End of 2017, Hello 2018

Good morning/afternoon everyone. I only say that because I'll probably finish this literally after noon.  2017 comes to a close today with a lot of great highlights and lowlights to discuss, but first, the week we had. It was an unfortunately quiet week as far as Mia's break. Due to the cold temps (couldn't go tubing/sledding) and Jill not feeling the best, we didn't do a lot. It was the first time ever since Jill and I have been together that her and Mia didn't go anywhere for the break. We saw Ferdinand on Wednesday evening. It was pretty cute and I'll probably not have any reason to watch it again. Chelsea played Stoke and destroyed them 5-0. Great win and fantastic to see them fighting hard to get into 2nd place which will be a great position to start in for 2018.

 Later, We took our very disgusting Remi to get washed up. He hasn't had a bath in such a long time and we couldn't stand the smell anymore. Now he's super fluffy and smells great. Jill went to acupuncture while Remi and I watched Man U draw Southampton with my Dad. Jill's parents stopped over later at our house and we had some dinner before Mia decided to have a sleepover by her Grandparents. After dinner, she packed up her bag and was on her way. I drew for her lunch note when she returns to school while Jill watched Netflix till we went to sleep.

As we continue to wait for Mia to come home (maybe I'll see her before I go to work) I'm going to highlight 2017's highs and lows. Here we go:

2017 was a pretty exciting year for us. Despite the biggest idiot on the planet making president, Mia had an awesome year. She completed Kindergarten and started 1st grade. The amount of friends she's made is amazing. Mia had her very first dance recital. She did great and didn't get nervous. Over the Summer, she had her first ever sleepovers at both Cecilia's house and Noelle's house. She's always been nervous about the whole process but when it comes to the actual sleepover, she really loves it. Both are great friends of hers. Mia played on the New Berlin Lightning soccer team that I helped coach. That's probably my biggest highlight of the year (with a close second Chelsea winning the league). Coaching was a complete joy for me. Lots of hard work went into this and I'm super proud of Mia, myself and the team I coached. The parents were great in helping with snacks as well. Mia can't wait to start again in the Fall and hopes to score a goal next season. One of the other exciting things I got to do was teach a 2nd grade class of kids some drawing techniques. The whole class was great and it was a lot of fun. I didn't realize till then that I love teaching art to kids and hope to do it again soon.

Despite not having an interest in learning how to ride her bike, Mia taught herself how to ride a scooter.  Her determination to blaze down sidewalks and hills on it has sparked her interest in teaching herself how to skateboard next year. The last bit of Summer, she would try to do it and she has the general motion for pushing herself but holds my hand. My board's bearings aren't the best (the board is probably 16+ years old) so I promised her when she can push herself on her own, I'll buy her a board for herself that's custom to her specifications. Mia's completely out of Frozen and has moved on to Star Wars and Harry Potter.

We had some great trips and adventures as well. We took a day trip to the Brookfield Zoo, plenty of trips and art classes for Mia at the Milwaukee County Zoo, took Mia to a Torrent game and went ice skating in a suburb of Chicago with friends on Christmas Eve. Some low moments: Remi has had some injuries. Ripped at two different times his dew claw. The worst so far has been the hotspots on his paw. He's trying to recover and we're going on about a month so far with the cone-of-shame. I sincerely hope it improves because its been hella stressful for me to keep coming home from work to see him bloody and gross.

I'm becoming more recognized for my art (specifically in Mia's school) and may have some opportunities in 2018 to do more teaching at her school and possibly others. I did some commission work in design and need to re-evaluate how I price my hours and make more money. Totally low-balled myself on my most recent one.

In 2018, we've got some exciting things going on. January, I'm taking Mia, Cecilia and Jill to their first Wave game. June, I'll hit 20 years with Kwik Trip. Way more then I planned to stick around but the long sentence will reward me with a paid month sabbatical. We're doing our major trip to CA/Hawai'i which clearly will be the most exciting part of the year. I've got plenty of Torrent games to go to and hope to take Mia as well. Mia's excited to turn 7 (oh my God..) and wants to do another fun birthday party with her friends.

That's all for now. Working 2-10 tonight. Stay safe, don't drink and drive and thanks for reading!

A Snowy Christmas in a Galaxy Far Far Away

Greetings and Happy Holidays everyone. Man, was it a busy week but the holidays are over and we're almost complete with the year, but not before a busy last week of school before Mia's break. We did some cookie baking with some friends on Wednesday. Great time and a possibly new holiday tradition. Mia had a Pajama Day Thursday and a holiday party Friday at school before she was done for the year till January. It'll be a nice break from the schedule and we'll take full advantage of the time to relax and hang with friends. Saturday, Jill made the trek down to Illinois to visit her friends Kara and Sammi while I watched the Chelsea vs Everton match. It was quite the disappointing draw and we really need to stop losing or drawing to these teams that we should be defeating. I missed most of the League Cup match against Boro because A-My half bro Todd came for a surprise visit (which was fantastic) and B-I made a haircut appointment at a barber. Great place that I may return to in the future. CFC won and will be in the semi-finals.

After the Chelsea vs Everton match, Mia and I ran to a few stores (bad idea) to get our candy and Izzy before The Last Jedi. She was super excited to see her first Star Wars movie in theaters (as was I). Despite my sister telling me a pivotal moment in the plot, we enjoyed it and Mia lasted the 2 1/2 hours. She of course loved the Porgs and and crystal foxes. The movie has had some serious backlash with parts that could have been omitted or edited, but no movie is perfect and overall, we both liked it. We went home and met up with Jill before heading over to her parents house for a Christmas eve eve dinner. Great time playing the dice game and spending time with family. Mia even tried crab legs and loved them. At Heather's house she tried peanuts and surprise surprise, loved them.

Sunday morning, we got up early and went down to Illinois to skate with Jill's friends Leanne, Jacqui and Rick plus Caleb. Jill somehow got through the crappy snow and we made it. She took pictures of us. It was Mia's 1st time on single-blade skates and Caleb's first time ever skating. Both kids did great and had a lot of fun. We met up with Nicole and Jason after and had lunch before make the trek back to Wisconsin to meet up with my family for Christmas Eve. The drive wasn't as bad going back. Mia got all kinds of great gifts and myself some money towards our big trip. She had a lot of fun playing with her cousins and it is ever so evident that Easton totally looks up to Mia. He wouldn't leave without a hug from her and luckily Mia was cool about it. We drove home, watched a few episodes of Fuller House and Mia crashed for the night. We were all exhausted after the traveling back and forth. I did some final touches on the book before going to bed. Today, Mia got up around 9:00am, remembered we got snow just in time for Christmas, and made her way dow the stairs to check out the loot.

She immediately gave us our gifts she picked out before getting too much into her own. She did the sweet gesture last year as well. As much as she loves to get presents, she equally likes to give. Whether its hand-made gifts or things she picked out with a parent, she's always stoked to give. She LOVED her new Adventures of Mia and Red Panda book that she read before we went to The Ridenours. She got plenty of Shopkins stuff, some Hatchamal toys (ugh) and LOL Dolls (double ugh..) We had breakfast and relaxed before going to the inlaws. Mia opened more gifts as well as Jill and I did. I got an Everything Sucks Descendents record, a cool pocket drone, TLA live dvd, A GoPro stick for our trip, the new Pirates movie, a CFC street sign, A Bob Ross Pop vinyl,  plus plenty more. Jill and Mia both got flippers and snorkels for the trip as well as a crucial inversion table for Jill. Hopefully she can better her body overall with it (as its been recommended a dozen times to her from various people in the medical field) I'm hoping it helps. My parents came over later and we had a delicious dinner, played another few rounds of the dice game before they left. We left soon after. It was a busy weekend and we're off and running with Mia's Winter Break. As far as plans for the week, we have nothing planned. I have work tomorrow again and we may hang out with Mia's friend Olivia. Possibly go sledding? Who knows. That's all for now, thanks for reading!

A Concert And a Sleepover

Good evening everyone! Quite a busy week, and with only a week before Christmas, it's going to get even more intense. Wednesday after school, we raced through the snow to Jill's studio for Mia to have her picture taken with Santa. Like normal, she was pretty shy, but excited to see the big man and tell him what she wants. The reason why we "raced" is that Mia had a holiday concert that night as well, so we had to make sure we were back in time to feed the diva and get her to the school. The snow may have been a bit sketchy, but we made it as well as both her Grandparents and even Uncle Tommy made the trek from Madison. Despite the fact that the songs were a bit silly being related to farms and farm animals and not remotely close to anything holiday-themed, it was pretty adorable and the kids did great. Like always, Mia was stoked everyone could make it. We had a rough angle to watch Mia sing (as you can see on the picture) because one of her classmates stood sorta in front of her most of the concert. Ugh.

