Nurture vs. Nature

Emily played soccer for the first time 18 months ago and I swore I wouldn't put her in it again because it was just so mind-numbingly boring watching a pack of kids run around the soccer field in a big clump trying to kick the ball.  Well, I gave in and put her in it this fall because her best friend was playing and Emily wanted to try again.  Mark is their coach and the first couple of games were just hilarious...kids standing around looking at the sky while the ball goes right through their legs, doing cartwheels, jumping on each other's backs, kicking each other shins to test out their shin guards...I think most of you know what I'm talking about.  Well, after a couple of these kinds of games and getting killed by the other teams I decided to urge Emily to try a little harder, pay more attention and actually follow the ball after she kicks it.  

A few games into the season, things were looking up.  The team was improving a little, the kids were having fun, parents were commenting on how much better they were all doing, however, the team was still getting killed and the other teams scored more goals for us than we scored for ourselves.  Mark was doing a fine job coaching but last week he was in Provo and didn't make it back in time so I reluctantly stepped in.  The second I stepped onto the field my competitive side fired up and the game was on!!!  I quickly figured out how to get the kids to run a "fast break" and Emily scored for the first time in her life!!!  It was so exciting!!!  So we did it over and over again and ended up winning the game!  Everyone was so happy and it felt good.  I think everyone had fun...because winning is fun.  Right?

Mark was out of town again tonight and I was happy to sub.  We were playing the best team in the league and their coach is a jerk.  I have to admit, I spent a little bit of time today scheming about how to beat this team or at least score on them.  To make a long story short, we scored a couple of times, all the kids got to kick and throw the ball in, they were completely exhausted by the end of the game, one of my parents took their kid out of the game and left, I got on the ref and the other coach for standing in the goalie box while my team was trying to score, and I nearly lost my voice.  I am not meant to coach 5 and 6 year olds.  So I'm super competitive...is there something wrong with that?  If so, I blame my parents. 

Catching up...

 


Emily and Lindsey on their first days of school.  Josie hanging out at home, posing for the camera.  Her name has evolved from Josie to Posie to Pose Pie to Podey and Poders which Lindsey made up.  She's so cute.  Who does she look like more...Emily or Lindsey.  I think she looks so much like Lindsey, in fact, I should post some side-by-side pictures of both of them at this age.  

Kids Say The Darndest Things

When I took Em to school today I stopped in and said Hi to her kindergarten teacher from last year.  She reminded me of some funny things Em had said in class:

Emily would sometimes get her b's and d's mixed up.  One day they filled out a worksheet and the last statement said, "When I grow up I want to ....", Emily filled it in with "go to Harverb". I'm going to send that in with her Harvard application.

One time they were learning political correctness and that you should call Indians Native Americans.  Later on that week they were learning about oceans and the teacher pointed to and named the Indian Ocean.  Emily raised her hand and said, "Don't you mean the Native American Ocean?"

Another time, they were playing with some huge, soft die and the kids started bending it.  Emily showed Miss Tawna and said, "Look!  A bendy die!"  Miss Tawna thought she was talking about Abinidi from the Book of Mormon and it took her a good couple of minutes to figure it out.  She thought that was soooo funny!

A couple of weeks ago Emily went to basketball camp.  She came home one day and told me, "I learned how to trespass and bounce pass!!!"  I thought that was so funny we have now renamed the chest pass a trespass.

What a Day

We made a trip to SLC this weekend to attend Grandma J's funeral.  The trip started out pretty rough as I forgot to bring the Jello blocks I was supposed to bring for the luncheon (actually I didn't even remember to make them), a slip for Emily's see-through dress (she wore shorts underneath instead), dress shoes for both girls (they wore their dirty, ragged flip-flops) and a swimsuit for myself (I baked in the sun instead of swam).  However, we didn't forget to bring any of the kids...that's always a good thing.  

The funeral was a very nice celebration of Lily's life and we enjoyed the rest of the weekend with friends and family who had come from all over the country to be there.  After getting past all the things we forgot, it turned out to be a nice trip.  

For anyone who may have been offended by Josie's rejections, please understand that that is the stage she's in right now and she will be over it in about 5 years.  I think she was also feeling out of her element because she seems to be so happy to be home and able to crawl all over the house getting her toys.  

More pictures

More pictures of Lake Powell.

Emily knee boarding and cliff diving.

Lindsey doing a twist cliff jump.

Josie having fun (pre-crawling stage).

End of Summer

Well, summer is winding down. Emily starts 1st grade on the 18th, full day and full week, which is something that is unheard of in the Carbon School District. We survived Mark being gone last week and we're so glad he's home. We all missed him but Lindsey especially was longing for her daddy by Wed. and insisted on calling him several times a day. He's leaving us again next week to do his dream hike with the scouts in our ward into the Uintah's and to King's Peak. They are taking horses this time and will be able to pack in all kinds of good food which will be a new experience for Mark. He usually has to eat the packaged dehydrated food for every meal because it weighs nothing. He is so excited he started packing before he went to Las Vegas.

I think I have mentioned before how super-coordinated and strong Lindsey is. Well, last week at International Days she climbed to the top of the rock wall which is about 30 feet high. She may be the only 4 year old to have done that. I haven't seen any kids younger than her climb to the top and ring the bell. Emily and Addy did it when they were 5. She's so awesome. And it wasn't a fluke because she did it again the next day. I really didn't think she could do it but she never ceases to amaze me with the things she can just do all of sudden. You go girl!!!

We just got word that Mark's grandma Jespersen may be about to pass away. She's been in an assisted living center for 6 years and has really been out of it for the last 4. She didn't wake up yesterday and hasn't eaten anything in two days.

Las Vegas

Well, I'm all alone this week as everyone (Mark, mom, dad, Craig and Eve) all went to Las Vegas for furniture market. I thought about taking the girls and going down there too but since Vegas' motto has been "what happens in Vegas, stays in Vegas" over the last few years, it's become less and less family friendly. Plus it's just way too hot right now and packing three kids around in 115 degree heat all day is not at all appealing to me. So, we are hanging back in Price this week. Darren and his family left to go home on Tues. We had a crazy dinner at Grogg's on Monday night with everyone who was in town. The place was packed-I guess dinner at Grogg's is a pretty popular Family Home Evening activity-and there was one waitress. It took over an hour to get our food and the kids, all of them, were going absolutely nutso.

Emily is in basketball camp this week and next and is really enjoying it. She has such a hard time taking instruction from Mark and I that we have to have other people teach her things that we could very well teach her for free! We went swimming at the Helper pool yesterday and everyone had a blast. Even Josie loves to be in the water. Lindsey is just an amazing little swimmer. She has no fear and will go off the diving board often showing up many kids twice her age. I think she actually thinks she's a dolphin sometimes.