I'm So Not a Hockey Mom

So Hailey has been learning to skate and practicing Hockey for almost about 9 months now. She's progressed from skating classes and an Intro to Hockey class at one rink to doing drills and skills at a more advanced rink. 

That's her closest to camera in white

She's done a great job of learning how to skate. Her coaches can't believe she just learned less than a year ago. She's really improved all of her skills quickly too - shooting and handling the puck; her balance and more. She doesn't care that she's one of usually 1-2 girls out there. She absolutely loves it and wants more. 

I on the other hand find myself wishing she would have just stuck with a sport like soccer (age group just changed back this year) or softball for many reasons! I have to take her into the smelly locker room with no windows and help her get on so much gear. I literally gag when I walk into the closed room with no air circulation. At least now she can do most of it herself except for her skates. Every week I break nails trying to tighten the skates for her and loosen them when she takes them off. Good thing I don't really care about my nails. Every week, I freeze at the rink (although this new rink is much warmer thankfully). I do it for her because I can see that she loves it and I didn't want to not give her the opportunity. 

She's starting in a rec league in a few weeks that is coed. But she is a 2013 birth year and this is a huge disadvantage in hockey as 2012 and 2013s play together so she's one of the younger ones and late starting this sport. As part of the rec league she will go from practice once a week to practices, drills and games on Friday, Saturday and Sunday from mid September through December with only 3 weeks off! I don't think even Austen's schedule was that bad every week!

We'll see where this goes. We'll let her play but I wish she would have found this love when she was much younger. She would have had more opportunity. For now, we'll just let her have fun and someday when she's older she will be one of the only ones who really knows how to skate. 

Back to School - Sophomore, Junior & 7th Grader

Finally, they are all back in school. There's structure. There's a schedule. There's things to do and things to be done.

Last Dinner Together before Austen Left

Peyton went back first followed the next week by Austen's drop off (he doesn't start school until Monday) and then finally, Hailey.

Peyton has been inundated with lots of homework. Two plus hours each night. Junior year is for real. Add ACT prep on top of that and joining the Women in Business Club again and maybe one more club and she has no time. She does head to her core power yoga class three times a week though - sometimes with friends and sometimes she just goes solo to get her work out in. She is still working a few times a week too until the pool closes on Labor Day. 

I dropped Austen off at school on Monday. The drive is the best thing about him going to U of I. It's so easy and close - two hours and then you are there. We unloaded and trekked his stuff up four flights of stairs (with the help of his roommate and his roommate's dad). I got the bed made and he organized a few things and then thinking he'd want to grab a quick bite to eat and then I'd leave. But, he wanted to do a sit down meal so I suggested our old favorite - Chilis, and he agreed saying it's just like old times. (We used to go every time he and I flew in somewhere for a soccer tournament. We'd eat at Chilis - Arizona, Florida, etc. right after we got off the plane - no matter the time.)

Did I mention that he moved into his fraternity. Not impressed with the living space there but at least his room is pretty big and he has a common area and big bathroom he shares with his roommate and just two other kids. He probably has one of the better rooms in the house aside from maybe the single rooms. He's had a lot to do since I dropped him off with rush activities and on Monday he starts school and tryouts for the club soccer team. Excited to hear his updates - when he actually calls us. 

Austen's Room (Illinois pillow is his side)

Hailey has adjusted nicely to 7th grade. She loves all her teachers and still declares social studies and advanced language arts as her her favorite classes. She has one of Austen's old soccer teammates' uncles as her advanced math and advisory teacher. Kinda fun. So did Peyton actually. He only had Austen as one of his 7th grade cross country runners (and that's when his team won the conference). We met his nephew after Austen ran cross country - when Austen and him joined Galaxy going into 8th grade. The nephew is from Plainfield and Austen was playing for a Naperville club and the dad and I happened to sit next to each other on the sidelines of one of our very first games in Muscatine, Iowa (coming out of COVID so we all had to wear masks). He asked where we were from and then said his brother taught at our middle school. I certainly made the connection since he was Austen's coach. Well, we've been connected for years now even though Austen and his nephew are no longer soccer teammates. 

