Hello Monday – Henry’s 12th Birthday, Band, Soccer and Dance!

I’m back today with a traditional Hello Monday post! Woohoo! It’s the month of May and if you’re a parent, you know what that means – it’s MayCember! Talk about busy, busy, busy!

A week ago, Henry and Eliza had their second to last soccer games, followed up with hot dogs and slushies – cheapest lunches EVER! Both kids played at the same time, so we made sure to sit on this bench to be able to watch them both. Thank goodness their fields were right next to each other! They both did really well and we’re so very proud to have watched their confidence soar since joining soccer!

The following Sunday was Henry’s 12th Birthday! How?! Hooooow do we have a 12 year old?! My emotions have been really nuts lately and sometimes it’s been hard for me to cry, but the flood gates opened up on Saturday night and into Sunday and I cried and I cried and I cried! This parenting thing is no joke, it truly is the definition of, “bittersweet.”

Henry chose to go to our local arcade/go-cart/laser tag place here in town. We kept everything really simple and Mr. Henry had the best time and was surrounded by the best boys around! I adore these boys and their parents so very much!

I also told Henry that he was having a little theme, whether he wanted one or not. Luckily he didn’t mind. I ordered this mini “space” cake, I also bought space balloons and sent out a space-themed invitation. My Mama heart needed a theme… I’m just not ready to let go of themed parties quite yet.

Jane wore Eliza’s fanny pack and packed it with coins. LOL!

I was cracking up over how much all the boys were matching…it wasn’t planned at all…

Henry’s number one fans!

Love this group of kiddos! I’ve known a couple since birth and some since they were three. Time flies…

We came home after the party and Eliza got back to her new favorite skill, crocheting. She wanted to randomly make Henry a crocheted dinosaur. So, in the course of a day, she managed to teach herself how to do it. Also, her new reading glasses are the cutest. I told her she’s my cute little 80 year old grandma living in my basement. LOVE. HER!

She was so proud and Henry was thrilled about receiving this unique gift!

Oh and earlier in the day we got Jimmy John’s for dinner, Henry’s request, and ate the remainder of his birthday cake. I had purchased more candles but couldn’t find them anywhere, so we used a tea light and made the most of it! LOL!!!! Henry was excited to finally be able to light his own candle!

The week before, the girls and I had gone on a field trip to the Air Zoo in Kalamazoo and purchased him lots of space gifts! He love, love, loved them!

The rest of the week was filled with prepping for Teacher Appreciation days, soccer practice, dance classes and basically running around like a crazy woman!

I picked up Jane from school on Thursday and she had made the sweetest Mother’s Day card for me. Homemade items from the kids are my absolute most favorite thing to receive. I tell them all the time to never stop making me things – I just love it all so much!

Thursday afternoon/evening also consisted of an orthodontist appointment for Eliza, which Jon took her to (thanks goodness), missed soccer practices due to the busyness of the day and Henry’s 6th grade band concert. I snapped this pic as we were running out the door!

Awards were given out and, to our surprise, Henry received the Outstanding Bandsperson Award!!! I was not at all prepared for it, so I only have 9 seconds of video! Thank goodness for friends who sent a close up picture of him for us! We were soooo surprised and beyond proud of him!

This was the best picture we got of all of us!

On Friday, I helped set up for our last day of Teacher Appreciation Week – phew! That was a lot of work. Once back from the school, Jane, Jon and I headed to a dirt road and Jane and I ran while Jon did sprints. We’ve done this the last two Fridays and its been awesome! Jane dressed herself. Oh and don’t mind the stroller straps on her – I figure she’s not a toddler anymore, so as long as she’s sort of buckled in is all I care about – she did great!

We held a drawing for gift baskets for all the teachers and had these champagne flutes sitting out – I blogged about them here.

After school, we quickly ate dinner and then headed up the road for the girls’ dance rehearsal – they had to be in full hair and makeup and costume. We also had to travel to another school, because our high school doesn’t have an auditorium…ugh! Hopefully someday! While sitting there I also found out that the first recital on the next day was at noon and not 12:30 like I had originally read. Apparently there had been a typo, but it was the one sheet that I had been basing all of my info off of…phew! That would’ve been so sad had I messed up and shown up late – good thing I was listening!

The next morning, Saturday, both Henry and Eliza had soccer tournaments. I wasn’t sure if I was going to have Eliza go, but we went and just basically ran like crazy afterwards to get around for the recital.

I was sad that we didn’t have time to stick around for group pictures or to take pictures of the kids with their medals or even the kids together, but I was a frantic mess after the games!

Somehow we arrived early, but not as early as I had hoped.

It was a little too rushed for my liking… but we were settled and the show was about to begin. I was out of breath and a little worried. I wasn’t sure how Jane would be without me and I wasn’t sure how she’d do behind stage for basically five hours, but, THANKFULLY, she did great. I sat down in the theater and about 90 seconds later, the show began. They weren’t messing around, it was noon and the show started immediately!

Eliza and Jane absolutely rocked their dances and you best believe I cheered as loudly as I could for them!

The first show was just under 2 hours. We had a little break before the next show started at 3. So, we headed to get Sprites and McDonald’s french fries, I basically was giving them whatever they needed to hold it together for their second show!

We made it back early, but we all had to use the bathroom. The line was short, but there was one mom and daughter ahead of us that took foooooorever in the bathroom – I wonder if they were working on a costume or something, but we waited for 10 minutes and the nice calm energy we had then turned frantic again! We had seven minutes to go to the bathroom and to take both girls to their rooms and for me to find my seat. Ahhhh! When we left the bathroom, the same mom came back to the bathrooms again with her daughter… I was trying soooo dang hard to show them some grace. I felt bad, though, because I know she could feel my energy and I’m usually very polite and kind, but I was definitely not feeling that way at that point. EEK. Anyhoo, I got the girls where they needed to be, left Jane and I didn’t give her a kiss because she was in line to go on stage and then I went to find my seat…only to realize that I hadn’t changed Jane’s shoes from her boots to her slippers. Oy. The great bathroom debacle had messed me up! She was up next on stage and my anxiety was through the roof…I need to work on my dance moms skills. LOL!! LUCKILY Jane’s dance teacher had realized that I had messed up and had found her slippers just before going on stage – I felt terrible, but everyone made it and now I’ll probably lose sleep over the bathroom lady hearing me say, “Geesh, she’s been in their a long time…” Ugh!

After the show we took pictures together. My mom came to watch. My friend, Sara’s daughter, Ashlyn, was in the show with Eliza, so we had sat next to each other for both shows, and our friends, Amy and Annie, came to watch, too. Jon and Henry also came to the second show, since Henry had another soccer game during the girls’ first show. It was crazy town, people!

But, once it was over, I felt like the crazy of the week, the weekend and the day was done and now I could finally breathe…

We headed to a nice dinner and grabbed some quick pictures. Jon and my mom exchanged Mother’s Day gifts and I headed home with the girls. I. was. so. dang. exhausted.

It was a great week, an extremely busy one, but a great one. We still have some busy days to go before the kids are out of school for the year, but nothing as busy as last week…well, knock on wood, never say never, right?!

LOL!

Thanks sooooo very much for stopping by! It means so much! Have the most lovely of days and I hope your coming week is a nice and slow and happy one!

Marie 🙂

I’m linking up with Hello Monday.