soccer is finished

Seth "played soccer" this year. The quotes are there on purpose because while other children were kicking soccer balls and doing something at least somewhat related to soccer, Seth spent most of soccer practice doing anything BUT playing soccer. He was on the same field as the soccer balls, though, so I'm saying it counts as "playing soccer." He really enjoyed himself running around, occasionally kicking a ball, jumping off an incline box at the side of the field, and trying to pull down the giant net that connects to the ceiling. This was a three-week program with practices twice per week -- very short season -- for people with special needs. Last night was the final practice, so each player received a medal. I'm assuming that Seth's medal was for being so stinking cute because it couldn't have been for participation!

i gave up

some battles are worth fighting and some aren't. some battles are possible to win and some aren't. apparently this is one battle that falls in the "aren't" category. i never realized how ultra-conditioned even the most liberal of liberalists are: girls have long hair, boys have short hair. it doesn't matter if a child has on a pink frilly dress; if the hair is short, it's a boy. and it doesn't matter if a child has on a suit and tie like a miniature man; if the hair is long, it's a girl. INSANE!!!!!!!! i might be a majority of ONE in the philosophy that there's more to a person than appearance.

and now as i not-so-graciously step down from my soap box, here are the pictures of my surrender:

obsessed with loonapix!

No lie! I have been spending hours every day putting frames on my pictures. I think this might qualify as wasting time, but I DON'T CARE because it's so much fun to me! I had to take a break from it today, though, because my printer ran out of ink from printing all the pictures I make.





I also started some sewing projects. I decided that my ipod needed a protective cover for when I need to carry it in my purse (which is generally NOT a safe place for an ipod to be). So I got a scrap of material at Walmart ($1) and a piece of felt ($0.41) and made myself and Joel ipod carrying cases:


They are pretty obviously handmade, but I'm VERY proud of myself for making them at all and especially for making them up out of my own head without a pattern. I also made Joel and Luke new pillowcases. I meant to buy myself material for a new pillowcase. I even showed Joel some pretty sparkly butterfly material, but forgot that I wanted a new pillowcase because I was thinking of making Joel's and Luke's. When I got home and realized my mistake, Makenzie wanted me to go right back to Walmart and buy it; but I was tired of the Saturday traffic. My sparkly butterfly pillowcase can wait until Monday.

summer busy-ness

I've fallen out of the habit of keeping up with blogging. I'd love to say that I'm going to get better at it, but reality is I probably won't. I've tried for years to stay in contact with friends and family, but I don't do a good job at all.

Anyway -- we've been busy with summer activities: parks, playing outside, watching movies, playing video games :-)

Joel is now finished with kids' church because he's going into the sixth grade. He can be a helper, but he can't participate as a "kid." On his last chance to win the big "jackpot" of candy, HE WON :-) Normally the winner gets a giant bag of M&M's, but Uncle Richard got Joel Skittles because they don't have milk in them :-)


Joel was even nice enough to share with his brothers and sister (I was amazed!):


Seth is still going to his private therapists throughout the summer. His speech therapist let him keep this yellow truck that they were playing with in one session. He played with it for hours at the park.


My big 11-year-old is pretty much too big to enjoy playing at the park unless he has a friend to do "big kid" stuff. He had a friend and another kid's dad to have fun on this day:


On Memorial Day, the second hand store had a big 50% off sale. Joel and I went at 7 a.m., and then I took Makenzie and Luke a little later. Luke picked out this Hawaiian print shirt because he really likes it:


And here's our summer-time dinner set-up:


Almost no clean-up required! We've been loving the sunny days so far!