Painted

We painted and re arranged the pictures on the walls in the front room!  My internet might go down, so that's all I'm going to write for now...but, what do you think?  Maybe I can find some pictures of what the walls looked like before.

Tire Swing and Flowers

The boys built a tire swing in the front yard today.  So much for spending the day cleaning the yard...haha...but it will be fun for them and better than sitting watching tv or playing video games and probably safer than the trampoline.

 To get the yard looking nicer, we bought some flowers for the front porch...They are really beautiful!

Pinewood Derby

Tonight was Andrew's scout troop Pinewood Derby.

Andrew's car was super flat and skinny and had a 100 dollar bill on it.

Andrew loved it!

He came in 2nd in all his races, which gave him 4th place overall in the Derby.

Oroville Dam and Fish Hatchery/Ladders



I drove some of the kids from Andrew's class on a field trip today to Oroville. You might think that Oroville is a lame place, but actually the whole dam, lake, river that kind of stuff is very interesting.

 I have about 50 photos to share, but "Blogger" keeps giving me error messages, so I'll just put a bunch of highlights.  (Let me know if you are interested in seeing the rest!!!!!)

Me and my group inside the museum.

us up on the viewing tower.

Tebowing

They always just HAD to pose, I never prompted them, haha! 

my group

Andrew's Class---Room 5

Doggie Bath

Sam was SUPER dirty from the day they went to get the decoys out of the rice field, so William decided to be nice and give the dirty beast a bath.  As soon as the bath was over, Sam went into the back yard and rolled in the MUD!  Yep, that's our dog....not too smart! 

Playoff Bound

The Sharks lost again tonight....but the way I see it is simple, there are two playoff spots open and 5 teams that want them....they've got a 2 in 5 chance, why not?  Why not the Sharks, they are a good team.  They have just as much chance as the other teams to earn one of those spots.  They can do it, I know it!  (maybe with Boyle, joining White, watching from the rafters, but, yeah, they can do it.)  GO SHARKS! 

Painting

We painted the front room tonight.  It really needed it because there were picture holes EVERYWHERE and the walls were dirty, but the paint before was flat, so they were impossible to wash.  When our friends the Chelsons moved they left us a huge bucket of paint....so, we used that paint for a free updating of the front room....updating is an odd word to use for that sentence just because the room was white before it was the brownish color, so making it white again is kind of the reverse of updating, right? 

It didn't take very long once we got over all the fighting over little spills and taping. 

Even though the Home and Garden channel experts would ridcule our choice of white, I really kinda like it.  A blank slate!!!!!  Plus, some of my friends with decorator touches are coming over before I re hang my pictures to help me.  I did actually like the way the pictures were EVERYWHERE on the wall before, but I KNOW that it was very unorganized and TOO MUCH.  I do want the temple pictures back up somewhere, and William's art, and some family pictures, but I dont want them just anywhere a nail was, I want them displayed properly.  And we also have a really nice Yosemite picture that got taken down that needs a place.  I'll post "after" pictures here when the walls are finished.

Sharks

The Sharks won last night!  It was awesome. 

I pretty much am what David calls a "Fanatic" Sharks fan.  All of William friends think it's funny that I play Fantasy Hockey.  And, yes, I blog too much about the Sharks.....but after them losing the past 5 games and the last 14 out of 18 or something like that, of course I'm going to blog a bit when they win.

The rest of their season is going to be important.  Someone figured out that to make the playoffs they would have to win 10 of their last 15 games.  That is doable.  They can do it.  But, after last night, every one of their games is against a playoff bound team.  There are no more easy games.  This is the time where they show that they belong in the playoffs. 

I read Twitter.  And yesterday I was just reading along, skimming all the ridiculousness and saw "Niemi to start" and I didn't even know there was a game!!!!  I was so excited to have a game to watch.  I couldn't believe that I didn't know there was a Sharks game!  WOW, I'm slipping on my "fanatic" status.  But I do know that there is a game tonight....so no one call or try to plan anything for me to do between the hours of 6-10! 

Banana Bread

Two different people brought half time snacks for our soccer game, so not everything got eaten.  So, I brought home the extra banana and baked up some banana bread.  I had enough to double the recipe and not enough loaf pans, so I cooked it in a 9 x 13 pan.....that didn't work out so well....or maybe I did something else wrong....but the bread fell in the middle....it all got eaten, though! 

I also made fudge that same day....the fudge was gone before the banana bread! 

Fine Arts

So this is what they are making in "Fine Arts" these days....haha.....electric guitars!  Andrew came home with a guitar yesterday.  He was so proud of it and really loved it.  He made a pick and everything.  We asked him what it was for and he said, "We made these in Fine Arts".  I picture Fine Arts class is where they draw the Eiffel Tower or a self portrait or something more "traditional"....guess I was wrong.  It actually looked very realistic and I could tell he worked hard on it.  William even appreciated it.

Hookiebobbing

Scott needed his computer fixed.  We have a friend who is a computer whiz.  So, they traded services with each other.  The guy fixed the computer, Scott leveled his dirt road.  So you are wondering how Scott was able to level a road, he doesn't have a tractor (Or whatever they normally use to level roads).  Well, he used his Ranger to drag a pallet over the road.  But he needed some weight on the pallet, so he brought along Bradley and Andrew and called the activity "family home evening" and took them for a ride.  They came home FILTHY, but with huge smiles on their faces. 

