Caroline loves soccer

Now I know what it means to be a soccer Mom. I have two girls in soccer right now and that means 5 practices/games a week. Add in two piano lessons, one field hockey match,  a X-Country Meet and all the hockey and running practices after school, and a Young Women's church activity on Wednesday and I am living in the car every day after school.
It's actually not as bad as it sounds. The kids are having fun, working hard, and I am making friends with all the other Mom's. I like this stage in my life. I can't wait to add a baby to the mix. Actually I would say, "I can't imagine" how I will add a baby.  Somehow we need way less on the calendar come December 1 (baby due date). We are still trying to decide if we should give in and start basketball as soon as soccer ends. Because you can do anything for a couple months but I don't think this kind of schedule should be on going. New baby regardless. I have to say HURRY way too often to my children.
But for now Caroline is enjoying her first sport. She never stops running out there and seems to understand the rules and which way she should kick the ball. We are all amazed. 

Cheering and Parenting

 Kennon ran in her first home cross country meet of the season. Here she is running with the pack just after the start. They hold the race at a local farm so they run through the woods,  up big hills, around ponds,  through rows of apples trees, and sometimes swarms of bees.

And here she comes. I know I have said this before but I love seeing my daughter race across the finish line.  I even jumped up out of my chair and cheered. She placed 13th overall. She also was voted to be team captain this season. Go, Go Kennon. 


Notice the new blue shoes. After so many miles, this is Kennon's first time racing in new shoes. In the past she wore whatever Mom picked up 2nd hand in her size. But she had outgrown her 8's and refused to take over my 9's that have been gathering dust the last few months on my shelf.  She was determined to have a new pair that she could put her own miles on. It made sense. She runs about 10 miles each week. 


Well, all the kids needed sports equipment this year. So we decided to hand out $50 dollars each and let them run with it.  Savannah bought her a hockey stick and goggles on ebay for about a 1/4 of the cost, socks and shin gaurds at Wallmart, and picked up a pair of cleats her size at the town swap shop, pink shoelaces not included. She came in right at $50.  


We figured if Savannah could get all that Kennon should have no problem with one pair of shoes. So I took Kennon shopping and pointed out a nice pair for $35, which would mean $15 in her pocket- No sales tax here, folks. 


But she was convinced that a pair for $70 was far superior in performance. Or at least style. So she made up the difference and got her new blue shoes. Not without some completely pointless arguing at the checkout that we were making life way too hard for her. But I think for a girl who had many opportunities to work all summer a $50 handout was plenty generous. 


Of course I am not including these details to embarrass my children. I just think that they will be interesting stuff to look back on. 


With Mom down this summer, there was much to do. And we were willing to pay them for most of it. Everything but daily dish chores were up for grabs. And of course there was also the dental office that now needed a cleaning crew and grounds keeper since that employee was on bed rest.


Some Saturdays some children were not willing to go. They didn't mind the cleaning so much. They just couldn't handle the inspections by Mom that always followed. So they stayed home and another child made the money that weekend. But declarations like, "This is the last time I am ever coming to the office!" didn't stick and everyone took a turn. 


By the end of the summer due to the many financial opportunities provided for them it was determined that they would all be buying all their own clothing. There was plenty of complaining during school shopping (Mom on wheels accompanying them)  but we made it through. The kids made some excellent choices within their budget. They always are so much smarter when the credit card won't be footing the bill. Suddenly they don't need one more T-shirt after all. I sometimes felt bad and wanted to just spoil them, but then remembered if I caved I would be taking away their work incentives and I knew that I couldn't do that. Not if I wanted my lawn mowed once a week. 

 
So far the younger two have remained mostly immune to the realities of the hard knock life of Team Casper. They still think that a trip to the swap shop is far superior than a trip to the mall so for now Caroline just makes a dollar an hour and then drives us insane until it is spent. We'll deal with them later and maybe we will have it figured out better by that time. 

I hate to post that it was the worst summer ever because I know life can be so much worse than feeling great and just sitting around relaxing but. . . . I  had so many mountains I wanted to climb, festivals to attend, places to explore, lakes to swim in with my kids, and the list goes on. This is such a summer paradise up here. 

We barely got a chance to relax last summer with starting the practice and moving in, and I was really looking forward to being a new house organizing it and doing fun stuff with my sister. All that other stuff is still on my to do list. Luckily, Peter got the job and they will be back next summer and give us another chance to show them it's a great place. 

My poor kids. I don't even think they can remember that I used to be sort of fun. Now I am just that lazy mom on the couch that bosses everyone around and she can't actually do much of anything herself. Luckily we splurged on our first above ground pool that was big enough to keep them entertained at home all summer. 

