Poor Tall Girl!

Our daughter had soccer camp this week. She was really excited about it. They got rained out Monday (bad thunderstorms) and part of Tues, Wed and Thurs! They were all such troopers though, running off to pile in a car or truck while the lightening passed. We even had to move the times up earlier in the day hoping to avoid the evening thunder showers; it didn't work. It has hardly rained all summer and this week it has decided to rain everyday...I brought them watermelon and grapes for the last three days because they just looked like they could use it!

So yesterday they are all hot and sweaty, she's standing in the goal practicing during the goalie clinic and a ball whizzes past her smacking into the goal frame...she gets back into position and then she says OW! She looks down to see a black bug flying off and looks up to see a few more coming at her and she takes off. There were huge wasps inside the upper beam and they were very angry to have been disturbed. She recieved a sting in that fleshy part between your thumb and first finger. OUCH!

Her little hand just swelled a bit at first. We gave her some pain reliever and allergy pill later. But all day today I've watched it continue to swell little by little. She toughed it out most of the time at soccer camp, but the last hour, she just couldn't take the throbbing anymore and wanted to stop. She also couldn't take people bumping into it.

Her had is now swollen from below her wrist up to the ends of her fingers. I plan on calling her doc's emergency line in the morning to see if there is anything I should do other than what we are already doing. She went to bed with a cold compress and the meds.

If you could say a little prayer for her I would appreciate it. She is just miserable.

Crawfish Boil...

At the end of our soccer season we like to put together a crawfish boil for the team and families. For all you northerners...it's those mudbugs we're eatin' only a lot bigger! LOL!

Here's most of my team. I had 15 boys this year. It was an awesome team as you'll see if you poke around my blog a bit. The parents are just as awesome too and that makes coaching so much more fun. The boys got along so very well!

Being Goofy!

Steve icing down the crawfish. It helps them soak up the spices...Makes 'dem good!

Mark helping Steve with the pot. There are about 20 lbs of crawfish in there as well as corn, potatoes, onions, Vine's sausage (anyone in lower Mississippi or the NE upper side of Louisiana will know about them if they've lived here long enough-they are the best!), and lemons. Mushrooms always go in for a quick soak and they were always gone fast.This picture cracks me up...looks like they are ready for a fight! Steve and I laughed so hard when we were downloading the pics and saw this one! I was like 'pose guys, I need a good one' and this is what they gave me! LOL
Tall Girl and this boy from my team are quite the pals. He was somewhat miffed when she cut her hair earlier in the year! Everyone was remarking how cute it was (the parents and such) then he noticed and was like 'Coach! Your daughter cut her hair off!' and I said, 'Yep! Ain't it cute!?' to which he replied curtly, 'Noooooo.' LOL. I told him that he shouldn't tell her that though, lol. Obviously he likes the longer hair. The two of them just crack me up.

This is what was left after everyone had their fill and we sent some bags home with people. We ended up with a nice amount of tails for the crawfish and corn soup (chowder) that I made a couple of days later. It was so good too.

City Park Lakes...

We spent the afternoon having a picnic out at the lakes. It was a gorgeous day! If everyday could only be like today...This crazy pigeon was chasing all the girlie pigeons around. He was seriously trying to impress anyone that would look at him. We were cracking up at him. There was a female duck that wanted to join in on our picnic. She was so very polite that of course we welcomed her and shared our lunch.

Feeding the many species of ducks and birds out there.

Steve's fav picture that he took.

One of my fav's that I took.

Tall Girl enjoying the water.

We played a little soccer and almost lost the ball to the lake a couple of times! Little Man loves to practice his head shots, but they make your head hurt after a while!

All of us. You can tell it was a little windy out when you look at our hair.

Me and my Honey.

The female duck who wanted to join us....

Soccer....

Soccer season has been great! Our team is just really working well together and I'm so proud of them. I can't wait till next year. I am hoping to have some of them move up with me and play up. They can do it too. This was just some practice time before the game. If you can find me...I am the shorty in the dark blue shirt, blue jeans and pink hat, lol. Also standing in front of me at the beginning is Tall Girl. I had to put her hair up for her game. She hates doing it and hates me doing it, but she can't see otherwise. We recently had it cut so now it's short. I'll get pics of it later.

