Fall Soccer

Carter has played quite a few team sports over the last few years: soccer, t-ball, basketball. And they've all pretty much gone the same way. Carter primarily wants to wear the uniform and eat the snacks, but has no interest in playing the sport. So we stopped signing him up for sports. Which, of course, made him want to play more. We cut him a deal with t-ball this summer. He could play, but he really had to play or else we'd stop going. Also, we wouldn't sign him up for  a fall sport if he didn't participate in the summer sport. Naturally, he made a very good effort in t-ball this summer, so we signed him up for soccer. I actually think the change in his attitude was due more to him being developmentally ready than it was to our deal, but either way, he now seems to (mostly) be as interested in playing the sport as he does in donning the uniform.

Carter's soccer team this fall was the very BEST team we've ever been on! It was really fun for Carter and for us. There are several reasons for this:

1. We already knew the coaches and more than half of the team members (previously, we've been randomly assigned and didn't know anyone).
2. The team practiced and played games at a school that is just down the street from our house, so no messing with driving and parking.
3. The practices were on Friday nights, so we didn't feel the pressure about getting home and getting homework and dinner done by bedtime. 
4. The weather was perfect for every practice and game.
5. Carter really improved his soccer skills! 
6. The coaches were so great. During the first practice, Carter and his friend David found a stick after practice and several of the boys on the team really wanted to keep it. One of the coaches took it home, painted it gold, and made it their "team stick" it came to most games. 
7. Because the practices were on Friday nights, and walking distance from our house, I found myself with a sippy cup of wine or beer, chatting with parents I know and like on most Friday nights.

I think we're going to have to give up sports for good now, because I'm pretty sure we won't have it this good ever again!

The team (pictures, thankfully, before we lost Carter's jersey)

Post-season party on election night

Team cake

Many Sides of Carter

Saturday was a busy one for us, and Carter had many different roles to play

First up, soccer player: fauxhawk and uniform

Next, vocal (and bells) performance at a festival: fancy clothes and "square" hair

Third: Playdate at our house with a classmate (no pics!)

Late afternoon: Hiking on a local trail and errand running with mom

Finally, losing another tooth!

One day, lots of different Carters!

Go Cubs!

Congrats to the T-Ball Cubs on a great season!


- Posted by T using BlogPress from my iPhone

T-Ball Season

It's that time of year!

Last year, Carter was on the Phillies. This year, we were assigned to the Giants for about a half an hour -- until I discovered that the Giants practiced at 5:30 on a weeknight. We had to switch to a team with a later practice time, and the switch turned out to be a good thing, because now Carter is on the Cubs!

(I'm guessing that we weren't the only family that requested a switch to a team with a later practice time, as our team seems larger than most. I wonder if all those other parents were as blindsided as we were that they even have weekday practices. It certainly wasn't in the promotional material! Ah, the YMCA...)

Carter was reluctant to pose for a picture in his uniform until I told him that his friends Eleanor and Thomas really like the Cubs, and would definitely want to see a picture of him in his Cubs gear!

Thomas is helping the coach out on the field and at practices

At the first game, Carter got the best spot as the last batter. It's the best spot because, in t-ball rules, the last hitter always gets a grand slam!

Itty Bitty Basketball

Okay, so this post probably warranted a little bit of narrative. But yesterday, the choices were pics with no narrative or no pics at all. Here's a little bit about the basketball:

1. Yesterday was their first, and only practice. The next 5 weeks will be "game-like-situations" consisting of 4 ten-minute quarters. 3-on-3, with basically no rules (e.g. traveling is totally allowed, owing to #4 below).
2. Games for Itty Bitty Basketball are at 8:30 and 9:15am on Saturday mornings. Had I known this ahead of time, he probably would not be playing basketball until he ages into a group with more reasonable time slots.
3. During practice, they rotated through 4 stations (defense, dribbling, passing and shooting).
4. I'm not sure how you are supposed to teach a 4 year old to dribble... and I'm pretty sure no one else there (including the athletic staff) knew either.
5. Carter was so excited that he slept in his basketball uniform.
6. He seemed to enjoy the practice, and, yes, he made a few shots.
7. After the practice he insisted that he didn't want to ride home in the car with us. He wanted to walk home -- alone. Needless to say, he didn't get that wish. But I've promised him he can just as soon as he turns 12.
8. And yes, he's the tallest Itty Bitty we've seen so far.

More T-Ball Pics

Here are a few more pictures from t-ball. I had to miss most of this game because of work (yes, on a Saturday), so I was glad to get these pics from friends (and parents of a teammate).

(and hello from Seattle, btw...)