Day at the Beach

Today marked the first of what I hope are many day trips to the beach. 

It was a perfect day for mud fights in the water

and soccer on the beach.

 

We are livin' the dream and lovin' every minute of it.

We Survived Beryl

I don't know what the weathermen were thinking when they placed the entire Georgia coast on tropical storm warnings for the two inches of rain we received last night and the abundant sunshine that left me with tan lines this afternoon. This furthers proves my earlier point that meteorologists like to play tricks.

The boys spent the afternoon outside playing basketball with Opa. Boys against Grandpa.

Just as the seconds ticked away in the last quarter of the game, though, the skies opened with the one rain shower of the day.

Opa suggested that the boys head inside; his glasses were fogging up and he couldn't see very well to shoot. The boys took that as an excuse and told him to wipe the sweat away and keep on playing. They were tied at 98 and needed to make one last shot to win.

Keagan passed the ball to Evan. Opa let the shot go undefended. And the boys won 100 - 98. Opa was relieved. College baseball was calling his name.

I've Got Spirit, Yes, I Do!

I used to have a life that included relaxing holiday weekends on the water. That is a distant memory. Instead, we spent this past weekend on the soccer fields. We tied the first game, lost the second game, and won the last game. Evan threw a couple of shoulder blocks to the guy with the headband so that he could win the ball. My heart was bursting with pride...I love to see football blocks on the soccer field.

Feel free to initiate an intervention for me. Just make sure it takes place in the off-season.

However, a grandfather for one of the opposing teams stopped me to ask, "Aren't you the mom that I met in Charleston last year?" I didn't recognize him at first, but after a while, it all came back to me, and I told him he had a really great memory. I went on to say that I guess it was hard to forget someone as loud as me on the sidelines, and he said, "You're not loud; just spirited."

That's a perfect description of me. Spirited. I like it so much better than all of the other names I have been called.

Summer Time Fun in the Sun...Or Not

It is summer vacation for the boys! I still have two more school days, but for all intents and purposes, the school year is done. Yeah!!! Usually we celebrate the last day of school at Dairy Queen with blizzards, we do the summer time dance in the living room, and then we play.

This year the boys had a different idea of summer time fun. At 4:15, I found them like this:

Summer's never looked so good!

End of the Year Awards Assembly Part Deux

This is the end of year assembly that just keeps on giving. So many awards! And it all seems that much longer when you have a sick kid sitting by your side, and every minute you have to say, "Cover your mouth when you cough." or "Are you going to throw up?"

Evan didn't think I would be able to make it today with Keagan so sick, but Keagan felt it was important that I snag a picture. (He is always that thoughtful; even when he is sick.) It was all worth the guilt over the possible spreading of germs, though, when I saw Evan's face light up when I stood up to snag that first picture of him.

We arrived half an hour late in the hopes that it wouldn't be so painful for Keagan, so I am not really sure which awards Evan was given besides the top AR point earner. He left with a stack of certificates so I assume it was a good day for him. I was so worried about missing pictures and such an important milestone, but I later learned two people were in the audience that realized I was MIA and decided to take pictures for Wes (and me).  As nice of a gesture as it was to think of us, I couldn't bear the thought of not being there.

Evan and his reading teacher, Mrs. Brennan. He loved her organized, no non-sense style of teaching. He  is his mother's son, after all. He also loved that she was a soccer fan. She is English and never had a student who could give stats on Manchester United's season. She was endeared to him once she learned he could name the first team's roster.

Evan and his math teacher, Mrs. Sanker. She eventually learned to love Evan and his high level of competitiveness. His desire to win was a serious concern of hers about mid-year. She had never seen a kid take kick ball and multiplication facts games so seriously. She wrote a wonderful note to me thanking me for giving her the opportunity to teach Evan. Maybe she wrote it to everyone, but it meant the world to me.

Another very proud mommy day.

End of Year Awards Assembly

When I was the boys' ages, I hated school. Both of my boys do, too, but sometimes days like today make it all worth it. Today was first grade's end of year awards assembly. Keagan was awarded the academic award for the highest reading average in his class.

In the special areas portion of the ceremony, he was awarded "Excellence in Art." That blue cat painted on 1/3 of the canvas must have impressed someone.

His teacher, Mrs. Crystal, is awesome. She listens to every Monday morning soccer story, she ooohhhs and aaahhhs over all of the medals he brings to show and tell, and she tells him every day how awesome he is. We seem to think she is pretty awesome herself!

He had to go to school today and stay until at least 11:00 to end the year with perfect attendance and earn yet another award. He had a temperature of 101, said his throat was on fire, and said he felt something crawly in his tummy. I signed him out at 11:10 for his first sick day in three years of school.

I am so proud of him! I mean seriously proud of him.

We Won State!

The U10 Gator boys won the Georgia State Rec Cup! 

We have come a long way since that first tournament almost two years ago at Jekyll Island. I remember it because that was the weekend that one kiddo played Jedi with an imaginary opponent and sword while playing defense. Then there was the other boy who brought action figures to the game and played GI Joe on the sidelines while his own team played, and I will never forget the scare we had when another player drank the alcohol water we were soaking cooling rags in. Don't forget the kid with the attitude; my wooden spanking spoon was burning a hole in my purse all weekend it wanted to be put to use so badly.

Evan cried all the way home that weekend because he had never been on a losing soccer team before. I cried, too, because I couldn't stand to have my boy on a team with a bunch of kids who didn't take the sport seriously...even if they were only eight.

