Why is it that when I attend my kid's soccer tournaments, and basically sit around all day watching games, and passing time between games chatting with parents and eating---I come home so exhausted? This weekend was Jacob's seeding tournament. It was in Rockford-about an hour and 15 minutes away. Yesterday and today we woke up about 6am, got on the road by 7am, and didn't get home until about 7pm. Both days were in the 90's....extremely hot, and very sunny. Poor Jacob was the one running around. Three games each day. He is quite exhausted, too....but he should be. He was using a lot of energy. We packed a cooler with lots of water, ice, gatorade, grapes, strawberries, sandwiches, and also brought other snacky type things (which we never ate, by the way), and when not watching games, sat under our team canopies for shade. But, I tell you, you'd think I was the one running around the whole time--the way I feel. It is amazing to me just how much time in the sun wipes you out. Not to mention, how tan you can get after repeated weekends of games. Not the best thing for my skin....but not too easy to avoid either.
Next weekend--Jacob's tournament in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. It is supposed to be in the high 90's, so I hear. Guess I will be exhausted again!! That's okay.....I love watching my kids play!
By the way...jacob scored today. He usually doesn't much anymore--as he plays left midfield, or defensive midfield. Which means he normally is a play maker, and concentrates on placing the ball and assists. But, today...his friend TC hit the cross bar when he tried to score, and jacob came running from the left mid position to crash the goal---and was at the right place at the right time....to get the rebound off the cross bar, and head the ball in! It is fun to be able to score sometimes, too. :0) Of course--my modest child, when congratulated later by the parents for a great goal.....completely just turned it around and complimented TC's great effort to score, and said "It is really TC that should get the credit!" I love that about him! :0)
Sunday, August 12, 2007
Thursday, August 9, 2007
Shiloh
My friend Kerri's dog, Shiloh, is staying with us for a week. She is Bernese Mountain Dog (www.berner.org), and she got here this morning. Generally, she and Emmy get along really well. They play in the backyard, settle down pretty quickly when they are inside, and share bones and food. Unfortunately, all the playing, excitement, and food exchange caused Shiloh to throw-up a little while ago on our living room floor. Emmy threw-up for an unknown reason at 5:30 this morning in her cage. So, that makes 2 vomit clean-ups for me today thus far. Yuck.
Both of them are shedding severely too. Clumps of hair at a time. Our house is going to look great this week. Note sarcasm in voice. :0)
Mom is coming right after Shiloh leaves.....I hope to have the floor not looking like another color by then.
Both of them are shedding severely too. Clumps of hair at a time. Our house is going to look great this week. Note sarcasm in voice. :0)
Mom is coming right after Shiloh leaves.....I hope to have the floor not looking like another color by then.
Wednesday, August 8, 2007
Individual style
Ben has been cracking me up lately with his mission to be an individual. He has been developing his own style lately--and believe it or not, I'm kind of digging it. It borders "punk", but not quite. His style can be defined by what he left the house in today--typical "Benware". On his feet, old-school black and white checkered Vans with no-see ankle socks. Long tan skinny shorts (they go just below his knee) with random stitching here and there on the pocket, or thigh, etc. Two T-shirts layered. A black one underneath, and on top, a new one he just got from his favorite store (Target!). It is gray with a large bird on a branch (he is very into trees by the way), and a set of headphones printed below. Mainly, artistic t-shirt images are the rule....but DEFINATELY NOT any shirt that says a brand on it. (Up until spring this year, he would wear anything that said American Eagle, or Aeropostle on it....times change!) He also was wearing 3, yes 3, belts. One that actually held up his shorts--much better than when he always wanted his pants to have the falling down look! This was the first day he wore the 3 belt look. The other 2 non-functioning of the 3, were criss-crossed in the back and hanging loose on his hips (does he have hips?). Both of these belts were black--one with a huge belt buckle with a pirate skull and crossbones on it, and one being Matt's old leather one that his dad made for him in the early 80's. It has the Christian fish imprinted all around it. On his hands--more flash. He wears two plastic gumball machine rings, a plain silver band, and sometime when he feels like it, will add a thinner silver band above the knuckle to the finger with the other silver band. He also has everchanging wrist decor....today I think he went out with two rubberbands, and a woven string bracelet on. Finally, the forever non-changing accessory....his iPod, with the earbuds in his ears!
