AVERY 8.5 YEARS OLD

Dear Avery,

I'm shifting these blogs to every 6 months so I can keep up with living and documenting your milestones. :) Plus, as we age there are still many milestones but they happen with more time in between. That's actually a good reminder to keep your milestones coming no matter your age...don't wait too long for growth and change, make it happen and celebrate it!

HOLIDAYS

I love waking up Christmas morning in our home. I love wrapping and placing the gifts around the tree on Christmas Eve even more. There's something about Christmas Eve that's so comforting and peaceful. It's the top of the Christmas mountain. All the planning and building has happened, you go to bed, and it's a screaming downhill starting Christmas morning. I also love our new 10ft Christmas tree for the back family room. I always wanted a giant Christmas tree. They were always in movies. Now we have our very own.

Your note to Santa is always entertaining. This year you left him a buffet of sugary treats and specific instructions on where Santa should place the presents. LOL You were a bit concerned given you didn't have much experience with the fireplace in our new house. Maybe you were just trying to be helpful? ;)

We enjoyed Grandpa Maxwell visiting us Christmas morning! He was here in time for the first gift to be opened. You enjoyed showing him her gifts.

We enjoyed our Christmas celebration with Lincoln, Cora, Uncle B, and Uncle Chaddy too. It was nice to just spend casual time decorating dipped pretzels, opening gifts, watching movies, etc. You were really into wigs this holiday season. No seriously, you asked for three different wigs with stands. Grammy came to wig rescue with her gifts. 

It was a busy New Year's eve-ish holiday visit to Michigan! So busy that we literally forgot to pack you shoes. See below. This is Mama carrying you to Aunt Patti and Uncle Kevin's house from the car. Ha ha! (reminder, this is their rental house on the lake since they sold their house quickly during the house craze but also had trouble finding another house!) You know what the best part was? We didn't need shoes the entire visit. It was a relaxing visit of just hanging out and spending time together. No shoes needed.

NAPERVILLE NORTH BASKETBALL - COACH MAMA:

The Huskies had an unbelievable 2021-22 season with a record of 30-4, undefeated in the DVC, and winning 3 games in the state tournament, eventually falling to Benet Academy.

You were really into the team and attending the games. Sometimes you were the team's junior manager on the bench and sometimes you kicked it with me in the stands. Regardless of your game status you were always very into the popcorn. My goodness child, you have a serious addiction to popcorn no matter the venue or time of day. 

It was a tough ending to the season when North lost to Benet by 4 points in the state tourney. You took the loss really hard. It made you upset to see the North players crying especially the seniors as their high school careers were over. You gave Mama the biggest hug when she came out of the locker room, burying your head into her chest. You wore the giveaway sunglasses to try to hide your tears. :( 

Mr. Adam rode home with us and you were really quiet in the backseat. Tears were still escaping your eyes. When we got home the tears were in full effect again and you wrote Mama this heartfelt note for when she returned home from the bus ride. Maybe my favorite lines: "The referees were trash, junk, horrible." and "Every word that starts with B I don't like anymore." You also had some very sweet encouraging words for Mama too. Mama and I were reflecting and you haven't really seen many teams you cheer for lose and be sad (e.g. North, Notre Dame) so this was a bit of new experience for you.

Mama put a bow on the season with a pizza and movie party with the team. Hanging with the team seemed to do the trick to celebrating such a great season and easing the pain from the loss.

FAMILY TIME

Vacations are fun. The big moments are memorable. However, there are a lot more little moments in our lives. I suppose some are "medium." We've been creating family time moments to enjoy our time together while you're still cool hanging with your parents. :)

I'd call this a medium moment. We signed up for a painting session. There was good and bad news. The good news is we all finished our paintings and had a pretty good time. The bad news is you had just turned 8 and this was an adult class. You were by far the youngest person in the room but we were proud of you for finishing your painting despite it being challenging. Note by the end you had decided to get really creative with your cow's hair. LOL (read as frustration that it didn't look the way you wanted it too soooooo you got a little crazy)

I

We brought back family game night. You're really getting good at 3-card....like annoyingly good and you're beating Mama and I more than we'd like. We've been mixing up the games a bit more including board games too.

We've had some play nights that feel dangerously close to Covid times! LOL There's a lot of games played in the basement. On the particular night we were having a dunk contest. We've found some fun adventures along the way with Uncle Chaddy and B too. Below we were enjoying lunch at The Junction Diner. A train delivers your food. Say whhhaaaaatttttt???

WINTER GETAWAY

We enjoyed a little winter getaway to Clearwater Beach, FL. It was nice to have some bright sun for a long weekend. Covid protocols are still all over the place. We masked up and headed south. You're seriously the best traveller. Love that about you. Lyra got the call for the trip.

