Mixed Nuts: Arlington's first lacrosse game

Quotes

"There is no better way to thank God for your sight than by giving a helping hand to someone in the dark." - Helen Keller
When I stand before God at the end of my life, I would hope that I would not have a single bit of talent left, and could say, "I used everything you gave me." ~Erma Bombeck
You may never know how strong you are, until being strong is your only choice.- Unknown
Keep your face to the sunshine and you cannot see a shadow' ~Helen Keller
Promise me you'll always remember: You're braver than you believe, and stronger than you seem, and smarter than you think.
Don't cry because it's over, smile because it happened."- Dr. Seuss
"Life is 10% what happens to you, and 90% how you react to it."
"God doesn't give children with disabilities to strong people: He gives them to ordinary, everyday people, then He helps the parents to grow stronger through the journey. Raising a child with special needs doesn't TAKE a special family, it MAKES a special family."Author Unknown
I have been driven many times to my knees by the overwhelming conviction that I had nowhere else to go – Abraham Lincoln
Be always at war with your vices, at peace with your neighbors, and let each new year find you a better man. ~ Benjamin Franklin
There are only two ways to live your life. One is as though nothing is a miracle. The other is as if everything is a miracle - Albert Einstein
The journey of a 1000 miles starts with a single step
Sometimes in the middle of an ordinary life, love gives you a fairy tale
Where there is great love, there are always miracles - Willa Cather
The Difficult we can do immediately, the impossible takes a little longer
Doing what you like is freedom. Liking what you do is happiness
There are two lasting bequests we can give our children. One is roots. The other is wings.
Be the change you want to see in the world
Don't tell God how big the storm is, tell the storm how big Your God is..........
Everything has beauty, but not everyone sees it
Fall down seven times - get up eight - unknown
Despite our differences, we sink or swim together
Life may not be the party we expected, but while we are here, we might as well dance
"The man who moves a mountain begins by carrying away small stones." -Confucius

Sunday, April 15, 2012

Arlington's first lacrosse game

I didn't post yesterday! I just realized. Not that anyone cares, but I do apologize. I went to Connecticut for the day to visit some of my co-workers from Haddam, Ct. We had a great time. I miss those ladies. While I have made wonderful friends here in Massachusetts, and I love our new home, I miss those girls with a passion. I am so glad we didn't move far so that I can still visit them from time to time. We spent hours laughing and catching up. It was fun hearing what they have been up to this winter. I am lucky to have such great past co-workers that I can still call my friends.

Today was a busy day. We spent the morning outside working in the yard. Mat and I have cut down quite a bit of bramble and brush (and bushes and trees, etc) this past year since we started clearing more land. That stuff has been piling up in our woods, so today we started the process to get rid of it. We had quite the bonfire going for awhile. The kids set up in the yard (no worries - they were a safe distance away) to watch. We got quite a bit burned down and in the process burned some bushes we no longer wanted. The back yard will take a few years to get where we want, but it is a start. I am still hard at work on the front yard, and once all of my new plants are in (25 went in yesterday - quite a few more still to go) then it will just be maintenance and enjoyment. I hope.

This afternoon Finley had a birthday party for a classmate. Then after that, we went to Arlington's first lacrosse game. Lacrosse is a crazy game with crazy hard rules, so I am impressed that Arlington has any clue what she is doing at all.

But she did really great. In the picture she is number nine: (their colors are blue and gold)

She ran around and the girls didn't do badly. Lacrosse is a game that takes quite a bit of time to learn, and so the coaches are yelling plays to them from the sidelines.

(she is in the middle, blue and gold, running)

There are some really, really good players on Arlington's team, so I think she is going to learn a lot. It is a 3rd and 4th grade team, so the older girls will help the younger girls catch on.

They won their game today 6 to 5, and they were really happy.

We took Scooby and Shaggy along with us as well to watch. We had a good time. The games don't last long - 2, 20 minute halves and a 10 minute half time.

This evening Mat finished putting his new basketball hoop together so the kids (and he) could play with it. He got it for $2 after we used our Amazon credit card points. Pretty awesome.

We have a nice, flat, large driveway, so he is so happy to FINALLY have a place for a hoop.

The kids really enjoyed it. Cainan tried his best to throw the ball in the hoop - he is just a bit too short.

Finley wanted to put the ball through the hoop, so Mat lifted her up:

She is really afraid of heights, but her want to try to throw the ball won out.

Cainan wanted a chance too, so he got a lift:

The kids went to bed tired and happy and this evening we are just relaxing. We are on spring break this week. Mat still has to work, but the kids and I will be trying to stay busy. Tomorrow it is supposed to be 80 degrees (it is also the Boston Marathon) so we might break out the kiddie pool.