How was your week? I’m not going to lie…this one felt like a doozy…so I’m definitely feeling TGIF!
As always, I’m linking up with Andrea and Erika for this week’s Friday Favorites.
Here are some favorites from the week:
Easter fun!…
…and a lovely Easter church service.
…followed by a great Easter lunch!
My mom visited us for about a week, and she was able to see a couple of track meets and a couple of my nephew’s baseball games. Plus, it was Easter weekend. She also helped by taking Hadley to her PT appointment, and even took the kids to school a couple of the days. It was a nice visit.
While she was here, we played Play Nine, and then Hayden randomly wanted to play BINGO. I think he has a future at church halls and senior living centers! He was very good at calling out the numbers.
Hayden and I went to my nephew’s baseball game on Monday night. I miss the baseball days! It was a fun game to watch and my nephew did a great job.
We’re making progress on our hall bathroom! The guy doing the work is our neighbor, and the hold up isn’t him! We’ve done a bad job with our ordering timeline. The shower tile finally came in, and he got a start on it yesterday. Our vanity should be in soon, and we have someone coming to do the wallpaper (I think!) early next week.
The track season continues…The kids ran on Tuesday night, and both of them ran well. Hayden’s fastest 1600m time is 4:47, and he’s been chasing his 4:40 goal. I know he’s been frustrated, and Tuesday night, he ran lights out! I haven’t seen him run so confidently or so smoothly in quite a while…and he ran 4:40, placing 3rd! He had a big smile on his face.
Hadley ran the 200 and 400 and was close to her standard times, even winning her 400 heat and coming in 4th overall. She’s still going to PT for her calf, so I think she was pleased with her runs and it had been a couple of weeks since she’s raced.
Travis was excited to start this new Netflix docu-series about horse racing and the races leading up to the 2024 Derby. We’ve watched the first couple of episodes, and he knows/is acquaintances with some of the guys. One of his clients provided some commentary in the episodes we’ve watched. I’m sure we’ll keep watching this series when we have time.
Have you seen the “send later” feature on your texts?
Screenshot
This has come so handy for me. At 6:00, when I’m sipping my coffee, I usually try to get my day in order and often think about texting the carpool or other people I need to respond to, but don’t want to do so that early in the morning. So, I’ve been creating some of the texts and then scheduling them for 8 or 9 in the morning. I really appreciate this feature right now!
Favorite Mom Meme:
Ok, Hadley really isn’t a diva like this, but this one still seemed kind of relatable, and I did chuckle!
Weekly Recap:
Here are my posts this week; I always appreciate my blog readers!
How is it already Friday? I feel like this week flew by which is actually just what I needed. After a busy weekend last weekend, this upcoming one isn’t too over-scheduled!
As always, I’m linking up with Andrea and Erika for this week’s Friday Favorites.
Here are some favorites from the week:
Track is in full swing, and Hayden had a race in Bardstown, KY last Friday night. We left as soon as we could after school to make it in time. While Hayden didn’t have a PR, he ran a fast race and placed 8th overall. It was SO windy that I think the runners felt like the were running into the wind no matter which direction they rean. The first lap around the track, I didn’t even recognize him. He looks so much older all of the sudden!
After his race, we drove to Louisville for the night, and stayed at Trav’s mom’s house. Hadley had to be at volleyball in Louisville at 7:30 AM. Her team played well overall and made it to the gold bracket on Sunday.
While the early call time was brutal, she was finished playing around noon. We went out to lunch with Trav’s mom and sisters before heading back to Lex. Boomtown Kitchen was good…the spinach artichoke dip was delish…so good that I ordered the grilled cheese that had the dip on it as well. I had half for lunch and then half for dinner that night.
Saturday night, Hayden and a friend went to he NCAA basketball games that were at Rupp. He saw Auburn play Creighton and then Tennessee played UCLA.
They had some good seat, and Travis picked them up at halftime of the second game which was close to 11:00. I was in bed. haha
After Hadley’s games on Sunday, we tried “Swig” in Louisville. I’d heard of it, but didn’t know all the details. They have lots of soda mixes. I had the “Texas Tab” which is Dr. Pepper + vanilla + coconut cream. It was delish.
Hadley slept most of the ride home on Sunday. We were all beat. It was a long but good weekend of volleyball.
Tuesday was the first outdoor track meet of the season. The kids looked nice in their new school warm-ups…but we needed a bit more clothing to stay warm once the sun went down.
They both had a great first meet. Hadley had a PR in the 400m, and Hayden’s 4×800 relay team placed first.
