Mud Ball

I think these photos speak for themselves.

This is Valentine's Day, right after a couple days of rain (one BIG day of rain).

We won 6-0... Miss M even had a header goal!!!!!!!!

(Woo Hoo)

They were pretty wet and a little bit muddy... 

but in celebration of their WIN, they had a team mud sliding & rolling party (minus our keeper who didn't want to get dirty???).

Miss M got head-butted.

These 2 photos do not do the shiner justice!

Mud pose

Getting into the car is going to be LOVELY!

Miss M, Kens, Fergie

Miss M, Kens, Fergie

Blog Wordles

I like these 3 new Wordles I made... the biggest words are the ones most dominant in the blog... it speaks for itself.

You know you are an OUT-OF-CONTROL soccer family when...

... a child player's injury (like a broken toe or foot or a sprained ankle or a concussion) is seen as a betrayal to your commitment to the team.

... your child breaks their toe and Drs. and normal people advise you to take a month off and rest it, but soccer people think this is ridiculous ("It's only a TOE!!!") and when weighing the options, you opt to have your child play any way (and it - as a result - takes 12 weeks for it to heal properly).

... you start buying into the belief that winning "state cup" or a tournament as 12 year olds has some deep, intrinsic value that will either a) help your child get a full-ride college scholarship or b) solve a global crisis.

... the only birthday party your child has attended since starting club soccer is that of fellow teammates because only THEY can keep up with your crazy game & practice schedule and schedule a party at an open time.

... parents and coaches on the team find it difficult to make eye contact with you or speak to you  because you are daring to go on a family vacation and miss a game... and you actually feel guilty and think this is normal. (Seriously?)

... you have the mentality that a low-level child's soccer game is actually a worthy reason to miss: a wedding, a baby shower, a family vacation, a birth, visiting a sick family member,  a birthday, or a family reunion.

... you don't let your 9 year old child join other activities because it conflicts with soccer.  Where is their dedication?

... you are ANGRY that a 12 year old child missed a Penalty kick and think that your coach's repeatedly letting the same player miss these kicks is grounds for firing.

YOU KNOW YOU ARE STARTING TO BECOME less OF A SOCCER FAMILY WHEN...

... the above (and below) start to seem a little sick, unbalanced and wrong.

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Bitter much?

You know you are a soccer family when.....

As we leave to spend the entire weekend in rainy & cold Temecula, after spending all day last saturday in Claremont and all weekend NEXT weekend in Lancaster, for Miss M's soccer (not to mention Deev's current High School soccer season with DAILY practices from 3-5 and 2x weekly games), the below is deeply true, sad, and funny at the same time.
For non-sport families, I know it is probably not even mildly amusing.So, if you can't laugh WITH us, just laugh AT us, if you must.

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You know you are a soccer family when...

...You have owned every style of camping chair ever made and have a strong opinion or review about the pros and cons of each model.

...Your kid takes a bloody wallop on the nose, and your first thought is that he needs to quit crying or be subbed because we're running out of time in the game.

...You know where every elementary school, jr. high, high school, college and park with a soccer field is in Southern California

....You know how to get to all of the above without getting lost

....Your gas credit card bills are bigger than your Nordstrom bill.

...All of your vacation time is taken up by soccer events. No more beach vacations, unless your team gets invited to Surf Cup. No more ski vacations ever again!

...You have had at least one occasion where you were happier to have found a hotel room in Lancaster for an 8am State Cup game, than you ever were to find a hotel room in Hawaii for your vacation

....You talk about "the Polo Fields" like it's your country club

....You know where Field #14 is at Surf Cup, and you know where to park so you have the shortest possible walk to it.

...You have seen all kinds of movies between tournament games that you would have never watched otherwise.
...There are posters of Englishmen and Brazilians in your house.

...You've forgotten where you go to church.

...Your child's "good shoes" are his newest soccer cleats.

...You and your spouse spend all weekend driving to soccer games. In different cars. In different counties. With different kids. And talk on the cell phone only to compare scores. And don't see each other until Sunday night.

... You are happy to spend $120 on soccer cleats, but are appalled when the materials for your child's science fair project cost $100

.... The kids on your team are 'feisty', while the kids on the opposing team are 'dirty'.

... You only have one kid in soccer and you only have one game today, but you are leaving at 8am. And won't be home until 3pm.
...You have been to several cities in the country that have wonderful tourist attractions, but while in these cities you have seen only soccer fields, hotels, rental car counters, and airports.

... The mats on your car's rear floor are never free of dried grass and black turf pebbles.

...When your kids go to a camp, it isn't the same kind of camp you went to when you were a kid.

...You look forward to Monday so that you can go back to work/school and relax.
... The only way your 5-year-old can tell the difference between a weekday and a weekend day is by the terms "school day" and "soccer day".

...You have not celebrated your anniversary for 3 years because it always falls on a practice or game day....You own a 2-year-old $50,000 SUV with 182,000 original miles.

...You have never met a competent Center Ref in your life.
...Your kids' soccer trainer moves into your spare room.

St. John Vacation - Day 11

Our last day of vacation started early, 7:30AM.

Our alarm went off and we hopped up and started packing and tidying.

D had washed all the muddy evidence of off-roading off the jeep the evening before, so it was all house stuff.

Laundry, dishes, packing, putting stuff  away etc.

