School's Out for the Summer - The Last Week of the School Year

School's out for the Summer! Dylan, Lexie, Lily, and Liam had their last day of school on Friday. They are now joining me and baby Coen at home until September 9th. The last week of the school year was a busy one, and although the last day of school was bittersweet, my crew is excited about the Summer ahead!

This past week included a fun event in our little town, a school kindness celebration, middle school graduation and a dance, an 8th Grade class trip to Cedar Point, Liam's annual eye exam, an oil change and car shopping, Lily's last dance class, the last day of school, a baseball game, sleepovers, and fireworks. I wish we had a lazy week ahead of us, but Lexie was asked to represent the school's STEAM program during the school board meeting tonight, Lily has a practice for the dance recital finale tomorrow, the dance recital rehearsal is on Thursday, Liam has an early baseball game on Saturday, and Father's Day and the dance recital is on Sunday. Gone are those lazy Summer days!

We are only four days into Summer Break and I can tell it's going to be a busy one! Kids are entering and leaving our house in a continuous loop for sleepovers/playdates. Did I also mention that Coen is rolling over EVERY time I put him down to sleep, then gets angry and starts screaming? Sleep just isn't happening for either of us! So many moms say that Summer is actually busier than the school year, and that seems to be the case this year.

Here's a glimpse at the last week of 8th Grade, 6th Grade, 2nd Grade, and Kindergarten..

Mom On The Go

Happy Monday! After one of our laziest weeks ever, this past week was more on the go. The Mom Taxi and Dad Taxi made a huge comeback over the past few days!

If you have no idea what I'm talking about, just wait until your kids get older! When I had Dylan, more experienced moms would tell me to enjoy the quiet early years, because life gets busier the older your kids get. It is 100% true! And when you multiply it by four, life can get hectic!

Here's how last week played out (according - mostly - to my cell phone)...

Play Ball!

We can officially cross another big event off of our Summer Bucket List!  

Our local library kicked off their summer reading program with a raffle, and one of my kids won 10 tickets to Tuesday night's Pittsburgh Pirates game!  The kids were SO excited!



(Isn't PNC Park GORGEOUS?!?)

We decided to invite my niece, Aubrey, and our friends Audrey, Jack, and Rex to join us!  It was Aubrey's first Pirates game!




It was a great night for a game.  The weather was gorgeous, and the view from the park is always spectacular!




Each of the kids had a buddy.  Aubrey and Lexie, Dylan and Jack, and Audrey and Lily.  Liam bounced between Grant and I, but he loved the game.  Every time he heard a cheer, he started clapping! Lily was finally old enough to enjoy it, too!




The kids worked so hard on their banner and they were certain they were going to get on TV. No such luck, but they tried!



After a few innings the kids had to go to the bathroom-of course!  I took the girls and Liam down to the restroom, then let them enjoy the gorgeous view of the city from the balcony.  Liam paid no attention to the beautiful river and cityscape. He was all, "Hey, my hands are so awesome!"



We headed back to our seats, but as soon as we reached the top of the steps, Liam pooped-of course!  All the changing tables were occupied, so he got a riverside diaper change. He was unimpressed.  In true boy fashion, the game was all he cared about!



Shortly after we returned, the sun began to set over the city.



THAT'S when the game got exciting!  A huge hit resulted in a homerun.  They set off fireworks every time the Pirates get a homerun, so it made the game extra exciting!



The kids were already thrilled from the first set of fireworks.  Lily was clapping and grinning ear to ear!  Then...it happened again!



After the excitement, Liam started to get sleepy.  He was an absolute angel for the entire game, and I was so impressed he lasted so long!



Finally, it was time for the Pierogie Race!  Oh yeah, it's a thing.  The kids look forward to it every time we go to a game!



Darkness settled over the city, and Liam fell asleep amidst all the noise.




By that time, it was getting really late, so we decided to leave just before the game ended.  The kids were reluctant to leave, but everyone was getting sleepy!



As we left, Grant snapped a quick picture to prove I was there! We only had one brave person ask if all the kids were ours.  There may have been a few strange looks, too, but I'll call that a win! We very successfully survived the game with 5 kids, and we ALL had fun!



Even though we left a bit early, the Pirates pulled off a win.  It was a great night for baseball in Pittsburgh and such a memorable night for my family!  Go, Pirates!!!

Baseball in the Burgh

On Sunday, our family headed into Pittsburgh for the Pirates game! The Pirates are FINALLY having a winning season, so it was exciting!

It was the last home game of the regular season, and Grant got 4 free tickets from work.  We did have to leave one family member behind.  Lily spent the day with her Papa and Nina, and had a great time!

When there's a Pirates game and a Steelers game on the same day, the city is completely crazy!  PNC Park and Heinz Field are only a few blocks apart, so all the fans are packed in one area.  We ended up parking right next to Heinz Field and walking to PNC Park.  

I have to say, I'm glad we left Lily behind this time.  Trying to keep an independent toddler right next to me in that crowd would have been impossible!

Pirates games are always entertaining.  All the fans got Pirates scarves at the game, and because Grant's company had a group package, we got to choose a Pirates hat or a jersey.  The kids were super excited about their new scarves and hats!  Even Liam, who was attending his first Pirates game (not in my belly!) got his own scarf!

We got there early, and immediately went to our seats.  The weather was PERFECT, and Dylan and Lexie were so excited to be there!

 


PNC Park is beautiful! The view of the city is gorgeous and every seat in the park is good!



 


The game wasn't a good one, but they do shoot off fireworks after every homerun the Pirates score.  Luckily, the kids got to see two homeruns that day!   It was the first time they got to see one!




Dylan loves baseball, so he loves going to the games.  Lexie's favorite things at Pirates games are the Pirates Parrot and the Pierogie race!




Liam was very unimpressed by the game.  He slept in the Moby Wrap the entire time!



We ended up leaving after the 7th inning in an effort to beat the crowd.  Dylan was bummed that he couldn't run the bases after the game, but we promised him we would bring him back to do it next year!  And next year, we'll bring Lily.  Hopefully it won't be as crazy!




Even though the Pirates lost, it was a memorable afternoon! 

The Last Game

On Saturday, Dylan's fourth season of baseball came to an end!



This year, we decided to forgo summer and tournament baseball.  We all need a break from commitments and activities, and we want to spend the summer having fun together!

Dylan has improved a lot this season, and his focus is much better! 









We brought his personal cheerleaders along (they have gone to every game!), and some friends came to cheer him on, too!





Apparently, all the cheering helped!  He scored one of the 2 points in the game!




Unfortunately, his team lost, but he played one of his best games to date!



To celebrate their season, the head coach treated the entire team and their family members to a huge pizza party at a local pizza restaurant, followed by frozen yogurt at the adjoining yogurt place.  All the team members and their siblings received goody bags, as well. 

 

After everybody had finished eating, the coach presented each team member with a trophy!




The kids had so much fun at the party!  It was a fun way to celebrate all their hard work this season! 

Congratulations on a great season, Dylan!  We are so proud of you!