider donuts. These kids are getting older and definitely voicing what they want to do and don't want to do so they were pretty clear that it was just apple picking. We did manage to get them to pose for a few traditional photos. And, I was just glad that I got those. After apple picking, it was home to IL to get ready for Peyton's tumbling practice so we didn't have much time to enjoy our Labor Day up there but we still got some fun things in to kick off Fall.