What cracks me up the most about this, is I totally get it. I think back to when I was his age--and I was doing the same thing. I wanted so badly to not follow the "trends" that the majority was wearing. I wanted my own look....and I shopped in thrift stores, (bought my share of men's old suit jackets, that I'd roll up the sleeves and wear with jeans) and sought after shoes no one else had. What is funny, is, I have always heard about the infamous moments that we, as parents wouldn't understand our kids clothing choices. I think it is humorous, that I actually get it this time! :0)
What cracks me up the most about this, is I totally get it. I think back to when I was his age--and I was doing the same thing. I wanted so badly to not follow the "trends" that the majority was wearing. I wanted my own look....and I shopped in thrift stores, (bought my share of men's old suit jackets, that I'd roll up the sleeves and wear with jeans) and sought after shoes no one else had. What is funny, is, I have always heard about the infamous moments that we, as parents wouldn't understand our kids clothing choices. I think it is humorous, that I actually get it this time! :0)
Monday, August 6, 2007
Dissatisfaction
So lately, Jacob has been expressing a bit of dissatisfaction with what we do together as a family. Of course, what he is saying has seemingly come out of nowhere.....and I have to admit....it hurts a little. Just the other day, we had a conversation that went something like this-
J: Mom, why don't we do the fun things other families do?
Me: What do you mean?
J: Like, we never go tubing.
Me: Jacob, we don't have a boat. That is why I let you go tubing with Eric. You still got to go.
J: I know, but we never do things.
Me: Like what, honey?
J: We never go to the water park.
Me: I thought you don't like the water that much. And Nathan isn't that great in the water yet, either. Wouldn't being at a water park make you a little uncomfortable? I thought maybe you'd rather spend time doing other things.
J: I don't know. We don't go to Six Flags, either.
Me: We went two years ago. You are right, we haven't been back. But we did go to Disneyworld this year. That was a big deal.
J: But it wasn't Six Flags. All we do is sit around the house.
Me: What about all the things you have done with friends this summer? Like the sleepovers, and movies (didn't we just go see Hairspray?) and eating out, and going to the pool, we also went to a parade, etc.?
J: That is not going somewhere.
Me: So where do you want to go?
J: I don't know, but we never do anything fun. Like tubing. Or paintball. And why can't I get an airsoft gun?
Me: What? Now what are we talking about? I am sorry you feel so deprived.
(quiet)
Me: And anyway, most of our weekends are filled with soccer. That makes it very difficult to do trips. Would you rather not play soccer?
J: no
The truth of the matter is--the conversation made me want to cry. I realized that maybe he was right. (in a way) We don't take day trips very often. I don't know where we would go. The kids seem too old for the zoo. Ben is in a stage where he thinks every thing is lame....(typical teenager attitude.) We should have taken a summer vacation, I guess. But--finding someone to take the dog is hard. I hate kennels. We were going to take a trip in July to Philadelphia, but that didn't work out. And now there is only two weeks until school starts--and we have my friend's dog Shiloh starting this thursday until we leave for Milwaukee(soccer tournament)next weekend. So....there just isn't time now. So-I feel guilty. When the time rolls around for the "What did you do this summer?" essays.....my kids will come up blank. I guess there is some sort of embarrassment in saying "we hung out with friends, took it easy, went to the pool, etc." When apparently, many other kids can say, "we went boating, we took amazing trips, etc." I hate that kids expect so much these days. We are surrounded by families that think kids need to be entertained all the time....taking them places....making sure they always have someone to play with....never letting them just sit and be bored, and to find something to do. Chores seem to be obsolete --except of course in OUR family. And living in a community that many of the families are extremely wealthy, make our kids think they are even more deprived. We have done our best teaching them that money doesn't buy happiness, that earning your way builds character, that you are supposed to be bored sometimes, that you can't always be entertained, etc. but, sometimes, when you see your kids feeling like they are "missing out" and wishing somehow they belonged in one of those "fun" families.....it breaks your heart. I am not regreting not handing our kids everything they want. I don't regret saying "NO" to the things we say no to. But, it hurts to think that maybe your kids feel like they are being neglected--because we don't focus our whole lives on what they think we should be doing (like going tubing, apparently!). I know our kids know they are loved--and I like to tell myself that when they look back they will realize that they were lucky to be in a family that cared enough to say no. I know when I grew up, I had an entirely different perspective. BUT-I do get concerned that we don't do enough things that memories are made of. How do you know if you are accomplishing that? I don't want my kids to reflect on their upbringing and think "yeah, our parents loved us, but we just didn't do anything!"
J: Mom, why don't we do the fun things other families do?
Me: What do you mean?
J: Like, we never go tubing.
Me: Jacob, we don't have a boat. That is why I let you go tubing with Eric. You still got to go.
J: I know, but we never do things.
Me: Like what, honey?
J: We never go to the water park.
Me: I thought you don't like the water that much. And Nathan isn't that great in the water yet, either. Wouldn't being at a water park make you a little uncomfortable? I thought maybe you'd rather spend time doing other things.
J: I don't know. We don't go to Six Flags, either.
