The Crafts

It's an interesting dynamic in our house. Parenting a middle schooler all the way down to a threesome tyrannosaurus with two others in between. At the end of each day we collapse on the couch and I think, "phew, survived another one." A good parent gets up and tries again...or so I've read. And that's what we've been doing.  Kate sang in her first ever middle school concert. The kids did a great job after a trimester of practice. In middle school students are lined up by last name rather than height. Kate blocked a few kids standing in the front row. Love my tall girl. We received our first snow storm of the season...in early November. I love winter, I love winter, I love winter...(trying to convince myself.) The snow has since melted but I snapped some cute photos of the girls playing before it disappeared. And after a couple of hearty Thanksgiving meals with various families (three Thanksgivings in all), we drove up to Wapsie Pines and picke...

This Halloween was a great one for our family, primarily because we gained a lot of independence from last year to this. Everyone was able to walk around on their own, knock on doors without assistance, and we didn't have to worry about tipsy little baby feet falling off front steps. We visited with neighbors, collected lots of candy, and collapsed in a heap by the end of the evening...after the annual candy swap, of course. This year CJ dressed as a swimmer (SWOON!), Natalie was a pet vet, Maddie was Catboy from PJ Masks, and Kate and I wore blow-up suits and danced our way down the sidewalk. Kate's trick or treating days came to an end this year but she went out in style, kind of. Oh, and Matt didn't dress up but he was along for the ride. And because I neglected my blog for so long, I thought it'd make sense to post LAST YEAR'S Halloween pictures because I probably never got around to blogging about it. Trying on costumes at Target is always FUN!!! ...

We've had some strange weather this fall with below average temperatures and ridiculous amounts of rain. But this week has leveled out and we've all begun to remember why fall is pretty great. The girls have logged some time playing in the leaves, we've gone to the park more this week than we have in the last month, Maddie and I have been walking back and forth to pick up girls from school...etc.  You can't tell from this photo but the wind was CRAZY this day. So crazy it got these girls outside for a long time yelling into the wind, raking leaves, jumping in leaves, and having some fun together. The tree behind them is now practically naked thanks to all that wind but we're having fun playing in it's leaves. During the day when the big girls are in school, I've started "taking my puppy for walks." And when you read puppy, think Maddie. The girl has high energy and I've attempted to take her outside for regular walks and play time even...

Yet another soccer season has wrapped up. We had many chilly Saturday mornings but it kept things interesting. I mean, who would want to be comfortable anyway. :) Just kidding. CJ finished her third fall of soccer and seems to like it most days. She mostly played in a defender, occasionally forward, position. She is on a huge team 17 of 3rd and 4th grade girls. That's a lot of subbing! Kate finished her fall season this weekend in bone chilling fashion. The winds were so strong that the ball rolled on it's own. The wind gave us some laughs when the ref would try to put the ball down at the half field mark. Kate was goalie 95% of all games. That role serves her well. She's never afraid of a little danger or a foot heading for her face. It makes me nervous though! I was fortunate enough to coach Kate's team with my friend, Lisa. Thankfully she is head coach and I just assist her. She is a smart soccer coach! CJ runs so hard her face wiggles and her hair flies behind ...

Six years ago October 7th, I thought I'd be pregnant forever. I was eight days overdue and at that point you in pregnancy eight days feels like eight years. I left church after fielding dozens of questions, hopped into the car with Kate for some grocery shopping, and a couple hours later I was holding my sweet Natalie. And just a week or so ago that little girl turned SIX! Six reasons Natalie rocks! 1. She is so incredibly witty and I love to hear her stories. 2. Natalie is incredibly sweet and thoughtful. She makes cards and pictures for people often. 3. She is creative! Natalie designs various homes, parks, play rooms for her stuffed animals. 4. Natalie loves animals with all of her heart...especially the stuffed variety. 5. Natalie knows what she likes and is confident in that decision. (read; she doesn't want to do what she doesn't like.) 6. Last but not least, she is super duper smart and a true joy to have in the house. We love you Natalie! Happy birthday! ...

Anyone who really knows me understands how much love I hold in my heart for competitive swimming. I grew up swimming for a rec team, then club, and high school, and eventually in college. I always hoped my own daughters would one day swim but then our town lost their swim team. By the grace of God, and lots of hard work, we were able to reform a team this summer, and I was able to serve the team as head coach. I truly enjoyed every minute of coaching this summer. We watched kids gain confidence, improve their times, and genuinely have a lot of fun. I'm beyond grateful to everyone who made it possible. Even better still, Kate and CJ joined the team and I got to watch them develop a love for swimming that rivals my own. Summer 2019 I will get to watch three of my four girls swim when Natalie joins the La Porte City Waves. I'm swooning over here. Now to get Maddie ready in another year or two...

This amazing, smart, talented, book-loving, art-loving, strong, stubborn, independent, beautiful girl turned NINE on August 30th. And she sparkles like the sun! Nine reasons why CJ rocks on her ninth birthday! 1. Everything about her is bouncy. Bouncy perfectly describes who she is as a person; even her hair is curly and bouncy. 2. CJ loves, like really deep down loves, to read...while walking, eating, riding in the car, avoiding responsibility, etc. 3. She is creative to the core.  4. Claudia adores creating cards for friends and strangers alike.  5. She is stubborn like her mama. 6. She is great at reading people and knowing what makes them tick. 7. Her organizational skills, when she so chooses to use them, are on par with Martha Stewart...or any other type A.  8. She shares my love of adorable 80’s relics like Lisa Frank Trapper Keepers and plastic charm necklaces.  9. She is smart, thoughtful, and important We LOVE you, Claudia! Happy...