Fall 2020 Soccer

Well we survived the soccer season in the era of COVID. I will soccer has been a constant in our life since a while ago so it was good to get back to something ‘normal’ despite everything around us not being normal. 

The season started late and was compact thanks to COVID so when the whistle blew of the final game on Saturday it was a welcome sense of - phew we made it. The last week was particularly grueling with 9 games in 5 games and 5 of the games during the week which made for very very very cold games - as in I took a hair dryer to my cold feet and tried to warm them up.

E

E’s team wasn’t the best by any means but I do believe they learned a lot. They had a game of greatness in their second to last game so I think they lifted everyone’s spirits. E was desperate for a goal and after one was called back early in the season, I thought she’d knock one in but didn’t. She ages up to 11-12 in the spring so the field size will make a big difference.

R&M 

If there are two Kibbes who want to play on the same team it’s these two - and I love that for them. This was another season with my neighbor as assistant coach which is great. I think we balance each other well - although we are both super intense at times - hello second to last game. It’s always good to have someone to bounce things off of and step in. I think next season I’ll definitely be managing subs better/smarter. 

I think I learned a lot this year as a coach from this team and I think and hope the girls learned something too. R scored a goal early in the season and I basically couldn’t believe it. M scored a goal or two later in the season. Both begged to play forward all the time but we had a forward heavy team so M got put on defense more often then she liked.

Once the final whistle blew for the Cheetahs the fact remained - We never lost a game but we weren’t winners. We were second in our division. Four wins and two ties didn’t cut it. That’s what happens when it’s 2020 I guess.

A 

As team was a tough case for me. I’ve never coached boys on a bigger field and I was nervous about it from the get go. Well I can say it’s the first losing season I’ve ever coached (all the 2020 references) and I have a newfound respect for the mercy rule and coaches who graciously player their better player in shifts. The TRexs (what’s the plural of TRex?) did win two games which was so good for the boys. Our last game was probably the best matched game even though we didn’t win. A wanted to score a goal so bad and he missed the game against the team he probably could have scored one. He was definitely one of the youngest kids out there - there were two boys on our team who seemed to tower over him. The older boys I could count on to mostly stay in their positions but in the end it sometimes turned out to be a cluster of eight boys around the ball. Even after the not so great outcomes I always asked the boys if they had fun and they said yes - so hopefully they did and maybe we can get some more skills learned in the spring.

C

Lady C. What can I say. The Butterflies were a force to be reckoned with. You never know what’s going to happen when a bunch of 3 and 4 year olds take to the field. Point in the right direction and hope for the best. Cs team was a fun group of girls. Fortunately there were a few who understood what to do so we had good leaders/examples of running the ball down the field and sometimes coming back in defense. There were somersaults and cartwheels and leveraging post game snack and of course shouting butterflies as loud as possible. C has an agenda of her own normally so on the soccer field it came out too. Sometimes she was into it other times she wasn’t but she was thrilled to be on ‘a team’ and wore her jersey proudly.

Seven Quick Takes - Camping, Crafts, COVID

Linking up with Kelly ... I don't even know where to begin

---1---

Because it's 2020 and all things are completely insane.... The girls convinced me to say yes to taking them CAMPING with AHG. 

I can now say I've slept in a tent and I'd probably do it again actually - maybe 2021? 

The group was working on their horsemanship badge so we camped at the place where they were doing the riding. It was literally no more than 10 minutes from our house and it was only one night. 

We borrowed a ten from Uncle Kev - set up was dumb-easy. If I had to buy a tent I'd buy one like his. It was nearly as self-pop-up tent. We also used some friends sleeping pads to help save our backs : ) 

I did buy everyone headlamps which was a wise move. 

The next morning I ran out to get coffee/hot chocolate cups and may have snuck some Sheetz coffee back 

The girls got their riding and badgework in - in between soccer games.

She had a great time riding and hanging out with all her friends. 

I'm probably most proud of her because this is the kid who is scared of dogs and horses are like 25 times bigger than dogs : ) 

We packed up and headed home and I think I beat everyone to bed

---2---

All Saints Day

Our Lady of the Snows, Queen Esther, Saint Kateri 

They had a festival/party mid day and it was the talk of the town for the whole afternoon. Games and food. It was like a fall version of field day I think. I think they would have stayed all night if they could have. 