Remi's paw has still been a problem. Just when I thought he was improving, I came home tonight and discovered its as rough as ever. The spray and balm I got for it haven't been working much so I dunno what to do. Friday was an exciting day for Mia. She was going to a big sleepover at her friend Noelle's house. Charlie, Cecilia, Noelle, Ellahrose and Katelyn were all spending the night together, watching movies and doing crafts. I came home from work at 10:30 and discovered a pretty cute picture of all of them on the living room floor watching The Santa Clause. Apparently, they were still awake at 11:30 with some wanting to sleep, and others chattering away and giggling. Mia and Katelyn fell asleep first. I spent my Friday evening post-work working on the book.

Saturday morning I got up to watch Chelsea take on Southampton. I got a message from Noelle's Mom that the girls all woke up around 5:00am! WHY kids!? They watched some a Descendants movie and lay around before working on crafts. I picked up Mia at halftime during the game. She had the best time and had so much fun. I thought she'd still want to play with her friends, but she was exhausted and wanted to head home. We went home, watched Chelsea beat the Saints before turning on Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone. First of all, great movie. Really fun and Mia would explain every single scene to me whether I wanted her to or not. Really enjoyed it. We didn't finish it till Sunday morning because when Jill got home from some photo sessions at the studio, we packed up some baking supplies and went to my parent's for the traditional cookie baking extravaganza. The ladies had fun making all kinds of tasty treats my Dad and I sampled. Mia's severe lack of sleep started to show its ugly colors and she became more and more crabby. We split and went home. She passed out on the way home but awoken when we got in. Watched a bit of My Little Pony before calling it a night...at 8:30pm. Way early for the kid, but she needed to catch up on sleep. I worked on some drawing and an Ian Bennett photo edit before sleeping.

Sunday, she woke up happy and conquered her homework. We finished HP and a bit later, I went to work. This week I need to finish the book and we're baking cookies with some friends of Jill's as well. Saturday, she's doing a day trip to Chicago to meet up with friends while I take Mia to see Star Wars. That's all for now thanks for reading!

Snowy

Hello everyone! We realized today that we're literally booked the rest of the year as far as any weekends off. Insane. The week started out crappy with Remi having to return to the vet to have his irritated paw looked at. He had a really difficult time walking and limped around. It was heartbreaking so after taking Mia to school I took him to the vet. After an x-ray, they didn't find anything broken or infected so back went on the cone :( Just the other day, we wrapped it up because he could still find a way to lick it. At least now he isn't limping.

Mia had Career Week at her school so Tuesday, she dressed as a dolphin trainer. she still wants the job and loves dolphins. Thursday was Spirit Day so Mia proudly wore her Carroll University shirt. She always loves wearing her shirt and tells people that that's where her Mommy and Daddy met and fell in love. So many great memories. Friday night, Mia had something special to attend. Jill's Dad took her to the Shopkins LIVE! event in Milwaukee. Mia's been looking forward to that for months. He even got her the VIP tickets so she could meet the girls after the show. Mia LOVED it and they had a very nice little night together. I'm so glad he could take the diva and have this fantastic memory together.  Saturday, I got up pretty early to watch Chelsea fall to West Ham in a shockingly terrible match. Couldn't believe they couldn't get in this one. Such garbage. They play this Tuesday and better not lose again. Can't afford to drop points to teams that shouldn't be that difficult. So that sorta set the tone for me for the morning. The girls got up shortly after. Mia was super excited we got more snow and it was enough to run around and play in. She helped me shovel while Jill made apple pie macarons for her Dad for his birthday celebration we had planned for later.<3 .="" a="" about="" and="" artist="" asked="" been="" being="" blast="" careers.="" designer.="" diva.="" excitedly="" for="" freelance="" friday="" going="" graphic="" had="" i="" in="" maybe="" nbsp="" next="" p="" presenters="" school="" several="" she="" snow="" so="" some="" talked="" talking="" that="" the="" their="" they="" times="" to="" up="" ve="" walking="" was="" woke="" year.="">

After breakfast, we went to the studio to get some Christmas card pictures taken for Jill's family. Mia was beyond silly and wanted nothing to do with it. Pretty frustrating for a kid who knows better than that. Later, we fed the little diva and had an early dinner at her parents house. Her Dad enjoyed all the gift and we sorta just hung out till it was time to split.

Today, I didn't accomplish much before work, sadly. This week, I need to kick it into high gear on this book for Mia. I need to average about a page a day to get it complete. Luckily, tomorrow I'm off and after my eye appointment, have the day to work on it as much as possible. I'll have to do my daily sketch for Mia as well. That's all for now, thanks for reading!

The Morning Matinee

Evening everyone. Busy week to end off November. With the weather so enjoyable, it'll be tough to get back to a normal December this week. Last week, I had to once again, break Mia's heart that the sleepover her and Cecilia were planning for Saturday would have to postpone. Her parents had forgotten she had a cousin's birthday party Saturday night so she couldn't stay over. I did salvage the day and they made plans for a morning movie to see Coco, so Mia looked forward to that. Mia had a rough start to her Wed morning with a loose tooth that's been hanging on for a month or two bothering he. She tearfully asked if I could join her for lunch. FINE. It's not that I don't love going to lunch with he (I really do) but she's been having me go way more this year and Wednesday was a super busy day for me. Had a dentist appt that ran over the time because they did x-rays. I ran home, grabbed some yogurt tubes for Mia's sensitive mouth and ran to school. I missed the class walking down and had to walk into the lunch solo.

When I sat next to her friend Noelle, who was next to her with Cecilia on the other side, I apologized for being late and explained what happened. She was mad I wasn't there at the bench waiting, but understood and we moved on. Glad she' mature enough to know that Daddy was coming, and I know I was late, but at least I'm there now". We went out for recess with Mia and a dozen of her friends. That's the thing with when I go to lunch/recess. We end up with a dozens of kids wanting to play. Mia ended up playing with Cecilia and Avant (sp) for a while. He's a crazy boy I've never met and kept putting his arm around Mia. I asked if he likes her, and Mia goes "no he's just crazy". Okay. Later Ellahrose joined in and they took turns spinning each other on this disc thing. Mia and Cecilia were so chill playing at recess and for the most part, Ella was alright.

Later I went home to work on some graphics and logo stuff. I turned on the Chelsea vs Swansea match. Good win. Should have been a bigger win at FT but we'll take it. later, Mia met up with her ol BFF Olivia at school. While her bro had basketball, the dynamic duo played some basketball before we went home to make dinner.

Friday, I had a photo session with Wave star Ian Bennett and his wife. Short one, but it went well. The lense broke for some reason, but I made the best with what I had. Later, had to go to work but not before leaving a shirt/hat for Mia from Ian. She was pretty stoked. Came home from work and the tree was all decorated. Bummer I couldn't help, but oh well. Saturday, I got up bright and early to watch Chelsea beat Newcastle. Rough start, but the Blues got the job done and we earned the 3 points. A little later, Mia met up with Cecilia and we took the girls to go see Coco. What an emotional rollercoaster of a movie. Incredible movie. Beautiful art, music and story. Jill was crying. Mia and Cecilia really liked it too. There was a part that had Cecilia gripping and (she was next to me) she looked over gasping and goes "OH MY GOD MY HEART IS BEATING SO FAST!! SO glad the guy is okay!!" We took them back to our house after so they could play a bit before her parents picked her up. They wanted to play longer, but Cecilia had to go. Such a sweet kid.

Later, we went to Blaze for lunch before heading back home to clean and organize a bit. We took our Christmas card picture that I think for the most part worked out. Concept was good. Execution was really challenging.  Sunday, Mia went to Jill's friend's little girl Arabella's 4th birthday party at Kids in Motion. Since I haven't seen them since I went to work, I have no clue how it went, but I assume they had fun.

This week, photo editing, graphic revisions, Chelsea matches and Mia's got the Shopkins play at the Riverside she's been looking forward to for months with her Grandpa Chicago. Saturday is his birthday so we're doing something. Not sure what yet. That's all for now, thanks for reading!

Turkey Day 2018

Evening everyone. Busy week leading up to Thanksgiving, which isn't anything new. Mia had school just Monday and Tuesday which is nice for her. Wednesday I was off like normal so I was asked to watch her friend Olivia and her bro Gavin for a few hours. Mia was super stoked to see her longtime BFF from pre school. They played Monopoly Jr and in her room throughout the day while Gavin and I played PS4. We had a good time. Later, we had some dinner while Mia completed the project she started at Olivia's. Thursday was Thanksgiving at my parents house. The kids ate in the screened in porch while we ate at the table. Totally new thing for Mia, but for the most part, she enjoyed the experience. I think Auntie Ashley stayed out there with them. Anyways, I couldn't stay long and had to work 2-10. Not an exciting shift, but busier at times during those peak "early Black Friday" shopping moments.