It was perfect for Caroline. It was just up to her shoulders so without any supervision she finally learned how to swim. 

Camille even thought it was deep enough for practicing her dives. 

 

And though we ain't fancy with this wimpy new pool, rickety bottom of the line trampoline, and free swing set from the neighbors . . somehow it was enough to earn us best backyard hangout on the block.

 There are 6 girls on our street that are all either 2nd graders or 4th graders. And for some reason the mother on bed rest house is the place to be.

 They especially like playing with my new wheelchair. I mean my very old very ugly wheelchair that Savannah insisted on buying for $5 bucks at a end of summer yard sale so we could hit up all the stores that didn't have motorized scooters. So far it has just been traveling all over our backyard with children and has yet to go along on all the trips Savannah planned to outlet malls and TJMaxx.

 All the girls are playing a sport this fall. Unfortunately that means I am headed in all sorts of directions and have to choose which daughter I will support each evening. Here is Savannah at her first field hockey game. I think #4 (the one with the pink shoelaces) was just looking for an excuse to get to wear a short skirt and hang out more with her best friend, Natalie #5. 


Camille and Caroline are our first soccer girls and they are loving it. Kennon is once again on the cross country team. I have to decide every game not only which one to attend but also should I even attend since my Dr. recently told me that my bed rest was intended to by spent "Laying down" not "sitting down"?


Luckily I just found that out and was at least good for something this summer. Like cooking and washing dishes sitting on a stool for hours.

 And burning office confidential papers with my children in our driveway. They all want to help me with this task. It's a lot more fun than using a shredder. 
We have a very organized neighborhood with a president, secretary and treasury. They held their summer block party last weekend.

I guess they used to get together for progressive dinners once a month and finally just scaled back to two parties a year for summer and Christmas. We have felt very welcome and definitely notice that this neighborhood doesn't fit the New England stereotype. 

Marcus has two older boys that live next door and it is pretty hard to keep him from crossing the street at all times to see how they are doing and what toys he might be able to play with today. Despite the 8 year age gap these two get along very well. They let Marcus run their remote control cars and send him home with something every day to add to his growing toy collection. Caroline also seems to prefer the boys. When she wants a friend to come over to play she asks to invite "the boys next door" rather than the two 7 year old girls down the street. 

The other night I went to a Relief Society Meeting with Kennon and Savannah and was upset to come home and find dishes still waiting for Mom to wash next to my kitchen stool. However it turned out that Camille had a chunk of tooth fall out of her mouth right before I left so Brent took the three younger kids to the office with him for an emergency appointment. Marcus and Caroline sat in the corner and watched while Camille and Dr. Casper got down to business and fixed the tooth. I guess if I can't have a maid, I should be grateful for an in house dentist.


There has been a lack of pictures documenting this pregnancy. I guess it's hard to remember to do photo shoots when you're never up and about. 

Aug 31. First day of School

 Kennon -8th grade   Savannah 7th grade.

 My growing up way too fast daughters head off to school. Both with straightened hair, big earrings and even eyeliner. And a lot more confident than last year at the new school. This year we live so close they "get " to walk. 

They complain that life is so rough and good parents in our neighborhood drive their children to school. I tell them that they are spoiled to live a 1/2 mile from school and skip the bus all together. I used to walk a 1/2 mile to my bus stop at the potato sheds (winter, snow and ice) . .  . And Then ride the bus for over an hour. 

 Camille- 4th grade and Caroline -2nd grade leave over 2 hours later and the bus pulls right up to our driveway. Which is great since that is about the max I am permitted to walk. They have already been up for hours though thanks to our Mandatory 6 am Family Scripture Study. But they move so slow and are so easily distracted  that I am happy to have two whole hours to coax them out the door. 


They are the last to get on the bus and the first stop off the bus in the afternoon. Once again, quite spoiled. (Caroline brought the parasol to school for the first day. Her friend had given it to her the day before and she was convinced she needed it to keep the sun off her during recess.)

 Camille went straight to the back of the bus taking her rightful spot among the 4th graders now she has finally made it to the top. 5th grade goes onto middle school. I like the old days when they let kids stay at the elementary through sixth grade. 

Marcus won't be riding the bus for two years yet but he insisted on a school bus picture. 

We had an awesome day home alone together. I have never been so anxious to get my kids off to school. All so I could finally enjoy my bed rest in peace. I know one is still hanging around but I am happy for minus 4. Marcus never asks me to take him anywhere and never tells me that he is having the worst summer ever.