Silly Selfie

As a treat for great singing in Primary, the little two got these way cool glasses.  There were a few leftovers, so the chorister was generous enough to let me have two more.  Josephine, here on the far right, is wearing her own glasses.  My idea was to take the splash picture with everyone wearing the glasses but, the picture had to be taken so close up to see the glasses that it degenerated into a selfie.  It's adorable, I think.  Everyone is smiling and making faces.  That's just another Tuesday at the BallTeam house.

Splash - September 2015

The September 2015 splash was seriously a last minute idea.  I was talking with my co-worker about the fact that we both have kids graduating from high school this year.  I just can't wrap my head around the fact that Rachel could possibly be 17, let alone how she could have hit such a milestone already.  I truly feel like she should still be 10.  Sigh.  My co-worker and I were talking about what her graduation year will be and what years the other kids will graduate.  This photo was taken at the high school football field on the bleachers and I was playing with them, saying, show me your angry face.  Now sad.  Now happy.  Now surprised.  Surprised hit the mark I wanted.  I'm not surprised they will graduate, mind you, that's a given.  Just, man...how did it happen so fast?  It will be 2026 in ten short years....  {heavy} sigh.

Wahoos!

Charlotte is our swimmer.  If you are keeping up with our BallTeam, you may remember that she swims year round for the Little Rock Dolphins.  Well, she did.  Charlotte is now a Wahoo!

 

What is a wahoo, you may ask?  A wahoo is a large, sleek, fast, predatory fish that doesn't live or hunt in schools because they are just too aggressive.  It is the third fastest fish in the ocean.  Charlotte's team - the Dolphins - was based in Little Rock, and while they did give us a good start in swimming and introduced us to Charlie's favorite Coach ever - Coach Brian - we have parted ways.  Coach Brian broke away and formed his own team - Wahoos - and we gladly followed. 

Charlotte "flying" and in her ready position for backstroke.

 

And, as always, cheering on her team.

 

Swimming has taken over a lot of who Charlotte is.  I was worried at one point that that would be a bad thing.  I don't worry anymore.  She has embraced it - she works hard and she makes great progress under the direction of Coach Brian.  The Wahoos range in age from about 8 to 18.  Charlotte has made some good friends and is surrounded by older teammates who are good kids and who support her.  Swimming has been good for her physically - and good more her emotionally.  She is pretty cocky about it, actually.  Good for her.  When she says she can smoke you in the water, watch out.  She can.  Go Wahoos!

Central Elementary Family Night

The elementary school has a family night once per term and each time it's a different theme - math, science, community, etc...  This time it was game night.  JMichael played Connect Four with Dad while Charlie Joey and I played Kerplunk.  They had a rousing game of life size Hungry Hungry Hippos going in the gym and Frisbee and twister out on the playground.  The kids love these nights cause they get to drag James and I in to their territory.  The older kids like to go because they get to visit with their previous teachers and hear how big they are.  James and I like it because it gives us a chance to meet the teachers on a casual basis and spend a little time getting to know them.  It's a win all around.

Dorothy?

My friend Cheryl Davis is taking a photography class and she needed to recreate photographs from famous photographers.  She's taken our family pictures before - you can see those here.  She's asked my ladies and JMichael to model for her, so there will be more to come.  This one of Josephine reminded us of Dorothy, in the Wizard of Oz, when she is about to break into Somewhere Over the Rainbow.  I just think it's a beautiful and dramatic capture of Josephine - simple beauty.

Tasty Freeze

We stopped by Tasty Freeze the other night to get a cone and see Rachel at work.  If you look closely at this picture, and if you know Rachel at all - you will see something different.  Is it a mole on her face?  Is it chocolate?  Yup.  Chocolate.  All on her face and all over her shirt.  Ice cream is dirty business.

Red Dragons

JMicheal (7 years old) is happy again - soccer season has begun.  This year he is a Red Dragon and on a whole new team - new teammates and two new coaches.  The Coaches - Coach Kevin and Coach Michael are both men who know the game of soccer and respect the finesse of a quality player.  They are concentrating on moves and skills, not scores and goals.  One big rule this year is to do a move before you shoot on goal - and no booting the ball.  JMichael is having to adjust and listen more, since previous coaches have been goal driven and loved JMichael for his strong left foot and his ability to kick the ball down the whole field.  This year will be a big improvement year for him in his skills, which the coaches teach with games and fun drills.  So far we have had two games and they have won them both - JMichael scored in both.  It was a tad nippy out this bright September morning, and JMichael was rocking his black beanie.  Go Red Dragons!

Friday Night Lights

The start of school in the Bible belt south means one thing - football season is in full swing.  While I didn't attend a single high school football game while I was actually in high school, I do go now.  Our family goes, actually.  James and JMichael love to go and watch the games.  Samantha is on the high school dance team, so she cheers throughout the game and is part of the half time show.  Charlotte and Josephine see football games as their time to roam and be social with all the other seventh and fifth graders which attend the game in droves.  I doubt they could tell you the score.  Rachel the working girl doesn't go to the game, but, she serves the ice cream at Tasty Freeze for all the post game celebrating.  James and I sit with other families and we get some social time too.  Although I admit I don't usually know the score, either.  We won this one 32 to 12.

Go Panthers!  We want the red team to win, as JMichael says.

Samantha watching the game.

Big fans.  No picture of Charlotte and Josephine, because I only see them if they want money for an icee.....