Anyway, glad everyone is back and we're heading into another school year! Go Illini, Go Red Devils and Go Eagles!

The Phi Psi House

Peyton's ready in pink (Link Crew member shirt)

Hailey can't wait to see her friends!

Last Days of Summer

We are soaking up these last days of summer. Honestly, I'm torn on it all coming to an end here pretty quickly. My kids (mainly Hailey) need to get back to some structure on a daily basis and that means school. 

I'm ready to have my days back where I'm not running kids around 24-7 or am without a car because someone needs it. Or figuring out some activity to do with Hailey because she has no plans and needs to be kept off her phone. I'm tired of the summer storms (and the flooding) and no power for hours on end. 

I'm ready for fall (it is my favorite season). But, I know that with it comes Austen's return to school as well. It's been sort of nice having him home all summer when he's been home. I say sort of because even he needs to get back to some structure where he's really busy again. 

We are all ready, I think. Peyton actually started today (more on that in a future post) and Hailey goes back early next week. Peyton won't be doing cheer this year but is part of the Link Crew Team orienting new students and freshman. Maybe she'll go out for track in the spring but she has a busy academic year ahead of her as well as preparing for the ACT. Hailey will do cross country in middle school and then continue with hockey. Maybe she'll continue in basketball this year but she said she's not trying out for the middle school team. Austen is doing school, the fraternity and trying out for the club soccer team (he says). 

I think Tom and I will have a lot more free time at night and on the weekends now than in previous years. Our kids are growing up and our lives aren't revolving around them so much anymore. So time to make our own plans! 

But first here's a recap of our last days of summer...

Peyton in the water soaking up the last rays of summer w/ friends

Hailey golfing

Austen unclogging the sewers on our street due to the crazy storms

More mini golf at Lost Mountain

Lavender Lemonades at Captain Lou's

Sunset dinners in Michigan

Girl Dinner - caesar salad, fries and a Diet Coke!

Summertime in Chicago is the Best

Hailey has fallen in love with the city of Chicago. She wants to go every chance she gets. I think it's because she's secretly hoping she'll run into Connor Bedard - her longtime Chicago Blackhawks crush. But, I'm not kidding when I say that every weekend she's asking us to go to Chicago. 

Sox game with city views

I loved Chicago...and I lived there for 17 years. Until I did not. I can't say I miss it with three kids. Definitely not the life I wanted my kids to have - growing up in the city. So I was glad we moved when we did. Maybe at one point we talked about going back and living there as empty nesters but I think that was very short-lived. I never want to go back and live there. 

Don't get me wrong, it's nice to visit for a bit and reminisce. All the bars and restaurants we used to go to. The parks we used to play all of our coed sports at. The places by my work I used to frequent. My doctor. My dentist. The places we used to live. The church we got married in and the place we had our reception. Our apartments and then condos. Our neighborhood. Our kids' school. Where their friends lived. The sidewalks where we walked a thousand times with our kids and Adler. The benches Adler would jump over. So many memories in Chicago for us but I don't want to go back. 

Hailey does though so we indulge her every once in a while. We went to a restaurant a few weeks ago in our old neighborhood and took just Hailey (the other two were working). We saw an old neighbor whose family lived and owned all the houses on the opposite side of the block from us. They've been there for 50 plus years. We got to catch up. It was nice. But I still don't wish we stayed. 

There's another restaurant right on the river that's a hot spot for teens so I stalked Open Table to get a reservation one Monday night for dinner so we all could go to Pizzeria Portofino. It was every bit as good as everyone said and the views were amazing (although we didn't get to sit outside). 

We also have gotten to attend a few Sox games this summer. There's nothing like a baseball game in the city in the summer. In fact, recently a friend said to me, I thought you were a Cubs fan, you always went to Cubs games. We did both in our 20s. My friends and I would frequent both parks. Oh to be young and in your 20s in the city again. There's nothing quite like it - especially when it's summertime in the city. 

