Soccer Season Comes to an End :-(

So... I would say the first season of soccer went really well! In fact, I think I'll do it again next year. Ryan loved having her Mommy be her coach and it really helped her come out of her shell. Pink and Black Attack had a successful season. We don't keep score but once a soccer player, always a soccer player... we were 9-1-2... win/loss/tie. Not bad for 5 year old girls if I do say so myself. Apparently in GU6 (Girls Under Six), they are supposed to learn to dribble, kick, and throw the ball in. My little stars also learned how to play defense, take a decent goal kick, and shoot!
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Well, the last game means preparations for the end-of-the-year party too! I had a lot of planning to do to make this a memorable year for my super stars!
The theme is easy... pink & black all the way!

Before partying though... we gotta kick a little "tail!"
It's game time!

Little Miss Ryan had 3 goals this season. She said at the beginning of the year that she was "no good at soccer." We proved her wrong! She did great. She really did have the biggest kick on the team!

Charlie met her new bestie... Sarah! These two were so cute together at every game. We deemed them our cheerleaders and they had pom-poms at every game to cheer us on. Too bad they got bored with those pom-poms and easily traded them in for dollies and dress-up jewelry.

Half time was an important time in the game... Coach Mommy would try to energize the team and prep them for the next half while the girls only cared about their snack and hanging out. Ahhh, 5 year olds!

This picture shows my girls preparing for a goal kick in the second half. In the beginning of the season, the coach was allowed to be on the field. Second half of the season I had to stay on the sidelines... that was torture!

Team Mom Kristine had a brilliant idea to have the team party at the park after the last game. It could not have been more perfect... potluck, park equipment, party favors = perfection!
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I learned how to handle the end of the year event by watching my dad all my years... he's a pro. When he coached me growing up, I remember that he would give a little speech about each girl as they got their trophy.

I wrote a poem for each girl that highlighted their strengths so that they could remember their first soccer season. I attached a pink "diamond" to the poem because of our favorite dribbling game... the diamond game. I would hide a large "diamond" under a cone in a sea of cones. The girls had to dribble around without me taking the ball away from them until I said, "FREEZE!" Then they had to make their way to a cone and see if the hidden diamond was underneath. Silly, I know... but kind of our signature game of the season!
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Here is Ryan receiving her poem, diamond, and trophy! What a happy, happy girl!

Even my cheerleaders got special heart shaped pink diamonds!

and the party begins...

The cake had a picture of our banner on it! So cute...

Our team!
I had the best assistant coach, John! He was great. And so were all of my little soccer angels!

My soccer star and me!

Can't wait to do it again next year Ry-Ry!

Happy Thanksgiving!

Wishing all of our family and friends a wonderful Thanksgiving!
Here are a few shots from Ryan's kindergarten Thanksgiving performance to get you in a festive mood!

Ryan's class dressed up as Native Americans. Ry-Ry was in the front row!

They performed songs and dances for all the parents. Check out Ryan's very in character moccasin boots! Her teacher loved that she wore them! See the boy in the back row with the orange shirt? That's Dillon... his mom tells me all the time that Dillon has a total crush on Ryan and talks about her all the time at home. Even at this performance, his whole family asked, "Which one is Ryan?"

Daddy was the parent in attendance for this one! He did a great job taking video and pictures to show mommy and Charlie. Charlie was home very sick with the flu!

Regular after school activities - dress like an Indian and check the homework!

Ryan let Charlie put on all her gear so that she could get into the festive mood too. She had to miss her Thanksgiving fun in her class!

Happy Turkey Day!

Mommy & Daddy Get to Teach!

Charlie's teacher asked Steve and me to teach a produce lesson to the students during their "Harvest" unit. Charlie was so very excited. She told Ms. Mary (the crossing guard as we crossed the street). She told Ms. Wilson (the director of the after school program as we dropped off Ryan). She told basically anyone that crossed our path, whether we knew them or not.

Look at that happy little smile!

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Steve, of course, brought a ton of produce so that we had good "visuals."

Then mommy talked about each of the different types. We talked about produce that grows on trees. The produce that grows under ground and produce that grows on vines. Mommy also talked about farming and harvesting the food so that it can get to the grocery store. We talked about the transportation of the food and how it gets to the consumer (a big word for pre-schoolers).

Proud Charlie loves that Momma is teaching her today!

Then we illustrated the sequence of events by having the students role play each part. We had a farmer, a trucker, a broker (like Daddy), another trucker, a grocery store clerk, and of course a shopper.

