Scrambling to Soccer and Scouts

 

It was a soccer-themed weekend for the girls!  Between the 3 girls, they had EIGHT soccer games!

Ella started off the day strong with a Win and scoring two goals!

We were hoping Ella's winning streak would extend to the other girls, so we brought her along to cheer on the sidelines....

But alas Riley's team, which is ranked 8th in the State, lost all three tournament games.

And while Dave was texting me the disappointing updates on Riley's games....

I was driving Lacey and her teammate Clara all the way to Delaware for their tournament.

Lacey, Clara and fellow teammate Addison

Sadly, Lacey's team also lost all of their tournament games as well too 😔

But we still ended on a high note because when we dropped off Clara, she invited us in to see the week-old kittens they are fostering.  Adorbs!!

Lacey's in heaven

Definitely softened the blow of the losses for sure.

And while all three girls were playing their hearts out at their various soccer tournament games, Tanner was at a weekend-long (Friday-Sunday) Scout camp.  Here he is chill-axing in his new hammock he got for Christmas.

In addition to kicking it in his hammock, he got certified in rifle shooting and shotgun.

He's a First Class scout and is now one step closer to Star.

It was a lot of running around, crossing borders into other states, going back and forth to fields, dividing and conquering and doing the best we could..... and loving every second of it because a year ago at this time, we were in total lock down and basically couldn't even leave our homes.  And here we are a year later playing soccer and going on campouts and acutely aware of not taking any of it for granted.

Closing in on the Black Belt

Thursday was Tanner and Ella's belt advancement test.  There are a couple different times offered and we coordinated with our friend Kelsey to get them all in the same testing time.  It conflicted with Tanner's Scouts, but Tanner decided it was fine to miss Scouts since he was going on a Scout campout (the first campout in many months due to Covid!) all weekend anyway.  Well.....a couple hours before the test, I received an email from Tanner's Scout leader saying they were doing a mandatory rifle/shotgun certification at the Scout meeting (the first in person meeting in as long as I can remember - again, due to Covid) and if you didn't attend, you couldn't go on the campout.  I panicked and called the leader to see if there was any way around this, but he wouldn't budge.  So I raced home from work and Dave called Master Kwon at TKD to see if there was any way we could get Tanner there earlier. Thankfully he agreed  and in a last minute mad dash of maneuvering our schedule around, I was able to get Tanner to both his TKD belt test and to the Scout meeting.

He was a Super Bo-Dan going into the night and was trying to advance to Super Bo-Dan Level I.  After you become a Super Bo-Dan Level II (his next belt), then he will be eligible to train for his Black Belt, which has been a goal of his for the past few years.

He did it!  Super Bo-Dan Level I.

The other students in his class working toward various color belt advancements.

Later that night, it was Ella's turn.

Her belt class (front row 2nd from left).

Congrats on advancing to your Green Belt, Ella!

Ella and our carpool TKD buddy, Kelsey.

This calls for celebration at FroYo!

Please notice the size difference in ice cream...... 🍨😜😳

374 Days......

These two have been out of school for 374 Days.  Their Middle School closed it's doors on March 13, 2020 and didn't reopen them until today........... 374 days later 😳

They've been sad, bored, lost friendships.  It's been SO tough for these kids.  They've missed out on so much - performing in concerts, plays, going on field trips, belonging to school clubs.... all the things that make school..... school.  The whole experience of school both inside and outside of class.

But they've been troopers and were equal parts nervous and excited to head back today!  For now, they are only allowed to go back two days a week.  I am hoping against hope that the schools will open up to four days before the end of the school year, but I'm not holding my breath.  Anne Arundel County Public School system has been a huge disappointment. Prior to this year, I had nothing but praise for AACPS, but the way they have handled getting kids back in school and dealing with this virus has been a huge disaster and has been so extremely frustrating.  And while the powers at be have all battled it out, our kids have suffered..... for 374 days!!  All while watching seemingly every other school system across the country figure it out and get their kids back in school - full time- months ago.  Sigh....

