Kids – Page 10

Friday Favorites {#116}

Posted on June 10, 2022June 9, 2022 by jgalvinwhite

Hello and Happy Friday.

We had a good but busy summer week. Personally, it was nice to not get up and think about school, but I still had to set an alarm every morning due to Hadley’s activities.

Also, I’ve felt “off” all week. I guess it’s a summer cold, and Hadley has been dealing with congestion too. On top of having a sore throat and drainage, I was tired and sometimes achy. I did test neg for the Vid, so who knows! Maybe the hustle and bustle of the end of the school year caught up with me.

I’m linking up with Andrea and Erika for this week’s Friday Favorites.

Here are some favorites from the week:

I mentioned in Tuesday’s post that what was supposed to be a couple of hours at the pool Sunday turned into many hours at the pool and a Pina Colada with Trav.

Hadley has decided she wants to play volleyball again, so we signed her up for a camp this week with a friend. That meant 9-12 camp four days this week!

Hayden left on Monday to go to the lake with a friend, so I had lots of Hadley time this week.

After camp on Monday, we hit the mall for a few things and lunch in the food court. What is it about kids and the food court?! It seemed like a treat to her. haha

She has had dance recital practice three nights this week with the recital this weekend. It’s nice that she’s old enough to handle costume changes, but I definitely sweep in at the end to make sure she has everything!

Wednesday night’s recital practice included Hadley (and her friend) helping cousin Layla’s tap class up on stage. Super cute group of little ladies.

While at the lake, Hayden had so much fun with two of his friends. With limited WiFi, they had all kinds of good old fashioned fun. They swam, ran around, went in the kayaks and fished.

Hayden was so excited to catch a few fish (a first for him) including this large mouth bass.

On Wednesday, we celebrated our 3 year Homer-versary! Since we don’t know his actual birthday, we celebrate him on his “Gotcha Day,” and he obliges for a few photos in his birthday scarf thanks to a few treats!

6/8/19

He’s calmed down since we got him and is overall a pretty good boy (even though he destroyed a roll of toilet paper this week!)

Travis and I finally finished Season 4 of Ozark. I love me some Jason Bateman, but man, that show is intense! I wish it ended a bit differently, but I’m glad we finished the series. Now Travis and I need to find something else to watch together. Let me know if you have any recommendations!

Favorite Clothing Item:

Is anyone shocked that my favorite clothing item is a new pair of pjs?

I bought these a couple of weeks ago when both the top and the bottom were each on sale for $8. I’d pay full price for them though! They are cute and light-weight…perfect for summer!

I actually have this pair ready for pick up too. I will let you know how they are once I get them.

Favorite Mom Meme:

Me…all week!

Flashback Friday

In honor of Hadley’s dance recital this week, here’s a throwback to her first-ever dance recital in 2016! #pinchycheekcute

Weekly Recap:

I had a couple of link up posts this week as well as one other one:

June Amazon

Let’s Look: lunch

Baseball Wrap Up

Not Just a Mom

Also, before I go…we have our Not Just a Mom link up this coming Monday. The topic is dream travel locations.

If you are a blogger, we hope you join us! It’s the perfect topic as we dive into summer!

What are your plans for the weekend? We don’t have tons going on today, but Hadley will be a busy dancer this weekend! I can’t wait to see her routines!

Thanks so much for reading!

Kids

Baseball Wrap Up

Posted on June 9, 2022June 8, 2022 by jgalvinwhite

Hello!

Well, this is probably a post that’s more for me than anyone else. I want to have all of my baseball memories in one spot!

Hayden headed into this spring baseball season with some hesitation. I think he was worried about juggling both track and baseball. I will say there weren’t any other kids on the middle school track team who played baseball. We got “lucky” with the schedule as he only missed one baseball game for a track meet, but it was a lot to juggle.

I did encourage him to finish up baseball with his 12-year-old season because I knew he’d have fun with his team, be a leader for the younger kids, and, honestly, I knew he still had some baseball left in him.

