This week really flew by for me. I’ll take it considering Halloween was on a Tuesday. That should never be a thing!
As always, I’m linking up with Andrea and Erika for this week’s Friday Favorites.
Here are my favorites from the week:
I took the day off last Friday because we had friends coming into town to go to Keeneland.
I really like the corduroy dress that I got from SSYS a couple of months ago. I wore it with the suede boots that I got on clearance from Target at the end of last winter.
The weather was overcast and blustery, but we had a good time.
We had a table in the clubhouse, so we were mostly out of the elements. It was nice to step outside and watch the races when we wanted to and walk around the paddock.
Afterwards, we went to dinner with other friends who could join us.
It was a long day and a late night, but we had fun with our friends.
Last weekend, Hadley went to Great Wolf Lodge with the Young Life school group, and she had a blast. This is the third year she’s gone, and she always comes back with so many fun stories and wonderful memories.
We carved pumpkins on Sunday evening which is a favorite tradition…at least for me!
The kids had lots of fun trick-or-treating despite the freezing temps.
On Wednesday, Travis had the end of season cross country banquet. We were able to cater in food from a nice local restaurant, and Travis talked about each of the runners. Of course, the kids loved the dessert too. It was nice to get together to celebrate all of the runners.
I can’t believe this is Hayden’s last middle school cross country season.
School volleyball officially started this week. We’ve had fun watching Hadley and her teammates play.
Favorite Mom Meme:
This is 100% Hadley!! Hayden mostly just leaves his clothes on the floor…lol
Bonus Fave: Flashback Friday :
This little graphic popped up in my Facebook memories, and I could add a current photo. I thought it was a fun side by side for comparison.
Hello and happy Monday! How was your weekend? Ours was one of the best ones we’ve had in quite some time.
I’m linking up with Sarah and Holly for Hello Monday to share my…
This weekend was a doozy! I feel like I need a weekend to recover from the weekend….but it was full of so many good things!
Hayden ran in the state cross country meet on Saturday afternoon, and it was the first race of the season with cooler temps! It was perfect running weather…or so I’ve been told.
Hayden had a goal of placing in the top 10, and he finished 7th! We were so happy for him!
His cousin Jacob, who runs professionally, was in town, so it was really neat that he was there to see Hayden’s race.
Travis has also put in so much hard work and dedication this season, and I’ve loved watching him coach Hayden.
These three seasons of middle school cross country went by in a blink!
Hadley and friends had their first 8th grade cotillion dance of the year. While I was at Hayden’s race, Hadley was at her friend’s house getting ready with her girl friends.
So pretty!
A beautiful group of girls, on the inside and out!
After Hayden’s race I stopped by before they left.
They were both excited and nervous for this dance, but they ended up having so much fun.
Hayden was supposed to be at the dance too, but since he had his race and was excited about the UK game, we let him go to that.
I told him that he will be at the December dance with (jingle!) bells on.
The CATS were playing my Tigers…and Hayden definitely “bleeds blue!”
Jacob was at the game, and Hayden hung with him for a bit too.
A combo of it being a busy day, iffy weather, and I didn’t feel like being heckled, I went to my brother’s house to watch the game.
Shew…it was a rough start for MIZZOU, but once they turned it around, they were on the road to victory!
I was lowkey about the win 😉
At the end of last week, I realized if we didn’t go to the pumpkin patch on Sunday, I wasn’t sure if we’d ever get there this season. So, yesterday afternoon, we headed to Evan’s Orchard per tradition.
I can’t remember the last time we were there on a sunny day! The temps were cool, and it was overcast, but we still got our apple cider donuts and…
…pumpkins to carve!
Let’s just say that I’m thankful for Hadley’s loyalty to this tradition.
While we weren’t home much this weekend, when we were, I caught two favorite movies that I hadn’t seen in a while.
Friday, night Karate Kid was on, and then Saturday afternoon I watched Troop Beverly Hills. I love both of those movies.
We truly had a wonderful weekend, and it was very much needed.
This week, our evenings are less hectic, and I’m so very thankful for that! I hope everyone has a great start to their week.
I started Sunday morning off on the back patio watching Southern Charm while sipping my coffee in one of my favorite mugs.
