Teamwork Makes the Dream Work!

Evening peeps. Quite a busy weekend but we'll get to that later. The week was a fun one for Mia, because they got to dress up in different themes including crazy hair day and "work out" your problems (wear workout clothes) where a chunk of her teammates all wore their Dragons jerseys. Awesome! I worked on a giraffe sketch for Mia's friend Scarlett's 9th birthday gift. I used a slightly heavier paper with a different pencil. At first, it went well but I was getting frustrated when it kept breaking. Also, the tan pencil wouldn't allow me to get those "darker darks" when it comes to heavier shading. In the end, the drawing looking great and Scarlett loved it and gave me a hug Saturday.

Thursday, Mia worked on her very own soccer jersey concept for a made-up team; The Red Pandas. It was her first time playing in Photoshop as well as using multiple layers and editing. Overall, she did a great job and was totally proud of her concept. Later, she took a shower and we had dinner before she crashed for the night.

Saturday was a busy day. I got up early to watch the Chelsea vs Leicester match. It ended 2-2 which was frustrating, but not terribly surprising. They're in 3rd and we're in 4th so I expected a tight match. After Mia woke up, we went to the Pet Expo for a few hours. Plenty of animals to pet. Mia loved the huskies and dachshunds, all the kittens and cats and the adorable mini horse. Wish I could have grabbed a shot of the diva with the horse, but it didn't stick around long. All in all, she had a great time.

We grabbed some lunch before picking up Cecilia for a much-needed soccer practice. My buddy Brad set up a time slot for us where his team practises in a futsal-setting. 5 kids were already waiting for us and were working on some drills already. I let Brad lead the practice since he got a good view from above last week at the match and could tell what we needed to work on. I mean, I knew what we needed to work on, but he also works with a U-11 girls team and knows some seriously good drills to tighten things and improve technical skills. A little 6v2, some Y-passing and a scrimmage was all we could squeeze in before we had to split for Vida's birthday party. I brought Cecilia home and despite the fact that she really wanted Mia to sleep over, we had plans for the evening. Mia, Vida, Cecilia and Scarlett (along with Vivana her sister) went tubing at The Rock. I low-keyed wish I brought my snowboard, but my job was simple: push the kids. Myself and Vida's parents pushed the kids on their tubes and I think every one of them won at least one race. They had an absolute blast. I hope the next time I get there, Mia and I can snowboard.

After wards, we went back to her house so the kids could eat pizza, cake and be silly while the adults chatted. The girls had a great time. When we got home Mia was pretty tuckered out and crashed.

Today, not much happened. Mia played Mario Kart with Uncle Tommy after I left for work.
This week, not much going on. I'll keep applying at jobs and working on art projects. I think Mia's got her first week of Art Club? We're heading out of town Saturday and Mia's Dragons team may have another practice. That's all for now, thanks for reading!

Keep Fighting

Evening. Going to try and get through this rather quick because it's been a pretty lousy day. Monday, Mia was off from school so we enjoyed some time drawing and playing a little Luigi's Mansion 3 before I went to work. Thursday, Jill's Dad and I drove her ride to get a remote starter put in that her boss got for her for Christmas. It's a nice little novelty that she's enjoying on cold days. We had another round of snow Friday evening but it wasn't as bad as the week prior. I went to lunch with Mia and her friends Friday. Lunch was fun. her friends were a little crazy and she skipped recess to go work on art with Scarlett. Vida joined as well. All in all, fun afternoon before going to work.

Saturday, I tried to catch the Chelsea vs Hull FA Cup match but the stream wasn't working. The Blues ended up getting the win so that was great. We did some grocery shopping before Mia's 4:30pm match against the Dynamo. I requested the girls arrive early so we could have a good team talk and get through some of the issues. I explained about how they need to hold their positions, communicate and PASS. Some got it, the the majority struggled. At HT, it was 0-6. We weren't able to get really any solid shots for a while but they were grinding and trying really hard. Jess was trying her best in goal but I was ready to get the kid on the field and score. Sadly. that didn't happen. They were all struggling with picking a position to stay in at times. Defense was problematic and offense wasn't spreading out. We had a few chances but in the end, it finished 0-10 again. Somehow, we're not in last place still with the one win still under their belt. The girls kept fighting till the end, but it wasn't enough. I'm starting to question my ability to coach indoor against these bigger club teams. We need practices or something before our next big game against a tough team. Luckily, my buddy is looking to see if we can get in where his Pewaukee soccer club trains. I feel like the majority of the parents would be happy with more practice. Speaking of which, he's looking at possibly having me redesign some kits for their club teams. I'd love to do it and I hope he comes through with getting me some time. Cecilia had her first match and I think she did pretty well. Angie is staying aggressive and Bella proved she prefers defense. Mia's got some work to do on staying aggressive. Averi and Scarlett never gave up and ran their hearts out. I hope we can get the problems fixed before the next game.

