Soccer over...for now (and fun cousin times)

There have been some fun times in recent days worth sharing about! We've had a string of large hosting things, with more on the horizon. In between those times, we are moving towards more of the fall/winter pace - full of projects but at a less hectic pace, with a bit less urgency behind each moment. That is welcome! Recent rains have even given Jason some much needed shop time and my cheese press is complete! We've also enjoyed more than our "required" 1x/week outdoor yard family time this past week and enjoyed a few stints of basketball playing as a family. Those have been highlights for me, and I know for the girls too!

Having the days a tad more open, also lends itself to a bit of spontaneity that is rather unusual for our household. So last Friday when I happened to see that Emily was looking for somewhere for Ivy to hang out (so she could have two hands-free for a bit), we jumped on the opportunity for a play date! And what fun we had. Terah was just waking up when she arrived and Alida needed about half the play date to finishing waking up (our girls seem to have a lot more of Jason's morning tendencies in them than mine!). But we still filled the hours with lots of fun - seeing the chickens and pigs, reading books, dancing, and Ivy's favorite, lots of slinky fun.

At one point Alida was reading to Terah and Ivy but neither were paying complete attention. Terah can't take her hands off Ivy, and continues to be rather enthralled with her! Ivy continues to be mostly patient. My favorite Ivy part is when the rooster crows catching her attention. I love her imitation of the sound (we've watched that part just a few times!!):

The following day was the grand finale of the soccer season for both of our older girls. They have really enjoyed playing again and by the end of the season, Terah was a pro-cheerleader, spontaneously saying "good teamwork" from the sidelines! Kali is nearing the end of her soccer career with SVU unless she chooses to move up to the co-ed high school team. She has one more season on the all-girls U12-14 division and then we'll see how she is feeling. Yes, her mother has some reservations - mostly just wanting what has been so fun and stress-free for her to remain that way! The high school team plays at the same time as Kali's team on the field just beyond them so I've been paying attention this season. Kali has become a much stronger player but I'm still not sure she would enjoy what appears to be a faster and more competitive game.

Alida's team ended up being extra special this season. After the initial disappointment of her coach having to cancel after the first practice, all of us parents joined forces and took over coaching responsibilities and it worked out great! Such that we might just do it again in the spring and try to keep the girls together. They were troopers on Saturday, playing through the rain. And I thought it was pretty special that on their last game day each of the girls scored at least one goal. Fun! They really have started working well together and I get even a tad choked up when I see them looking for each other to pass the ball to. Silly me!

We also learned that one of Alida's teammates is also homeschooled so we are dreaming of some playdates in the future to tie her over to next season. Alida does awesome with her cadre of imaginary friends who often are found playing soccer with her in our front room. But I know she would also be happy for more time with friends who come with some flesh and bones! We look forward to hosting as many of her team's families as can come this week for an end of the season gathering.

Ok, I've got a baby nursing in my arms and have about 15 minutes to get myself ready for work. Not my favorite scenario - how to extract myself from underneath her without her waking and then being sad that I'm leaving. Here goes! I'll leave you with a cute moment from the other evening. These two... :)