Field Day

Earlier this month, Connor was so excited to participate in Field Day at his elementary school. This was his first one since Kindergarten because he was sick last year and couldn't attend. We were lucky to have some nice weather, so Kaitlynn and I joined the 2nd graders to find out what Field Day was all about.

The kids were all asked to choose a partner before they began. Of course, Connor and his best buddy at school, Jayden, quickly partnered up. I made sure to get a quick pic before they ran away from me.

Connor and his Field Day partner, Jayden.

In case you're wondering about that photo, Connor seems to be going through a "sprinkler" phase. He is constantly doing the 80s "sprinkler" dance (making the sprinkler motion with his outstretched arm) and seems to think it's quite amusing. I will fondly look back on his 2nd grade year as the time in which Connor brought back the sprinkler. Ha!

Back to Field Day, all of the kids were given a green activity sheet with about 40 Field Day "stations" with various activities that were set up. Everything from rock climbing, to football, to ring toss, you name it. The partners traveled from station to station completing their activities and marking them off of their activity sheet. Lots of fun! Of course, Connor's very favorite station was the popsicle station, no surprise there!

Kaitlynn gives him a big hug while he enjoys his popsicle.

The Skip-It toy station. Remember these from the 90s? Ha!

One final pic of the boys. Connor's expression cracks me up! "Really Mom??"

While Connor was enjoying his Field Day activities, Kaitlynn was happy to enjoy the playground and the beautiful weather.

Playground pic.

Now that she can swing herself, she loves it!

Overall, I'd say it was a highly successful Field Day for Connor. He's already looking forward to next year.

Me and my 2nd grader on Field Day.

Field Day complete!

Eight is GREAT!

Last year was declared "the year of no birthday celebrations" for the Courtrights as we struggled to handle all of the chaos with moving, remodeling, commuting, and changing schools. The kids' birthdays and even Jeff's big 50th were almost completely overlooked because we (I) just couldn't take anything else on. This year, I tried to make up for it a bit by making a bigger deal of the birthdays. We had a great birthday weekend celebrating Jeff's big day with the whole family, and then Connor's 8th birthday snuck up on us as it does every May. Connor decided he'd rather have gifts than a big party, but we had some little surprises planned for him. ;-)

Since Connor's big day fell on a Saturday, he decided to celebrate with his class at school on the Friday before. We picked up his favorite donuts and he was able to share them with his classmates during snack time that day. Connor LOVES his donuts!!

Connor and the donut princess getting donuts for his class.

2 dozen donuts and a BIG smile!

For weeks leading up to his birthday, Connor kept asking what we were doing to do and what we were going to get him. We kept saying that we don't make a big deal out of birthdays and not to expect much. ;-)

On his actual birthday, we all headed to Kaitlynn's soccer game and afterwards we asked Connor to choose somewhere he'd like to eat for his birthday lunch. He chose Rainforest Cafe in Katy Mills. After lunch, we (reluctantly) agreed to walk over to the cookie place in the mall so that Connor could have a birthday cookie. His heart was really set on one of those Double Doozie cookies, but they were sold out.

"Connor," I told him, "they are sold out of the Double Doozies. So how about this cookie instead?"

Connor's surprise cookie cake

I wish I'd captured his reaction on video! His eyes got HUGE and he was so excited to see that we had ordered him his very own cookie cake! So much fun!! And let me tell you, those Nestle cookie cakes are UH-mazing!

We went straight home to enjoy cookie cake and let Connor open up his presents. He was having a great day!

The big smile didn't fade all day!

Pile of presents

Connor loved having a stack of gifts to open since we didn't throw him a party. He got some Legos, video game stuff, and lots of cool golf things. But the biggest present was a little treat that we had arranged for him as a surprise. For months, Connor has been asking for a WAC playdate so that he could play with his friends Benjamin, Brady, Timothy, and Tanner. Those boys all love spending time together but it's just usually too hard to get together during the school year. As one of Connor's surprise gifts, we arranged some WAC play time at JumpStreet followed by pizza and cake with his buddies. Oh, how overjoyed Connor was!

Connor and his buddies at JumpStreet.

Kaitlynn and Lily enjoyed their time together, too.

I heard multiple times over his birthday weekend, "This is the best birthday EVER!" Mission accomplished! :-)

Team Golf

Last summer I wrote about how Connor had received his very first set of golf clubs from Grand Daddy and was really enjoying learning about the game of golf. Earlier this year, we asked Connor what springtime sports activity he'd like to pursue (because this Momma can only handle one sport per kid per season, and even that's pushing it) and he chose golf.

