Basketball
Saturdays see us juggling basketball practice and games for Emily, Makayla, and Ricky. Some weeks, all three have basketball at the same time. With only 2 drivers in our family, it gets a little tricky figuring out how to cover each child's practice--especially since Rick coaches both Emily's and Makayla's teams.
Ricky's basketball this year is kind of silly and almost seems like a waste of time, but he loves to go. He doesn't really have a team. Rec ball for his age here involves getting a bunch of kids together to work on skills and do drills. They work on things that Ricky already does with us at home, and they have yet to play a real game, but he enjoys it nonetheless. I always take him because his basketball time is during Emily's practice. This is a cheesy picture of Ricky at basketball, but I couldn't find a better one.
Makayla's team is also fun. She is the tallest member of her team of second graders. She likes having her daddy coach and her school friend's dad is the assistant coach. Both of them are great and she has had a fun year. One thing we don't like about her age group is that they play with a tiny basketball and shoot on low hoops. Makayla is used to shooting with a women's size ball on our big hoop at home, so adjusting is difficult for her. I do have some video of her making a basket during a game, though. Maybe I will post the videos another time when I am willing to wait forever for them to download.
I spend a lot of time trying to keep Andrew entertained at games. Three days before my due date, we went to one of Emily's games. We took a few pictures of ourselves on the sidelines for entertainment.
Emily is constantly improving her skills--especially since Dad is her coach and we often spend time together as a family at the church gym or in our own driveway (when the weather is warm) practicing. Do you like her defensive stance?
Rick is a great coach. He has had a challenging year coaching Emily's team. You wouldn't believe some of the politics that are already a part of basketball--even at the 5th grade level, but he sticks with it, and the girls are lucky to have a good guy like him as their coach.
Winter time here is basketball, basketball, basketball for us. Even though it keeps us busy and can sometimes get tricky, I am glad that our children are doing something they enjoy with their dad and with each other. 
As I write this, he is now 4 days old and very sweet. Like our other children, he has been very mellow and rarely cries. That, however, may change as many things do. His first nights home from the hospital haven't been too awful either, and I feel like I am getting the rest I need to recover. It helps that I have my sister here to help get the kids ready for school in the mornings and to take care of many things so that I can nap when I need to.
We brought Sean home from the hospital on the evening of the 2nd.
We celebrated Makayla's 8th birthday on the 3rd. Everybody was excited to meet the new baby, but Makayla felt particularly special because little Sean is her "birthday buddy." Ricky and Andrew's birthdays are 3 days apart, and Makayla and Sean's birthdays are two days apart. Emily is already asking us to try to have another little girl in August so that she can have a birthday buddy too. Unfortunately, things like that are very difficult to plan.
Celebrating Makayla's birthday was fun. We were glad to have Aunt Cathy and David visiting to share the event with us. Makayla requested cup cakes instead of a birthday cake and they have been a hit with the little ones (and lots of crumbs for me).
Now that our little Makayla-Bug is an official 8-year-old, we are looking forward to her baptism in just a week and a half. We can't wait for Grandma and Grandpa from both sides to visit and to share the special day with her.
Saturdays see us juggling basketball practice and games for Emily, Makayla, and Ricky. Some weeks, all three have basketball at the same time. With only 2 drivers in our family, it gets a little tricky figuring out how to cover each child's practice--especially since Rick coaches both Emily's and Makayla's teams.
Ricky's basketball this year is kind of silly and almost seems like a waste of time, but he loves to go. He doesn't really have a team. Rec ball for his age here involves getting a bunch of kids together to work on skills and do drills. They work on things that Ricky already does with us at home, and they have yet to play a real game, but he enjoys it nonetheless. I always take him because his basketball time is during Emily's practice. This is a cheesy picture of Ricky at basketball, but I couldn't find a better one.
Makayla's team is also fun. She is the tallest member of her team of second graders. She likes having her daddy coach and her school friend's dad is the assistant coach. Both of them are great and she has had a fun year. One thing we don't like about her age group is that they play with a tiny basketball and shoot on low hoops. Makayla is used to shooting with a women's size ball on our big hoop at home, so adjusting is difficult for her. I do have some video of her making a basket during a game, though. Maybe I will post the videos another time when I am willing to wait forever for them to download.I spend a lot of time trying to keep Andrew entertained at games. Three days before my due date, we went to one of Emily's games. We took a few pictures of ourselves on the sidelines for entertainment.
Emily is constantly improving her skills--especially since Dad is her coach and we often spend time together as a family at the church gym or in our own driveway (when the weather is warm) practicing. Do you like her defensive stance? Rick is a great coach. He has had a challenging year coaching Emily's team. You wouldn't believe some of the politics that are already a part of basketball--even at the 5th grade level, but he sticks with it, and the girls are lucky to have a good guy like him as their coach.
Winter time here is basketball, basketball, basketball for us. Even though it keeps us busy and can sometimes get tricky, I am glad that our children are doing something they enjoy with their dad and with each other.Birthday Buddies
This week has been a busy one for our family in only good ways.
On Monday, we welcomed our fifth child, Sean Allen. He was born at 2:28 p.m., weighed in at 8 lbs., 13 oz., and measured 20 inches long.
As I write this, he is now 4 days old and very sweet. Like our other children, he has been very mellow and rarely cries. That, however, may change as many things do. His first nights home from the hospital haven't been too awful either, and I feel like I am getting the rest I need to recover. It helps that I have my sister here to help get the kids ready for school in the mornings and to take care of many things so that I can nap when I need to.
We brought Sean home from the hospital on the evening of the 2nd.
We celebrated Makayla's 8th birthday on the 3rd. Everybody was excited to meet the new baby, but Makayla felt particularly special because little Sean is her "birthday buddy." Ricky and Andrew's birthdays are 3 days apart, and Makayla and Sean's birthdays are two days apart. Emily is already asking us to try to have another little girl in August so that she can have a birthday buddy too. Unfortunately, things like that are very difficult to plan.
Celebrating Makayla's birthday was fun. We were glad to have Aunt Cathy and David visiting to share the event with us. Makayla requested cup cakes instead of a birthday cake and they have been a hit with the little ones (and lots of crumbs for me).
Now that our little Makayla-Bug is an official 8-year-old, we are looking forward to her baptism in just a week and a half. We can't wait for Grandma and Grandpa from both sides to visit and to share the special day with her.
Comments
Happy Birthday my sweet Makayla! I am so excited that you are getting baptized this week! I will be thinking of you. A card is on the way for you. Love you lots.
P.S. Emily I saw your defensive stance in the b-ball pics. VERY IMPRESSIVE I am proud of you! and I know grandpa would be too.