I’m not much for body spray, but picked up this Sweetest Song scent when Hadley and I went to Bath and Body a couple of weeks ago. I keep it in my purse, and it’s been nice to have on hand if I feel like I need a refresh.
I’ve seen many influencers share Colleen Rothschild products, and when Jen Reed shared this tinted eye cream, I bought it. It’s reasonable priced, a little goes a long way, and I like the lightness of it. I’ve applied it after I finish up my make-up.
I had to order a few school supplies to get me through the rest of the school year, and these paper clips were just what I needed. How cute are they?
Speaking of cute, my new Easter towels from the Target dollar spot are super cute. I hope to put out the rest of my Easter decor (just a few things!) this weekend.
Yesterday was the opening day for baseball, and the Royals had their first game. Hayden has had this date “circled on the calendar” for quite some time. I hope the “boys in blue” have a better year than the outcome of yesterday’s game. Oh well…plenty of ball left in the season.
New Fave Influencer:
I’ve been following Athena (@lightandlifestyled) on Instagram for a few weeks, and she’s a fun one to follow. I love her day in the life reels and her outfits are too cute.
Favorite Recipe:
I tried this recipe this week and it was a 10/10 as they say. Bonus was that I had leftovers that I could take for lunch yesterday and today.
A few tweaks I made were:
I did two pounds of ground turkey because where does the ground turkey go when you cook it? I feel like a pound doesn’t amount to much. haha
I put the chopped zucchini in the skillet with the ground turkey for the last couple of minutes of sauteing.
I cooked some Trader Joe’s Jasmine rice and added that to the casserole dish when I added in the ground turkey and mixed everything together before the final amount of baking time.
Besides shredded Parm, I also added some shredded to Mozz to the top of the casserole too.
Enjoy!!
Favorite Mom Meme:
You know as soon as I sit down, someone says, “Moommm. Will you come here?!”
Bonus Fave: Flashback Friday:
When a new season of Royals baseball starts, I always think of the 2014 and 2015 seasons. Winning the World Series in 2015 was so fun…and these kids were so little! Hopefully, they won’t have to wait too much longer for a World Series championship.
Typically, this would be our final day before spring break…but we still have one week left! I’m not sure why our calendar is different this year, but check on your teacher friends who haven’t had spring break yet! We’re barely hanging on.
I hope you are having a great week. Today, I’m sharing a Thursday Thoughts post.
On the WordPress app, they usually post a daily prompt and this one struck a chord with me the second I saw it:
Describe a phase in life that was difficult to say goodbye to.
I immediately thought of the kids’ elementary years. Starting in kindergarten, I knew from the start to treasure that phase of life for them. While I know I’m blessed with two kids, having two at once just makes it feel like time moves that much quicker. And…I feel like I don’t get to experience certain phases of life and milestones again since we don’t have a third. There was one first day of kindergarten. There was one 3rd grade zoo field trip. There was one Dr. Seuss “Cat in the Hat” performance. So, I always made it a priority to help with the class parties, take a personal day to go on the field trip, buy them too many books at the book fair and more.
After elementary school, the “magic” of school and learning seems to slip away a little bit more every year. Also, there just aren’t field trips, field day, chorus concerts, class parties and all the other special events that elementary school provides.
The kids made so many memories during those years, formed friendships, learned so much and had so much fun. So many of their core values and experiences that shaped them as learners and little humans happened in the classrooms in that building.
Covid put an end to that. They went home on Friday, March 13, 2020, finished their 4th grade year on Zoom/Google Classroom, spent most of 5th grade doing work at home or at the neighborhood “pod” of classmates. They went back to school wearing masks on March 3, 2021 but with plexi-glass around their desks as an attempt to minimize germs. Their 5th grade graduation was held in the gym, but no family could attend. Instead, we watched at home via the live stream.
I’m so thankful the kids were celebrated and were together with their classes, but it would have been nice to have the option of an outdoor ceremony or even a limit of two family members per student.
I know the administrators were making the best decision at the time, and I’m grateful for technology to still “be there” for the special milestone.
Registering for Kindergarten:
First day of K:
Last day of 5th grade:
{I must admit that I did love being at home with them during the online school days. I’m blessed that I could be home with them thanks to my job as a teacher too. I was never a stay at home mom (besides in the summer), and (mostly) loved helping them with their school work and having some extra free time with them…but I do think we were out of school for entirely too long! We all should have headed back to the classroom sooner.}
I will always look back fondly on their elementary school years.