I may have an assistant coaching role for spring soccer with SC Wave this season. Actually, it would be a co-assist so the Cecilia's Dad can help out on days I can't do. Tomorrow, I'll talk to the head coach and see what we can work out. I think this team would be great for Mia and Cecilia. More soccer and the ability to grow with a team that's established would be a better fitting than NBAA where you get new players every year. Overall, it should be a pretty positive experience.

When we got home, Jill made an incredible dinner. Mediterranean gnocchi, chicken and air fryer zucchini. Mia tried escargot which was a bit weird. Jill was quite proud of her creation. She never gets to cook like this anymore and it's honestly like watching an artist paint. She's incredible. Mia and I played some Luigi's Mansion 3 before crashing.

Today, nothing exciting to report. Work was absolutely awful after 9pm. One of the 3rd shifter called out and I was stuck till 10:40 till our unfortunate ASL had to return to work. I felt terrible calling him after he worked a full early shift. Applied at a job Friday after I re-did my resume so let's hope this time I hear back.

This week is a busy one. I'm working on a sketch for Scarlett's birthday, I'm building football kits for Pewaukee-Sussex club and Mia's going to hang out with Vida for her birthday Saturday. I think they're going tubing at the Rock. I'm tempted to go and snowboard while she has fun. That's all for now, thanks for reading!

Rise and Grind

Evening everyone. Quite the busy weekend with even more snow, so let's get right to it. During the week, nothing too exciting to report. Thursday was a normal day off for me. I started attempting to work with alcohol-based markers. Definitely not an easy medium to work with. Mainly because I think I may or may not have asked for the correct paper for it but we'll see how the next attempt goes. Hopefully I can figure it out. After I picked up Mia from school, we knocked out her homework and got to spend some quality time playing her favorite Switch game; Luigi's Manson 3. It's definitely a game you want to play with a friend as the challenges go on. Since Jill's not really a fan of video games, Mia settles for me :) We made turkey burgers with Jill before calling it a night.

Friday while at work, we got some serious snow. It picked up quickly as my shift went on. Certainly made my drive a nightmare and question if we'll have a game the next day...at 7:00AM!
5:30am came and we woke up early to get ready for Mia's game. I had parents concerned for the weather since we had received a healthy amount of the white stuff the night before. If we were going to cancel, I would have had to have done it the day before. Majority of the kids made it. The only two that didn't notified me prior which wasn't weather related. The game certainly wasn't one to remember. The girls lost pretty badly. Couldn't even pick up a goal unfortunately. EBU that beat us are a club that keeps the kids together from season to season so they clearly knew how to play. They haven't even lost a game yet this season. They were well organized and had no trouble beating us. We had a few close moments to score, but in the end, couldn't find the net. I need to figure out how to get the kids to stay in positions, not bunch up and PASS. They focus more on dribbling. Liv had a break away but her touch was too heavy and she couldn't get the shot off. Angie and Scarlett are showing improvement as well as Vida as a defender. She just has to work on her passing when the ball comes towards our end. Jill's parents made the early trek in the morning so Mia was happy to see them. Our next match is at 4:30 next weekend. Hopefully they can pull off a win or at least make some goals.

You'd think Mia would want to nap after wards, but she had some post-game energy which we used to help me shovel for a while. She ended up playing in the snow while I snow blown the driveway. She buried her legs in the snow, which was cute. After I pulled her out, we packed up our gear and went snowboarding. This time, I set up a couple PVC pipe rails so we could learn some grinds and slides. Mia figured out the FS 50/50 pretty quickly. Helped that a few months ago I had set up a rail for her to practice tricks on flat ground. She did a little smith grind as FS board slide as well. I realized way later when we got home I should have set up the rails on flat ground. Her board slides would have been better and cleaner but you know, you learn and figure things out. After a few hours of snowboarding, we went home. I ran to TJ's for some groceries, and Mia and I soon met up with her friend Scarlett and her sisters (and teammate) Angelina and older sister Sofia for some free ice skating. For the last 3-4 years, Mia and I have gone skating at Eble during Waukesha's JANBOREE where the public could skate for free for 2 hours. The girls had a blast. Mia was grasping hands with myself and Scarlett till they were comfortable skating without me. Her goal is to get better and it and I hope one day she does. Angie got better as the day went on and Sofia totally knew what she was doing. She wasn't feeling the best and I ended up taking Mia, Scarlett and Angie back to our house after the skating session was over while her sister and Mom went to the doctor. The girls were so excited to play with our animals and hang out. Mia and Scarlett went straight to the Switch while Angelina went through my art books looking at the stuff I've done. Everything impressed her and she picked mine and Jill's brain about literally everything. Art, photography, life etc etc. The girls were having so much fun that they requested I call and ask if it was okay if they stayed for dinner. Of course their Mom was cool with it so they excitingly had some pizza while Jill and I ate sushi. Sadly, our sub pump line had some water frozen which backed up in the corner of our basement with my beloved drum kit getting sprayed heavily with water. UGH. Luckily, we melted the pipe and things were fine. The kids ate dinner, played some more Switch, a little hide-and-seek and a whole lot of fun. Eventually, I had to talk the girls into going home. Mainly, because I think their Mom was probably missing them. It was quite the day that started at 5:30 in the morning. After I dropped the girls off, Mia, Jill and I crashed for the night.

