Spring Soccer Weekends

Our weekends have consisted of soccer, church, and tennis lately. For about a month Reese and Sam have been playing soccer through the Y. We are there at 10:30 for Sam’s practice/game and then again at 2:30 for Reese’s warm ups and game. We usually race home in between, eat lunch, let Hayes take a quick nap and then we are back to the fields.

I am coaching Sam’s team again this season. I was a little more nervous about this season than last but it has been just as much fun!

One of Sam’s best buddies is on his team again. They are so silly together. And they both have done great this season.

It took Sam a little while to get going this season. The first game I had to tell him he had to at least touch the ball with his foot one time. The next game he scored one goal, the next game he score a couple more and this last game he score nine goals. To be fair, the team from this past week was all new kids who had never played before.

I was not even keeping up with his goals but each time he scored he would run back to me and tell me how many he had scored.

Life as the little brother.

Snack time!

Reese is playing u8 this season. This means she is one of the youngest on the team.

She has a great coach and has learned a good bit. She also seems to be really enjoying it.

Even when their team gets killed she says she enjoyed the game. This green team they were playing is full of third graders that have played together for several years. Their coach coaches all four of his kids teams and was a college player. So needless to say, the green team is really good.

The last time her team played the green team Reese actually got a goal! That is her only one of the season. We were so excited!!

This is what I usually look like during her games. Standing behind our chairs cheering her on. I am sure I am pretty annoying to her but it is fun.

As busy as our Saturdays have been, they have been really fun too! It will be nice to have our Saturdays back but I will miss being out on the soccer fields.  It won’t be long and we will be by the pool next!

Ring Around the Rosie's

Hayes loves playing with Reese and Sam. He thinks he is one of the big kids. And when they are playing well together it is super cute and everyone is having fun!

Reese is always good to entertain him when I need a minute to do something or I am leaving them with a babysitter. She always asks him if he wants to have a dance party. He races to the family room for that request!

One of Hayes’ newest and favorite games is Ring Around the Rosie’s. He thinks it is so funny!

And his favorite part of it? When Sam tackles him on “we all fall down”.

Tennis

I joined a new tennis team this spring. I took the fall off after we moved and I really missed it. I LOVE my new team! It is a lower level than my old team and much more my speed. I actually feel like I am playing and know what I am doing instead of just hitting the ball and getting beat like in the past. However, my first three matches I lost. All three went to three sets and all had a tie breaker. The matches were a blast though! Every time I came home the kids would ask if I won and I would say no. They would really humble me by telling me how bad I was, that I never win, etc. etc. Ha! So last Sunday before I left they did a “winning dance” for me in hopes that I would win. And I did! In only two sets. It wasn’t a pretty match but I finally have a win. I texted Lance that the “winning dance” worked and when I got home I found this…

So sweet!

Spring Break

Our sweet spring break is over. As with breaks past, I try not to waste out days. I like for us to be able to enjoy our time together and it is best to do that outside of being bored in the house. And this week’s weather was AMAZING!

Monday we met some friends at the park over close to our old house. We hadn’t been there in forever and the kids were so excited. We loaded up bikes and scooters and off we went. When we first got there it was a little chilly but by the time we left it was nice and warm.

The kids rode the bikes/scooters around the one mile loop first. About half way around there is a work out station that all of the kids had fun playing on.

After our loop it was on to the playground. Hayes had never been to play at this park and he loved it just as much as the big kids did when they were little. That night we played outside after dinner because it was such a beautiful day.

Tuesday we decided to brave the zoo. I thought it wouldn’t be too bad since most of the school systems were not out for spring break. I was wrong! There were tons of field trips there. It wasn’t that bad even with all of the kids around.

We rode the carousel and the train. This was Hayes’ face on both of them. He is my little dare devil but he had the most scared face on each ride. It was too funny!

That evening we had dinner with some friends. It was so fun to have a dinner date in the middle of the week. It made us excited about summer!

Wednesday I planned a playdate for Sam’s class. It ended up only being two of Sam’s friends that could come so I decided to have them over to our house. It was perfect…but I didn’t get any pictures. I also invited one of Reese’s friends over so that she had someone to play with and wasn’t bossing around Sam and his buddies. Sam’s best friend from class is Caleb and Sam was so excited he was coming. He stood by the front door waiting with excitement. They played so hard outside for about an hour and then came in and went straight to Sam’s room to play. It was so sweet to see them together.

That evening we met Lance in Atlantic Station for dinner and then he took the kids to see the new Muppets movie. They couldn’t wait!

Thursday we decided to lay low. We had some errands to run in the morning and then played outside in the afternoon in between being lazy.