September 26: Crisp
Well, I could have said “crisp fall air” as we’ve had some cooler mornings and evenings, but really our grass has been “crispy” from lack of rain!
September 27: Memory
I always love this sweet memory of when we took the kids to the pumpkin patch for the first time in 2010.
September 28: early
Quiet early mornings with coffee, a candle, light up pumpkin, and the local news. That’s how I start most of my mornings, but in the fall, it’s even better.
Other Faves:
ThisLife in Lilaccandle is amazing. It’s my first time buying one of Jen Reed’s candles, and it won’t be the last.
Saturday night was a favorite because of the fall temps and a night at home. We pulled the sunroom tv outside and hung out while watching the Mizzou game.
8th grade school pics came in, and they are definitely a favorite. This is the first school pic in a few years without the kids in braces.
Hayden joked with me that he wasn’t going to smile, but I’m so glad that he did…Hadley too, of course.
I made a trip to my favorite place to pick up pumpkins for our front porch. This is one of my favorite things to do every year.
My dad came to visit for a few days. Of course, we took the traditional porch pic, and he was able to see two of Hayden’s races as well as my nephew’s football and baseball games.
Hayden had two great races this week. He had a top 5 finish on Saturday in a very competitive race where he had a 4k PR by over thirty seconds. He really pushed himself to he finish.
Trav’s brother got a few great pics of him running which I always appreciate.
On Tuesday, our district had their end of season championship 4k, and Hayden placed 1st!! He was 1st place in the elementary race his 5th grade year, so it’s neat that he did that again as an 8th grader.
Of course, we’re proud of all he’s accomplished this season. The state meet is in a couple of weeks.
Favorite Mom Meme:
This is very relateable.
Bonus Fave: Flashback Friday:
Ahhh…I feel like the three years of middle school have flown by!
Well, it’s officially fall break for us, and I’m ready for it. We have some fun plans, so I don’t know how often I will post next week, but I have a few posts planned, including Prime Purchases on Monday!
Well, we did it…we made it through the first day of the school year!
I used to do the “Back to School Breakfast” when the kids were in elementary, and then started doing the “Back to School Brinner” once they started middle school.
Back to School Brinner:
We had our Back to School Brinner Tuesday night. Travis and the kids were at cross country practice, so I had some time to myself to set up the table and cook dinner.
I use shipping paper as a table runner, and then have my decorations in a tub. Overall, it only takes me a few minutes to decorate.
I can’t believe we’ve held on to this chalkboard for over nine years…it’s a fun tradition.
I made Andrea’s Sausage Square Breakfast Casserole, and it’s a family fave. I made it for Easter too.
I put out donuts, fruit, and yogurt as well.
I like the shipping paper because I can write a few back to school things on it.
Not that it was a “mom fail,” but I didn’t pick up any cute cookies or a Bundt cake this year. Instead, I just put a few cookies in a cup.
Every year, I put a book at their place setting, but this year I “kept it real” with the books they needed to finish reading before school started. haha
I did all my summer reading, so my place setting was a little more simple 😉
It was a good meal to kick off the year…and probably a “snap shot” of most of our dinner times…since we didn’t eat until after 8:00 when they got home from running.
First Day of School Photos:
I’m grateful they still oblige for a traditional back to school photo….one was probably more agreeable than the other 😉
I will say that both set their alarm clocks and got up on their own!
What a difference two years can make…
Year 22 for me…hard to believe!
Back to School Interview:
After school, I picked them up and we got some ice cream. We all deserved a scoop after the first day back.
Then, they answered a few questions for me…
Hayden’s Thoughts:
As an 8th grader, I’m most excited about…sports.
A goal I have this year is…to get all A’s.
I think my favorite subject will be…gym.
One thing I’d like to get better at this year is…math.
The first day of school was…it felt like school.
Hadley’s Thoughts:
As an 8th grader, I’m most excited about…being the “top dawg” in the building.
A goal I have this year is…to keep up with my assignments.
I think my favorite subject will be …science.
One thing I’d like to get better at this year is…math.
The first day of school was…good.
Oh…I miss the days of sweet and funny responses…haha.
Anyway, I’m always thankful we start on a Wednesday…We all need to ease back into reality.
I can’t believe my summer Fridays are slipping away! I’m trying to make the most of what we have left of summer break.
