Soccer saturdays...

I have so much to catch up on over here.  Soccer started back in September, and after tomorrow we only have one game left.  Time has flown by this fall.  

The boys were thrilled to be signed back up for another soccer season.  This is Owen's first year officially playing AYSO.  Unfortunately he's not quite old enough to be on a real team so his looks more like the old parks and rec days of group practice then 3 on 3 scrimmage.  I keep promising next year it will be a real team.  He's been a good sport about it so far though. 

Owen's first day:

Scott's team this year is the Neon Ninjas.  He's had another wonderful season with a great coach and teammates. 

Owen hustling:

Scott giving a big brotherly pep talk to Owen during his practice. 

This was the week that we had a game for Owen, ran to a birthday party at Chuck E Cheese (my personal hell) and then went straight back to the fields for Scott's game. 

Teammates:

Last year Scott never scored a goal, which he was super bummed about because he really wanted to (who doesn't lets be honest). He has really improved this year and come close several times.  Last week he finally scored not one, but two goals during the game.  He was so happy and proud but it was pretty funny because he almost didn't know what to do with himself.  He came over to me and Brian and high five a few teammates but then went back to business, he barely smiled over it although I could tell he was excited. 

This picture is of one of the times he almost scored.  Of course I have nothing from when he did actually score, but its not a moment any of us will soon forget. 

Cheers to another great soccer season and the holidays being right around the corner!

Last year of preschool....

Owen finally started back to school at the beginning of September.  It was a long time coming since Scott had already been back for two weeks. 

At the end of the year last year and throughout the summer Owen was convinced he was off to kindergarten.  It only made sense considering Scott was on to first he must be done with team class.  I kept explaining he was done for THIS year but still had one more year.  He wasn't having it.  Finally after chatting with my friend and his teacher, Sandy, we came up with a plan to rename it.  Welcome to TEAM-K big guy.  Someone asked him what team-k was... his response "its just like team, but different".  So there you have it.  He is satisfied with a simple name change.  I'll take it.

Last first day of preschool.  So many emotions.

With his best friend at the gate waiting to go in.

After school play date with another friend.  Playing house/babies with stormtrooper and chewbacca.  Love it.

And so begins the drop offs and pick ups and enjoying every minute with this tiny tribe!

While the bigs are away, littles play {and other fun happenings}

Well its seems I've fallen behind with updates again.  But rewinding to the end of August and early September, Scott was back to school but Owen and co. had two more weeks off.  That meant lots of littles playdates while the bigs were in school.

Also this pre first day of first grade picture because its just so cute!!!!

Owen and I got lots of quality time and one day we set up a bunch of small plastic animals in combo with his summer wooden craft projects.

It was a blast playing with him for hours uninterrupted and by his rules.

Dad was off work early one day so we got to go pick up Scott as a family. He looks thrilled right?!

And of course we swam after school every single day!

The week before Owen went back Andy and I decided to take the littles on a special museum date, just them, no older siblings to follow around.  It was pretty fun and special! Love our one on one time with them, especially since it always feel like there was so much with the older one and basically none with the littlest.

We spent a solid chunk of time in the bird nest outside and particularly this bridge.  They couldn't get enough.

Climbing wall...

And of course up and down the inside climbing structures for hours.  I wish I had this in my house, for the kids and for me!

The friday before school we got a special invite to help set up the classroom.  The teachers appreciated our help and Owen and I appreciated the extra time at school.   We were ready to be back.

That same friday we went to see Scott and his friends display their cardboard box project.  First grade in full swing y'all!

First day of first grade...

We had an awesome last day of summer.  Followed by a fever for Scott that hit over night that resulted in him throwing up in the morning and missing his first day of school.  Such a bummer!

He made it to school the second day though.  He probably could have used one more rest day but he was up and ready to go when I got home from working out and we decided that the whole late to the party would be more harmful than going to school a little tired.

Can't believe we have an official first grader in the house.

And the next day we were back at it at soccer practice.  Scott's team has one practice a week right now.  Owen's doesn't but he goes with Brian and they do their own practice.  So grown up these two.

Last week of summer

Its hard to believe that summer has come and gone and we are already a few weeks into the school year.  Before I share our first week of school I will reminisce about our last week of summer.  After  we returned from our northwest trip we just over a week until Scott started first grade and we tried to make the most of it.

Mimi and I took all four kids to the Santa Barbara Natural History Museum one day.  The kids had all been but it was my first trip - what an awesome place.

We started in the butterfly garden.  They loved trying to find all the species from the cards they were given when we entered.  It was beautiful, I wish I had taken a picture of the whole enclosure.

I found this sign out by the water play area.  Perfect on so many levels.  I wish this was posted everywhere.

Owen playing in the water area with a little wooden boat.  Childhood at its finest. 

We spent a solid amount of time arranging and rearranging these bamboo poles into teepees.  They were so into this I'm highly considering duplicating in our back yard.  

We made sure to visit the snake house.  The boys loved it and had LOTS of questions for the naturalist. 

Just picnicking with cousins, summer's best.

We visited the T-Rex, it has a name, maybe Sue? Its been too long for me to remember now.  Super neat exhibit though, complete with a real paleontologist to answer all of our questions.

One of our last stops of the day was the planetarium.  Probably the best kids planetarium experience I've ever had.  It was geared completely to kids and it wasn't just a prerecorded show.  The guy took questions and then directed the sky to show us all the answers to our questions.  It was amazing and the boys had a great time (once they stopped fighting over who sat where)

Picked some snacks back at Mimi's.  I'm going to need a fig tree of my own someday!

Cousins...

And before we headed home we had some serious tree climbing.

We finally made it to a beach day with our school, never mind that it was the last beach day of summer, but at least we can say we went.  And we got to capture (and release) some sea critters to boot.

Stopped for roadside coconuts on our way home!

We hosted a play date for friends the friday before school started...appropriate for our typical fight club friday.

The day before school we headed to our favorite lunch and ice cream spot with friends for burgers (with gf buns!) fries and ice cream.

It was the best way to say farewell to summer.