Friday was the first bad day of weather for the whole week. We had planned on going bowling one day and once I saw the weather forecast for the week I knew Friday would be the best day! We met some friends there and we surprised the kids with cosmic bowling.

They loved it just as much as they did the last time we went.

Hayes did so well in the stroller until the last five minutes or so. He enjoyed watching everyone but was finally ready to try it out himself. One day buddy!

After bowling we went to lunch together and then had them over for pizza and a movie night! It was such a fun evening. After eating and watching the movie, all of the kids played outside until around 10:00 while the adults got to sit outside and chat.

We had a great spring break! The kids loved staying up late and I loved them sleeping in late. Not long before summer!!

Overheard Conversation

Reese: "Sam, what if you died when you were two?"

Sam: "I would be dead already. What if I died when I was five?"

Reese: "That is this year. You would die this year."

Sam: "Goody! Then I wouldn't have to get a shot!"

Me: "Sam, you would rather die than get a shot?"

Sam: "YES!"


- Posted from my iPhone

“Perfect”?

This past week Sam’s teacher held conferences. I wasn’t exactly sure what to expect but I was not expecting anything bad. Sam is pretty good at giving me a report each day of what happens. His class has a green/yellow/red behavior system. Each day he tells me who was on what color and why.

One day he got in the car and said, “Mommy, I have to tell you something really bad.”

“Ok, buddy! What is it?”

“I got on yellow today.”

“Wha…”

“But the whole class did. Ms. Gaby was telling us all to sit down and be quiet and none of us did. So she had to blow the whistle and we all got on yellow and none of us got “anyM’s”.”

“Oh no! That stinks! Next time why don’t you try to be the leader of your class and do what she is asking you to do. That way maybe your friends will follow directions too.”

“Ok, Mommy!”

When I had the conference with his teacher she sat down and said, “I don’t really have anything to say other than Sam is perfect.” She said he is always following directions, tries to redirect his friends who are not following directions, interacts during lessons, and knows everything he is supposed to know. She said she wished she had five more Sam’s in her class.

He really is so sweet. I feel so blessed that he is mine. Now, if only I could get him to be that sweet to Reese and Hayes all the time. Ha!

I am so grateful that both Reese and Sam always get good reports from school. I truly hope we can make that three for three once Hayes starts school.

Fun Running

Yesterday Reese’s school had their Fun Run from their Boosterthon fundraiser so my little buddy and I went to cheer them on.

We walked up right as they were running through the tunnel. Reese was so pumped up about the run so I wasn’t surprised to see her run out with her classes banner. Well, let me back up. I wasn’t surprised once I realized it was her. Usually I can pick her out of a crowd because of her hair. I just look for a big, curly ponytail and find her easily. Yesterday morning she wanted her hair in a braid so I had a really hard time finding her in the sea of all of the other dark hair, ponytail wearing kids.

They did a few cheers to get them all pumped up and then they had the National Anthem played. Reese and one of her classmates got to hold the flag.

Finally it was time to start the run.

Their first lap they had to march around the track.

Once they got their first lap marked off, they were free to run. And run they did!

Their cap for sponsor per lap donations was 35 laps. However, once the kids finished the first 35 laps, they kept going. Reese ran 40 laps. The track is 1/16 of a mile so that means she ran about 2.5 miles.

“Walk like an Egyptian” lap.

This was the 35th lap. She was so proud of herself!

“Mom, I ran 35 laps!” And then off she went to do five more social laps. She didn’t necessarily run those last five. They were more chatting with friends, etc. around the track.

Reese had a great time and I loved watching her be so excited.

Come On Spring!

What a tease some of these days have been! There have been several days that it has been just beautiful. One afternoon a week or so ago, I had a horrible headache. I really just wanted to close the blinds, hide under the blankets, and take a good long nap. However, three kids don’t really allow that. Luckily it was a beautiful day. I set up a chair on our bottom driveway, grabbed a cherry coke zero, took some medicine, and let the kids play. And they played for a long time! They rode scooters and bikes, drove the jeep, and kicked the soccer ball. Reese and Hayes even talked to our neighbors dogs who were outside (in their fence of course). Hayes loves dogs! Our neighbors drove up while the kids were by their fence. They took the dogs out because they were taking them on a walk. Sam darted inside faster than I could blink but Reese and Hayes stayed behind to pet one of them. One dog is wild and excited about the kids and the other is calm, old, and pretty much deaf. The old one just walked up to us and stopped so the kids could pet him. The wild dog stayed with his owner because he likes to jump. By the time we went in to make dinner, my headache was pretty much gone and the kids had had a blast playing outside.

Hayes–16.5 months

I haven’t done a post in a while dedicated to just Hayes in a while and he is changing so much all the time that I thought I would write an update.