As always, I’m linking up with Andrea and Erika for this week’s Friday Favorites.
Here are some favorites from the week:
This post will be pretty short and sweet because Hadley and I have been in one of our favorite places this week: Siesta Key, Florida. She brought a friend along too!
Here are a few of our favorite photos:
Monday night’s sunset was stunning.
We had a great time.
Siesta Key girl!
Living her best life…
A book at the beach is one of my favorite things.
As many times as we’ve been here, we’ve never been out on the water. I booked a two hour morning cruise yesterday, and we spotted dolphins …in front of Prince’s former beach house…peep the purple pool!
I was 4 for 4 catching the sunset which is my favorite thing to do.
And this was the view on the way back to the car last night. Stunning.
We had a great few days at the beach.
and…I think these girls have had lots of fun this week…Of course they’ve added a new sweatshirt to their collection 😆
While Hadley and I have been away, Hayden has been at running camp. Travis called me after he dropped him off and said that I shouldn’t expect much from him when we take him to college. Hayden was ready to roll and had no issues with saying goodbye 😆
I guess that’s what we want as parents, right? …for them to want to be independent and spread their wings.
Hadley has always been my more extroverted child while Hayden tends to be more introverted and a homebody. So while Hadley was always excited for camp, Hayden never really showed any interest until this year.
I’m happy he is going to camp on his own terms because then I don’t have to worry about him at all.
I can’t wait to see him though and hear all about it.
Friday Find:
On Instagram, I just recently found @matteicheldinger who is a middle school teacher. You must check him out if you don’t follow him already.
His student stories are funny, uplifting, inspirational. and he’s such a good story teller!
Flashback Friday:
Since we’ve been in Siesta Key this week, here are a few throwback photos…
A family photo in 2016…
This pic from the same 2016 trip is one of my favorites….
Every time we come to SK, Hadley wants to eat at the Lobster Pot.
Here she is in 2019 and 2023 😆
Weekly Recap:
I was a busy blogger this week. Also, thanks for all the love about Hadley’s hair tutorial…She appreciated the compliments.
What are your weekend plans? Well, it’s back to reality for us. Once we get home, I will have to unpack and get a few things accomplished, both at home and at school.
This has been a fun week with Hadley, but I’ve missed the guys…
Today, I’m letting Hadley share about how she curls her hair with the heatless curl rod that she got for Easter this year.
Hadley is your girl, not me, for hair and makeup advice!
Here’s Hadley:
I have the honor of typing today’s “Showmeandsweettea” blog post!
I got this heatless curl set in my Easter basket this year and my mom wanted me to show you how easy it is to use if you want some cute curls in your hair!
First, I dampen my hair with a little water. Next, I put the rod in the middle and line it up so the sides at the bottom are even. I also put some kind of clip, (I use a claw clip) and attach it at the top of my head, so that it stays in place while I twist my hair around.
Now it’s time for the fun part! You choose what side you want to start with and you simply take a chunk of your hair at the root of your head and twist it over the rod. Once it goes over, you can pull it underneath and you take another chunk of hair to the same piece you started with. Then, you just repeat until you reach the bottom and tie it off with a scrunchie/hair tie.
Then, I repeat on the other side.
Then you simply have a good night sleep!!
In the morning, when I wake up, I go to the bathroom and this is what it looks like!😂
To take it out, first you take off the scrunchies and you just simply unwrap the hair starting from the bottom. Sometimes it gets tangled and other times it comes right out.
Here are the results!
It is so easy to use and I recommend letting them sit or shake it out instead of using a brush right away!
This time, I slept with the rod in my hair, but I’ve also used it and let it set for only a couple of hours. Even with that shorter time, my hair is nice and wavy.
Let my mom know if you have any questions.
Didn’t Hadley do such a good job? Of course, I went through and proofread this post, but my “English teacher mom heart” is proud…Sis used transitions, details, and a variety of sentence structures! (Other note: please excuse the bathroom mess 😆)
I should probably have Hadley write more posts! Let me know if there are any topics you’d like for my sweet teen to cover.
I feel like Fridays hit different in the summer…how is it already Friday again?!
We’ve had a good, but different kind of week again. Well, actually, I guess no two weeks have been alike this summer.
I’m linking up with Andrea and Erika for this week’s Friday Favorites.
