Second Soccer Saturday

Last Saturday, Austin and Lauren each had their second soccer games. All Lauren's games are at 10 am. Here she is, kicking off. She got to kick off a lot, as did her teammates... The Purple Ponies were trampled by the Purple (actually Lavender) Stars.


But no one really keeps score. Each coach records how many goals, and who scored them, on a card, then turns that in to the lady in charge. Brian said he thinks they use those cards to divide up the players into teams the next year; so the kids are fairly evenly divided by skill.

Lauren was doing a lot of posing on the field! She is funny! She played well, and scored the first of the Ponies' goals. They ate orange wedges at half time. She said it was a long game! she was hot and sweaty, with rosy cheeks, when it was done. :)

At the end of the game, giving a cheer to the Purple Stars. Both teams do a cheer for their opponents.

Austin's game was at 11 am, which worked out nicely, since Lauren's ended about that time. He played hard! Those boys move fast! I just snap away, taking a lot of pictures, hoping some will turn out. The scene changes rapidly with these big boys!

Kicking it toward the goal...

He shoots...

And scores! WTG Austin!! Love how his teammate, Brandon is cheering. Yay!

Labor Day

Labor Day Brian cleaned the carpets in a few rooms. I'd done a couple the week before. Then today Caroline threw up in the girls' bedroom, and the living room, so those areas had to be done again. And so it goes!

Anyway, we picked up lunch at Carl's Jr. and took it to Waller Park in Santa Maria. We had a picnic, then let the kids play on the playground for awhile. They have several playgrounds at this park, some for little kids like Caroline, and some for kids even Julia's age and probably a couple years older. So everyone had fun! In the picture, Julia said, "This is MY rock!", and posed like that. LOL


Big boy on the toddler playground. He went on the bigger one too. So did Lauren.

Little motorcyclist... Of course Caroline wanted a turn too. Lauren was more than willing to help!

We'd taken some stale cereal to feed the ducks, and it was really funny to watch them gobble it up--puffed rice. We also brought old bread, and they didn't care about that much at all.

On our way home we surprised the kids and went to Yogurt Creations where we all chose our own frozen yogurt and candy toppings to make our personal sundaes. Even Caroline got one. Yum!

Morning Motivation

Tomorrow morning Julia's friend, Julia, and her little sister Emily, will be coming over at 7:45. The two Julias are both in 5th grade, and Emily is in Kindergarten like Lauren, in the class next door. Julia and Emily's mom will be student teaching for 8 weeks, and has to start earlier in the morning than our school, so the girls will walk to school with us. My kids are soooooo excited! Lauren is convinced she's going to have a club with Emily in the morning: just the two of them--only 5-year-old girls allowed! I told her there won't be any club until her breakfast is eaten. It takes forever for her to eat breakfast! Maybe friends coming early will help her eat fast?

These pictures were from the day before school started. Julia and Emily came over to play.




Not to leave out Austin: Solomon came over the same day. And they played boy stuff. :)


Austin is so glad Solomon is in his class this year. They've been buddies since Kindergarten, but this is the first year they're in the same class. Mrs. F. let them choose their seats on the first day, and they sit right next to eachother. Solomon's mom told me that he said he and Austin are very careful not to talk, so they won't get moved apart. Cute! :)

Starting Soccer

Today was the start of soccer season! We have two players this year. They've both had a few practices already, but today was the first game day. Brian is coaching Lauren's team. There are 5 little girls, and oh my goodness, are they ever *cute*! He wasn't sure how the game would go, but their team did great. Lauren even scored 3 of their 6 goals! They don't keep score at this level, just each coach keeps track of who scored goals on their own team. The other little girl in purple is my friend Donna's daughter. Donna used to be in our breakfast group a couple years ago. So kind of fun to have Katie on Lauren's team.


The team members vote on the name for their team. Austin volunteered the Red Dragons or the Red Lava for his team. The boys ended up voting on the Lava Monsters, so that's what he is, a little Lava Monster. LOL They played against the Orange Crush today.

I came up with all kinds of ideas for Lauren's and Brian's team. Like the Purple People Eaters. Or Purple Pixies or Violet Vacuums. Ha! Lauren suggested Purple Lightning or Purple Ponies. Brian said as long as they didn't vote to be the Purple Pansies, he'd be happy. Well, Lauren and another girl suggested Purple Ponies at their practice, and that's what her team agreed to be. Horses are her favorite animal right now, so she is happy about the name! She even goes prancing around in her uniform, like she's a pony. I made her matching hair pretties. We're on top of the important things. ;)

Lauren's game was at 10, and Austin's at 11, so that worked out nicely. Two of his teammates were gone today, so they borrowed a boy from the other team, and all the boys played the entire game! No one got a break, and they were hot and tired afterwards! They had a good time though.