As the kids have gotten older, of course they’ve had to make decisions and start cutting out sports or activities because we can’t do all the things all the time! Hadley did gymnastics for a couple of years and stopped with Girl Scouts once she got to middle school while Hayden played soccer off and on for a few years. Hayden has really found his groove with running, and I think that will be a focus for him moving forward.

Baseball is the one sport that stuck with Hayden…for the past nine years.

Like many sports, baseball was an outlet for Hayden to temper his anxiety and shyness.

Like most things in life, Hayden started baseball with his sister by his side and some of his best baseball memories include Trav as his coach.

I will never forget seeing him on the pitcher’s mound for the first time. I texted Trav and said, “What (the heck) is he doing out there?” Trav said, “He wanted to try give it a try.” As an introvert on the mound, he blossomed with confidence after hearing, “Strikkkkeee!” for the first time.

From digging in the dirt to striking out batters…From t-ball to the Majors…From losses to wins and all the memories in between…Hayden has accomplished so much and made us very proud.

While he accomplished so much on the field, our hearts swelled with pride when he was given the Sportsmanship award last fall. I’m not entirely sure what goes on in a baseball dugout, but I love hearing him cheer for his teammates and give tips to the younger players.

Through the years…

…from the Mud Hens…

…to the Timber Rattlers…

…to the Twins…(how fitting!)

….to the Mariners…

…to Turkey Feet…

…and Crush in the summer…

…to the Reds as an 11 and…

…12 year old…

Hayden has had quite the baseball “career.”

The last game:

Honestly, I’ve been a bit emotional this season…not necessarily tears, but just more about savoring each baseball moment. Every at bat, every play at first, and every pitch meant something a little bit more this season.

We snapped a photo before his end of season tournament game because you just never know when the last game will be.

Hayden played first which is where you’d usually find him if he wasn’t pitching this season.

He had a couple of great hits to do what he could for his team.

Ultimately, they lost, so Saturday was the end of the season. And…we were all ok! While a win would have been nice, it just wasn’t in the cards for the Reds that day.

A few fave photos through the years…

During one of Hayden’s coach pitch seasons, the Twins won the end of the season tournament.

Lots of memories with Hadley playing on the same team, digging in the dirt, Trav coaching third base, and post-season awards.

This is one of my favorite baseball photos that my talented brother-in-law snapped after a game when Hayden was 8 (I think!)

So many at bats, so many strike outs while pitching, and so much advice from Trav through the years…

Quite a few stolen bases too!

He played through many hot summer games and usually had a smile on his face. Those games provided additional memories for us as a family, more laundry for me, and a few rings and trophies for Hayden.

It’s been an honor to watch him grow, mature, and flourish on the field.

Hayden…We are proud of you. We’ll always be your biggest fans. No one supports you like your dad or loves you like your mom.

It’s been quite the ride, and there’s nothing better than seeing your kids have fun, learn life lessons, make choices, and grow into who they are supposed to be.

If you need me, you can find me clapping for Hadley after her upcoming recital and cheering for Hayden as he runs track, cross country, and up and down the court for basketball.

See you back here tomorrow for Friday Favorites.

Friday Favorites, Kids

Friday Favorites {#115}

Posted on June 3, 2022June 2, 2022 by jgalvinwhite

Hello and Happy Friday! This week was a good one, but it was a doozy! I was busy most of the week coordinating summer school while still also managing my kids’ busy social lives and schedules. I relied heavily on my mom friends, and I’m grateful for them!

Today, I’m linking up with Andrea and Erika for this week’s Friday Favorites.

Here are my favorites from the week:

On my weekly Trader Joe’s run, I saw this candle when I checked out. I picked one up. The Mango Tangerine scent is perfect for summer.

The studio dance photos came in this week, and they are so great!

Then, the moms split the cost on some of the group photos. This is such a great group of girls.

Swim team started this week for Hadley. She had her first swim meet on Wednesday night. This is her second year in the 11-12 age group, and she’s happy to be on the older end of the age group!

