Peyton Livin' It Up in DC Right Now

On the plane

It's finally here. The much anticipated DC Trip for the 8th grade. There's been drama surrounding it mostly in cases of choosing roommates. As my friend so kindly put it, "It's like the Hunger Games, and it's every girl (and some boys) for themselves!" Her daughter was actually one of the ones who got left out of a room and was desperate for a roommate. Peyton had her room of four (which probably had changed three times already until I finally told her to stop talking about it and I didn't want to hear it anymore). So to make a long story short, my friend called me desperate for some help with the room situation. I felt bad and would hope that one of my friends would help me out in a similar situation. I talked to Peyton. She was upset that she even had to consider switching rooms but understood the situation and amazingly (because we think she thinks about herself most of the time) had deep empathy for her friend (who used to be her bestie in elementary school but now that are not as close although still friends). Even though she didn't want to switch rooms, she agreed to give it some thought. Meanwhile, the 40 plus year old moms of the other girls who my friend also asked if we could make two rooms with three girls in each gave her the cold shoulder and basically told her it was her and her daughter's problem. To say I was shocked by this behavior was an understatement especially when we are good friends with one of the other moms. I told Peyton if 40 plus year old women can't even handle this situation with care it's no wonder that the girls are struggling. 

At any rate, Peyton talked to the teacher in charge (who was so impressed by Peyton's selflessness and nominated her for student of the month - which she won) and agreed to switch rooms if she could find two other roommates. And, as soon as Peyton switched rooms, two other girls came forward wanting to room with them so it all worked out. Phew! 

Alas, here we are. I bought the insurance for the trip because Peyton has not slept a night away from Tom or I or a family member (grandparent) since her Camp Tecumseh experience heading into the 3rd grade. That means she has not done a sleepover since then. So I wasn't sure she really was going to let herself do it. She was more than ready in my opinion but she needed to just let go. And, she did. 

She left yesterday and I heard from her this morning. She's having so much fun. Of course she said the hotel was just "okay" and they had to fly Southwest (ha!) but she was having a ball and she "loved me so much." I am so excited for her to have this experience with her friends too and to have some independence to show her that she can mostly certainly be away from a family member and still thrive. The only thing she did say though was that she didn't get much sleep and she was tired. Oh my kids, they thrive on their sleep because we instill bedtimes for them (even Austen when he's not at a late practice) and I'm so glad that's something we did. They are healthier because of it. 

Anyway, wishing P the best DC trip! After the Capitol Tour and the museums today, they are off to a Washington Nationals game. How fun!

Breakfast time - P is in red

Spring Break 2024 - The Maldives

One night in the Maldives

First, we were going to take the kids to Maui for spring break. We did settle on Maui but couldn't agree on a resort so I waited to book it. Then the Maui wildfires broke out and I had my answer. No Maui. We looked elsewhere and decided on the Maldives. The resort I really wanted to stay at - the Soneva Jani - was not in our budget for an entire week but man, I did love that waterslide from your overwater bungalow into the ocean. 

Alas, we settled on a pretty new Hilton property in the Maldives that also looked pretty amazing. It wasn't the Soneva Jani but it would do. Maldives is very family friendly so there was a lot of good resorts to choose from but we chose the Hilton because it was brand new, we'd get points and it could accommodate our family of five in an overwater bungalow with an amazing deck and private pool. 

The flight there was not terrible. We did have a longer layover in Doha but the lounge for business class in Doha was amazing complete with a full restaurant that you could order whatever you want from and didn't have to pay for (well we paid with our ticket prices). The kids did great on the almost 20-hour trip over. We also met up with my cousin from Boston which was an extra special treat to spend the week with her. 

Hailey ate rice & a Nutella crepe each morning

Once we arrived in Male, we had to take a 20-30 minute boat ride to the resort. One of the first things we noticed was just how humid it was. But we were thankful that we seemed to have more cloud cover and shade than we had in Bora Bora. We were also really careful about sunscreen and brought 6 bottles this time to make sure we didn't get burned!

We had a great time in the Maldives. The resort was awesome as was our villa. My cousin stayed in a beachfront villa the first three days so we got to use her private beach too which was really nice. They had a lot of restaurants that we could eat at too so we made the rounds each night dining at a different restaurant. All the villas had bikes too so we rode bikes everywhere - to eat, to the beach, to the spa. Hailey of course forgot how to ride a two wheeler so we got her a bike with training wheels so at least we could bike ride around the resort. 

The girls and I did the spa (they cater to kids at this spa too). The girls had a scrub, massage and facial while I had a massage. The boys went jet skiing and then Peyton and Tom did an art class. Austen went running in the heat every day. We played ping pong. My cousin, Tom and I did a mixology class to learn how to make some drinks. It was fun (and air conditioned). Speaking of air conditioning, the first few days it was so hot, we had to eat our meals inside this little air conditioned room they had to make it more enjoyable. Thankfully they had that. After that, there was more of a breeze so we opted to eat outside. The food was really good. The villa was amazing. We had our own guest experience manager (butler) to cater to all our needs and we truly got to relax, read books, lounge in the pool and ocean and catch up. 

