Searching for Billy Badass

We arrived after two hours of singing along to Willie Nelson and Rick Springfield and The Partridge Family in the hopes of avoiding the inevitable cry for "The Mommy Teapot Song."  TT had already been there and told us it was darling before she left to go get a fishing license, and when we pulled up the kids piled out and started running.  The Man who hasn't had small children for over two decades tried to get them to help unload, but Sam and Eva were more interested in exploring, running from room to room inside and then cautiously stepping out on to the wooden pier to see how deep the water was out by the bench bolted to the end.  We unloaded the car, and the kids and I started playing in the water while The Man ran to get the traditional $30 loaf of bread.  By the time he came back with three plastic bags of goodies, Sam's shorts were soaked and Eva was in just her undies and TT had reeled in her first big bass.  Rain moved in as the sun went down and we built a bonfire and started our weekend on the lake.  But as the bass flopped in the bucket and the kids crawled all over the adults, laughing and telling jokes, it was already worth every penny we spent to rent the cabin.  We woke up to very cool sunshine and a beautiful fog on the lake, and although the temperatures struggled to get above 60 and the winds out of the east mostly kept the fish away, it was a beautiful fall family weekend.  So much fun to see the kids drive the pontoon and learn to cast and constantly search for the fish that TT named "Billy Badass."  I'm just hoping that when Sam tells the story at his Catholic Kindergarten he remembers to call the fish the name that Mommy gave it: Walter.

 

 

 

Grateful for Grandma

Four days before we planned to spend the weekend at TT's house, she fell on her tailbone and only after we had unloaded the suitcase and the toys and climbed the stairs to her living room did she mention it.  She had trouble sitting and she was in obvious pain, so she told us about her fall and I did my best to keep the kids from crawling all over her.  But kids will be kids and grandmas will be grandmas and even though she was in significant pain all weekend, TT spoiled all three of us.  She took the kids to Bay Beach and McDonald's Playland while I had free time to do a Saturday long run at UWGB.  She bought them Lego and pink horses and took them to the Children's Museum so I could spend Sunday in and around Lambeau Field watching the Pack beat up on the Redskins.  Grandma was amazing, and we all had such a great weekend, and on our way home we started talking about planning another weekend with TT in which she could relax and we would all take care of her.

Euro Football

Considering that once a week tee ball this summer just about did me in, and considering that the first time I told Sam I'd signed him up for twice a week euro football he said, "I don't want to play soccer.  I don't like soccer", it seems like perhaps I might have set us up for a little family drama as the days get shorter and we start that long slide into winter that frequently makes us all feel like we're over scheduled and running out of time.  But nothing could be further from the truth.  From the first practice in which they did skills assessments and set up their player cards long after the practice was supposed to end, Sam and I have both loved the local Euro Football program.  Twice a week I pick him up a little early and we struggle to get his soccer socks and shin guards over his sticky, sweaty feet.  Twice a week he runs out on to the field in his size 12 Nike cleats while I catch up with Kate before running off to get Eva.  Twice a week he runs and laughs and learns, really learns, soccer skills.

Last week after dinner one night, The Man stopped over and we wanted to go outside to toss around the football and Sam asked if we could play soccer instead.  "I don't know how to play soccer," The Man said,  And Sam proceeded to show us how to shuffle for defense, how to shield the ball and block your opponents, how to dribble and pass and work with your team.  He talked about teamwork and respect and told us he's really good at defense.  His first tournament isn't until October 5th, and he's got a few more weeks left, but the entire experience has already been worth every penny and every scheduling inconvenience we've had to work around.  (Although Eva might not agree.)