Still Here!

Yes, we are still here.


Okay, bye.

Soccer Season is here!

And with that comes the pure awesomeness that was yesterday's boys game.  The kids played last year, and I coached last year.  It was a year of frustration and great anguish for me.  Tuesdays were spent frustrated as I was attempting to get these 7 boys to at least somewhat pretend to pay attention to what i was trying to teach them.  One day we had guest coaches come from the soccer camp and take my team.  I sat amazed watching as these 7 little monsters listened and did what was asked of them.  I then tried to convince (my awesome) assistant coach to talk with an accent because those other two coaches seemed to hold their complete attention.  Well this year has proved to be so much better!!!
My boys team is great.  We play freeze tag while dribbling a soccer ball to warm up, not only do they do it without taking off in 20 different directions but they are running and showing great ball control.  Even more importantly they all seem to be having a lot of fun with it.  In our game yesterday it started with my great surprise as Matt was actually playing.  He was getting in front of the ball getting in the middle of a group of kids and actually kicking the ball.  It was completely crazy!  He played more in the first quarter than he did all of last season.  In the second Quarter HE SCORED A GOAL!!!! Our team did so well we had to 'close the goal' in the second half beecause we were beating the other team so badly(not that we keep score in a U6 game but...).  Last year I would never have dreamed that we would ever close the goal.  As it stands right now I am not dreading Tuesday practices and Saturday games.  I am looking forward to seeing these kids play and learn and have fun with a sport I love.

The girls game.... that might be another story.  last year Katy loved soccer she played fairly well I was the assistant coach and never had to do much becasuse her awesome coach seemed to handle it all so well.  THis year I am the coach.  it is hard.  7 year old girls are moody.  I say lets go_______ and get eye rolls and sighs.  I will give out positions and get them before I can even say what position they are going to.  Oh well.  I have hope that the season will go ok and I will still be able to tolerate other peoples kids.  Our asssitant coach had a great way of teaching the girls to play defense and a couple of the girls love playing fullback (they understand positions at this age...yea.) they were an unstoppable force.  It is going to be a challenge for me to move them all around the field and let them play all the positions when I know the goal end of the field is safe when they are there.  we have a forward with one heck of a boot.  I hate that she loves forward so much because she is meant to be a center half.  she gets the ball and though somewhat slothlike in practice (yes I did say run....) the game starts and she is on fire.  Katy.... well lets just say that last year she was really good at soccer this year I am thinking we will be looking at art classes or a book club or something she finds interesting because soccer definitely does not seem to be her forte.  She did get 2 books from the library after (both scholastic says are about a 6th grade reading level) and she finished the second this morning before getting out of bed.  We always knew she was smart but holy moly she is 6 years old and reading at a 6th grade level.

totally OT but as it might take another 3 months to update.  Johnny turned 3 in August.... did nothing of interest buit had fun with a couple friends.  He started preschool last week and loved it.  Working in the class with 20 3 year olds is very tiring.  I came home and took a nap... then went to bed early.  I am still tired 3 days later.   Y

ea, nap time is calling.

See Spot Run

Okay, so this posting is really delayed, but Lisa can do these too you know...

On Thursday, May 28th, 2009, our house got another Reader.  For some time now Matt has been trying to learn his letters and read all the exciting books that Katy keeps talking about.  We have told him how she has two school levels on him and just to give it time, but he is a persistent bugger.  That magic switch has flipped in his head and he is now reading.  We bought the "Bob Books" series to help Katy learn to read and I must say Matt is one-uping her on it.  He made it through seven of the progressive books before he hit a bit of a snag and got frustrated on some letter combination sounds, but overall is doing a great job "smooshing" letter sounds into their words.  There are some letters that just aren't clicking (U does not make the wa sound, as it turns out) and Lisa has to remind him often that the only permanent rule in the English language is that there are no permanent rules in the English language.  You forget how confusing it all is until you try to teach someone.  Something as simple as letter sounds - Y makes the ya sound.. unless it is at the end of a word like Katy, then it makes the eee sound, which is different from the E sound which is eh... Yes son, my head hurts too.

I have some video but it needs to be cut down for your viewing pleasure.  I will get that up... eventually.  If you want, Matt would be happy to read to you personally instead.

And for my next trick

Johnny continues to amaze, folks. Today, he was able to climb into his car seat and buckle himself in! Add this to his very nearly completed potty training and you have yourself one little big-man ready to take on preschool next year.

Katy and Matt of course are growing as well, but that swell of amazing progress is not quite the same in the older kids. Katy is reading everything she can get a hold of and loves to let everyone know that the librarian gave her books for "3rd through 5th graders".

Katy and Matt also have some exciting news - they are both getting glasses like their parents. If you think of an eye exam as a test, I would have to say Matt passed and Katy failed miserably - but this has nothing to do with the results. Matt answered very clearly and consistently as to what he could see and when the letters were too blurry, etc. Katy, however, wanted glasses so badly that her eyes could not focus. A number of times the question of "Which is better, 1 or 2?" was followed by "Neither". We tried hard not to laugh, but we also failed at that test. This was followed by the glasses selection - where the main criteria was what Disney-oriented label was affixed to the sample lenses (which Matt insists helped his sight).

Overview of awesome

Here is a profile shot of this beauty

The Coolest Thing Ever

Our Pavilions has new kids' carts. But instead of just thowing a
cheesey plastic car on the front of a half cart, they have outdone
themselves. This tricked out, pimped out ride has locking doors, an
overhead basket, and not one but two screens! The child (Johnny) can
stay occupied with Wonder Pets (pictured above) among other current
Nick Jr. hits while the parent is free to ignore a number of coupons
and video tips.

Sadly, Matt was folded in half while trying to enjoy the splendor.
Good to know that even today the cool stuff always arrives too late,
just like when I was young.

Congratulations are in Order

The Hapkido Monsters have struck again (literally).  On Friday, they both tested and earned their new belts in the Korean Martial Art.

Katy got to break her first board by applying a strong running jump side kick.  She suffers the same infliction as Matt, however, and it took a couple times for her to remember not to jog and skip gingerly across the mats before bouncing off the balsa wood.  Matt had a new kick this time - the turn kick.  It is a relatively harder kick to aim, but perfect for him because it involves spinning around in a circle and kicking behind you, which he does as often as possible.  Matt was also tested on his nunchuck skills (Napoleon, eat your heart out).  MonsterMom loves that, because it means now we can put them away and no one has to touch them again for many months.  We are eager to find out which weapon he will be training on next.  We think it will be the bong, which is good because he hasn't used it since he got it for Christmas. 

That's right.  A bong.  For Christmas.  For a 4 year old.




P.S. - Bong is Korean for staff (long fighting stick)