Starting in February, Connor began attending weekly golf sessions at our favorite local golf club, Cinco Ranch. The Golf Academy was doing a great job teaching Connor the fundamentals of golf and helping him advance his skills, but I decided I wanted to see if there was anything besides just group lessons that could teach Connor about the game of golf. (This strikes me as funny because I don't think I had ever even stepped foot on a golf course before! Ha!)

After I did a little digging, I learned that the Southern Texas Professional Golf Association (STPGA) has this awesome program called Team Golf that is designed for beginner junior golfers. They pair up each junior with a partner and then send them to tournament competitions together where they golf as a team in a scramble format (using each partner's "best" shots to complete each hole as a team). Then the partner scores are rolled into a larger group score to determine the tournament group winners. The scoring is very complicated (to me) but the goal of the program is to encourage beginner golfers, teaching them the love of the game without so much focus on individual scoring.

Connor has been attending multiple golf lessons all year for Team Golf, and we were so excited on April 26 when he finally got to put his skills to use at his very first golf tournament at the 2014 Team Golf Spring Preview at Lake Walden in Conroe. We decided to attend as a family to cheer Connor on.

My little golfer overlooking the scenery at the golf course.

We arrived at the golf club unsure of what to expect for the day. After getting signed in, Jeff got us a family golf cart and we all headed to the driving range and putting green so that Connor could get some practice strokes in. (Am I using the right golf lingo here? I have a lot to learn.)

Got our family cart and ready for the tournament.

Practicing on the putting green.

Driving range practice shots.

Jeff was Connor's caddy for the day. Love it!

Kaitlynn was happy to be along for the ride, although she needs a little work on her golf etiquette, ha!

After Connor's practice shots, we met back up near the clubhouse for the tournament announcements. We learned that Connor's Team Golf partner would be a boy named Lucas that Connor knew from practice. (They assign partners on the day of the tournament based on age and skill.) And then, it was time to get started!

Pic with my little golfer before the tournament.

Connor and Lucas started on Hole 2 for their 9 holes of golf. We carted over to the hole and met the other team that they'd be golfing with for each hole. We were all definitely feeling lots of nerves on that first hole. Connor and Lucas ended up having to take the maximum stroke count (10) on that hole, but it turned out to be the only one. After getting over their initial nervousness, they did GREAT! They made a few pars and had some great shots, getting a combined score of 55 for the 9 holes. We were so proud of their efforts!

Lined up for his very first hole.

Side note: this golf stuff is so new and foreign for me. I know NOTHING about golf. It cracked me up to listen to Jeff and Connor discuss which clubs to use for each shot, and Connor would rattle off various reasons for whichever club he preferred. And then the parents and friends that were accompanying the boys we were golfing with would say things like, "Who is out?" (translation: which team is farther away from the hole, because that determines who will be taking the next shot) and "Which direction is it breaking?" (translation: which way will the ball roll based on elevation, wind, etc.). And the other thing I found amusing...I was all prepared to take some photos from my "good" camera to capture the afternoon. But after taking one or two pictures on the first hole and realizing that the clicks from my camera shutter were kind of loud and disrupting the quiet for the golfers, I realized I was probably breaking the rules of golf etiquette so I went back to using my iPhone camera.

Connor about to putt with his partner, Lucas watching to the side.

Yep, he may have had a few shots from the sand traps!

Kaitlynn enjoying a snack in the golf cart.

Towards the end of the 9 holes, the boys were getting a little rambunctious and Kaitlynn was having a hard time keeping still and quiet. We were all tired and ready to be done! But it was such a great experience for all of us and a great introduction to competitive golf for Connor. On the last hole, Connor leaned over to me and said, "Mom, this is so much fun!" He had a big smile and just really enjoyed the entire afternoon.

When it was time for the competition scoring, Connor and Lucas were excited to learn that they had the 4th best partner score for their age (6-9) division, even beating out some of the teams in the older age (10-12) division. What a great start for Connor's golf "career", ha! Below are some highlights of Connor from the tournament, including a shot that ended up in the water (oops). The funny thing about that shot is that Connor managed to conveniently switch his golf ball, putting away his favorite orange ball BEFORE the water shot. Must've been a premonition and he didn't want to lose his best ball!





Connor will be participating in several more Team Golf tournaments this summer. On the days that Jeff is working, I guess the caddy duties will fall to Dear Old Mom. Now THAT should be interesting!

