Soccer Season

 Some seasons, the soccer gods are in your favor.  You may find out that your two children (who play in separate divisions on two different teams) are both assigned the same uniform color:

 You may gasp in delighted surprise when you find out that your daughter's team sponsor has the cutest name that you could ever imagine:

You may even rifle through the uniform box to choose her jersey number so that it just so happens to correspond with her age:

Seriously, what is more adorable than THAT?!

You may feel that your heart will burst when you see how excited she is to begin her very first soccer season:

 That same heart may feel like it is about to jump out of your chest with overflowing love when her Daddy signs up to be the coach of the team and you watch their priceless interactions together.  She will tell him, "As soon as we get to the soccer field, I will call you 'Coach' and not 'Daddy', ok?"

You will giggle at how challenging it can be to gather 7 four-year olds for a team picture, and will note how these photos EXACTLY capture the adorable chaos of the soccer season:

You will relish them enjoying the most important parts of the soccer at this age:  the snack, the smiles, and the fun that they have at each game and practice.

And then you will look over to the next field and see your son... who apparently grew up while you blinked:

He's a big kid now.  It's an amazing transformation each fall... to see how much he has matured and grown with each soccer season.  He's taller, he's older, and has changed so much since his first year playing soccer.  It's amazing to watch his team play.  The players at this age understand more strategy and are beginning to develop advanced skills, but the season is still focused on sportsmanship vs. competition, which is important to us:

We love soccer season, and are so proud of our two soccer players this fall!

Selling Ice to Eskimos...

Luke got this wacky idea in his head this summer that he wanted to have a balloon sale.  I am certain that this newfound entrepreneurial interest was driven by his desire to make money.  And why would a 7 year-old need money, you may ask?  Oh, because one particular 7 year-old has recently discovered/become obsessed with Pokemon trading cards, and his mean old mom won't buy unlimited packages of them.  This 7 year-old may have been told: "If you want Pokemon cards, I will take you to Target once a month and you can select a pack to purchase with your own money".   The 7 year-old (who still shall not be named) may have decided that instead of doing weekly chores, there must be a fast, easy way to make some cash... like selling empty water balloons.

Mark and I tried to dissuade Luke from this idea.  It was a terrible plan.  We live in a cul-de-sac, in a quiet neighborhood at the end of a dead end country road.  Traffic is not exactly booming.  We tried to explain the situation, had Luke brainstorm and write up a business plan, and gave him alternative options.  "How about lemonade, buddy?  It's hot outside.  At least that's something that people could use..."

  It was no use.  The kid was determined.  He convinced his trusty sidekick, "Me Too", to haul two chairs, a kid-sized tailgating table, and a toy cash register to the end of the driveway where they brought their wares, made a sign, and set up shop:

Mark and I took the requisite adorable pictures and smugly waited for Luke to realize that there was no way to make "easy money" selling an unusable product:  

And then something crazy happened.  People started flocking to Luke's stand and actually paid  for empty water balloons...!!

Orders started pouring in.  Neighbors swarmed out of their houses, friends bought balloons, and online text and e-mail orders were placed (Note: when you text grandparents the above picture, they will immediately purchase multiple items of whatever it is that their beloved grandchildren are selling: no matter what).  

Within 15 minutes, Luke had cleared over $20: MORE than enough for even the fanciest Pokemon pack.  We couldn't believe it.  I heard Mark mutter something about "selling ice to Eskimos."   We realized that we completely underestimated the selling power of two cute kids.  In an last ditch attempt to provide a teaching moment (and salvage our pride), we sat Luke down after the balloon sale and told him that every good employer does 2 things:  1). Pays his employees.... and 2) Tithes 10% of his income to church.  

Luke rolled his eyes at us, threw a wad of cash at Leah, and stuffed some money into his wallet for church offering, while he declared, "Sure.  I have PLENTY of money NOW."

