Knights Carpool

Our Knights carpool has gotten pretty large, which is a great thing!  I think the girls have fun riding together, the parents now only have to drive every 6th time, and the girls are doing a good job promoting what the last parent bought them on the way home to use it as leverage for the next parents to buy them all something.  HA!!  I mean, it is a HUGE road trip out to hwy 94, we actually have to CROSS the bridge.
The settled for dipped cones from Lions Choice this week when I drove.....don't they look happy??  They are great kids, and funny too!!!  We were missing Emery, due to an injury.  Ava, Addi, Claire, Hadley, and Peyton.
I learned some new lingo too....."tea, hot tea" means, what's the scoop, what's the hot gossip?  Teenagers are "FUN"......

A slow(er) Sunday

We had a pretty slow Sunday yesterday.  We had nothing going on in the morning, besides the adults had tons of computer work to do.  Jack had a football game at 3, Peyton had a CYC game at 3:45, then Jack ran off to two baseball practices, but overall, not a bad Sunday.  Maddie found time to squeeze herself in there too.  A couple games of Monopoly Jr (she beat Mike once AND beat me once), and wanted spectators to watch her roller blade.

I told her, I liked her jeans today.....she doesn't ever hardly wear anything except leggings.  She said, "why?...do they make my butt look good?"  And was super serious when she said it too.  :)

Peyton VS Addison

It's always fun to get to play, and guard your BFF.  When they played each other last time, Peyton said she wanted to guard her and her coach told her no.  :)
Last night was a different story, I guess he gave into Peyton and let her guard her.

While the parents are away, the kids will play.....

Grandma Jeanne held down the fort with running the kids to all their activities.  Maddie squeezed in a few playdates as well.  After gymnastics, Maddie agreed to have Vera over for a playdate!  The girls had fun.  They spend nine hours a week together in the gym, but they never get to "play" and just be kids and do what they want.  SO they got to on this afternoon, after Panera!

And then she talked grandma into one more playdate with Nora after school on one of the days.  Looks like they had fun making little, cute snowmen.

Quick parent getaway...

With Mike switching jobs, he has a ton of vacation days to use before he leaves.  We decided to take a quick, three night trip before it all begins.  We went to Cozumel and had a great time!  Great, great snorkeling, good food, good weather.....was perfect.  The only bad thing, we wished we had ONE MORE DAY!!!

So sleepy....on the tram headed to the airport at 4:30am.  Makes it not so bad, knowing you are leaving snow and frigid temps, for the warm Caribbean.

Peyton's first trip to "the gym"

Peyton and Addison woke up MLK day morning and they really didn't have much going on.  Mike and I were headed to WCC to workout, so I asked them if they wanted to go.  They excitedly said yes.  So off we went.  They did about 20 minutes of the elliptical and then I showed them a few exercises using free weights and they did a few abs.  I mean, they were so proud of themselves, they really thought that had gotten in a good, hard workout!!!  So funny!!

Tired or under the weather???

Last week towards the end of the week Maddie's teacher had emailed me and said she wasn't quite herself.  That she was tired and maybe not feeling good.  Maddie disagreed and said she was fine (I really think she just didn't want to miss her half birthday at school).  The day after the father-daughter dance and her sleepover at Molly's, I came home from Peyton's basketball game to find her like this on the couch.  So.....under the weather or just hung over from Molly's????  But what more would you need for a GOOD afternoon nap....a weighted blanket and a sleep mask.  AHHHH, heavenly!!

StP Father Daughter Dance

Maddie was so excited again this year for the father-daughter dance.  She picked out her dress and then told me THAT morning that she REALLY NEEDED a jean jacket to go with it.....and some booties too.  So, I dropped her off at gymnastics and the next few hours I spent running around for her finding all her things she needed.  Went and picked up her corsage, found her a jean jacket (after two different stores), found her the booties she wanted, and then had to run in to party city quick to get her a hair flower and lei, as the dance was Hawaiian themed.  SHEW!!!  Got it all done, AND she even approved of all the things I picked out.

After gymnastics she hustled home to get dressed for basketball.  She went to her basketball game and quickly came home, got her bath, got dressed, and out the door to dinner with her friends and dads to Duffy's.

While they were gone, the big kids and I met Shannon and the Kuhlmann boys at WCC for dinner and then off to MQP for Jack's basketball game.  Jack's game got over about 8:45, so I swung by StP to spy on Mike and Maddie.  The big kids thought it was ridiculous, but I just wanted to see in there.  :)  Well, I found Mike, but I never did find Maddie.  She was off planning herself a sleep-over with Molly.  Once Mike gave her the green light, they were out the door, off to Andy's and then off to Molly's.  I never caught a glimpse of her.

She had the best night!!

The big kids thought they needed a photo shoot also....with Annie.  And apparently Gus didn't want to be left out either, as he squeezed himself in Maddie and Mike's picture.

The Bed HOG!

GUS!!!.....I'm looking at YOU!!!  Every night Mike and I go upstairs, and while we are in the bathroom brushing teeth, getting ready for bed, Gus always hustles and makes him self right at home on my pillow.  He is sound to sleep by the time I get there and is a big, limp 50 pounds for me to roll to the foot of the bed.  NEVER FAILS!!!  And NEVER does he do it to Mike, all me!!!

2nd Gymnastics Meet

Last weekend was the Meet Me in St Louis meet.  This is SLGC home meet, the largest meet in the Midwest.  Well, since we host it, means we have to work it!!!  Between Mike and I we put in 20 hours.  Mike set up for over six hours Friday night, and I worked the floor all day on Sunday!!  But onto the good stuff.....