Kaitlynn's Ballet Recital

Kaitlynn has been taking ballet as part of her preschool curriculum since she started attending His Kids Preschool last fall. She LOVES her ballet class and especially her ballet teacher, Ms. Kelly. Last week, the class had their spring recital for all the girls' families to see what they've been learning all year long. Each class and age group was given a different ballet costume, and of course Kaitlynn was thrilled that she ended up in the "purple group" with a purple tutu and matching headband. Everyone knows purple is one of her favorite colors, and of course, her Sweet Daddy's favorite color too!

When the big night finally arrived, Kaitlynn was ALL SMILES in her precious costume. So fun! But then I noticed that somehow she had managed to lose an earring while getting dressed. Luckily, it just so happened that I was wearing purple that day, so I let Kaitlynn wear my purple earrings which turned out to be a perfect match for her costume. What luck!

Our little ballet dancer.

Posing for a picture before the big show.

We were early to the performance, so that gave Kaitlynn a little time to get acquainted with the big stage. She hopped right up there and busted out all her moves. Cracked me up!

Look at that girl--she was SO into her practice dance!

Such a serious face!

As the girls were enjoying the practice time on stage, suddenly they all squealed with delight when their ballet teacher, Ms. Kelly, entered the auditorium. Lots of hugs all around!

Kaitlynn with her sweet ballet teacher, Ms. Kelly.

As we took our seats before the show, Jeff and I noticed the recital program with a dozen or so performances listed. Kaitlynn was only performing in one of them, so we were a bit overwhelmed and wondering how we'd sit through all those numbers. But let me tell you, I don't know if we've ever been so entertained in our lives! We laughed and smiled and laughed some more at all the cuteness on that recital stage! Not a moment's boredom, I'll attest to that!

Kaitlynn and her Sweet Daddy enjoying some cuddles as we watched the recital performances.

When it was time for Kaitlynn's number, we couldn't wait to see what she had in store. Oh boy, did she do GREAT! Jeff and I couldn't believe how serious Kaitlynn was; she was really focused throughout the entire song. Of course, every now and then she would sneak a smile towards her Daddy. After the number, we applauded loudly and Jeff presented Kaitlynn with a special flower bouquet. We were all beaming with pride and delight for our sweet girl!

Here's my very amateur video of Kaitlynn's dance number. At the end you can see Jeff giving her big hugs and her special flower bouquet for such a great performance.




After the conclusion of the recital, we all enjoyed a reception with cookies and punch. The girls all did such a wonderful job, and it was such a nice event for the families to enjoy with their kids to witness and reward them for their great performances. What a fun night!!

Kaitlynn (with her flower bouquet) and Mommy (sans earrings, haha) after the recital. LOVE this girl of ours!

She Rides!

Earlier this month I posted some pictures of some fun playdates that Kaitlynn has had with her longtime best friend, Anais. Anais's mom, Keri, shared with us during one of our visits that Anais had recently learned how to ride her bike without training wheels. Wow, such an accomplishment considering that Connor only learned recently at age 7, ha! Keri told me that they used a neat trick to get Anais ready for her bike. They started with a small bike (12") and removed the pedals, teaching Anais to ride it by pushing and gliding. Using that method, it's much easier to learn the skill of balancing which seems to be the hardest part after removing training wheels. After Anais practiced balancing on the small bike, they put the pedals back on and within days Anais was off riding on her own.

Well, that's all it took for Kaitlynn. The peer pressure was officially ON, ha! Kaitlynn began begging to learn how to ride her bike without training wheels and wanted to use Anais's little bike without pedals. Anais then made sure we knew the steps to learn how to ride her bike. Step 1: remove the pedals, step 2: push and glide, step 3: balance, step 4: ride!, and finally step 5: put the pedals back on! Kaitlynn had those steps memorized and was more than ready to learn!

We took Anais's little bike home one weekend and waited for a good weather day to start practicing. When we had a good day, Jeff removed the pedals from the 12" bike and took Kaitlynn out in the street to start practicing. They practiced for quite a while on and off throughout the day. We were quite impressed with Kaitlynn's persistance; she just kept trying and trying! By the next morning, Jeff felt like she'd be ready to try riding with the pedals back on and without training wheels.

Sure enough, Kaitlynn hopped on the bike and would you believe, in no time she was off and riding! Without training wheels! At age 4!!!!

(Can you tell we're a bit surprised and so proud??)