Sharks Slumping

Is slumping even a word?  Say it 5 times fast and it doesn't sound right.
The Sharks have been losing games.  It's no fun for fans, but I can't imagine how the players feel.  They try so hard and play so well, then just hit the post or the other team's goalie makes a great stop.....then there is a bad pass or a mis play by the defense (or most likely the goalie "doesn't see the puck") and the Sharks get behind.  Then they either try TOO hard and try to do TOO much, which doesn't work, or they just get deflated and go on to lose. 

I still have faith, I still think that the Sharks are good, I still watch the games and root for them.  I don't think I would ever actually BOO them out loud if I were at a game. 

They control their own destiny from here on out.  They can do it!  GO SHARKS! 

In other news, the Earthquakes won last night, and Chris Wondolowski scored!  Woo Hoo!

Decoy Removal

the boys brought in all the decoys from the duck blind rice field today....doesnt William look happy to be there??!!!

Game Recap

I coach Andrew's team.  I didn't sign up to coach, but the league needed more coaches in the u12 division, so I asked Andrew and he said that he wanted me to do it.  I've been Andrew's coach less times than I have been Bradley's coach because there are usually enough coaches in his age group, but now that a ton of kids in town play Butte United, Chico Cal, or indoor....there are not enough coaches.  So, even though I didn't plan to coach, I'm doing it. 
Andrew has had a few bad coaches in the past.  One coach played him as goalie A LOT and would yell at him when the other team scored, thus making Andrew cry because he felt bad for letting the other team score.  Andrew had that coach TWICE.  Andrew has also had a FEW good coaches, and I think I've coached his team maybe 4 times. 

The last time I coached him I had two (TWO!!!) Special Needs kids on my team.  That, right there, is HARD.  (And really not fair.)  (They have aids in school, but none at soccer....and I don't have assistants to help....so, yeah, last season was HARD.)  And that same season I had a mom who would CONSTANTLY call me, talk to me after practice, and come to my sideline during the game questioning my coaching strategies.  Not fun.

Then, two seasons ago I had an OUTSTANDING team.  We won every game by huge margins.  My players were superstars.  The other coaches went to the league presidents with complaints about my "stacked" team.  I had a hard time getting the kids NOT to score.  It was hard trying to play the "sportsmanship" game when the little awesome 9 year olds just want to score and could do it at will. 

Now, I have a team of NICE kids.  They are just super polite, well behaved, kind, caring, thoughtful....but they aren't the most talented athletes.  We've lost ever game.  We've lost every game by HUGE MARGINS.  It's really not fun and demoralizing to be stomped on every week.  This week we started out well, sticking to my game plan of strong defense and goal keeper.  It stayed 0-0 for a long time, but then they scored.  I moved my "best" player up to forward to try to get it back.  (MISTAKE).  They scored again and again.  Actually, I shouldn't say "they" because it was ALL #7.  He scored all their goals.  He did all the dribbling and shooting.  In fact, he even did all the throw ins and corner kicks.  (NOT KIDDING).  He was G O O D!!!!!  I even told Andrew to "mark" him.  Didn't work.  By about 3/4th into the game the score was 6-0.  SIX to ZERO.  But my "best" player scored a goal.  Then another goal.  Then assisted on a goal.  Then scored another goal.  THEN ANDREW (who was playing center defender) SCORED A GOAL!!!!!!  He ran up there a few times, but I wasn't really scared, because we NEEDED goals and he would get back on defense every time pretty fast.....and, the #7 guy was out of the game hurt, so I was pretty sure no one else on that team could score.  It was then 5-6......and guess what???  The "best player" on our team scored AGAIN.  Then, game over, but we TIED THE GAME.  We got a TIE.  It was not a win, but it felt like a win.  The boys were SMILING, happpppppppppy little kids.  It was so awesome. 

I hope, now, that they wont get so discouraged when the other team scores a goal.  (or two, or three, or SIX)

Andrew game photos

Here are some pictures to enjoy from Andrew's EXCITING game.  Come back later for the re cap....

2 Goal game

Bradley got to be one of the captains today....BIG step from a few weeks ago!!!!

Bradley calling for the ball.

this is funny to me....the smallest to tallest

header, but I think the tall guy got it before Bradley could

I didn't get to see Bradley's game because I was coaching Andrew's game at the same time, but Bradley's team won 8-4.  Bradley scored 2 goals.  He said he danced the Bernie after the first goal.  He had fun.  He played his friend Bradlee's team.  Bradley and Bradlee are in the same class. 

It's Spring

I looked out in the front yard today and noticed some pretty flowers.  No daffodils this year, but a few irises and a bunch of the purple flowers below.  I never planted those purple ones, but they come up EVERY year...I wonder if they are a weed????  If so, they are very pretty....(for about 2 days!!!)

Church Basketball

William got to play in the Men's Basketball tournament today, but his team lost both of their games, so the season is over.  He made 3 baskets for 6 points.

bad, photo, but that's william shooting in the corner

Here he is fighting for postition.  The guy in the light grey shorts!