She definitely found her stride (stroke?! 😆) with each race on Wednesday. She swam free, back, breast, and free relay. She got second in the breast stroke and her relay team was first! The swim meets make for late evenings, but it’s always fun to watch them swim and improve each week.

While Hadley’s been swimming, Hayden has been busy at basketball camp during the day, and baseball at night.

Tuesday night was the last regular season game, and here is lucky number 7 up to bat.

The tournament starts this weekend, and then that’s a wrap on baseball for Hayden (forever?) #sadbaseballmom

Favorite Mom Meme:

This is me pretty often but definitely this week!

Bonus Fave: Flashback Friday:

In honor of the first swim meet of the season, here’s a throwback to the kids’ first ever swim meet in 2017. Hayden “retired” in 2019, but Hadley continues to swim and loves it.

Weekly Recap:

I had a couple of posts this week. Here they are:

Life Lately

May Books

I hope you have a great weekend! See you back here next week.

Kids, Life Lately

Life Lately

Posted on May 31, 2022May 30, 2022 by jgalvinwhite

Hello there!

I hope you had a great weekend. Memorial Day always kicks off summer, but it’s an important time to remember and honor those who made the ultimate sacrifice for our freedoms.

It’s been a minute since I’ve shared a post, but today I’m getting caught up!

I’m sharing a bit of Life…lately.

A couple of weeks ago, Hadley attended a friend’s bat mitzvah, and looked so grown up!

She borrowed a dress from a friend, and then we ordered these cute shoes from Amazon. The outfit came together nicely. She had a great time with her friends.

We also had Youth Sunday at church. The kids all looked so grown up. Hayden handed out the bulletins and Hadley helped with offering.

It’s peony season at Trader Joe’s which I love!

Of course, we’ve had lots of sporting events including a recent CATS game. Travis took them, and Hadley sent me this photo. They had a great time.

Hayden was excited to get his baseball signed by a few players.

Then, we also watched my school’s baseball team the regional tournament.

We celebrated the last day of school. 6th grade seemed to fly by!

On Friday night, we went to see Top Gun Maverick.

It was SO good. I don’t know the last time I enjoyed a movie so much. I loved the nods to the first one, and we were on the edge of our seats with the action. The kids enjoyed it too.

They’ve been busy finishing up track season.

Two weekends ago they ran in a race just to get in more practice and work in speed. Then, this past Saturday, they ran in the state meet.

Both were in the 4×800 relay, but then Hadley got moved up from alternate to run the 4×400. So, Hadley ran in the first and last race of the meet. 😂 At least the weather was beautiful.

Anyway, they both did their part in they relays and ended on a high note for the season.

…and it’s officially summer. Of course, Memorial Day weekend is the most crowded, but we all went to the pool on Sunday and I had a skinny marg to kick off summer.

The kids spent a few hours there yesterday too, but I had a hair appointment and a few other errands like going to Trader Joe’s. Travis and I watched an episode of Ozark before grilling out for dinner.

With summer, I will still blog but it may be bit less…I will just see where the days take me…

Later this week, I will share the books I read in May and some Friday Favorites.

Kids, School

School’s Out…for the Summer

Posted on May 26, 2022May 25, 2022 by jgalvinwhite

Hello!

It’s official…

Yesterday, I shared the end of the school year 6th grade interview, and today I’m sharing the last day of school photos.

first day:

vs. last day…

I knew Hayden grew this year, but the proof is in this photo from yesterday!

Hayden:

First vs. Last Day of 6th Grade:

Hayden was involved in:

Cross Country
Basketball
Track
Beta Club
Wyldlife

Hadley:

First vs. Last Day of 6th Grade:

Hadley was involved in:

Dance
Track
Chorus
Wyldlife
Student Council

When your mom is a teacher…

It’s probably both a blessing and a curse to have a mom as a teacher. When the year started, I wasn’t sure what to expect in regards to communication with teachers and classwork. Their school has two teams for each grade, and my kids were on the same team. The lead teacher sent daily emails with activities, assignments, and due dates. It was so nice because they had the same teachers which meant the same assignments and due dates. I got the notifications on assignments and grades. If an assignment was flagged missing, I definitely let my kids know.

