Troy Strawberry Festival

Gearing up for the tournament.  We are playing in our first out of state tournament this weekend.  The Troy Strawberry Festival Soccer Invitational in Troy Ohio, near Dayton.  This was an additional tournament that they added and we will be playing with a combined U9 and U10 teams.  Playing on a U12 size field and moving up to 8v8 from 6v6 so the additional players will be needed.

Resting in between games with Aidan and Cooper

Thank you, Oma, for putting this poncho in his bag.  A couple of drops of rain hit us and he was busting out the poncho and terrorizing everyone around us as "Poncho Man" when he should have been resting for the next game.

Jeff and I got a hotel room so that we wouldn't have to make the drive again the next day and ended up letting Mason stay with us.  We ended up in the same hotel with most of the team so after the game we took them to Friday's for dinner and then back to the hotel for swimming with their teammates.

Not before hitting the Beer Barn though...Drive through liquor store.  We need these in Muncie!

Another Hot Tub Crew...  That pool was so loud and I was a nervous wreck the entire time that someone was going to get hurt.  We made it through the evening with no injuries and got the boys back to the room and settled in for the evening.  They had to be back on the field first thing in the morning for game three.  So far we have lost both games and Jayke has become very discouraged that on this bigger field, (which they will be going to next season) he can't get his corner kick where it needs to be.  Hoping tomorrow goes better so that this weekend isn't a total confidence bust.

Day two went much smoother.  We won our game and Jayke played with a lot more aggression this morning.  His kicks were better and I think he ended up feeling like it won't be so bad next season.  He isn't talking retirement anymore.  We took them to Big Boy's on the way home for breakfast.  Neither of them had ever heard of it so I got their picture out front.

Tournament weekends are tiring but a lot of fun.  I'm glad we only have two or three a season though!

You Might Be a Redneck...

If you have a fire and are making S'mores in your driveway!  Guess there were a bunch of rednecks at my house because we were doing just this.  My backyard is for the dogs only so that left the driveway.  We did have a fire pit so we weren't having a bonfire or anything, just a small fire in the fire pit.  Better than us all sitting around staring at a screen of some sort inside.

More Tooth Issues

Finally lost another tooth. We were just sitting in this restaurant and it practically flew out of his head across the floor.  Luckily, the place was pretty empty and he was able to retrieve it for the fairy tonight.   I swear he is never going to get his permanent teeth!  Most kids his age have already lost them all and some are even wearing braces already!  Jayke has lost 7 teeth at age 10.  I was late getting his teeth as a baby so I wasn't surprised when he is losing them later than everyone else but I think this is getting a little too late!  There is no sign of a new tooth coming in that hole either.  He is liable to look like this for a while!  He doesn't want to smile with that hole there now.  Lets just hope a tooth shows up sooner rather than later!

Happy Birthday, Zach

Today was Zach's birthday party.  Jeff had cake and ice cream at the house and after we took them all to SkyZone.

She can't wait for cake!

Apparently, jumping on the tramps at Skyzone wasn't enough, they had to jump on the trampoline when they got back too!

Wednesday Tradition

For a long time we have been going to Puerto Vallarta Mexican restaurant after practice with the Pierce's and Bilbrey's.  This time I brought along a couple more.  Jeff, Emily, and Zach since Emily is now playing soccer too.  She and Cooper are both playing rec while Jayke, Gabi, and Aidan are in their travel uniforms because tonight was picture night.

Still Champ!

Once again, I reign as champion egg hunter.  I called the victory for myself before we began, as usual, and made sure I didn't make myself a liar.  I even had to give The Boy some of my eggs because he feels it is unfair that I always win.  Life is not fair, Boy, get used to it!  I'm waiting for the day when he can beat his old mom!

We got an over abundance of treats in our Easter baskets as usual.  Once he saw his Easter basket he wasn't as upset about his defeat in the egg hunting contest.  