Physically he slowed down in his growth. At his 15 month check up he only weighed one pound more than Sam did at the same age. I am hoping I don’t have to buy too many new clothes for him this spring and summer. We have so many from Sam.

Hayes is so funny! He might be our funniest kid yet. I love any kind of physical comedy. And I think Hayes does too. I think it is hilarious to watch the clips on America’s Funniest Home Videos where people are hiding in random places and jump out to scare some one else. It never gets old. Hayes thinks it is so funny when I do that to him. If I hide outside of his room as he walks out and I scare him he will laugh and run back in to his room so we can do it all over again. He will put things over his head and walk around. When it falls off he will laugh. The other day he found some type of black canvas bathroom bag under Lance’s sink. All of a sudden I see him come stumbling out of the bathroom with it covering his face and almost bump in to the wall. When the bag fell off, he giggled, I laughed so hard at him, and he did it again.

He thinks it is hilarious to take my spot on the couch when I get up. He gets the silliest grin and dives in to the place where I was sitting. When I come back and tell him he is in my spot, he giggles and giggles.

He is all boy! As our neighbor called him, “A man’s man!”. He loves the remote. When he sees it in our bedroom, he grabs it, brings it to me, and grunts to climb up on the bed. If the TV is on, he wants the remote in his hand.

If we are at any kind of party or gathering, Hayes will always find the men in the room to play with, hug on, entertain, etc. If there is a ball (or anything that looks like a ball) nearby, he will start throwing it to any man who looks his way. A man at church who occasionally works in his room will see him coming down the hallway and says, “There’s that hoss Hayes!”. Lance is definitely his favorite!

He is a rough and tumble little man. He is a bully to his friends. One of his friends has a pacifier. Every time Hayes sees the paci in his friend’s mouth, he pulls it right out. He pushes other kids his age and occasionally hits them. I really think it is him marking his territory because he gets those same kind of treatments from his brother and sister.

He loves to explore. I really don’t get much done around the house because I have to keep an eye on him. I remember when the other two were little and people would say things like that and I just didn’t understand. Reese was always (and still is) at my feet. Sam was good to entertain himself but didn’t get in to much else. Hayes! He climbs the stairs, plays in the potty, pulls all the toilet paper off the roll, and is constantly messing up things that I have just cleaned up. There really is no point in cleaning toys up because he just comes and pulls them all back out.

He is a climber. We turn all the chairs over in the kitchen because he will climb up in them and then climb on the table.

He loves snacks. He is forever in the pantry pulling out something to eat. I should probably get used to that as he gets older.

Oh he loves to steal his brothers toys. If there is something that Sam really likes and is playing with, Hayes wants it too.

He doesn’t talk much but has plenty of opinions and makes lots of noise. Here are some things he says…I am sure I am missing a few:
-Ah (eye)…while poking my eyes out
-Huh (hug)…while laying his head on my shoulder
-Thank (thank you)
-Da (dog, bird, any animal really)…and knows a dog says woof, woof
-Dada
-Mama
-Uh (uh-oh)
-Cheeeee (cheese)…when smiling for the camera
-Bump…while sliding down the stairs on his bottom he says bump, bump for each stair
-Nana (banana or any other snack)

We love this sweet boy!!

Their Hair

Earlier this month we took Hayes for his first haircut. A month or so ago I had the front of his hair trimmed up a bit but nothing big. This time we went to get it all cleaned up. His hair is crazy! We call it the “Russell Br@nd” hair-do. It is almost exactly like Reese’s hair. The difference between the two is that we could use bows and ponytail holders to tame hers. We wanted to keep the crazy curls for a little bit longer so we just had her do an over all trim. She cut about 1/4” off but you really can’t tell. The only place that it makes a difference is in his face because his hair was covering his eyes before the cut.

I wanted to compare all three kids hair at the same age so here it goes…

Reese – crazy! curly! This was taken in the morning before putting it in a ponytail on top.

Sam – his was pretty curly in the back and the back grew way faster than the front. The first time we got his cut I am not sure she even had to cut the front. He had a crazy mullet before his first haircut.

And Hayes – check out that huge curl right on top of his head. This is pre-haircut.

And here is haircut day before and after…

See? Not much difference but it is out of his eyes.

Shoe Buddies

A couple of months ago I bought the boys some matching shoes. They were super cute so I just had to have two pair. I also bought both of them a little big. I decided to put Hayes in his the other day and Sam decided to wear his too. When Sam started putting his on Hayes squatted down to watch him and to show him he had the same shoes on. He was so excited.

 

After I took both of the first pictures, I was putting the camera away and Hayes ran over and again and said, “Cheeeee!”. So Sam swooped in and I got this cute picture of them both smiling.