Life Lately

I thought that once school started and we settled down into our routines again, life would slow down a little bit and not be quite so hectic. That lasted all of about two weeks. It's not like I didn't see it coming, but I guess I was hoping for a little more quiet before the storm. Sometimes I long for the simple days of when they were all younger and we didn't have quite so many things filling up our plate. When we could go outside every night together and ride bikes, draw on the sidewalk, and enjoy being together. We still enjoy being together, it's just now on the sidelines of the soccer fields or in the bleachers of a middle school gym. As busy as we are, it's always nice to slow down and play in the grass. Then, when they all go to bed and I look at what's on the calendar for the next day, I can remember these down times!

Kelsie made the middle school volleyball team and has been busy every night with practices and games. I love going to watch her play and have so much fun cheering for her and her team. The boys keep me company as well as some of her friends from church. It's been so great to see her more confident as a result of volleyball. In addition to all the demands of her sport, she also has school, homework, young women activities, babysitting, and friends. She really doesn't have a whole lot of down time, but when she does, we love spending as much time with her as we can (even when it's waaaay past her bed time).

The boys have also started up sports again. We spend our Saturday mornings at the soccer fields, with Wally and I switching games at halftime to watch each of them play. Brandon is a natural at sports and is already starting out great on his team. He scored his first goal for the season during the first game. We are trying something new this fall with Brandon playing both soccer and flag football. We're hoping that we didn't make a horrible decision and that we don't go crazy between all the running around that is inevitably going to happen. He joined the Morning Miles club at school on Friday's and stays busy with Cub Scouts each week as well. He is very determined to pass off everything in his book as soon as possible.

Caleb was excited to play soccer again this fall and quickly made some friends after his first week. We're hoping that he'll have a great season as well and that he'll realize that he's got to kick the ball if he wants it to go anywhere. He loves kindergarten! There hasn't been a single tear about going to school. He has made lots of friends and always comes home with a big smile on his face. I am able to help out in his class once a week and he is always so happy to see me come. His new love is Lego Ninjago. It's pretty much all he eats, sleeps, and breaths. Even at school.

Isaac is just along for the ride. I guess that's how it is when you're two and the youngest of four busy kids. He and I get to spend every day together. He's my little shadow and is constantly narrating everything that I do (Mom washing dishes? Mom vacuuming? Mom reading?). He also thinks that he's just as big as his older brothers and can do just about anything they can do from running football plays with Brandon and fighting ninjas with Caleb.

So, yeah, we're busy. There is always something going on. We try to squeeze in as much family time as we can in addition to all the other balls we're juggling. The kind of family time that involved taking updated pictures which didn't go as planned the first time around. If I'm completely honest with myself, I really love to be busy. Even though it feels like I'm running a marathon for months, it's totally worth it to see all of my kids learning, excelling, and gaining experiences as they grow. There really is nothing sweeter. Except, maybe, bedtime for Isaac at 6 pm.

How We Spend Our Saturday's

We're right in the thick of spring sports season for our family.  We've got three of the four kids in sports and are having a great time.  I love to watch my kids playing sports and having so much fun.  I love to see their faces light up when their team scores a point or they get a chance to make a play.  I love cheering on the sidelines as loud as I can and stealing a quick wink and a wave when they look over for encouragement.  I love how excited Brandon and Caleb were when they got their uniforms and wanted to sleep in them every night for a week and how even Kelsie was just as (secretly) excited about her own uniform.  Most of all, I love spending this time together as a family, cheering each other on and watching our children grow.

This is Caleb's first time playing any kind of an organized sport.  He was a pretty nervous at first, but once he got on the field and was given his uniform, it all changed.  He can't wait for his Friday practice each week, followed by games on Saturday.  He counts each and every goal during the game and makes sure that we all know the "score".  He devours the half-time snack of oranges each week and is usually pretty happy about running back out onto the field.  Right now for him, it's all about F-U-N.  He can be pretty cautious about getting in on the action, but every once in a while surprises us all with a good kick.  

Brandon's a natural on the soccer field.  He has a tendency to hang back on the field and play the defensive role.  He also has some pretty fancy footwork as he dribbles the ball down the field, as he puts it "I'm pretty much the best dribbler on my team".  Humble, I know.  He has yet to score a goal, but definitely not for lack of trying.  He is totally in his element out there and is having such a great time playing.  Being one of the smallest kids on the team doesn't stop him at all. He's pretty quick and has no trouble keeping up with the bigger kids.  They put him in as goalie one game and I think he forgot what he was doing and ended up all over the field and the other team scored two goals on him.  They've kept him out on the field ever since. 

Kelsie is trying out volleyball this time around and it seems to be a pretty good fit for her.  She also seems to be a natural at the sport and is on a great team of girls.  It has been such a positive experience for her and she has gotten a lot more confident since starting.  She only complained of her arms hurting after the first practice and now gets excited each week.  She's a fast learner and has picked up on all the different techniques pretty quickly.  She even made some friends with some older girls whose younger brother plays on Caleb's soccer team that play volleyball.  They've been teaching her and practicing with her during soccer practice.  I love to see her excited about each game and having so much fun!

Our lives have definitely gotten super busy around here with all these practices and games to get to.  Isaac is loving all the attention he gets at all the different games, which makes up for all the interrupted nap times and eating schedules that he's had to adjust to.  Having these kids is so much fun!

Running off the field after practice

Exhausted after his first game and waiting for Caleb's game to start

Her coach watches as she serves during a game

Caleb (and Brandon) listening to his pump-up song before the game

Having fun in between games

Last Game

Brandon's last basketball game was on Saturday. He was so excited for it and couldn't wait to play. He had a great time and came home a little disappointed with only a medal, instead of a trophy. Here's a quick clip of him scoring a basket during the game!

Basketball Star

During these long cold winter months, Brandon has built up a lot of energy. So much energy at times, that it is not always a positive thing around our house. To remedy this, we signed him up at the YMCA to play basketball. He’s been playing for the last few weeks and has absolutely loved it! Ever since he went to the Chicago Bulls game with his dad, he thinks he’s an all-star player. He even studied some of the pros moves, just so he could try them out at his next game. It’s been so much fun to watch and I love how focused he can be when he really wants to be. Here’s a short video of his game last Saturday. (He’s the one in the orange shirt and the blue shorts.)

Next up, soccer!

Ready, Set,

HIKE!

What else is there to do on such a beautiful day?!