Friday I was off, so we did some much-needed yard work before going to Thanksgiving round #2 at Jill's parents house. The weather was perfect and we got a lot of leaf-raking accomplished. Mia took a cute little reading break in the hammock from time to time while helping. Later, we went to Jill's parent's house. I'm sure glad (as I imagine Mia is too) that we don't have to make the trek down to Illinois anymore. So much more convenient only having to drive 15-20 minutes to their house in Waukesha. Anyways, we had fun, filled up on turkey and overall enjoyed the day with everyone.

Saturday, I met up with my brother and we went to The Highbury to watch the Chelsea vs Liverpool match with his friend Brett. Tight game, but it ended like I predicted with a draw 1 to 1. Great atmosphere celebrating the equalizer with all of 25+ Chelsea fans in the pub. Totally outnumbered the Liverpool fans. Later, I met up with Jill, Mia and Leanne when they got back home. We watched a movie after some dinner before hitting the bed.

Sunday, we spur the moment decided to go to the Oconomowoc German Christmas Market. Lots of cool hand-made items and tasty food. Had to go back to work today so didn't get to enjoy it too long. Mia wasn't digging the long line to meet Santa so we didn't stick around more than an hour and half.

This week, I have much to accomplish. Lots of design work, work on Mia's book and finish Jill's Dad's picture. We've got Cecilia staying over this Saturday as well so it should be a fun weekend.

That's all for now, thanks for reading!

Party All Weekend

Good evening everyone. Busy busy weekend keeping up with Mia's social life, but we'll get back to that soon. Wed after school, Mia was so excited to tell me that she finally got to play an instrument at music class. She played the xylophone for the first time. As a special little surprise, I told her that I'd take her to Guitar Center to play on the electronic kits. She loved doing that when she was little. We were pretty much the only ones there so it was nice having the drum room to ourselves. She experimented on all kinds of kits and had a blast. We moved over to the acoustic guitar room and she checked out the guitars and ukuleles. Later had dinner before bed time. Love my days off with her. We had a great time.

Friday we had the first snow. Not a much of it, but she loved walking to school in it. She was super excited for her Saturday full of parties. I caught a bit of the Chelsea vs West Brom match (4-0) before we had to go to the party. 1st off was Charlie's. She's got an amazing friendship with her (Charlie gave her a BFF choker necklace Friday) so Mia was excited...except she's totally afraid of Chuck E Cheese. She was keeping an eye on him when he'd pop out every once in a while. I held hers and friend Ryan's tickets in my pockets while the kids racked up tickets. They all had a blast. Cecilia did the horse race game to distract herself from the scary Chuck E as well. Charlie loved the gift and Mia was glad she got to have fun with her and her school friends. Later, I took Mia and Cecilia both home before the 2nd party. Ellahrose.

We picked up Cecilia (her Mom was busy with company) and took them to the party. They had a big bounce house and everything was Descendents theme. Picked them a few hours later and brought back to Cici's house. Her Mom invited us in to hang a bit while her friends made this traditional Venezuelan dish. Mia continued playing with Cecilia while Jill helped the ladies. I drank with the fellas before we left about 7:30pm. Cecilia's Mom Andrea has some of the nicest friends and has always been very hospitable. We had a lot of fun. Mia and Cecilia are planning an epic sleepover on Dec 2nd so the next two weeks, the kids will once again, plan this event. Later, we made tacos for dinner before watching Elf.

Sunday, Jill and Mia worked on one of Jill's biggest talents: creatively baking macarons. It was fun to watch the two work together on some delicious treats. Later before I had to go to work, Mia and I relaxed together and did some art. My favorite part was watching her sing to Less Than Jake, Tegan and Sara and others. She's got the most beautiful voice that I rarely hear sing so it was a little treat for me.

This week is a short week for the diva. School Monday and Tuesday. Wed she's off and she's hanging with long-time friend Olivia and her brother for a few hours. Thanksgiving is Thursday so I'm working 2-10. Off Friday to spend time with Jill's family. Should be a busy but enjoyable week, along with working on her Christmas book. That's all for now, thanks for reading!

Moon Out of Phase

Good evening everyone. Hope you all enjoyed your weekend. Seems that November really is flying. Thanksgiving is only a couple weeks away which of course means the holidays are creeping in. I'm promising myself to be more joyful. In all honesty, it wasn't that exciting of a week over here and the weekend didn't bring much excitement either. I found out I'll be working 2-10 on Thanksgiving which hasn't happened since Mia's been real real little. I've always had time with my family and Jill's family.

Luckily, my family is accommodating and we'll have a lunch at my parents house. I think I'll still be able to be get off for Friday. Hopefully. Friday, we saw our first snowfall. Just a little bit, but it was enough to get the kids at the school excited. This week, Mia was planning a sleepover with her good friend Cecilia. Her Mom wasn't totally certain it would happen, but Mia remained optimistic it would. Turns out, it didn't. We found out after 6:00pm that they just were too busy. Mia was devastated. "My heart is broken Dadda" I felt bad for her, but I know that they'll get to have a sleepover sometime soon. She's become really close friends with Cici and she was the first person's house she slept over at and immediately told me when she got home she'd want her to be the first friend to sleep over at our house. We tried to keep her busy and keep her mind off it. Jill and Mia made candles for her boss's Christmas gift.
 Sunday, we didn't do much. Slept in, which is totally weird since we're usually ones to get up and "seize the day". Didn't happen. Oh well. We're starting to scoreboard Mia's book this week. Jill wrote it the other day and it looks great. Hopefully we can get this book done before the Christmas. Mia's already looking forward to another book for the collection. She loved our book last year, and over the weekend, re-read it and STILL loves it. Always makes me happy to hear that. She loved the illustrations because I did my very best to make the drawings of her look as close to her as possible.

This week, I need to get some yard work done, art, more art and Mia's got a couple of birthday parties. Jill and I will probably go out a bit when we drop off Mia at the 2nd party. We've got a couple of hours, so why not.

That's it for now, thanks for reading!

And the Son of the Year award goes to...

Good evening. Hope everyone enjoyed the week. This week, we had to have two massive trees cut down. They were infected with the emerald ash bore so it was was unfortunate that we had to have them cut down. Mia was the most upset since every one of her 1st and last day of school photos were taken in front of it. It took almost all day, but the trees came down one chunk at a time. The house would shake when the big chunks would fall down. In fact, so did our neighbors!

Wednesday, Jill wasn't feeling good so I was taking her to and from work. She didn't stay at work long and crashed on the couch the rest of the day till Mia got home from school. Luckily, she felt better towards the end of the evening.
 At the end of the week, Mia begged me to go to lunch with her. She'd say "I would look for you at the end of the hallway, and when I didn't see you, I almost cried" tactic. SERIOUSLY kid!?? So Friday, I packed a small lunch and joined the diva and her crazy friends for lunch. A boy Brayden told her "MEET ME IN OUR SECRET HIDING PLACE AT RECESS OKAY???" Sure enough, she did. She took off forgetting I was with her. Noelle and myself went on a search to find the kids and we did. Noelle showed me her magic before Mia and her friends started a game of street soccer. Didn't last too long like most games the girlies play. They all wanted to take a selfie with me so we had to do that as well. Mia said her goodbyes before I headed home. She's such a special part of my life so when she wants me to come to lunch because she misses me, I try to join.

Saturday Mia and I took the soccer equipment back to the NBAA office. What a great season we had. Look forward to another one next year. Later, we went over the studio and I helped Jill as she photographed our friend Cori's family with her new twins. Mia's still not a fan of babies so she quietly played in the office.

We did lunch at StoneFire Pizza and had a great time. We had a movie night before going to bed.
Sunday, we went to our friend Heather's baptism of her little girl Lily. Mia wasn't that excited during it, but I was glad she was able to behave. Later, I met up with my Dad and Jill's Dad Tom to drive to the Pop Con Milwaukee event. Pete Rose was making a Wisconsin appearance and my Dad has been a massive fan of his as long as I have been alive. I'm pretty sure I made Son of the Year bringing his star-struck butt down there. They had a TON of collectables, toys and special guests including Burt Ward and one of the Catwomen from the original TV show Batman as well as the General Lee with one of the Duke brothers. My Dad was far more interested in Pete Rose. He went up to him twice to say hi. 2nd time was way more interesting to watch. He reminisced about the old days of his playing career as I discreetly snapped a few photos of him talking with the old man. To see him talk like he's known him all his life was pretty fun. He purchased a few nice prints of him but refused to pay a lot to have them autographed. A few pictures of him talking to his long-time hero sufficed and he left happy. I hope he never forgets this day. Tom picked up a really nice Bella Lugosi print. All in all, we had a great time. I even met one of the ewoks from Return of the Jedi. She was super nice and insisted I took a photo of her and I to show Mia. I didn't get to watch much of the Chelsea vs Man U game, but I'm sure as hell glad they beat United 1-0!!!