We owe a lot to those teachers and that school. It’s bittersweet that we didn’t have the proper goodbye.
How was your week? We had a good one with a couple of evenings with nothing on the agenda! What is this life?!
As always, I’m linking up with Andrea and Erika for this week’s Friday Favorites.
Here are some favorites from the week:
Hadley kicked off the weekend at a friend’s birthday party. Then, we all had an early wake-up call on Saturday morning for her volleyball tournament.
Our team mom and her daughter made these cute clothes pins that girls could use to clip on other players’ bags in the tournament. I thought this was such a cute idea and a great way to spread positivity.
The Kendrick Lamar one made me chuckle.
One of the dads brought his camera and took some awesome pics. I just love watching Hadley play, and these photos are priceless.
They are a sweet team who have fun playing together. They won their bracket on Sunday, so they ended the weekend on a high note.
On Saturday, Hayden went to the UK basketball game, and he had some time on the court before the game. So fun!
Remember my banana situation from last week?
While I was able to give a few bundles away, I did save one to make chocolate chip banana bread which was a nice mid-week treat.
Yesterday was a family affair in Louisville supporting Hadley at the indoor state meet. She qualified to run the 400m race, and we were there to cheer her on. She was one of three freshmen to qualify, and I know she was nervous. She ran a 2 second PR and had a smile on her face afterwards. We were so proud of her!
Yesterday, I shared all about what I’ve been wearing lately, and I love my new SSYS leggings.
I added a few new book trackers to my Instagram highlight. I really enjoy making those! If you use them, feel free to tag me. I’d love to see what you’re reading.
Favorite Recipe:
I tried a new dinner recipe this week: Green Chile Chicken Enchiladas…This recipe made enough for us to have them for dinner two nights! They were delish.
Favorite Mom Meme:
OMG! This is Hadley! After I shower, I can’t wait to put on my PJs…and she just sits around in her robe with her hair in a towel while scrolling her phone. It drives me crazy. haha
Weekly Recap:
Here are my posts from the week in case you missed one:
We have our monthly Share Our Lives link up on Monday. This month’s topic is…day in the life…an average day. We’d love to have you join us.
Y’all…do you know what I have going on this weekend? Absolutely nothing! There are no kids’ activities and nothing else really on our schedule either. I’d love sleep in, binge watch a favorite show and get caught up with my life…haha! I might just have the time to do that this weekend.
Wow! It’s already the last Wednesday of the month! February sure has flown by!
It’s been a minute since I’ve linked up with Sheaffer and Shay, but that’s what I’m doing today for…
What We’re Eating This Week:
Here’s what we’re eating this week:
Sunday: We had frozen pizza and leftover Fazolis from the night before. We got home late from Louisville after Hadley’s volleyball tournament, so we just worked with what we had at home.
Monday: I made theBubble Up Pizzaagain. This time, I added sausage to the pepperoni. This was a hit when I made it last week, and I just needed another quick meal on Monday. We had bagged salad and Cuties along with our pizza.
Tuesday: I tried this new Mexican Chicken Casserole recipe, and it was delish. The kids gave it two thumbs up. I served it over rice.
Wednesday:A tried and true fave is thisSausage Tortellini soup.
Thursday: We’ll see what we have leftover. If I need to make something, we’ll have a quick breakfast for dinner.
Friday and Saturday: We’ll probably eat out or order out.
And , apparently, lots of bananas this week…long story short is that I placed a delivery order for Sunday, so we’d have a few things to start the week. We were in Louisville for volleyball, so Hayden put the groceries away. When we got back, he said, “Mom, why did you buy so many bananas?” I turned around to see quite the banana haul!
When Hadley added bananas to the order, she didn’t choose six single bananas…Instead, we got six bundles of bananas! Of course, we’ll use some breakfast, snacks and smoothies, but this is still quite a lot of bananas.
So, I took some to school and shared the wealth! Maybe someone will be banana bread and share a slice with me?!
Tuesday night dinner:
What I’m Reminiscing About:
Well, I’m not reminiscing too far back, but my kids are already choosing their classes for their sophomore year. I feel like they were just picking their freshman, and now they only have three months left of their freshman year!
They’ve really thrived this year, and it’s been so fun to watch.
What I’m Loving:
I always snag the body butter at Trader Joe’s in the summer, and then the candy cane one during the holiday months. When I was at TJ last week, I saw this one, and picked it up. It’s so good! I guess I’ll use body butter year round now.
