My Happy Place

It's a really good thing that there are few places I'd rather be than on the soccer field. After 15 hours on Saturday and 9 hours today, we set a record for hours on the pitch in a weekend.

After a yellow card, duc-taped cleats, crazy parent drama, and eight goals, Evan's team ended the tourney as finalists. 

These two also went home with heavy pockets after reffing seven games each!

We are coming home with thick tan lines and blood shot eyes ready to begin our three hour weekend! 

Soccer and Swag in St. Louis

We spent the weekend in St. Louis playing soccer, but let's not talk about it. Unless you want to ask about the first half hour of the third game. Otherwise, I just want to forget it all. 

All but this. 

Yep, that's right. My parents drove nine hours to watch Keagan play. They have now extended their Great American Soccer Tour to include the Mid-West. 

We went to dinner Saturday night and Keagan asked Opa to show him some of his dance moves. Opa said he didn't have any dance moves, and Keagan said, "Don't lie! I've seen your Peru pictures with you dancing with the natives." We didn't have enough alcohol to persuade Opa to show us any of his swag, though.

Then there was this. 

We couldn't go to St. Louis and not see The Arch. It's a shame that the beautiful weather and such a great city will be forever marred by a terrible soccer weekend. 

Next stop is Chattanooga.

Building Character One Experience at a Time

Today was the third quarter's academic honors assembly at the elementary school. Of all of the days/week/times, I am so glad that I was able to attend this one. Keagan was awarded honor roll and the coveted Haller's Heroes for citizenship and showing good character. This makes three years in a row.

For the past two weeks I was worried to death that his teacher was holding a grudge against him after he told her the correct way to pronounce Versailles and fascism, in front of the entire class. I guess she forgave him, though, because she was thrilled that I was there to see him win the prize.

Just as I was forming the words to chew him out and debating the consequences for not meeting his quarterly reading goal, his name was announced for the citizenship award. I quickly forgot the reading award and made a mental note that good character means so much more than reading points. I decided to forgive him.

"Knowledge will give you power but character respect." - B. Lee

Number Four

Championship number four of the season is in the books. Evan had a great championship game with ten points and lots of rebounds. And to think we're just getting started with the season!

Tell It Like it Is

Keagan played in another basketball tournament this weekend. Bless his heart! There's just no way around it; his team is just horrible.

They lost game one by almost fifty points. There was a lot of frustration on Keagan's part and a lot of this:

Even after losing by twenty and thirty points, he remained positive and encouraging. I was so proud of him for this. He has mastered losing gracefully, almost anyway. 

In the first game, he blocked a shot and the ref called a foul on him. Keagan questioned the call and told him it was all ball. At half time, the ref took him to the side for a "talk."

Keagan has become much more bold in the last six months. He tells it like it is and doesn't mince words. He told a friend last week that he "smelled like cat pee." He told our foster kid, "Boy, you are lying. You are going to hell for that." Another friend asked him to spend the night, and Keagan said, "No, no that's not going to happen. I've reached my limits with a twelve hour play date." On Friday, I had to tell him that you can be honest and truthful without being hurtful. He told me, "I don't want to hurt anyone; I just want people to know where I stand."

I wonder where he gets that from.

Spring Break

The boys are ending their spring break today. According to them, it was the best week ever. The boys were content sleeping until 9:00, playing endless pick up games in the driveway, and having Nerf Wars in the house, something I never allow if I'm at home because, well, it's loud, really loud. So the boys were happy with going no where as long as I brought home a treat every day after work. I saved thousands of dollarsthis stay-cation buying only a couple of Frostys, blizzards, pizzas, and burgers.

Friday Keagan went with a friend to see The Bodies exhibit at a local museum. He wasn't thrilled with giving up sleep and basketball for an educational trip, but I thought for sure he and his brother would have had enough of each other by Friday, so I made him go (and I gave him $10 for the gift shop). I'm glad I did, too, because this kid hasn't stopped talking about kidney stones, grizzly bears, and arrowheads since he got back. 

He can also articulate how the Tennessee terrain changed as a result of two earthquakes.

I almost said "I told you so." 

Of course, he loved exploring the creek, too, and he tried to explain how the trees along the creek proved the earthquake was quite damaging, but I was busy taking those pizzas out of the box and only heard pieces of that part of the trip. 

And he got to sleep some after all. 

He bought arrowheads at the gift shop and was so excited to show them to me. I asked where they were found (assuming locally since he had seen thousands on display), and he said, "I don't know..maybe around?...and stuff." I suggested he read the information on the box, and he suddenly exclaimed, "Mexico!!! I got ripped off! Mexicans didn't use arrowheads; they used machetes!"

My spring break starts NOW!