Soccer Updates

Of course in the last post I mention how Amira's team was smeared across the field by the other "under 6" team. Apparently they have a mini-Mia Hamm on their team, or rumor has it.



By the third game, Amira's team was really getting into it. They finally understood the whole idea of getting the ball into the goal net of the other team. Field positions? Well, not so much.

Michael and I were sitting on the sidelines (like we usually do) during Amira's last game prepared to cheer and be supportive. What we weren't prepare for was that as soon as the whistle blew for kick off, Amira elbowed her way through all the girls, snagged the ball, took it to the other end of the field and scored a goal. Then, of course, she gave herself a big round of applause. This was wildly entertaining.

Then, the whistle blew again. Some poor player on the other team had no idea what she was in for as Amira barreled her way through the players to take the ball down the field again for another goal.

There were a few frustrating moments for poor Amira when she just couldn't get to the ball. Well, she wasn't going to let any player stand in her way - not even a player on her own team.




The referee actually pulled her aside to give her a talk. We thought for sure she was going to get a card thrown on her. But maybe they don't do that in the under 6 league?



Although she turned into less of a bulldozer after the chat with the ref, she wasn't deterred from getting all the glory. I think she scored a total of 3 goals for her team and might have gotten credit for "an assist".

All in all, it was an entertaining game. And so unexpected! Hopefully we can pour some good sportsmanship into our mini-Mia.

Chugga Chugga Choo Choo

We're on a moving train whether we like it or not. I think everyone is having lots of fun but also have little bags under their eyes. I've got big bags under mine.

Last weekend there was no rest for the weary. We were down at the soccer field for Amira's first ever soccer game. Apparently it was also the first soccer game ever for everyone on her team. The other team, on the other hand, seemed to have a bunch of seasoned five year old players. As soon as the whistle blew and the ball was kicked off, the other team took that ball straight down the field and into the goal. This sequence was repeated several times. It was funny to watch Amira's very kind hearted coach stand out there and point to the opposite end of the field, "That way, girls! That way! Take the ball that way!" Our girls ran screaming after the ball and kicked it every chance they got, but in no particular direction.

After an embarrassing number of points had been scored against our team, Amira managed to get a hold of the ball and take it down the field for our one and only goal that game. "Did you see that? I kicked the ball in there! Do I get a trophy now?" The other team kept taking players off the field to give Amira's team a bit of a power play and more of a chance, but it didn't work. At one point they had a mere two players on the field held back in defensive position for the kick off, allowing our girls to take the ball all the way to the end of the field. Once there, the other team (both girls) took that ball back and ran down the other end of the field and scored another goal.

Now, they don't keep score at this level of soccer ... but if I had to guess what the score would have been, I'd say about 18 to 1. Our girls had a blast though. They just loved wearing their new uniforms and running after the ball screaming and kicking. I don't think they realized they were smeared by the other team.

I have a feeling that practice this week will be a lot different from past practices.

Of course, we had to trot back down to the field later that afternoon for Valerie's game. Valerie is in her 6th or so season of playing soccer - and it shows. Watching her game was exciting. It was a very close game. The other team scored one goal. Valerie's team had several shots on goal, but didn't quite get it in. The skill at this level was impressive and exciting.

There was another exciting element to the day at the field. Now, usually I make it a point to not drink too much coffee or tea while at the soccer field. On one end of the field there are some port-a-potties. On the other end of the field are public bathrooms ... where the meth-heads like to hang out. Unfortunately I finished off a big glass of tea during Valerie's game and decided I really had to visit the closest bathroom which, in this case, was the public restroom known to be a meth-head hangout.

As I approached the bathrooms I said some prayers and made some wishes that I wouldn't find any tweakers in there. I bumped one of the two stalls open with my elbow and put myself into one of those incredible balancing poses learned at yoga (because I really didn't want to touch anything in there). This of course gave me a view under the wall into the next stall. I saw a woman face down on the filthy cement floor. I looked away pretending that I didn't see that. But then my conscience made me look back. "Are you okay? Do you need help?" I asked. A concrete muffled, "Yes" came back to me.




"Ummm, yes you're okay or yes you need help?" There was no answer. So, I had to say to myself that she must need help or she wouldn't be laying face down on the nasty public bathroom floor. I am not good in an emergency situation. The little voice in my head says, "Don't panic, go get help." But then the rest of me runs out of the bathroom announcing to all the parents on the sideline, "Hey! There's a woman face down on the disgusting bathroom floor in there. I think she needs help!"