We stayed just 7 days but it was the perfect amount of time to rest and recharge before embarking on the long flight home. Again, something to look forward to - lie flat seats, good food, movies, books and drinks! We had a great time in Maldives although I think we all liked Bora Bora a little bit better. Here's our take:

Villa: Maldives

Sea Life: Bora Bora

Things to Do: Bora Bora

Scenery: Bora Bora

Food: Maldives

Family Friendly: Maldives

Ease of Getting There: Bora Bora

Anyway, that's a wrap on one of our last true spring breaks as a family. Soon Austen will be off to college and we'll have different spring breaks so it's important to get in the big ones now! 

My pretty drink I made

Cards with my cousin, Donna

Peyton protecting her face from sunburn

The best shot!

The view from Donna's beach villa

They gave us personalized slippers

Our infinity pool on our villa deck

Hailey fell asleep at dinner the first three nights

Hailey and her bike with training wheels

Biking!

Our air-conditioned room where we ate

My business class meal. So pretty!

Hailey's green juice - mint and something?

It's Been One Heck of a Week w/ Sadie

Once we got back from vacation (I promise more on spring break coming soon), we started Sadie on a new medication to really target her osteoarthritis. I thought this might be the magic pill that was going to really help her. I'm still looking for something, anything that will make life a bit easier for our girl. 

Her bed at night

Alas, it wasn't the magic pill. Not even two days after starting the new medication, Sadie experienced a really bad side effect. Namely really bad diarrhea. Just imagine a dog who weighs 100 pounds and can't get up having diarrhea. Our house smelled. She smelled. It was a really long 6-7 days. The anti-diarrhea medication I ordered from Amazon (two different kinds) was not even making her feel better. My back hurt from trying to quickly get her up and down our front steps. I was exhausted. Tom was exhausted. Our kids complained about the smell, and Tom and I were really tired of bathing her, cleaning her and cleaning up after her many, many times a day. 

So on Monday (yesterday), I called the vet and they wanted to see Sadie. She did have some type of bacterial infection. And, because she couldn't hold anything down, she also lost 9 pounds. Good for her knees! They sent us home with a probiotic, some antibiotics and another two gel-filled syringes with some really foul smelling medicine. Miraculously, within 12 hours, she was feeling better and more like herself. 

We had to completely stop all her other medications so she hasn't been on those for almost a week which means no pain medications or steroids for her inflammation and pain but we needed to get her gut under control. It will be a bland diet of chicken and a starch (likely bread since she turned her nose up at white rice, potato and oatmeal) for a few more days before resuming her normal food and medications. 

I'm just glad she's feeling better and reminding myself that all of her problems wouldn't be so tough to handle if she wasn't a giant dog! 

Her favorite place - under my desk 

Easter 2024

Easter came early this year! March is way too early and too cold for Easter and you can't dress up in your spring's finest outfits without freezing your butt off! 

It's also not much fun if Easter juts up against spring break like it did too. So a few days after we get back from vacation (more on our vacay in a future post), we're turning around and celebrating Easter!

We were up early. He is Risen. And, so are we! Mass at 7:30am. Home to do our own Easter egg hunt which the kids were less than thrilled with this year - spelling tests, math tests, basketball and mini golf challenges were hard challenges for them to find their Easter baskets. Austen especially didn't love the Tik Tok Challenge. But they did it and worked together to find their baskets filled with candy and little gifts - Stanley toppers for Hailey; Jewelry and a portable charger for Peyton; and a portable charger and new wallet for Austen. 

Next up was brunch and the Easter egg hunt for my side of the family. Good to see everyone and catch up after our vacation. The Easter egg was a challenge and likely going to be revamped or deep sixed for next year. Cheating scandals rocked this year's festivities. Ha! 

Then it was home to let the dog out and feed her before heading to Tom's side of the family. Spent a few hours catching up, eating and drinking and then back in the car to get everyone to bed early and ready for their full week of school and sports. 

A busy but fulfilling Easter catching up with everyone!

Tough mini golf challenge!

Shooting her free throws!

Math test!

Happy Easter!

College Visits for Austen

Seems like just yesterday he was at the Montessori Academy of Chicago for his infant, toddler and early elementary years and now we are researching colleges and getting prepared to send our first born off to school. 

How bittersweet that truly is. So excited for him to experience college and the fun and lifelong friends to be had from there. To date, it's one of my favorite times of my life. However, I realize he may never truly live with us again for an extended period of time. But we do have time left now so we are taking advantage of family vacations when we can and taking him on many adventures to visit colleges and do soccer ID camps too. 

In February, he went to see University of Michigan for the second time and attend their college soccer ID Camp. That visit solidified that that school is his #1 choice. He would forsake all others if he could get in there. Total long shot for him given the high school he's applying from and all the smart kids apply there and they only take a certain number from each school. I told him he could transfer to our beach house in Michigan for Senior Year and then he'd surely get in (since Michigan caters to in state residents). He said no to that though. Anyway, he loves that school. 