We ate at Frenchy's two times during the long weekend! You were obsessed with these giant fish bone shaped pretzels.

The weather was much warmer than Illinois but just our luck we were in FL during a little "cold snap" so while it was warm it wasn't hot. It was still warm enough for you to swim in the pool and we definitely took advantage of the hot tub!

Waking up early, having breakfast with you, and looking for dolphins was some of the most peaceful times. Sometimes mixing up the routine is refreshing and provides so much clarity.

We had an insane morning on the beach! We found more starfish and silver dollars in this one walk than I had ever found in my entire life of beach walks combined! We brought a few home but we left many for others to find too! It was

TEETH

YOU DID IT!!!! You followed the orthodontists directions and were able to get your expander and braces removed on February 14th! Mama and I are in love with your smile. :) We're so proud of how diligent you were about turning the crank on the expander, wearing head gear, and brushing around your braces. It couldn't have been easy but you did it! 

IRISH IN THE WNBA

Our schedules aligned and we were able to see Bri (formerly of #KatBriKoKoForever) play for her pro team, the Phoenix Mercury! They were playing the Chicago Sky. We enjoyed dinner with Coach and Matt before the game too. The game was exciting and of course you enjoyed multiple visits to the concession stands. After the game we waited to see Bri. You were a little star struck because it had been a few years since you'd seen Bri but you warmed up quickly. :) Can't wait to see her play at home sometime! It's crazy to think you met Bri when you were 3 years old!!!!

FIRST NBA GAME

We took you to your first NBA game to see Giannis and the Milwaukee Bucks! You are definitely drawn to great smiles and dominant basketball skills. Enter Giannis. You've even watched Giannis' movie on Disney+. So sorry Chicago Bulls, the team of my childhood memories. Giannis dominates the kids and it's so much easier to get to a Bucks game. The restaurants and bars around Fiserv Forum creates a nice pre-game experience too. You happened to locate yet another giant soft pretzel in Milwaukee. :) Two thumbs up for Bucks games. Your love for Giannis has also translated into buying Giannis' shoes for your bball season too. Shoes in bball are a BIG DEAL. 

SPRING BREAK

We finally made the trip! We had planned to return to Hawaii in 2020 but Covid had other plans. So we finally made the trip 2 years later. Honestly, the waiting made it even sweeter and the timing for so many reasons was perfect. 

Transfering flights in Sacramento was no perfect. HA! Our flight from Chicago to Sacramento left late and the transfer time was tight in Sacramento so we nearly missed our flight and didn't get the lunch we had planned on. Doh! This made the flight from Sacramento to Honolulu a very hangry flight! Good thing we had some snacks packed...not enough but something to stave off the full transformation into Hulks. 

One of the first mornings we were up early and met some people along the beach who had a drone. They took this cool photo of us along the shore with Disney Aulani behind us. 

Aulani was an amazing resort. We were so thankful Aunt Patti and Uncle Kevin shared their Disney Vacation Club access with us for the trip of a lifetime. The grounds were gorgeous, the people were amazing, the food was tasty, and the whole place provided such a perfect combination of independent adventure for you and reassurance of your safety for us. 

You and I enjoyed a lot of sunrise walks around the grounds and along the beach. Mama has an amazing gift of being able to sleep in anywhere. I am sincerely jealous of this superpower. In the meantime we'll keep finding coffee and breakfast treats on our morning vacation adventures! :)

Mama and I spent a fair amount of time just relaxing in our cabana while you floated around the lazy river and dominated the water slides. We would cool off with you in the lazy river and grab snow cones. We also had lunch (and tropical drinks) delivered to the cabana. #sopeaceful

We took an adventure to swim with dolphins! We stopped along the way to take this photo along a beautiful coast north of Honolulu.

Seeing your face light up as the dolphin swam up to you almost made my heart burst. You were so excited but also a little nervous. By the time you pet the dolphin once you were all in.

There was a nice cove in front of Aulani where we could swim, play in the sand, and rent paddle boards. You and I shared a paddle board. We did this for a little while but it required more effort than you expected to move at a decent pace. I enjoyed the new experience and a little exercise. Your interest really waned when you fell off. LOL

I have hundreds of photos of us just enjoying life on the Aulani grounds. Here are two of my favorites. You and Mama swimming in the giant fish tank with the fish! Also, you enjoying one of the many Disney treats. Every day was a "YES" day for the entire family. :)

One of the highlights of the trip was a surprise vow renewal. Our wedding was September 4, 2011 so our original Hawaii trip was scheduled a little before our 10 year anniversary and this trip was a bit beyond the 10 year mark. Regardless, we celebrated 10+ years married in style!

