Snohomish- Cuties Take All

These adorable little cuties won their division in a 5 game tourament last weekend. It was tough and they went into the finals as perhaps the underdogs (the other team had only lost once this summer). Don't let those smiles fool you into thinking they are nice out on the field, because they WILL take you down!


When your team is up 3-0 (and you have maximum points for the game) AND you are playing next to a corn field, the parents maybe, perhaps were yelling "EVERYTHING BIG AND TO THE CORN!". Just maybe, not really. Kind of. (walk slower Maria!-do you need to tie your shoe?)

Here she is on the other teams corner. Notice she is pointing to...who? It seems like nobody would be in front of her except the other teams kicker. Is she saying "Hey You! Yeah, you! Kick it way over there!". Or she is trying to make a diversion- "HEY, look over there! DO YOU SEE that???".

Does that girl outweigh Maria by like 25 pounds? I just noticed that...

4 players vs. Maria. Do not take on the little one by yourself. She will score on your ass.

The other thing my little lightning likes to do is race around. Imagine a train coming at you at... say.... 200 miles per hour (but it only weighs about 4 lbs). If the ball is farther away from her, the better. She runs like the wind blows. Forest. Run, Forest Run!

(honest to God, I don't know where her speed comes from, the closest I came to running that fast was when there was a sale on Swedish fish at Safeway).



Correct me if I am wrong, but check out Maria's (#17) blocking in this next photo:

I think she is actually doing a basketball screen. No?




Bragger alert: Look, they won!

Kleenex Alert: This is what your team looks like when you win the entire tournament for your goalie, you push hard every minute for her. You give her a team t-shirt that everyone has signed. You give her a medal, but you also give her the team plaque that the coach usually keeps. Because the next day she is getting on a plane and moving to Minnesota.

This is what it looks like when your can't find your mom and then you realize that the last time you saw her she was hoarding paint pens...and then you figure out where she has been.

I will have you know that I drew the flower and then was asking Maria what type of saying she wanted to add to the back. SHE came up with "We play to win"- it seems a little competitive for me- but what did I tell you? Those half-pints are always out for redemption and slightly more fiesty than the big girls!

Your Soccer Instruction Booklet

This is what it looks like when someone wants a piggyback during a game. Izzy is in blue. Refusing to give piggybacks.


This is Isabelle schooling a girl she played with 2 years ago. Isabelle won the ball. I yelled. Excessively.

This is what happens when Isabelle decides to try and kick a ball through someone. Speaking from experience, it doesn't feel awesome.

This is what it looks like when you finally find your place among your new teammates.

This is what a 6 foot tall 13 year old looks like. Isabelle tried to kick a ball through her in a rage of jealousy.

See? I wasn't kidding.

This is what an amazing header looks like from a corner kick (the white team). I only dream about having that kind of coordination.

This is seriously how beautiful it was up in Bellingham. Although, it was 147 degrees the whole time.

This is Isabelle's team. Laying down in an act of defiance refusing to play in 147 dregree weather for one minute longer.

This is what a handball looks like.

It wasn't called.




This is 13 year old mojo being sent across the field to their goalie as the penalty kicks are being taken. They had to go to PK's because the game ended in a tie and it was still tied after overtime.
I was on the sideline getting CPR. I was a little bit stressed and freaking out.

This is me on the phone.

Was I...

A) Making an appointment at a spa because I was so darn sweaty and gross and stressed from the PK's and I just needed some ME time?

B) Calling the Referrees hotline demanding that the handball be called?

C) Calling to get a spray tan because I was so pasty white and a friend commented "Do you allow yourself to get ANY color?" after seeing me in shorts for the first time?

D) Calling the head of the soccer park demanding that they clean the friggin port'o'potties because they were overflowing.

The answer: You don't even want to know.

I know!

I know Julie! I miss you too. August has been rather..well...much more overwhelming than I had anticiapted. Work, tournaments, work, tournaments, and then work again.

May I remind you all that my mantra is "I am not a worker!". Thus, this whole going to work every day thing has been a lot for me to adjust to.

I haven't even had time to download my pictures from Bellingham and it's time to load up the camera agian this afternoon for Snohomish.

On a good note, Morrie and I got invited to an "Over 40" kegger tonight. We are infiltrating the old people! I will let you know how it goes!!

5 minutes

The exhaustion just hit me. I haven't slept well the past 2 nights and I am trying to form a cohesive thought and come up with a blog post. Here are my ideas...and a glimpse of my life, in 5 minutes...

1. I can't think of one single idea because Maria keeps talking..."Mom, can I have cup o' noodles tomorrow for lunch? Mom, can I take bath? Mom, look at the cat!".

2. Those literally were all in one breath.

3. Isabelle just came down and said "Where's the cat?"

4. We are re-watching the Sounders game and...wait, Isabelle is talking...

5. What? "Umm...do you think that I could get another subscription to International pen pals?"

6. "Oh, and Mom? Do any of your friends want me to babysit?"

7. Do these thoughts just pop into her head as randomly as they come out of her mouth?

8. Sounders...ahhhh...yes....just looked at the photos from last night's game, they are super cool. Ianni had a really great game. I missed me some Marshall though.

9. That skinny Uruguayan is something else. But, somebody needs to get him a sandwich!

10. The dog is growling at the cat.

11. The tiredness is creeping back up agian, I can hardly keep my eyes open...

12. I just sneezed, I think I am having an allergy attack

13. For real, could you please make Alvaro fernandez a sandwich? I have never seen anyone so skinny.

13. I also looked up my favorite sharpie blogs and art sites to see if these was anything worth posting here.

14. Didn't find too much, but I really want to draw something now. Yawn. Can't...hold...pen...

15. I think I am allergic to being awake.

16. Wait, my To-Do list is taking over my brain...must make a grocery list, make plans for trip this weekend, go to grocery store, check on Izzy's practice times this week, don't forget to tell Morrie about pool party, get gift for birthday party on Monday, put in a few extra hours at work, find someone to watch dog, order Maria new glasses, catch up with Samantha and ask her how going to her first Sounders game was, draw some stuff, go to the library (I'm out of books to read on the bus)...this list is too much.

17. How about I just go to bed?

The Happiest Place on Earth

These just maybe, might be , probably some of my happiest places on earth...

A bath that you can fall asleep in!! Someone out there is a genius.

Love me some log cabins.

I thought curling up here and either reading a book on a cold winter night, or talking Morrie's ear off as he tries to fall asleep would be GREAT!

Duh...Quest field when everyone is clapping as the team walks in! (yes, it's my own picture from the July 11th game)

The candy store!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

hmmm...I can't decide. Anyone care to offer their favorite???