Cys of Texas

We hit the road Friday evening and headed to Waco for the ISU/Baylor game. 

The girls insisted on a funny face picture. Emma did a funny face in both pictures; Steve refused to participate. This is what we got.

 We rolled into Waco after 8:00 and checked into our hotel. The alumni group was doing a happy hour across the street, but we opted to just relax. There was a PokeyO's in the lobby of our hotel, and the girls were excited to try it. Their specialty is soft cookies on either side of a huge scoop of ice cream.

 Saturday morning we got up and headed to the tailgate of all tailgates. We had pre-purchased tickets for the all-you-can-eat & drink menu and enjoyed mingling with hundreds of other Cyclones. Of course there were many others from our DFW alumni group, but plenty had traveled from out of state, too.

 We ate, played games, listened to music, kicked the soccer ball, got pumped up & game ready ... all the good tailgate stuff.

 Had to get a picture under the now iconic College Ames Day banner, which played a large part in getting ESPN to Ames a couple of weeks ago.

 It was a HOT day at the stadium, and a heartbreaking last minute loss, but we had a great time. I'm always proud of the way Cyclone fans show up and support the good guys.

Next up for cheering on our Cyclones in person - basketball at TCU in early January. Between now and then, we're hoping for more football wins in October!

Tired

The whole reason I keep up this blog is because it is the best way I know of to document our lives, and I think my girls may find value in it some day. As such, it's important to be honest about the various seasons of our lives. Right now, in this season, I am just tired. Good tired, but SO tired. Right now, Wednesday nights are our free nights - no activities, so, like tonight, they are full of laundry and a few other chores that I've ignored in previous days. This post is in no way a complaint - it's just facts - we are constantly on the go! I'm out the door by 6:20 in the morning, and most evenings finally rolling in between 7:30-8:00. I know my story isn't really different than those of my peers; just writing my reality (which I accept full responsibility for choosing and loving, to be clear).

Emma's soccer season is going well. She loves this group of girls and they have formed an awesome core. They'll be moving to 7 v 7 soon and will be adding to the team. I somehow agreed to be the team manager (not coach - he's paid), but the manager piece is a little bigger job than I anticipated. Still, I'm enjoying being more involved with the team; Emma sort of likes it.

 We had to squeeze in a Cyclones game watch a couple of weekends ago. We had a full day with cheer parent meeting and two games, and we loved seeing our DFW Cyclones. We'll be with them again this weekend in Waco for the Baylor game. We have a huge tailgate planned with alums from Austin and other areas, too.

 My parents came for a long-weekend visit this past weekend. The girls loved having them come for lunch. While they were here, they saw cheer practice, soccer practice, softball and soccer games ... and we enjoyed pool time and walked out of Ojeda's way too full!

 Emma is loving softball. They are rotating all the girls through all the positions, and although she had been looking forward to her turn at catcher, she didn't love it. She prefers to be behind the pitcher, and last game fielded two balls at short stop. The girls are doing coach pitch and Emma has had a number of good hits!

 We did find downtime on Sunday to make pumpkin cookies. Of course we've also done a little fall decorating. I'm proud to say we even have Halloween costumes already! The girls and I were running errands a couple of weekends ago and we got those checked off the list.

I remember when the girls were babies thinking, when they are done with diapers ... wipes .. daycare, life will be easier ... cheaper ..., once they sleep through the night, I will, too ... I think these are common thoughts new parents have, and the reality is, expensive daycare and diapers are replaced by expensive sports. Sleepless nights with a wide-awake baby are replaced by sleepless night for a plethora of other reasons. I'm having a hard time leaving work when I should and being present at home. One of my big initiatives this year with my staff is teacher self-care, and I'm not always doing a good job of taking my own advice. As crazy as it may sound to someone not in my field, the longer I do my job, the harder it gets. That statement really requires an in-person explanation, but in my head it makes sense on many levels. Meanwhile, my girls are leading their own busy lives and I've come to realize it's only going to get busier. I don't know when I'll feel rested again. But right now, the girls are happy, they are excelling in many ways, and they make me so proud - I'm enjoying moments like those above, and it's all worth the tired.

Book Talk

My sister loaded me up with books to read when I was in MN over the summer, and I'm just getting around to sharing them here. Considering my (lack of free) time and current Monday night head space, I'm not going to write much about each - but they're featured here, so know I totally recommend them! Something for everyone ...

First up, A Woman is No Man ... wow. A powerful read about a Muslim woman navigating her arranged marriage and move across the world. This story is not glamorized in any way, and is deep and sad on many levels.

 Before Ever After is a love story that spans all of time - literally. Far-fetched at times, but so well written you want to believe it's all true and possible. And maybe it is; whose to say we haven't lived more than one life?