Here's part of the game that day. The team we played were a lot of fun to play. You could tell the coached similar to me. His kids were having a great time laughing with ours. Kids kept knocking each other down...feet everywhere, but not one kid got bent out of shape about it. They kept playing.

And here's where he takes the penalty shot. He's good at those.

Hey everyone....

It's been super busy around here lately...tax time, soccer games, practices, piano, farm stuff, finishing out the steer calf to ready next week for the butchers, clothes shopping for Tall Girl as she has no decent shorts to wear, cleaning and redoing Jacob's room-plus restacking his beds to make bunkbeds, doc appointments, trying to keep Sophie from jumping the 5 foot fence...which she does regularly now, but has yet to figure out how to get her goofy self back over, LOL...school, church, training the pony and it's child rider, and generally going non stop, LOL!

I am planning a trip to Florida to visit my mom and siblings. One of my brothers is getting married soon and so wedding shopping is on the agenda. Mom wants to go to Sea World too! This is a birthday trip for me...it will be nice for me to get away for a little while and relax without the kids and hubby needing my attention...it's very overdue...my mom lives right off the beach. I love laying on the beach...listening to the waves and it's not summer yet, so the beach won't be crowded (atleast until the weekend).

I'll be heading back down in September for another visit for the wedding-with the kids this time though. Steve has shutdown at the plant so he won't be able to go. He's not as into traveling as we are though so it doesn't bother him too bad, lol.

Unfortunately his niece is getting married in October and he won't be able to attend that one either. They'll still be in shutdown mode at the plant...

That is what has been going on in a nutshell. Oh, my boys soccer team is still winning. These kids rock. I hear other coaches...they hollar at their kids, needing to tell them what to do and where to be...I got lucky. I think I've trained the kids to actually think on the field and not need me. I say things here and there reminding them to remember what we practice, or to give a "great job guys", but other than that, they just play...and they do it pretty well!

On to another busy week...

It seems like I was going, going, going all week...it's probably because I was.

This week is even busier...goodness. I am glad that I have a planner. I'd be lost without it.

We had our soccer games across the river this weekend. Unfortunately the ferry was out and so we took the longer way around. What was an hour drive for us, was an almost two hour drive for some of my players! I am glad they came and a big thanks to their parents for getting them there.

They played well, but the team they played against was very pushy and too physical. It was downright rediculous a few times and there was no call from the ref. I was not impressed with their parents either...for parents to be laughing at the expense of children and to be asking that we move (meaning the team) from the midline (which is where we're supposed to be to swap players in and out) because we were 'in their way' is absurd. There are a few reasons parents and teams sit on opposite sides. One of which is so we won't be in the way of each others game view. Anyways...I have no desire to play over there again-the boys were quite disappointed with it too. There were a lot of coaches that had other problems similar to mine after comparing notes...

Anyways...on to another week. I'm off to bed. It's been a long day.

Oh and to those that made it out to ZASA day at the LSU soccer field, I hope you had a great time. That was a great game!

To those that didn't make it out, we sure wish you were there!

Soccer Season Starts...

Here are a few pics of the kids first game of the season...Steve didn't get too many of Little Man. I'm coaching again this year. I'm going to have to get someone to take pics for me occasionally. I was looking at the schedule and I'm going to miss some of Tall Girl's games since they've scheduled them out of town when I have to be in town with my team.

Little Man got to play a forward position this game. He did amazing and worked so hard. He also assisted in a very good goal. His friend had the ball passed it to him, then Little Man passed it back to him and the kid took a nice shot. S-C-O-R-E! We won 8-0.
A nice kick pass by Tall Girl...she was really working the ball as a mid-fielder. It's too bad that her team defenders weren't at their best. She was disappointed with this game.
I think we may change her name to Legs! She was a good 8-10 yards away and I swear she caught up to this girl in less than 5 seconds. Steve was shocked that she got there so quickly.
What you don't see in this pic is her team mate behind her. She glanced back and saw her, so she stopped the ball and shot it backwards...quick thinking.
She is excited to be playing again and has really taken a liking to this sport. I can't wait see what she looks like at the end of the season. She seems to be doing quite well.