This week, I’ve kind of shared what we’ve been up to and/or some favorites, so I don’t have much new to share today.
I’m going to keep it simple and break down my favorites with each of my people this week…
Hayden:
First up, is Hayden.
After Hayden got back from South Carolina with his friend, Hadley had already left for camp. That meant that Travis and I went from having 1:1 time with Hadley to having 1:1 time with Hayden.
This week, some favorite things we did were: watch sports together (as athletic as Hadley is, she doesn’t watch sports on tv), watch a movie, and run errands (yes, errands –Hayden went with Travis and I to Walmart, and then he went to Dick’s and Target with me on Wednesday.)
Having kids that are old enough to stay home alone means that sometimes we leave them while we run errands. Actually, Travis and I don’t run errands together too often, but we’ve started to do more of that recently. Anyway, it was nice to do some random things like that together.
Also, we loved watching Hayden run his first 10k on the 4th of July, and catch fireworks later that night. We’ve mostly eaten at home, but we did treat ourselves to breakfast after his race and some froyo later in the week.
Hadley:
Travis and I dropped Hadley off at a local church for camp pick up at 5:30 am on Saturday. She rode on a charter bus all the way to camp in Missouri. She had the best five days with her friends and leaders…and arrived home at 2am yesterday morning.
I took a nap from 10pm-1am before picking her up at 2! I was so happy to see her smiling face, and she was ready for her bed!
This is Hadley’s fourth year going to camp, and this one was the farthest away she’s been. When she got her phone back and texted our family group chat, she said the best part was “everything” and she wished that it lasted longer. I’ve always been thankful that Hadley has had the courage and confidence to go away to camp…and I truly think she could go for most of the summer if we’d let her…and could afford it. haha
She made some great memories this week, but we are happy to have her home.
How about this camp for me? 😆
My mom sent me this, and I feel it deeply.
Trav:
Today is this guy’s birthday!! It’s a big one…
We can’t wait to celebrate him this weekend. He deserves it.
I’m linking up with Andrea to tell you a bit about it.
Here are a few favorites from the week:
Hadley’s recital pics came in, and I couldn’t love them more. There were so many good ones, but these are the two I ordered:
Last weekend was super busy, and all of Sunday was spent at Hadley’s dance recitals. Her studio had two recitals. The first recital was the one where she had most of her dances, so my mom, Trav’s mom, Trav’s two sisters, and Travis and Hayden came to it. She danced in the large production opening number, one small group competition dance, two ballet, one tap, one jazz, and the closing number.
For the later performance, she was in the large production opening number, her other small group lyrical competition dance, and the closing number.
I loved all the colors in the background of each dance…so pretty!
So, over nine hours at the recital venue for two recitals with ten dances and seven costumes, she was one tired girl!
Hadley was also recognized for five years dancing at her studio.
We snapped a few pics after the first recital before grabbing a bite to eat. Then, my mom and I stayed for the second recital. We were all very proud of her.
Monday I had a busy day at school, Hayden played a round of golf with friends, and Hadley was at the pool for most of the day.
My mom continued her visit and watched the kids while Travis and I took a little trip.
We spent a few days at Julep Farms in Dillard, Georgia. I’m sure I will write a whole post about it, but it was a lovely getaway.
We stayed in the Magnolia cottage…
…which had the loveliest views.
Wednesday night, we even had dinner on the property.
Since we were dressed up a bit, we did a selfie using the timer on my phone. I sure missed having Hadley to take our photos…she always gets the high angle…haha
This one turned out pretty good!
Favorite Outfit:
I think I shared this SSYS dress when I got it in the spring, but this summer I’ve used it as a swim cover-up a couple of times, but then wore it to my brother’s birthday party on Saturday. I also got this belt bag recently…I wanted one that was a little bigger than my Lulu one, and this one is perfect.
Favorite Mom Meme:
Haha…I shared a similar meme last week…but this one also made me laugh.
Bonus Fave: Flashback Friday
My sister-in-law had these cups made for my brother’s birthday party last Saturday…This “throwback” pic is too funny…
Weekly Recap
I only had a couple of posts this week, but they were fun link ups!
What are your weekend plans? Today, I’m playing catch up from being gone for a couple of days…and I need to prep a bit for the summer school sessions I’m running the next couple of weeks.