But for today, I am focused on being grateful and staying positive and appreciating the fact that this girl, who has now missed most of her Middle School experience, gets to go back a couple days a week for her final few months of her final year at SPMS.

I even took her Back to School clothes shopping (since there was no need to do it in the Fall - ha!). 

Tanner was SO excited to play band in person (after simply just trying to figure it out by himself in his bedroom all year).  But alas, when he got home, he dejectedly told me that they wouldn't let any of the kids play their instruments because it "wasn't safe."  So, he said, they just had to sit there while the teacher taught the virtual kids at home and just look at the music and follow along. BOOORING.....  Oh wait, I'm trying to stay positive 😏  He ALSO said that apparently they are looking into getting "masks" for the instruments that go over the horns and when/if they are able to get these, then they can start playing their instruments.  Hope that happens soon 🎷😷🤞

Masks on and ready to go!

I videoed them walking away from the house toward the bus stop.... for the first time in 374 days and it just felt so emotional!!

And then, like any normal parent, I turned around and went back inside the house.  NOT!  I couldn't help myself.  I watched them walk and then just followed them without them knowing.  And just stayed far enough away that they couldn't see me (and I wouldn't embarrass them!) until the bus came.  And then.... I saw a bus in our neighborhood for the first time in 374 days.

And I almost cried of relief and a million other mixed emotions as I watched them board that bus and head off to school.......for the first time in 374 days.

And then I ran to the store and got them each a treat and came home and cleaned their rooms and left these on their beds for when they came home.

Nothing says 💕 like 🍫.

Lucky Leprechaun

 

Wednesday was St. Patrick's Day.  As per tradition, the kids lined the stairs in order of age waiting for the signal for them to be able to come down and see if the Leprechauns left them any treats.

And they did!  Lots of green and gold treats!

And some green nail polish 💅💚

Lucky Charms for breakfast

And everywhere we turned around, everything was green!  The toilets, the milk..... even the yogurt!

Normally the kids love to go to school on St. Patrick's day to dress in green and do the fun activities.  Since school was closed last year and again this year (school was closed all together last year and this year, it just barely opened up and for only two days a week.  Wednesdays are still completely closed and St. Patrick's Day fell on a Wednesday), my kids tried to get into the spirit from home.

And to lift our covid-lagging spirits and the spirits of others, we made these bags of green and gold treats with shamrocks sharing little messages on them about how Lucky we are to have that particular person in our lives.

Lacey's load is ready to deliver to her friends.

And Riley and Ella made bags to deliver to the lunch ladies at school.  Even though school is closed, the lunch ladies are still out there every day making lunches for school kids, so we decided to go visit them with a special treat ☘

And then we did a mom-mandated photo shoot ☘💚☘

This past year hasn't felt very lucky, but when I look at these four little people that I live with and love so much, I feel extremely lucky to be their Mom!!!! ☘☘☘

Tournament Champions!

This weekend, Riley played in the Amanda Post Memorial Tournament in Columbia, MD.

They played four games.  And Riley played goalie the entire time for all four games.

And only had one goal score on her that entire time!  Granted, she had AWESOME teammates that had a huge part in that minimizing shots on goal.  But it was still a great feeling and put a big ole' smile on this girl's face!

Team pic after game two (half-way through the tournament)

They were pretty excited because they beat a team 1-0 that was one of the hardest teams they've played in quite a while.

The girls storming their coach after the whistle was blown on their fourth and final game (they won 4-0), which made them championship winners!

Yay!!!! ⚽🏆

Go Stingers!

Teammates with a Trophy!

After having the entire Spring season of all sports canceled last year due to COVID, we all have a new found appreciation for being able to watch them play this season.  They have a great team, great players (both in terms of ability and personality - they're all nice, sweet, girls and all get along great!), and great coaches.  We're excited to see what the season will bring.  But it sure is fun to start off this way!