Me: We went two years ago. You are right, we haven't been back. But we did go to Disneyworld this year. That was a big deal.
J: But it wasn't Six Flags. All we do is sit around the house.
Me: What about all the things you have done with friends this summer? Like the sleepovers, and movies (didn't we just go see Hairspray?) and eating out, and going to the pool, we also went to a parade, etc.?
J: That is not going somewhere.
Me: So where do you want to go?
J: I don't know, but we never do anything fun. Like tubing. Or paintball. And why can't I get an airsoft gun?
Me: What? Now what are we talking about? I am sorry you feel so deprived.
(quiet)
Me: And anyway, most of our weekends are filled with soccer. That makes it very difficult to do trips. Would you rather not play soccer?
J: no
The truth of the matter is--the conversation made me want to cry. I realized that maybe he was right. (in a way) We don't take day trips very often. I don't know where we would go. The kids seem too old for the zoo. Ben is in a stage where he thinks every thing is lame....(typical teenager attitude.) We should have taken a summer vacation, I guess. But--finding someone to take the dog is hard. I hate kennels. We were going to take a trip in July to Philadelphia, but that didn't work out. And now there is only two weeks until school starts--and we have my friend's dog Shiloh starting this thursday until we leave for Milwaukee(soccer tournament)next weekend. So....there just isn't time now. So-I feel guilty. When the time rolls around for the "What did you do this summer?" essays.....my kids will come up blank. I guess there is some sort of embarrassment in saying "we hung out with friends, took it easy, went to the pool, etc." When apparently, many other kids can say, "we went boating, we took amazing trips, etc." I hate that kids expect so much these days. We are surrounded by families that think kids need to be entertained all the time....taking them places....making sure they always have someone to play with....never letting them just sit and be bored, and to find something to do. Chores seem to be obsolete --except of course in OUR family. And living in a community that many of the families are extremely wealthy, make our kids think they are even more deprived. We have done our best teaching them that money doesn't buy happiness, that earning your way builds character, that you are supposed to be bored sometimes, that you can't always be entertained, etc. but, sometimes, when you see your kids feeling like they are "missing out" and wishing somehow they belonged in one of those "fun" families.....it breaks your heart. I am not regreting not handing our kids everything they want. I don't regret saying "NO" to the things we say no to. But, it hurts to think that maybe your kids feel like they are being neglected--because we don't focus our whole lives on what they think we should be doing (like going tubing, apparently!). I know our kids know they are loved--and I like to tell myself that when they look back they will realize that they were lucky to be in a family that cared enough to say no. I know when I grew up, I had an entirely different perspective. BUT-I do get concerned that we don't do enough things that memories are made of. How do you know if you are accomplishing that? I don't want my kids to reflect on their upbringing and think "yeah, our parents loved us, but we just didn't do anything!"
Saturday, August 4, 2007
Hairspray-The Movie
We just got back from seeing Hairspray....I really liked it. It was fun, and good-hearted, and had my toes tapping. The group of teenage girls that sat in front of us, I think, saw the movie a few times already. They came in all dressed in 60's garb, with their hair teased....looking like they stepped off the movie set. It was cute. They also cooed and sighed everytime Zach Efron (Link) appeared on camera. It was a riot---and it reminded me so much of doing things with my middle school/HS friends. Mainly, because if this movie came out when I was a teenager....I could see us being the ones all dressed up and being Hairspray groupies!
I hope this musical resurgence stays.....we need more fun movies to go to....especially ones the whole family can see.
As a sidenote--I thought "Seaweed" was quite goodlooking in the movie. Loved the "rippled" hair.
I hope this musical resurgence stays.....we need more fun movies to go to....especially ones the whole family can see.
As a sidenote--I thought "Seaweed" was quite goodlooking in the movie. Loved the "rippled" hair.
Wednesday, August 1, 2007
summer soccer workouts
Soccer Team Camp is well underway....Nathan has training at Campton Fields everyday from 8-10am, and Jake has training from 8-11am. Thankfully, Nathan seems to be enjoying his first year with Campton so far--he was very excited to receive his practice and game uniforms on Monday. His team is the U9 Campton United Reteiro Team, and I have been asked to be the Team Coordinator. Nathan's coach's name is Kevin Healy, and he is new to Campton. He seems nice, and nathan likes him. This weekend will be Nathan's first Seeding tournament. The Seeding Tournament games are for seeing which bracket your team fits into for the best competition for the rest of the year. They play teams from all over northern Illinois. If you'd like to check out the schedule and results you can go the NISL website: www.northernillinoissoccerleague.com
Jacob has begun his first year with a new coach--he has had the same coach (Brian Nail) for the last 3 years...so this will be interesting. His new coach is Micheal DesLauriers (the kids call him Michael "D") Here is his bio that appears on the Campton website:
MEET COACH MICHAEL D.
