Loads of back-to-school blessings

First things first.  After being pee-trained since April! Bryson started pooping on the potty on a consistent basis.  So after 8 years, 10 months, and weeks....I am finally DONE changing poopy diapers, once and for all (I hope!)!  Also, Uncle Matt can finally babysit all three of my kids at once without Heather, now that the possibility of poo is not in the mix.  Ha.

We saw our first movie in the theatre as a family of five!  Also Bryson and Lily's first movie in the theatre.  It was a great last day of summer!  

Remember how Lily didn't want to hold my hand at the Ice Cream Social?  Ouch.  Well on the first day of school, I took the day off work, and I walked them to their classrooms, and she held my hand most of the way.  She was a little bit weird when I dropped her off at her classroom, because we'd been in Addie's class too long, so I took a snap and bolted.  But after school, she held my hand the whole way to the car, and from the car to stores to look for a new dress and from the car to Red Robin to get root beer and recap the day.  The real blessing here was not that she held my hand, but that I paid attention.  I felt her hand in my heart, I savored it, I was grateful for as much time as she would let me hold.  My heart was so happy.  

In Addie's soccer game last Saturday she scored 5 goals.  She was awesome.  Or should I say Osum? She was also a little cocky confident, I heard that after her third goal she was holding up three fingers back down the field.  

Lawrence and I did the Warrior Dash together.  I was awesome.  I'm only sort of kidding, I really impressed myself.  After planning to sort of dial it in and skip obstacles I didn't want to do, I got going and pushed hard.  We ran the whole race together and I did every obstacle.  One I needed a little boost from Lawrence and one I fell off of.  But I did it, and it was a great time.

Lily set a goal for herself to read 75 books over the summer, she did that and more.  Now she has read up all the box car children books that I got at the library and is ready for number 30-40 to be reserved at the library.  I LOVE the teacher she got this year.

My company had a "summer party" on the second day of school.  That was not the blessing part.  It was at OMSI and while we didn't spend a whole lot of time connecting with work people it was a really fun family night.  Since I work downtown, Lawrence met me there with the kids.  As Lily and I were leaving, I looked across at our city.  It was so beautiful in the setting sun.  I made my girl go stand in front of the skyline to add to the beauty.

Actually I will make that it's own blessing.  I LOVE all the kid's teachers this year.  Teachers are so awesome.

This was our first week with no nanny.  I have had someone in my house, taking care of my kids, at least on a part time basis, since Addie was born.  This week went great.  Lawrence went in early and I was on my own.  I got up early, everyone got up and ready with happy hearts and on time.  I even left that house cleanish.  Did you hear that?  Happy. Hearts. And. On. Time.  Mamas of three know what a miracle this is.

On Monday, we pulled up to Bryson's new 2 day a week childcare provider, let's call her "SuperSitter". She helped us out earlier in the year when our nanny had her surgery.  Bryson announced as we pulled up, "I LOVE SuperSitter's house!!"  I LOVED hearing that.  And I already told you yesterday how well he did at Preschool.  This kid is loving that he isn't getting left at home anymore, he has places to be, things to do! Blessing!

I survived a grueling two day New York Sales Tax Audit this week.  Not a blessing per se, but I work with some great ladies who helped me pull FOUR HUNDRED AND THIRTY additional records from the last 4 years that the auditor requested last minute. It was not pretty, but...It's done!

A few days ago, Addie was excited to tell me that she played football at recess with her best friend C who isn't in her class this year.  The next day I asked her if she played football with the boys again, she said, 'They don't really pass to me, I just run all around and stuff".  Awesome.

In other news, Addie and Bryson both have their first recess this year, it is pretty much the best thing for each of them.  

The week before school started Addie had her oral challenge to test for Peanuts after having 2 negative skin tests and 2 negative blood tests, after 5 years of her allergy getting worse and worse, it is gone!  We had an ice cream party to celebrate, with lots of peanut toppings!

