Day at the Fields

So, we spent the day watching the boys play sports. Samuel had a soccer game at 9 am in Lake Stevens. Benjamin had a soccer game at 11:30 in Arlington (about 20 minutes north). Finishing out the Triple Play, Samuel had a baseball game at 1:00 in Everett. It is drizzly and cold. Thankfully, we purchased an on of those easy to put up tent things! Very handy! Everyone appreciates us! I am not feeling very wordy, but wanted to post these pics and videos. Have a lovely day!

First Day of School

So, the first day of school has come and gone. Not without its ups and downs!!! Benjamin was outwardly excited about starting school. Samuel, of course, kept his excitement inside. Benjamin was excited to get his picture taken, especially after looking at his cousin, Zachary's, first day of school photos. Samuel would not cooperate. Hmmmm.

I did get one smile out of him, through the car window, after threatening to embarrass him in his classroom. Hee Hee!!

While the little darlings were in school, I spent a small fortune on school lunch foods and a few other necessities. Then I went to lunch with some other moms, to celebrate the new school year. Which took us right up to time to pick up the little sweeties!

After school was filled with exciting talk about the new year.

Samuel's comments about his first day were "totally awesome and wicked"and "my teacher is the best!". Samuel is automatically a Conflict-Manager, since he did it last year. (A job for 4th and 5th graders to help keep the peace during the younger kids' recesses.) He is also excited about a science project that involves gold fish, and getting to keep the fish at the end of the project (as long as it's okay with parents....please mom!!!!). Then there seems to be a student store in the future, as well as some campus beautification. He loves his teacher, has some great kids in his class and is excited about all the upcoming projects. HALLELUIAH!!!!!!

Benjamin loves his teacher. The same teacher that Samuel had in 3rd grade. She is cute and young, with long blond hair. What boy wouldn't love her? He told me all of the classroom rules and the procedures that are expected out of them when coming into class and their "ready to learn" position when the bell rings. Too cute! He has a lot of kids in his class from last year. And is thrilled that our neighbor, Grace, is in his class.

After school, it was home, snack, get ready and go! Samuel had his first Fall Ball Baseball game. They won in the bottom of the 6th inning. Samuel was the winning "run", actually the bases were loaded and the batter got walked. Samuel pitched 3 great innings. The first two innings he struck everyone out and the 3rd inning, there were a few hits and runs. The team's defense needs some work!!! He got 2 runs and struck out once. His second hit is in the video below.

After the game, not so pretty! Lots of whining and complaining and disrespecting. Tired? Hungry? I think so. But still no excuse. So, there has been a loss of some priveleges. Man, parenting is hard! But I hear that it is worth it. God help me to see that day!

Well, off to work I go. The little dumplings just got on the bus for day 2. Later!!

A Weekend of Soccer

Benjamin's soccer team, The U9 Bulldogs, played in the Lake Washington Youth Soccer Club's Jamboree this weekend. The boys played 3 games on Saturday and 3 games on Sunday. So, it was a busy weekend. They did great. They won all three games on Saturday and then on Sunday they lost their first 2 games and won the third. They are a great group of kids and their coach is super good. He is a little on the fanatic side, but he just wants the kids to work together as a team.

We are very proud of our little Bulldog!

The Haircut

The other day, out at soccer practice we received a text message picture of Benjamin's cousins new haircut. So, of course, Benjamin-being a follower, wanted a haircut just like Hayden! So, here are shots before, during and after the cut!!!












I wish you could see the mohawk better. It was pretty cute!!!

And now he is ready for playing soccer in the hot weather!! (Yah, that's my skirt hanging in the doorway to dry!)

Summer 2008

Well, we started out our summer with a LOT of baseball. Samuel was on the 10-year old All-Star team and played in our Sectional tournament. That went into July. Then he played in a tournament with most of his Redsox teammates. That didn't go well! It was extremely HOT and it was a whole new set of rules for them. They all really benefited from it, though.

Both boys went to a week-long Basketball camp. And they went to Cali to visit family for 2 weeks and 2 days, without mom and dad!!!! THEN.....Samuel went away to camp for 6 days and 6 nights!! Pretty exciting stuff! Benjamin's soccer team played in a tournament, and it was the hottest weekend of the year. We were cookin'!!! Poor kids, they were red and sweaty. But spray bottles and lots of Gatorade and orange slices helped to keep them hydrated.

What were we doing while our children were having all of this fun? Well, we were working.

I started a new job in July, at Trinity Lutheran College. So I spent a lot of time figuring out where our kids would be when and with whom.

BUT, we had a little fun of our own......

We took the ferry to Friday Harbor, in the San Juan Islands, for 2 nights. We stayed at Elements Hotel, which was lovely, and went Sea Kayaking and whale watching. It was beautiful up there. The weather was perfect. We saw Orcas up close. It was a lovely trip. We didn't want to return to the mainland!

I also discovered a new passion: ZUMBA! I love to go to Zumba class. Zumba fuses hypnotic latin rhythms and easy to follow moves to create a dynamic workout system that will blow you away. http://www.zumba.com/

Now my goal is to lose weight, so that I look cute while Zumba-ing!

Well, both of the boys are home. I commuted to Issaquah for the last time (HALLELUIAH!!!). Now, we are chilling out until school starts. NEXT WEDNESDAY!!!! We went to the school's Back-to School Barbeque and Open House last night. The boys got to take all their school supplies (which parents have to buy now, and it cost a fortune to go shopping for all of these supplies!!!) to their classroom and put them into their desk. It is fun for them to see where their desks are and who they will start the year out sitting by.

Samuel will be in 5th grade and Benjamin in 3rd grade. They are both excited to start this new school year, in the classes that they were hoping to be placed.

That about sums up our summer. We will spend this last weekend at a soccer tournament that Benjamin's team, The Bulldogs, will be playing in. He is fun to watch. He loves soccer and is great at it!

Totally Random

Well, I am new to the blogging thing. There is not much to report today. I took the day off of work to be home with the kids, and we have spent most of the day on separate floors of the house. Hmmmm.
We spend a lot of time on sports fields and courts. Currently, both boys are playing soccer, and Samuel is also playing Fall baseball. There will be pictures to post! I just haven't figured that out yet!
School starts soon. Both of the boys are in the classes that they want. Samuel is now a 5th grader, and Benjamin a 3rd grader. Wow. The time really flies.
I came across my favorite picture of myself with Samuel as a newborn. I was a new mom and thought that life was perfect! My how time changes perspective! That sweet little newborn grew into a strong-willed, sometimes defiant toddler; continuing on to pre-teenhood.
Benjamin came into the world little and demanding and has become sweet and compliant, although a lot of times way to whiney. Go figure!
As you can see I don't sugar coat. I am pretty straight forward. If you are a susie-sunshine type, you won't appreciate my style.
Well, that's all for now. I will have much more interesting stuff later!!!