Later afte I took him home, I joined Jill and the gang for dinner. Great to be off today. Spent way too long working on a picture for Mia tomorrow but I'm glad it's finally complete. This week, nothing major going on. We're finally booking places to stay for our big trip so I'm pretty excited. Mia may have a sleep over this weekend so we'll see if that happens at our house. That's all for now, thanks for reading!

Halloweeeeeeen Time

Good evening everyone! Quite a busy end to what I think, was a very mild October. We totally got lucky with weather and because we were pretty used to 70s-80s throughout the month, everyone got that rough shock of temperature change when the weather changed to some bitter temps. Mia especially didn't care for the chilly walks to school in the morning. Wednesday afternoon on my day off, I watched the majority of the Chelsea vs Everton League Cup match. Great win for the good guys. Mia and I had conferences to attend so we basically ran home, she grabbed a snack and we went back. Her teacher told me all good things and how great she's doing with reading and story development. She gets up in front of the class daily to tell what the weather is like outside and the day of the week. She's really getting a good grasp on the math as well. Math was never my strong point so I'm glad she's doing well. The beginning of the year she really didn't like it at all but has come around and really improving. Later, we carving pumpkins. I attempted to do a Milo (Descendents) one, Jill did a Lite-Brite inspired cat and Mia carved a kitten as well. Mine's concept was good, but a struggle at times. I couldn't get the glasses right and the knife I was using was a major pain. Mia did really well and Jill's is totally unique.

Friday, Mia had her Fall party which included games, crafts and good food. Saturday, Mia woke up sorta bummed she didn't have soccer. :( Same here kiddo. It was always a blast for me. I watched the Chelsea vs Bournemouth match before we went business trick or treating. Great win for the Blues again. We met up with my sister and Jill's friend Christina's family to hit up some of the local businesses near the studio. It was pretty cold but the kids made the best of it. Later, we went to Mia's major crush Trey's Halloween party. She got to hang out with old preschool friend Audrey as well and her sister. The kids FROZE going from house to house, but had fun getting all kinds of candy. Last year was so much more enjoyable weather-wise. The houses were giving out shots just like last year when we went. Jill made some really cool macarons for the party that were a hit. Later, we said our goodbyes and went home. We stopped at a RedBox on the way and picked up some movies. Mia watched Captain Underpants before going to bed. Silly, but fun movie.

Today when she woke up, we watched Lego Batman after breakfast. The weather was a bit warmer but still chilly. My nephews came over for the annual trick or treat meet up like they've been doing since they were babies. Remi dressed up as well with a stuffed squirrel on his back. The kids had fun running around together. Mia ran into her friends Noelle and Cora, but the boys lead the group the other direction. The boys didn't last too much longer before having to leave. At that point, Mia was cold and wanted to go home. We didn't get to hit up some other houses on the way back. She just about had it. We had some dinner with our parents before they all went home. Overall, great weekend and trick or treating. This week, Not a lot going on. I think we've got some friends coming up Saturday and I'm supposed to take my Dad to a Pop Convention Sunday after a baptism.

That's all for now, thanks for reading!

End of the Season

Good evening everyone. Hoping to get through this quickly because I'm dead tired but I have a lot to write about. This week was a busy busy busy one. Wednesday, we had our very last practice as a team. I wanted to have the kids learn a thing or two before one last fun game of Sharks and Minnows. The kids counted first touch passes while alternating their passing feet. We did some 1v1 and 1v2 drills as well. Throughout the season, I'd have good concepts on how to do a drill, and half the time it'd work, the other half it'd get lost and they wouldn't get it. Overall, good practice and the kids were ready for Saturday's last match. A few of them told me they wish we had way more games left, and they didn't want the season to end. They became more friends then anything at the end of this season, always playing great together and there for each other. This was something I didn't expect to happen, but proud it did. Mia and I stopped for some chocolate milk before heading home to make dinner.

Friday, I had my front brakes replaced before going to work. Saturday, I woke up to a chorus of texts from my older brother about the Chelsea game. I missed Pedro's 11th minute goal but watched the rest of the match. Great win for the Blues getting the much-needed 3 points. Mia woke up soon after and got ready for her last game. She was determined to get a goal and wanted to play her very best. We arrived at the field and started warming up before Scarlet arrived, then Cecilia, Elia and Kylee. Before giving me a nervous breakdown, Addison and Bella showed up. Still needed Antwita, our #1 keeper. They had to be checked in, so we started Scarlet in goal. She was having a rough time in warm ups and avoiding using her hands so I had a feeling the start wouldn't go well. Sure enough, they got an early goal. Crap. Antwita arrived before the goal and I promised she'd be in goal the 2nd half.  She had some time on the field in both D and striker. We equalized soon before they got a 2nd goal. Kylee, got another goal after a fantastic pass from Bella giving us the lead 3-2 before half time. We controlled much of the 1st half and I was pretty in awe of that perfect assist from Bella. Antwita switched with Scarlet and went into goal. The girls played well,  had some great moments and it wasn't long before Kylee picked up her 4th goal of the game. Cecilia came out with what she described was a hurt hip. Mia played striker for quite a while determined to net a goal. She played about %5 more aggressive but still was cautious around the opposition. Bella, who mainly played defense took a rare turn as striker. She was always more comfortable in her defending position, but quickly got a shot off almost netting her first goal. Soon, the refs blew the whistle and the Lightning won their last game. WOOO!!

The girls went 5W and 2L. Impressive for these amazing players. I decided to do a quick medal ceremony giving the girls their much-deserved hardware one at a time while describing how they did and giving them a nick name. (Electric Elia, Awesome Addison, Kick Butt Kylee, Mighty Mia, Courageous Cecilia, Ambitious Antwita, Sweetheart Scarlet and Big Bad Bella) I can't describe how much fun this season was for me. To be able to combine my passion for soccer and love for teaching kids at this age was truly enjoyable. When I signed up to be an assistant coach and ending up head coach, I honestly didn't know what I was getting myself in for. The goal was simple: To have them learn the game while having fun. They all have a better knowledge of positions, proper passing techniques and teamwork which is more than I could ever ask for. The parents were great with helping out with snacks and giving me notice if their kid couldn't make it. All of the kids said they had a great season and I hope to do this next year. I'd love to develop Mia as a player so she's got more confidence on the field. For one guy running a team for some kids that have never played before, I think overall I did well and would do it all over again. I got a hand-written note from Kylee thanking me for coaching her this season and a really nice costume water bottle from Bella's Mom. So incredibly kind of them and totally didn't expect that!

After the game, Mia, myself, Jill and her family went out for some celebratory pizza at Mod. Great way to end our successful season. Later, Mia got into costume as well as Jill and we went to the Spooktacular at the Zoo. We met up with Mia's friends Noelle and Katelyn as well as their siblings. It was a lot of fun and the kids loved the spooky displays. During the week, Mia was on the fence about doing a sleepover at Noelle's house but by the end of the Spooktacular, she decided she absolutely wanted to do it. So, after the zoo, we went home, changed their costumes and packed a bag for Mia before walking her to Noelle's house. The girls watched one of the Descendents movies before crashing. Jill and I went out for sushi and Big Tuna. Super tasty and a really nice and rare evening for us. We had thought about going to a friend's Halloween party but with Mia at a sleepover and the party in Waukesha, we didn't want to be too far from Noelle's in case she wanted us to come back to pick her up.

We picked up Mia in the morning before taking her to her friend's birthday party. On the walk home, she told us how much fun she had and she was glad she spent the night. She's growing up so fast. She wants to have a group of girls come over sometime now :O

This week, we're carving pumpkins Wednesday and I took off the weekend so we can trick or treat with friends and family. That's all for now, thanks for reading!

Turn Off The Rain, Turn Up The Fun

Good evening everyone! In case you're wondering why I say "evening" its because I typically type Sunday night after work. Mia had two days off this week and for the most part, enjoyed the time off. Getting some extra sleep and spend time with us was enjoyable. Wednesday, it was back to school and she once again, requested myself to join her for lunch, so I did. Lunch was enjoyable, and its always funny that her friend Cecilia always asks me "Can I play striker at our game??" Love her ambition.