I have been a little off this week, as I mentioned yesterday.  I've been making things work, getting there on time, being proud of the little things, but jeez at the end of the day, I am spent.  Lawrence has been making up the difference.  Yesterday he coached Lily's soccer team of 10 girls alone with Bryson on the side lines (good friends who are parents of the other kids on the team - BLESSING!).  He has just been in a great mood.  I don't love it when one of us is feeling slumpy, but I love the way we work together as a team.  

Having Lawrence on my team, might not be the one I give them most attention to, but it's also my biggest blessing of all.  

Soccer is simple, but it is difficult to play simple

Another year of soccer is in the books, and we are very proud of the 8 girls on our team.  Our soccer league stops co-ed after Kindergarten which is unfortunate because we were all set to have the same coach (and team mostly) as we did last year.  Unfortunately, our super star coach D from last year, well, her son is a boy, and we couldn't talk her in to coaching Lily's team anyway.  Ha.  So we were chosen on another team and Lawrence assistant coached this year.  It was a great experience for he and for Lily.  He played a lot of soccer when he was younger, so unlike Tball coaching last spring, where he was mostly winging it (and keeping spacey 5 year olds from hitting each other with baseball bats), he knew how to teach this sport.  

They play 4 on 4 in the 1st grade, as opposed to 3 on 3 last year.  As an adult, it's always interesting to think back to what this was like at my age.  Could I have thrived at soccer (vs just enduring it for 5+ years) if I hadn't been on a co-ed team 10 vs 10, being a defender while Jesse Shirley, Mickey Roberts, and Jesse Peterson all controlled the ball IN A FULL SIZED SOCCER FIELD.  As I think back I remember that my mom used to say to people (who obviously weren't at the game), "Jenny is good at getting into the mix and kicking it out of there".  I know that must be a lie because I was 1. a defender in the back field picking dandelions with very good and agressive teammates who never let the ball near my goal, and 2. Well, I'm just fairly certain I was not a player who was "good at kicking" anything, much less, it, out of the middle of the blob of school-aged soccer players.  For starters, just to remind you, I looked like this.

Anyway, that's neither here nor there.  And it gives me great pride to watch Lily as one of the best players on the team.  She is strong and aggressive.  The girl can HUSTLE (when she wants to, who knew? Not the person who has to bark orders to get her shoes tied every.single.morning).  She was good last year against the boys, but this year she was great playing with the girls and it was fun to see her excel and score so often.  The second to last game, Lawrence bribed her with a milkshake on the way home if she PASSED THE BALL a few times.  He wanted her to get an assist.  She knew what that meant.  I found out that term when I was 22 and met Lawrence.  Heh.  And she did pass the ball that day.  However, that made it her only scoreless game.  She would get up to the net and beat the rest of both teams there, waiting for someone to pass it to, NOT shooting.  Finally she had the perfect set up.  She passed it to another girl, who missed the goal, but it was fine.  Lily did what she was there to do, and we were proud of her.  She enjoyed every drop of that milkshake.  Because she does NOT hustle when it comes to eating desserts.  Or any other food for that matter.  

Coach Dad and his girls warming up

My heart jumps a little every time I see her look over to her dad, for approval, celebration, or encouragement.  Her desire to please him makes me delight in them both.  He really is her first love, as it should be for every little girl.

It's so hot, I'm taking refuge in the shade of Bryson's stroller and might die if I look at you .

Whoa is me

I have a crush on the coach.

WHO is this kids mother?  Sunburn fail!

My little big buckeye.  This Jersey made him look SO big.