We filled the bananquits sugar water one last time (by now, they had invited ALL their friends!!!... it was a bananaquit PARTY!)

(I know, this is a terrible picture, but I wanted to show how MANY there were.)

We said goodbye to our view and the house and the island and headed off to the car barge.

We got in line and the timing looked GREAT!  We had guessed (and if you guess wrong, you could be waiting a LONG time for the next ferry.)  We were maybe the 5th car in line... the car ferry fits probably about 20-25.  We got on and departed pretty quickly.  We were chugging away from STJ by 8:45.  

We got into Red Hook and Dad (D) expertly maneuvered through traffic to K-Mart where we purchased a new duffle bag to check (we ALMOST didn't make the 50lb. weight on the way here, and we didn't want to go through that again, so we decided to just check 2 bags this time).

The we picked our way through Charlotte Amalie back to The Green Iguana.  

Sue let us check in early (10:15), which was REALLY nice.  We put our bags in our room,

 got swimsuits on, and were heading to Magen's Bay by 10:40 and on the beach by 11:00.  (Again, nothing short of miraculous left-hand driving by Dad!!!)

Magen's (pronounced like the girl's name Megan) was a big bay, crowded with cruise ship day-trippers.  But we could walk down far enough to get away from it all.

The day was nice enough but we sure missed our beach chairs :o(

We swam and read and napped.

We ate lunch at the snack bar the swam, read, and napped some more.

All in all a perfect last day.

We met a young couple from Iowa on the beach and were able to give them some tips and encouraged them to make a day trip to STJ for the day.

We had to go find gas and TRIED to go shopping for a few souvenirs but parking proved to be a nightmare, so we gave up and went back to the hotel and showered and got ready for dinner.

We went to Cuzzin's (local, Caribbean fare) with another couple who was just BEGINNING their vacation and staying the night at Green Iguana.

Our flight is super early in the morning (be at the airport checking in at 6:00AM).

We will be at LAX by 3:45 if everything goes smoothly.

Then we jump back in to high speed life with Lando's CIF game up near Magic Mountain on Saturday night and Miss M's round of 32 League Cup game Sunday.

After having a nice long break, this actually sounds like a fun way to spend the weekend... we are looking forward to it!

Love you!!!!!!!!!

St. John Vacation - Day 7

Hello there.

We are getting fun & happy email updates from home:  Miss M's header goal yesterday and 2 league cup wins today (we're moving on!)!

  Lando's making progress on college applications!  Deev's going to church retreat & starting high school soccer.  C's new baby brother's safe arrival.

  

And some NOT as good updates from the Tennessee Bakers - their house as sprung a MAJOR leak... I am SO sorry (prayed for you on our deck these last couple of mornings.

Missing the family, but still happy to be on vacation!  MAN!, we need it!  And MAN, are we making the most of it!

After breakfast, 

Dad (Dar) went to a meeting on Hawksnest beach... pretty cool location!  Mom (S) woke up and prayed and did Bible study and then went for a walk (felt good - I am missing my regular walking!!!). When Dad got back, we packed and went to Trunk Bay.  This is the most crowded, touristy beach on the island (where all the day-trippers want to come), frequently voted one of the TOP beaches in the entire Caribbean.  It was pretty, true... but, it was crowded... and we didn't think it was any prettier than any of the other beaches we have been on this week. 

 We met a couple who moved to the island 3 years ago.  He started his own welding business (he said they NEED another good, hardworking, honest appliance repair man on the island) and she works at a restaurant.  I think it takes courage (or stupidity) to just up and leave everything you have known and move to another world (they were from Ohio).     

We drove through town in search of a coffee drink.  the only shop selling them was closed (boo!).  We went and got pizza & greek salad to go (to take home).  While waiting, we met to 25 year old girls who had just arrived 2 weeks prior to work for 5 months before heading home to Martha's Vineyard.  (Oh, to by young and adventurous and brave!)

On our way back home, we stopped and booked our trip to the other islands for Tuesday.  And we got some rubbing alcohol to pour in my ears (water).

I am up to 100+ mosquito bites (but who's counting?).

But I have been FORCING myself to eat RAW garlic for the last 3 days.  And although I do not smell too good (I'm sure), I don't think I am getting any new bites.

Worth it?

Not sure.

We watched our nightly movie and ate our pizza.

Heading to bed now.

Miss M is 13

Mom & Dad threw a  SURPRISE party for Miss M.

A little Laser Quest and a great big "Surprise!".

Friends from church & soccer.

Droopys.

Eating Pizza.


Miss M & 2 brothers

Thanks Aunt E for helping SO much and making the SURPRISE happen.

Thanks Em for coming!

Broken Toe Futbol

Tough. Dedicated. Stud!

Back in July, Miss M broke her big toe in 2 places.

I finally took her to the Dr. a month later!  He said NO SOCCER for at least 6 weeks!

(That lasted for about a week.)

She felt like she was letting her whole team down too much by not playing... but we didn't want her to re-injure herself terribly.  

Poor broken Miss M on the night of the break.

The compromise? 

Attend practice but not practice and only play in the game each weekend.

Yes, she is a little rusty and a little out of shape from not practicing, 

but 

we beat the Lions today 2-0... and Miss M scored!

It wasn't pretty but it was still a goal (see the keeper on the ground right next to her?).