I was on the fence about canceling practice due to lousy weather conditions and a wet practice field. When I went out for recess with Mia and her peeps, I pretty much had my mind made up. It was downright crappy out. The field and playground were off limits to the kids at recess because it was so wet. The wind+dampness was pretty unbearable at times so I made the decision to cancel. The girls wouldn't have had much fun and would have complained the whole time. Other teams practiced but I don't think the parents were too disappointed. I'm bummed I didn't get the day to work with them since we had lost the previous match, but once again, we wouldn't have had a good time at practice.

Mia and I worked on homework and played before Jill came home from work. The lousy weather we had this week had my concerned for Saturday's match. Friday, it rained all day and night.  I had hoped that the rain would hold out Saturday and we could get in this game before our very last one next weekend. Last season, they had a lot of rescheduling that lead them into November to finish out the season.

Saturday morning came, and like Friday, it was damp and wet out. Great. Mia was hyped for the match and I kept my eye on emails and website from the NBAA (New Berlin Athletics Association) Nothing. Told my parents via email that everything was still on. I had the audio streaming for the Chelsea vs Crystal Palace match. Garbage day for the Blues losing the last-place team that hasn't scored all season. We need to re-focus and get back on track. Mia got ready and we were on our way to the field by 11am.

One by one, the girls arrived and were practicing shooting till the game starts. We were short one player; Aleeza. I think she's only played two games with us and was a late-addition to our team. They scored first, but Kylee banged one in soon after. We both exchanged blows ending the first half at 2-2. This team was tricky, but we could definitely get the win. I switched out keepers and we kept up the pressure the 2nd half. The soccer coordinator came over to me to tell me that if the weather gets worse (thunder/lightning) that we'd call the game.  The girls worked hard together and Kylee banged in not one, but two more goals as the rain started to fall harder.  I took our goal scorer out the last few minutes to give our 1st half keeper a chance at striker. She held her own and we finished the game 4-2. Great win for my determined and soaking wet girls. Mia took a nice warm bath when she got home before we went to the movies.

We went to the Ridge and saw My Little Pony. Due to a birthday party renting out the majority of the limited-seats theater, we were stuck in the very front :( Not cool. Mia came dressed up in all MLP attire and really enjoyed the movie. I think i nodded off a few times. Later, we made dinner and relaxed before Mia went to bed.

Today, we went to my in laws for lunch before I went to work. Did some much-needed cleaning and took out the air units officially ending Summer in the house. This week, last practice Wed, Chelsea plays Roma as well. Saturday, it's our last game for the season. It'll be an emotional game for the kids as well as myself but it'll be a good time. Weather is supposed to be great and some of my co workers are going to cheer on Mia. I've got some freelance logo design work to do this week as well.

That's all for now, thanks for reading.

Sleepyhead Samba

Good evening everyone. Busy week with an exciting weekend in the books. The week started out rough. I had to take Remi into the vet to have his nail fixed that he busted. The morning before, he literally licked the nail right off. Gross. He's doing fine and hopefully will be able to run again soon. Wednesday we had practice. Had our goal scorer missing because it was her birthday, which was fine because I needed to work on some basic things with the other teammates. I wish they would take practice a bit more seriously which in general, effects how they play at games, but we'll get back to that. They did some shooting and counted their complete passes which was by far, the most focused I've ever seen them. ALL week Mia and Cecilia were planning an epic sleepover at Cici's house and by Wednesday night, Mia already wanted to pack up for it. TOO early kid.

Saturday, she woke up super excited for her game and sleepover. The weather was sketchy and we didn't know if they'd cancel or postpone the matches. Luckily, they didn't and we got on. Mia played against her long time best friend from 3K Olivia's team. Despite being outnumbered in age (almost all of them were 2nd graders) we held a 2-0 lead before half time. Because I was short two players (including my 2nd half goalkeeper) I had to keep Antwita in net for the 2nd half. She let in a couple goals she normally wouldn't have had an issue with and they tied it. Soon, they picked up a 3rd goal. We nearly equalized and a few girls on our team complained that their shorts were getting pulled at when they were going to shoot. What??? I was proud of the girls and I hope we can win the last two games of the season.

We drove to Woodstock after the game to meet up with Leanne to go over Air BnB's for our big trip next year. We got our dates nailed down and some places figured out. Great progress. We drove home, Mia packed up, and we were headed to Cecilia's. Mia could barely contain her excitement. It turns out, Cecilia couldn't either. Her fantastic parents told us that Cecilia waited by the door for quite some time just waiting patiently for Mia. The girls played dolls, watch movies and had an amazing time. We were invited to hang out, watch the Badgers game and stay for dinner. Jill played dominos with Cecilia's Mom's friends and they ended up having a dance party as well. Great people and an absolutely fun time. The girls tried really hard to stay up but ended up crashing by midnight.

The next morning, we picked her up a little after 9:15am. Mia DID IT! She stayed over at a friends house without getting scared or calling us. We anticipated she would get nervous and want to go home, but she bravely did it. Proud of that little diva. They had breakfast in the morning and when we arrived, they were playing outside.

Later, we drove to Jill's parent's house for Tommy's belated 30th birthday party. Good food and cake. He loved his gifts and was glad we could spend time with him.

Mia's off the next couple days due to a teacher inservice so we'll probably hit up the park before work. School's been going well for her. She's been playing with some other friends to avoid some drama and she's really enjoying when they pair up with older kids to work on projects together.

That's all for now, thanks for reading!

A long time ago in a galaxy far far away...

Good evening everyone! Hope you all enjoyed the week and what feels like the proper start to Fall. It was a busy week, with an even busier weekend but we'll get to that part soon. Wednesday, we had a mostly successful practice. The girls learned how to do "fake-outs", some first-touch shooting and played a game of "sharks vs minnows". All in all, fun time and they were prepared for their upcoming match. Friday, Mia begged me to join her for lunch/recess so I did. When her class came down the hall, her face lit up like a light bulb. She was so stoked that I remembered to come. We had lunch wit her and her crazy friends that were all telling me stories at once. It was intense. I felt like a cat trying to follow a moving flash light spot on a wall. Mia said when we sat down "Oh, you have GOT to come to recess, okay?" Sure why not. Before lunch was over, her friend and fellow teammate Cecilia asked me a couple times "CAN I PLAY STRIKER SATURDAY!!??" Yes, oh sweet pint-sized one.

Recess was crazy. The girls threw around a football a bit before playing duck-duck-goose. It was a beautiful day and she truly appreciated that I could join her. Saturday was a busy day, that she was looking forward to all week. Not just her soccer game, but Family Sci-Fi day AND Auntie Leanne was coming to town. First, we had to get her to team picture day with her team. One by one, the girls arrived at the venue ready for their pictures. We were only missing one kid, but we'll do another team photo at the last game with their medals. The kids did well and listened and after, we met at the field for warm ups. I had our goal scorer Kylee do some passing to her teammates to get them to shoot.
Then, it was game time.

My starting line up was a bit different. I started Cecilia as striker instead of Mia so she could get a good idea on how things should go up front. Kylee and Cecilia worked well together and Kylee started tallying up some goals. Defense played well, holding their positions and clearing out the ball. One almost got a goal when she took a turn up front. Half time, I had Kylee in the back while some of the younger less-experienced players take a stab at strikers. Some did well, others were lost at times, but in the end, all had a great time and we won 4-3. Everyone played well and are looking forward to their next game. Wednesday is practice, but I have to keep an eye on the weather because I heard there are possible storms coming.

After wards, we jetted home, quickly changed into our Star Wars costumes and went to the Family Sci-Fi Day at Discovery World. We had an absolute blast. There were a pair of stormtroopers greeting guests outside so we quickly snapped a picture with them. Mia ran into school friend Ryan and her family, so we hung out with them. It was nice that she got to spend time with a friend at the event. The kids got as many pictures with the different characters as possible including Kylo Ren (who stabbed me after I took the picture), some sort of snow bounty hunter, Darth Vader, R2D2, Luke Skywalker and more. They checked out the different weapons and played with the wide variety of scientific things. They loved all the Legos and before we left, we went to a lightsaber bat lit talk about which weapon is cooler. They didn't care for that as much and were bummed they missed the Lightsaber 101 class due to their earlier soccer games. All in all, they had some much fun. I sincerely wish I could get some trooper armor and participate in the charity work they do. I imagined how fun it'd be to direct traffic at Mia's school since the drivers rarely see kids trying to cross, or playing wit the kids at recess as a trooper. We stopped over to say hi to R2 again before meeting up with Jill, Tommy and Leanne. A quick visit to the beach and we headed home.

Later, we went to the China Lights for a 2nd year. Great lights, super crowded and very cold but overall, fun time. Sunday, Jill, Leanne and Mia went pumpkin/apple picking while I went to work.

This week, hopefully a practice and Mia's got an 11:30 match. That's all for now, thanks for reading!

HOT! HOT! HOT!