I hope to have more pics of Little Man this weekend.

Poor baby bird...

He was doing so good...

We went to Gonzales for our last soccer matches. We had been invited to come. The Hawks lost the first game 2-1, though I think it should have been a tie. The teams were well matched. One of our goals didn't count the ref said because our boy kicked it while the goalies hands were going down for it...it rolled right through the goalies hands and between his legs into the goal...the kids were upset, but as I explained, it's the refs call. We aren't to argue.

They won the next game 7-1! They played much better though in that game and thus I think could have won their first game had they played the same. We even let Little Man play forward and though he doesn't understand the concept of spread out and wait for the ball to be passed, he ran around like a maniac trying! The older forwards were proud that he 'hit the button' as they all say, even though he didn't help them a whole lot they still tried to work with him. WE also let him do a corner kick which is really hard for him to do well since he doesn't have a lot of power behind his kicks yet. He did get it out there though really nice and if I remember right I think they scored a goal off of it (or they almost did)...they scored so many goals in that game that I forget how they were all done. They did douse me with some water they had left over and the ice from my cooler. They all found that quite funny! I just found it cold, LOL. It was a cool and windy day, though sunny. Steve and Sweet Girl got burned. Steve was burned on just about any skin that was exposed, poor guy! Sweet Girl's shoulders were burned as they wear sleeveless jerseys.

The Lady Tigers (B's team), lost both games. I thought their coach was going to bust a blood vessel during their last game! I could hear him over on my field loud and clear...Sweet Girl said that the last team they played were really rough. They would kick them anywhere they could and then take the ball. She has bruises to prove it and those were under the shin guards! I do not like teams that play like that.

We headed home and stopped at McD's (...uck!) for a restroom break and a snack for the hour drive back. Well...Little Man being the wild, never paying attention to where he's going or what he's doing, hops right over from the back seat into the middle seat and steps right into the basket that the bird was in...it died. Atleast it was quick though. LIttle Man was upset and felt bad, of course Sweet Girl became a sobbing hysterical mess that she is well known for, and Steve and I had a bit of a talk with him about paying attention to where he is and where he's going! He is constantly running into people and things because his head/brain is off in lala land...I know he felt bad, but I hope he tries harder to pay more attention to things.

We all came home and crashed for a little while. We were all tired.

Neighbors....

Some days I wished I had no neighbors for miles around-not that I don't love the families that live around us out here, but I'd like a few less! We will move one day and hopefully we'll have more distance between neighbors.

Any good neighbors out there have property for sale near you? Think I could actually put that in a want ad?

Wanted: 10-15 acres, good strong fences a must, a run-shed or small barn, 4 bedroom house, good water system to fields, good neighbors who like to barter, share ideas, have common sense and believe that good fences and containment of all their animals is important!

Uh oh, I need to wake up now from my dream now! LOL!

On another note we have one more soccer game left and then a tournament held about an hour from here that we were invited to on April 12. Hopefully we can attend that since the boys are really excited about it. The team we coach tied their game 6-6. We should have totally won that one and the boys knew it, but they played really well. I love the progress they have all made. B's team won their game and she almost had a goal. I was a bit saddened to hear her teammate tell B that when she (the teammate) was going after the ball then B needs to leave it alone (the girl was upset after she collided into B and they both tumbled losing the ball to the other team)...um...so we're not a team now? I thought the object was to work together girls...B just shrugged it off and let it slide. She told me today that she wants to play next year and can't wait to go to soccer camp this summer. I think she will really be able to do well.

I've got to head out now and plant some of the border grass...till next time...........

SNOW?!...You're kidding right?

Nope, no jokin'! We had snow a couple of weekends ago (the 8th)! So it wasn't some major snow fall...it surely didn't shut the road systems down, although down here, there may have been a few accidents from rubber necking at it!

I got up that morning and got moving to get the farm chores done. We had a soccer game at 9 am for both kids.

I walked outside, knowing it was going to be a bit cold but unprepared for the fat white flakes falling from the sky on what was a very sunny and pretty morning! I ran to tell the others. The kids have been asking, no...begging, for snow for years. B remembers a little bit, I think, about the snow in Virginia that she got to play in when she was little, but Little Man has no clue...one day we'll take them skiing or something...hopefully we'll move a little farther north and get a few snows then...

