The Soccer Drama Continues...

This soccer season has started off interesting, that's for sure! Our coach is very nice (we are on the same team as last year) but he can't give the team the commitment they need. Practice has now been cancelled more than it has been held for the 3 weeks we've been in the season, because his job takes him out of town more than he is here. For example, after Saturday's game (which we lost pitifully due to one practice this last week with 4 players) he announced he would be out of town all week, and there would be no practices AGAIN. Daddy and I have had enough of this, so we announced we would hold practices Tues/Thurs. We'll see who shows up; one player has already transferred to another team. We've decided to hold out this season on the same team, and then we are probably done. Az3 is enjoying it, but not LOVING it. Plus, we really think he has much more of an aptitude for music, so we'll probably get him in something along those lines in the spring.

Speaking of Mr. Az3, he turns 8 tomorrow! Can you believe it?!? Where has the time gone? Where did my baby go? I can still remember the first few times I held him in the hospital, and all the wonder we had for eachother. One thing that hasn't changed: all the love I have for him in my heart. Tomorrow we are going to go to the fair after school, which will be a big treat. Happy Birthday, Mr. A!!!

First Soccer Game

We had our first soccer game today. We're with the same team from last spring, with the same coach. (Have to get all new uniforms though - GRRRRR!) The coach is the same as well, but doesn't seem too organized this year. We are "supposed" to have practices on Tues/Thurs at 6:30pm, yet we did not practice at all this week. Oh, and then coach called Friday night at 5pm, and asked if we could make practice Friday night at 6:30pm. Um, no. The game went well though, considering the lack of practice. I was really proud of Az3 - he was so aggressive during the first quarter he played. He yelled to his teammates when he was open, and even passed the ball to assist in a score. The second quarter he played, he was a little slower - definitely not as much energy, but that little boy still hustled his little heart out. The team we played was not the best sports either - very physical and really kinda beat up on a few of our guys. I even hollered once at the ref when their player started talking "smack" to one of our guys up in his face! I think we ended up winning - especially after seeing the other coach's behavior.... We have two new players on our team this year, so it should be an interesting season.

Friday night, Daddy and I went to a work party. It was a management appreciation event, with a "casino night" theme. It was okay - we did have a good time, but I learned something very important. I HATE to gamble. Really I do. Honestly even though it wasn't my money (everyone received $10,000 worth of chips, and then used their winnings for the auction at the end). I don't know what I am doing, and seriously, what's the point of playing a game that is designed for you to lose? However, we did dress up, and I got a new clutch purse, jewelry and shoes out of the event! :)

You know it's fall when....

Football games start (GO BRONCOS!!!) and we have the annual Balloon Festival here in town. It's always the first weekend after Labor Day. We've gone every year (except the first - that's when we went to the UNM game...remember that one anyone?) and the kids love it every time! This year, the temperature was really warm that morning, and it had poured the night before. Unfortunately, that is not the best hot air balloon weather - they could really only go up and down. There was no wind (which was a HUGE surprise considering where we live!), so most got up in the air, and then landed in the field across the street from where they took off. We did get there around 7am though, and the kids loved every minute. The great thing about this is that it is not very crowded at all, and you can get up close and watch the balloonists from the very start to take-off. The kids loved to see how big the balloons were, even as they were just being unfolded, and thought it was cool how the guys would walk inside the balloon as they were using the fans to start opening the balloons up before they even turned on the hot air.

We went later to the Apple Butter festival at a nearby town with some friends, but it was slightly disappointing, from a grown-up standpoint. The kids had a blast - they met Johnny Appleseed, got a hayride, had lunch outside, and even got to feed the animals in the petting zoo. However, there was one thing missing - APPLES!! Apparently a late spring frost had gotten all the blooms out there, and the apples they did have at the festival, the farm had to import. Too bad - that is one of our favorite things to do with our friends. But again, the kids had fun, and we had a little grown-up time, so it was worth it to head out. (Especially since everyone took a 2+hr nap when we got home - even mom and dad! Hurray!)

And then we started preschool...