 How Not to Die Alone is about just that - finding the people that will make your days worthwhile. Parts funny, parts pathetic, a mostly light and enjoyable read.

 The Girls in the Garden is a mystery that has you assuming everyone is guilty. Plenty of twists and turns, all while the author builds a neighborhood and characters you'd really probably like to get to know.

 Another mystery, The Winter Sister finds the main character, after many years, coming face to face with the person she believes to be her sister's murderer all while she cares for her ailing mother. Another great page-turner.

 Normal People tugged at my heart strings in so many ways. Don't we all just want to be normal? But who can define it? The characters and relationships written into this story transcend races, genders, and generations.

"Sleep is good, he said, and books are better."

-George R.R. Martin

Celebrations

Emma's birthday was the celebration that went on and on! The girls' Kansas cousins surprised them last Friday night and spent most of the long weekend with us. Emma had been begging to go bowling for her birthday, so Saturday after the Cyclones victory, we hit up Plano Super Bowl. Bumper lane for the kids, regular lane for the adults.

 Cousin bowlers!

 It was a great afternoon of genuine fun at the lanes!

 Had to take a picture of Sara's high score - 120. Wow!

 After bowling, we headed to the FC Dallas game. 

 I love watching Emma play soccer, and I also love watching her love to watch it. It was a great game and a W for FC Dallas. Lots of fun with fireworks afterward!

 On Sunday, we had a pool day complete with ice cream cake from Henry's. Lexey and Emma have birthdays just a few days (and a couple of years) apart.

 The cousins swam literally all day long!

 When night came and the adults were still hanging out on the porch, we spied the 10-year-olds having serious girl talk over by the pool. Love that these girls love each other so much, even though they live far away from one another.

 Monday was a quiet day cleaning and resting at home, and Tuesday was Emma's actual birthday. She brought cookies for her friends at school and her teacher was kind enough to send me pictures.  That evening we opened presents, then went to soccer (more cookies for the team), and then ate Panda Express (Emma's request).

Emma put all of her personality on display while opening presents ...

 We had so much fun celebrating her over the course of many days, and as you would imagine, she didn't mind at all that the fun just kept coming!

In other celebration news, Sara decided this year that she was going to run for a Student Council officer position. Last year in 4th grade she was a class rep, but 5th graders are able to run for one of four officer positions. A couple of weeks ago, she decided to run for Secretary, so she wrote a speech and made a poster to display at the school. On Friday, she had to give her speech in front of the entire 5th grade. She went to bed very nervous Thursday evening. I was glad to get this picture from one of her teachers mid-morning on Friday.

Sara texted me after she got home from school to let me know that she won the election! I am so proud of her. Prior to Friday, she kept asking, "what if I don't win?" and I kept reinforcing that we'd be proud regardless - it takes a lot of guts just to run and speak in front of your peers. I know she'll be a great leader this year, in her last year of elementary school.

This weekend we are enjoying some football and pool time, as well as soccer and softball games ... and just waiting for it to feel like fall!

Lucky Seven

Emma is 7 today. Sometimes I find myself forgetting that she's a big kid because, in so many ways, she's still our baby. The thing about Emma is that she's never been satisfied being the baby, the youngest, the little one - she has been trying to grow up since the beginning. And now here she is: 7 years old!

At 7, Emma loves school. What she doesn't love is getting up early for school, and she'll tell you her favorite part of the day is lunch. But she also enjoys learning and loves to please her teacher. She works very hard to do the right thing at school, even though it's not always easy.

 In so many ways, Emma is still the same girl we met on day one. So much sweet, so much stubborn. I've always said she feels all her emotions "hard", and that continues to be the case. She's full of personality and loves to make people laugh. She also insists on being heard when she feels there's some sort of injustice - no matter how big or small. We're continuously learning how to navigate this. 

 Emma is typically on the go. This fall, she's continuing soccer and adding softball to the mix. She's a natural athlete and even our crazy summer heat hasn't kept her from working hard every time she's on the field. She's a leader on her team, and I love watching her work hard and get scrappy. She's super proud of her muscles!

Emma has lost six teeth, and can put down a McDonald's double cheeseburger or a 12-count CFA nugget meal like nobody's business. She loves to cook and recently has specialized in scrambled eggs and yogurt pops. She also loves to settle in for a movie and a snack (really, she'll take a snack anytime), and watches "Home Alone" year-round even though it's a Christmas movie. 

This girl is all the good things and all the things that turn my hair gray; always has been and probably always will be. I'm thankful everyday that she's part of my journey. 

Happy 7th Birthday, Emma Grace.

You're the best.