After Michigan, he flew to Boston to do another soccer ID camp at Boston College. He got a personal tour from my aunt's friend's grandson who plays club soccer for BC so that was wonderful and a great perspective for Austen. He liked BC too although not quite as much as he did Michigan. He did like that we have family out there too so I know he'd be well taken care of when he was away. 

Just last weekend, he had some soccer games up in the Milwaukee and Madison area (Wisc) so we made a weekend out of it. He played in his first game on Saturday morning then it was off to see Marquette. That visit confirmed that Marquette is not on his list (way too urban for him). From there we headed west to Madison where he had set up another personal tour with another freshman he knows at University of Wisconsin at Madison. Now, when I visited that school when I was 17, I did not like it at all. It was on my list and then came off my list after my visit. Way too urban for me (and it wasn't even that urban)! So I was interested to see what Austen would think. We visited the Union, hit the bookstore and took a driving and mini walking tour before he met up with his friend and was gone for a good few hours. The consensus, he loved it! Kind of surprised but it was prettier and less urban than I remembered. So that's still on his list (for business) and not playing soccer or playing club soccer. 

So he's figuring it out. Gaining some clarity on what he likes and what he doesn't like. He has time. Cast a wide net everyone says. The admission process is a crap shoot these days and of course I know there's more than one perfect fit for every kid. What a ride though and I intend to enjoy the process as much as he is although it's a lot of work for him and us! Good luck, Austen! 

Austen and his teammate, Jimmy, at University of Wisconsin-Madison

Soccer ID Camp at Michigan

Eating Sushi at Boston College visit

Hailey Needs a Lesson in Playing Hard to Get

Hailey is all about the boys. She has a lot of friends who are just boys but ever since she was little she becomes obsessed with one certain boy and she can't get enough of him. 

So for the past month her crush has been a boy named Hudson. Well, Hudson is supposedly "dating" one of her friends. But don't worry, she assures me that her friend is breaking up with him so soon she can move in on him. What?!

Anyway, lately she's been having me pack mints in her lunch. They are not allowed to share food due to allergies but the mints are small enough for them to squirrel away in their pockets and divvy up to their favorite friends. I guess this is the 4th grade currency right now because Hailey almost had a melt down when I told her I was not putting mints in her lunch because she was coming home with almost her entire lunch. Well, truthfully it was only the healthy stuff she was coming home with as she would eat her chips and cookies but her sandwich and fruit were still in her lunchbox. I withheld the mints for one day and she quickly learned to eat all of her lunch or she wouldn't get mints. 

So back to the mint saga. One of the reasons she liked getting mints was because Hudson always asked her for a mint. She came home one day and shared that she had given Hudson a mint and then he immediately went over to his girlfriend and asked her to a fake prom. In Hailey's words, she was "pissed." Well, I said, stop giving him mints. 

Hailey: What? Why?

Me: Because he's totally knows you like him and will give him mints and he'll still keep his girlfriend.

Hailey: So what should I do?

Me: Next time he asks you for a mint you tell him to get a mint from his girlfriend.

Hailey: He will say she doesn't have any.

Me: Then you say, it's time then for a new girlfriend and then you turn and walk away.

Hailey: Oh, okay, I'll try it tomorrow.

She does and she comes home mad at me. 

Hailey: Mom! Hudson won't even talk to me now because I wouldn't give him a mint.

Me: Good I say. Keep doing what you're doing. He'll come around. 

Two days later, she breaks and runs up to him and gives him a mint before he leaves school early for a golf tournament. The girl has not learned anything! He'll never break up with her friend now. But, I'm sure she'll be on to a new guy anyway in a few months. 

Peyton Dances the Night Away at Fortnightly

In 8th grade, it's a right of passage in our area for the kids to partake in a dance program called Fortnightly. The boys dress in slacks, dress shirts, shoes and ties while the girls wear nice dresses, heels and white gloves. 

Austen did not want to partake but luckily some of his friends were not the first born children so all of their parents strongly encouraged all of them to do it. We signed him up and he was reluctant to go but actually once there said it was fun (aside from the dressing up part). He said it definitely helped starting high school and being thrust right into the Homecoming dance. 

So when they opened registration this year, we were actually in Australia and all four of the sessions filled up fast so I had to put Peyton's name on the waitlist but she did eventually get in which was great because she definitely was looking forward to this part of 8th grade after seeing her brother do it. 

The boys and girls are paired off and the girls must enter and exit the ballroom on the arm of a young man. During the 8 sessions (every Friday night) they learn various dances from salsa to the waltz to ballroom. They also switch partners every five minutes or so, therefore, the boys and girls get to dance with a lot of different people and also learn the art of small talk with the opposite sex while they wait for the dance to begin. 

It's fun for us to see her get all dressed up every Friday night (and sometimes go out to dinner after with her friends). Parents also must sign up to chaperone so we'll get to see her in action next week and may have to stand in if there's a boy (or a girl) missing and the numbers are off. 

Anyway, what a great tradition for our kids to continue and a fun experience for them to have.