Look at that smile! So proud of herself, as she should be!

She just took off on that little bike and immediately had the hang of it! Jeff and I were so shocked! The no-pedal trick really seemed to be the key to help learn to balance. After some time riding on the little bike, Kaitlynn was ready to move up to her regular (16") bike.

Moving up from the 12" bike to her regular 16" bike. Sweet Daddy is such a great teacher!

Here goes nothing.

Off she goes with Daddy chasing close behind.

Success! She never once had a problem with her balance on the bigger bike.

I joked with Jeff that he really had this bike-training thing down after 4 kids. We still can't believe Kaitlynn learned how to ride without training wheels almost 3 full years before Connor. It just goes to show, when she puts her mind to something there is NO stopping her!

Another big smile for mastering the big bike.

Kaitlynn has been begging to ride her bike everyday now. Our favorite times are riding with Connor on the way to/from school. We have had many neighbors stop us and exclaim their surprise when they see Kaitlynn riding without her training wheels. She has come a long way since riding her Big Wheel at the beginning of the school year!

Riding with Connor (and one of her babies) to school.

My two bike-riders!

Love that these two will be able to bike to school together!

Look at that girl! So proud of her!

Fun Family Birthday Weekend

Every year when I ask Jeff what he wants for his birthday, his answer is always the same: family time! He is such a great Dad and just never gets enough time with his kiddos, especially now that Collin and Kevin live away at college. So for Jeff's birthday weekend, we asked the older boys to come spend the weekend with us and we planned a fun family weekend in honor of Dad.

First up, Kaitlynn's weekly soccer game. We all got up early to cheer on Little Sister in her pigtails and soccer cleats. She was so excited to show off her skills to her older brothers!

Collin's girlfriend Martha took this family shot of us before the soccer game. Love this!!

Kaitlynn's peeps on the soccer sideline.

Kaitlynn decided that the soccer field was the place to practice her ballet moves.

Coach Kyle gives Kaitlynn some pointers for throwing the ball to her teammates.

Kaitlynn proudly runs to the sideline for a hug from Martha. She loved having everyone there to watch her!

Uh-oh, Kaitlynn made a great "header" move with the ball. Not on purpose!

End of the game lineup, and Kaitlynn is still trying to get over her soccer injury. Love the dramatic gesture, ha!

She gets a hug from brother Kevie to comfort her.

After the soccer game, we all loaded back up and made the drive south to the Kemah Boardwalk. We've spent Jeff's birthday weekend here in years past with such great success, and this year was more of the same. I've decided that April birthdays are the way to go -- such great weather for outdoor fun! We had a wonderful lunch on the boardwalk, enjoyed lots of fun amusement park rides, and just had a great time together as a family to celebrate Jeff's birthday on a beautiful day outdoors.

Collin and Martha during lunch.

Smiles with the birthday boy at lunch on the Boardwalk.

All smiles before deciding which ride to go on first.

Connor and Kaitlynn pose in front of the carousel.

Connor and Kevin rode this spinning ride, which would later come back to haunt Connor. Ha!

Weeee, no hands!

Jeff and Connor in line for another ride.

Kaitlynn and Jeff on the infamous airplane ride. You know, the one where Jeff's airplane never quite makes it up as high as the other ones. ;-)

Martha and Collin rode this one where they were WAY up high swinging in circles. (No thank you!)

A family selfie on the Kemah train.

Another train pic with her Sweet Daddy.

Connor had to sit out with Mom to recover after feeling queasy from one of the spinning rides, ha!

The last Kemah stop was one final train ride, this time with the entire family. The train takes you around the entire Boardwalk, through tunnels and around all of the attractions. The conductor gave us a little Kemah and Galveston history along the way, to which Connor sarcastically responded under his breath, "I am NOT here to learn!" Ha!

Waiting in line for the train. Kaitlynn LOVES her big brothers.

One last train selfie, this time all 7 of us were in there!

We had such a wonderful day of family time in Kemah! What a fun semi-tradition that all of us enjoy in celebration of Jeff's special day. On the way home, I think 4 of the 5 kids passed out from exhaustion. Definitely a sign of a successful day!

Back home, it was time for birthday cake and presents. Jeff's favorite: cookies and cream ice cream cake! Yum!! And the cake had a very special message for Jeff this year:

Kaitlynn and the birthday boy, her Sweet Daddy.

Not sure Jeff will ever lose that nickname given by his beloved little girl. Probably just the way he wants it! Happy Birthday, Sweet Daddy!