Az4 started preschool on Tuesday, and Az5 also started mothers-day-out on the same day. They will go Tues/Thurs at our church, from 9:30am-2:45pm, while Daddy is in school. It has been another blessing, as we were already considering this for Az4, and all of Daddy's classes worked out in this time period. Az4 loves her teacher, Mrs. W, and she comes highly recommended from another mom whose son already had her. Az4 is doing very well, even without naps on those days, and can't understand why she doesn't get to go every day like her brother! Az5 seems to be doing well - the latest note from her teacher stated she was even napping fine on the floor, along with her class. (Shocking to me, as the only time we tried a toddler bed, it lasted approximately 5 seconds....)

Plus, Az4 started ballet this week also. She has class on Friday afternoons, for 30 minutes, and there are four other little girls in her class. (It's pre-ballet for 4-5's.) She loves this too! We've enrolled her actually at a local ballet school - it's not just a studio, but a nationally known school. They do wonderful productions every Christmas of the Nutcracker, and always have alumni come back from exotic companies from New York/Los Angeles, etc, to dance in it with them. I'm very pleased, as she is really learning ballet skills and poise and positions, etc, even at this age, but her teacher does a great job of keeping it relevant for the age and attention span. (or lack thereof!)

On the second day of second grade, I'll tell you what he did...

(Name that tune! Email me/post a comment if you know where the title of this post is from!)

Az3 started second grade this year. Time flying doesn't even begin to describe. He is so excited and has had a good couple of weeks so far. This picture is from the first day, with his teacher, Mrs. T. (She taught last year, but was Ms. M - got married over the summer) She is a wonderful teacher, and I am so pleased. I prayed long and hard this summer for her, even before I knew her name. She is the youngest teacher he's had so far, "possibly" even younger than Daddy or I. LOL! She is also (I think) in only her 2-3rd year of teaching, and is very enthusiastic about everything. She is also very organized - had a signup list for us parents with classroom parties for the entire year at the open house - before school even started. Plus, she sends home a million notes - which I LOVE! - about everything they are doing, how we can be involved as parents, what to sign, etc. Az3 seems to love her too, and even has a few friends from his first grade class in there. His first grade teacher did have to love and hug on him just a bit at the open house and on the few couple days of school - I still thank God for how blessed we were to have her for his first year of public school. And how thankful I am now for the teacher we have this year too - God not only has provided, but again blessed "above and beyond what we were able to ask or imagine"!

Beach Bums

We had a blast on vacation - just what we all needed: some low-key, family time together without any stress, theme parks and their animals, and no where to be any certain times. We did get to see my sister, her hubby, and my aunt, but just at the beginning. That ended up being a good thing, as we just all stayed and played together the rest of the week. We loved our little house, and it was perfect - just the right size, and just exactly what the name said "Close Enough" to the beach that we could walk over the dunes, but far enough away that we didn't have to pay the really expensive beachfront rates. We made sand castles, the kids jumped the waves, the baby dug in the sand (but hated it on her feet - lol! go figure!), we found "real" hermit crabs, and watched the people around us fish for bait fish, and a few sand sharks. The water was very shallow - Daddy and I had to go out about 20-30 feet to get any deeper than our waists. We did go into "town" and cross the ferry back into tourist-land on Friday, to explore the island a bit. We ate at the Rain Forest cafe, which was fun, and would have been more fun if we had explained it a bit to the kids!, and also found a few souvenirs. But we decided our beach was muuuuuuuuuuuch better - so less crowded as well as cleaner, and better shells. Tropical Storm Erin did come in on Thursday, but pounded my sister with 9 inches of rain, while we only got enough to keep us indoors for the day. We lost count of the sea gulls, hermit crabs, fish, pelicans, sand pipers, and even the dolphins frollicking in the bay as we crossed on the ferry. The kids had a blast, and even Daddy and I found ourselves saying "when we come back...." I'm only posting one picture because a) you're not going to see me in a swimsuit, and b) it was that kind of vacation - we were there to be together and play hard, not take pictures. I miss it already! (and not just because we've eaten almost all the fresh shrimp off the boat we brought home!)

Hi there again!

How are you? I hope doing well. We are finally really in the swing of things here - every one has fallen into their routines. I apologize for the delay in postings; we are currently looking into more reliable internet service. (I'll make more comments about why our current provider is um...unreliable later). So let me get to work catching you up, and posting some pictures and stuff. :) By the way, Az3 lost another tooth today....he'd been wiggling it soooooo much the last few days, and even got some blood on his new tshirt this morning, working on it while brushing his teeth.