A pumpkin patch...sort of

With soccer and football every Saturday

and some pretty crummy weather the last few Sundays,

we haven't made our annual

pumpkin patch pilgrimage.

Luckily, our neighborhood put together

a little "patch"

and we all got to search out our perfect gourd.

It was freezing.

I thought I should pick a BIG one

so all that lifting could help me

stay warm.

Throw in a food truck

with hot donuts and coffee

and we'll call this a success

A virtual 5K

The Race for the Future

for the LS school district

is always on a Saturday morning

in the middle of soccer season.

Not happening.

BUT...

another COVID-silver-lining:

they made it virtual!

We enlisted Mema and Pappo

to join us

and found ourselves a lovely park.

And...we're off!

Jack was the leader, coming in around 30 minutes.

Pappo came in second, somewhere around 33 minutes.

Beck and Wes walked most of it 

while I oscillated between sprinting and sitting down

in the middle of the trail.

Mom and Dad ran back and forth between

all of us so many times

they turned the 5K into a 7K.

And Mema ran over half of it

(which is a really big deal for her!)

and spent the other half

convincing me to keep walking.

Did we have fun?

Yes, yes we did.

But wow, did we earn some ugly shirts.

(Pappo tried to keep it incognito)

Hopefully next year is still virtual

(but maybe with better gear...)

A little football love

Mom finally caught me

with my helmet on.

I look pretty good in this uniform.

Mema thought so too!

Even COVID can't keep my fans away forever...

Back to school!!!

The Littles have been in person all year.

Jack and I were pretty psyched that

we get to join them now

Even the mask didn't bother us

There are BIG smiles underneath!

 

Twice the drinking age

Dad is a pretty amazing guy.

He's been with us nearly constantly

since COVID started,

cooking, shopping, helping with homework,

taking on our Corona-projects

(ok, MOM'S Corona-projects).

He's pretty awesome in normal years

but this year he's really stepped up the game

in Awesomeness.

Therefore,

we should celebrate his birthday

for a solid week.

We had tacos and Costco cake from

Grandma Phyllis and Papa Kim

The world's best cheesecake

from Mom

(curtesy of her friend Katherine)

and more cheesecake

from Mema and Pappo

He deserves a month of celebration.

Happy 42, Dad!

Tuck vs Fan

We've had lofted beds for 6 years now.

It's amazing it hasn't happened before.

I was standing on my bed

and got too close to the fan...

Nothing Mom couldn't fix

Mom and Dad were floored.

I just sat there,

no numbing or anything,

and yelped (barely) just once.

I'm one tough dude.

Our first BCMS XC in the books

I really enjoyed my first cross country season.

I think my fan base enjoyed it too--

show up, watch a race, head out.

Not many sports go that fast!

I ran in 6 meets

all over the KC metro

They varied from 1.3 to 1.5 miles each

We practiced despite the heat or the cold,

in the rain and in the sun

It's hard to compare times

since it was a different length every time.

But I do know

that I like to run.

And I know I'll be back next year.

 

An evening on the deck

How do you relax?

Some have a drink

others of us do brotherly yoga

Whatever works for you.

Everyone loves a sports montage

For better or for worse,

we're back to spending all day Saturdays

at one field or another.

The weather has been amazing

and 3-4 games a day does make the day fly by.

Boy are we glad to live 5 minutes from the fields--

at least we can run back and forth for a snack

or a break.

Any-who,

here's a few good shots of us in action.

Beckett's team moved to the bigger field this year

which means 7 on 7

and goalies.

He played goalie in a game or two

but was pretty bored.

His team is pretty darn good

(holding #1 in the league right now!)

so he pretty much just stood there

waiting for something to happen.

He's really stepped up his game this year--

lots of speed and hustle,

some nice footwork,

and even a goal or two.

He's nearly always in the thick of it

on offense

and not much gets past him on defense.

Weston's team has a lot of heart.

They get out there and try.

Despite their efforts,

all their games have ended in 

the mercy rule.

But that hasn't stopped them from 

trying some new plays

and keeping up their hustle.

Weston really likes defense

and he's made some awesome stops this year.

Jack's team has had some ups and downs.

They often score one or two

and then somehow lose it and get

4-5 scored on them.

Jack has been playing midfield more

which Mom and Dad have enjoyed watching--

his ball-handling skills are not too shabby

It's been fun watching him do more than

boot it down the field

And me?

I can't get enough soccer.

I LOVE my team--

it's so fun to have all my teammates

also as my classmates.

When we drive into practice,

I'm all about waving and calling out to everyone

like the social butterfly I am.

And Mom and Dad are constantly impressed

with my hustle and speed.

I can fly down the field

once my coach turns me loose.

And I totally win for best picture

of the year.

It's been a good season so far!

 

A new sport

With the start of middle school

came the opportunity to try new things.

Well, at least in a normal year.

However, the sports teams got the go-ahead

and Mom and Dad thought cross country

would be a great way for me to meet some new friends

and get involved at school.

I begrudged agreed.

So after 3 weeks of practice,

today is my first meet 

Neither Mom nor Dad ran cross country

(neither of them liked running until the last few years)

so all of this was new to us.

Then you add in COVID and, well,

we're just winging it.

My family figured out where to get a view

of the starting line...

they donned their masks

and waited for the start...

and off we went!

We made some zigs and zags around the school

and my family lost track of me for a bit.

Full disclosure, they thought I was one of the 

last few BCMS runners for a bit.

Given our complete lack of experience,

my only goal for this meet was to not come in last.

So you can see how they might be looking for me back there.

But NO!

I was rocking it!

I passed all sorts of kids

including my running friends.

Pushing it to the end...

I came in 17th in my heat,

running 1.3 miles in 11:26.8.

My new PR.

And the best part?

I liked it!

Maybe I found my sport!

Making virtual school work

None of us was really sure what this 

was all going to look like 

or how we'd make it work.

But honestly, it hasn't been that bad.

Me, Jack, Dad and Mom when she's off-service

gather around the dining room table

for a day of virtual meetings.

Mom and Dad have been really impressed

with Jack and my commitment and engagement.

So is Ms. Wallace--

she stopped by today and gave me

a coupon for an ice cream cone 

for my hard work!

Thanks, Ms. Wallace!

I really miss seeing my friends

but this made it a little bit better.

 

Too "good" not to share

So this is my picture of me diving--

"I can dive."

I started the picture in landscape

and then changed my mind and made it portrait.

My erasing apparently needs some work.

I'll let you make your own judgement...

 

A better Soccer (and Football) Saturday

The rain is gone

and the weather is perfect for 

some serious games!

Jackson returned to the Phantoms

for his 5th season.

He's mostly a defender but really upping his skills

when they put him in midfield.

They lost today,

but Jack had a few good plays.

Weston was chosen as a team captain

for their first game today.

Unfortunately, they still lost the coin toss.

He's on the Chiefs this year--

a brand new, young team.

They got stomped,

going to mercy rule (where they clear the scoreboard).

Ouch.

But Weston had a few awesome sacks and pulls

on defense.

He was fun to cheer for.

Tuck?

Rocking it on the Thunderchickens

aka the Fire Sharks

aka the Fire Pirates

(depending on who you ask)

Me?

My Pirates were sidelined again

because our field was a swamp from all the week's rain.

Sigh.

Hopefully next week.

Despite the slow start,

it's awesome to feel a little normal again!