This year, I really tried to help the kids stay organized and plan their time wisely. I encouraged them to talk to their teachers, ask questions, and advocate for themselves. Bless Hadley’s heart. Every year she wants all the colored pens, sticky notes, and cute folders that Target has to offer. While she does tend to stay pretty organized, some of that falls to the wayside as a school year continues. Hayden subscribes to “shove everything in my backpack even though I have folders and binders” method of organization. Aye yai yai!

While sometimes I felt like we had to talk with them a bit too much about expectations, I also know that if we didn’t teach them these skills, then who would?

In the teaching world, we use “gradual release model” as best practice with our students. This year felt a lot like “I do” (in regards to teaching expectations and academic habits) and now we will work towards “we do” and “you do” in 7th and 8th grades. 😉I’m hoping some of these habits will roll into next year, and the kids will know how to manage their time, study, and meet deadlines with less help from Travis or myself.

The kids learned so much this year. It’s a big transition moving from elementary school with one teacher to having 8 classes in a day. Also, with 8 different teachers come a variety of expectations and procedures. They ended the first quarter at home for two weeks with Covid. That being said, both kids made the Honor Roll every quarter and their grades continued to improve throughout the year. The kids are both pretty well-rounded, and with the transition to middle school and as active as they are, I will take it.

Middle school can be a really difficult time for kids. I continue to be thankful for the community of people that it takes to keep my kids headed in the right direction. From teachers to coaches to family and parents of friends, it definitely takes a village, and I appreciate everyone’s help!

I’m going to take a few blogging days off as I finish up the odds and ends of the school year and just take a moment to decompress from the weight of the world right now.

Thanks so much for reading.

Kids, School

End of the School Year Interview: 6th Grade

Posted on May 25, 2022May 24, 2022 by jgalvinwhite

Hello! Well, we made it! Today, is the…

and the last lunch of the year is packed 😅

This year really did go by so quickly! Maybe it was because it was a “normal” year after a year and a half of non-traditional instruction. The kids really did have a great first year of middle school.

I tweaked the questions that I’ve asked them in the past in order to include a few specific middle school questions.

Hayden’s Thoughts:

What was the best part of this year? Meeting new people
Who was your favorite teacher? my Language Arts and PE teachers
What was your favorite thing to learn about this year? In Health, we learned about fitness.
What was your favorite class? PE
What is something hard you did? Math
What do you want to be when you grow up? Undecided
What was something fun that you did at school this year? Going outside during class
What is one word you would use to describe this school year? Chaotic
What was your favorite school activity and why? Being with my teammates in basketball and track
What is one thing you enjoy about middle school? Having more freedom

Mom’s Thoughts:

I’m proud of you because you persevered through obstacles and never gave up.
One of my favorite memories of you this year was: watching you run.
It’s been fun to watch you: grow as a learner and as an athlete.
Three things I love about you: your tenacity, your inquisitiveness, and your quiet leadership abilities.
You strengthened our family by: becoming more responsible and taking ownership in your learning and training.

Hadley’s Thoughts:

What was the best part of this year? Meeting new friends and walking to classes with friends.
Who was your favorite teacher? my math teacher
What was your favorite thing to learn about this year? budgeting basics in Tech Ed
What was your favorite class? Math
What is something hard you did? Writing two essays for Language Arts at once.
What do you want to be when you grow up? An elementary teacher
What was something fun that you did at school this year? Sometimes we’d have free time in class to play games or talk with friends.
What is one word you would use to describe this school year? A learning experience (more than one word…but relatable ;))
What was your favorite school activity and why? Ice cream party for track because our hard work paid off.
What is one thing you enjoy about middle school? Having eight different teachers during the day.

Mom’s Thoughts:

I’m proud of you because…you stayed true to yourself but also blossomed in a new school environment.
One of my favorite memories of you this year was: watching you dance and run.
It’s been fun to watch you: make new friends and keep your elementary friendships too.
Three things I love about you: your generosity, your inclusiveness, and your desire to try new things
You strengthened our family by: being happy, silly, and sweet.

