Labor Day and more

 It's hard to believe that the unofficial end of summer is already behind us.  Last weekend was Labor Day and we made the most of the long weekend, filling up our schedule to the max.

We filled the last few weeks of summer break with some fun.  I took a day off of work and the boys and I went to the Magic House for a day of exploring.  They had an absolute blast and didn't want to leave even after spending the entire day at the museum.

We also attended a Savannah Bananas games when they came to St. Louis on their Banana Ball World tour.  The Bananas played the Loco Beach Coconuts and Bananas won.  We also got to see guest appearances by former St. Louis Cardinals players Matt Carpenter and David Freese.  It was a fun experience!

The boys started school a few days later.  Connor moved to Junior Kindergarten at his preschool on Monday, August 24th and Declan started second grade on that Tuesday.  Connor is down to his last year at preschool and D and I are counting down the months until no more tuition!  After 8 years, we're ready for a raise, but we're super grateful for how much our boys have learned by going to preschool in their early years.  Connor was sad to leave his old class and teacher but he understands that he's preparing for kindergarten and is looking forward to new adventures.

Declan is not only be in second grade but he also qualified for the gifted program in our school district and will start attending another school and expand his knowledge one day each week starting this week.  He's so smart and quite kind.  We're so proud of him!

Besides school, we've just started hockey season for both boys.  Connor joined a 6u team and D is an assistant coach with one of his hockey buddies who also has a 6u player on the team.  Connor picked #97 in honor of his favorite player Connor McDavid.  He's having so much fun and making new hockey friends.

Declan shocked us this year with hockey and has earned himself a spot on an 8u red team, moving up 2 levels from 8u blue with only 1 year of organized hockey under his belt.  In early August, we went to Pure Hockey to get skates sharpened and while there Declan made a laundry list of equipment and gear he wanted.  D told him that if he made red he would buy him the net and targets and mini stick he requested.  Declan kept practicing and took his pre-skates and evaluations very seriously and earned that spot on 8u red.  I think it helped that he spent half of his summer at hockey camp perfecting his skills, but it proved to me how much he wanted his gear and to be a red 8u player.  What is quite funny is that only 3 8u blue players made it to 8u red and they were all on Declan's 8u tournament team last year.  And if you're wondering, we ended up getting Declan his net, targets and some tiles in order to sharpen his game from Marketplace.  It was a debacle to pick it up, but both boys are enjoying the new hockey training setup in the backyard.  We still have to get him that mini stick, but with a houseful of mini sticks, we're trying to hold off as long as we can. :)

So, how did we spend our Labor Day weekend?  At the hockey rink, of course!  Both boys had their first tournament of the season.  Connor was beyond ecstatic to be a "real" hockey player.  While he didn't have his #97 jersey because they still were on order, he picked #4 to be like his daddy, when D played HNA.  He scored his first goal (and a second!) and also played goalie in two games.  In fact, he earned a shutout in his second game and his team won 6-0.  His team finished middle of the pack in their bracket but it wasn't from lack of effort on Connor's part.  He took it very seriously but had so much fun too.

Declan looked great and showed us that he deserves to be on 8u red. He scored 3 goals, had 2 assists and his team made it to the semi-finals after a slow start.  He even had a goal through the legs of one of his opponents - a kid that told him that he was probably the last kid picked for red.  I was so proud of Declan showing with actions that he's up for a challenge and what was even better is that he left the other kid stunned.  To me, this shows that in the face of adversity, Declan is ready to prove himself.

After all of the hockey on Saturday and Sunday, D and I got a bit of a break on Monday (Labor Day).  We had a lot of errands to get done before we went to see Shinedown.  Like in years past (2022, 2023) and then our anniversary last year, we got to see Shinedown in concert.  This year was a smaller show at The Factory in Chesterfield.  It was literally 15 minutes from our house which was great since we both had to work on Tuesday but we bought general admission tickets and had to stand on the crowded floor for the show.  I absolutely love Shinedown's music and loved the smaller venue, but I wish we would have sprang for more expensive tickets in the balcony. I realize, I'm getting old and I just don't fit in with the typical hard rock crowd like I used to, but we still had a good time. I am also loving the new songs from Ei8ht and have been singing them around the house pretty much non-stop.

