Another weekend....more soccer

Hood Canal

We snuck out of town Friday night and headed for Hood Canal with some friends. We caught a late ferry and made it there after everything was dark, but at least we made it before Saturday started!

Saturday we found the beach, which involved a set of connected wrought iron ladders and platforms that eventually led to a series of rope that allowed a final slide to the beach! Didn't matter how we got there, the entire stretch of waterfront was basically uninhabited. Saturday we went for a long walk until Lauren found a rock suitable enough to fish from. She guided each kid to roll their pants above their knees and wade out to the rock. After an extended period of coaching and monitoring the scene they finally cast the first line. At some point I'm sure I mentioned the fact that the tide was rising, but she seemed to have things under control, so all of us except for Mason and Lauren headed back.

Some hours later the two fisherpeople returned with a fish story about one being too small to keep (interesting fish tale), but the reality of only snagging several pieces of kelp finally came out. And we learned Lauren was wet up to her armpits and finally had to carry Mason over her head back to shore. Again, didn't matter, they had a blast. As it turns out, it was good that they spent so much time fishing on Saturday because Mason woke up sick on Sunday and spent his hours between the couch and the toilet.

The weather was beautiful. Hard to believe it's now October and this beautiful sun is about to leave us, or so they say. Anyway, we made the most out of the two days, arriving back home well after all three kids were asleep in the car.

The path back up

Washington beach...lots of kelp and barnacles

Lauren and Mason are setting up the perfect fishing spot. This was after they had been at it a while and Kenzie headed back (note color of pants...tide is coming in).

Almost ready for the first cast

Watching

One of Kenzie's favorite creatures, the squirting sea anemone barely inched out the worms, crabs, and clams

Judging from the slanted water line, I suspect she carried the bulk of his weight with her right hand

Bentley had a happy weekend with us, but couldn't quite navigate the stairs (Lauren even tried to carry him, but he opted out)

Oh, did I mention the yard had a trampoline??

Which, of course, is a perfect backdrop for posing.

 

Coach Borja

Mason's soccer coaches got last-minute tickets to the Seahawks game and asked if Borja could coach practice, since he had been helping out the last several practices. After schools Borja found a bag, gathered up all the cones and extra soccer balls...and then found a whistle and was set! Cindy and Kenzie sat in the car, just to make sure he had backup should anarchy or an emergency hit. He did not need it. If they stepped out of line, he made them
run laps. Only three kids had to run, but one had to run 14 laps. When I showed up they looked amazingly well behaved! They ran from one activity to the next. As one dad put it after practice, "they're all tired and sweaty so it was a good practice."

What?!? A PK against me??

Yes, we've been encouraging Kenzie to be more aggressive on the soccer field. Seems it's working, as evidenced by the penalty kick shot against her. I love how she continues to look sweet and maintain her innocence. Wham.

I didn't really see it, but heard it was accidental.

Fifth time

Our driveway is a bit of an obstacle course, but one person has earned the privilege of knocking down the planters 2 of the 5 times. Based on evidence presented here within, I will let you deduce who that might be.

Seattle

After a soccer game each for Kenzie and Mason, we all headed into Seattle. We only had a haircut for Borja planned, but the day ended up being very full and fun. The sun came out just in time for us to walk around the Pike Place Market, see the flying fish, grab a cookie, and otherwise enjoy a relaxing walk around the heart of the city. We decided to venture down to the waterfront and took our first trip on the new waterfront ferris wheel. The views were amazing--we looked down on the blue water, the sun catching the buildings, and the space needle peeking out. We walked back up the Harbor Steps and then went to a soccer field where Borja enjoyed a pick-up game with a bunch of college guys, many of whom happened to speak Spanish. Kenzie and Mason watched some people practicing circus arts. Cindy and I caught some sun on the grass, feeling that this might be the last time for a while that we could do that. After soccer we met Sary-Jo, Randy and the boys at their favorite Ethiopian restaurant in Seattle. Even though it was spicy, all the kids enjoyed it and did their best to be adventurous. We only had to buy two hamburgers later.