Steve and B shot out of bed like their feet were on fire and Little Man grunted, looked at me, then rolled over, LOL! He likes his sleep like his daddy. He did get up a little while later after B pounced on him and aggravated him up out of bed with all her excitement!

It didn't snow long, just an hour or so, but the kids enjoyed the later part of what they saw...they thought it was just cool and was telling everybody about it at soccer...many of the other kids hadn't seen it since it was going on at 6:30 AM and almost didn't believe him...but I told them too.

Their soccer games went well although the Hawks (the team Steve and I coach) lost...the boys were just Popsicles out there playing on a field that was still a bit wet and muddy...the team they played I do not like...the coach's and parents encourage them to be rough. I don't do that with mine...it's not necessary. B's team didn't win either. Both of our teams were short players I think mainly due to the cold, but that didn't stop any of them from wanting to play and trying their best at it. They were all troopers!

Funny thing is this past weekend the temps were up at 88 degrees! Good grief! Freezing one week and hot the next. Our kids did great though, B's team won by 3 I think-she almost scored 3 goals by herself. That girl can dribble a ball down the field and around those girls like crazy! I was hollaring for her like some loon! LOL. Some of the parents of the other team were ridiculous acting though-just ugly to the ref and towards our team. I just don't get parents like that. This is a kids game, it's supposed to be fun for them, but they make it so much more than that at times. The Hawks tied their game, 2-2, though it was a team we beat last year by 1. Funny thing is, their team had at least 12 players, ours had 8 and we still tied them! LOL. Our boys were playing hard by the second half and had we had 5 more minutes or so...we could have won it. Our boys weren't letting the other team even get near their goal.

And the season ends...

The kids finished up the soccer season quite well. J's team won 4-1. They played well and literally ran circles around the other kids. J played pretty good, but towards the end his focus was wanning. I bribed him....I'm ashamed to admit it! LOL I told him that each time he connected with that ball for a good kick or pass I'd pay him .50 cents! LOL. He told me at the end of the game that I owed him $2.00. It got him moving though! A lot of my kids seemed a little sluggish throughout the game. At one point one of the kids was upset that his parents were out there hollaring at him I guess telling him what to do and he knew what he was supposed to be doing. I told the kids at half time to not listen to their parents during the game. They were to listen only to my directions and the refs...period. J turns to me and says with a smile: "Well then, I guess I can't listen to you mom!" Little goober.

B's team didn't win. They did play well though and would have made some goals if a couple of the girls would just learn to look up and pass the ball off to their team mates. B almost made a goal too, but had no team mate up there helping her out...

My team wants to continue to practice once a week through the winter. I think that's great!

Till next season...

Fall season is almost up...

This was B at Saturday's game. They had a double play and did really well. They won the first game 3-1! They were a little tired by the second game, but still managed to tie that game 3-3, though I thought the game was 4-2...

My team won their game 3-1! The other team only got the 1 goal because of a penalty goal kick. One of my boys accidentally tripped one of their boys in the goal area and that's a no-no. It definitely wasn't intentional (as I've seen on some teams) since the boy who did it is about J's size and no mean bone in his body! They pretty much ran into each other and feet were tangled, but since it was the opposing team trying to score a goal, it was called on us. Oh, well. The boys learned something that day and that's what we want the games to do for them.

We had a meeting scheduled this evening about the future of our soccer association. It was for all parents and coaches involved, to discuss any issues, present any suggestions, etc. Only about 35 people showed up and most of those were coaches...I was very disappointed that out of approximately 450 kids that play in this organization only a handful of parents that don't coach, were actually there. This is strictly a volunteer organization. We want it to grow for the benefit of the children. We are trying to get more improvements for the field. Things just don't appear without any effort!

