The Knights - Games 2 and 3

Today was a full day of soccer. First off, today was "picture day." All the boys got their individual portraits, and then we had our team photo. As far as games go, today we had a "double-header." Our first game we were the "white" team, and the kids played great. We lost but once again the game was close and very competitive. Also, Ben got to play goalie for a half, and he made a few stops. So that was cool. He even made a great pass during the game (and then gave me a big "thumbs up" immediately after.)
Then later in the day we had our second game (we were the "green" team) and the boys played their best game of the season. They ended up winning the game and getting their first win of the season (coincidentally against the same team that beat us earlier in the day.) We've had 3 games so far and the boys are way ahead of where I would expect them to be. All of them understand their roles very well, and they're all playing great. Best of all, several players are starting to pass more, play defense, and work together as a team. As the coach of the team I get the most excited I think when I see glimpses of the boys working together as a team. It's great to see at this age.
Anyway, my parents are in town this weekend, so they enjoyed watching a lot of soccer.
As you can see we've had enough soccer for one day.

Easter 2011

Well...the weather cooperated last Sunday and we had ourselves a nice Easter. The day before the kids decorated Easter eggs, and then after church on Easter they had an Easter egg hunt in the backyard and woods. Later in the day we all went out to eat and had a nice Easter buffet. Best of all the kids got some fun treats in their baskets. They had a fun day.

The Knights - Game 1

Well...we're starting up another season of soccer. Ben is playing and I'm coaching again. So allow me to introduce to you our new team - THE KNIGHTS! Several of the boys have played with us before, but we do have a few new faces this season. I even have 2 of my cub scouts on the team which is pretty cool. Anyway, today was our first game of the 8 game season, and we were "white." The first game is always the hardest and trickiest. The players are still uncertain about where to go and what to do exactly, and in the first half today it showed. Everyone looked a little confused. But surprisingly the second half was a completely different story, and the boys played great and gave a great effort. Overall we lost the game, but it was very close. At this age there are still no "official scores and standings," so none of that matters anyway. Still though...the kids always seem to know whether they won or lost. That always cracks me up.

Detroit Science Center

Yesterday we spent the day down in Detroit checking out the Detroit Science Center. The place is a huge building filled with interactive exhibits for kids and adults alike. It's not new, but it's new to us. We had heard about it for a while, so since Jenny and the kids were all off on Friday we decided to head south and check it out. The kids had a great time. The main attraction going on right now is a huge dinosaur exhibit. The dinosaurs are animatronic, and you can actually make them move around and roar with the press of a button. Pretty cool! We also saw a planetarium show on dinosaurs, and we saw a great IMAX movie about the Hubble telescope. There was even a "little kids" area for Megan. Ben (who is a science nut) was in heaven...and he literally stopped at every display I think. Some of his favorites were the "water rocket" launch, the IMAX movie, and the dinosaurs. When I was Ben's age I too was nuts about dinosaurs, so that might have been my favorite of the day as well. Anyway, we were all very impressed with the science center. It blew away our expectations, and we'll definitely go back someday.

From The Shelf

IN COLD BLOOD - Long considered the first "non-fiction narrative" the book is a detailed examination of the 1959 murders of Herbert Clutter (a wealthy farmer in Holcomb, Kansas) and his wife and 2 children. Written by Truman Capote the book is neither a "who dunnit" or "will they get caught." Instead the book is a factual "true crime" account of the murders of the Clutter family, and the manhunt for the 2 killers (Richard Hickock and Perry Smith.) The book doesn't follow a standard "from beginning to end" timeline. Throughout the book Capote jumps around in time as he "teases" you with tidbits of information and gory details, and I found that kind of annoying at times. But the details and accounts of the events leap right off the page, and several of the scenes are incredibly vivid. And though there are some who believe Capote changed the facts to suit his story, and created scenes that never occurred, I have still never heard a bad review of this book. IN COLD BLOOD is pretty amazing, and truly one of a kind.

Ben's Badge Of Honor

Ben had a big night at scouts tonight. Tonight he officially got his "Tiger Badge" (the badge all of the scouts have been working toward all year.) To hear more about the big night check out our scout blog: http://densixtrailsandtales.blogspot.com/