As for this weekend, we've have hockey practices all weekend and we're getting ready to take our annual trip to pick apples.  We're soaking up the last few weeks of the summer weather while also getting going with our fall activities.  It's been crazy busy, but I don't know if I'd have it any other way.

Here's a photo dump of our fun:

New Adventures Are Upon Us

What a month May was....I started out the month with a field trip with Declan and I am ending the month starting a new job on Monday.  I wish I could say it has been an easy month; but it has been far from it. Shortly after Declan's field trip, some issues came up at work and I decided it was best to start looking for a new position.  About a week after my initial search and with the help of some good connections with recruiters, I was able to land another role fairly quickly and as a result, my time in transportation/logistics is complete.

A few things I've learned over the years about myself -- I'm my own worst critic and my work ethic is far superior to most.  For months now, I've felt the weight of the world on my shoulders and being in an industry that is 24/7, there never seemed to be a time to slow down, stop or enjoy any successes.  Being in the office, there were always mountains of work to complete and never enough time.  And being out of office for a day, I always ended up being so anxious about all of the tasks that were piling up with no help or backup to step in.  Also, I manage people to a super high standard and being so goal oriented and motivated to be the best, it comes off me being better than others and causes tension.  I've been over-working myself due to others not having that same drive too and as a result, it's taken a toll on me mentally, emotionally and physically.

I'm excited for my new role and the challenges it brings.  I'm having to start over in a brand new industry and learn most of it from scratch, but I'm hoping my years of experience in accounting will help me succeed.  I'm also working to lower my standards (just slightly) with my new team.  Instead of having 16 direct reports, there are only 3 and my goal is to be a mentor and colleague to them.  I still am a controller and still have a responsibility to my employer, but I also get to work closely with other like-minded people, which is something I've longed for over the years.  But overall, I hope this change brings back some of the joy I've been missing in my professional life.

Other than that, Declan finished kindergarten yesterday.  I can't believe that his first year of elementary school is now behind us.  It seems like just yesterday, I was dropping him off for his first day!  He starts summer camp on Monday and is looking forward to his own camp adventures for the next 11 weeks.  Today he started a 5 week 8U hockey clinic to improve upon his hockey skills for landing on a team in the fall.  It's an hour of skills and scrimmage each Saturday morning with his coach from all of his hockey and skating lessons.  He's bound and determined to make an 8U team this fall and be a hockey player when he grows up.  I love his enthusiasm and drive...he comes by it honestly!

Connor has 11 weeks in his current preschool class until he moves up to Preschool 2 in the middle of August.  While it doesn't seem like much of a change on paper, the Preschool 2 class is more structured and follows a stricter daily schedule to prepare the kids for junior kindergarten and kindergarten.  He's thriving academically now but I know the move will make him that much more prepared for his future.  

Anyway, that's all I got for now.  I'm off to enjoy the rest of my weekend and prepare for my new job.  I'm hoping and praying that this change is my "missing puzzle piece."

Labor Day 2020

 We're enjoying the last little bit of summer and taking full advantage of our 3 day weekend.  In spite of all of the craziness, we've found time to get out and bring some normalcy to our time together.

Last weekend, our niece and nephew turned 9 and we got to celebrate their birthdays with a socially distanced pool party at my dad's. Declan absolutely loves the water and since swimming lessons were again cancelled, it was great to get him into the pool before the weather changes.  He had a blast playing with his cousins and socializing with other family that attended.  He may of also enjoyed a cupcake or two during our visit.

This weekend, we decided to keep with our tradition of apple picking. We found a cute, little orchard in Augusta, MO last year and decided to visit again this year. Declan had so much fun peach picking on vacation in July and figured he would have as much fun with the apples. We did not disappoint our little guy. He loved picking apples straight off of the tree and taking a big bite out of them. We ended up picking almost 14 pounds of apples and I'm sure he ate about a pound in the orchard.  He learned about an "apple picker" and even got to see a tractor at the farm and orchard.

