EFT at RMS

Last week Evan had middle school orientation. Yikes! Middle school?! I think this makes me officially old.

I was struck by the diversity, or perhaps oddity is a better word, of middle schoolers when I dropped my 5'6" inch, 127 pound, 10.5 shoe size baby boy, and he sat next to a boy that was barely 5 feet tall, 75 pounds, and wearing shoes that tighten with Velcro. I might also add the other boy carried a notebook and a pencil so he could take notes. It was either that or sit at the table of girls, and I knew Evan would never consider that option.

We toured the middle school, reviewed his class schedule, practiced opening the lockers with a combination lock, and asked all of the important questions like "When does football practice begin?"

I was not allowed to take any pictures at orientation, and I was only allowed to get this photo after closing hours, right before dusk, when no one would be near the school. I also had to pay the price of a medium Oreo blizzard. Chump-change, in my opinion, for such a precious memory.

Saying Goodbye to the Courts

This weekend marks the end of our basketball "spring season." We've had a season that has exceeded my expectations! Today we played in the AAU regionals tournament and came home with second. 

This season we played in eleven tournaments, and the boys have had four first place wins and five second place wins. I couldn't even begin to outline the successes that Evan has achieved. He plays today like a completely different player. The progress he has made in five months is truly remarkable! Just this weekend he scored a game tying three pointer with a minute left in the game. He then had a jump shot that put us ahead with only seconds left. His success is, in part anyway, due to these two guys; Coach Kevin and Coach Vince have been so patient with Evan and have gone above and beyond to see him succeed.

More than the basketball skills, though, Evan has made some great friends with some great boys. Boys that our paths would not have crossed otherwise. 

As great of a season we might have had, though, I'm ready to kick some balls. Fall soccer has begun and nothing could make me happier. 

Fantasy Football

Last year Evan wanted to create a team in a fantasy football league, but he waited too long and missed the opportunity. This year he was determined to create a team and participate. He did his homework and made a list of possible draftees before draft day arrived. He was ready.

He was at the computer today three hours before the draft opened, waiting patiently for it to open, all the while debating his need for two kickers (I told him two weren't necessary; he didn't listen to me), his first choice (I said it needed to be a RB; he chose a QB.), and the best tight end (to my dismay he didn't chose Witten).

He was beside himself when in his rush to get his picks in on time, he accidentally chose Romo for his QB instead of Wilson. He tried all afternoon and night trying to get Romo traded. He knew he had no chance of getting Wilson, so he attempted to get Tannehill. He wrote to another team manager, "Let me keep this simple. I take Tannehill. You take Romo." No trade transpired. 

Tonight Yahoo scored his draft choices with a grade of B-. His team is predicted to finish in third. That's pretty good for an 11 year old competing against adults; he of course, thinks it's horrible. He later told me, "Mom, you were right about not needing two kickers. I was wrong; remember this because it doesn't happen very often."

Dirt, Sweat, and Fun?

This weekend Evan's basketball team played up in the 7th/8th grade bracket of a local tournament and won the championship! Evan had the defensive game of his life and played all but the last three minutes of the final game. It was such a great weekend of basketball that United parents asked why not play one more time? So we are playing in our last, this-time-will-be-for-sure-the-last, tournament at the end of the month.

Sometime I look around me at these AAU basketball tournaments and wonder what in the world I am doing. The bleachers are hard and almost always dirty; the gym stinks of sweat and feet; the facilities are often dilapidated and sometimes dangerous; and it consumes our weekend time leaving no time to do anything else. When these thoughts are circulating through my mind, I can't help but hope that Evan will give up his passion for basketball.

Then he plays like he did this afternoon and I find supreme satisfaction hearing his name called over and over again by the games' announcer. I realize my butt will eventually recover from hours of sitting on hard bleachers, the smell of sweat is relatively short-lived, and spending time watching my boy shine is so much fun!

I can't wait for school season to begin!

What's Cold and Hot and Burns All Over?

After spending the last few days at football camp, the boys were complaining of sore legs. They were literally hobbling around the house and walking like old men when they woke up on Friday morning. I suggested they stretch their legs out, but by evening, Keagan was still hurting. To get some relief, he decided to rub some Icy Hot on his thighs. He rubbed and rubbed and rubbed. I tucked him into bed, promising his legs would feel better tomorrow.

About ten minutes later, I hear him scooting down the stairs and whimpering. When I meet him in the hallway, he cries, "It burns in all the wrong places." I am confused. He continues, "Mom, it somehow got on my parts and I'm on fire. I keep trying to hold it to make the pain go away but it isn't working. IT BUUUURRRNS!"

I rushed him to the shower, laughing the entire trip up the stairway, and told him to try to rinse as much of it off as he could. He put on clean pajamas, got back into bed, and said, "I think I have permanent damage."