I completely skipped the Chelsea vs Newcastle match to snowboard with Mia, which ended up being a good idea since they blew the game. This week, Mia's off Monday so we'll find something fun to do. Other than that, that's about it. Thanks for reading!

Soccer and Snowstorms

Evening! Quite a busy week over here to let's get to it. I spent a good majority of the week working hard on an intense baby Yoda (or better known as The Child) from the Mandalorian series. I honestly didn't think it would turn out as great, nor even get the attention and praise it got, but I'm flattered and humbled. I made 3 valiant attempts at doing it in color pencil on toned paper but it wasn't blending well and almost made me put my pencils directly into my eyes. The graphite sketch worked and I just kept at it blending and getting as much detail in as possible. The real hero was a 2H pencil that helped me achieve the darker darks to build the details up. All in all proud. Could have done better in areas, but I'm content.

Saturday, I watched the Chelsea vs Burnley match. Great 3-0 win. The highlight was Mia jumping on my lap to watch her fav Hudson-Odoi get his first goal. Awesome job for the youngster. Mia made her very first over easy egg for breakfast. Awesome job kiddo. We had a severe snow advisory for Southeaster Wisconsin that tapered off throughout the day but picked up closer to match time. All by two girls made the trek to Brookfield Indoor in the snow. Honestly, the drive wasn't great but we made it safely. As the kids started arriving and we got them warmed up and stretching, I noticed the Genesee Kickers weren't there. The ref gave them some time and sure enough, it was a forfeit. We won 5-0 and picked up 3 needed points. The best part was that we had an hour of field time to practice. The ref put 50 minutes on the clock and BOOM, we had a free practice till the next game. The kids were confused that we didn't have a team to play against but we certainly made the most of our time for practice. Coach Kevin ran a drill on one side and I did one on the other. He was doing some pass and finishing and I was doing 3 v 1 so the kids could learn to play into space and work on getting around the defender. I honestly wish I could have prepared for a last-minute practice more, but it is what it is. We took the last 30 minutes to scrimmage which was a big favorite. The girls started to show improvement with their passing as well as punting from the goalies. Mia's got some work to do on her endurance but all in all, the kids had fun. It was good to see all of them smiling. I can't thank the parents enough for making the drive including Jill's Dad Tom. He made the trek in the snow and luckily had fun watching us practice.

After wards, we had Cecilia over for a sleepover so we picked up some sushi at Wasabi and made it home. Not the best or worst sushi but the kids had fun. The girls played some Mario Kart, and watched a movie with popcorn before crashing. It's funny that they ended up hitting the bed early because they ran their butts off at soccer. It was Cecilia's first time playing as well as Elia and both did well. Anyways, the last time Mia had Cecilia over, they talked all night. This morning, they slept in a little bit and played before Cecilia's Dad picked her up. All in all, great weekend. This week, I'm going to start working on marker drawings with all my new markers and illustration paper and we've got our early match Sat.  We're supposed to get more snow this week so hopefully Mia and I can do some snowboarding again. That's about it for now, thanks for reading!

On a quick sad note, I was pretty bummed Friday when I found out the passing of drummer God Neil Peart. He was a huge influence on every drummer on the planet and will surely be missed.

Back to the Grind

Morning everyone. Normally, I'd write before crashing for the night after work on Sundays, but today I felt like getting that out of the way as I watched the 2nd half of the Chelsea vs Nott Forest match. So far so good! We had a great New Years Eve after I got home from work clinking glasses of sparkling juice, tossing our recycled confetti from the last 3-4 years (which is just cut up paper). I wanted to hit the bed early so I could watch Chelsea vs Brighton early in the morning. The game resulted in a draw sadly. Boo.

