Victory in Defeat

Today, Wonder Boy and his team faced down the top team in the division. Unlike many teams in the division, this group of guys have (mostly) been playing together for a number of years and every last one of them is fit and ready for a grueling season.

So it was with a fair bit of trepidation that Wonder Boy and his teammates lined up across from them this morning.


Things started off well enough and our beloved Green Team managed to end the first half with a draw of 2 goals apiece.

However, the trend just couldn't be sustained in the second half. Wonder Boy's team tried their hardest, but were simply outmatched this time.

But with that said, I think this might have been one of Wonder Boy's finest performances.

About midway through the second half, when the guys in orange had taken a firm lead, you could see the guys in green physically slow down a bit as they became physically tired and emotionally demoralized. Even Wonder Boy seemed a step off pace. But then some switch turned or maybe he got his second wind. Because after that fleeting moment of lethargy, Wonder Boy kicked it back into high gear. He encouraged his teammates, he covered a vast amount of the field - running back and forth from offense to defense - and did his very best to give his team every chance to make a comeback.

The comeback didn't materialize, but we saw Wonder Boy change right there on the field. He went from just being "one of the guys" to being a leader on the field.

And we literally could not have been more proud of him in that moment.

Birthday In Da House!

Today Wonder Boy turned 12 years old. Twelve!

There is a large part of me that would like to focus on the nostalgic side of this birthday, wondering where my baby has gone. But the truth is, this was such a FUN birthday, that even nostalgia gets put aside for this sappy mom.

The day actually started several days, weeks in advance. Or rather, the planning and prep work for the big day started well in advance.

You see, Wonder Boy and Wonder Dad have a bit of a friendly competition where birthdays are concerned. They each try to top one another in terms of creating "memorable moments." And this must be a dominant gene because they are both quite fantastic at this particular skill!

Past birthdays have seen pranks, poems, birthday zombies, special meals, and even underwear scavenger hunts! Birthdays in this house are NOT to be missed!

For the first big event of the day, Wonder Dad and I spent several nights blowing up balloons in the secret halls of our bedroom closet. We blew up over 100 good sized (12") balloons that we then used to fill the alcove outside of Wonder Boy's bedroom! We managed to stack them about 6' high! So when we called the Boy to breakfast this morning, he opened his bedroom door, and the balloons came flooding in!

It was quite a sight to behold!

But that was not the end of the birthday hijinks! Oh, no! We went right into Prank #2.

A few weeks before this auspicious day, Wonder Dad noticed that there was still one yet unopened present from Christmas. I am not sure if Wonder Boy is intimidated by it or what, but Wonder Dad thought (& I agreed) that it would serve the Boy right to wrap it up again and give it back to him. And who knows, maybe that little jab would be enough to get him to tear off the shrink wrap and give it a try finally.

So ... after splashing through the deluge of balloons, Wonder Boy was ready to get down to the business of opening presents. He grabbed the box waiting for him on the fireplace hearth and went to town ripping the wrapping right off.

And then he stopped.

He stared at the box a bit.

And like a good little minion, turned to us and said "Whaaaaa?"

"But I already have this one!", he continued.

He looked to Wonder Dad for explanation, clearly confused. At which point, Wonder Dad launched into a VERY convincing pitch regarding the newness of said gift.

For those that don't know ... Wonder Boy is not what you would call "a morning person." And as such, is not the most clear headed first thing in the morning, even on his birthday.

So ... just as he was beginning to question himself, Wonder Dad spilled the beans and brought out the real gifts (much to the relief of our dear Wonder Boy).

Surprisingly, Wonder Boy took it better than I would have thought, laughed along with us and didn't hold a grudge for the little pranks. In fact, as the day wore on, it seems his favorite thing to do was to tell others the torture we had put him through that morning, but he did so with a big grin on his face, so no hard feelings!


This really is a good picture of how the day shaped up in general - just fun and laughs and lots of good times for us all.

After opening gifts, we settled down for breakfast. Then we got to enjoy a FANTASTIC soccer game where the Boy and his team came away with a 6 to 2 victory (Wonder Boy had an assist)! After that it was home for a sinful lunch of bacon shell tacos (for the Boy anyway). Then a bit of time to start playing with new toys. And then we capped off the day at a special dinner, where we were joined by Wonder Boy's two best buds.

The boys laughed, one of them danced, and we all ate to our hearts' content.

As we drove home, a much anticipated cool front blew in, and we enjoyed a cool walk with our Wonder Pup as the perfect end to an INCREDIBLE birthday!

Wonder Boy should turn 12 every day if this is the way things are going to go!

Almost Perfect Day for Soccer

Today was an absolutely BEAUTIFUL day and there is no better way to spend it than at the soccer fields, if you ask me!

We had another cool front blow in this weekend. Temps at game time were in the low 60s, which is chilly by Texas standards. I think it was more noticeable to those of us on the sidelines than the players, but still, picture perfect weather for fall soccer!