Good evening everyone. Hope you all enjoyed what could be the last bit of "abnormal" weather. If I remember correctly, the day my best friend got married in October, it was in the upper 80's so it's not completely baffling that it's been pretty warm. The week was pretty busy as well as the weekend. Wednesday I had practice after school for the girls. I made an attempt to go over positions and where I want the girls to be, and for the most part. they got it but we'll get back to that later. I had them do some drills and another scrimmage.

Friday, Mia went to a school dance. She said it was fun and she was glad to hang out with some friends. After work, I headed over to my friend's apartment. Him and his wife were planning on going to move to Florida, but after the hurricane came through, they changed their plan and are going to Madison for an undetermined time. It was fun hanging out with old college friends for a few hours. Couldn't stay too long. Early to rise for the last of our 8:30 matches. Mia woke up excited for the game. I knew the hot weather would be rough and hoped the early start time would mean it wouldn't be as unbearable as it was, but the girls were still melting out there. They were already kinda bummed to have to wear blue pinnies since the other team were wearing pink as well.  I gave them mist bottles to cool off when they were on the bench. The first half started out well. Kylie was netting goals like usual. One was what she referred to as a "long distance shot". Things started to slip soon after our 3rd goal. Our defense was all over and it was an off day for our keeper Antwita. She mostly did quite well but had a few mistakes which had them leading at the end of the 1st half 4-3. 2nd half I tried to mix things up. Switched keepers and had my lead striker in the back. Didn't work out. Scarlet started out okay but let in some easy goals causing me to once again switch keepers and put Bella in for her first ever time at goal. Didn't work at all. None of them were talking and Kylie, who I moved back to striker couldn't get the support she needed. They put in several more goals ending the match 3-9. Our first loss. Mia was completely out of it most of the game but the one that surprised me most was her friend Cecilia. She played very hard and was giving high fives to fellow teammates. She may have been bummed they lost, but she was running hard. Addison returned from a two week trip but struggled to get herself into the game. At practice, we have to work on communication, passing and taking shots when given the chance. Mia had a couple good ones that she could have blasted in, but she sorta backed off. Throughout the game, Mia and Cecilia when they were on the bench, were actually making plans for the evening. We were invited for a bonfire later.

After the game, we hit up the library for a book sale. Mia got some books and we went back home to relax the rest of the day till the bonfire. Mia kept asking all day "when do we get to go?" Finally when the time arrived and we got to the house. her friends Cecilia and Hayden came sprinting to our car in their jammies. They actually wanted her to sleep over. Mia's still pretty nervous about it, but really wants to try it some time. They played, made Smores. and later we went home. Jill was feeling pretty lousy and did her best to stay social. but her sinuses were really acting up. Mia was bummed she had to leave as well as her friends but we'll do it again hopefully soon.

After we got home and the girls went to sleep, I watched the Chelsea vs Stoke match. Fantastic match. Morata getting his 1st hat trick and Pedro's goal was stunning. Glad they're doing well.

Sunday, Jill was feeling better. We hung outside a bit, Mia read in the grass and before long it was time to go to work. This week, we've got practice, Mia's got Picture Day and a game Saturday and immediately after, we're changing and going to the Star Wars day event at Discovery World. Mia and I are both dressing up and she couldn't be more excited. With the cooler temps, I hope that helps our team get back on track and win. Leanne is coming into visit so they'll probably do the pumpkin patch Sunday at the Elegant Farmer. That's all for now thanks for reading!

Surprises, Soccer and Summer-like Weather

We're fully in swing of the school year with the added bonus of dance and soccer. Phew. Mia survived her 1st full week of school. It's definitely different for the diva. Homework (math) is a bit more difficult which has caused a bit of headache at times but I think she'll figure it out like she always does.  Wednesday, I watched Suicide Squad while working on art. It was okay. Later I went to lunch/recess with Mia. She had rough start to the day so I surprised her. Lunch was fun and recess was as well. Good to see some of Mia's friends again. She was ecstatic that I could join her and hopes I can do it again. 

Later, we had practice like always. I brought some pinnies that didn't seem to fully help out during scrimmage. We worked on a drill or two which mostly helped prepare for their 2nd game. Friday, the team received a new player who joined us for our 2nd game. They had a 9:30 match that I was really running late for. Luckily I found our new player, got her suited up and the kids were ready to go. Didn't get to do much warm ups, but when I arrived at the field, they were shooting on net with some parents. The game was off and running. Kylie picked up a goal early that soon after, they equalized. At the time, I thought this could be a tricky match. She pulled 3 more goals throughout the game which gave us our 2nd win. At half time, I switched keepers and had Kylie play a back position with my other older kid who plays back to give Scarlet a little help. It worked well and later I had Kylie come back out and join Mia as a striker. Mia's getting better but gets pretty nervous when the opposition comes at her. Our new player Aleeza did well and we'll work on developing at practice. The team still struggles with communication, but will get better. The weather was warm but most handled it well. She played against neighbor friend Izzy and buddy Lydia. Both are excellent. 8:30 match this Saturday. Hope they can continue to work hard and get another win. Would love to see other girls getting goals as well. Mia got to say hi to her best pal Olivia when we were heading out. She had a game right after ours which drew 0-0. Her team will be tough to play against in October.

We relaxed the rest of the day, did some cleaning and had my parents over for dinner. They brought their latest feline Chelsea to see how she'd do when they fly to Vegas. It didn't go well for her and Marie so I'll be feeding her while they're gone.

Today I got up early to watch the Chelsea vs Arsenal game. 0-0 draw. Lack of urgency at times and Arsenal was falling and diving over everything. Hazard came in the 2nd half but couldn't pull back any signature goals that he can blast. Conte is still cautious of using him clearly. They play an FA cup match Wed that I don't know if I'll get to watch it. 

This weekend, soccer game at 8:30 in the morning.  That's all for now. Thanks for reading! 

Kickoff

Good evening! Wow, what a week it was. Mia started school on Tuesday. The bright-eyed bushy tailed girl could barely sleep Monday night but luckily, was able to get up and get ready for that 1st day. She excitedly put on her Harry Potter shirt, Descendents pants and fashion boots, met her friend Noelle, and was off to school. She gave us our hugs and kisses goodbye and was on her way running in with Noelle to her class. First time there wasn't tears from Jill. The drop off last year was a bit more of an event for all the kindergarten parents but this year, poof, that was it. Easy peasy. I wouldn't see the diva till the next morning but Jill had left work early to pick her up.

Along with that, she started her new dance class, which involves ballet, tap and jazz. She had a great 1st day at school, and funny enough, when she saw what they were doing, she said to herself " oh its gonna be a LONG day" but she informed us that the day went by really quickly. She got to reunite with friends at lunch and recess which was her favorite part.

The next day when she was walking with Noelle, Charlie's Mom stopped by and dropped her by. The BFF missed the bus so Mia had the rare treat of walking with two friends. Awesome! I was stoked to be off so I could pick her up and have our first after-school practice. Once again, great day and she was super excited to go to practice. We held our 1st scrimmage. Sadly, we were short a girl so it was a bit difficult to work on positioning but for the most part, they got the gist of how things run in a match. The rest of the week, I was a bit worried going into the Saturday morning match.

Saturday came, and luckily, Mia was excited and got up at 7:00am. Both sets of her Grandparents plus Uncle Tommy came too. All of my girls showed up excited for their 1st game. Kylie dribbled around the defense and netted our first goal early in the 1st half. Throughout the game, I was subbing as much as I could. One girl, Addison was a bit nervous to go in and wanted to wait. No problem. Kylie got a 2nd goal from a very tricky angle when she caught their keeper out. AWESOME! Scarlet let one goal in to get them on the board. The girl kept forgetting to use her hands. She didn't like how wet the ball was :P.

At halftime, I switched her out with Antwita who's one of my 2nd graders. I tell you, I've never seen a more fearless kid playing goalkeeper in my life. She dove for every ball within 3 feet of her. Kylie picked up her 3rd goal to get her very first hat trick of the season. The Eagles pulled another lucky goal passed Antwita bringing the score to 3-2. Luckily, Kylie pulled back another one finishing the game 4-2. Great game by all. It was a 1st game in any competition for a lot of the girls out there. Mia was desperately trying to get a goal. She would get hung up trying to get space and had an issue with a free kick actually kicking the ball forward. All were smiling after the match and all deserved their after-game brownie from Cecilia's Mom Andrea. I'm totally proud of Antwita killing it in net. If she loves playing the position, I'll keep her there. Her Mom informed me she played keeper last year as well. It was cool to see the crowd cheering for every save.  Mia had the most fun ever. She never wanted to come out and was sad when the match was over. "Bud Dad, I don't wanna wait another 7 days for another game". Luckily, the next one won't be as early.