We took a boat to a private island where part of Jurassic Park was filmed! How did I keep this a surprise, get all white outfits, and get Mama and you to get dressed up on vacation? I told Mama we were taking family photos and the photographer recommended white to pop against the natural Hawaiian lush background.
I didn't lie. These photos are family photos. :) It was so fun to share this moment with Molly. It was an extra bonus to include Avery in the ceremony. Celebrating years of happiness is important.

After the successful vow renewals, we headed back to the hotel and walked over to our reservations at Mina's Fish House at the Four Seasons hotel. This place was deeelicious. The reservation process for an ocean side table was intense. I secured the table with a view months in advance. It was worth it! This was our biggest splurge on the trip by far. 

We also took a day trip to the North Shore of Oahu. It's ~45 minute drive from Aulani. We snorkeled in a cove with fish swimming all around us. The cove was protected by large rocks from the giant waves of the ocean. We also shopped at local surf shops, enjoyed Hawaiian ice, and a relaxing meal on a patio. It was such a nice beach day.

On our last night of the trip we attended a luau at Paradise Cove. This venue was insane and the show was ~3 hours. There were carnival games, birds to pose with, boat rides, a multi-course dinner, and loads of singing and dancing. It was a great ending to our trip to paradise.

Oh and I also drove through Honolulu to the Diamond Head Crater Hike. Molly and Avery had no interest which was probably best because as soon as I arrived, bought my ticket, and headed up the trail, I was in straight competition mode. Set my stop watch and it was go time. The view was pretty great. Overall it was nice to get some physical activity but not sure it was worth the frustrating parking situation or the drive. Seriously the parking was awful. It's a very popular place with too little parking.

Removing yourself from your day-to-day routine is easier when you're on vacation. This time away provided the perfect time to think more deeply about what I'd like over the next 5 years. You're turning 9 this year and I'm turning 45. I want to be purposeful about how we structure our lives so we make the most of this time together before you head off to college. Walking the beach early in the morning with the water breaking on the rocks provided nice mental space to map out next steps over the next few months and also crystalizing "will and won's" aligned with our values.

HAPPY EASTER/PAPA JIM TURNED 80

We spent Easter in Grand Rapids. You enjoyed dying eggs with Nana and Aunt TiTi. We also celebrated Papa Jim's 80th birthday! He begrudgingly participated. LOL

NEW PATIO

 Our favorite part of our old house was the patio we added so when we moved to the new house we really missed the great patio. Then a little over a year after moving in we were able to have the patio built! Covid motivated a lot of people to initiate home improvement projects we actually locked in our patio project the Fall of 2021 and work started on our patio in May 2022. Can you believe it only took them one week to rip out the old patio, grind down the tree roots that were uprooting the old patio, and build the new patio? It's added a lot more entertaining space and we love it!

GRADUATING FROM 2ND GRADE

Likely every post related to another year of school ending will start this way. I just can't help it. Look at how much you've grown. From the beginning to the end of the school year, you got so much taller and your face looks so much more grown. So darn cute. muah!

Thankfully we still walked to school together. Walking and talking with you to start the day is the perfect way to ground the day. Look at that long hair below!

You really liked your teacher Mrs. Feightner and you wanted to take her along to 3rd grade. Check out this autograph page from all your classmates and friends. Such a sweet age.

Your reading and writing exploded in 2nd grade. I love reading your thoughts and then having you unpack them and share more context. Mrs. Feightner says you do an excellent job developing stories. 

We've always read to you A LOT even when you were in the womb! :) You've also read to us a lot. Your speed, pausing, and ability to create character personas has really improved. You're now able to read on your own for blocks of time. I love finding you reading in the house especially with Tank. I also love that we can have family reading time now! :)

Seeing your name as the PROWL winner for your grade never gets old. You were so proud of yourself and we were so proud of you. We also discussed how you should feel good about representing the PROWL behaviors whether you win the award or not. 

Thinking of creative lunch items and notes continue to be my jam. I like to think of them as a small way to maybe bring a smile to your face during the school day.

A little end of the year celebration at the Hansons. Always nice to celebrate successfully completing another year with other families in the same life stage. 

NNHS BASKETBALL CAMP

You attended your first Naperville North basketball camp this summer. Technically you weren't old enough but since Mama coaches at NNHS you joined camp. You loved participating in the drills and was holding your own with 5th graders! You also enjoyed hanging with the Husky players.

We loved watching your intensity during drills and also your smile as you'd complete your turn in a drill and run/skip to the back of the line for another turn.

A selfie bomb with Mackenzie on Mama's phone.

We love shooting around on the driveway with you. You learn a drill and then you want to keep doing it at home. My favorite is when you want to play against Mama or I and you say, "Mooommmyyy, play like a 2nd grader!" LOL Tank also enjoyed spectating. 