After apple picking, we went to one of our favorite spots for pizza and took in more time outside when we set up Declan's pool in the backyard.  We have no idea when we're going to be able to get him back into swimming lessons but we're happy we can at least set up his little pool when it's nice out in the meantime.  He seems to love any type of water (bath, little pool, big pool) so his afternoon was made.

Today we're taking it easy at home before restarting the work week tomorrow.  We're having a picnic of smoked pulled pork (thanks D!) at home and spending as much time outside as we can.  We're also starting the party preparations for Declan's 2nd birthday next month.  It's so hard to believe that our miracle is almost two.  He's so excited for his tractor party and this mama isn't going to let him down.

Hope everyone has a relaxing and safe Labor Day!

Staycation 2020

Today is the last day of our summer stay-cation and we've had a fun week in spite of the pandemic still raging on throughout the community. I definitely feel we made the right choice for this summer and we made great memories as a family over the past week. So here's a rundown of our family stay-cation.

Last Saturday was our first official day of vacation but Declan had swimming lessons so we stuck around home for the most part and had a normal Saturday after swimming lessons in the morning.

On Sunday, we drove to St. James, MO and visited Maramec Spring Park.  We've been getting into the outdoors a lot more due to the pandemic and Maramec Spring Park did not disappoint. We circled the spring and talked to the trout and learned more about the history of the area.  The water was so clear and we got a lot of steps in circling the fishing holes. Afterwards we stopped for lunch at Public House Brewing and sat out in The Gardens enjoying a burger and a refreshing drink.

On Monday, we had 9 am reservations at the St. Louis Zoo.  We got up early and picked up my mom and Michael and headed east. I personally hadn't been to the zoo in 20-25 years and was excited to take Declan to see the animals.  We donned our masks and saw as many of the exhibits as we could given the current conditions. The best part of the day for Declan was getting to ride the train around the park a few times.  He also got a chimpanzee stuffed animal named Eco that Nana bought for him at the gift shop and that's his new buddy when he stays at Nana and Papa's house.

On Tuesday, Dustin wanted to take care of some of the chores around home so we laid low most of the morning and played hockey in the basement and then helped D cut grass with the intention of going to Babler State Park in the afternoon but the weather had different plans for us as it stormed all afternoon as soon as Declan woke up from his nap. So instead, we went to GFS and picked up supplies for Ribfest weekend.

On Wednesday, we headed to Grafton to explore Pere Marquette State Park and pick fruit at Eckerts. We stopped at Eckerts first and picked peaches and blackberries out in the orchards. After picking our fruit, we took a drive through Pere Marquette and had a picnic lunch. Declan enjoyed picking the fruit straight from the trees and sampling his choice at Eckerts.

Wednesday evening my mom and step-dad offered to take Declan for the night so that Dustin and I could have a dinner date. It was the first time we've actually gone out to dinner just the two of us in a long time. We drove out to Wentzville and had dinner at Stone Summit Steak and Seafood. It's been a place we've wanted to try for some time and since they had an outdoor patio, it was a great choice for the night. Declan had so much fun spending the night at Nana and Papa's and didn't seem to care that we weren't there.

On Thursday, we picked up Declan and headed to the National Museum of Transportation. Declan has a new obsession with trains and tractors and we thought it would be fun for him to see some big equipment up close.  He again loved riding the miniature train around the complex and even climbed up into an engine and pretended to drive the train.  Another cute thing he picked up after riding the trains at both the Zoo and the NMOT is that he knows what a train conductor says when their ready to roll.  You can ask him, "Declan, what does a train conductor say?" and he proudly belts out "All Aboard...ChooChoo."  It's the best.