Only Keagan. Evan promises it didn't burn that much; he was convinced that Keagan was being over-dramatic. He even suggested testing his theory with his own Icy Hot experiment, but Wes quickly put a stop to it.

Training with the Pros

Another summer camp wrapped up today. I think this means our summer vacation is almost over! Yikes! Where did the time go?

This time the boys attended a football camp on post that was hosted by Cortez Allen of the Steelers and Andre Robinson of the Redskins. It was the best sports camp we have ever attended on a military installation!

On offense, Evan played tight end and was recognized for the most catches on his team; on defense he had seven picks in one game! His team went to the championship, but they weren't able to pull off the win. Let's just say the loss made our drive home VERY long.

Keagan's team won the Bulldogs division with a record of 5-0. His coach commented on the camp evaluation form that Keagan needed to work on speed and agility. Um, really? Evan said, "Your coach must have made a mistake because no one is faster or more agile than you Keagan. Now throwing the ball would have been a more appropriate comment."

It was a truly great experience, even with the loss and the horrible pre-teen mood swing I had to endure. Perhaps best of all, though, the boys immediately went to sleep once getting home!

My Footballers

Our summer vacation has been dominated by the World Cup. We have arranged weekends and day trips around the game times. Even though the US team has been eliminated, we are still dedicated to watching the semi-finals this week. The boys are watching just as much of it as I am. Well, at least Evan is. Keagan won't sit and watch a game on TV unless it has gone into penalty kicks.

The boys have been captivated by the turn of events caused by injuries, the underdogs who have surprised us all by winning their brackets, and the never ending debates concerning yellow cards and stoppage time. So much so that they have created their own World Cup tournament groups.

They used the scores in each game, of which they played themselves for the last month, and created quarter final brackets and semi-final brackets. 

Today the boys were in a hurry to leave the water park. I still needed thirty more minutes to soak up as much sun as possible, but the boys couldn't wait to get home and play the final game: US vs Russia.

Later this afternoon, I found them in the neighborhood shared green space with their orange cones playing the final game. The good news is US beat Russia and neither boy "took it easy on the opposing team." I still haven't quite figured out how they can both play for the same team and play for the opposing team at the same time, but winning the finals, according to the boys anyway, was a great feat! I couldn't argue with that!

Nana's Birthday Party

Today we attended Nana's surprise 90th birthday party. We were able to meet some of the newest family members, relive old family memories, and make some wonderful new memories. It was so great catching up with the aunts, uncles, and cousins!

My favorite photo from the entire weekend:

Aunt Amy and Evan

Nana and the Greats

Toole Family

Toole Grandkids

Red, White and Blue

We spent the Fourth in Little Rock with Wes's family. It just so happens to be the agreed upon half way mark between Texas and Tennessee. We swam in the hotel pool that was really too cold to swim in. We ate a shrimp dinner downtown on the River, and then we attended Pops on the River.

The weather was perfect, the music was beautiful, and the memories we created with family were priceless. 

Home of the Free and the Brave

My boys must really love me because all three agreed to a day trip to the Hermitage to see the estate of Andrew Jackson. I love touring historical sites and learning about history, but the boys are only intrigued if the site includes a story about a bloody battle. Because Jackson fought in the Revolutionary War, I thought it only appropriate that we visit the site during the holiday weekend.

While touring Jackson's home, we were told a story about a bloodstain on the bedroom carpet that occurred during Mrs. Jackson's death. The story was pretty exciting for Keagan, but he was totally disappointed to not be able to actually see it. His disappointment was quickly forgotten, though, when Wes agreed to take us downtown to get burgers and milkshakes.

365 Days in our "Home" state

Today marks one full year of living in Tennessee. I can't believe that the year has gone by so quickly! We have learned to love it here, truly love it, but I know the itch to move and try something different can't be too far away. Here's what I know to be true about the Volunteer State.

1. Country music - You better like it because it consumes the state. From concerts, to billboards, to cultural events, to the radio, you can't escape it.

2. The Land - Farm land stretches as far as the eye can see. Unfortunately, the farmers can make more money selling the land than farming it. Corn fields and soybean farms are quickly disappearing. Hence, the location of our current home. I will have to move when my backyard corn/soybean field becomes phase five of the neighborhood.

3. The accent - It's country and we laugh every time we hear a native speak with it. I still find it odd to hear it while watching a soccer game.

4. People - The people here are extremely friendly. We have never made so many friends so quickly in such a short amount of time.

5. Basketball - Basketball is very popular in this part of the nation - even with white kids. They all dream of playing for Kentucky one day, and everyone pretends it can be a real possibility.

6. Sink Holes - They are real. Who knew? Yellow caution tape here doesn't mean a crime has been committed; it means the ground may fall out from beneath you. Watch your step!

We have quickly adopted our new state as "home." We are hoping for another eighteen months here. If we are lucky, we might get to stretch that into three years.