FAMILY TIME/LINCOLN'S BIRTHDAY

Grandpa Maxwell visited and we had a great afternoon on the patio. You and Grandpa threw the football while you jumped on the trampoline. You could do this for hours. You also played catch with the baseball. Watching both of you made me think about the hours Grandpa and I spent playing catch. So.many.hours.

We also had a great time celebrating Lincoln's 7th birthday! I can't believe how big this guy is getting, not just physically but also emotionally and intellectually. So jealous of his summer birthday. 

You had a great time playing with your cousins in the backyard. The tree swing is always a fan favorite; however, it scares the heck out of me. You both fly above the garage roof!

SOCCER

This soccer team. Love these girls. The personalities for each of these girls makes me laugh and really makes the team's chemistry.

We were sad Nora moved to Ohio and will no longer be on the team. You moved up to Blue team with Nora and became fast friends. 

You also played with a few friends in a St. Patrick's Day TOCA tournament. Ellie's dad, Brian, and I coached your team. You made it to the Championship game and came up just a little bit short.

FRIENDS

Friends make the world go round and it's been so fun to grow with long-time friends while also meeting new friends. Look at you and Luke below! You've known Luke since you both were 12 weeks old at Ms.Kathie's. OMG I love your friendship!

And the Freeds...I mean look at Ella living her best life during a sleepover. You're such a sweet big sister proxy. :) I love seeing your relationship continue to evolve with Hayden. Your relationship is much more brother/sister vs friend. I love your level of comfort with each other. 

Aviana, is your longest-standing friend. You've been playing since 8 weeks old. Your relationship no matter the time that's passed, living in different cities, etc. is always strong. I love how you continue to be there for one another.

Random neighborhood get togethers in the Summer are the best! I love to get the snow cone machine out and let everybody pick their flavors. So fun!

While I can definitely think of more efficient ways to make money than the traditional lemonade stand, it was pretty cute! I advised you could raise your prices. ;-)

Neighbor friends are the sweetest. The friends you meet due to proximity that you may never have become friends with otherwise. I love this so much.

Then there's girl time. Moments when I can't believe you're in 2nd grade and not middle school. Seeing you and Anna flip through the yearbook and identify nice people, mean people, cute people, etc. took me down memory lane. Nice to see digital hasn't taken away all experiences. And who doesn't love fake cucumber spa treatments?!

I really love how you're comfortable playing with the boys. You have no problem organizing a game with them and enjoy beating them in competitions. LOL I also love catching you having conversations on the trampoline. Nearly all jumping sessions end in laying our chatting. So sweet.

You've enjoyed hanging out with the Sheehan and Hanson sisters. Looking forward to even more playdates, treats, and adventures!

And some friends you met a while ago but maybe the relationship didn't solidify until much later. Ha! Ha! Ha! Thankfully at 8 years old you finally realized Shimmy is a good friend! :)

SMALL PET

Oh 2nd grade...you pulled together a "slide deck" in your free time to persuade us to buy a small pet. It was impressive. If I had a voodoo dolls, Mrs. Feightner would have been in pain. We worked through the non-negotiables of no chinchillas, ferrets, guinea pigs, hamsters, gerbils, rabbits, cats, or birds. I mean what was left?!? Apparently, hermit crabs. Yes, we're the proud owners of three hermit crabs. Why? Because they're apparently "social creatures." So far they've been great creatures. Time will tell.

ART + NOTES

Your notes and artwork are my absolute favorite. There's nothing like coming home from a work trip to a note from you in my office. There's something about reading your thoughts and better understanding how you view the world that just melts my heart. As you continue to increase your vocabulary, your thoughts and feelings translated into words become even more powerful.

Let it be known you officially stated basketball is better than soccer and Mama and I completely agree. We talk a lot about goals and bucket lists. It's such a great way to better understand what you value and what you're learning. This bucket list is so representative of a 2nd grader and I love it.

I love "Bun-Bun" the character you created. I mean come on. I enjoy the new detailed eye work. You're also very interested in understanding how we impact the earth. We've talked a lot about pollution and composting.

CREEPER:

It's the little moments in life that I love capturing. The action shots. Not the staged. Perfection is in the daily life. The moments we rarely recognize until they're gone. Like this photo of Molly and Avery sorting her clothes to find the clothes that are too small.

Sneaking a photo of you sleeping when I go to bed will never get old. I love seeing which stuffed animals have the prime position and who's been demoted.

I appreciate our walks to school too. You're completely committed to walking to matter the weather so we don't have to wait in the car line. All of that makes me laugh and is so representative of your personality.

Avery, 2nd grade was awesome and we can't wait for the rest of Summer! We're so proud of you. You have such a kind heart and continue to be extremely competitive and willing to learn. 

Love, Mom

XOXO