   At least now we know that if college doesn't work out, maybe Luke has a future in the roadside stand business... and it's comforting to think that he will be able to financially support us in our old age with his hare-brained schemes.   

Always humbling to be a parent around here.  You just never know how wrong you are going to be sometimes... and what lessons YOU will learn each day!

Birthday Girl!

A couple of weeks ago, Winnie celebrated her 11th birthday, and we had a special celebration for her.  The kids were very excited to make a "cake" for Winnie, and we created a layered concoction of doggie cookies, apple slices, and peanut butter (Winnie's 3 favorite foods!).  Our birthday girl donned a party hat and scarfed up her cake before we even finished singing "Happy Birthday!":  

Leah made a card for Winnie, complete with dog stickers, which was very sweet:

Of course there were birthday presents, and Winnie was very excited about her new toys.  She has been basking in the extra attention ever since her birthday, and completely thinks that she is a human (including sleeping in our bed- something that she hasn't done since BC ("Before Children") : 

Leah has begun reading this month, and Winnie is always a patient listening audience as her sister sounds out words.  One characteristic about labs is that they love to be with their humans, and this is certainly true for Winnie.  She follows us from room to room and is an integral part of our daily routine:

We "camped out" on our back porch a couple of weeks ago, and guess who wanted to be right in on all the action?  There was no way that this puppy was going to miss any of the overnight camping fun.  We started our camping adventure by setting up sleeping bags.  These three kids were very excited and we played games, had snacks, and played on the porch in the afternoon: 

Pretty soon, it was time for "Camping Dinner", picnic style.  You can't see from this picture, but Winnie was just out of camera range, waiting for any scraps to drop:

Next, we watched a movie on the porch.  Everyone assumed their positions and settled in with popcorn... yes, even the furry one, right between her sister and brother:

We tried to hold off until dusk to light our sparklers, but it was just too exciting to wait any longer!  

Eventually, our little campers fell asleep.  Mommy, Daddy, and Winnie were on the air mattress right next to them, and it was a beautiful night for sleeping outside:

No matter if it's a special event like camping or just being by our side every day, it's fun to highlight some of the ways that our sweet Winnie brings us joy.  She's such an important part of our family, and her loyalty and devotion to us are unwavering.   Long ago, Luke made a sign for Winnie, and we still keep it on the top of her crate.  No truer words have ever been written:

Happy Birthday to the Best Dog Ever!  

We love you, Winnie!

Kersey Valley Maize Adventure

This afternoon we took a spontaneous trip to Kersey Valley Maize Adventure, which boasts the "most famous corn maze in North Carolina".  We weren't sure what to expect of the Maize Adventure, but ended up having the best afternoon with our friends/neighbors.  The corn maze was very well done and covered over 10 acres.  There was even a Farm Scene Treasure Hunt that was part of the maze, with various checkpoints and prizes at the end.  We completely lucked out with the weather, and the overcast day meant that we virtually had the maze to ourselves!  

Here is a photo of an aerial view of the maze.  Each year, Kersey Valley has a different, intricate design:

The farm at Kersey Valley was also full of family fun and activities.  Our favorite were the two giant jumping pillows.  One was for the kids...

...and one was for the adults.  It was SO MUCH FUN!  Just look at how high these Daddies can jump:

After many, many giggles and jumps, we took a tractor ride around the farm.  Such happy, cute kiddos!

The kids also loved the old fashioned hand pumps, where you could buy a rubber duck and race it down the water tracks.  We loved the joy that this simple game gave our children!

The big kids were old enough to do the Kiddie Zip Line, and Luke and Preston LOVED this part of our adventure.  They fearlessly flew over the corn fields with HUGE smiles on their faces:

 The Cow Train was another adorable part of Kersey Valley and our group once again had the ride to ourselves.  The kids happily bounced through the field, pulled by a tractor:

What an awesome day at Kersey Valley!  So excited to have discovered this fun fall farm!