A quick thinking mom dialed 911 on her cell phone and followed me back in the bathroom with her husband and Michael. Michael is always a boy scout. That guy is so calm in an emergency and never panics. He asked her what her name was, if she was hurt, what's the last thing she remembered. While he was doing that the other mom was talking to the 911 dispatcher. I was looking at the floor of the bathroom where the woman was laying next to two cigarette lighters and a crumpled up $20 bill smelling the stench of alcohol trying to figure out what would drive someone to this state.



Well, a couple of the sideline parents were EMT's it turned out. So, they stayed with the woman until the ambulance and fire department showed up. And when they did show up, it turned out they were checking on a few other people passed out in the field around us. I had no idea there were so many people in that condition all around us that day. It was a little alarming.

So, really, only two months worth of Saturday soccer games to endure at that beautiful location. Note to self: No liquids before and during the games!

This weekend was also a big trip for Valerie & Amira with scouts to the Water Works park in Redding. Although it had been incredibly hot the week before, it was about 64 degrees the morning we showed up at the water park. It did eventually heat up to almost 80 degrees. But those girls were blue lipped and exhausted on the way home.

Here's "No Fear" Amira.



Here's Valerie with her friend Natalie:


Of course, we had to get the girls a good night rest Sunday because they each had their first day of school Monday morning. Miraculously the school came together. The classrooms were gorgeous and a great (but exhausting) day was had by all. Valerie had her first Spanish lesson too. I think she realized how much Spanish she doesn't know. But it is still exciting. Valerie went on and on about how different this school is from her old school ... in every way! If I were a kid again, I'd want to go to this school. Heck, as an adult I want to go to this school!



Hopefully in a week or so we will be back into a groove. The train will keep chugging along but not at such a quick clip. And I'm headed toward the sleeping car!

Dead Cat!

It's Labor Day weekend. True to its name, there has been much labor around. First, friends of ours delivered twins the other day (yay!) And now the girls' school is finally preparing for students.

Officially, school will start September 14th for the girls. And I am very excited. I hope they are too. Because the entire school is moving into a new facility, there is so much work to be done. Michael went over to help Amira's soon-to-be-kindergarten-teacher with her room. He wound up helping her tape the room so that she could paint. He also moved a bunch of little tables and chairs to the hall just outside the room. I came over yesterday to see if I could help. The room was already painted a beautiful peachy-pink with a rag texture. There was a large square of carpet in one corner and the bones of a loft laying on the floor. My job wound being to clean all the little pieces of furniture and prime book shelves so they could be painted to match the walls.

I was so impressed with all the little high quality pieces of furniture. They're all made of solid wood. The toys for the classroom are wooden. The teacher is planning on cooking with the kids (bread, cinnamon rolls. oatmeal, etc.) It has such a homey feel to the room. Instead of trodding off to school each day with a back pack with 29 other students, doing work sheets and getting used to the concept of homework, Amira will be experiencing play and fairy tales and cooking with 19 other students.

Now, some people might have anxiety about the lack of work sheets and site words at the new kindergarten. But, honestly, I am thrilled that she is going to gain another year of her childhood. And when she crosses over to first grade, she'll get math, writing, art, recorder, knitting, Spanish, Japanese, etc. How cool is that?

I have high hopes that this school will mellow me out. Ultimately. But for now, I see that I need to come down and help tape, paint, clean, move and anything else that will help those teachers get school started September 14th. It's hard to believe that the school will be entirely transformed within a week. But, I tell you, just getting colors on those walls changes the drab once-upon-an-insurance building into a warm and welcoming school.

Anyhow, upon returning home from the school-in-progress, I found three kids with pink hair and a soaking wet unidentifiable charred lump of something in the driveway and Michael at his wits end. What started out as a "Happy Un-Father's Day" where the kids created a special breakfast for Michael and built him a "thrown" of cushions on the living room floor ended kids covered with nail polish, colored hair spray and our buckwheat cat bursting into flames in the microwave.



Kids are no longer allowed to use the microwave.



In fact, each time I heat up something in there, the house is infused with the unmistakable aroma of charred cat.

We don't really need any more holiday weekends. We need these kids to get back into the groove of school.