Both Austin and Lauren were very excited for their first games. They like soccer!

178 Days

178 Days until our next summer vacation. School started yesterday! This is the earliest my kids have ever started, but they get some nice 4-day weekends, a week at Thanksgiving, and 3 at Christmas, this year. Before we left, we had to take our traditional pictures in front of the front door. Don't they look thrilled? I think they must be worried about leaving Mom. Ummm...no. ;) They were all extremely excited about the first day back!


We'd walked to the school the night before to see who their teachers would be. Austin got Julia's 2nd grade teacher (who I requested and loved), Lauren got Austin's Kindergarten teacher (I didn't request, but we are happy), and Julia's teacher seems to be really sweet. And on top of things, plus I like some of the things Julia's told me about her. I especially like, "Family comes first. Then homework. Then sports." Yay! Julia said some boys in the class disagreed. That sports should come first, they thought. ;) Ha ha

All the kids got new backpacks. Lauren and Julia got new lunch boxes. I tried to talk Lauren into a Jessie (Toy Story cowgirl doll) backpack and lunch box, and had her convinced. Until Lauren told me, "I told Jessie 'good-bye'. I like Jessie, but I love Tinkerbell!" And that was that. :) No more character backpacks for Julia. In fact, she wanted a messenger-style bag, but I made her walk around Target carrying one of them filled with hardback books, and she changed her mind. We walk to school almost every day, and a backpack is really more suited for that.

Nice, fresh, clean school shoes! Julia got Nikes, b/c they last her the whole year. Austin and Lauren got Target tennies. B/c Lauren liked how pretty, pink and glittery hers are. And Austin goes through sneakers fast! Like he needs a pair every 3 months or so! I don't even think the more expensive ones would last him the whole year--he wears them all the time and plays hard! That's my boy! Plus, he wanted Velcro, which Target still had in his size.

Caroline wanted in on the pictures. Wonders never cease! Lauren stood 'normal' for the one picture above, then her posing began. This was all her own idea! She cracks me up, that girl!

Brian walked with us to school, and we all walked Julia to her line and Austin to his, and then went to the Kindergarten area. All the kids were excited to go back to school, but Lauren was practically bursting, she was so excited! When she learned she would have Austin's Kindergarten teacher, she was bouncing up and down, and said, "Yes! I wanted her!" Ms. V. talked to the parents and kids for awhile, then the kids got to play. Lauren made a necklace with the links. When I picked her up yesterday, Lauren told me, "It was great! I love Kindergarten!"

Lauren came home with all kinds of news yesterday. She couldn't get the words out fast enough! One thing she said, is that she is the only blonde-haired girl in her class--that all the other girls have black hair! Well, it's true! Two little girls are actually brunettes, but dark = black to her. And there's one boy with blonde hair. Ms. V. speaks Spanish fluently, and in turn, it seems she gets the Spanish-speaking kids, and/or the kids w/ Spanish-speaking parents. She doesn't teach in Spanish, but can translate. I like that, and hope Lauren picks up some Spanish! Austin only learned a bit, though.

Lauren said today, "I love Kindergarten! Today was even funner than the first day!" And also, sighing, I wish we didn't get any days off..." Julia pipes up, under her breath, "...Just wait till you're older..." Mutter mutter. Can't say I blame her--she had homework today already. ;)

This afternoon Lauren told me about lunchtime, and said, "The teacher told us not to talk... But I talked the whole time!..." Big smile. Then, "...But she didn't say anything...I was really quiet..." LOL

And, the first thing she said when I picked her up today, incredulously: "There's a girl in my class with a name like bottom! It's Bottima!!" I had to refrain from laughing, and asked her, "Bottima? Is it Fatima?" Lauren: "Nooo, Bottima!" Oh my... There really is a Fatima, though!

Lauren was singing the ABC song tonight and asked me, "Is el menno N in Spanish?" She'd gotten to L-M-N-O, and stopped singing to ponder this.

At dinner, she called her spaghetti, skabetti. That is typical, though. She thinks that's what it's called. I was cleaning up, and Lauren said, "Hi Beautiful Rose!" She said that is my new name! Where does this stuff come from?!

Picture 1: When the posing started...

Picture 2: I picked Lauren up yesterday, and she was wearing this Chester hat. They'd read a story, I'm almost positive The Kissing Hand, though Lauren didn't remember the title. She said her teacher read the story, then they made raccoon hats for their craft. It was really cute seeing all those little kids with their hats, waiting to be picked up. You can see she was still into the posing!

