Spring Soccer 09

Due to team pictures, we spent the better part of Saturday morning at the soccer fields. Isabella has been so excited to play this year, but unfortunately, her age group's field is the worst at draining causing her games to be cancelled from Spring Showers.

But this day was a winner! Not only was it sunny, it actually was over 80 degrees before 10 in the morning. This summer heat wave in Spring caused some of the children to run a little slower. Isabella's coach is going to have big umbrellas for his team to rest under for the sunny days.

She really is enjoying herself even if she can not understand why they will not let her play goalie. This age level, under 7 by last August, is more about kicking and having fun than positions. In her age group they do not even keep score, but the kids know who wins.

Anton's team is mostly the same boys as last Fall. He has two new players and they lost two. Anton has really started to hustle more this year and his confidence is coming out more. He no longer just plays defender, but has moved to forward and mid field for many games now. However, when the games get tight, he is back at defender where he is most confident.

Actually his coach was watching Anton kick the ball around with Isabella after a practice. He was shocked at how well Anton was zipping the ball around his sister and shielding her from the ball. I simply stated to the coach that Anton has been able to do this all along, he just has not had the confidence to show anyone. He does this fancy footwork at home all the time. The coach said with a smile now that he knows what Anton can do, he will be pushing him harder.

Another improvement is Anton's team. Last season there were several problems relating to playing as a team. This season, they seem to trust the others in their positions and work as a team.

The Problem with Over Achievers

Due to emails from several friends, I feel the need to clarify some perceptions. Yes, I am and over achiever, but I am not a super woman. While writing these posts, I get to talk about all the accomplishments and leave out the days in which things did not go so well.


All of these months of pushing myself to make everything as good as I can has earned me a horrible case of mononucleosis. Yes, there you have it. I am so exhausted and it is taking every ounce of energy to fight this. My Nurse Practitioner thinks I will be down for at least two or three more weeks especially if I do not take it easy. So, if you have noticed the posts are behind and the updates are slow, just keep praying for us. I say us because we are not use to me being this run down. For a few weeks I kept telling myself I was being lazy and forced myself to move. This was apparently not a good choice.


So take care of yourselves and keep us in your prayers. With many activities coming up these next few weeks, it will be a huge act of will to keep myself on the side lines!

Park Outing with friends

We took advantage of an exceptionally warm day to meet up with friends at the park. Little did we know the commotion that would arise from it all. After the children ate their lunch, a few went off to explore the dock about 100 yards away.

Then Anton had a "Scout Moment" he later retold to Karl that evening. The moms were relaxing and enjoying the scenery when we heard a loud splash. One of the younger boys, about 7 fell into the lake. Kaitlyn yelled "give me your hand" but the boy was under water. The moms rushed over, but Anton was already reacting. Remembering what he had learned in water safety from swimming and scouts, he laid on the dock and grabbed the boys arms. Anton then pulled him up as he moved backwards. By this time a big football player like dad got to the dock and helped Anton with getting the boy out of the lake. The boy was alright, just a bit shaken. This quickly lead to the dock being off limits for the remaining part of the afternoon.

We nature studied the lake and the water fowl.

The lake was home to three kinds of ducks, and several geese.

The ducks were enjoying the children throwing the remains of their lunch.

The geese were mostly wild Canadian geese and avoided us except for two. One was a Toulouse and the other a Chinese which are very common farm geese.

The Toulouse was very noisy and demanding. He barked and hissed at the children to keep away from him and the other goose. But the children were enthralled, so they picked a nice place on the climbing structure to watch them.

This worked for awhile, but the two were moving closer towards the picnic tables were the moms were sitting. They wanted more food. I remembered what I had read about geese and their temperament, this only applies to domesticated geese, so do not try this on Canadian Geese in the wild. Geese are mostly all bark, are very smart but look to see who is the dominate one. While the other moms sat on top the of the table, I began to stand up to this curious gander. I remained clam but assertive. One of the smaller children started to come towards us moms and the gander started to hiss at him. I firmly said no at which the gander looked at me very curious. I grabbed the child and gave him to his mother. The gander was watching me. He came closer, I did not budge and stared him down. He never hissed at me. He honked and I repeated no and started to shoo him off. He went away with the other goose for awhile but then they were between us and the children watching the ducks.

Isabella came running to me because she was scared two ducks were trying to drown another duck. This startled the gander and he began to obtain his attack posture again. I firmly told him no and he lowered his head to the ground and ate more weeds. I checked on the ducks for Isabella and later told Karl when we get ducks, we are going to have to explain mating rituals so she does not get so upset. As I returned to the picnic tables, I had a new friend. The gander slowly came up to me with his head down and quietly muttering to the ground. Once he had reached me, he began to preen my jeans. I have to say, had I not been in jeans I might not have let him get so close, but he was trying to show affection by rubbing on me. Anton and Isabella were very curious and ran towards me. This upset the gander again who began to go into attack mode again. I quickly and firmly said no and the gander resumed his head low submissive attitude. He followed me towards the parking lot. Aileen, then threw a handful of animal crackers away from us so we could all get into our cars and leave.

