Soccer Daze

We have entered the Soccer phase of life. Practices are now completed and the League has begun.

Javin plays on a team made up of 1st and 2nd grade boys from his school. He enjoys all the action that is involved in soccer. The first game was hot so they went through lots of water. Better hot than snowing. They play all through the month of October, so snow is a very real possibility.

The big news is that Javin scored his first goal!! He played great all last year but connecting with the ball and getting in the goal never happened. He was thrilled with his accomplishment but was quick to say that Bradley helped him score by passing to him. Way to go displaying good sportsmanship!

Kailyn's Fair Day

Last week Kailyn and I went to the fair to see the Horse Show with Mimi and Poppy. We watched the Show for awhile and then hit the rides. Kailyn loved all the kiddie rides, especially the Fun Slide. She kept going and going! Of course she made friends wherever she went. It was a fun and dusty day!

The rollercoaster however was not a hit with Kailyn. She had to cry when it finally stopped. It was just too fast and jerky around the corners.

Poor Javin was a school and missed out on the fun. Don't feel too sorry for him, because he got to got Geagua Lake all day with mom this summer.

The 12 Peck Commandments

Kailyn had a Sunday School lessons on the 10 Commandments recently. We were taking about them afterwards and our conversation turned to the rules at our house. They started naming our rules and I quick grabbed a paper and jotted them down. Today I found the paper as I was going through the endless piles of papers that collect around the house. It is interesting to hear what stands out to your kids. So here is Javin and Kailyn's version of the 12 Peck Commandments (they took turns submitting entries).

1. Love God with all your heart.


2. Love your neighbor as yourself and be kind.


3. Don't poo in your panties. (Kailyn)


4. Eat with your mouth closed.


5. Pee only in the potty. (she was on a roll)


6. No jumping on the furniture.


7. No hitting, kicking or biting.


8. No banging the bar stool on the counter.


9. No saying "stupid".


10. No climbing on top of the play set.


11. No climbing up the slide.


12. Be kind to the dog.

Javin's version of the Statue of Liberty.

What a week!

Last week was a big week for all of us. Javin's soccer practices started on Tuesday. He loved it. His games will start in a week. Sorry but I don't have any pictures for ya.

Kailyn's Wednesday night ballet classes kicked off this week too. She goes with a friend from Ukraine, Bianca. They were so excited to wear their pink leotards and tights. Kailyn did wonderful they say. Their practice room is not parent accessible. :( So I couldn't watch. She's been doing her moves around the house all the time.

For me this week was filled with planning and preparations for our first Amish Door Overnighter. Going somewhere new is a bit stressful, but boy was it worth it. The facility was just awesome. The ladies were thrilled with the conference room that has windows all around and a gorgeous view. They took very good care of us and everyone enjoyed themselves. I was so wound up on Friday that, I must admit, I didn't feel so well. I finally relaxed later in the evening. I went to bed a little early - 3 am, instead of my usual 4 or 5 am at overnighters. I am such a night owl that is it hard to stop scrapbooking when I am really on a roll. I was able to complete 12 pages in my own albums and had fun taking care of my customers. I snapped a few pictures at the start of the weekend. I should have taken some more when it was packed out with people. We had 62 people in attendance. We were so pleased with the awesome response. The whole weekend was a lot of fun!

A BIG thanks to Mom and Dad for watching my kids!

Parading Through Town

Last weekend the kids both got to be in a little hometown parade. Javin was in his usual spot as Poppy's sidekick atop the white Cinderella carriage. They wear matching bow ties and top hats. What a pair!

The surprise was that Kailyn got to ride in the barrel train with a bunch of other kids at the last minute. She got a bag of candy to throw as they went along the route. As we watched the parade dark storm clouds began to circle overhead. Just as Kailyn's train came to a stop at the end of the parade the clouds burst open and the rain fell for a few minutes on us. Otherwise it was a great little parade.

Transformation

The gravel driveway at my house has disappeared and has been replaced by inky black pavement that's as smooth as... butter - well, not butter on a hot day, that would be too runny - you know what I mean! So much for my attempts at imagery.

I decided to black top my driveway this summer and see if I could surprise Javin. I thought it would so fun to have him come home from school or wake up one day and see trucks working on the driveway to his surprise. But he managed to get wind that something was going on. However, he didn't not know when this was going to take place and neither did I for that matter.

So when he came home from school Tuesday he spotted the grader and truck from the school bus and flew in the driveway dumping his bike in the grass right away so he could take it all in. He got to watch some grading and hauling as they got the site prepared. Then he had some fun helping Dave mark off the driveway with a spray can that was hooked up to a trigger. Kailyn got to try her hand at it too. He even wrote out his name before the paint disappeared. I wonder if the estimate figured in the amount of spray paint my kids would be playing with!

Then the pavement crew arrived on the scene and the base coat of 300-degree asphalt was laid. Late that evening, after answering a ton of questions from a curious 1st grader, they called it quits. The crew was back again the following afternoon carefully laying the top coat on a sweltering day. Kailyn watched a little then headed in for naptime. After this coat, we were not allowed to drive on it for the rest of the day. So that night Javin eagerly set his alarm for 6:30 am, so that he would be ready for school with time to spare for riding his bike up and down our new driveway. He met his goal in the morning and we flew in and out on our bikes until the bus arrived.

So the next time you visit me, you will have a smooth ride in the whole way.

The joys of being a kid

A day playing at the park is worth all the effort in a child's eyes. We drove to a nearby town and squeezed 3 car seats in the back seat and headed out for some free-for-all running, exploring, grand, fun time at the park. The kids played pirates in the castle and ship playground set up. Kailyn proved to me quite the leader as she took charge of the playground and ordered everyone around. Josh didn't seem to mind and Jacob just did his own thing. In this picture Kailyn is planting a tree leaf. Meanwhile Sher and I relished in some time of adult conversation!! Thanks Sher, I always love it when we get to talk! Great times. Then it was off to "Donald's" for some nuggets and ice cream.

Javin is the king of ingenious play toys. Here he confiscated Mimi's scooped out watermelon shell and turned it into a water fountain. He has such an amazing imagination and can come up with the most creative works of art. Who needs toys when you can play with a watermelon!

Kailyn has her share of imagination too. Here she is fishing in the mud with a stick. She was catching all kinds of fish! Silly girl!!

Downriver

Labor Day weekend was full of fun times for all. The highlight was a canoeing/kayaking trip down the Mohican River. A group of friends from church joined us as we paddled down river. Javin really wanted to kayak so we got a double for him and I. After awhile he began visiting other canoes in the group and Kailyn joined me in the kayak. Well Javin ended up in Kyle's canoe and the horseplay ensued. The water was splashing around and soon the only ones left in their canoe was the 2 boys. Javin thought it was great fun to rock the canoe. To his delight and amusement he tipped Kyle right out of the canoe and managed to stay inside himself. Well, not too long afterwards he really tipped it and they were both standing in very cold river water. And their canoe...well it was completely filled with water. They had to drag it out and dump the water before they could go on. He did settle down after that because he was so cold. But it was a hot day so don't feel too sorry for him. It was a beautiful day to be outside and enjoy the world God created for us.