New Years Day, we had just enough snow to snowboard, like we did last year. The only exception was that Mia was in a far better mood last year on NYD when she first started snowboarding. We made a few laps on Orchard Lane's little hill just to warm up Mia to see if she still remembers it. I also busted out my board I acquired over the Summer. The thing rides well so I'm happy. Mia did really well and even rode switch (goofy stance) a few times and looked quite comfortable. She got upset because I didn't have a shovel to build any little jumps for her and after getting some snow in her pants, she wanted to head home. It was a frustrating morning to say the least.

She went back to school Thursday and had a short week. Friday, she was happy to see her amazing friend Scarlett again who's family had to put their dog down. I'm going to make my best attempt to draw a memorial sketch of their beloved dog. Friday night after work, I made tried hard to fall asleep, but I was too excited for our first indoor game.

Mia and I arrived around 9:30am. Jill stayed home due to a bit of an illness that had her down and out for the day. Her teammates arrived soon after. Vida's Dad Jorge helped out today which was great. He was a vital part to Vida, Angie and Scarlett's team in the Fall so I was happy to have him since Coach Kevin was traveling back from Florida with the fam. They gave us ZERO time to do any warm ups before the game so we had to stretch in the hall right before the previous game ended.

1st half started out great. Jessica was the first Dragon to put in a goal off an assist from Olivia. She got the 2nd goal as well. A thumping blast from center. The girls looked solid. Things started to slowly fall apart throughout the game and in the end, we lost 2-13. Mia made her first attempt at defense AND goalie. She shocked me when she went in goal but with the major goal difference, putting her in didn't make a huge difference. She actually did well and even made a great save. We have a lot to work and it kills me we can't do a weekly practice. The kids would benefit greatly but I can't keep asking for $75 from the parents to secure that time. PLUS the Sportsplex doesn't always have openings for practice. Ugh. There were some positives. First,  Jess blew me away as a forward. Always strong touches on the ball and has a great shot. Averi is a shy little defender and would shut them down in the corners by the boards. I look forward to seeing how she does as a forward next week. Alice, like always was good but just needs to stick with her position up front. Lastly, Olivia hustled her butt off on the field and I need to get her to understand the importance of playing defense. She really wants to score, but I know I can count on her in defense if she'd try. Vida started the 1st half strong but got confused the 2nd and never wanted to go back in again. I feel like her and Olivia could be rock stars in the back if they allowed themselves.

Mia and I picked up Panera for Jill and ourselves before heading home. We played some Luigi's Mansion 3 for a few hours, later went to Trader's and Mia made us tacos for dinner. Today, Mia's been hanging out with BFF Cecilia while Jill relaxes and tries to knock her illness out of her. Cici has been in Florida since the 21st of December so Mia was stoked to come over and hang out.

This week Mia has the Jumpstart Your Career thing where she gets to see different professionals which includes HAWS this year so she's super excited. We play at 6:30pm Saturday as well. That's all for now, thanks for reading!

Holiday Family Time

Evening everyone. Boy was it a busy week as we prepare to close out the year in a few days. Got to spend some time with my brother Bryan and his family from California which is always fun. Christmas Eve, we had dinner at my parents and opened gifts. We closed the night with a traditional game of PIT which is always a blast. I did my best to help Mia win a hand, which of course she enjoyed. The next morning, Mia woke up around 8:00am excited to open gifts. 8 isn't too bad to wake up since I've heard most kids are up around 6 or 6:30. My co-worker's daughter got up at 4:15am. That's crazy.

Anyways, Mia had a great time opening stuff but always gives Jill's and my gifts first. She made us little ornaments out of clay. She gave Jill the jewelry that she picked out from the Mall and Target with my a week prior. Jill and Mia got me some high end markers and illustration paper. My big goal for 2020 is to learn how to layer markers for pieces. It'll take some patience and practice but I'm game. Mia LOVED her new Nintendo Switch and games. Luckily unlike most kids, she hasn't been overly obsessed with it, which to me is surprising.

We had lunch at Jill's parents house with Tommy before I went to work. They made their traditional crab legs, mashed potatoes and other tasty food. Mia opened more gifts and had a great time. Work was super busy but somehow I got through it.