This week, I've got another scrimmage set and even though Addison will be M.I.A. for a few weeks, we'll work on some game stuff. I'm really enjoying coaching and I'm quite glad the girls were listening as much as they could during the game. Jill and my parents went to the Farmers Market after wards while I took the diva home to relax. Jill had to do some work later so Mia and I hung out till we met them for lunch. Later, Mia and I went over to Noelle's house so the diva could play till it was dinner time. For some reason, she ran ALL the way from our house to hers. She played with Noelle, Addison, Katelyn and Cora. The kids are always fun to watch. Later, we made pizza for dinner and Mia fell asleep watching for a 2nd time. I missed the Chelsea vs Leicester match but I saw they won and watched the highlights later. Great game. Another 3 points. Quakes lost badly though.

Sunday, Jill and Mia dyed their hair. Mia's now sporting a very ocean-y blue and Jill's bright red. After I went to work, Jill and Mia went to the in-laws to make gummy bears/worms.

This week, Mia's got dance Tuesday after school and practice Wednesday after school. Saturday's match is at 9:30 so we hope to keep up the hard work. We were incredibly lucky that Mia's been able to get moving and not be running late so far for school. I think it helps that she can walk to school with her friends. That's all for now.

Thanks for reading!

Last Week of Summer

Good evening everyone. VERY late getting this out. Just got back from chalk drawing before all of the kids go back to school. A bunch of parents were meeting up today to draw inspiring words for the kids return to school. I drew a large BB-8 with "May The Force Be With You" on the sidewalk. Sat outside for an hour keeping a keen eye for police. I think for the most part it turned out alright.

Monday I had a flat tire after work. Great. Luckily it was an easy patch and only took an hour out of my day. Mia had her soccer practice Wednesday. 2 hours before practice she was already wanting to go SO badly. We spent most of my day off getting any last minute school supplies we missed on the list. Practice went great. A short one since it was also Open House. I had the girls work on one touch shooting, red light-green light for ball control and some passing while calling out each others names to whom you'll pass to. Sorta worked. This week will be a scrimmage before their very first game.

Open House went well. Mia got to see where she'll sit on her first day back and meet the teacher. She also got to see who is all in her class. She is beyond excited. As bummed as I am to see Summer go, I can tell Mia really needs to get back to a routine. She'll be starting dance this week as well in her 2nd level. Jazz, tap and ballet. Hope she doesn't burn herself out.

She played with friends in the neighborhood on Thursday before I went to work. Beautiful day to spend those last few days having fun. Saturday, we shopped and got her new shoes for dance. Luckily we should be able to sell the old ones since they're in good condition.

Mia had been begging to go ice skating for at least a week so despite only getting about an hour in, we drove to Eble and her and I skated. Plenty of figure skaters practicing and a couple kids trying for the first time. This kid LOVES to skate. Her double blades are officially too small on her and she'll probably be moving to single blades by winter. She's not excited about it, but they don't make doubles in bigger sizes. Plus, she's going to have to learn somehow. It'll be a new challenge probably harder then her learning how to ride on 2 wheels but I'll help her along the way like I always do.

Throughout the week, I've been looking into what it would be like doing a shark diving expedition with my buddy who we'll be visiting in Hawaii. It looks hella fun. I think the fear of "you just don't know what sharks will be there" and thrills of swimming in the open ocean gets me pretty excited. We've also been looking at AirBnBs still trying to find the best one for the price. Hopefully we can decide on one in the near future.

This week, first day of school tomorrow followed by dance after. Practice Wed. FIRST game Saturday which will occur during the CFC/Leiscaster match. Hopefully Chelsea can continue winning. My bro leaves for Disney this Friday so hopefully he avoids the hurricane. Have a great week and thanks for reading!

Dribbling Divas

Hello everyone. A little over a week before school starts. So much going on and leading up to it, so let's get right to it. Mia lost her 6th tooth! Can't believe how many she's lost. Monday was the solar eclipse. We didn't get the best weather in the area for it but eventually after I went to work, Mia did from my parent's sun room. Awesome. Won't see the next one for several several several years so I'm glad Mia could catch it. Tuesday was Picture Day. Mia dressed up in her Harry Potter shirt and Descendants leggings with fashion boots. Took a total of 5 seconds to nail a couple pictures of the diva and we were on our way. On the walk down to the driveway, Mia insisted I take a picture of her pretending to hold a wand so that "Daddy can Photoshop me with Harry Potter images". So I did. Later before work, I worked about 10-12 minutes on an image that Mia thought turned out pretty rad.


Wednesday was Mia's very first team practice. She was pretty excited all day about it. Eventually, it was practice time and she was eagerly excited to meet all of her new teammates.  She ran out on to the pitch and with the first kick in her new Adidas boots she yells out "OH MY GOSH THESE CLEATS FEEL AMAZING!!" Scarlett was the first one that showed up and immediately, Mia and Scarlett ran around kicking and chasing the ball. One by one the team showed up with a familiar face that Mia was stoked to see: Cecilia. All 8 girls came to their first team practice. Awesome. No one dropped out. We did some basic passing having the girls partner up and pass to each other. After a few minutes, they switched partners and continued. The idea was to have them be familiar with each other. I'll be doing some more passing exercises this week. After that, they once again in partners, came down the pitch and passed to each other ready to shoot on me. We later added a defender and keeper. It sorta worked. After that, I had them practicing throw-ins. They'll obviously need to know this before their first game in a couple weeks. One of the last things we did was dribble around the cones and shoot on a keeper. They liked this one but will have to work on shooting as soon as they can instead of waiting 15-20 seconds. One of my favorite moments was when Mia and Cecilia asked me "so like, when does the OTHER team show up?" Sorry girls, we've got practices first before a match.

Overall, great first practice.  Some great talent on the team that I'll have to figure out the best way to utilize at matches. I handed out uniforms and we'll meet for a short practice this week. I'm going to work on the girls passing while calling out teammates names. I think we'll do 1st touch passing in this exercise in a circle group. I also want to have the girls run up to a ball as I pass to them and have them shoot directly to the goal. Another 1st touch exercise. Plus, we'll get to see who will work best in goal.

Mia and Cecilia played a bit before we left for the day. Mia and Jill were starving for some MOD pizza so we made a stop there for dinner. Later, we met up with my parents at Yo Mama for some frozen yogurt. Delicious! Always a great selection there. Friday night when I came home from work, Tommy was hanging out and gave me a late bag of presents. Thanks man! The weekend went pretty quick. Saturday, Jill, Mia, Tommy and their parents drove to the Jelly Belly Factory after a quick family photo. We haven't done one of those in a long time. My bro Andy and I went to the Torrent game. Last friendly to end the season. The good guys defeated Milwaukee Sport Club 1-0 to end the season on a high note. It wasn't always the best results this season but I was always there to support them. Hopefully with a whole bunch of new things coming for the team, the attendance will grow and they can develop talent and finish better. After wards, we went to the bar for a beer before heading out.

This morning I got up early to watch Chelsea beat Everton 2-0. Great game. Solid result and I look forward to the next one. Quakes toppled LA in the Classico 3-0 as well. After work tonight, I came home to find Mia learning Photoshop with Jill. She helped her touch up pictures for work.

This week is Open House for Mia. Tomorrow morning she's hanging out with an old friend from her pre school. Should be fun. Hoping we can enjoy the last week of Summer Break before next week's start to school.

That's all for now thanks for reading!

Magic At Her Feet

Afternoon everyone. Another busy week in the books and plenty to discuss. I was off Tuesday for the NBAA (or New Berlin Athletics Association) coaches meeting. Mia sat well but was pretty bored. Even with her Kindle. Sigh. When I used to get forced to go to meetings with my Dad, I had to settle for a yellow legal pad and pen and would sit alone for at least an hour or more. They gave me her roster, equipment and uniforms for the season. That day I had learned at least 4 of Mia's friends signed up for the Minis Girls soccer team. Luckily , one of the 4 landed on her team. Cecilia. Bien! Both girls are super stoked. I've got a team of 8 girls total. 4 from Mia's school and 4 from Poplar Creek school about 10 minutes away. After the meeting, I grabbed my bin of uniforms. Not only are they pink but all of them have numbers. Mia's super stoked and picked out #10 to match Eden Hazard. When we got home, she immediately put it on (minus the socks) and was playing soccer with the neighbor girl Izzy. She'll be playing as well so the two girls will probably play against each other. Both kids have great passing skills.