Final Season as U10 Begins

In a few weeks Jayke will have to try out for the soccer team, something he hasn't had to do yet.  Cuts will either be made or an A and B team will be formed.  Either way, it will be the first time there is any pressure for him to do well in a try out.  I remind him regularly that they are always watching and accessing him so he should always do his best.  I may just a tad nervous about this try out.  

Anyway, here are a few pictures of our first game this season.  

New Floor

Finally getting rid of the yucky carpet and replacing it with Pergo.  I can't believe what a difference it makes already!  Jeff and I spent a couple of days removing all the tile and carpet to get it ready for the installers.  I had to live with the sub floor for a while so I was more than ready to get this done!  

Nemo is checking out the new floor...I can't tell if he approves or not.

4th Grade Delta Eagle Travel Team

And when he isn't playing in the gym... he's in the drive way!!

A Sad Goodbye

More snow and this time we got around to making a snowman...well, Jeff made the snowman with the boys.  I got to use the snowman kit the Aunt Dona gave us several years ago.  We haven't gotten to use it much so we were glad we got to dig it out from the shelf in the garage.

This snowman got to stick around for a while.  One day when I came home I noticed footprints in the fresh snow going up to the snowman and when I looked closer i noticed that someone (I'm guessing the two neighborhood girls) gave the snowman antennae.  Jayke thought this was funny and I didn't care as long as they didn't knock my...I mean Jayke's snowman over.

About a week later it started to warm up some and we got some rain.  I was really worried about Frosty so I went out and tried to protect him...  I didn't quite get there in time.  

A few days after the rain and the continued warming Frosty looked like this...

 Jayke got a pretty good gift back in the fall... or maybe it was my gift, can't decide.  Anyway the picture on the left is from a year ago and the one below........






....is from this year.  What he learned though is depending on the snow, using the snow blower is sometimes just as hard as shoveling!

Let it Snow!!

Happy Valentine's Day

From Jeff..this is by far the best Valentine's Day gift I've ever gotten.  I can't even remember anything else I've gotten in the past but I will definitely remember this!

Another Team

Besides the AAU team that Jayke plays on he is also playing for a YMCA team coached by Jeff.
We play every Saturday morning and afterwards go have breakfast with Jeff's mom.  This gives Jayke and Zach a chance to be teammates.

Things Nightmares Are Made Of

The fourth grade science fair.  I've been dreading it since he started school.  I've known it was coming but wan't fully prepared for the ordeal that it is.  Every single part of it from picking the subject to the final word written and graphic glued, it was an ordeal.

Jayke did his on the aquatic respiration in fish.  I had to get special permission to use a living thing which I would find out later was a bad idea.  Really, projects like this are just a bunch of work for the parents.  I strongly feel that if they are going to assign this sort of thing they need to allow time for the kids to work on it in the classroom where the TEACHER is available to help them since TEACHING is their job.  I'm pretty sure I'm employed by Mid-West Metal and NOT Delaware County School Corp.  I'm positive that after I've worked all day I don't want to have to come home and spend my evening for several days working on this ridiculous project.  No fourth grader knows how to go about organizing such a thing so parental involvement is necessary.  More than necessary!  It took me, mom, and Jim to get this thing finished!

I did manage to get Jayke to do part of the work.  He was frustrated, I was frustrated, the fish was scared and tortured.  There was yelling and crying, it was awful!  I didn't do the testing with Jayke, my mom did.  They had to put ice in the water to lower the temperature and measure his breathing.  As the water cooled the fish started to swim on it's side like it was dying which caused Jayke to start crying as he worried about the fish.  He was okay once they warmed the water back up but I think The Boy was traumatized.  I know the fish was, he died two days after we finished the testing.  

I helped Jayke write his final analysis and prepare everything for his board.  I had everything typed out and part of it on the board when Jim read it and discovered I had part of it wrong.  This caused a whole new level of panic since it had to be turned in in the morning.  Things had to be ripped off the board which sent him into near tears again.  Thank God we were near the end!  The consensus on Facebook was that NO ONE enjoys the science fair!

Except maybe Nemo...

New Look

A night at my house on the weekend looks like this now.

Jeff's son Zach, Emily, and her two friends.