Of course, on Sunday, we’ll celebrate Travis for Father’s Day. My dad received his gift yesterday and is probably using it while watching the US Open.
We had a good one. We started off with hanging out with neighbor friends on Friday night, the kids had the state track meet all day Saturday, Sunday we were tuckered out and pretty lazy, and yesterday we enjoyed a day at the pool.
Friday was a our last day of school, and per tradition, I’m sharing those photos. We’re all ready for summer!
To finish out the school year, the kids had three Kentucky Summative Assessment (KSA) tests. They took the reading, math and science tests a couple of weeks ago. Then, they had a week of classes where they had a few tests and final exams.
The last week of school included two walking field trips, Clash of the Classes and a PBIS rewards day where they also signed yearbooks. By Wednesday of last week, they’d turned in their chrome books, and learning was officially complete.
Honestly, after all of the testing, I was glad they had a pretty easy week at school with their teachers and classmates.
Seventh grade was definitely harder than 6th grade, that’s for sure. As a high school teacher, it reminds me of the 10th/11th grade years where you aren’t the new kids at school, but you also aren’t the oldest either.
This year I wanted them to work on organization, time management, & self-advocacy…and they did. Also, they will continue to work on those learned skills.
I’m sure they don’t realize it, but I loved how excited they both were for “Cupcake Wars” in their Life Essentials class. Also, first semester, they were in the same gym class and I loved hearing those stories.
As I shared in last week’s Three Thingspost, they were involved in athletics and clubs too. They also had their first school dances since they didn’t have those opportunities in 6th grade.
They worked hard for the grades they earned. While they weren’t perfect, they did make the 3.5-3.99 honor roll every quarter. Also, they were both in Beta club in school. I was happy they were recognized for their effort and grades.
They probably handled their 7th grade year better than I did when I was their age. They are way more well-rounded than I ever was. I’d say it was definitely a year of lessons, and they learned a lot, both personally and academically, along the way.
While not school related, they both got their braces off. Hayden grew a few inches and is officially a head taller than Hadley. That’s probably his biggest accomplishment of the year. haha
They are finding their way and have grown both literally and figuratively.
The first day of school:
The last day of school:
Hayden:
What a difference nine months makes!
He said his favorite class was science and his favorite memory was field day.
Hadley:
I don’t see as much change in Hadley as I do Hayden, but she certainly has matured this year!
Her favorite class was also science (They had a FABULOUS teacher), and said her favorite memory was “Clash of the Classes” which is the field day Hayden was referring to.
Me:
As for me, I didn’t take an end of the school year photo, but this pretty much sums me up:
Overall, I had a great year 21 in education. It feels like time moves so quickly, but that’s doubled when you have two teens!
I have a faculty meeting this morning and graduation tomorrow. Then, it’s officially summer!
I can’t believe it’s already mid-week, and we are nearing the end of the school year.
The camp emails are starting to come in which had me thinking about what Hadley takes to camp every year.
I will be the first to admit that I’m not a camper. I went to Girl Scout camp in 4th grade, and I remember liking it…but I also remember being glad when I got home.
We went “glamping” for a couple of nights over fall break 2019, and we had a good time. One thing I knew about camping that this confirmed was packing for camping is so much work!
Hadley has been to summer camp for three years. I remember being so anxious the first time we left her at camp. Many of her friends had gone to this three day camp, but the first time Hadley went, she was old enough for the week long camp.
She was so excited, and she ended up loving every minute.
I searched for her face every night in the camp photos, and she always looked like she was having a blast.
That first year, when I picked her up from camp, I was one of the first parents to pick up. Hayden had a baseball tournament that we had to get to. I will never forever seeing her big smile. She gave me a hug and asked me to sign her up for the next year! She also told me she’d lost her toothbrush and hadn’t brushed her teeth since Tuesday! haha
Anyway, the other two summers she went to camp were easy breezy.
While it was weird not having her home, I was happy and less anxious knowing how much she loves it.
If you ask her if she would go to camp all summer long, her answer would for sure be yes. Honestly, I’d probably let her her…but dang —the cost of camp ain’t cheap…and she doesn’t even go to any fancy camps!
Of course, the camp sends a list, but today I’m sharing a few things that we’ve purchased through the years.