Maddie competed Saturday and she placed in all four events and came in 4th overall.  Her team placed 1st.  She sure does love this sport, the rest of us are still trying to learn it and figure it out and what it all means.  I think the judges were tired of working beside me on Sunday when I was doing my volunteer shifts.  I was asking them all kinds of questions, they were polite and kept answering all of them......I still don't know much!!!

She has a big team!!  SLGC first place!

Peyton had a free day, so she came to watch.  I think she regretted it, once she saw how long it took and then how long we have to wait around for awards too!!!  HA!

Someone for everyone......

The Riney's needed a place for their children to stay last Friday night, so they asked if we could house them.  Of course, we'd love to!!!  So the Riney kids all got to come over to stay the night, and CHEWIE did too!!  Every kid and every dog had a playmate.  It was a wild house, but a happy house!

The dogs wouldn't hold still long enough for me to get a good picture.

Not a bad view...

Not a bad view to wake up to on a cold, January day!

A little surprise for Maddie

Leigh-Anne and I were talking on the phone one day in November and she was telling me how she was going to take the boys to Disney by herself, while Mike (her Mike) attended a work conference down there.  I told her she was nuts to try and take all three boys by herself (she's never been since she was a kid).  I thought about it for a hot second and then I had the solution to her problem.  Maddie and I would go!!!  Maddie has not got to spend NEARLY as much time at Disney as they big kids had by her age.
I planned a surprise trip for Maddie.  We flew in a day earlier than the Brueggenjohanns and came home a day early (Mike would be finished with his conference and able to join them on their last day).  I kept this trip a secret from all of the kids until about 30 minutes before we had to leave for the airport.
Jack had a basketball game, so I told him right before his game, cause I was going to have to leave his came halfway through and I wanted to be able to tell him bye.  I told Peyton during Jack's game also.  I went and picked Maddie up from gymnastics, took her home to change clothes, and then grandma Jeaane was at home to take us to the airport.  All I told Maddie was that I had a surprise for her.  On the way to the airport, she was convinced that we were headed to a hotel to swim and stay the night.
She was so excited, the big kids were not at all impressed.
She had the time of her life.....smiled ear to ear the entire trip and cried when it was time for us to come back home.  She missed the first two days of school after Christmas break.  Mrs. Muldoon for the win....she sent NO homework home for her two days that she missed!!!

Viz Christmas Tournament for Peyton

The STP girls played as hard as they could, but came up short in the championship game, losing to Holy Infant (the City-County runner-up from last year).  They ended up losing by five but was either winning or down by 2 most of the game.

Happy New Year!!!

Peyton and her friends did a better job taking photos on New Years than we did!  Here she is with her friends, riding in the New Year!!!  The next picture was taken at about 10:00 the next morning.....I think they partied a little too long the night before!
Cheers to 2020 and all the good things it has in store!!!

Turning over a new leaf for 2020.....

OK, I totally sucked at keeping up with this is 2019 and I hate it!  The kids LOVE looking at this.  I print the blog into a book at the end of each year, and they pull these off the shelf and look at them ALL THE TIME!!!  So, I'm throwing in the towel on 2019, and starting fresh with 2020!!!  I'm making a commitment to myself and them to keep up with it in 2020!

As a recap to 2019, from where I left off, since I'm not going to get it all finished:
* A fun baseball tournament in Branson playing on the fields of Ballparks of America
* Peyton got to go to Busch Stadium and see the US Women's soccer team play
* Lots of Naturals baseball, and a dramatic tournament victory in Indianapolis
*Peyton's fractured back and long road to recovery
* Maddie learned to ride her bike without training wheels (finally!)
*We hosted the 5th grade class hamster for summer
*Maddie was old enough to play junior golf....she liked it!
*Mom coached Maddie's CYC softball team (phew, coaching that sport at that age is tough!)
*The 4th was spent at the lake and all three kids learned to wakeboard
*Mike hurt his back cutting Annie's hair at the lake.  He was OUT of commission for about a month.  Mom had to drive him to and from work for about a month.  He spend a good amount of time laying on the floor in that month.
*Maddie turned 7 and celebrated with a gymnastics party
*Peyton turned 13 (A TEENAGER!!!) and celebrated with a trip to Six Flags with her friends.  She convinced me to let her and Maira do the flying thing at Six Flags....they are NUTS!
*Maddie was super sad, sad enough that mom allowed her to get one of her own, when the school hamster left our house.
*Jack won the Westborough Tennis Tourmanet, the all club, and Jack and Henry won the all-club doubles.  Addison and Peyton won all-club doubles.  It was her first event back from her back injury.
*Summer vacation to Captiva with the Kiewiets
*Everyone went back to school after vacation, including mom.
*Peyton attended her first mixer, and of course, loved it!
*Jack played volleyball again and loved it
*All three played CYC soccer
*Jack won his first ever USTA tournament
*Mike and other Dads took the boys to a MU football game and tailgated (a first for Jack)
*Maddie went horseback riding with Daisies
*Jack took 4th at his first chess meet of the season
* Maddie's new love for gymnastics, the love that grew and grew and grew.....had her first meet and placed in every event
* Mike interviewing (a very long process) and eventually committing to a new job that will start in March of 2020.
*The big kids started CYC basketball and Maddie is playing KJBL again and dabbling in the CNR a little bit.
*We celebrated Christmas a the lake a week before Christmas
* The kids got the trampoline they've been waiting for for years, for Christmas
* We spent NYE with he Riney's at their house and Peyton went to a party at Katie William's house

A fun, exciting, never boring, 2019!  We are not rested, but we are ready for 2020!