 Bryson did SO good this year at every soccer game.  Wow.  We would get there loaded with water bottles and snacks and umbrellas and chairs and coats.  I would let him out of the stroller once we set up camp and the girls were warming up.  He'd run amok and I'd chase after.  Sometimes we'd have to wake him from a nap, sometimes we'd have to keep him awake on the way home, but he never missed a game.  Then, once the game started, I'd strap him back in and stop his resistance to that with SNACKS.  Yes, I'd start feeling him snacks, rationing like a madwoman, one raisin at a time as I never took my eye off the field.  I think that SOME of the other soccer moms *might* have thought I was a lil crazy in that I fed this kid for an hour straight, every single soccer game (and let's be honest some practices too.  right before dinner).  Sometimes huddled under the umbrella for shade, sometimes to stay dry.  Sometime Addie sat with us, sometimes she was with the coach and team on the other side of the field, looking important and trying to fit is.  Each week brought weather extremes at total opposite spectrums, and no matter what the little guys came home SOAK and WET.  My one goal was to figure out a way to 1. watch the game 2. Keep him dry 3. Off the soccer field 4. No "looks" from the coach.


This changed the college football Saturdays that we've grown to love (except for the maddening terrible service of the Comcast Gameday Package...If you don't already know the story, don't ask, at least we got the whole season for free, after weeks of frustrated Husband on my hands)

Lily has the ball, everyone is on her

If this picture doesn't make your heart swell with pride, well, you probably aren't her mother.

Our alternate team member. She'll be ready next year.

Next game.  Brrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr.  Only one week later.  She doesn't like being the goalie.  Likes to be IN THE ACTION.

Being a soccer kid in Portland, Oregon - doesn't she look tough!

Where is the ball in this picture?  

Uncle Matt got to come to two of the games upon his return from "the yucky place".  Addie was happy that her school bear who slept over for the weekend has a place to stay dry.

The Shooting Stars and their fearless leaders happy to receive soccer trophies

At the end of the season, I'm glad for it to be over.  I'm glad for the Tuesday / Thursday practice, Saturday game madness to end.  At the party, listening to the other parents swoon over my husband and my daughter makes me so proud of them both.  The other parents thank him for his time and investment into their kids.  They acknowledge him the mean it.  I know L&L are both incredible, and it's super cool when someone else notices and tells you all about it.  

Old Man Lily

I promised myself I would start writing down conversations that make me (and the grandparents) laugh out loud.

Lawrence: Lily come here let me tuck in your [soccer] shirt
Lily: (preferring the Erkel look) Is it supposed to do that like that?
Lawr: What, blouse out a little?
Lily: Yeah
Lawr: Yes, it looks good that way - you look sharp
Lily: I look like an old man!
Lawr: Is that how old men wear their shirts?
Lily: Yes, it's how Grandpa Steve does his
Lawr: Gpa Steve's belly does that to his shirt.
Lily: Oh, (in gruff voice, walking like a ape with arms out) I look like an old man, I am Grandpa Steve, this is my belly doing this to my shirt.

What? Girl cracks me up. If we weren't running late, I totally would have had her call Grandpa himself to tell him the story. I just love her perception! So funny.

Meanwhile she looks like the littlest cutest soccer girl ever. Soccer Saturday take 2.

And look at that, it didn't take too long and I'll actually remember the story now

7 blogs in 7 days - day 6 - First soccer game

This morning was Lily's first soccer game, and we honestly could not have had more fun. She was so good. And so happy. The whole time on the field she had the biggest smile on her face. She hustled, she tried hard, she was awesome. In her Kindergarten league there is no goalie, and that seemed to bother her somewhat. Rather than go after the ball, she would run back and guard the goal, even though the other team wasn't near it. Lawrence would yell, "Lily get off the goal and go after the ball", like a real crazy psycho sports fanatic dad. It was awesome. Haha.



Lily's soccer coach is due with her 4th child on Oct 20.
She scored 3 goals, and this was after one of them. Man she was happy with herself. They don't keep score. But Lawrence did. It was 7-1.



Lily and Alex. Cutie little soccer friends.

I'm a soccer mom?

Lily starts soccer practice today, so I guess that officially makes me a soccer mom. She was pretty darn proud of her new shoes/ball/shin guards.

Not nearly as proud as her dad was when she asked him to "show me some soccer moves, daddy!"