Wordless Wednesday

Our Soccer Star

I simply cannot put into words how many emotions have been felt today regarding Stetson's first soccer game.  We have all been so excited yet anxious at the same time, but no one felt it more than Stetson.  Well, maybe Daddy.  :)

Stetson could not wait to get dressed and ready and GO!  Finally, he was in his warm-ups and off to the big event.

I am pleased to introduce to you our little soccer star!!

GO NUMBER 11!!!

Here he is with his fellow Dragons warming up with Coach Wendell before the game.

Let the game begin!!

I am one proud Mama today!!  In the first minute of the game our Stetson dribbled the ball down the field, made a shot on the goal, and scored!! He scored the first goal of the game, of the season, and of his life!!

Technically they don't keep score, but the Dragons won the game 17-5!!  Believe me, those boys knew exactly what the score was the whole time.  Great job, Dragons!!

After the game, he got to enjoy a Gatorade and snack from Coach Wendell!  He earned it!

It is difficult to capture moments of a soccer game with a still shot camera, so here is a little video so you can experience a taste of it.  Watch # 11 in action!

We are so proud of you, Stetson!!

On a side note, we now have a very excited Assistant Coach living at our house too! Congratulations, Coach J!

Indoor Safari Park

Cassidy was invited to Aiden's birthday party today at the Indoor Safari Park!  I had no idea this place even existed, but I'm glad I know now.  She had an absolute blast!

She started out playing in the indoor play area.  It was like most with the tunnels and slides, etc.

Wheeeee....

She landed right in the ball pit!  I remember how fun these were when I was little!

Cassidy also enjoyed swinging these miniature punching bags.  Million Dollar Baby in the making??

After the play area, Cassidy got to ride on an elephant!  I have no idea how this was made but it literally walked around.  

Next stop...the train station!!  Cassidy headed straight for the caboose when she was allowed to board.

Her friend Gabriel joined her.  Do you think she is excited?!

Choo Choo!!

After all the playing, the kids enjoyed pizza and cake.  Here is Cassidy giving the birthday boy a big hug after he opened her gift.

Happy 3rd Birthday, Aiden!  Thanks for inviting Cassidy to your fabulous party!

Wordless Wednesday

New Addition

We have a new addition to the family!  Well, actually, we have three.  We have been in search of stools since we moved in and we finally found some we like.  Believe it or not, they are not that easy to find...especially at counter height and in color.

Introducing our new stools (already in use)...

These two were so excited to have a change of scenery.

CHEESE!

When did they get so big?

Stetson asked me to point out his new tennis shoes too.  They were picked up today as well.

I can see many bowls of cereal consumed on these stools over the years.  They are a welcome addition!

Girl Time!

Cassidy had a first today!  Santa left Hello Kitty nail polish in her stocking this year and she has been asking to use it.  So today was the day!  We headed to the bathroom for a little girl time.

I was so proud of Cassidy for sitting still while I painted her toes.  She acted as though this was her 100th time, not her 1st.

Pretty pink toes!

She was a wee bit excited when we were done.

I think Hello Kitty is a new favorite friend. That's my little girly girl!

Wordless Wednesday

Happy Valentine's Day

May you all be filled with lots of love and happiness today.  Happy Valentine's Day from our family to yours.  xxxooo

Finishing Touches

We are SO close to Valentine's Day!  Each year as the kids get older, I am reminded of just how fun Valentine's Day is.  Stetson is over-the-moon excited about his party at school tomorrow, and Cassidy is still trying to figure out exactly what all the excitement is about.  I have a feeling she will remember this Valentine's Day!

As you know, the Valentine cards are complete. That doesn't mean we are finished though!  Just look at what we accomplished tonight!

Stetson found a zebra print mug for his teacher (her favorite) and filled it with goodies.

Cassidy found soup mugs for her teachers and filled them with goodies as well.

Since Cassidy's friends aren't really into candy yet, we tried to think of something else we could give them along with their Valentine cards.  Play-Doh!!

We are now officially ready to spread some love tomorrow!  If you haven't done so already, try to find the fun in Valentine's Day again...it's worth it!  I have to thank my little love bugs for helping me.

Special Snack

The weather is pretty chilly outside today so we have had a lazy day inside.  There is only so much that can be done before boredom strikes, though. To try to combat that, we decided to make a special snack this afternoon.

It starts with two kiddos very excited to do something fun.  Check.

Then you need sliced banana, Nilla wafers, sprinkles and peanut butter.  Check.

You make a sandwich with two Nilla wafers and a banana slice; held together with peanut butter and rolled in sprinkles. Check.

Then you dig in!!

Messy but good!

Ah...cookies and sugar, with a little fruit mixed in.  Everyone is happy.

Getting Ready for Valentine's Day

The kiddos are getting ready for Valentine's Day on Tuesday!  They have picked out the Valentine cards they will give to their friends, and already have them ready to go.  We had so much fun getting to this point.

Here is Cassidy with her Barbie valentines.  Do you think she likes them because they are Barbie or because they are pink??  Tough call.

I had to help Cassidy with her cards, but Stetson did his all by himself!  He chose to give out Star Wars sucker valentines.  He wrote each of his friends' names on an envelope and stuffed a sucker inside.

It was so fun to hear his reasoning behind why he was writing this person's name in this color, or why this person was getting this character, etc.  

All we have to do now is wait for Tuesday!!  I hope it gets here soon.

Soccer!

Stetson had his very first soccer practice today!! He is on an all-boy team named the Dragons, and he couldn't be more excited! His team colors are hunter green and black and he even got to pick out his own number (11 is what he chose).

Practice began with introductions so Stetson could meet Coach Wendell and all his new friends. There are seven boys on the team, all age 5 or 6. It was chilly this evening, but they were all fired up to play together.

After introductions, Coach Wendell introduced the team to "Dribble Island".  Dribble Island is a large square made of cones where they learn their drills and ball control.  Each player finds their spot on the island, but they are not allowed to leave the island, nor is their ball.  

Here is Stetson practicing his "pull back" drill. This is where he puts his foot on top of the ball, pulls it behind him, and turns around to go the opposite direction.

 Dribble Island as seen from afar...

After practicing all their drills, the team played Shark and Minnows.  In this game, one person is designated as the shark (orange shirt) and the shark's job is to kick all the minnows'  fish eggs off Dribble Island.  Once a minnow's fish egg is off the island (whether by the shark or themselves), that person is out of the game.  The last minnow standing becomes the shark in the next game.

Here is Stetson protecting his fish egg from the shark...

And then Stetson became the shark and was out for blood!

After an hour of practice, we were out of daylight so it was time to call it quits.  I think it is pretty safe to say that Stetson LOVES soccer!  We are looking forward to a great season!  Go Dragons!!

P.S....just in case you were wondering, this is what Cassidy was doing during soccer practice.