This soccer (basketball, baseball) mom is feeling old

I grew up in a very sports-oriented family.  Everyone was/is athletic.  I started out doing all the sports, but when we moved to Texas my 8th grade year, I switched to hibernating in my room 24/7 with a stack of books. Now, here I am, the only non-athlete in my family, carting my kids to one sport after another.  It is crazy.

Jack started basketball last Saturday.  Luckily, we enrolled him in i9 which is where do the practice and game on Saturday. That's it.  Why did I not do that way sooner?

But, alas, baseball and softball are right around the corner and Ellie and Jack both have tryouts this Saturday.  Baseball and softball are my least favorite because it is the most expensive and requires the most time/involvement.  The things we do for our kids, right?  Right now it is just two, but Sam is DYING to participate.  After watching Jack's practice and game last weekend, he has been trying to play basketball every day at the house.  It is kind of adorable.  But not so adorable at actual games where he keeps trying to run onto the court to play.

Last night I took Ellie and four of her friends to their 5th grade roller-skating party.  I was driving along, trying to tune out the sound of all those 11 years olds chanting, "5th grade, 5th grade," when I suddenly felt so very old.

Our Houseguest, or, The Invisible Cat

My sister got a cat a couple months ago that her kids found outside.  After an unsuccessful search for its owner they decided to keep it since it was such an awesome cat.  When I was at their house, I thought, wow, a cat would be fun!  But...I wasn't sure I could handle taking care of one more person or animal.  I just didn't want to commit.  Then, the most perfect situation came along. Someone posted on a BBBS site that they were looking for a temporary home for their cat!  It would just be for a few months and they would pay all expenses and provide all cat-related things!  I jumped on it and that night we had our new cat.  Now, the cat is the shyest cat ever. And also the best hider.  All five of us can search the house from top to bottom and still not find it.  However, she does come out at night when all the kids are in bed and she has decided my chest is the perfect resting place. Really, this is the perfect pet for us because she is so low-maintenance. She is good about going in her littler box and she doesn't make a mess.  And, honestly, I think the kids have completely forgotten she exists because they never see her!

Christmas Vacation Part IV

The rest of our Christmas break went by in a blur.  We went to the movies.  Tom took Ellie and Jack 

to go see "Rogue One" and I took all the kids to go see "Sing" with friends. 

We played at the park with cousins.

We had a snowball fight with fake snowballs at Aunt Rosie's.

We celebrated Tom's mom's birthday.

We celebrated New Year's Eve.

We went to church.

And, finally, we rested.   

Christmas Vacation - Part III (Christmas Day)

Sam came into our room at 4am on Christmas morning.  We tried in vain to get him to go back to bed, so finally we let him climb in bed with us for an hour or so.  

The kids all loved their Santa gifts.  Ellie got a Hatchimal, Jack got a Kindle Fire, and Sam got a Pirate costume and pirate books (he had been asking for a pirate costume for weeks).  We let the kids play for a bit before getting them ready for church.

After church, we went to my parents' house for lunch and to open gifts from them.  We couldn't stay long, though, because we had plans to go to my mother-in-law's house at 3.

Christmas Day afternoon at Nana's was a total present overload.  The kids loved it, though!

We had a wonderful Christmas Day with family, but, dang, we were exhausted when we got home!

Christmas Vacation - Part II (Christmas Eve)

Christmas Eve is always my favorite night of the entire year.  Y'all know how I love traditions and Christmas Eve is chock-full of them.  

We gathered at Mark and Rosie's house for soups and appetizers.

Then it was time for the grandkids to act out the Nativity while my Dad narrated.  This is always adorable.  I remember years of Christmases where I played one part or another. Not I just get to sit back and watch the next generation take over. I love it.

We deviated from tradition slightly due to Ellie.  She had written a Christmas-themed play about two girls who posted on You Tube about how Santa wasn't real and it went viral and almost ruined Christmas.  Ellie had all the parts mapped out and she held auditions for the cousins.  Everyone was surprisingly into it.  So, they did they play and it was actually really cute and well-done.  I was impressed.

Michael trying out, but he didn't make the cut. Ellie is a tough director

Then it was time for my dad to tell the grandkids the Pack for Santa's Back Story and followed it up with Jesus's birthday cake.

Finally, it was time for Christmas jammies and pictures.  I loved my kiddos pajamas this year.  Just looking at these pictures makes me want to go snuggle them.

  

Christmas Vacation - Part I

We had a busy and fun couple of weeks off from school and work. All of my siblings came to town for my dad's retirement party, so we were able to spend  a lot of time together as a family.
Here is a picture-heavy recap of our staycation!
 
We spent a lot of time playing at the park with cousins or going for walks.  The weather was ridiculous.  One day we would be wearing shorts and t-shirts and the very next day we would need pants and jackets.

I told Sam it was cold outside so he put on a hat, earwarmer, and gloves.  But he still wasn't wearing pants.

Tom and I took the kids to an A&M basketball game.  The game didn't start until 7 and Sam hadn't napped so I was really concerned with how he would be at the game, but he was AWESOME!  We had such a great time as a family that night.  Sam keeps begging to go back to A&M (which is our goal for all of our kids).

It wasn't all fun and games.  I spent one day cleaning out the playroom.  I always threaten to throw all of my kids' toys away because they leave that room such a disaster. I filled two whole black garbage bags with old toys and junk, but their playroom is still loaded with toys. Ugh.

We celebrated Christmas with my father-in-law on the 23rd.  Every year we have more and more grandkids squeezed on that couch.  It is fun to see that side of the family finally growing.

The next morning, we did a Christmas Eve brunch at Sabrina's house.  She was so brave to host all 37 of us!  This was the first time the whole family was together since my Grandpa's birthday party in October.  I love how we can just pick up where we left off and how everyone genuinely enjoys each others' company.