Who Ever Said Summer Days Were Lazy?

I bought this Slip n Slide weeks ago and hid it in my closet. Somehow I knew the inevitable summer day would come... you know the one. The one in which there is nothing left to do and the entertainment committee is sick and tired of entertaining and needs some down time. Well, Saturday was the day. Tristan and Jolie were off on more exciting adventures and the little ones were left to sulk about being a bit to young.

I pulled this baby out et voila... hours and hours of self-contained fun (well, not hours and hours but any little bit helps).

I tried and tried to get decent photo of Mia at the bottom of the slide but she wouldn't stay there for long or hardly look anywhere in my direction. She knew her daredevil brother was seconds behind her and somehow sensed the danger.

Soccer

I thought I'd post some photos of our soccer season. Gavin played with the Green Swamp Monsters and had a fabulous time. It was his first taste of organized soccer. He wasn't much for offense but he has a fierce defensive strategy. Gavin loves taking the ball away from other players and if that doesn't work, he makes a b-line for the goal and stands in front of it, ready to deflect anything that could possibly come close. I often watched this, realizing the benefits of being a middle child and having bullying older siblings. He's definitely learned to defend himself and dish it back.

As a third grader, Jolie moved from a small field with a few rules to a HUGE field with many technicalities that were fiercely enforced (off sides, etc). She couldn't even wear jewelry (the horror!) It was a rough season for the Thin Mints. They didn't win a single game. In fact, it was a good game if they scored at all. Jolie was discouraged, and, this spring on the way home from one of her games she asked me if she could not play next year. My heart sank.

This summer I signed Jolie up (Gavin, too) for an indoor soccer camp. Our goal was to build her confidence and help her remember the fun of the game. She loved it. We're planning for her to play with her team this fall and I'm told that it will be easier since her team will no longer be the youngest in the league and they'll be used to the larger field. Here's to hoping.

I think I'm slated to coach Gavin's team this fall. They're (obviously) desperate for coaches. One of our friends coached both of the kids last season and I could tell it was waring on him. My contribution last year was taking the team photos. I hope I can be as handy with a whistle as I am with a camera.

One Fish, Two Fish

Has there ever been such a fickle blogger? I've thought many times about posting over the past several weeks but it just seems that I never have a moment to sit down and do it. I guess I'm so busy living life that I have a hard time sitting down and documenting it. Plus, to be honest, I don't feel like I have much of an audience.

Tristan spent yesterday fishing with Jerry in a place called Paradise (really). Jerry's friend owns a share in a private fishing and bird hunting ranch. I hear that Tristan landed about 20 fish, this one being one of the most prized. he became frustrated over the fact that he caught twice that many but wasn't able to land them all (still learning how to set the hook).

Just like all fishing trips, there was a story of the big one that got away. Tristan also apparently named all of the fish he caught: George, Fred and the like. He had to rename Fred when she lost some of her eggs while they were trying to get her hook out (the ranch is strictly catch and release). He was disturbed that the other fish ate the eggs. He told me this morning that fish are cannibals.

Tristan also quite enjoyed the catered lunch at the ranch: a meal which included fresh trout and what he said was the best cheesecake he'd ever eaten.

Stay tuned for updates on our comings and goings of the past few months. The laundry will just have to wait. Be patient, though. The pee pee accidents can't.