What We’ve Been Up To:
Well, we had more snow, but not as much as in January!
I was fighting a sinus infection over Valentine’s Day, but the night before we had heart shaped chicken nuggets for dinner, and then we gave the kids a few things for Valentine’s Day.
Unfortunately, Hayden had the flu last week, but we had a couple of NTI days due to snow. So, while I hated that he was sick, he missed two online days and one day of school rather than three full days of school.
Last weekend, Hadley was a busy girl. Friday night, she ran her first race of the track season. Due to volleyball obligations, she missed the first couple of indoor meets, but she ran the 400m Friday night. She was so nervous leading up to the race….so nervous! This was her first 400m race of her high school career, and she won her heat!!…and came in 4th overall. When she was finished, she was so happy!
Saturday and Sunday we were in Louisville for her volleyball tournament. On Saturday, the girls played ok, but they did awesome on Sunday. They are a fun team to watch, and I’m glad they ended the tournament on a high note.
I’ve had “closet purge” on my to do list since after Christmas…and on a whim last week when I had a little bit of time at home, I purged enough to donate five bags of clothes! It was such a good feeling to get rid of what I haven’t been wearing and have a bit more space and organization in my closet.
What I’m Dreading:
Honestly, nothing comes to mind as something I dread. I guess that’s a good thing!
Actually, I take that back….I have an Old Navy return…and that place makes my blood boil. I swear it doesn’t matter if there are ten people in line or two, I’m always in line for twenty minutes.
What I’m Excited About:
Spring! This week, the sun has been shining, and we’ve had temps in the upper 50’s. I think today’s high is close to 70! It’s been so nice!
What I’m Watching/Reading:
Thanks to Amy‘s recommendation, I started watching Younger on Netflix. I’d heard of the show when it was originally on, but never watched it. I’m on season 3, and I really like it! The episodes are short, and it’s an easy show to binge.
I’m late sharing about the books I read in February, and I hope to share them next week. I’m currently reading The Underground Library, and I’m really enjoying it!
What I’m Listening To:
Three of the books I read in February were actually audio books. Again, I will share more next week.
This week, I did start listening to Brooke Shields’ latest book…and I’m not sure if I will continue. I guess I knew the book was about aging, but I don’t know…she’s already thrown a lot of stats my way, and I’m just not into math at the moment. haha
What I’m Wearing:
My favorite place to get my clothes continues to be SSYS. Amazon typically rounds out my closet these days.
The SSYS “shacket” is a popular piece that is an SSYS label piece and it’s been sold on and off the past couple of years. I purchased one, and when it first arrived, I wasn’t sure if it was for me. Well, I wore it once, and now it’s a “go to” item for me. I’ve worn it plenty with leggings, but I’ve also worn it to school with a black pants and a cute blouse.
Last week, I wore it with my favorite over-sized Amazon shirt…I have it in gray and blue!
What I’m Doing This Weekend:
This weekend, Hadley has another volleyball tournament, so that will take up most of our weekend.
I do hope to finish out my clothing purge as I need to go through my dresser drawers and make one more donate pile.
What I’m Looking Forward to Next Month:
It’s March which means spring break is right around the corner which leads to the downhill slide to summer!! Also, I’m looking forward to the outdoor track season for the kids. It will be fun to see what they accomplish!
How was your week? Ours was odd with a snow day on Tuesday. That meant that Wednesday felt like a Monday again! And, I’m still battling my cold which I think is now officially a sinus infection. I’m hoping this is the end of the sickness at my house!
As always, I’m linking up with Erika and Andrea for this week’s Friday Favorites.
Here are some favorites from the week.
On Saturday, Hayden had his second indoor mile race of the season, and he ran a PR of 4:47.
While Hayden was running, Hadley was playing in a sand volleyball tournament with her friends.
Last Thursday, I (finally) put out a few Valentine’s Day decorations. My Valentine’s Day decor doesn’t really change from year to year, but this little heart vase and flowers were a cute addition to my kitchen island tray. The Hershey Kisses don’t last very long!
On Sunday, Hadley and about ten friends had a Galentine’s Day party. One of her friends hosted and was sweet to ask her to come.
They had lots of fun hanging out, having a few snacks and making their own floral bouquets.
Sunday evening, we went to my brother’s house for the Super Bowl. Obviously, the outcome wasn’t a favorite, but we’re lucky to say it’s a tradition to watch the Chiefs in the Super Bowl these past few years.
Win or lose, getting a cookie cake is a favorite tradition too.
