Adios: Birthday Treats, Friends, Daddy Day, & Soccer

As you can see, the cupcakes lasted a little longer than expected.  Looks like Daddy even got into the action.  Inside humor...so sorry!



Jeremy is experimenting with Smurf paint.

I think that we are making the "Chili's birthday" a tradition.  There is no fancy play equipment, but who needs ducks and such when you have chocolate molten cake and a few friends?  This is MacKenzie celebrating her 6th birthday with a friend.

And gone!

MacKenzie's day with Dad was a huge success.  They started off at good ol' Chuck's and then off to Hoppin' house, and finally the family dinner with the Howell's.  Spoiled brat!  When do I get my marathon day?  Oh I forgot that those disappeared when I had kids!  No, really though, I wouldn't trade these days for those in a million years!

Dad, please meet my boyfriend Chuck!
He is loaded - Free Pizza for life!

So Long Soccer:
I have had a love/hate relationship with soccer this year.  As a child, I didn't play, watch, etc, so I didn't understand the draw of a sport that made you run for days on end up and down the field, chasing a black and white ball, kicking it at the net.  (Notice that I said "at".)  But I think my husband has worn me down.  During the fall, I felt like I was mentally kicking and screaming when I packed our family out of the house every Saturday.  Don't you understand that this is one of my only days off?  Nope, soccer came anyways.  MacKenzie is not the natural talent like Dad is.  He can do anything well the first time or two.  MacKenzie takes more after me; the kind that sprains their foot walking into the building on the first day back at school.  Grace is my name!  I was so happy to see fall soccer go, that the last game was a metaphorical Happy Hour for me.  I couldn't believe that I was free and my sweet baby would not be tortured anymore. 

Spring Ball came and I prayed that Mack would like it.  And to my surprise with a helpful daddy, she is learning to love the game.  She is not the aggressive player her daddy was by any means, but she has improved over this season by 100%.  She is also thinking out the plays and reflexes as she plays.  She is so much like mommy in the fact that if something is flashing through her brain, it is written all over her face.  She won't turn out to be a poker player, but I am so happy that they can enjoy a sport together.  I have also started enjoying this sport more too.  I sit on the sidelines hoping she is going to nail some kid in the shins, because she is too polite for the sport.  -Still waiting for that -  If there are legs a flailing, you can bet that MacKenzie is waiting on the sidelines for the ball to pop out.  "Forget the kicking each other part....I will just wait!"  But dog gone it, she has made such strides in this sport.  Fall ball, we will see you then.
 

Coaching Soccer:  I also have a new appreciation for Jeremy and his way with kids.  He tries so hard to make each kid feel special, and they really want to please him.  I am especially proud of his patience, which I didn't believe existed until soccer.  He loves to help them improve, and the other parents seem to love him.  It helps also that the other coach is a "yeller".  Jeremy looks like a saint next to him.  :)