Maddie's First Soccer Game

Yes, it's true. Maddie is a "Bumblebee." (team name, compliments of Daddy - AKA 'assistant coach if the coach has a work emergency')

She played tough. She played hard. She played for four minutes at a time.

She drove the ball all the way down the field and almost scored the first time her foot touched the ball in the game. The ball bounced off someone and the smallest girl on the team (far left) toddled over and kicked it in. Maddie's first assist!

It's tough for Johnny and me since both games are at 11 A. We have no idea why the powers that be would schedule their games at the same time. So, we ran back and forth from one field to the other, trying to catch some of each game. Can't wait until the next two weeks when our cheering section will be bigger and take some of the pressure off us!

Click below to play the video of Maddie. Listen as she tells the other members of the team, "Go that way! Go that way!" Needless to say, their team did score for the other team at least once.

Liam's First Soccer Game

Liam's first game was today at 11 AM. He's in a U8 team, so everyone on the team is 6 or 7. His team had only 6 players (6 play at a time) at the first practice, but the coach said two more had been added since then. Unfortunately, only 5 showed up for the game today. So, they played 5 on 5 and Liam and his teammates all played the whole game with no break. In the beating down sun. It was hot.

Liam played defender for a while and even got a turn at goalie. (Liam: "It was fun, but I only stopped one ball!") He seemed to really like playing. He did his best to pay attention to the game. The other team had several previous seasons of playing together, so they were pretty unstoppable. And one kid had to be at least 9, from the looks of him!

He is eager to play again next week, especially because the grandparents are coming up the next two weekends.

Play below to see Liam kick off and then wait for the perfect moment to set up the perfect kick.

The world according to Liam...

I gave Liam a disposable camera for his birthday. I thought it would be fun to capture the world through his eyes. There were some shots of him on his birthday. There were several nice pictures that he took in our old house. One of Isabella, Maddie and I. One of his reflection in the mirror in Maddie's old bedroom. One in the kitchen of the old house.

After I picked them up, he and I sat down and went through the photos together. We oohhed and aahhed at the pictures. When we got to the ones in the old house, he got quiet. I asked if he like the pictures. He said, "Are these from our old house?" I said, "Yes! Isn't that great?" He looked at me with that look whether you're not sure if he's being a smart-aleck or being sincere. He was being sincere. He says, "Mom? I think I'm almost gonna cry."

When two act up, one has to take the high road...

We sit down to the table for supper - Dean Martin playing, candles burning. Suddenly, Liam and Maddie are whining in harmony about dinner. "I don't like this kind of chicken." "The potatoes are too salty." (which they were - oops) "The skin on the chicken is too crispy." "I don't want to eat this." "I only like one thing you made."

I look over at Isabella and she is happily eating amidst the chaos. Suddenly, all is quiet for a moment. Isabella looks up expectantly. "Sooooo....who made the carrots?" I look at her and say, "I did." She leans over and hugs me and makes that face where she squishes her face up. "Thanks, mama!"

We are carpooling with Daniel, a 2nd grader in Liam's class. The kids went over to his house to play after school. Johnny is reading Liam "The Hobbit" at bedtime and he loves it. We are all excited for the first soccer games on Saturday.

Finally, the girls can be girly

Johnny helped Liam get ready this morning, so I actually had a minute to do something cute with the girls' hair. I hope this doesn't set everyone's expectations too high...

Futbol - or is it Soccer?

Tonight was soccer practice. Maddie's first, Liam's second. Liam is in the middle of the age group, Maddie is the oldest on the team. Liam is fast and he has good instincts about where the ball is going. Maddie is the same. Both are still working on controlling the ball while dribbling. And passing. Well, more like even noticing that there's anyone else on the field. But that is more than typical at this age.

Maddie's coach has two kids who also go to the kids' school. The son, W, is on Maddie's team and in Isabella's class. The daughter, E, is in my toddler class. She's a doll. The dad works for the health department. He asked for a volunteer to help if he should have an emergency for work. No one raised their hand, so.... Johnny's the assistant coach!
Hooray, Johnny! Go Team 2 in the Munchkin League!

There is a boy on Liam's team who is a bit...aggressive, but not just while he's playing. Liam came home last week and said:

Liam: "Everyone was really nice, except this one boy. He kept kicking everybody's soccer ball far away and telling them to 'get used to it.' And he was cutting in line."