Earlier that day, Mia and I went to the park and she brought her scooter. The kid, who not too many months ago couldn't balance both feet on it, was bombing down the little hill behind Malone Park playground. Very proud of her. That night I was going to bed, Mia threw up twice. Once on me. Poor kid had a stomach bug but didn't want to tell us. WHY? The next day. she felt better and had a couple of friends over to play. She got to show Cecilia the new uniform and she loves it. First practice is set for this week. The girls watched at least 10 minutes each of 4 movies while playing before Hayden's Mom came to grab them. Mia was so tired from the night before when she wasn't feeling good, she took a couple naps. Friday night after work, I watched Deadpool after finishing some art for Mia's lunch notes. Great movie. Better than last nights movie Sausage Party. I had planned to watch the Quakes vs Union match but couldn't get a live streaming of it :(

This morning, I ran over to my parents house to watch Chelsea take on the Spurs. Super nervous going into the match but the Blues successfully won at Wembley 2-1. Great job and effort from Alonso. He totally saved the own goal from Michy.

This week, Monday is the big solar eclipse and Mia finds out which teacher she'll get. Tuesday is Picture Day. First practice is Wednesday and the last Torrent game of the season is set for Saturday. Should be great time. I believe my brother Andy is coming too. That's all for now, thanks for reading!

A Hiking We Will Go

Morning everyone. Busy week with an even busier week ahead, but we're doing our best to enjoy the last few weeks before school starts. Most of this week, Mia hung out with her friend Noelle, her sister and the neighbor girls. One of the days, they played Masterchef Junior making signature dishes out of sand and presenting them to myself and Noelle's Mom. The following day, we went on a nature hike at Valley View Park in search of painted rocks. The kids in New Berlin have a rock organization, and the kids paint rocks, hide them in parks for other kids to find. They take a picture of the rock, post it on FB and hide the rock for another kid to find. We didn't find any, but some of the girls hid some rocks. All in all, the kids had fun before Mia, Remi and I had to head over to the vet for a few shots.

Remi's doing fine and the vet visit went nice and quick. The next morning, Jill had to go to work early but for some reason, Mia decided that that meant that SHE had to get up early. Mia woke up at 4:45am just so she can have breakfast with Jill. After Jill left for work to go photograph a school, Mia stayed up and watched My Little Pony till her dentist visit. We had accidentally fell behind on her visits but luckily, it wasn't a big deal. No new cavities and her teeth are growing back in and falling out just fine. She handed the teeth polishing like a champ and everything's going well. She ended up napping for 3 hours later that day. Not surprised.  Friday night, Mia and Jill went to see the Emoji Movie. Jill said it was fine and fit the target market well.

Saturday, we got up early to go help some friends move. Jill's parents watched Mia most of the day till we got home. We had dinner later, watched a movie and called it a night. I missed the Chelsea vs Burnley match but I was glad I did. We lost 3-2 due to 2 men getting red carded. Promising fight but much to be worked on before the Spurs match next week.

Sunday, we did some yard work before I went to work later. As the weekend brought some fun times, it also unfortunately brought some frustrating sad times. Not necessarily involving my family, but our country as a whole. I'm of course talking about the Nazis in Charlottesville and the car running over two people protesting the rally. Racism is such a frustrating and disgusting thing that  still consumes so many people. The South seems to get off the hook with it because "that's just how they are". No. This shouldn't be excepted. The "well those old guys grew up being racist so its okay" is not acceptable. This is exactly what Trump wanted. His speeches about how "the good ol' days those men were taken out in stretchers" mirrors the MLK Jr era of segregation.  There were 100's of men in kakis in their MAGA hats carrying torches bought at Target saluting Hitler for Christ's sake at the rally over the weekend. How can this ever be okay? Trump has yet to make any comments about it or denounce them as white nationalists. Those are the ones who support him, so why do it? I don't know. This has had me just in awe that this still happens. I don't want to think about it anymore today. This week, I'm off Tuesday for the coaches meeting. Should be fun. I'll get the equipment and roster. Mia's excited and hopefully won't get too bored during the meeting. I hope I can have a weekly practice on Wednesdays since Mia will be doing dance again. Hopefully we can find some friends to meet up with. I'm going to continue to work on early ideas for lunch notes for Mia as well. Thanks for reading.

Friend Reunion

Good afternoon everyone. Hope you're enjoying Summer. Wednesday, Mia went to a 1st Grader Party at the park with all of her old friends from the Kindergarten, and some other kids from the other Kindergarten class. Maybe 25 kids total. It was an adorable reunion for the kids screaming in excitement every time someone they haven't seen in a long time showed up. Mia ran around for about an hour+ before getting tired and wanting to head home. All of her friends liked her dark purple hair. We may meet up with some friends this week, pending on weather. Friday, we WON tickets to a Wave game! I had submitted an idea for a theme night and our idea, along with 4 other people's that had similar concepts won so we scored 4 free tickets. Mia and Jill both have never been to a Wave game so I think it'll be fun.

Saturday, Jill's friend Leanne came to town, so we took her and Remi to the beach. Mia had fun playing in the sand and water. I hung out with Remi watching this old timer body paint random beach-goers. A lot of people would come by and ask to pet Remi. Of course his wagging tail showed them "no, please go away".

Later, Jill and Leanne went off to a winery and shopping while Mia and I had the afternoon to ourselves. She took a bath, watched a movie and made an attempt to skateboard. yes, skateboard. This kid doesn't want to ride her own bike but insisted she learn how to skate. She held my hand with a lot of grip while making her first few pushes. She figured out proper foot placement to secure optimal balance and while still holding my hand, the grip loosened and she was a bit more comfortable. She hasn't pushed solo but she really liked skating. When she was on her scooter that day, I had told her learning how to scooter will help her with skateboarding and bike riding and she answered with "why don't I just try skateboarding?" It was a fun little experience that she felt pretty proud of.

We later did some chalk drawing before watching Big Hero 6 and had pizza. Sunday, I got up extra early to watch the Chelsea vs Arsenal match for the Community Shield. We netted a goal early in the 2nd half but after red card, we went down a man and Arsenal equalized it later in the 2nd half. The game went to PK's and we lost. Lots to work on this season if we want to finish top 4. I'll be missing quite a bit of the Sept-Oct matches due to my coaching responsibilities but it'll be worth it.  Jill, Mia and Leanne are at the Milwaukee Public Museum and later may go to the studio for a project.

This week, nothing in the books but we may hang out with friends. Remi's got a vet appt on Wednesday but that's about it. Thanks for reading!

Belgium Birthday

Good morning everyone! Another busy week is in the books as we say goodbye to July. It was my birthday week so there was a lot of fun to be had on Wednesday. Jill and Mia got me a big supply of art supplies (which is always great since I go through quite a bit of paper and pencils). My Mom and Dad got me a gift card to a crafts store (of course for more art supplies). My in laws got me a beautiful SJ Quakes jersey, my sister got me a gift card and Jill's aunt bought me a fantastic record player that Mia thinks is the coolest thing ever. "So, do you have CD's for this?" They're called records baby. Anyways, she loves it and will be enjoying records on it for quite a while. We played the Decibully album World Travels Fast and Mia dug it. Mia and I drove around looking for cleats AGAIN. She tried on a couple of pairs at Dicks Sporting Goods. She didn't find a pair she liked, but we got her size figured out. 13c. Later, we found a pair of Adidas black/pink cleats on Stefans website but they were in Madison. Luckily, they were nice enough to ship them to the Brookfield location that we would pick up Friday afternoon.

Later, we went to Cafe Hollander for a delicious birthday dinner. The wait was quite long but worth it. The beer was incredible. I had a very tasty dunkel that even Jill liked. We'd definitely go there again, but next time without Mia. (Sorry kid) Jill made a delicious lemon/orange cake. Very tasty.

Friday, we went and got the cleats. They fit well and everything and Mia's ready to go. Speaking of soccer, I received an email from the NBAA (or New Berlin Athletics Association) that they didn't get a coach for Mia's soccer team (that I signed up to assistant coach) and I was asked to move up to head coach. Sure, why not. A Tuesday in August, I'll find out who's on her team and when we start practice. It'll be an interesting experience and hopefully Mia really likes it. The fact that one of her good friends may end up on her team excites her.

Saturday, Jill cut grass in the morning. Later, we went to Steaming Cup for lunch with the in laws and went to a play at the theater put on my kids. Lion King Jr. The kids worked on it all Summer and did a great job. Mia loved it, and said if she worked in theater, she'd like to be the person who sets up the props and back drops. After they went off to bed, I stayed up and watched Rogue One finally. Great movie. Sad way to end it but very good.
Sunday, we cleaned and Mia painted her book bench with Jill after I went off to work. They set up her reading nook in our room and it turned out pretty nice.

This week, Mia's got a big play date with her friends from Orchard Lane on Wednesday. We've got Jill's pal Leanne coming in to visit for the weekend so that should be fun.

That's all for now, thanks for reading!