Michael DesLauriers, new to Campton but certainly not new to coaching, has been coaching for 20 years in club soccer, high school soccer, and with the Olympic Development program at the State and Regional level. He carries a USSF National B License, NSCAA License, and USSF National Youth License. He has received the IYSA 1997 Boys Coach of the Year, has won multiple championships at the State, Regional, National, and international level. He has developed and helped place players at the collegiate level, professional level, and Regional and National teams, and the US Men’s National team. We welcome his experience and enthusiasm for the game!
Michael D. has developed quite a reputation on Campton as being a little insane, and TOUGH, TOUGH, TOUGH! Jacob, who of course, is thrilled to have any new soccer opportunity has been very excited to take on the challenge. Today he had a large amount of fitness training....and his first words after practice were "I hate the hill!" Apparently, they have to do sprints, 100x each of 10 yards, 20 yards, 30 yards, and 40 yards up this steep hill they have on the training "pitch" (that means field in soccer language). Then they did the whole thing again--backwards. The "exercise" is appropriately called "SUICIDES". Jacob said they trained with the U14's today and half of his team couldn't make it through the runs. (Jacob did.) :0) But, if you stop....no rest for the weary! You have to do sit-ups for the duration of the time your team is finishing the sprints. I think the kids are amazing for pushing themselves like that.....especially when it is 90 degrees outside, with very little breeze! Who says kids nowadays are out of shape?? Jacob is amazingly fit--I am constantly in awe of his ability to keep running fullspeed as a midfielder the majority of a game....his endurance just kills me. This year the field length gets bigger--it will be 120 yards long....so his runs will be even longer. This training is good for him. And I am glad he sees it that way. He knows he is getting stronger with each insane fitness exercise that Michael D. makes them do.
Ben is at Six Flags Great America today with his friends Aaron, Christian, and Cole. Cole and Christian's dads went with them. I cracked up when Ben said that they were going to be leaving really early....9:00am!! How funny...that just shows a true teenager's sleep habits right there. :0)
Jacob has begun his first year with a new coach--he has had the same coach (Brian Nail) for the last 3 years...so this will be interesting. His new coach is Micheal DesLauriers (the kids call him Michael "D") Here is his bio that appears on the Campton website:
MEET COACH MICHAEL D.
Michael DesLauriers, new to Campton but certainly not new to coaching, has been coaching for 20 years in club soccer, high school soccer, and with the Olympic Development program at the State and Regional level. He carries a USSF National B License, NSCAA License, and USSF National Youth License. He has received the IYSA 1997 Boys Coach of the Year, has won multiple championships at the State, Regional, National, and international level. He has developed and helped place players at the collegiate level, professional level, and Regional and National teams, and the US Men’s National team. We welcome his experience and enthusiasm for the game!
Michael D. has developed quite a reputation on Campton as being a little insane, and TOUGH, TOUGH, TOUGH! Jacob, who of course, is thrilled to have any new soccer opportunity has been very excited to take on the challenge. Today he had a large amount of fitness training....and his first words after practice were "I hate the hill!" Apparently, they have to do sprints, 100x each of 10 yards, 20 yards, 30 yards, and 40 yards up this steep hill they have on the training "pitch" (that means field in soccer language). Then they did the whole thing again--backwards. The "exercise" is appropriately called "SUICIDES". Jacob said they trained with the U14's today and half of his team couldn't make it through the runs. (Jacob did.) :0) But, if you stop....no rest for the weary! You have to do sit-ups for the duration of the time your team is finishing the sprints. I think the kids are amazing for pushing themselves like that.....especially when it is 90 degrees outside, with very little breeze! Who says kids nowadays are out of shape?? Jacob is amazingly fit--I am constantly in awe of his ability to keep running fullspeed as a midfielder the majority of a game....his endurance just kills me. This year the field length gets bigger--it will be 120 yards long....so his runs will be even longer. This training is good for him. And I am glad he sees it that way. He knows he is getting stronger with each insane fitness exercise that Michael D. makes them do.
Ben is at Six Flags Great America today with his friends Aaron, Christian, and Cole. Cole and Christian's dads went with them. I cracked up when Ben said that they were going to be leaving really early....9:00am!! How funny...that just shows a true teenager's sleep habits right there. :0)
officially re-certified
Finally got my butt in gear and went down to the Kane County Regional Office of Education to reinstate my Type 03 certification. It was so easy, I wondered what took me so long. After filling out the form, a quick check on the computer with my SS#, and paying my back fees, I was done. The lady said, "You can teach starting right now, if you want!" If only it was as easy as that!
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