This is Zachary.
As soon as I chose him to be the farmer you could see the faces of the teachers in the back. Steve told me later that their reaction was, "Of all the kids to give a rake to... We had better watch him!) Uh oh! Thankfully, Zachary was on his best behavior.

Charlie got picked as the grocery store clerk.
Notice the little girl in the tie with the phone. She was the "broker." We taught her how to answer the phone and say, "Hey, you wanna buy some fruit?" Charlie got a kick out of a girl playing her daddy.

In this picture, I am helping the consumer get on her outfit.
(Whoops... watch that rake Zachary!)

After the lesson was over, I brought paper bags so that all the kids could "go shopping." They each filled up their bags so full I'm sure their mommies and daddies didn't have to buy much produce at the store that week.
I'm hoping this is a memory made for Charlie that she will always remember.

Haircut Day!

The girls L.O.V.E. haircut day!

I just had to post these to make a memory of how fast they are growing up!
That's all.

Flashback... "Totally, gag me with a spoon!"

Steve and I went to an 80's themed birthday party. Oh my, Oh my is all I have to say! Boy, the 80's were a "unique" era in fashion! We (or should I say "I") had so much fun getting into character! Yes, you can ask... Are those leather shorts? Oh yes those are and they were really MINE back in the day! That's how I roll!

A close up so that you all can see...

the apple doesn't fall far from the tree!

This is my mom and I getting ready for my high school graduation. This picture was taken in 1991 which is not technically the 80's but it was the closest I could find of us showing how much I look like my mom! Both then and now actually!

McGaugh Carnival Raffle Winner!!!

IN-TRO-DUCING... RY-AN GRACE!!!! McGAUGH'S LUNCH WITH THE TEACHER RAFFLE WINNER!

Woo-hoo! It's the Grace Family's first McGaugh Carnival. Our first silent auction. And we were winners! You can by raffle tickets to win lunch with your teacher. Guess who won? (I left it up to daddy to purchase and add the tickets to the box. I have no idea... I do not want to have any idea... at how much money it took for Ryan to win. ) She got to take a friend. Of course she took best friend, Kendall! Those two are inseparable!

Kindergarten is moving faster than "Babyhood"

Oh my goodness, Kindergarten has moved so, so fast. It's only mid-November and Ryan has grown up so much. It makes me think of how quickly all the milestones of "babyhood" came and went... rolling over, crawling, walking, talking! Here are some great things that have changed in our lives in the last 2 months:
Ryan ...

• can count by 2's up to 100 (and write it all out too!)
• can read simple text like "Ryan likes to go to the store. She loves food."
• can write sentences like "This is my dblyu (w). wt (what) I like is that it is culrful (colorful).
• can have a playdate with a new friend every day if we had the time (she is such a nice friend).
• can draw with so much detail.
• has homework every night and sits at the dining room table faithfully to get it done right (she only wants a "check plus" - a "check" is just not good enough!)
  
• is learning how to type on the keyboard in computer lab.
• plays chess and has joined the chess club. (Whoa! Mommy is so impressed)

We're so proud of you Ry-Ry!
You're growing up so fast!

Halloween '09

Halloween is a happy time in the Grace household! All day, "Is it time yet mommy? Is it Twilight? Can we get dressed yet? When can we go to the party?" Whoa... we were excited when it was really time to get on our way!

Ryan was a beautiful bride...

Charlie was Ariel. Oops, I mean she decided on Snow White. Oops, she changed her mind on that one too and finally went with Pocahontas!

The party was at Kendall's house. They live next door to a great house that puts up a pirate display and show every year! Charlie was too afraid of the canons to get in the picture next to the pirate ship.

Charlie was so, so excited that her little friend Addy was at the party.

This is Olivia and her twin 5 month old brothers. Olivia is in Ryan's class and we also played their team in our soccer game earlier that day (Little Miss Ryan got 2 goals by the way!)

After we were done trick-or-treating, the girls handed out candy to the kids coming to the door.

Not sure what exactly Charlie is planning to do here but all I know is that there are rose bushes directly below her! Ouch!

Charlie got bored of handing out candy and wanted to go back out to trick-or-treat! Out on the streets of Seal Beach were 4 year olds, Addy and Charlie, and then all the junior high school kids! They lasted FOREVER!

Addy likes to roll around like her dog on any grass she can find. Charlie thought this was the best idea ever. I don't even remember how many patches of grass they found to roll around. I was buckled over laughing so hard.

Outfits a little out of order now but these girls were the happiest campers of all!

Keep on truckin' girls!

Finally, someone is tuckered out! Back to the party girls!

We hope everyone had a wonderful Halloween!