---3---

Then there was Halloween

I decorated! This might have been the only time Snoopy and Cookie Monster were on at the same time. Snoopy has a short in the cord and because I got it from Amazon warehouse 2019 there was nothing I could do about it. 

We had church 10/31 in the evening and I had no idea what the Halloween situation was going to be - it is usually hit or miss in our neighborhood. So I told the kids they could trick or treat in the house and I would be in the four rooms downstairs and they could knock on the door and I'd give them candy.  After popping out from behind the shower curtain the first time - everyone pretty much hated it. C still talks about being 'scary' and getting candy. I took E over to a friends house to watch an outdoor movie and there was definitely some trick or treating happening so next year we know where to go!

---4---

The adventures of A and C: 

Chasing geese around the field (we haven't seen them in a month)

Heading down to the pond to check out and feed the fish

We found ourselves with a bit more time on our hands in the last few weeks (thanks COVID) so after we did the big school drop we noticed a train was on the tracks near school so we took the time to get out and check it out. It probably sat for at least 5 minutes while we were there before slowly grinding up it's wheels and giving C a good scare. 

---5---

Crafting... probably one of my favorite mom duties - ha ha ha... 

M and her tube nose bat. I think they are from Australia. Her bat probably has some of the biggest eyes of the bat projects I've seen come out of this house. 

I've heard crafting with boys can be different. For A's turkey project I suggested a few themes and then went shopping so we could stay focused... 

On the Turkey Hulk!

The turkey was done before COVID up and changed plans so the boy and his Turkey Hulk coming as soon as he can present it. 

---6---

I found this in an old text and realized it was only seven months old. 

 

 

Crazy what seven month will do

All the hair! J is still as sweet as he can be. Not walking and has just started pulling himself of stuff. 

---7---

Lee and I celebrated 12 years earlier this month. 

It's been a wild ride of more ups than downs and adventures and kids and activity than either of us could have imagined. God has been so good to us. 

And just because it has been so long... 

I killed this insect at the park one afternoon. It was enormous. It is dead

M is 7

The youngest big girl hit the seven mark a few weeks ago. She get lumped in with 'the girls' which is code for the big girls. C will shout up the stairs - GIRLS! GIRLS! come down. The three older girls have become their own little unit. 

E did not make her cake this time because we were tight on time the weekend before so she said she wanted an ice cream cake. I wasn't super impressed by this Reese's cake especially because it slid out of the box like this but the kids liked it and so that's what matters. 

I call M my closeted competitive kid because she can be so go with the flow but then this ultra-competitive side pops out. She hates losing. Anyhow, she's been swimming ever since the Y (huge praise) was able to reopen swim team over the summer. With it getting colder I dug out the swim warm up I've found in her favorite color. I was SURE she would freak out because she wouldn't have a clue about it. I was super careful about stealthily picking it up and not telling big sisters. Wouldn't you know, when she got into the car after swim practice, 30 minutes before we gathered for pizza and cake, she looked at me and said - I really hope I get a swim warm up for my birthday. Best laid plans.. best laid plans. 

So the bday was a success and after pizza and cake there was lots of playing with LOL and Barbies which had to wind down because there was school the next day. 

The Boy is FIVE

So excited for his cake!

E (and Papa) made raspberry poke cake. Red is A's current favorite color and the cake is a huge hit with Lee and I because it is light and not super sweet - so it was a win all around. We had family over for A's party and feasted on pork that Lee (and A) spent cooking on the pig cooker (in the rain) the day before. Last year it was a bond fire, this year a pig. A pig mainly because we ran by a BBQ place for dinner and spent a bunch of $$$ and were underwhelmed. 

On A's actual bday the girls had swim and so some of the other younger swimmer brothers gathered for digging in the volleyball sand and ice cream. If there was a pic to sum up A's current mojo it is this. He loves to be digging or doing something outside that usually involves getting dirty and moving something. For a COVID-style bday or even non COVID bday, it probably couldn't have gotten any better or easier and the rain the day before was icing on the digging in the sandy water cake. 

Trucks. Sand. Water. Friends.

He will also find opportunities to take off his shirt as much as possible. 

I'm not the best gift picker-outer. Probably because I'm super practical and I usually think - okay you already have 25 trucks or 100 cars - but I was pretty happy that this toolset hit it out of the park. The hammer, screwdriver, pliers - everything is perfect for little hands - and just waiting to do a project with Papa. (It's worthy noting that he brought the hammer in the van and C halfway convinced him to knock his window  - fortunately he didn't : )