This first year of middle school flew by! I was probably more nervous about the transition to middle school than they were. Overall, I’m proud of their academic effort as well as their willingness to spread their wings in a new school. They’ve met some great friends, continued to grow friendships, were active in clubs and sports, and took on more responsibilities at school and at home.

*As this school year wraps up, and I write this post about my kids’ year, I can’t help but think of the horrific events that unfolded at the elementary school in Uvalde, Texas yesterday. I’m absolutely heartbroken for that community and my prayers are for those who lost loved ones in this senseless act of violence.

I’m hugging my kids extra tight.

Friday Favorites, Kids

Friday Favorites {#109}

Posted on April 15, 2022April 15, 2022 by jgalvinwhite

Hello and Happy Friday! How was your week? Per usual, we had a good one, but I will say I felt like we (ME!) had to manage our time wisely and plan for every second. Besides baseball or track in the evenings most nights, both kids had tests to study for, I had some errands to run, and more.

As always, I linking up with Andrea and Erika for this week’s Friday Favorites.

Here are some favorites from the week:

I’m rewinding all the way back to the weekend.

I’ve been loving the Beachbody workouts, and I’m so glad that I purchased this subscription last summer. With so much going on, I’m still not perfect about getting workouts in, but it’s so nice to just head to the basement when I have thirty minutes to spare.

I completed the Morning Meltdown 100 program on Saturday. I very rarely did these workouts in the morning, but I really enjoyed them. Like most programs, Jericho (the head instructor) provides a mix of cardio, weights, yoga, and more.

This is the second program I’ve completed (also, Muscle Burns Fat) where it is the instructor’s first program with Beachbody. I know it may seem silly, but the last workout is always so special; they often tear up with gratitude for those who’ve joined them on their journey. I sure did get used to Jericho and her cast and I enjoyed this program.

With my mom and Gma visiting, we we out to a late lunch with my brother’s family on Saturday. I got the New Mexican Breakfast, and it was delish.

Saturday night, Travis and I went to see Black Jacket Symphony with some friends. They covered songs by Police, and it was a good time.

Hadley after church with the cherry blossoms in bloom are a favorite, for sure.

The kids loved all the Easter goodies they got from my mom and Gma. The kids thought it was fun that the baskets (that my mom made!) included edible grass.

On Monday, I tagged along with the Criminal Justice class to EKU. We toured the College of Justice, Safety, and Military Science, and it was so interesting. We ate in the food court on campus which of course high school kids thought was so cool. Chick-fil-A and Moe’s in the middle of the day was so fun for them. I love a college campus.

Hayden had two baseball games this week, and thankfully they were the earlier games.

He touched an awesome game last night which was fun.

The kids had a track meet on Wednesday. Hayden ran his first ever 3200 and then turned around and ran the 800. Hadley ran the first leg of the 4×200, and did great. It’s always so fun seeing friends from other school as well.

Favorite Kid Quote:

Due to the storms we had on Wednesday, the kids’ school didn’t have power all day yesterday. When we asked how school was, Hadley said, “It was fine. We just did paper/pencil work. Back to 2019, baby!” 🤣

Favorite Mom Meme:

This! haha Why is it so hard to open a box correctly?!

Friday Fun:

Well, I guess “fun” is all relative, but have you heard of the website http://www.typingtest.com? Someone mentioned it recently, and I checked it out.

In high school, two of my favorite classes were Keyboarding 1 and Keyboarding 2. I can’t believe those were classes, but I loved typing.

Actually, when I was in middle school, I asked for a typewriter…and it was the kind that could go back and white out errors. I swear I had friends. Why do you ask? 😆

There are one minute timed tests. I don’t want to brag, but my highest WPM score was 80 WPM on the medium test. If you try it, let me know your score!

Bonus Fave: Flashback Friday

In honor of their first track season that is currently underway, here is a pic from October 2015 which is when they ran their first ever mile for a districtwide PTA run.

They crossed the finish line together.

