Mom's Day '12

Mother's Day. As far as Hallmark holidays go, this has to be one of my favorites. Not because I'm showered with attention from my guys (though that is an awesome perk), but because it is another chance for me to stop and be thankful for those things that really matter in this life.

THIS is what matters, folks. No grand gestures needed. Just some quality time with my favorite people. Including a hug, a kiss, and a quick photo with my favorite 10 year old.

Spring Wrap Up

As happens all too soon each season, this weekend brought the end of soccer for the spring with an end-of-season tournament. Wonder Boy's team matched up yet again with the dreaded white team. And though they again played their hearts out, they (again) dropped this one to the other team.

It was with that loss weighing on their minds that they faced the maroon team in the afternoon game and you could tell it had lit a fire in them all. They played hard, despite the searing Texas heat. And this time came out with the win!

As always, we were the proudest cheer leaders on the sidelines - proud of the whole team for all they accomplished this season! They learned a lot about the finer points of the game this spring and by the end of the season were really clicking as a team. What could make a parent and fan any prouder?

We're already looking forward to soccer camp in June and then the start of fall soccer in September!

Not So Lucky 7

For the last game of the regular season, Wonder Boy's team drew a rematch with the top ranked team in the division. The boys all played super hard, but luck was not on their side. They had lots of good opportunities to score, but the ball took some unfortunate bounces and in the end, the other team came out on top.

Games like these are tough. Sometimes the ball just doesn't bounce your way. And then you start to second guess yourself. And you get more easily frustrated with your coaches and teammates.

For the most part, the boys held on and played their hearts out. But you could feel their frustration, regardless.

I guess it's our job, as their family and fans, to help them see all of the things they did WELL, so they can focus on THAT the next game out.

Wonder Boy and team get a week off to rest up before the end of season tournament on May 12 - 13. I'm sure they'll be ready!

Double Header

As I posted last week, Wonder Boy had a double header of soccer games this Saturday. My prayer had been for cool weather so that the boys wouldn't melt with 2 games out in the Texas sun. And that prayer was answered in spades! We woke to temps in the low 50s on Saturday morning and by the start of the first game, it had only warmed to the mid 50s. Talk about PERFECT soccer weather!

Wonder Boy and his teammates took full advantage of the break in the weather and revved their engines to full for the entire match! It was a tough game with a good team, but in the end our boys came out with the 2 - 0 win! We were hoping that this would fuel their efforts in the afternoon match and, again, we were not disappointed! By lunch time, the temperatures had warmed to the mid 60s (still very cool by Texas standards) but the boy and his team had no trouble. In fact, I felt kinda bad for the opposing team who were mostly beginners. Our coach was a good sport and used the opportunity to rotate players all around in order to give the other team every opportunity to stay in the game. At the final whistle, our boys came out with a 6 - 0 win and I was so proud that they handled themselves with such great sportsmanship.

Two wins in one day is a heck of a way to spend a Saturday! But those Ws did not come without a cost. Wonder Boy took a ball between the eyes in the first game and had to deal with a bloody nose. And then, before the match was over, he took an elbow to the mouth and sported a busted lip the rest of the weekend. But there is nothing like winning a couple of games to soothe the soul (and the swollen lip), so we never heard a complaint.

Only one weekend left of the regular season for this spring. Where did the time go? I'm not sure, but I fully intend to soak up the remaining moments of soccer for this spring. And then we can start the count down to soccer camp. :+)

A Valiant Effort

I know I say it after every game, but I truly love watching Wonder Boy on the soccer pitch. In seasons past, he has shined at practice but then been much more reserved at game time. This season, his confidence has turned a corner and it is showing on game day as well as on the practice field. And with this added confidence has come a shift in his field assignment. Now that his faith in his own skills - especially his passing and dribbling - is showing, Wonder Boy has been moved primarily to a left wing position. Sometimes he shifts to a center midfield position, but most of the time you will find him bringing up the left front.



One of the great aspects of this field assignment is that he is often in the thick of the action on the field! And when he makes his patented sneaky pass right into the middle of the field, perfectly at his teammate's feet as they crash into the box .... well, we can hardly contain ourselves!

Week 4's game was a tough one for Wonder Boy. A few minutes into the 2nd half, he caught a low spot on the field and twisted his ankle. We didn't see it happen, but we definitely saw him slow down. When there was a break in the action, we managed to get his attention and inquire about the problem. And soon after, we got the coach to pull him for a few minutes so that we could slip on a compression sleeve to help him out a bit. I feared this would not be enough and that he would not be able to enjoy the rest of the game, but Wonder Boy came through with a truly valiant effort. He ran and played hard, just as if he had never been injured in the first place. There were moments we could tell he was still hurting, but he never let up!

He always makes us proud, but there are moments (like this game) where he takes it to a new level. You just gotta love THAT!



Next weekend has a double-header on the schedule. Here's to hoping for a break in the weather and a wish for unseasonably cool temperatures so the boys don't wilt in the already building Texas heat.

Angry Eggs

Egg decorating day is one of my favorite days of the year! It's almost always a day when we slow things down a bit. And think about it - how can you even consider rushing around when you have to tend to boiling eggs, half-dyed eggs, and that kind of thing on your agenda?

I'm glad it's a slow day for us. It is almost always a most needed change of pace. And this year was no exception.

Wonder Boy usually has a pretty firm idea of what he would like to do in terms of an Easter egg theme. We've done sports-inspired eggs, dinosaur eggs, and even our version Faberge eggs. This year, the Boy suggested an Angry Birds theme (who is surprised, really?!).

We spent weeks thinking through our theme and looking for the right decorative extras to make our eggs spectacular. I think we hit the ball outta the park! What do YOU think?



While the 'birds' may be angry ... looking at these eggs really makes me smile! But it makes me wonder how we can possibly match this effort next year?!

A Moral Victory

Another Saturday, another super soccer extravaganza! Game 3 brought Wonder Boy's team against the top ranked team in the division. Last fall when they played, it was a super tough game that ended in a lopsided win for the opposing team. Coming into the game, Wonder Boy couldn't help but remember that disappointing effort.

But we reminded him how much better his team is playing this season, how they are working together as a unit, and simply that this was a fresh game with a chance for a totally different outcome.

I'm not completely sure if he believed it in his heart, but true to form, he went out there on that pitch and gave an all-out effort to do his best.



I wish I could tell you that the outcome was a complete reversal from last fall, but that is not the case. However, it was a totally different game! The final score was 4-3 in favor of the opponents, but Wonder Boy's team had ample opportunity to score and we all held our breath right up until the final whistle. It was a CLOSE ONE. And all players - on both sides of the ball - walked off the pitch with their heads held high.



It may not show as a W in the stats, but it's a win in my book any day!