Keeping It Going in Alabama: Soccer Camp Week

Thursday, June 29, 2023

Soccer Camp Week

Yesterday was the beginning of soccer camp, and it was quite confusing. Soccer is from 9 a.m. to 12:00, and Ryan took them for the first day, and I picked them up. They overslept and got off to a late start, and it was hot, and there was a lot of negativity and a few tears. Some little boy had apparently injured both of them, and they were mad with him. The little boy was pointed out, and he was small, maybe 2nd or 3rd grade. I did hear the coach yell to him as I drove up - "Good tackle!"

The only picture I took. It's quite a motley crew from the looks of this picture. Katherine and Graysen are on the left side near the coaches. Katherine in the dark green shirt is definitely not happy. Graysen has in the pink shirt and is feeling okay and laid back. One of the younger coaches has a team that he wants her to try out for. He thinks she's pretty good and would thrive with that group.

The weren't in the mood to go to the library and picnic. They only wanted to go home and recover from this heat - up to 79 degrees, I think. If they only knew how hot it gets in other parts of the country. We didn't have long after lunch before they had to leave for basketball camp - a 3-day deal at the high school, which is not as far as we had to drive to soccer, but they really wanted to go to the local library and get some more books. Graysen wants to get them all, and Katherine hesitates to get more than 1 or 2, like she has to pay for them! Ryan took them to basketball, and I was off duty then. It sounds like they did better there than this morning.

Today I've taken and picked up soccer girls, and Ryan and Emily will get them to and from basketball. They sure don't want to go. It's cool and cloudy, and we're pretty content. They're sitting on the floor talking in low voices with some little set of animals. I think I can take that better than the singing and dancing they like to do.

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I either got interrupted or went to sleep, probably the latter. I can't get enough sleep, although I stay up most of the night and want to sleep during the day.

Today - Wednesday - I had almost full duty for soccer and basketball. They had a much better day than yesterday. They put on sunscreen, but their faces were so red and hot. The only problem they had was than I didn't take lunch for them to eat in the car.

After lunch, they had a couple of hours, but Carly wasn't home, and they were disappointed with that.

They ended up being loud and wrestling and just waiting for time to go to basketball. I had never been to the "new" high school. It's a few years old or maybe was just finished last year, and it's so big and nice. They got out like big girls and said they would figure it out so I didn't have to go and climb those stairs. I sat in the parking lot a few minutes and didn't see them, so I came home.

Two more days of soccer, but basketball is done. They really seem to like it. We have such interesting conversations in the car. Today we got on the subject of what to do if you get lost. They have little phones that are limited to getting and calling a few people, so that is good if they're stranded somewhere. Oh, we passed by the middle school where Graysen will go year after next, and this is a new concept for them. They asked if you had to give the bus driver your address every day, like the driver took everyone to his house. Then Katherine asked how the "commercial buses" worked. How does she pick up these phrases. They sound so funny coming from here.

We went over different ways to get help if you're lost in an unfamiliar place - just stay there! I usually always have them in my sight, but the day is coming soon when they're going to want to walk around with their friends. Ugh. The most dangerous thing around here are the bikes and scooters then preteens and teens ride - on the sidewalk. Someone my age got knocked down in front of the school, and the kid never even stopped. It really scares me that they come up behind you silently and might say "On the right" or "on the left" but I usually don't hear them say anything.

Life is dull right now, but I like it that way. I'll look for the last pictures I have and see what they are.

This was one of those lazy days at the park across the street. I sometimes sit on my porch and keep an eye on them, but that day I took a bottle of water and just sat in the sunshine an watched them. They have so much fun here and don't need a thing. Carly's Mom Linda brought over little sister Ida who is 2 years old, I think. She's just running everywhere and curious and has that cute little beginning-to-talk voice where she repeats everything she hears. Graysen especially is crazy about here. She wants to be able to babysit in a few years.

Graysen needed to take some time to take some pictures of the birds to send to her dad. They look like they were watching the girls examine the big worm on the sidewalk.

And the Cascade View Wax Museum that the fourth grade did. They did such a good job creating their costumes and making their backgrounds. They all were supposed to stand still like statues until someone pushed their buttons.

I was impressed. I knew Graysen was doing Helen Keller but didn't hear her talk. The only video I got was near the end when she had repeated the same thing for 2 hours over and over and was clowning a little. They were tucked into the different classes and in the halls, and with all the parents and kids, it got really stuffy.

The dress was perfect, and she was one of the few who didn't have to read their speech. I work on the video tomorrow.

Likewise friends Harper and Isla did a great job. I didn't get pictures of all the outstanding citizens

George Washington even fanned Noreen and me with the Declaration of Independence.

The neighborhood twins as Einstein and maybe another Einstein. I can't tell. They walk down my sidewalk every morning just at 8:55 bouncing their basketballs, and they gave me a preview that morning.