At the beginning of the season one of the boys asked me, "Coach, how much do you get paid to be here?" I replied, "Absolutely zero." and he just looked at me and smiled. I should have also said the following to them: "I get paid by seeing you learn, by seeing you enjoying yourself out there. I get paid when you say thanks coach, when your hollaring for me, glad to see me as I'm walking to the field for practice or games. When you're happy that you scored or when you're learning a new concept and all of a sudden you get it! I get paid when you high five me and your team mates after a good play, a goal made, or a great block was made against the other team. I get paid when you all are showing team work together and compassion towards your other less experienced team players by helping them to understand their positions. I will get paid when you are happy with the season you played and want to return again next year." I am truely enjoying coaching these kids!

I really need to be in bed!

Remind me not to go and drink soda so late at night and then eat a super rich turtle brownie! I absolutely can not get to sleep! I finally got up and I got on the computer to fool around a little thinking that I'd start getting sleepy. Well...it's not working!

I'm usually so good about keeping this site updated though so I might as well use my insomnia to my advantage. Let's just say it's been a busy couple of weeks though and not a whole lot exciting going on...

Our little soccer team had an away game last weekend and did super! I was so proud of them and their teamwork. They actually ran circles around the other team and we're able to keep the play mainly at our goal end. We had many attempts at goals and got two! The kids were quite proud of that! We ended up tying with the other team: 2-2, but it was definitely our game. The other coach even said, "You've got a great little team; they sure can run!" LOL...

After the game, a few of the kids from J and B's team came back to the farm and played for a while. They all had a blast and I even saddled up Pedro to ride. He is such a great horse! No matter what the kids did, he only walked when and where I did.

The kids have been busy getting school work done, playing with their friends, messing with the farm animals as usual and learning as we go along in our days.

On Monday we got 40 bales of beautiful hay. I am so glad to have found this hay supplier! He was supper nice and has awesome hay. The best I've had since living here. He is even storing the other 40 for us in his barn until I can get it! We got it stacked in the run-in shed right now and yesterday I got the tarp hung up in the front to keep it from getting wet. I had good timing too since today it poured and most of it came in sideways!

I took the kids today to see our friends and their kids who recently moved to town. We just love and miss them! The kids always beg to go visit.

B's birthday is coming up next month. She wants to go see the movie 'Enchanted' (seems really cute), get her nails done and have lunch. She is inviting a few girls to come along and she's so excited about it! Jacob wants to come see the movie, but he's says no way is he getting his nails done! LOL!

I had a Pampered Chef get together to attend tonight with some friends of mine...I love their stuff, just can't always afford to buy...I'm hosting a party next month though so maybe I can earn a few things! Much to Steve's chagrin, LOL.

When I got home though, I found Steve outside with our neighbors son (the neighbors whose dogs killed all my chicks and was in my pig pen last night-I'll get to that in a sec) trying to catch one of our pigs! It shoved it's porker self under the fence probably because it saw a human and they were late being fed! Duke had busted off his rope (I knew it was bound to happen) and was trying to catch it himself...maybe he was helping us to herd it back! Yeah right! I'm sure his only thought was: L-U-N-C-H! Steve had just got home and all was well, then Maggie went crazy outside baying and howling! He went out and didn't see anything, told her to hush and went back in...only to go back out because she was still going at it (I don't think he's quite learned her calls yet!) and saw Duke and a pig run by in the back! Here I am dressed up nice, running to the back and had B bring a lead rope to catch the darn thing with...pigs aren't all that friendly when you catch them! They will back up so fast like someone lit a fire to them. It flew between my legs sending me sideways (F-U-N-N-Y sight I'm sure!). We did eventually get it back in the pen. It just wanted to stay out and eat the acorns under the live oak tree!

As to the neighbors dog being in my pig pen last night...I'm pretty ticked off about it. It was like 9:30pm and Duke was barking about something. I went out to look...didn't see anything off hand and told him to hush. Then he went nuts and wouldn't hush. I walked out and I could hear barking that sounded like it was coming from my pig pen. Ummmm, pigs do not bark! They can make a ton of noises, but I've yet to hear one bark!

I grabbed my pants, flashlight and J's wooden gun (just in case I had to swing at something-too bad I didn't have a real one!) and ran out. There I see my goats huddled together, panting and calling to me, then I see my pigs running around grunting and the flash of a dog go by...I am not a happy camper when I see that it's the red dog of the neighbors. He had shoved himself up under the goat fence, jumped out, then dug a huge hole under the wood fence into the pig pen! Steve carried him to the neighbors behind me where I sharply banged on their door with my flashlight...they weren't too happy to see me and I can say that I knew that they knew I wasn't happy to be there!

