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Monday, November 29, 2010

Soccer Season 2010


Thomas and Sarah Grace both played soccer this fall. As it turned out, they both had a game every Saturday morning for ten weeks. Generally back to back at different locations, but occasionally at the same time. At different locations. While I admit to hating having our Saturdays so committed and trying to have folks on the field by 8:30 AM, I have to also admit to how much fun it was to watch those games!

Thomas played his second year of soccer, and so he was a pro. The first few practices he coached the coach. I can't say I was proud, but the coach (who has been coaching for more years than Thomas has been alive) took it all in stride, was very graceful, and still managed to let Thomas know that he was the boss. Thomas had a great season. We were very proud of how kind he was to his team-mates and his opponents. One particular scenario lives in my competitive mind.


Thomas had managed to get his feet on the ball and was an enth away from scoring. He looked over his shoulder and saw one of the other players on the ground. People, he walked away from the ball to go help the other child. My Mommy heart cheered on my son's sweet spirit. My competitive self wondered why he didn't nudge the ball in the net before he left. In the end, I know that his caring for others will carry him much further in life than scoring that one little goal. I know that he was carrying out the commandment of 'love your neighbor as yourself.' And I couldn't be prouder.

It was Sarah Grace's first soccer season. She did great at practice and has habitually out ran and out manipulated Thomas in all things sports oriented, so we never foresaw the emotional issues she ran into during the first several games. My little girl was all smiles until it came her turn to step on the field, then she fell into a mass of tears and uncertainty. Joshua and I looked at each other in disbelief, not knowing what was going on. We hugged and encouraged and prayed with her and hugged some more, but to no avail.

Somewhere around the fourth or fifth game, when we were just about ready to throw in the towel, she went on the field with her team and dominated. That child ran the other team breathless, scoring goal after goal. I was so excited to see her overcome her fears as the season wore on and relax into truly enjoying herself.

All in all, it was a really good experience. Elizabeth and Anna thoroughly enjoyed being outside and cheering on their siblings. Joshua and I enjoyed watching our children in a different environment. Thomas and Sarah Grace enjoyed making new friends and learning some new things.

And isn't it an entirely too cute coincidence that their uniforms were the SAME? Thomas' team dubbed themselves the Dragons while Sarah Grace and her team preferred to be the Butterflies.

Friday, November 19, 2010

Starting Off The Weekend


Nothing says little boy like camo and a road rash across the face.

Thursday, November 18, 2010

Overheard

The kids were all playing upstairs. I was enjoying a few minutes of peace and a cup of hot chocolate and sitting in a sunbeam.

Really, it was that perfect.

I heard Thomas bellow for help. At least one pair of little feet went running across the floor.

"I'm having a bad hair day!" exclaimed Sarah Grace.

"I know. I can see. But come help me!" replied Thomas.

"I can't! I'm having a bad hair day!" wailed Sarah Grace in return.

To my credit, I didn't snort hot chocolate through my nose.

Y'all, she's five. Just keep that in mind. Five! And already bad hair days are preventing her from living life.

Wednesday, November 10, 2010

A Little Christmas Shopping Help

As you may or may not know, one of my very dearest friends and her family are adopting. It has opened my eyes and made me more aware of, well, a lot of things, really. On their family's road to adoption, Lora has made several connections with families who are doing some variety of fund-raising. Lora and her family sell Hope Suds. Some families sell t-shirts. Some sell things that are made in the country they are adopting from.

In an effort to help support these various families, Lora and Andrew have compiled a list of wonderful Etsy shops selling all manner of different items. The Master List is pretty impressive and could easily cover all your Christmas shopping needs. So give a double gift...a present for a loved one and a bit toward bringing another child to her forever home.

Tuesday, November 09, 2010

Celebrating The Small Stuff

I didn't train for a 10k or even a 5k. I haven't finished decorating my house. I haven't even finished a single room. I haven't written a book, or managed to turn my blog into a must-read. I didn't to sew a beautiful collection of clothes for my girls for winter. Not a single dress. I haven't perfected bread making. I didn't read the top one hundred most loved books. I'm not working toward anything life changing or meaningful to the world at large.

In fact, the year will be drawing to a close in less than two months and my list of grand accomplishments is not shiny enough to make anyone do more than possibly glance at it. If I dwell on this, I get discouraged. There are movers and shakers out there who have just as many daily responsibilities as I do and they are doing things and going places.

Me? I did laundry and went to the grocery store occasionally.