{Real talk: I remember at the start of the race legitimately being worried that my two kindergarteners were going to get lost during this race! I mean we just let them go! I was like, “STAY TOGETHER!” and was worried until they crossed the finish line…

…which they did…together!

This pic of them made the local Lexington magazine which is too precious!

Weekly Recap:

This week we had our Not Just a Mom link up, I shared all about my trip to Aldi, Let’s Look at date night, and then my easy Easter table for our dinner last weekend.

Here they are:

Y’all, the Aldi post was so popular on my Facebook feed. I honestly neglect that space and mostly just have it set up to share my blog posts. Anyway, that post had probably triple the number views and tons of comments that day. Who knew Aldi was so popular?!

What are your weekend plans? I’m honestly not sure what we are up to tonight and tomorrow, but we’ll celebrate Easter with family on Sunday.

I hope you have a wonderful weekend, and thanks so much for reading.

Friday Favorites, Kids

Friday Favorites {#108}

Posted on April 8, 2022April 8, 2022 by jgalvinwhite

Hello and Happy Friday! I’m so happy to see Friday.

I feel like I’m limping into the weekend. We went from 0 to 100 between last week and this week. We’ve had two late nights at the ball park and a late night on Wednesday at a cold and rainy track meet. I’m very ready for more spring like weather. Well, joke’s on me…tomorrow’s weather includes some snow flurries!

As always, I’m linking up with Andrea and Erika for this week’s Friday Favorites.

Favorites from the week:

Last weekend, I was at Trader Joe’s and this miniature bouquet of peonies were calling my name.

Last weekend, I started watching Season 2 of The Home Edit. I love this show. It’s always fun to see Clea, Joanna and their team work their magic.

This meme is relatable after watching the first few episodes.

I saw that the ladies shared this on their Instagram. What’s your Get Organized name?

I’m sentimental denim…and this isn’t wrong! It’s very hard for me to throw things away…including my jeans.

Yesterday, Clea shared that she has breast cancer and is undergoing surgery today. She was so eloquent on Instagram stories sharing her journey. Prayers for her during season of life.

I still feel new to Antique Candle Co candles, but I couldn’t pass up the Country Pear scent being on sale. It arrived this past weekend and smells amazing.

Reading has been another favorite recently. I read two books over break. Both were good, but I cried until I had a headache at the end of Pack Up the Moon. I will share both books and whatever else I read this month in my April What I’ve Been Reading post.

The neighborhood kids playing outside was definitely a favorite of the week. Everyone seemed kind of scattered for Spring Break but by Sunday my driveway was full of kids playing basketball and running around. It made my heart so happy.

On Sunday, instead of having a slow cooker dinner (I saved that for Monday), we grilled out since the weather was so nice. The cousins were over and playing with the neighborhood kids, so we decided to make an easy dinner to enjoy outside.

Baseball Boo is back! Hayden had his first game of the season on Tuesday. He looks so cute in his uniform.

Tuesday was soggy, but the rain cleared just in time for the late night game. They played in the cold under the lights, and Hayden was the starting pitcher. It was fun to see him back out there.

The kids’ first middle school track meet was another favorite. The weather for the meet was miserable with a capital M. Mis-er-able. It rained all day long, but they still had the meet.

Let me tell you who loves a track meet…even in the rain. Travis White.

(not kidding) Here is his setting his watch before one of the kid’s races.

I texted him during the day because I’d seen the email from the coaches about wearing black under their uniforms, and he responded that he’d laid everything out and packed bags (snacks, rain gear, extra shoes, etc) during his lunch. This is his skillset, and I am here for it.

I love watching them participate, and I think it’s so fun that they are doing this together.

They both ran the third leg of the 4×800 in the pouring rain.

Then Hayden ran the 1600 and Hadley the 400. They both did an awesome job considering it was their first meet, they were running with 7th and 8th graders, and the weather was horrible.

Hadley said, “I love track!…I’d love it more if it wasn’t raining, but I loooove track.” The best!

Like cross country, I think track teams have so much fun together supporting one another and growing and improving with each and every race.

