Real Texans Play Futbol

The most exciting part about Ryder turning three a couple months back… he is now old enough to play team sports!  I have been very patiently waiting to sign my boy up for soccer.  He is getting to play on a team with some of his friends, and so far he is loving it.  Lots and lots of potential there already.  

Can you spot him, number six… boy has no issues with needing to be aggressive to get to the ball.  Several kids may or may not have been shoved by Ryder's crazy shoulders and arms.  We had the opposite problem with Savannah… no aggression.  Funny how different kids are.

Check out the girl behind Ryder, she was just knocked in the face by his elbow.  

Something Has Clicked

It took nearly three years (that's 6 seasons) of soccer for Savannah to finally understand (to a certain extent) what she is supposed to be doing when she takes the field.  Something has clicked this season... girl gets it.  Even better than that, she WANTS to be out there every single quarter playing and trying to get the ball.  The days of complaining about being tired are long gone.  She has a new found drive for soccer.  She is bound and determined to get her first goal.  She has had several almost goals... which only makes her want it that much more.  I am not proclaiming her to be the next Mia Hamm or anything... all I am saying is that she has come a long way and her dad and I are super proud of the amount of improvement she has shown this season. 

Just for fun... a picture of a 3 year old Savannah's first season with the Hot Shots.

Insta-Friday

Craziness is now upon us... a pretty darn close to walking full time baby/toddler and soccer and t-ball now in full swing.  As hectic as it gets at times, I really do love having a full schedule.

Savannah has returned to the Hot Shots for another season.  She was beyond thrilled to now have two of her cousins on the team with her.  My little Marley girl with her cuz Mitchell, and cuz Weaver.

Ryder LOVES the swings at the park where Savannah practices.  Boy has no fear and wants to be pushed higher and higher.

Ryder wants everything to do with Savannah's room and Savannah's toys.  He thinks they are a thousand times cooler than his own room and his own toys.  He is obsessed with her pink stroller.  He pushes his monkey all over the house.

Aaaaannnnnd, when she's not at soccer practice, she is at T-ball practice.  Only girl again.  

A Full Spring Schedule

Typically when Spring rolls around we sign Savannah up for soccer... no questions asked. This year we were torn between t-ball and soccer. Whenever we asked her to tell us which one she wanted to play, she could never give us an answer. She wanted to do both. I wasn't sure if that was even possible, but after a few phone calls, it turns out she didn't have to choose. So, long story short... Savannah is playing both soccer and t-ball. She is on the same soccer team she has been for the last two years, the Hot Shots. This year for t-ball she is playing on the Cubs. So far I am pretty impressed with her team and her coach. I think that she is going to come away from this t-ball season knowing a lot about the game and hopefully with noticeable improvements to how she plays. This past Saturday was the first game day (for both sports) of the season. I was a little worried about how it was going to go, having back to back games and lugging around a baby. Luckily, both Savannah and Ryder handled our morning spent out at the fields very well. If every Saturday goes this well (I'm not fooling myself, I am sure there will be one or two that are chaotic), then I will be a happy mommy.

Soccer breakdown... Savannah did alright. Still timid, still doesn't understand (or just won't) take the ball from other kids. There were a couple times where she managed to get control of the ball and dribble in the direction of the goal. I was far more happy with the fact that she got knocked down pretty hard by one of the boys on the other team and she just got right back up and kept running. I thought for sure she was going to come off the field crying... turns out Savannah is a lot tougher than one might think.

T-ball breakdown... She got a hit (first swing) each time she came up to bat. She only got to field a few balls and could use some improvement on her throwing. She gets it though... you can tell that the skill is there and with the right coaching and practice she really could do well. Most importantly, she had fun! She had a smile on her face the whole time. Whenever she would catch mine or Eric's eye, she would give us a thumbs up and a huge smile.