Snotty smile

Soccer/football, Basketball/football

In the last couple of weeks I have had three different people ask me if Mason plays football. I always say no, he plays soccer and basketball. But after watching him play basketball yesterday and soccer today, I realized that he infuses a little bit of football into everything he does. In the picture above, he's the third kid from the right and is now the biggest both in height and width. On the basketball court, he has a few that are his size. But he uses those shoulders as a weapon.

Here are just a couple of clips that Cindy got in today's game. You could replace the pitch with a court, and cleats with tennies, and you'd see the same behavior. Mason spends a disproportionate amount of time either on the ground or causing an opponent to be on the ground.  He's not malicious and isn't out to hurt anyone, he just doesn't mind a bruise or two. Matter of fact, he's icing his leg right now after a guy implanted a knee in Mason's thigh. Twice this weekend I watched him go down in for what looked like the count. Both times he just needed about 30 seconds to regain control, and then he was back to playing. I have always said that Mason doesn't make it easy to be his mother.

Even though they rarely call fouls in basketball, Mason frequently gets more than two per game. I was happy when yesterday he only got two. I told Grampy "it was a good game for Mason, he only got two fouls." He corrected me "that they called."

No turkey

Kenzie received a near-perfect score on her math quiz, and this earned her a pet fish, as per an agreement she had with Cindy. Mason, who also wants a fish, felt this wasn't fair and asked what he needed to do to earn the same reward. We were just heading out to his soccer game so I said "score three goals today."

Immediately Cindy was not happy with that agreement. She feared he would be singularly focused on scoring, not on passing and other essentials the game.

At half time, Mason had scored two, including this one:

I began to worry. I am done with owning pet fish, let alone two of them. We don't have good luck with fish. And I didn't really think he would score three goals.

Just after the second half began, Mason was pulled onto the sidelines. He never sat on the bench, however, standing next to Coach Michael. I had Cindy take this picture of him and his coach - it was evident that he was lobbying to be put back in. 

I, however, didn't really believe it was just because of our deal. After sitting out for five minutes or so, he was put back in. Almost immediately he shot a rolling goal and--right before it went in--one of his teammates gave it an extra boot. It was destined to go in without the additional kick, but the scorebook says Akash scored it. Sorry dude, doesn't count. Still no fish.

Soon he did this:

However...he was called offside! Too bad, doesn't count. No fish.

He ended the game with two goals and two almost-goals. Scorebook says "two goals." Deal was three. He was lobbying as we walked off the field. I walked past his coach and asked him what Mason was saying to him on the sidelines. Michael said "something about he had to play for his fishy." 

I offered a concession: milk shake today and the offer still stands for the next game when he scores three. He considered that a win and we excitedly headed to the Ram for a milkshake and dinner.

We sat down and he ordered a milkshake. Milkshake machine is broken today. He had to settle for an after-dinner sundae. Poor dude he had to settle for a sundae and a promise of a someday fish. 

Lesson of the day: bribes work with this kid.

Visitor ready

Cindy and I banged out many hours of manual labor in a way we haven't for many years. But, we survived and 2-1/2 days later our new house is ready for us! There is an endless list of projects, but we checked a bunch off of the list and are ready to balance work with enjoyment now.

First day of renovation

Cindy and I took a couple days to head over without the kids to the new house and put in some manual labor. We did a lot of painting and installed a new light fixture. Here are some before and after pictures of day one. 

Before 

After (really during...bye burgundy and old light)

Living room before 

During

After 

Rainbow transition

We visited the beach house yesterday with the current owners. It has been quite a lovely transition, even greeted with a rainbow off of Cape George to end the day. 

Writing!

Ermias put this entire sentence on paper by himself!

We closed today!

We officially own the Port Townsend house! Woot!

FaceTime

I'm in Utah for a work retreat. I love the fact that we can FaceTime, even if it is just a couple of days. 

These guys crack me up. 

Seahawks are going back to the Super Bowl

The first three quarters of the playoff game weren't looking good for the Seahawks. I had been publicly stating that I was hoping for a blowout because we had and appointment with the current owners of our Beachhouse starting only two hours for the game. I got my wish and left the Port Townsend bar sad and resigned to a Seahawks loss. Seahawks were down 16 to nothing. 

I felt my phone vibrate several times, but it wasn't until I finally took it out of my pocket that I realized they were tied at 18. With no TV and no other adults who appreciated football, we quietly took text updates from friends. 

But when the Seahawks finally won in overtime we both screamed and it wasn't until we got in the car that Cindy fully expressed your disappointment. Hahaha. Oh well. We have a new house and sometimes you have to make choices, or at least that is my story. We missed the best part of the best game ever, but we did get to enjoy a very nice evening with the current owners of the house that we close on Tuesday. We also got to meet many of the neighbors. 

On the way back across the water on the ferry Seattle was beautiful. My former building was lit up in a 12.

Our next dilemma is January 31, which is our 25th anniversary, and, coincidentally, the day before the Super Bowl. We are going over to the beach house, but somehow have to figure out how to stage an epic Super Bowl viewing. 

We are growing teenagers

Man of the Match

When Masons soccer team plays a scrimmage Coach Michael announces who is titled Man of the Match. Mason received the honor at the last match. Michael got the guys together and said "Mason is the man of the match but do you guys know why?" 

Each kid raised their hand and said things like "Mason was hustling all over the field," and "even if we made a bad pass he would say 'good try, let's get it next time.'"

After everybody raised their hand Mason asked Michael what he could do to get on the A team. He told him "you keep doing what you're doing. You drive, you drive for it. Other people just try." 

Opposites