Today, Liam told me as he was getting dressed for practice: "I'm going to wear my 'crabby shirt' (that Johnny got for him in Baltimore that says, 'Don't bother me, I'm CRABBY') so maybe that boy won't mess with me then."

So, I took Liam to his practice today while Isabella and Johnny were Maddie's cheering section at hers. I watched for this kid and spotted him immediately. He was cutting in front of other kids during drills. He was hitting kids with his ball, and generally being a pain in the ass. At one point, he went up to Liam to cut in front of him (Liam was next in line to go for the drill) and Liam stood up to him, not saying anything, just standing strong. So, the kid left him alone and cut in behind him. Liam was proud.

The kicker: The punk is the coach's son. :) Ahhhh... Team sports.
Let the fun begin. We're ready...


First game: this Saturday 11 AM Central Time.

Furnishing the Clubhouse

The clubhouse is complete. While Johnny and I fixed supper, the kids moved the furniture from the garage all the way around the back into the clubhouse. They didn't think that they could carry it all, but with a little teamwork and Hickey ingenuity, they made it work.


Maddie comes in and says: "Is there anything we could use for a TV?"

Johnny and I look at each other silently, deciding which one of us would make a smart-ass comment.

Johnny: "You mean, something that's not actually a TV?"

I suddenly got what she meant and asked, "Do you mean, like a box cut out to be a TV?"

Maddie: "Yeah, so somebody can be on TV and say [insert serious voice] 'Today, in the news...'"


So, we get a box and cut out a square. Maddie draws buttons on the TV and takes it out to the clubhouse. They set it in the open window. The kids all take turns sticking their face in front of it, with Liam hogging the face time a little. Maddie runs back into the garage to get something she had seen in there earlier. She comes running back out to the clubhouse.

Maddie: "I got the remote so we can turn Liam off when we get sick of him!"

Leonardo DiCaprio's got nothing on Isabella

Isabella is helping me bring bags of mulch from the van to the backyard by pushing/pulling the wagon stacked full of mulch bags. She wants to pull it herself, despite the fact that it is physically impossible for her to do it completely by herself. We take the turn in the backyard and the top two bags fall off the stack onto the ground. I continue pulling the wagon, she stops pushing and stands on top of the two stacks.

Isabella: Look, Daddy: I'm the world of the king! I'm the world of the king!


Eddie Money is coming into Fort Wayne for a concert Thursday night. The radio station we listen to has been advertising all weekend, playing snippets of his tunes. I was working on the clubhouse with Maddie when she started singing along:

Maddie: I've got... Two tickets to Chuck-E-Cheese...

Kat: What?

Maddie: When we were at Grandma's, she had tickets to Chuck-E-Cheese so me and Liam sang, "I've got two tickets to Chuck-E-Cheese"!

Less talking, more drinking

(thanks for the caption, Dad)

Our neighbors, Karen and John are having a campfire tonight. They invited the neighborhood over at 8 pm. She told us they had stuff to make s'mores, beer and wine and to just come over. The kids looked up at the clock and saw the 8 and jumped up to go. Liam burst out the door, with Maddie not far behind. Maddie turns around at the sliding glass door and looks back.

Maddie: Are you guys coming?

Johnny: I gotta be honest, Maddie. I really don't feel like talking to anybody right now.

Maddie thinks a minute, but doesn't miss a beat.

Maddie: Beer?

Poor Dad gets blamed for everything

September 1, 7:50 pm:

Maddie: Daddy? Did you do the laundry today?

Johnny: Did I do the laundry? No. Why?

Maddie: Well, Liam's shirt is in my drawer and my shirt is in Isabella's drawer!

Johnny: You think that because everything is in the wrong place, that I did it?


Maddie loved her first day all day at school. Liam continues to not say too much about it, but seems to be having a great time and making friends. I'm noticing little differences in him: more respect for others and for "the rules". Isabella continues to be completely potty trained. She saw me at the fence between her playground and the toddler playground (where I was with my class) today.

Yesterday, that caused her to cry and scream at the fence. Today, I gave her a kiss and said, "Go play and I'll see you soon!" She said, "Okay!" and skipped away. What a difference a day makes. Loving it for her, but missing my baby.