This game was to be a highly anticipated rematch with their opening weekend opponent. That game ended in a hard fought tie and the teams matched up really well in skill, size, and enthusiasm. I know Wonder Boy at least stepped onto the pitch this week ready for another tough, exciting game.

And in fact, the action of the game turned out to be all we had anticipated and more! Both teams came out hot and put everything they had into their efforts. Wonder Boy's team jumped out to an early lead, but despite their valiant efforts, they just couldn't hold on for the win.

With the way these kids match up, I know they'll all be looking forward to the chance to meet up again in the tournament in a few weeks.

As for us, the spectators of the game, it was just plain ELECTRIC to sit there on the side lines and cheer for our guys! I know they lost, but it was STILL a lot of fun to watch. Both teams worked so hard and they both had ample opportunity to clinch the win. You can't be disappointed to see that kind of effort, no matter which side comes out on top.

Mid-Season in the Midfield

Soccer season is in full swing now and Wonder Boy is busy soaking up every sweaty moment of it! He seems to be finding his niche with his coach and team. It's no surprise to us, but he again seems most comfortable in the midfield.

His passing skills are continuing to improve and he always seems to have a good feel for where his teammates are at and where they are going. I believe this is what makes his passing so effective.

He's also getting a bit more time in the back field, adding a bit more depth on defense. And while this may not be his favorite spot to play, he certain is helping his team and is very good at disrupting the opposing offense's attacks.

This game ended up in another loss, but Wonder Boy and his team had a lot of chances to pull even or perhaps even take the lead. They are working hard in practice and we see improvement every week. It's only a matter of time until they put it all together on game day as well.

A Tough Loss

Game 3 for the fall season found the weather returned to hot and, of course, Wonder Boy had a noon start time. Oh, well.

Things got off to a bit of a rocky start - the Boy's team was down a handfull of players and had to start with 1 fewer on the field than the opposing team (and no subs on the sidelines either). Eventually a couple of stragglers made it to the park so that the team had enough guys to even up players on the field, but they had to work through the heat with only one substitute.

That said, the Panthers (that's the team name) continued to battle hard and kept things close throughout.

Wonder Boy got to start on defense this time was and even chosen to take a couple of goal kicks in the first half. For a kid that looks like he could be blown over in a stiff wind, the Boy has quite a leg on him and I think he really surprised the opposing team in that regard as his goal kicks soared overhead.

In the second half Wonder Boy returned to playing midfield and we, again, got to see him shine. I am in awe of how well he sees the field. He's always looking to find the open man and works hard to get the ball at their feet. I so wish I had a bit of that instinct in me.

In the end, the other team edged out a one point win. But again, we were super proud of the way Wonder Boy and his team fought the good fight. They never gave up and they had every opportunity to at least tie the game if not win it outright.

Personally, I am hoping for a return to cooler weather for this next game! But you can bet we'll be yelling our heads off on the sidelines regardless.

The Funny Thing About Fall Soccer ...

Fall in Texas is an odd time, to say the least. More often than not, you can't really tell the difference between summer and fall, aside from the occasional thunderstorm.

Week #1 of fall soccer found it HOT. Temps were around 95F at game time. And you could tell. The poor kids were drenched to the bone within just a few minutes.

Week #2 we actually had a rain out! Sure, the kids were disappointed, but we really needed the rain! So we had a quiet family day and enjoyed the gentle soaking rain.

Week #3 however brought a rare cool weather game! Wonder Boy had an early game, 9am, and temps were not expected to top 65F!

It's fun to see the kids bundled up on the walk to the fields. Sure, they warm up awful quick, but I noticed a boost in their endurance and those of us on the sidelines were much more comfortable than usual too.

This was another truly exciting match! Wonder Boy and company struggled to put points on the board, with two goals being called back for off-sides fairly early on. One of those was a really close call and we fans couldn't believe it was called back. Then the other team found the net and we all fretted that the guys would go home wondering "what if" about those 2 missed opportunities. But like they did in week #1, Wonder Boy and company dug deep and found the net with just a few minutes to spare to get the tie! Wonder Boy even got an assist on that goal!

Great way to spend a fine fall morning, if you ask me!

Fall Kick Off

One of the most anticipated moments of the year has arrived - the start of fall soccer! Whoop!

Wonder Boy has moved up to the next division (u12), been placed on a new team, and even had his first game! When that ball gets rolling, it doesn't slow down any!

Game 1 was a lot of fun, depsite the warmer than we would like weather (95F at game time)! And since it was game 1 in a new division, on a new team, it took a while before the kids started to relax and have a little fun. In fact, they found themselves down 3-0 at the half. I wondered if the warm weather and lopsided score would cause their enthusiasm to wane, but I need not have worried. Wonder Boy and his team made their adjustments and battled back to a hard fought 3-3 tie by the time the final whistle blew!

We were incredibly proud of the way he played and even more so by the fighting spirit displayed by the whole team! Here's to a GREAT season! Go Panthers!