All smiles…before the game! haha
My mom gave me this belated birthday card. My favorite ladies!
…and a belated birthday gift. She has this butter dish from Crate and Barrel. I thought it was neat and pretty, so she gave me one too!
Valentine’s Day Card:
The Valentine’s Day card for family continues. This is a fun tradition through the years.
Favorite Mom Meme:
This…#accurate
Favorite Teacher Memes:
As a teacher, I thought these next two graphics are very relatable for me.
Bonus Fave: Flashback Friday:
I will always share these pics of my little Valentines…
How was your week? Ours was another full week, and we’ve definitely gotten back into a school/sports groove, finally. Unfortunately, Trav had the flu and was sick all week. It hit him hard, but I think he’s finally turned a corner.
As always, I’m linking up with Andrea and Erika for this week’s Friday Favorites.
Here are some favorites from the week:
In honor of Ground Hog’s Day, this meme made me laugh…I wish I could relate to it a bit less. haha
Last weekend, we went to Gatlinburg, TN for Hadley’s volleyball tournament. Trav and Hayden tagged along as well. After school, we headed to G-burg, and then Hadley’s team had three games Saturday afternoon and evening.
It was nice having some down time on Saturday morning…we had breakfast at the hotel, Hadley slept in, Trav and Hayden went for a run, and I went for a walk. Then, we headed to Rocky Top Sports World for the games.
The girls went 2-1 in pool play…
…making it to the gold bracket games on Sunday.
…they came in third in the gold bracket, and won a bronze medal. As always, it was fun watching them play.
Saturday night, one mom ordered a bunch of pizzas and the girls and parents hung out in the lobby while watching the UK vs Arkansas game. This was a big game because UK’s former coach, Coach Cal, is at Arkansas now. Hayden watched the game in the room but came down for pizza at halftime. He started to watch the second half with us, but got frustrated and went back to the room.
Unfortunately, UK lost, but we did have a great evening hanging out.
I made a few more February book trackers. They’re saved in a highlight on my Instagram. If you use them, feel free to tag me, and I’ll share! (To use them, you just hold the story down and screen shot the book tracker. Then, you upload it and add a pic of your book to the book tracker and publish it in your story!)
I should have shared this Target sweatshirt sooner! The gingham heart is so cute. I’ve worn it quite a few times in the past month, and I will of course wear it next week on Valentine’s Day. There are a few sizes left.
How cute is this cherry heart sweatshirt? There are a lot of size options left. This “love” one is precious too!
This never happens, but we were down to one hand soap (and I always have one in both of the upstairs bathrooms and one in the kitchen), so I popped into Bath and Body Works yesterday. I took advantage of the 5 for $27 hand soap deal. The “foaming” soap is my preference, so I stocked up.
While I was there, this “book loft” candle caught my eye. Three wick candles were $14.95, so I went ahead and got it. I prefer single wick candles as they aren’t overpowering, but I loved the title and scent of this one. It really does smell so good. It’s a very clean and subtle scent.
Favorite Mom Meme:
*not me fussing at Hayden yesterday when we needed to leave for school*
Well, another day, another snow day. With the frigid temps and still snow packed roads, we have another snow day today. My district has called off for tomorrow as well. In all my years teaching, I don’t think I’ve ever had a three week winter break!
I love a snow day…not so much five straight…but I guess we take what we can get.
Snow days with the kids through the years have been fun. It’s nice not waking up early and then just easing into the day. Today, I’m going to take a look back on snow days through the years.
First things first, I always put out my “Let it Snow!” garden flag after Christmas. I put mine out on Saturday, and Sunday is when we got our first round of snow. Maybe it’s a lucky charm?!
Obviously, in the various stages of the kids’ lives snow days have looked different. When they were little, they wouldn’t necessarily sleep in. We’d hang out at home, watch shows, play inside and kind of just have a chill day. Sometimes, we’d go outside for a few minutes.
As the kids have gotten older, they sleep in, go sledding with friends, and lounge around. I will say, at this point in our extra week of break, the kids have gone to the gym a few times (me too!) to get out of the house and have some sort of routine.
Snowman Pancakes:
No matter if the kids were five or fifteen, the first snow day of the season calls for snowman pancakes. Last year, our first day off was due to below zero temps, and I still made the pancakes. While we usually have at least two to three snow days a year, you just never know.
I’m not sure where I saw this idea, and I’m not even sure when I started making the snowman pancakes, but for sure once the kids started kindergarten.
