Halloween

Halloween is not just for kids.  Finding costumes is a little bit trickier, and ultimately it comes down to what we can find in the boxes down in our basement.  Fortunately we had enough to make it a blue-collar Halloween with a car mechanic and beer delivery guy.  We didn't say we were going to be overly creative.

We got all dressed up for another night with our wine group, who happen to be a bit more creative than us.  Bob and Tracy came as Maverick and Charlie from Top Gun, and boy did they look good.  Kirk was Anger while Kelly was Joy from the movie Inside Out.  You can also see their daughter Claire was Sadness, but they could not talk their almost teenager Ella into being Disgust.  Brian was an old man while Jen was a Minion.  Needless to say we had a great night.

Reese insisted on being Princess Elsa for Halloween, and when the night arrived she apparently decided to be Elsa with an attitude.  She was very excited to get out in the neighborhood and put some candy in her pumpkin. This would be round two for Reese because she had hit the downtown area with her preschool class the day before.

We somehow convinced Callie to be a cat, which meant that we didn't have to get a new costume this year.  The power of persuasion/manipulation is a wonderful thing.  We do feel lucky that she still leans toward the sweet and innocent when it comes to ideas for Halloween.  She certainly did not express any desire to be a zombie cat, for instance.

This year we had the good fortune to make it a trick or treat extravaganza by having Kennedy and Harper join the crowd.  Their mother Laurie does some incredible work with make-up and costumes.  We will have to remember Laurie's skill set when Callie and Reese outgrow Pottery Barn and the Disney Store.

Rounding out the crew was Cooper, who came as Kylo Ren from the new Star Wars.  All five kids were eager and independent, which made the night even more fun for their parent chaperones who could simply walk along, monitor manners, enjoy their drink of choice, and chat along the way.  This year also marked a milestone in that Callie and Reese, with the encouragement of their friends, were willing to partake in the neighborhood haunted house.  It's an awesome neighborhood tradition, and you can even tell the person in charge what level of scary you want.

At the end of the evening it was all smiles as the kids sorted, counted, and traded their candy.  The parents taxed the children appropriately and everyone came out a winner.  And since it was a Saturday night we didn't have to break up the party early so that kids could be up for school the next day.  Now that is a fantastic Halloween!

Reese Joins Callie on the Soccer Field

Reese has never been more excited to follow in her sister's footsteps. She tried dance and that didn't really take. But after many seasons spent watching Callie from the sideline she was ready to join in to show the world what she could do on the soccer field.  Reese couldn't wait to put on her new uniform and get the soccer ribbon in her own hair.  She was looking good!

Her team was the Rapids and her coach was the same man who coached Callie during her first three seasons.  Coach Patrick is a great guy and his son was on the team as well.  The U5 games are definitely a sight to behold.  They have throw-ins, corner kicks, and goal kicks, but outside of that it is a bit of a free for all.

Reese showed early on that she had learned a thing or two from watching all of the games over the past several years.  That's not to say that she played flawless soccer, but at least she understood the basic concepts that Coach Patrick had taught - make goals, take the ball away from the other team, and have fun.  And she was a strong player.  In fact in one game she scored four goals.  And if you ask her she will be happy to tell you about it.

Reese also had an important and somewhat unique trait among players this age.  She always wanted to be in the game.  Sarah, who was the Assistant Coach for the Rapids, knew that Reese would be the first to jump in the game if one of her teammates was bored, tired, or crying.

As is the case with all five-year-olds, the post-game snacks and the end of the year medal were the highlights of the season.  Reese was extremely proud that she got a medal and not a trophy.  She probably would have worn it for days if given the chance.

All in all it was a great first season for the Rapids.  We tried to get a full team shot after the last game, but as you can imagine this was next to impossible.  We can't wait to see what the spring season will bring.

Meanwhile, Callie took the field for her third season with the Sharks. She has come such a long way from her days playing for Coach Patrick on the Sting, when she was one of the players whose legs were tired after two minutes and who often had to be coaxed to even get on the field, much less to try and get the ball. Now she is all over the field and always wants to play.

This season she too had a couple of goals, but that doesn't really tell the kind of player she is.  Her coach, also known as Dad/John, knew that no matter where he put her on the field she would know what to do and would do it well.  She played hard and is getting a feel for the game.  Now if only she would get more serious about using her right foot and not just relying on her left.  But that will come with time.

So here is a picture of the Sharks, version 3.0.  Our third season together and this time we brought in six new players, some of whom were playing soccer for the first time ever.  It was another character building season, that's for sure.  But the girls are gaining skills and truly enjoy the whole experience.  John feels very lucky to get to work with all twelve of these characters, and is hoping that all twelve will come back in the spring.