Just one more in a long list

It hasn't been the best month for us, with car accidents (no one injured, thankfully) and a bunch of other things going wrong, but our computer has died, so no posts for awhile.   Hopefully, we will remedy the situation soon.   Bye, for now.

We went to the Hogle Zoo awhile ago, I just realized I haven't posted about our day.  We went with some cousins on Erik's side.   Melanie and Erik, Katie and Zach and me and the three boys.  We missed Anna and Jocelyn (they weren't able to make it).  I didn't take many pictures but here are a few.

We loved the bird show.  (Last time we went, an owl touched Ben and my heads, we were not so lucky this time, although Ben won a little pack of crayons and Nick and Ben both got braclets.)   Thanks for inviting us Melanie and Katie!  We had a great time.

Need I Say More?

Ben's first day of Preschool

Ben has finally started school!  

He wasn't thrilled about me taking his picture, and then he tucked his shirt in (since first tucking in his soccer shirt, this has become a trend), and told me to get one from the side??

He seems to really like it despite the earlier worries about what exactly would be happening to him there.  I asked him how it was and he said "I eat school lunch now!"  that would be snack time served around 10:30 or so.  I guess he can ask his teacher for food.   He said that Miss Kathryn "talked nice" but one girl was so RUDE.  He told me he has lots of friends and was quite upset that I couldn't name them all for him.  I will have to work on that.  I was looking forward to five hours a week with only Zach, but silly me, I am tending Olivia during that time.  It is a good thing that I adore her.

Soccer (Again) !

Well, it is soccer time again.   Ben is thrilled to be playing this year and Nick is an old pro.  Nick and Ben happened to get the same color this year.  (I wish I only had to pay for one jersey since it drowns them both, and they are sharing shin guards anyway).  I am glad that both coaches decided to hold practices half an hour before games.  Otherwise, this would be a four night a week commitment.  Thank Goodness for only two.  They both play most games at 5, so Erik shows up as soon as he can, I am always glad to have another parent there.

Nick's eyes are dialated and he can't see without the glasses, hence two pair.

Ben's games are hilarious.  His coach is the 15 year old sister of one of the boys.  She is great.  She has the energy to keep up with them.  She is actually teaching them.  Ben said he needs to work on his "skills"  :)  They don't really know what they are doing.   Every three minutes one of them runs off the field crying, (he said "no hands", he kicked me, I want the ball, I was going to kick it, etc).  Ben has held it together so far, no tears.  He loves it and wants to be on the field the entire time.  Which is fortunate because out of eight team members only three will play.  Occasionally one of the other dads will drag their crying kid out onto the field and demand they play.  Doesn't usually work.  

Nick has a few people from last year and a few new, which is good.  Lots of friends to make.  He is doing great.  He scored a goal in his first game and plays the second tomorrow.  I got a great picture of him kicking the ball.   Unfortunately, waiting 2 seconds, would have gotten me a great picture of him scoring a goal.  He tells Ben that he already learned all his "skills."   

I thought Nick was calling someone.  He says sticking his tongue out at someone.  (Thanks for teaching him that one, Erik!

I am destined to spend much of my life attending sporting events.  So I am learning to enjoy them.  Both these boys are athletic and good natured about the games, I feel bad for the dads, making their kids "have fun."

An interesting side note:  At Ben's last game, they played a team with five players.  Two were named Erik (probably Eric, but it makes the story better), one was named Zach and the other two, sure enough Nick and Ben.  Pretty weird.   I bet that won't happen again.