Just last week, when I went to the grocery store to stock up on whatever we needed, I almost forgot to buy bacon and M&M’s as they aren’t always on my grocery list. I usually make sure I have my snowman pancake ingredients in early January.
Bundled Up:
There are stages of parenthood that I’m sad when we move on…the kids needing my help getting ready to go out in the snow or even going out in the cold with them…those stages I don’t miss!! Of course, they still need my help finding gloves…and maybe even a car ride to a sledding hill, but at least I don’t have to stand in the cold and snow with them. We’re like “call us when you need picked up!”
Here are a few bundled up in the snow pics…
January 2012 was the first time they were out in the snow. Hayden with his paci – OMG. I do remember we weren’t out there but a minute…they weren’t fans of the snow.
These pics are from 2014, and they are the last ones in our old neighborhood. We lived by a park, and we’d gone to walk around a bit and burn of some energy.
The froggy hats — I can’t!
2015 was the first winter in our new house. We had a huge tree in our front yard…and the only time it looked pretty was in the winter. haha
The froggy hats stuck around for a few years…
Looking older in 2016…and still loving the snow.
Trav’s brother took this pic of Hadley as she was trying to fog up his car window. It’s one of my fave pics.
2016 was a harsh winter, and we were off school for quite some time (maybe like we have been this year?)…and the kids were going stir crazy. Me too!
A snow day in 2017…
Snow day 2018…which was…
…my most expensive snow day…after the pic above, the kids got braces that afternoon.
Straight teeth on a snow day in 2019!
2020…
Sledding and Fun with Friends:
The first time the kids went sledding was the winter of our last year in our old house. I can’t remember where we got this red metal saucer, but we had it for years. The kids had lots of fun.
I love this sweet pic.
In 2016, the kids had lots of fun sledding with their cousins.
Sledding with friends in 2017.
More sledding fun in 2018.
This 2021 pre-sledding pic is always a fave. The colorful sleds in the white snow. This was the age where the kids were definitely more independent and going off to have fun with their friends.
We got tons of snow in 2022 which made for great sledding weather.
As the kids of gotten older, of course I have taken less pics. Hadley went sledding with some friends last year. Hayden, I’m sure did too.
Snow much fun:
Through the years, the kids made a few snowmen…
…and made a few snow angels.
Snow Ice Cream:
We don’t make snow cream every year, but when we do, it’s always delish. Last year, Hayden and friends made some.
It turned out pretty good.
Making snow cream is a fun memory from my childhood. We haven’t made any this week, but maybe this weekend when we get some fresh snow.
Homer:
Part Husky Homer loves the snow. I can tell he’s getting older (and more mature?!) as he doesn’t hang out outside as long as he used to. He will go burn off some energy in the backyard which is funny to watch.
The kids with Homer in 2021…
…and 2022.
He’s a handsome boy!
NTI:
Since Covid, we’ve had NTI days as an option. NTI stands for “non-traditional instruction” and the kids have online assignments.
This week, we haven’t used any NTI days since so many were without power Tuesday/Wednesday. Also, elementary school teachers weren’t instructed to send Chromebooks home before break, so that level of students wouldn’t have access to online instruction.
Like I said in yesteday’s post, I’m not sure what the plan will be for making the days up. We might not have to make them all up. Who knows?!
This week, the kids have slept in and hung out at home. They went sledding a couple of days, and I made them the snowman pancakes on Tuesday.
Whether the kids are big or small, as the snow days have continued, we head out to lunch to get out of the house. Sometimes, we’ll go see a movie, or I will force them to play a game with me!
It’s not often that Travis is home with us on a snow day. It takes pretty bad weather for him to not go into the office. That being said, his farm didn’t have power Monday/Tuesday, so he was home. He went back to work yesterday but is home again today due to no power at the farm again. He can work from home pretty easily. Let’s just say that he doesn’t know how to be lazy on a snow day…tries to kill our vibe. 😂
Today, is actually a teacher work day for us to make up for Monday. I’ve been getting up around 8:30-9 this past week, so I need to set an alarm for the 9:00 Zoom faculty meeting! Then, we have a work day. We can work from home or go to school. My plan is to work on my To Kill a Mockingbird lesson plans to pick up where we left off once we do return to school.
I hope everyone is staying warm. Also, I’ve been thinking about the wildfires in California. My heart goes out to those who have lost their home and for the brave first responders battling those fires. Two of Trav’s clients lost their home completely. I can’t even imagine going through that.
I treat this blog as a journal of sorts, and I like to capture the big and little moments in our family.