Anyone got any ideas for a nice stinging type gun?! I'd actually like to shoot it, but unfortunately I'm a bit soft-hearted and as Steve says, that's not a very good idea for good neighbor relations. Well neither is their dogs constantly coming over and killing or terrorizing our animals. It's too bad that I put the extra dog kennel in the attic last week. He would have gone straight into it and I'd have called the pound in the morning. This is getting to be too danged regular for my tolerance level anymore...I don't want to shoot it, but at this point what do you do?!

Bike riding at LSU...

Amazingly both kids got up and got straight to work on their school stuff. We were completely done by noon...that is an accomplishment! They wanted to go bike riding and so they knew they'd better get done. With Steve off every Monday, we try to do something together and while he loves to go bowl...the rest of us like other stuff besides just that!

We took our bikes down to LSU. We were going to do a little letterboxing while we were there, but the rain clouds rolled in a little too quickly so we had to pass on that. I think that we biked 5 miles though! I'll have to go back and drive it to see. The kids were awesome and only fussed once. I thought for sure they would really complain. It wasn't too hot out though, especially with the wind coming off the lake. The campus has a lot of huge, old live oak trees which made for shady lanes, so we weren't in the sun too much. We brought bread to feed the ducks and I wished I'd have taken a few pics of them...they had some wonderfully colored ones. We're going to look them up tomorrow.

Steve was a nervous wreck though being so close to the road at times...most people stay to the inside of the lane when people come by, but one car with two girls riding in it came around a corner half in the bike lane! I yelled at them and they had the nerve to yell back like I was in the wrong...dummies! There are bike lanes and sidewalks just about all over campus which is really nice.

We headed to the 'Dairy Store' on campus...they make really yummy ice cream there from the dairy cows that the ag studies farm has. That was the highlight of the ride! Then we had to hurry back. The storm was rolling in quite quickly. We felt sprinkles as we biked quickly back, got the bikes loaded into the back of the truck and the rain literally started coming down once we got in! Soccer practice was of course cancelled once we got near home and saw the lightening...that's okay because we were all needing a little rest anyways.

Good Grief! Remind me next time to get my butt off the seat before Steve snaps a pic of me on it! LOL...nothing like having your saddle bags and bum cheeks rolling off the sides of the seat! LOL! But I do love my little Schwinn although today the right gear changer got stuck...I have to run it to the bike shop and have them look at it.

It's a GOAL!

I sure wish I had the camera today! B made a goal and it was great! She was sooooooo excited! It was so amazingly muggy though. It was only like 85 degrees outside, but it felt like 110! We were sweating like crazy and it was quite miserable really. The girls were very hot, but tried so hard. They lost, but they played well and that's what counts. They are learning something new each time.

My boys team didn't have to play. The other team had to cancel for lack of players. I found out at noon yesterday and emailed all of them.

I'm off in a little while to do a little shopping and get a new phone.

"Noooo we don't want to stop!"

That was the statement made by the kids this afternoon after practice! I love that! I guess we're doing ok then with coaching and though they are tired, they are still having fun. Today Steve was finally able to come and help and they seemed to like him. My husband really enjoyed the politeness of some of the boys and remarked on them during dinner. He loved how they all seemed to get right in there and really practice hard. We've got a great group...still they are boys and do get silly sometimes, but they normally straighten up with a little reprimand. Of course the few that keep it up, found out that coach will assign laps and truly make them run them, while dribbling their balls ;-) LOL.

Oh and I wanted to add that I have a great group of parents. They help when they can, make sure their kids behave, listen and respect each other, cheer for each of them and try and help keep them focused during the games, and get them to practice on time! Great parents make coaching a lot easier and more enjoyable! THANKS PARENTS!

I laughed last week though when one of the boys asked me, "Coach, how much do you get paid to be here". I told him that we coaches are volunteers. That means that we do not get paid to coach them. He looked at me like he didn't believe me at first, but then I asked if he would he please step off my cone since I paid for those myself and would like them to last the season. LOL!