Austin was pleased his friend Solomon is in his class--the first time! Mrs. F. let them choose their seats, and he and Solomon sit next to each other. I told him they better not talk too much or they might get separated. He said, "We never talk when the teacher is talking!" Austin's friend, Kana, was bummed he wasn't in Austin's class this year. His mom told me Kana said,disappointed, "It won't be the same without Austin!"

Mrs. F. cooks with her class every Friday, and already tomorrow they are making English muffin pizzas. I think he is going to like that class. She does all kinds of hands-on activities with the kids! It's her last year teaching, as she's retiring after this year. When Julia had her 3 years ago, Mrs. F. told the kids she was 175 years old! Ha ha!

Julia has none of her close friends in her class, but they all get together at recess. Plus--it's so exciting--in 5th grade you can choose where you want to sit at lunch! So she can sit with her friends then! Big stuff! ;)

She had PE the first day, and said when her class came back to the room afterwards, her teacher said, "What are you all going to buy at the store after school?" Hmmm...28 10-year-olds in a room after PE... Hmmm... "Deoderant!" ;) Julia was laughing, and said Ms. A. plugged in an air freshener for awhile after PE! I can just imagine...

And then little Caroline. She and I ran errands all morning, before we picked up Lauren. She asked several times, "Where Lauwen?". Kohls was our last stop, and I told her we were going into the store. She said, "Find Lauwen!" Like maybe we'd left Lauren at a store! Caroline was all smiles when we picked up Lauren, finally! It will be interesting, with just her with me. She loves playing with Lauren. Today Caroline came to help me put clothes in the dryer. And in the washing machine. At least it was something to do with someone, I guess!

San Diego Day 4 - Natural History Museum

Our last day in San Diego... Caroline *always* wanted to push the elevator buttons. Austin and Lauren did too, but they understand turn-taking better. ;) Caroline doesn't know that the first "push" is the one that commands the elevator, she just likes to be big and push too! Ha ha. Sometimes one button would get pushed a few times. Also, every time we came into the hotel, Caroline would see a luggage cart and get all excited: "My cart! Dere it is!...Cawroine's cart!" Brian let her ride on one the first night, and she remembered! Here is all our luggage and stuff we brought to the hotel!


Anyway, August 12 we went to the Museum of Natural History. It's in Balboa Park. They had a special exhibits on dinosaurs we thought Austin would be interested in. First we checked out an area telling all about water (or lack thereof...Ha!) in CA. The kids liked the hands-on activities. For some reason, turning this wheel, making the water run out of the faucet, was very fun!


When you walk in the lobby, there is a giant T Rex set up, with crayons and paper on tables nearby for the kids to draw their own T Rex. Lauren went right to work and came up with the dinosaur in Picture 1.

Picture 2: Brian with all the kids by a sign outside.

Outside the museaum. More beautiful architecture (like the Spreckels Pavilion where we watched the concert Monday night).

After lunch we let the kids play in the museum "yard" for awhile.

Brian is such a good dad and often gets in on the fun! Which makes it even more fun for them!

Picture 1: There was a special gem display, All That Glitters, too. Here's Julia by huge pieces of amethyst--her birthstone. I think they came from Brazil.

Picture 2: Austin by the giant T Rex in the lobby. This is what Lauren drew. :) Austin also drew a picture, but I don't know where it ended up!

I thought these fossils were neat shapes. Caroline saw them and said, "Snails!"

Tried getting all 4 to look decent in a picture, since Caroline was actually cooperating, and look at Austin! What's up with him?

One side of the dinosaurs had "skin", then when you walked to the other side you saw its skeleton. There was also a big area with other fossils that we were not allowed to photograph.

Me and the kids in the cave! There was a mountain lion on top. ;)

A sloth skeleton...different than the rain forest sloths, I think. Julia said, "That's the biggest sloth I've ever seen!" LOL Not that she's seen many. At a zoo, once, she saw a couple. They were her favorite rain forest animal when her Kindergarten class studied the rain forest.

One last picture of a neat Balboa Park building. And Caroline in the van on the way home. We gave her Birthday Kitty and Birthday Teddy, and her blanket, b/c she always likes to snuggle them when she goes to sleep. She didn't take any nap though!

We stopped in Anaheim, very close to Disneyland, at Cocos for dinner, and finally she fell asleep after that! We got home about midnight, exhausted and glad to sleep in our own beds. We all enjoyed our vacation, and the kids are still talking about it. :) It really was a lot of fun.