Like he did in middle school, once high school cross country season wrapped up, Hayden started his club season. He continued training and ran two races in November.
LW Memorial Distance Festival:
Hayden’s club puts on the Lloyd White Memorial Distance Festival in honor of Trav’s dad. The club director is our nephew who is a professional runner and trains runners throughout Kentucky.
This was the fourth year for this race, and there were 150 more runners than last year’s race. It’s been fun to see this race grow through the years.
There have been years where it was frigid, but this evening was pretty nice.
All the fam waiting for Hayden’s race.
I’m proud of Hayden as he asked to be put in a faster heat to be pushed a bit. This was his first 3200 as a high schooler.
My action pictures aren’t the best. Usually we watch from the stands, but we were down on the field by the track to take a family picture after Hayden’s race.
Thankfully, there was a professional photographer on site!
Hayden ran an amazing race. He ran :56 seconds faster than his last 3200 as an 8th grader. He was really happy with his run!
We snapped a quick whole family pic right as the girl’s race started. It turned out really nice. I know Trav’s dad is proud of all of his kids are grandkids!
Since Hayden was in a good mood after his race, we got some pictures. haha
…with his cousin/coach, Trav, and Mamaw!
Our tradition after the race is to eat at Boombozz pizza near campus and then head back to Lex.
Once we were home, I got a pic of Hayden in his Lloyd White race shirt. He was a tired but happy kid!
Foot Locker South Regional Race:
There are four regional Foot Locker races, and this year, Hayden ran in the south region race in Charlotte, NC.
Due to Hurricane Helene, the highway that’s the more direct route to Charlotte was inaccessible, so we had to go a different route. Since the goal was for him to run the course on Friday for a workout and to get familiar with the course, we left on Thursday after Thanksgiving in Louisville in order to be there with time to spare..
We left our house around 6:00 and drove to Beckley, WV. We arrived at our hotel around 9:00 and settled in for the night.
The next morning, we headed out around 9:00, and drove the rest of the way to Charlotte.
After we got settled in our hotel, Travis and Hayden went to the course. Hadley saw the mall next door, and wanted to use her Sephora gift card that was burning a hole in her pocket!
We walked around the outdoor shopping center before making our way to the mall.
Shew! It was busy (obviously!), but we walked around, stopped in a few stores, and then Hadley used her gift card. We took one look at the massive amount of people in the food court, and decided to eat at the Mexican restaurant by our hotel.
The walk to the restaurant was festive!
We shared this taco plate and watched the Chiefs game that had just started.
Then, we headed back to the hotel to rest for a bit. Once Travis and Hayden got back from the course, they went to the same restaurant…for the same reasons…they were hungry and the Chiefs game was on!
While Hadley hung in the hotel room, I met them and enjoyed a marg…and a Chiefs win!
Then, we had some downtime in the hotel for a bit. After that, of course, Hayden needed to “carb load” before his race the next day. We drove to “Little Mama’s,” and it did not disappoint!
Hayden got chicken Alfredo, Travis and I split this pasta…
…while Hadley reached her protein goal for the day with one meatball!! Travis helped her eat some of her spaghetti. The meatball was really good!
We headed back to the hotel to hang out and go to bed at a decent time before our early 6 am wake up call.
Once we got to the course, Hadley and I sat in the car for a bit since it was 40 degrees outside. Hayden’s race was a 8:30, so it was early and cold.
Travis told me he put my chair to the right of the Foot Locker guy. Well, that was easy to spot!
Ready to run!
My spot during the race was right by this pretty lake. This was a tough course with lots of running happening in the woods. Hadley and Travis went to a few spots to see him. I saw him run by around the halfway point and this was also at the finish.
I could tell when he came by the first time, that he was hanging in there but discouraged.
Hadley sent me a couple of pics…
…and then we were all at the finish to cheer him on.
You just never know how a race will go. Even with all the preparation, sometimes a race doesn’t go your way. (Or so they say…I don’t run. haha!) Hayden was disappointed with his performance and time, but this race includes the best runners in the region. The top 36 received medals, and that ended up putting a smile on his face and some peace with how he ended the season.
Charlotte is such a cute city! I guess this might be a yearly race, so maybe we’ll be there sooner rather than later.
This memory of Hayden running an AAU race two years ago popped up in my Facebook memories. He’s still running…and doing what he loves to do.
I know I share a lot about Hayden’s times and achievements, but as you’d expect, Travis and I are most impressed with his dedication to his training and that he is a good teammate.
