Soccer Returns!

via youtube.com

Excerpt from this mornings game. This is U12, Capital Soccer Association, and D3 plays for the Battlesharks (navy blue). They are all nine and ten year olds who are playing up and having a great time.

Naps

So D3 and I are sitting here watching Holly's car get washed. We are chatting about nothing important, when he says, "I wish I could take a nap."

"Well," I reply, nodding to the bench, "go ahead."

He thinks about that for a minute before replying, "No thanks. I don't want to look like a hobo. Or a homeless person."

I think everyone sitting around chuckled at that one.
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Sent from my BlackBerry Smartphone

Spring Break 2009

This week is the school system's Spring Break. Rather than have a week of 'bring your kids to work day', Holly folks graciously offered to let the kids come visit for the week, meaning Holly and I don't have to burn vacation time.

So D3 and C are down in Fort Lonesome, killing time with the grandparents. There's a pool, a golf cart to drive (yikes) and plenty of room to ride bikes, so I'm sure they are having a good time. They went to the beach yesterday, and C tells me she found lots of shells.

Holly and I enjoyed a couple of evenings of not having to feed/bathe/cater to children, but that's worn off and we just kinda miss them now. Friday we will all link back up, and we are headed to Kennedy Space Center this weekend with the scouts. We get to sleep overnight there, and do all kinds of great activities that I... I mean the *kids*... are looking forward to.

It's been a busy month. Soccer has started back up, scouts has kept D3 and I busy, and the work pace has picked up for me. I hope to get a bunch of new photo albums posted as soon as I can. Bear with me.

Everyone have a great April Fools day!

Talking at the Speed of Sound

Holly and I look at each other in confusion as C tells some story about school... or her toys... or soccer. It was impossible to tell since she was talking at about 900 miles per hour. I just shrug my shoulders.

"I don't know what you just said. Was that even English?" asks Holly.

"Who me?" replies Chase.

"Uhm. Yes." I tell her.

"I don't even know. How am I supposed to know if that was English?"

I just grinned and shrugged my shoulders again as she skipped off, happily talking to... Whoever was listening.

I give up.
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Sent from my BlackBerry Smartphone

You Want What?

"Daddy, can I get real earrings?"

"Hmmm?"

"Can I get earrings that are real?"

I stare at her for a second.

"You mean, you want to have your ears pierced?"

"Yes."

"Talk to your mother."

That's the broad outline of the conversation I had with C last week.  After reading about it in a book, she had decided that she really wanted to have her ears pierced.  With a sharp object.  This is the same girl that has a pathological fear of needles, so I decided on the spot that I was recusing myself from this decision.  After holding her down so the doctor could stitch up her eye, the last thing I wanted was to voluntarily get into this conversation.

As I continued to work in the kitchen, I could see C talking to Holly.  And I could tell that we'd be going somewhere that weekend to get the deed done.  Now don't get me wrong, I'm not against C getting her ears pierced.  It's one of those things that I really don't have much of an opinion on one way or the other.  It's not the same to me as girls wearing inappropriate clothes or makeup, so I kept quiet and let Holly steer it the way she wanted to.

So on Saturday we headed to the mall.  And after a little shopping, C and Holly stopped into one of the accessory shops, and a few minutes later C walked out with two tiny gold earrings.  She was (rightfully so) very proud of herself.  So for the next  6-8 weeks we will be cleaning and disinfecting and making sure nothing goes awry. 

On a funny note, as we were walking back to the car, C asked how long we had to keep the earrings in.  Holly told her "six to eight weeks", to which C stole a line from Madagascar 2 and replied, "Sixty eight weeks!"  We apparently have a budding movie quoter in the family.  I have no idea where she gets that from.

Planetarium Fun

Last night, MFT headed to the FSU Physics Department planetarium for a new show called "The Little Star That Could". While this was a Cub Scout event, Holly and C decided to join us, and I think that everyone had a great time.

The show was geared toward elementary school age children, and I think it did a great job of teaching while entertaining. I heard C say things like, "Awesome!" at several points during the show, which is pretty high praise from a 1st grader. D thought that perhaps parts of it were too "babyish", but I think he still liked hanging out with his friends.

Thanks to the the FSU Physics folks for providing such an awesome free service to the community.

The Year is Off to a Good Start

So January is off and rolling, and it hasn't waited for us to be ready. School got back into full swing the week after New Year's, which allowed Holly and I to get back into the routines at our respective offices.

School and the kids activities are going very well and they are keeping us busy. D has Scouts and soccer this winter, and C has soccer and gymnastics. In fact, C got invited to be on her first 'real' gymnastics team, and she is working hard and loving it.

D's soccer team is 'playing up' an age division - and still winning consistently. It's amazing and fun to watch. C's team is also going through the competition with ease, to the point that the league organizers are pushing to move them up as well. I don't think that this is appropriate yet, but it's fun to watch.

Grades came home last week, and both kids are doing great as always.

Work is going well for both Holly and I, and keeping us busy. That's fine, as long as the checks keep coming.

I'm trying to write more and keep things updated, so we'll see how that goes.