Thursday was Boxing Day, so I met up with my brother Bryan at my Mom and Dad's to watch Chelsea take out Southampton. They surprisingly lost to the Saints which certainly sucked. Can't give away points like that. Both BJ and I were certainly disappointed. Later, we all met at Jill's studio to take one large family photo all dressed in our favorite sports teams attire. Jill finished editing it today and it turned out pretty good. We said our goodbyes Thursday to Bryan and the fam as they left Friday morning for the long trek back to CA.

Friday, I worked on a special project with Micah and Gigi. The girls painted a slab of wood for their Dad's office table and needed my guidance and technical advice. They went with a galaxy-style painting with a quote from a movie the family enjoys. Awesome. Later we had my parents over for dinner and my nephews Luke and Joseph with my bro Todd as well. The kids played the Switch with Mia and had a great time.

Saturday morning, I held our New Berlin Dragon's only practice. We reserved some time on a futsal court. Half the girls that RSVP'd to play were on time, other half were a little late. I felt like I'm usually more organized with drills and what I wanted to accomplish but overall, the kids did well. Did a couple drills and a scrimmage which is what I wanted to do. For a lot of them, it was their first time on a futsal court including Mia. Takes a little time getting used to. Hopefully this week, we'll have a schedule soon.

Later, Mia, myself and my bro with Camden went to the Admirals vs Griffins game. It was the kids very first Ads game and they had a great time. Cam ate a lot but enjoyed the hockey. Mia loved all of the action and in between periods stuff like the human hockey puck and some figure skating. It was Princess Night so Elsa even dropped the puck. They had a princess meet up outside out section but Mia claimed that she didn't care about princesses anymore. Despite the Admirals losing, we all had a great time.

Today, I watched Chelsea take on Arsenal. Last match of 2019. The Gunners struck first and held a 0-1 lead for quite a while into the 2nd half. A few adjustments here and there and Jorginho picked up an equalizer off a mistake from the keeper and with that momentum, Tammy Abraham got the 2nd goal securing 3 big points for the Blues against their London neighbors. Great way to end the year. January Transfer Window opens soon so we'll see who they pick up. Returned back to work today only to wish I didn't show up.

This week, I hope to have my soccer schedule, Mia's going to enjoy what she can of her break and returns back to school on Thursday. Thanks for reading!

Holidays

Evening everyone! I gotta say, it's a bit weird that it got to 54 degrees today and I honestly would love a nice dumping of snow right now. Anyways...let's get to it.

Mia had her last week of school this week and is officially on break. Didn't do a lot of drawings for her because she took hot lunch every day. Not sure why but whatever works. Her book is complete (minus drawing the title). She's excited to have some much needed time off to relax with family and friends. Thursday, we picked up a couple things for Jill on Mia's request despite the fact that Jill and I usually don't buy for each other. Oh well. Friday, Mia had a great holiday party and had a lot of fun with her friends and classmates.

Saturday, we had an indoor soccer meeting with her team and met some of the parents and new players at the library. It was a great time and all of the kids are stoked to start up. We were missing Scarlett and Angie sadly. We handed out the beautiful Adidas kits that the kids love. They also saw the logo I designed too which may end up on the jersey. Vida snagged one of the signs for her room. She's quite excited for the season to start. A lot of parents really want to get a practice in, so we're going to try and get in a practice THIS Saturday on the futsal court in New Berlin. We'll be for sure short Adalyn and Cecilia but any practice is better than no practice.

The rest of the day, we hung out, did some shopping and made dinner while watching Elf. Jill wrapped up some gifts as well. Today, the girls went off to Walmart while I watched the Chelsea vs Spurs derby. Going into this match, I was hella nervous because the Blues haven't been doing that well and the Spurs are starting to return to a better form after picking up our former manager Jose Mourinho. There's always a heated rivalry between the clubs so this was certainly going to be a tough one.

Even though they started some players that haven't been playing much lately and even changed it to a 3-4-3, the Blues got two goals in the 2nd half from Willian. One off a great shot early and the 2nd after a careless foul from the keeper in the box. I missed the red card foul early in the 2nd half when Mia and I ran to Noodles for lunch and the racial comments shouted at Rudiger. That's just horrific and uncalled for. It's hard to believe this crap still happens in sports yet here we are. The announcers were super upset about it. All in all, good win for a team that really needed it. While I was at work, Mia and Jill made some cookies. After work, I stopped by my parents to visit with my brother, sister in law and nephew who just arrived from CA for the holidays. Looking forward to spending time with them. Mia especially is excited to chill with Alex. This week, I've got some shifts at work, off Tues Thur and Friday. My brother Todd is coming as well so we'll get to hang with him and his boys as well. Should be a great time. Jill's got to work tomorrow a bit unfortunately.

That's all for now, thanks for reading!