He’s been running six days a week for quite some time. He wakes up early on the weekend and on vacations when most teens would be sleeping in. He stretches and foam rolls. I joke that he he has more appointments than any of us as he goes to physical therapy, takes ice baths, and even does compression therapy to increase his blood circulation and for recovery.
I wondered how his freshman season would go. I truly didn’t know he’d run varsity…and I definitely didn’t know how intense varsity races are. Obviously, he’s running a longer distance (3.1 miles) than in middle school, upperclassmen are bigger and stronger and there are more runners in the races. He’s been pushed and spiked in races, but he doesn’t give up even when a race isn’t going according to plan.
He accomplished quite a bit this season, but I know he has goals for next year too. As a freshman, I’m sure he had some nerves for most races, so hopefully he will continue to settle in next year.
On another note –Hadley started track workouts this week, and she’s sore! Hayden’s giving his legs a rest after running over 1,100 miles in 2024! He will join Hadley in the track workouts soon enough.
Hello and happy Friday…from a wintry Kentucky! We had our first measurable snow of the season…and of course school was crazy yesterday! haha
TGIF for sure!
As always, I’m linking up with Erika and Andrea for this week’s Friday Favorites.
This week’s post is all about the kids’ birthday this week! How are they 15?!
Hayden didn’t feel the need to have a party, but Hadley still wanted to have one with her friends. Literally, the only time in the near future where we had a free afternoon was last Sunday.
Hadley’s friends came to the house for a bit, and then we headed to the bowling alley.
Apparently, the dress code was sweatshirts and black leggings. haha!
They bowled for about an hour and a half, and Trav and I sat in the bar area and watched football. The girls wrapped up their games right as the Chiefs game was starting.
We went back to the house for presents and cake. Hayden was there watching the game.
Hadley “polled” her friends to see if they liked red velvet cake (her fave!), and they all agreed. She also polled them on what activity they should do for her birthday. Kids these days…
The cake was super cute.
…as are these girls.
Listening to them open the gifts, chat, and laugh was the best. They really are great girls and celebrated with Hadley all afternoon.
After that, Hayden requested a burger and fries, so Trav got him that, and they finished watching the game.
Meanwhile, I took the girls for hibachi for dinner. They were so excited. I had told Hadley that I could sit in the other part of the restaurant (the sushi side), if they didn’t want me hanging around. She said they didn’t mind, so I did get to join the crew at the table.
It was a great meal, and then I took them all home.
Tuesday night, per tradition, I put streamers on the kids’ doors. Hayden did tell me that I didn’t have to put the “paper strings” on this door. haha
I told him that I liked the tradition, so he said I could!
Birthday morning, I had baked them some muffins for breakfast. Oh how times have changed. They used to both sit at the counter, eat their muffins, and open a gift or two.
That morning, Hayden had PT at 7am, so he was out the door early. Hadley got up, got ready, we picked up her friend, and we headed to Starbucks before going to school.
That day, was the 9th grade field trip. It was a just a few hours at a college/career Expo at the convention center downtown. Students ride coach buses, and the kids were on my bus. I stayed outside the bus to take attendance, and when I got on the bus, I was shocked that they were sitting in the second and third rows close to me! It was a nice afternoon.
One of my teacher friends spoils them…and she made them brownies. She told them she wished she’d had two pans, but that they’ve been sharing things since day one. haha
After school, I went and picked up their cookie cake…
…and put out their presents.
Once Travis got home, they opened their gifts. I wasn’t sure on a few of their gifts, but apparently Travis and I knocked it out of the park.
Hayden always asks for this college basketball magazine, and I got Hadley a Dr. Pepper ornament. That’s her fave drink.
My mom had these little Funko dolls made. Hadley’s is wearing flip flops and has a volleyball. Hayden’s has on tennis shoes and is holding a video game controller. She also gave them some money!
After presents, we went out to dinner. It was a nice treat on a weeknight!
The Christmas lights were up, and they let me snap a pic of them. They look so old!
Then, we went back to the house for cake.
My brother’s family came over which was really fun!
May all their wishes come true!
It was a great day…even for a school day! I know we still celebrated them big, but it sure is different compared to when they were little.
Favorite Mom Meme:
I got my answered prayer…x 2!
Bonus Fave: Flashback Friday
I don’t know why but the past couple of months whenever I would think about their upcoming birthday, I would think of them being five. These past ten (15!) years sure have gone by quickly.
Truly, this picture…and them holding up “one whole hand,” is etched in my mind forever.
showmeandsweettea.com 