But! I did do those things! Several times over. And I read to my kids. I completed small craft projects that bring a smile to my face. I painted walls. I survived soccer season with two children playing back to back games every. single. Saturday. I potty trained a child. I got a grain mill so I could mill my own wheat and make super healthy bread for my family. I learned to properly run a budget and use our income to better serve our family and others. I pulled up poison ivy. I went to Haiti. I finally got around to getting hooks up inside the coat closet for the kids to better be able to hang their own jackets up. I kept the bathrooms clean. I've helped friends in need. I've spent sweet time with precious family. I've enjoyed Bible Study. I've sang songs at the top of my lungs as my kids and I danced around the house. I've cried over movies. I've cried over struggles. I've cried over losses. I've watched in amazement as my children have learned new tricks and mastered concepts and memorized chunks of Scripture. I've taken my kids to the Botanical Gardens. I've taken them to friends houses. I've snuck in one on one time with each child regularly. I've been on more dates with my husband. I have stepped outside my comfort zone and survived. I completed my first year of 'homeschooling' and am well into my second year with two very willing students. I've overslept and still made it on time. I've cooked new-to-our-family recipes and added to the list of things we really like. I remembered to schedule our family pictures. I've done egg hunts and pumpkin patch and Christmas lights. I've kissed boo-boos and feverish children. And my husband! I've survived the first trimester of my hardest pregnancy to date. I've played Santa Claus and Easter Bunny and Tooth Fairy. I've weeded and planted and, well, the plants died. I learned to make cornbread. I've made new friends and reunited with old ones. I've learned to make yummy, yummy, yummy home-made cinnamon rolls. I've received hugs and kisses and works of art from pudgy fingers. I've enjoyed long evenings with good friends. I made a Bugs Bunny costume for my son in a matter of hours. I've enjoyed hours of listening to my husband play piano. I've learned to be comfortable in my own skin. I've cuddled puppies and kittens. I've watched with pride as my husband and kids grew cucumbers and tomatoes. I've survived rainy days and rowdy children with a smidge of sanity left over at the end. I've enjoyed listening as my husband reads aloud to our family. I've not burned myself majorly with the hot glue gun.

There are thousands of little things that nobody gives gold stars for, but they should. There are accomplishments in the lives of Mommy's every single day that go unnoticed. If your feeling discouraged, sit down, make your list, and revel in it.

And if your willing, share a few favorite. I'd love to hear what your up to!

Wednesday, November 03, 2010

For Once, I Hope They Were Really Listening

We've lived here six months. We couldn't keep the wool over the eyes of the entire neighborhood forever. At some point, they would figure out we were not normal. We actually lean towards the crazy side of things. Truth is, though, we did better than I ever would have imagined.

I like to tell myself that anyway.

I think in an effort to save face, I never shared with you all about the time I lost my kids for nearly an hour. And had half the neighborhood looking for them. Including the UPS man. Fortunately, everyone chalked that one up to the kids just being enamored of their new living environment.

A large portion of our privacy fence is in shambles, due to the enormous amounts of English Ivy that was positively overtaking our back yard when we bought the house. As we chopped away at the ivy, we realized the fence under it was pretty rotten. But not before we tore up the part facing the road. Thereby effectively reducing the property values of the entire neighborhood with our half chomped up fence.

They love us around here. I just know it.

No, I think what sealed our insanity in everyone's eyes is the amount of bickering my children choose to do out of doors. Loudly and out of doors. Because obviously, if your outside and there are no walls to contain your shrilling, you must do it FIVE TIMES AS LOUDLY in order to get your peevish point across the yard to your sibling.

It's a neighborhood chock full of homeschooling families. You'd think that the noise levels would naturally be higher. Maybe they are. I dunno. All's I know is that my kids can drown out the entire rest of the neighborhood. People peek out windows when my children play outside.

One of those recent outings of theirs led to screams over some something or the other. I took a deep breath and walked outside to referee. One of our neighbors was blatantly standing on her front porch watching the goings on. Once we had things under control, I moseyed around the yard and wandered in and out of the house. At some point, I was in the garage when I heard it.

'My Savior loves, my Savior lives,
My Savior's always there for me!
My God He was, my God He is,
My God He is always gonna be!'

All four kids were sing-screaming this song at the very top of their lungs. I smiled and my heart jumped for joy listening to the sweet, off-key chorus of my children.

And, for once, I hoped that the neighbors were listening very closely as they pulled their curtain's aside to find out what the ruckus was all about.