Favorite Kid Quote:

Travis was telling Hayden about the importance of having a pre-race routine. I said, “Routines are good. Help you stay focused…in life, school, workouts, etc…” Hadley said, “Yeah, like I have a nighttime skin care routine which is important.” 🤣 (She is in the bathroom no less than 22 minutes every night…*sigh*)

Favorite Mom Meme:

OMG…especially at bedtime.

Bonus Fave: Flashback Friday:

I’m feeling pretty sentimental this baseball season. This is Hayden’s 12-year-old season, and may be his last baseball season (for now? forever?). As the kids get older, it’s time to start making choices, and I do think Hayden’s main focus will be on running in the fall and the spring. We’ll see. With anything, we just want him to have fun, do his best, and know that we will always support him.

Here he is as a 4-year-old before his first ever t-ball game:

….and he had the best teammate: his sister!

Weekly Recap:

I was busy posting this week! It was a good week of this and that: some quick meals, Amazon purchases, Easter decor, and all the details on our few days in Asheville last week.

Not Just a Mom:

On Monday, the Not Just a Mom crew is hosting our monthly link up.

This month’s topic is: What’s For Lunch

If you’re a blogger, we’d love to have you join us for the link up.

What are your weekend plans? Due to more rain and even colder temps than Wednesday, tonight’s track meet is cancelled. Honestly, we don’t have much on our agenda, and I couldn’t be happier!

See you back here on Monday.

Thanks for reading,

Friday Favorites, Kids

Friday Favorites {#99}

Posted on February 4, 2022February 4, 2022 by jgalvinwhite

Hello! Well, this week was definitely different. Monday-Wednesday I was in charge of our Extended School Services program for tutoring and credit recovery after school. That meant I didn’t get home from school most days until 7:00.

Then, we had an NTI day yesterday due to the incoming ice storm. All day, we got tons of cold rain, and no ice. That being said, the temps went below freezing after dinner, so freezing rain and sleet began to tap on the windows. Snow may even round out the storm.

As always, I’m linking up with Andrea and Erika for this week’s Friday Favorites.

With the hectic pace of life lately, I’m trying to acknowledge the small favorites in each day. So here we go…

Friday:

We’ve had quite the winter and last Friday evening we got the prettiest snowfall.

Saturday:

Hayden had a basketball game on Saturday, and it was a close one! His team came out on top, and they were excited to get the win.

Sunday:

We are still trying to bounce back from the Chiefs loss on Sunday (and it’s a little rough living so close to Bengals territory! 🤪). That being said, Homer was in the football spirit on Sunday!

…and I still say we have the cutest Chiefs fans.

I hope they have lots of memories cheering fro KC sports together!

Monday:

I was really bringing my “A game” at the beginning of the week, and made Shay’s Turkey Tortilla Soup in the slow cooker. I didn’t get home from school until 7, so it was nice to have this delicious soup waiting for us for dinner.

Tuesday:

On Tuesday, the kids brought home their Honor Roll certificates for last quarter. We’re really proud of their effort!

Hayden’s was all crumpled in his backpack which is a step above last quarter when he threw it away rather than show me the certificate. Hadley’s was nice and neat in her binder which is about the only things she has organized.

Wednesday:

How sweet is this photo? Hadley was so excited because she gets to help at cousin Layla’s dance class this semester. Hadley said her favorite part was that the little kids just randomly come up and give hugs!

Thursday:

After three long days of work, I was happy to have a low key day at home for NTI. Even better was finding my Girl Scout cookie order on my doorstep in the afternoon.

This is the first year in six years that Hadley didn’t sell cookies. I’m happy to support the other troops, and we all have our favorite cookies.

The new cookie this year is the Adventureful cookie. It’s so good.

Favorite Kid Quote(s):

Both the kids had their funny moments this week.

Favorite Hayden Quotes:

Upon hearing the Tom Brady news, Hayden said, “Well, it’s time. He’s basically dad’s age and playing with 25 year olds!” When I said it must be hard to walk away from the game after so many years, Hayden continued with, “See ya, Tom! Mom, do you know how many times Tom has broken my heart?!”

