Boys vs. Girls

Just for end-of-season fun, MVHS Lacrosse players held a Boys vs. Girls game.

The girls started out super competitive as the boys struggled to play by the girls' game rules using the girls' sticks (boys are used to having a much deeper pocket to hold the ball).  They'd shoot & be shocked when the ball would sail high over the goal...or lose the ball & not know it, but still take shots with nothing in their stick.

Unfortunately for the girls, the boys' learning curve was swift & the game started to turn, and the girls lost their lead.  It was hard to tell though, cuz the scoreboard was being tampered with...

I had to leave at half time, but it sounded like the game dissolved into laughter & chaos before the end!

Here's a few of Abbie's favorite & loyal fans in the stands. 

The only thing missing in this picture (besides Porter) 

is Grandpa's famous Vietnamese GONG

 that has been rung for each MVHS goal all season. 

(It's actually there-at Sue's feet- waiting for the next goal to be scored!)

Porter is ALWAYS missing in the stands, 

because he is running to and fro, helping set up, keeping stats,
running a quick lap around the track, shooting goals during half-time,

selling programs or snacks, hanging with the announcer up in the booth,

and most importantly, manning the half-time & end-of-game horn.

(there have been several occasions when we have heard, 

"honk-honk, ha-honk-honk, honk-honk" at the end of a game)

Porter was a stellar refreshment-salesman at a boys tourney earlier in the season when dave & I were there working in the snack bar.  He found a cardboard box lid, taped a menu with prices inside it, and roamed the stands taking orders & money, completely of his own accord. Then he'd run up to the snack bar for the food, and deliver it to spectators as they sat in the stands -- As you might imagine he made plenty of tip money.  He also collected recyclables to cash in after the game.

That boy is always happiest when he is busy and IN CHARGE.

And making money never hurts.

  

Surf City Champs

Abbie's lacrosse team played in the

Surf City Lacrosse Tournament last weekend

and won it for the J.V. High School Division!

What an awesome way to end the season!

Abbie has had a really good season this year. 

It has been fun to watch her put new skills into practice, 

get more aggressive, and score 18+ (but who's counting) 

goals for the Diablos.

Jodi, Abbie, Torra, Analyse & Karstin

Coach Cressita & Coach  Schmidt

Congratulations Girlies!

The whole team, post-tourney, sporting their new "Surf City Champ" sweatshirts

Is this appropriate for a blog post?

Nothing ruins a nice soak in the jacuzzi 

like having to drill a hole in your toenail.  

Ask Porter.  

He and Abbie thought it would be nice to take a quick jacuzzi tonight before bed.  

But about 10 minutes into it, while doing a little leaf skimming, 

the skimmer pole got dropped (vertically?) onto Porter's toe.

Most of his toenail was purple in seconds, 

and after an hour of teeth chattering pain (yes, his teeth were chattering - poor thing),

we (dave) decided that a hole would need to be made in the toenail 

to relieve the pressure & throbbing

After we (sue) verified that Dave wasn't out of his mind (google told me)

dave tried touching his toenail with a hot paperclip 

(as had been done to him in a dr office)

unfortunately it didn't quite melt through

after more coaxing, porter decided to try the (tiny jeweler's) drill

(no idea why we have one. ask dave.)

and he practically did it all himself 

I was shocked at the force behind the release of blood

so was porter

but it wasn't long before the relief washed over his face

and he was ready for B.E.D.

(so was I)

skip the pix if you're already feeling nauseous

(abbie took them for me...she couldn't bear to go to bed

until it was resolved, she felt so bad for porter)

getting some mama love

fyi - see that yellow blow torch on the coffee table?

(ignore all the other clutter...)

yeah, that's what dave heated the paperclip with

uhhh, overkill much?

A Work in Progress

That Will Never be Done.

(and that's ok)

but, I feel compelled to apologize . . .

Sorry to those 

who are like me

whose sense of symmetry 

is offended

by the lack of symmetry of my new blog header

I've tried

and someday I'll figure it out

but for now

-- enjoy the pretty little birdies --

(and the fact that i put up some new posts)

p.s. thanks, dood, for the cute card from whence the birdies came

Cub Scouts? . . . Or Daddy Scouts?

You can decide.