What did I learn? I think I might be able to handle us having geese in the future.

Scouting Fear Factor - Part 3

After the Eggs came the "Maggots and Goat Blood" aka "Rice and Strawberry Jello". The boys were not so sure about this.

So Karl took the lead to get them going!

Some ate it, others just passed. The boys had some time before the next station, which meant a perfect time to climb up the bars.

The third station was weird concoctions of food again, but practically no one ate it. The fourth station was to see who could keep a lemon or lime in their mouth the longest. I informed Karl his den had held them longer than any others according the Joan the other Wolf Den Leader. Karl was egging the other boys on at the egg station! The final station was a search for the gumballs in a plate of whip cream. There was suppose to be some gross name for it, but by this time, the boys were on to them.

Soon it was time to close, but not before the dessert was given out.

The children received "chocolate covered slugs" aka "fudge covered green bean".

Here is where our brave girl drew the line!

I am not a fan of Fear Factor, but I was not planning the event. Most of the boys felt it was a fun time and we heard jokes about it for days!

Scouting Fear Factor - Part 2

The final relay event was a flour paste transfer. Each person had to scoop up some flour water mix and carry it to the cup about 20 yards away. The first team to fill their cup won. Here, Anton managed to keep himself at the end of the line. He has always had a problem with getting his hands dirty. However, not Isabella!

After all the children washed their hands, they were allowed to have juice or water, cookies or chips as the den leaders set up the next stations.

First on the ticket for the wolves was the egg station. Karl explained to the group about a delicacy from the East being hard boiled embryo eggs.

One of the other leaders then cracked open one of those eggs for the children to see.

In my own opinion, it was gross.

Then Karl gave each of his wolves a regular hard boiled egg for them to crack and eat. He told them it might be easier for them if they just kept their eyes closed when they did it.

You might assume Anton was really grossed out, but he was pretending. He saw Karl boil the eggs at home the night before and was told to not let on or it would ruin the effect.

Scouting Fear Factor - Part 1

On Sunday, the Cub Scouts had a special "Fear Factor" day. It began with Karl's Wolf Den raising the flag and recitation of the Pledge of Allegiance. Joanie, one of the Bear Den Leaders began to explain the rules of the day. All scouts, and siblings who were willing, were expected to be grossed out but have fun in the process. Please note, only two guppies were harmed in the day's events and gross names were give to normal foods.

The First event was a slimy fish relay. The two teams had to pass fish over and under down the line with the final person running back to the beginning until all children had partaken of the first in line position. The first person in line had to grab one of the fish from the big bucket to begin the relay.

Isabella being her typical self, was dressed in girly fashion but participated in every event.

She did not was to miss out on the fun.

The next event was a guppy relay. A person had to fish out a guppy and transport it to the other water container about 20 yards away. Once completed they had to tag the next one for their turn.

Anton has improved his squeamishness! But not completely!

He commented on the yuck factor!

Who needs a pool?

Isabella finally had her first soccer game and Anton's game was running nearly simultaneously, so not many pictures were taken. Anton's coach was unable to come, so I was bumped up from team mom to assistant coach and the assistant coach to coach. Karl got to be with Isabella as the games began 15 minutes off of each other. At least we were on adjacent fields, so Karl and I could get a glimpse of the other child's progress. Well, it was hot, so I suggested a trip to Caravel Ice Cream shop after the game.


When we returned home, Karl and I finished planting the remaining fruit trees. Doug, Kim, and their friend Andrew scootered over to the house to see about some large Styrofoam the kids had found near the creek the weekend before. Anton and Isabella tagged along as the foam became a make shift boat until it split in half while Doug was crossing the fish pond down stream of the creek. Next thing we knew, the whole crew was wading up the creek back towards the houses.

I grabbed my camera to catch my once clean children wading in the creek. They were having entirely too much fun. Kim nervously asked if it was alright for them to take Isabella and Anton through the creek, which was a little late at this point, but I was not worried. Doug is 13 years old and quite capable of keeping an eye on the younger ones. Also, Karl and I were only 100 feet from them in the orchard.

Yes, this is my girly girl who will unknowingly trash a beautiful outfit while traipsing in the wild!

When the children returned home, we saw the water marks up to their waists. I remarked to Karl about not wanting to ever hear of Anton not wanting to do something because of getting dirty or wet. We laughed at how much fun they had with the other children exploring the creek. Then the children were sent to the showers and their clothes tossed in the wash.

It was a good day!