Saturday is a special day...

It's the day we play our soccer games!

Today was C's "Jet Dragons" team's first game. His team really hustled on the field. C*'s coach raved about how he was aggressively going for the ball. He loves to play goalie. When he is playing another position, he certainly runs for/with the ball, but he doesn't "fight" to get the ball out of the mix. So today, he really stepped up his game.

It was a little cool but not terribly cold at all. But M* and E* were "freezing." The chairs and German rain pouncho were turned into a tent for them to huddle together.




Here is E* peeking out...ridiculous!

C*'s favorite position!

The Jet Dragons' game was tied 1-1 at the final whistle. Good job team!

As soon as the parents made the tunnel for the kids, we packed up walked over a few fields for E*'s first game! Wahoo!

Things went smoothly. The young boy who reffed was someone I knew and his mom was there too. So it was a smooth transition to becoming a "seasoned" coach who has actually played a game. We were blessed with another player who was added to our team today. L* is actually in E's preschool class too. The Strikers played extremely well! I can honestly say that players were focused most of the entire game! E* did have one run in with his head...and sat out for a few minutes. Coach Frankie helped with the subs. I walked up and down, up and down the field as the both teams dribbled back and forth.

I was so happy when we got the first and second goals...and it just kept coming. I think we ended up with 5 goals. A shut out!

After goal 3, E ran up to me and exclaimed, "Coach Dawn, it's 3-0!!!" in an excited voice. Although it's all for fun, it is nice for the team to start off on such a great note.

Here is our end of the game "Go Strikers!" huddle/cheer.

Now...to get the photographer to take more pix of the game/players than the kids huddled in the "tent!"

First soccer practice...Check!

Tonight was my first soccer practice as a coach.

Coach Dawn and E*

It went pretty well. I was told that we would have 4 players and this level (U4) only plays 4 at a time. One goalie, 3 palyers. Which meant no substitutes for the game. But one woman and her son switched over to our team. So now we have 5 players and an assistant coach. "Coach Frankie," as she would like to be called, actually plays soccer. She will be a great help for us. Though it was a little...unnerving?...to see her walking up with soccer shoes on! haha. But she was very kind and easy to work with. And I had someone to verify my coaching advice. While I know about soccer, I haven't actually played it on a team or taught it. So tonight went like this:

Me to a soccer player: When you are the goalie, you want to stand a little in front of the goal. If you are standing in the goal, and catch ball, it will count as a score.

Then me to Coach Frankie: Right?

Haha. Double checking is always good...right?

She was great and hopefully didn't thing I was too green. Our first game is on Saturday. Oh yeah...and we're the STRIKERS!

Impressive Song

Today, I had a Brownie Leader meeting and McK* decided that she wanted to go with me. Usually there is child care and maybe she just wanted to check out the meeting. Not sure. We walked in and didn't see the usual child care so we sat down in the back of the room. There were 2 other ladies already sitting there, one of which knew McK from school and cheerfully greeted her by name. I was a bit surprised. McK even answered her back. After this mother introduced herself, she told me how McK and her daughter were in this special new "club" that just formed. I was pretty confused. And the mom kept explaining. Mrs. D had been teaching the kids the names of ALL the US presidents, in order. And Mck and D*, the other DD, were the first and only 2 students who could say them to the teacher. Actually sing them to the teacher.

I was so impressed. And a little embarassed that I didn't know about this endeavor and never helped her practice. Wow!


After we got home, I told Ken and I asked her to sing it to us. And sure enough, she could do all the names! Impressive. Wow! Spectacular! Get that girl some new lotion from BBW! haha.

McK...You are a super star!

Crazy Hair Day 2008

DS, C*, remembers most everything. Albeit, at times it is nearly on the late side. The kids were eating breakfast this morning as I was making lunches when C* announced that "today is Crazy Hair Day." Well...you know that meant that I had a lot more to do than make lunches before the bus got here! haha. But being a child of the 80's...if I can't do it, then I should have lived in a different decade!







C*'s hair already needs a haircut so his spike hair went quite high. Luckily we had some super powerful hair gel/coloring. M* accepted a side pont tail instead of the side "bun" that she originally wanted. Three stripes of hot pink hair product and a layer or 5 of hair spray held the pony tail all day! C*'s hair stood the test of a day at school, an afternoon at a friends house...AND a soccer practice!