Porter's pack had a Space Derby instead of Pinewood Derby this year.
Each cub-daddy-team fashioned a balsa wood space shuttle
complete with a rubberband operated propeller.

PLENTY of work was put into creating the "track" for the rockets to fly on -- complete with sensors wired directly into a laptop to determine the winners of each heat.

Can you see all those wires?  

Sorry about my lack of photography skills - but this isn't "that" kind of blog.

In our awesome Pack #708's defense, 

the flying tracks were state-of-the-art,  but just a bit too tall for the cubs to reach.

(Which, I initially thought was brilliant 

to keep the boys from hanging from it and running into it 

and bringing the whole thing down before the races could even begin!)

But it did make me chuckle as it turned into sort-of a daddy event

when the time came to hang & release the rockets!

The dads were VERY serious about holding their cub's rocket

'just so'

as to provide every advantage for their scout. 

The first couple races the rockets barely made it two feet.

With a bit more fine tuning, they were whizzing across to the finish line.

With a bit more fine tuning, 

Porter's shuttle rocketed across the track and SLAMMED into the finish line

and exploded.

That was his final race.

Value-able

Kenzie is reaching so many milestones in her life lately.  

Not the least of which is receiving her Young Women's Medallion

in our church's Personal Progress Program

(similar to Scouts and Duty to God that the boys do)

For the past 6 years, she has worked to exercise & develop values, including 

Faith - Divine Nature - Individual Worth

Knowledge - Choice & Accountability - Good Works

Integrity - Virtue

She has completed 6 Experiences for each value

(study of that value; goal-setting to incorporate it into her life; journaling each experience) 

And a 10-hour Project for EACH value

Here's what she chose to do for a few of those -- 

- KNOWLEDGE VALUE PROJECT -

creating her infamous, and much loved Quoteboard 

see it in the background in gramma's bday pic?

- INDIVIDUAL WORTH VALUE PROJECT -

Collecting, wrapping & delivering christmas gifts & cheer

to mudslide victims in Punta Banda 

- GOOD WORKS VALUE PROJECT - 

Sewing lotsa school bags to be filled with supplies for needy children

this one took a little prodding way back at age 14 ;-)

She'll tell you that she never could imagine that she'd get it all done

But here we are

Little by Little

This inspired program has played a great part 

in shaping who she has become, what she stands for

She'll tell you she understands the value of it all now

and is so glad she did it

but really didn't 'get it' in the beginning

(remember the 'prodding' comment?)

little by little

(that's how it works, isn't it? 

whether we're moving closer to Christ

or away from Him)

She displayed one of my favorite quotes on her table -

"If ours lives and our faith are centered on Christ and his restored gospel, 

nothing can ever go permanently wrong.  

On the other hand, 

if our lives are not centered on the Savior and his teachings, 

no other success can ever go permanently right"

Howard W. Hunter

Sistahs

Porter & G'ma converse over cream puffs

...before he races off to man the trash can on wheels

and 'wow' the cleanup ladies with his speed & accuracy

gotta love this one

Glimpses Help

I was taken on a date this evening

by such a sweet, handsome young man

gave me a glimpse
of who he can will become :-)

he showered

(the scent of a boy recently returned 
from a fathers & sons campout can be unpleasant)

and willingly put on his khaki 'church' pants

and a shirt with a collar

none of which is usually done without a fight

dave thought he should have the opportunity 

to do something nice for me

(cuz lately . . . well that's another post)

he took me to a pre-mother's day dinner 

at claim jumper

he shared his second bite of fish & chips with me

(after he'd taken the first bite;
and realized how yummy it was) 

during dinner we both decided we'd like 

to visit the restroom

he let me go first

he voluntarily offered me the biggest brownie bite 

on his 'do it yourself' sundae dessert

when the bill came he realized 

that dad had forgotten to give him the promised cash to pay for dinner

he quickly assured me that "dad will pay you back"

he walked out the door first

but then glanced back to make sure the door didn't slam on me

(ok, we haven't reached perfection yet)

but the glimpse of who is in there
was a mother's day treat for me

thanks dave

and you owe me $36 :-)



POST EDIT:  It's been keeping me up at night -- the 'cute' way I ended this post --
with the 'you owe me'  part -- i mean, it IS funny,
but for the record -- he doesn't owe me a thing -- I'm the one in his debt.
;-)