Getting Old Sucks....

 and sometimes make you scratch your head!!!  This was the day I went to bed completely fine, woke up two hours later with my ankle throbbing in pain.  Woke up the next day could not even walk on it.  By mid day the pain was going away, but then the swelling happened.  It puffed up pretty big, but then I could walk on it?!?!  What in the world?  Nobody knows?!?!  Maybe my RA??  Maybe I twisted it on the way to bed and just don't remember???  Seems strange to me, but who knows?!?!   The first picture is that morning, the next picture is that afternoon....things that make you go, hmmmm......

First Day for STP

 The St. Peter kids were ready to roll three days after Peyton.  Now an empty house!!!  Third and Eight grades for Maddie and Jack!  Jack's last year at St. Peter!!!  I'm already having anxiety about having 3 kids and 3 different schools next year.  But for now, I will enjoy the peace!  

First Day of High School

 Holy smokes!  Can't even believe I just typed that.  But I'm happy.  I'm happy for her!  She is ready and so excited!!  It's gonna be a great four years for her.....some of the best years of her life!!  Go get em Peyton.  

OH GUS.....

 This child!!!.....I mean dog.  He's the messy one.  The one that will find EVERY cucklebur at the park!!!  This is not the first OR last time this will happen to him......UGH!

 

Freshman Orientation Day

 Oh boy!!!  

It was a rough morning!  The skirt didn't fit right....she HATED it.  I don't understand....you go to an all girls school, who cares what you look like?!?!  But I guess that's not the case and definitely not the time to talk about it.  

Then the mandatory laptop that we have to buy from the school....all the sudden quit working the morning of orientation......and the world was CRUMBLING!!!!  She had to sit down for a second have a meltdown, pick herself up, and out the door we went.  

Her day ended up being great.  She loves everything about high school so far, and the laptop was fixed right away.  A lot of people had the same problem hers had and it was fixed right away......

PHEW!!!

Playing Dress Up in Dad's Truck

 Oh the things you can find in Dad's truck......we make our own fun!

SJA High School Tennis Tryouts

 Peyton headed out to her first high school sport tryout....tennis!  Tennis is super competitive at SJA.  They win state a lot and are expected to win the triple crown this year (team, singles and doubles).  He had 26 freshman come out for the team and he only kept 8!!  Tryouts were HOT and long!  So the thing that is unique about tennis is, you make the team and that's great....but then you have to start playing AGAIST your teammates to see who gets what spots.  So you are technically teammates, but you are also enemies until everyone gets their pecking order.  Peyton missed the last varsity spot in a 3rd set tie breaker.  She wasn't bummed about it as she wanted to play JV and get to know some girls her age.

It is exciting to see her exciting for a new sport...and I LOVE tennis!!  

Off she goes to her first tryout....I'm proud of her!  All new beginnings, and she is READY!  

Hi Ho Hi Ho It's Back to the Lake We Go.......

 One last hurrah to the lake!  We made sure to leave the air chair in the shed this time!!!  We fit it all in again....fishing, all the lake toys, golf, pickle ball (we let Jack have the front seat this time so that he wouldn't get sick)!

Maddie loved skiing this time!  Jack learned to do a 360 on the kneeboard last trip, so Maddie was determined to do it this trip, and she did!  Mike wakeboarded for the first time as well (worked out much better for him than the air chair!!!).....and of course all the kids spent plenty of time on the tube!

WCC Parent Child Tournament

 We have never been able to make the parent child tournament, as we are usually out of town for it.  This year we were in town and able to play.  Both big kids wanted to play in it this year, but Mike's back was still hurting from his air chair ride on the 4th of July.  So Karim put the two Friedman kids on opposite sides of the bracket and I played with both of them.  Jack was the one seed, so he and I actually had a bye our first round.  Peyton and I played our first game and won pretty easily.  Our second game was against Addison and John (who eventually won second place) and we lost in a tie breaker.  So she was out then.  Jack and I had to play Reid and Carolyn Caruthers and beat them pretty easily, we then had to play the other Caruthers team (Kent and Emmy), that one was much harder and we won by the skin on our teeth.  John and Addison ended up beating Nick and Fred, so we played John and Addison in the championship. The championship game was fun and friendly.....can't say that for all of the matches of the day tho. The dynamics are funny at the parent child.  It was a LONG, HOT day!!!  Jack and I won the final, very close match!  Fun day!

WCC Club Championship

 Well, the day after All-Club, Henry and Jack had to face off again for the WCC Club Championship.  Jack game ready, after losing to Henry the day before.  Jack smoked him 6-0 for the Club Championship....HA!  Guess he didn't like that losing feeling the day before.....

All Club Championships

 All three kids played in the All-Club championships while I was away for girls weekend.  I had to rely on Grandma Jeanne and other rides for my kids to get them to all the places.  Maddie got second place, losing by one game...bummer!  Peyton won the consolation side of her tournament.  Jack got second place as well, losing to Henry, from WCC.  I guess if you have to lose, losing to your teammate is the best case??? I don't know if Jack would agree.....HA!!  

Girls Weekend!!

 Well the group was much smaller this year as we had to separate the vaccinated from the unvaccinated.....as COVID cases were sky high at the time.  Crazy times we are living in right now.....small group, but fabulous time!!!

8th Grade Moms

One more time together as "8th Grade Moms"......celebrating another 40th, Elisa this time!!  

Peyton Turns 15!!!!

 What the what?!?!?!?  How in the world??  

This is the child that reminds me all the time that my rules are far more harsh on her than the other two and she reminds the other two that she is just clearing the path for them and they will have it so easy with no rules....she's really got this birth order thing figured out...HA!  A lover of sleep, soccer, friend time, watching her brother play baseball (a new thing this year), shopping, must (she actually listens to all types and pretty good music), and constantly begging me to let her put a third hole in her ears.  Happy 15th Miss Peyton!

On her birthday we spent the day getting her permit (YIKES!!!), lunch, nails, presents, and finished the day with dinner at the MAC and a Cardinals game with the Rineys.  We got to see a good game and the Cards won!!