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!

The Sound of Music

This has been a much anticipated day at our little home. We're calling it Viola Homecoming Day!

Back in the spring, as the final days of elementary school were winding down, all of the 4th graders were given a choice of an elective for their next school year. They could either choose a combination class of Art/Drama/Music or they could sign up for Orchestra and learn to play a string instrument.

I'm an unabashed band geek and it took every ounce of restraint I could muster to not try to push Wonder Boy into selecting Orchestra. And at first, he seemed to feel that Art/Drama/Music would be a better fit. After all, that wouldn't be too different from the Art and Music classes he had been taking all through elementary school. I think the familiarity with it really appealed to him. So I held my tongue.

Then the 5th Grade orchestra made a trip to his school for a short concert. And apparently it was love at first note! The Boy came home from school that afternoon with a true spring in his step and couldn't wait to tell us that he had decided that orchestra was the way to go for him!

All through the summer he has waited for this particular aspect of his new school routine. It was a couple of days into the school year before they even got to SEE their new instruments. And a few days more before they could use them in class.

It took more than 2 weeks into the new school year before he was allowed to bring it home for the first time. And that brings us to today, Viola Homecoming Day!

At least 20 minutes of practice per day. And Wonder Boy is enjoying every second of it. We are all enjoying it actually. The viola makes a really lovely rich sound and I look forward to those 20 minutes each day. In fact, I'm already dreaming of that first concert - December will be here before we know it!

First Day of 5th Grade

Every year as August draws to a close, I wonder where the summer has gone. It's my busiest time of the year and before I know it, another summer has slipped away.

I might not even know the time had passed if it weren't for the notices from Wonder Boy's school that it's time to gather supplies and gear up for the first day of classes.

This year is a bit of a transition for Wonder boy, for all of us really. You see, this year Wonder Boy is in a new school. He's leaving behind the familiar halls of our neighborhood elementary school and walking through the doors of the area Intermediate School. He's going from 2 teachers covering all of his class material to a different teacher for each subject. He's got a locker to find and a combination to remember.

It's a lot of changes to tackle at once. But I have no doubt Wonder Boy will sail right through it.

It's not very obvious in these photos, but the Boy is as excited as he is nervous. Sure, there are a lot of changes to swallow, but there's a lot of independence that comes with those changes. And he's been ready for that for quite some time now.

I think the harder part will be for us ... remembering that he's not our elementary school kiddo any longer.

Somehow ... I don't think he'll let us forget.

Someone Press Pause, Please

There are days, like today for instance, where I would love to be able to stop (or at least slow down) time - for at least a little while.

Yes, I'm having one of those soppy mommy moments where I realize that right before my very eyes my boy is growing up.

And I'm not just talking about him getting physically taller, though he is doing that as well. It hasn't been like when he was small and would reach some major milestone that we could celebrate, call the grand parents and get excited. No, this seems more subtle than that.

I'm noticing little things - often it's something we no longer have to remind him to do; sometimes it's a genuine offer to help out and that moment when you realize it really would be a big help to have him join in; sometimes it's a look where he so reminds me of Wonder Dad; and other times it's sharing a moment together when I realize I'm just being myself, not just his "mom."

I don't know if any of this makes any sense, but I wanted to get it down before the moment slips away again.

Poor Sick Puppy

Our puppy princess is learning a tough lesson right now. She's learning that licking (or swallowing, I'm not sure which at present) a toad is not the best snack choice.

We'be been to the vet twice in the last 24 hours trying to get her tummy to stop its rumbling. And I think we've finally rounded that corner, but she sure did give us a scare. You can tell in this photo just how bad she must be feeling - not only by the sad droopy face, but by the fact that for the first time since she was a small pup, we don't have to restrain her from charging me when she see me with the camera.

Poor, poor puppy girl. Hopefully she will think twice before sampling the amphibians in the back yard next time. (One can hope, right?)