Also, last Saturday, Travis was out of town and Hadley was at a friend’s for the night.

Hayden was saying goodnight to Homer and he said, “Mom, I read somewhere that dogs sometimes yawn when they are stressed.” I said, “Oh really?” He followed up with, “Homer yawns around Hadley a lot.” 🤣

Hadley Quote:

Hadley is always more helpful to Hayden than he is to her. She offered to get him dessert one evening this week.

As she handed him his bowl of ice cream, she said, “Here you go peasant.” 😆 That must be a vocab word this week!

Favorite Mom Meme:

This made me laugh out loud. There are so many nights I don’t want to cook dinner, but I do so anyway.

Between chain supply issues and our ongoing winter weather, the grocery store has been hit or miss. I’m so happy if there are at least substitutions!

Bonus Fave: Flashback Friday:

How about this sweet snow day pic from 2013?

Weekly Recap:

I had a few posts this week including the books I read in January, a few Amazon purchases, and my Valentine’s Day decor.

What I’ve Been Reading

PRime Purchases

Valentine’s DAy Decor

To wrap up today’s post…my favorites for today include that fact that we have a good old fashioned snow day and the Olympics start!

I hope wherever you are, that you stay safe and warm! See you back here on Monday.

Thanks so much for reading.

Friday Favorites, Holidays, Kids

Friday Favorites {#94}

Posted on December 17, 2021December 16, 2021 by jgalvinwhite

Hello and Happy Friday! Well, we made it to the end of the week!

Today is the best kind of Friday…the last day of school before a two week break!

I’m linking up with Andrea and Erika for this week’s Friday Favorites.

The kids both had a very busy Saturday last weekend. Hayden had his last club cross country race of the season, and Hadley’s dance studio had their Winter Showcase.

I missed Hadley’s first performance trying to get to Hayden’s cross country meet, but I was able to make it to her second performance. My mom was in town, and was able to see both her grand daughters’ performances.

Hadley performed in both a ballet and competition jazz routine.

Hayden was supposed to run at 11:00, but the race got pushed back to 12:30 due to the storms. I thought I could watch Hayden run, and then make it to Hadley’s second performance, so I tried to do both. Well, it’s a forty-five minute drive, and Travis warned me about the long line of traffic to park. Right as I reached the mile long line of cars, it started to rain again. Travis texted me that the race got pushed back again to 1:15. So, I drove all that way just to turn around in order to make it to Hadley’s performance.

This was a USATF National race with top runners from throughout the country…and these were the running conditions:

While I know Hayden didn’t finish where he wanted to, he still ran a great race. He gave it his all which is all we can ask for from our kids.

My mom was visiting, and brought the kids these hot chocolate bombs which, of course, were a favorite.

Then, they helped her bake cookies. This is definitely a favorite Christmas tradition.

On Sunday, my brother and sister-in-law hosted us for an early Christmas dinner.

The kids were excited to open some gifts! My mom was able to stay a couple of extra days and help with school drop off, pick up, schoolwork, and was able to see my nephew’s Christmas performance too.

Homer welcoming us home is always a favorite. He’s been such a good boy this year with the trees and ornaments.

Wednesday night, we were able to carry on with another favorite tradition. We drove through the Southern Lights at the Horse Park. I love this tradition, and it was the perfect night to see the lights.

Red has been back in action at our house…

He hasn’t been getting into too much trouble.

Hayden brought home this ornament he made in art class. The wooden Santa belt is the perfect addition to our tree.

Usually, I share a “favorite mom meme,” but this one seems fitting right now as a teacher:

Weekly Recap:

I was a busy bee blogger this week. There are my posts:

NJAM: Holiday Movies

Day in the Life on Insta

Holiday Home tour

This or that: Christmas Edition

What are your plans this weekend? Hayden has a basketball game, I have a friend’s birthday party, and we hope to make time to let the kids shop for their gifts for each other!

Thanks so much for reading,