Deep thoughts on the Harbor Steps.

Getting ready for the ride.

They insisted that they saw a gun floating in the water. Cindy pointed out that guns don't float. I pointed out that it was kelp.

On the Great Wheel with Alki in the background

Mason thought the food was too spicy, until he found the chicken...which the rest of us thought was the spiciest dish of all. One leg, though, was enough. He came to me and asked how to make his lips stop burning.

Harbor Steps with the Seattle Art Museum in the background

As big as the hammering man

Life would be so much more peaceful without two boys in this car

No offense takeN

Mason: "mom, no offense, but you look like a person from old times."

It's called a dress.

Mason plus ball

....equals disadvantaged garage door

Getting tough

We are so happy that Kenzie is still playing soccer, and even happier that she's starting to get into it and improve. Just like she was in basketball, she doesn't like to be too physical or aggressive against the other girls. But, we think she's coming out of that and giving herself permission to be tough. And, most importantly, she is having fun!

 

Guns or soccer

Mason's soccer team came over tonight to celebrate his birthday.

Right before the party started Cindy left to get Borja from soccer. I volunteered to do that, but she insisted I stay at the party....by myself. She promised me it would easy, "let them play soccer," she said smugly as she peeled out of the driveway, taking her 25 years of teaching experience with her.

Within about 30 seconds seven boys arrived.

In the time it takes to say "anarchy" I saw the backs of their heads as they poured into the house. Wanting to mask the terror growing within, I casually yelled, "hey guys, let's stay outside and play soccer!" They must not have heard me, or perhaps the riot mentality had already begun. Still hoping to be cool, I screeched up the stairs behind them just in time to see that they were gathering their weapons. Within 10 seconds every Nerf gun in Masons room was loaded into a central box. The smaller boys were searching under every surface for bullets and disks.

Now I was in a vulnerable pickle. I didn't want to provoke them. I thought I would distract them. They want guns? I'll give them guns! "hey! We have WATER guns! Let's put the Nerfs down and play with water guns!" One said, "naaaaaah!" and another "I can't get this shirt wet" and another "these are my soccer shorts and I can't get them wet either." Mason led the rebellion with a resounding "WHO
WANTS NERF GUNS??" which drew a unanimous "Meeeeeee!!!" as they headed downstairs with their box of guns.

It was about then that I started texting Cindy...

"Where are you? I've lost complete control and they have guns."

"I need you here!"

"Come home!"

"Help me."

She calmly replied, "No guns. Tell them no guns."

Ok, finally, something I can work with. They were still arguing about who got which weapon and not a single bullet had been fired when I strongly said, "hey guys, Cindy says no guns." in chorus they sang a disappointed "aaaaaah" and somebody yelled "who wants soccer!?!" and off they went.

The pizza arrived and I managed to get them seated and served before THE TEACHER arrived home in time to critique the fact that I had allowed them to have multiple Gatoraides. I was just happy to be alive.

After pizza was wrestling, advancing to burping, and finishing with farting. Oh, there was some more soccer too.

I'm really not sure what happened to Mason's other leg.

Do the Puyallup

Kenzie went to the fair today. Now we have two boys who desperately want to go too. Hopefully they will find good friends like Kenzie did who will take them. :)

Fishing in the archives - 2006

This one makes me laugh every time. From Grampy saying, "He's DEAD" about the squirming fish, to Kenzie sympathetically telling it, "aaah, we can eat you" before she holds it upside down, then says, "Earl!!!"

Still archiving - Mason's signs from 2006

We had forgotten how much Mason signed, another hazard of being kid 2. We remember that Kenzie had over 200 signs when she started dropping them, but this video is a reminder of how much fun it was to watch Mason sign. He was much less precise than his sister...such as how his sign for "Kenzie" resembles the sign for "frog."