Fall Soccer

I was on the fence about doing soccer with both Anna and Jane this fall but they really really really wanted to play on the same team. Since Bitty Sports are included with our YMCA membership we figured we'd go ahead a go for it.

I wasn't really wanting to coach again but when our team had no coach we felt like we had no choice so Kevin and I did it together. 

Our team was pretty rough around the edges and it was pretty exhausting. We had 3 sets of siblings including Anna and Jane and most of the team was made up of 3 year olds which made for an interesting dynamic. Of the twins...the girl showed quite a bit of promise but her brother was constantly harassing her which kept us busy since the parents did not intervene that much. When the games started she was scared and refused to go out on the field and would cry. We weren't going to make her but her parents kept pushing and pushing her to go out there.

The set of brothers were actually pretty good but they liked the practice better than the games and would lose interest sometimes. Then there was the little girl with no siblings on her team...let's call her C. C was a sweetheart and actually could dribble pretty well but she was easily distracted and would often just run off the field. She like hugging us and Jane and Anna thought she was hilarious and would often be distracted by her. Her Dad was usually just looking at his phone and occasionally telling C to do something completely contrary to what we were saying or against the YMCA rules. 

Anna did so much better even from the spring session and even scored a goal. Her short legs make it tough to keep up sometimes but she made contact with the ball and really seemed to enjoy herself although she like being silly with C just as much. 

Jane did pretty well for a 3 year old. Much better than Anna did at her age but understandable considering she had a big sister there and has been to quite a few practices and games to watch Anna before. She didn't always know what was going on but she would run when we told her too and laughed and was happy. Overall a successful first soccer experience I think. 

In the past we've done Saturday morning soccer but it was on a Thursday night this time around. I think it being in the evening after an entire day made it more difficult to keep the kids focused. But also, they are 3-5 year old kids so you can't expect too much.  

 Anna and Jane enjoyed being silly on the sidelines. 

Participation medals after the last game. 

We were missing the brothers in our team photo. (Sorry for the poor quality...I took a picture of the overpriced prints we purchased)

The Ultimate Defenders/Grey Team

 They offered buddy shots and of course we couldn't resist since it was their first sport together. 

Jane's first soccer season. She was so happy finally getting to play alongside her sister. 

Anna's 3rd soccer season. She's improved so much from the first time and I'm amazed. Such a determined little thing!

When I was putting the photos away I found Anna's picture from last season earlier this year so I thought I'd throw it in this post.  

Overall it was a positive experience but we've determined we don't want to coach again anytime soon. This age group is just so difficult and it will be fun to just be a spectator and help when needed rather than be responsible for the entire team!

Apple Picking and Pumpkins

We missed Apple picking last year and we told Anna that we'd do it this year. It wasn't until the end of apple picking season but we did make it out to Cider Hill Family Orchard.

It was a lovely day to be out there but unfortunately there weren't many good apples left. 

We searched and searched and found some mediocre apples at the very tops of a few trees. 

Jane was inspecting a yucky apple before tossing it. 

We still had fun but Anna did tell us repeatedly that next year we needed to go earlier. 

Found one!

Silly girls with Daddy. 

There was a cool old truck parked in the field next to the orchard. I'm pretty sure it was parked to take photos with so we made Anna and Jane stand in front of it. 

I'm not entirely certain they want people climbing the apple trees but since we didn't have one of the apple grabbers this was our only way of getting to any halfway decent apples. Anna loved going up there with Kevin. 

Although we didn't get many good apples it was the first weekend for the pumpkin patch so we wandered over there after dropping off our apples at the car. Jane tested out each pumpkin by sitting on each one. She wanted to take home the BIGGEST pumpkin. She did find a huge one that we did end up buying. 

Anna wanted to find the perfect pumpkin as well so we had to check out a ton of them. 

We were still looking around but Jane didn't want anyone taking the pumpkins we'd picked out so she stood guard. 

Once the selections were made we took the tractor ride back to pay. We wanted to get cider donuts but it was nearly closing time and they were out so we settled for a cider slush. 

Even though we failed at getting the apples needed for me to bake an apple pie we still had a blast. and we made a pie anyway and just used store bought pie filling. Everyone was happy!

More September fun!

During our family photo session we spotted this amazing tire swing and we promised Anna and Jane we could play for a little bit before we had to leave. I love this picture. 

Anna loves climbing trees. 

I'm not certain what Jane enjoys more. Climbing trees or doing whatever Anna does. 

Topeka friends should definitely check out Ilif Commons. I wish it wasn't so humid and that we were had on better walking clothes or I think we could have stayed a long time walking the trails. 

After pictures we met up with Sparkly Grandma and Uncle Joe for breakfast. 

Later we were able to hang out with Adell for a little bit. 

The Overland Park Arboretum offers free admission on Tuesdays and although the admission is very reasonably priced we try to stick to those days. There was a nice afternoon so last minute we decided to head over and spend some time there. There is so much space and it is lovely to walk around the pond and various gardens. In the children's area they have a train running that the kids absolutely love. It even runs underneath in a few places. This photo of Anna and Jane watching the train cracks me up every time. 

A darling little girl on her tricycle. 

On Monday mornings it is just Jane and me while Anna is in preschool. We do a variety of things from playdates with friends, playing at home, and sometimes we run errands including Target runs. Typically a trip to Target involves stopping in for coffee and juice. 

One day we ran in for a couple things at Target. I hadn't intended to stop for drinks that day but Jane saw the cafe and stated... "I think maybe we need to stop in there". It was a Monday...I couldn't really argue with her so we did. 

One morning we went out to Roe Park to play with some friends. We'd been there before for the splash park but we thought it would be fun to just check out the rest of the park. 

It was a warm day but we were still shocked when the water features turned on. We hadn't really dressed for water but I had extra clothes so I gave the kids the go ahead to get wet. They did and they were soaked! It was fun though. Sometimes the spontaneous things are the most fun. 

Huff 'n Puff, KCCG, and a Wedding

Below are September photos I pulled from my phone. 

I love going to Huff 'n Puff to see the hot air balloons. It's not easy getting up so early to make the drive to Topeka and this year I was very much on the fence at about 11:30 pm the night before but I'm so happy we decided to go. 

Anna was a little mad about where we decided to sit because she couldn't see ALL the balloons at the same time. She remained grumpy for a long time and kept turning her head back and forth to look at balloons on both sides. It was actually pretty hilarious. 

Eventually she perked up at had a great time. 

One of my summer/fall goals was to make it out to Kansas City Community Gardens. We spent our time checking out the Beanstalk Children's Garden. It was incredible. There were so many different plants to look at and we were able to taste many of them. Anna and Jane absolutely loved it. 

You can schedule a tour and I was able to listen in on some from a school tour that was going on. Once the girls get a little bit older I definitely want to do it. I love the mission of the Gardens and it was such a fantastic experience and got me super excited to expand our garden next year.  There are so many events that the KCCG from free cooking classes to fall festivals that I look forward to attending in the future as well. 

We had a lovely time at my cousin Matt and Christa's Wedding. We're so happy that Christa is officially part of the family.

I love when I sneak in a picture with either Hailie or Seth. I sure love this kid even if she does make me feel old. I still can't believe she's 16. I still remember when I first held her as a tiny baby!