After two years, 9 tournaments, 24 games, and 72 practices, it all came together for the perfect win. Evan scored twice, Keagan had two assists, and the final score was 7-0.

Some celebrated more than others. Keagan celebrated with his fan club.

Evan was content celebrating with Italian ice and then a pizza party with his friends.

I may or may not have celebrated with a fruity alcoholic drink.

Congratulations to our boys! You deserved this!!

Top Readers

We received some wonderful news today. Evan has earned the end-of-year AR prize for earning the most points in his grade level. It isn't supposed to be formally announced until Tuesday, but we have been on pins and needles awaiting the results, and when his teacher emailed me today at school, I let out a shriek of excitement. It may seem silly to most, but this award is a big deal for Evan. He has wanted to win this year's competition since he won last year's, and since another girl in his class decided it was her goal to beat him this year, we have been at all-out-war with this book reading competition.

He has plans to spend his prize money on an agility ladder. Seriously! I couldn't make that up if I tried.

Not to be out done by his big brother, we learned that Keagan is also a winner; he earned the end-of-year AR prize for first grade! This wasn't nearly as big of a surprise because the first graders' points have been displayed in the hallway since school started. However, he was still worried about losing - especially to a girl.

He plans to spend his prize money on a surprise. In translation, this means we will spend hours perusing the toy aisles, and he will cry about how difficult it is to choose between two really cool toys. I will cry with the torture of indecision, and Evan will cry because Keagan will prefer to buy a toy instead of paying for half of the agility ladder.

Lucky for me, though, I made no promises this year to take the boys to a water park if they won. Instead, I promised a trip to Six Flags. That's almost as bad when you learn the younger son can't ride half the coasters because he is still too short. One day I will get these promises in check. Until then, I am going to be super duper proud of both of my little readers!

Guess Who's Headed to State?

There seems to be a pattern here....the Gators play and the rain falls. This weekend was no exception. In fact, it rained so much overnight that the second day of the state playoffs wasn't actually played. The winners and the advancing teams were determined by penalty kicks! This was completely absurd. However, we went to the semis with Evan playing goalie, Keagan praying he wouldn't be forced to kick, and my desperate pleas for anti-nausea medication. Even Opa and Oma were on pins and needles with the excitement.

Evan stopped two of the three opposing team's goals. Our first four players made all four shots, and we were named one of the two finalists. Next weekend we are headed back to Atlanta to determine the U10 state champions! Due to part celebration and part pure nerves, the Shock Top will be consumed in abundance at our house tonight!

Here on a couple of  pictures taken during game two, our only game with no rain, and the one game where Opa was almost kicked out for voicing his disagreement with one of the ref's calls. Or was that my disagreement? All of the protests have become a big blur for me, but one thing I do know. Field marshals have a hard time understanding our level of competitiveness.

Don't Underestimate a Girl in a Skirt

Dear Lawn and Garden Center Pro,

I am so sorry about your loss. I know you saw me in my double tiered skirt and my ruffled WHITE shirt and thought you had won when I asked for 15 bags of Preen's cocoa brown mulch. I saw that knowing look you exchanged with the guy who pushed my lumber cart overflowing with mulch to the parking lot. You thought you had me pegged. Pegged as the totally unprepared female at the home improvement store who planned to place 15 bags of dripping wet dirt into the cargo compartment of my carpeted SUV.

Admit it. It was right then that you bet and bet big.  I heard the exasperated sigh when you asked, "M'am would you like some plastic?", and I responded with, "Why in the world would I need plastic?" I saw the smirk you gave your co-worker. Did you double your bet then?

I think you did because I saw the disappointment on your face, and I saw the guy smile big when I pointed to the extended bed truck and reply, "I'm driving the red Chevy truck." You tried to laugh off your big loss with something similar to, "Oh, you'd be surprised..."

Who did you take me for? You would have lost again if you thought I didn't plan to unload every last bag, carry them to the back of the house, and spread them all myself. Here's your lesson. Don't underestimate a girl in a skirt.

Yours truly,
I Can Do It All

Education Rocks

Another school musical. This time Santa didn't lose his drawers, and I think I can safely say this performance wasn't nearly as memorable. The class of 2021 performed "Education Rocks" with a medley of music that put the audience to near sleep. After song #3, I completely understood why Evan had been complaining about music class for the past month.

Have I mentioned the arts aren't really something my boys seem to gravitate towards?

No matter how bad I ever thought the performance might be, though, I would never miss it. Today I was heart broken to see so many little guys without their parents there to see them.

After I snapped a picture or two, we made our way back to the classroom to pack up, and then all three of us hit the local yogurt shop to celebrate another day closer to summer vacation! Only sixteen more days!

Deuces

The mysterious two finger hand sign has been translated for this old lady who originally referred to it as "a gang symbol or a peace sign gone wrong." I stand corrected.

It means deuces.

When I asked Keagan today what deuces meant, he gave me one long blank stare and picked up his matchbox cars and continued his race around the rim of the bathtub. He didn't know, and yet, he poses in every picture with the deuces hand sign.

My older and much wiser son, however, had the answer. He knows everything, you know. I mean EVERYTHING. Don't think you can argue him down on anything. You will never win. He knows it all, and today was no exception.

Ol' Wise One tells us it means, "See you later."

I asked Evan when the wave goodbye was replaced with the two finger see you later salute, and he replied, "That's how it's done in Georgia, Mom. I haven't lived here forever, so I don't know why they don't just wave."

I was almost convinced this time.