On Friday, we decided to stay home again as Dustin was preparing to head to Ribfest on Saturday morning and wanted to get his ribs on the smoker so that he was ready for the competition. It was a pretty quiet day at home and after Declan's afternoon nap, we let him play out in the "pool" in the backyard.  Nana and Papa came over that evening and Declan helped make homemade pizza for dinner.

On Saturday, Dustin headed out super early for Chicago with my step-dad Michael.  Declan and I thought it would be best to stay home this year and allow him to have fun here. We had swimming lessons to attend and this time Mommy got to go in the pool with Decky (Decky is the nickname Declan gave himself and it's the cutest.)  My mom came with us and took pictures and cheered Declan on. He had an absolute blast swimming, splashing and jumping in.

After swimming, we came back home and my mom helped me meal prep for the week ahead. With going back to work, I needed to make sure we're prepared as much as possible for the week ahead. Then we headed back to my mom's to have dinner and see Boo the cat and "NoNo" (Noel the dog). Declan absolutely loves the pets and running around there (or sitting in their beds).  We had dinner with my mom and then came home for bedtime.

Today has been another low-key day. Declan and I have been playing and "cooking" (playing with a saucepan and pretending) and waiting for Daddy and Papa to get back from Ribfest.

Overall we had a good week home and enjoyed some much needed downtime.  Declan is eager to get back to school and see his friends this week but I'm sure glad we got to make some memories together over the past week. I know he won't remember much of it as he gets older but I realize that I definitely will remember this time with him and will treasure it forever.

Mid-Summer Update

We're about halfway through summer and I'm 8 weeks back to work in the office, so I thought it would be a good time to check in and update. 

We're still enjoying a lot of time at home but have found a new fun family activity on the weekends to get out of the house -- hiking.  Each weekend we find a trail in our area to go out and enjoy the weather (albeit hot) and get some exercise in. Thankfully we live in a great area with trails galore, which has made it fun to get out while social distancing.  We may or may not reward ourselves with ice cream depending on the day and temperature but it gives us something to look forward to on the weekends.

Declan is so happy to be back at school too.  Our little guy missed the interaction with his friends and teachers and besides day one, when he was a tiny bit sad at drop off, he's thrived with being back in his routine. Unlike myself, my son is a social butterfly who likes to go play with his friends and teachers each day.  It makes me feel better knowing that he's excited to go to school each day and I know the school is taking all of the extra precautions to keep him healthy.  He's such a smart boy too and at 21 months, he knows all of his colors, a multitude of animals, sounds, names (he remembers every name!), different foods and all sorts of objects (tools are his favorite).

Working on puzzles at school

We also re-enrolled Declan in swimming lessons this summer and he absolutely loves going to the pool on Saturday mornings. Like preschool, the facility is taking extra precautions and the class size is limited to just 4 babies/toddlers but he's having a blast in the water.  Unfortunately our neighborhood pool is closed for the summer, but the lessons on each week have been a blessing for us and so much so that we've signed up for the next 8 week session so Declan can go to the "pool" through September.

Swimming with Daddy

Next week, D and I are taking off a week from work for our vacation.  We debated for months if we were going to take a trip somewhere or just stay home and we finally decided given the uptick in Covid cases all over, we'd just take a stay-cation this year. We're still planning to enjoy our time off but rather than driving 13 hours to the cabin or to a beach, we're going to spend the week exploring our own area. We reserved a spot at the zoo for one day, we're going to go hiking a few days and hit other outside attractions during our time off -- all focusing on being outside and keeping our distance from others.  Both D and I are in need of time off as work has been crazy for both of us and I'm ready to unplug for a week.

Other than everything mentioned above, the only other activity taking up our time is spending time helping at my mom and Michael's house.  They moved in a few weeks ago and are finishing up the last of the construction/clean up/moving in process and we've helped out as we can.  It's also allowed Declan to spend time with Nana and Papa and typically, we get to have dinner together a few nights a week.

Having 2nd breakfast at Nana and Papa's

It's been a pretty good summer so far, nothing like what I expected of summertime (in pre-pandemic life) but we're making memories and enjoying our time together.