Soccer...

I'm enjoying coaching so far...my parents are great, but some parents can sure be harsh. I mean come on, this is a game, it's supposed to be fun for the kids. I actually had to turn to one dad on another team after he was bashing the coach during a game, "that I sure didn't see any people lined up to coach any of our U-10 teams. In fact out of 8 teams in the U-10 division, only three people had taken the positions by the time I came along, 2 for the girls and 1 for the boys. As a matter of a fact for the boys, we didn't have enough coaches and so we split the last team up between the four with coaches". He didn't say much afterwards towards my direction. If they want to complain, then go and do a better job and volunteer next time! Of course everyone is entirely 'too busy'...good grief.

I did get to watch B's second game last Saturday. She did really great; she really got out there and tried hard to work with her team. She assisted another player in making a goal and was excited about that. She talked about it all day long and for a few days later! She has a tendency to obsess about things and talk about them constantly for days on end, LOL. She also looked so cute out there in her uniform.

Here she is up in front to the right of the ball. She sure kicked that ball right after I snapped that picture.

LSU Girls Soccer team...

Last night B and I made the trek back out to Baton Rouge (after having spent half the day there shopping!) to see the LSU Girls Soccer team play. B's soccer team was asked to be ball girls for the game and B readily agreed. We bought her a purple soccer shirt while in Academy (her uniform isn't in yet and that's her team's colors) and got her ready.

She did really well on the field. Caught a number of balls, tossed them back to the girls, chatted up anyone within hearing distance (she comes by it honestly!), and high-fived a bunch of them while they were hanging at the bench. When LSU makes a goal they throw out 'Winner' plastic soccer balls to the crowd. They can be turned in for LSU Crocs-you know those plastic shoes that everyone seems to love. I tried to get one for her while she was down there, but it didn't happen. Funny thing is, one bounced out of the stands and onto the sidelines of the field where she saw it and ran to get it! Some of the people in the crowd were yelling: "You go Ball Girl!" and she was all grins and excitement! I wish I'd have gotten a pic of it, but I'd just put the darn camera away...hate when that happens! Unfortunately they didn't have her size in the crocs so we got the smallest they did have and we'll take them back next game to see if they have some then.

She is (and I quote) "so glad that she is playing soccer 'cause that was so awesome and fun and they (the LSU Lady Tigers) said I was cute!"

Here are a few pics from the game. Afterwards we got all the girls together for a group shot at the goal and then a bunch of players came out and had the girls get up on their backs for another pic. B asked a bunch of them to sign her shirt and they obliged. She was so thrilled. I'm going to put her shirt up in a shadow box with some pictures and let her keep that. Oh and the Lady Tigers won: 5-0!

Thanks Hurricane Humberto!

Here's the weather in our neck of the woods today. YUCK! So no soccer practice today as of right now...bummer, since my team doesn't practice but once a week...and today is that day...

I have to run out and feed all my animals in this mess in a minute. I'm normally done by 8 am, but I've been putting it off to see if it'll clear up a little...no such luck so far. I'm just going to have to bite the bullet and head out there. (where's the rolling eyes icon when you need one!?)

We're going to take today and catch up on some reading for school and I've got to bake some more bread.

Jamboree Day!

Our Jamboree went pretty well considering the condition of the field we had to play on (it had rained quite a bit the night before). I also had the time of our first game wrong (I thought it was 10:30) but had instructed the parents of the kids to be there at 10:15. They would have all been on time for the game, had they all showed up as instructed. As it was, they trickled in and we had to start the game with only 5 kids. They played the first almost 20 minutes themselves and I was a bit upset that they were putting in their all and the rest of the parents hadn't showed up with their children. Most of them were there by 10:40. I don't think they realize that the children end up suffering the consequences of their tardiness since if they aren't there on time, then we risk forfeiting the game for lack of players. The referees can't wait for them to show...

Anyways...back to the games. We played two games, the first we lost 4-2. They sure tried hard and blocked a bunch of goals, they did so well for a team short of half the players. The second game we played we won 2-0. They blocked 7 goals of the other team; we have an excellent defender and two great goalies already! It's amazing watching them help each other out there and learning things as they played.