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!