Soccer

So every time I say this out loud to the people that know me the best, I get one of two responses:
(A) surprised pause and then "oh" or,
(B) the nicer ones just....BUST out laughing in my face.

I was Luke's soccer coach this year.

Which one were you? Oh? Or have you recovered from your fit of laughter?

I didn't start out as Luke's soccer coach. You see, to make a long story short, the original soccer coach was having some trouble. He knew the game of soccer, but wrangling 5 and 6 years old is a different kind of sport.

I know my child. My wild, loving, affectionate, maniac does not do 'unstructured' well. This was second go at organized sports, and I really really really wanted it to be a good experience for him since the first time we didn't even finish the season. I knew if we continued down this unstructured path, the season would be painful for both me as a parent and him as a child.

So what did I do....I volunteered to help. I don't know a LICK about soccer, but I have almost twenty years experience of kid wrangling. I decided that instead of complaining to the organization, I would offer a solution...even if it wasn't a great one.

That's how I became Luke's soccer coach.

And let me tell you, I learned a lot. Not only did I learn what 3v3 and 5v5 meant (thanks WW for that quick lesson) and that really you can kick the ball with ANY part of your foot, but I learned 5 and 6-year-old kids just want to have fun.

I soon found out the best way to 'coach' a 5-year-old is convincing them they are having fun. Practice is fun. The game is fun. Scoring is fun. Watching someone else score (even if they are on the other team) is fun. I even made our team cheer "HAVE FUN"!

You see, they are 5 and 6. They have most of their life to be competitive. They will spend most of their kid and teenage years running drills for whichever sport they choose. They will spend hours getting advice from parents, coaches, sideline coaches, friends' parents.

But at 5 and 6...they need more fun in their life. So fun was what I tried to give them. That and a whole lot of love. I don't need my kids burned out of a sport by 10. I need my kid to LOVE playing on a team. LOVE being coached. LOVE being active.

 

Will I coach again...NO no no no and no. But I will make sure I find a team for my kids that emphasizes fun? Absolutely. Let's make sports fun again for our littlest loves.

Spooky Cuties

I really never ever understood Halloween until I had kids. Man, this holiday ranks real close to Christmas for these two.

Halloween parties kicked off our day of celebration! The parents who plan these are the BEST! The kiddos had so much fun.

 

Evan as a mummy.

We were able to trick or treat with some neighbors, school friends, AND family members! Too many spooky cuties to count!

Evan had decided to go as a zombie long before October even arrived. Luke, as usual, wavered between several costumes we already have. It does not have to be Halloween for a costume to come out at our house. Luke particular will walk around as Hulk, Spider-Man, or Ironman in February. We have a bat costume that was given to us when Evan was in 1st grade. He used it in the Animal Play. It's made several more appearance in our house since then. Somehow it got drug out and Luke was adamant about being a bat.

 

And me...well, let's just say my costume isn't too much of a stretch from my everyday persona.

It's beginning to look a lot like...Halloween??

Here in the VP, we go all out for Halloween. The decorations rival those put out at Christmas. I mean, our neighborhood kind of rocks!

So, as you would assume  when the boys see all the other house decorated, they want to decorate ours!

 

 

 


My favorite decoration of the year is...


And how do I reward a job well done? Cuddled up on the couch with a classic.

Fall Break ROCKS!

Fall Break was spent at home this year....as it is every year. :) But that's not to say we didn't have a blast.

We visited the updated Shelby Farms Park. I could have spent twice as long exploring, but the boys' legs were getting tired. Funny though, they became untired as soon as we got the playground.

 

The next day we met up with friends to play and feed the ducks! We just happened to be at Costco that morning so I was able to get bread on the cheap! Those ducks tho....I think the kids had the right idea to get to higher ground.

And running into friends at CFA who are on Fall Break also is THE BEST!

The last day of Fall Break we painted 901Rocks! This movement has gained so much attention and speed around out city. People paint rocks and hide them in public places. Once found, someone takes a picture and posts it on the FB page. Now, there are some serious painters out there. Ours weren't going to have people fighting over them, but hopefully, they put a smile on someone's face.

 

So we really ended with a ROCKIN' good time. :) I crack myself up.