Peyton was working

River view

Pizzeria Portofino

Brassero in West Town w/ just Hailey

It's a Pickleball Summer

On the courts in Michigan

We've been playing a lot of pickleball with friends and family this summer both in Michigan and at home. We have courts at our club but they don't have lights so we've also found some nearby parks if we choose to play after dusk. In Michigan, there are really nice courts (and a lot of them) about 15-20 minutes from our house there so that's where we usually play or take friends. 

The girls have really improved from playing all summer. I guess they've actually been playing since spring because we started playing with them when we were in Palm Springs for Spring Break. Hailey is getting better faster because she's signed up for a racquets camp so she's learning paddle, pickle and tennis. She also plays a mean game of ping pong so that really helps her in pickle. Austen has gone out this summer to play with friends and Illinois just built some amazing pickleball courts so he'll likely be bringing his racquet back to school.

I've been playing in a ladies league most of the summer on Fridays so that's really helped me learn the game too. Plus, I've gotten to meet some other members at the club that don't necessarily play paddle or who I knew a bit through paddle but have gotten to know better through pickleball so that's been really nice too. I even signed up for the member-guest pickleball tournament my club hosted and invited one of my longtime friends to play with me. That was super fun and we got to get together to play a few times before then too. I like this pickleball craze. It gets people out and socializing while being active. 

Hopefully it's a sport that I'll be able to play when I'm much older too! But for now it's a good time being active with friends and family. Next up - our club sponsored Mahjong and pickleball night. What could be better?!!

Cathy and me at the member-guest event

White Sox Games

Papa and Me

We haven't been to the Sox game in a few years now. Mainly, because they were so bad. But this year, they've had a turnaround and we've been watching them on TV so we decided to hit a game or two.

Austen kicked off the White Sox watching by purchasing tickets with his friends to the Sox vs. Cubs crosstown match up. Sox almost swept the Cubs except the game he went to, they lost. Still exciting though. 

We ended up buying Papa a Sox ticket to head to another game with us too for his Father's Day present. It was just after they moved into first place over the Guardians. The Sox were indeed playing the Guardians that game so it was a fun one and a quick one too. They won! 

Then in July, we headed back to Rate Field for another game in Tom's brother's amazing seats he gave us for the Red Sox vs. White Sox game right behind home plate. The Sox didn't perform the same as the game we saw before and ending up losing but the beautiful evening coupled with the great seats right behind home plate made it a great night. 

Our only complaint about Rate Field is the crazy long lines for food. After waiting in line during the Guardians game, I knew how bad it was and ate before the Red Sox game. No one else wanted to so they had to go get their food. I swear Tom spent 45 minute in line and was about to lose it before he got out of line and Hailey didn't get her pizza for dinner! Eat before you go! Plus, who wants that gross concessions food anyway?!! That's my tip. 

Sox gear

Sox night with the family

Starbucks Girls

The Ocean Drink

I've had to limit my kids' Starbucks orders! Ever since last August when they raised the prices of all their drinks, I've said that we will be ordering less. I was a big spender on Starbucks - probably ordering 6 out of 7 days a week. I'm slightly embarrassed to say that I'm one of those with an asterisk by their name on mobile orders as a highly clouted "Reserve" member. Which just means I order(ed) from them way too much. 

Anyway, over the past year, I've really limited myself and my kids to what drinks they order and how often they get them. Austen is not so bad as the boys aren't really into Starbucks and he would never even order this for himself at school. But, the girls! Peyton and Hailey like these fancy drinks that cost at least $7 or $8. Love their texts too where they "politely" ask if I can mobile for them when they are out with friends. Never mind, that they have gift cards that we've given them or other people have as gifts. They don't want to use those. They'd rather use our money to buy their expensive drinks. 

So now they have to be strategic as to when they ask me for a Starbucks. Have they had one already this week and is it too much to ask for the iced blue coconut drink with cold foam or can I get a matcha with almond milk and cold foam. Seriously, these girls are expensive! 

Butterfly Drink

I think I like the Ocean Drink the best

Blue Coconut Lemonade Refresher

Not sure about this one