Some things we’ve previously purchased don’t seem to be currently be available, but I’ve found some similar options.
At the suggestion of my friend who had been sending her girls to camp for a few years, we picked up this tub with wheels to store most of what Hadley needed. It slides right under the bunk at camp. We found ours at Meijer.
A few other items:
Camping pillow – While Hadley does take her bed pillow to camp, this smaller camping pillow is similar to what she has and comes in handy when they have had rest time in the lodge.
Lantern – While Hadley doesn’t take the lanterns to camp, we bought them before our glamping trip and use them in the backyard sometimes.
Fan – This fan is similar to the one that has worked on most of her bunks because it clips right on. If not, sometimes, she just props it in the corner of her bed for some extra air at night.
Dry bag– This was a gift to Travis for Christmas because during cross country season, I realized how handy it would be to have something to keep clothes dry (or put wet clothes in). I also knew we’d use it during track season. While I don’t think Hadley will want to use it for summer camp, it’s a great item to have (and they come in a few sizes)
Sleep sack– Hadley requested this last year. She always takes her sleeping bag, but this is perfect for on top (or inside) the sleeping bag. She’s covered up, but it’s light weight. We also take a XL twin fitted sheet for her bed.
Laundry bag – This light weight laundry bag is perfect for her to keep up with her dirty clothes. We actually pack a Command hook to use to keep it off the ground in her bunk. She just hangs it on the wall, and then we take the hook down when we check out. Also, I’ve started keeping one of these with our suitcases, and if we go on a longer trip, I take one to keep up with our family dirty laundry.
Shower caddy- This shower caddy ends up being something that Hadley uses to pack. She will use it to hold bug spray, face wash, hair brush, toothbrush, etc…along with her soap, shampoo and conditioner.
A few other ideas…
We use large Ziplock bags to pack, and we label each one using permanent marker. So, there’s one for underwear/socks, swimsuits, dress (usually she packs one dress for the “nicer” chapel/dinner outfit), t-shirts, shorts, pjs, etc. Honestly, we’ve re-used the same bags through the years because by the time I pick her up, those are empty, and her laundry bag is full.
I send her with two swim towels and one bath towel. She probably showers twice if we’re lucky! I definitely don’t send her with the good towels.
We store everything she needs for camp in the tub until the next year…(and we roll it under the guest bed in the basement, so we always know where the camp things are)
This year, Hadley is going to a different camp…and she’s excited. I’m excited for her, and lots of her friends are going. That being said, since it’s not the camp I’m familiar with, I know I’ll be thinking about her that much more when she’s gone.
Hayden is definitely more of a homebody like me, and he’s never been to camp. I’ve never pressed the issue with him as most summers he’s had baseball and I’m not going to force him. Last year, he started talking about going to a running camp this summer, and I think he’s going to do that. It’s just a few nights away pretty close to home, so that’s a good start.
Of course, both kids aren’t going to camp at the same time…haha
One more story…
As I typed this post, I thought of the time Travis and I went camping after we’d been dating about eight or nine months.
We were living in Columbia, Missouri (where we met) at the time. One week, he told me he’d borrowed a tent from a co-worker and knew a place we could camp. Good thing he didn’t seem like a serial killer, and I was in love, so I obliged.
Wherever we went was about an hour away from Columbia, and we left on a Saturday morning. We set up the tent and other things, hiked, cooked out our dinner, drank beer and ate s’mores. The tent was fine, and we even cooked breakfast the next morning before hiking again and packing up the camp stuff.
I sure wish I had some selfies from that trip, but we didn’t even have cell phones then!
On the drive home, he told me what a good time he’d had, and joked that I “passed the test…” and went on about how he was ready to take me with him to Kentucky for a few weddings he was in over the next few months. While that moment was sweet, I was stuck on the “test” part and told him I was glad I passed the test because I would never camp again! lol
To this day, I love a good hike, don’t mind to roast a hot dog for dinner or s’mores for dessert, but I prefer to go back to the Marriott for a shower and good night’s rest.
What about you? Did you go to camp as a kid?
If you have a kid going to camp soon, I hope this post is of some help! Also, take comfort in the fact that they are most likely having the time of their lives and not missing you as much as you miss them. 😆
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