Christmas decorating, lots of soccer, injuries, and beginning Winter break!

There have been many things going on during the past couple of weeks, and it started with finally putting up our Christmas decorations. We also decorated the tree, but it was the first time that we had used it and we did not realize how big it was at first. It goes all the way up to the ceiling and we could barely fit the star on top. We had to get out a step stool and I eventually climbed up to put the top ornaments on. Mom went out and bought a couple of new decorations, including a new stocking holder since we do not have a fireplace.

 There were also a lot of soccer games that weekend which contained a middle school game on top of the club tournament that I had. I actually scored a goal during my school game and then another one from outside the box during my club game that was right after it! The next week was the last week for Collin and I before Winter break! I had half days throughout the week though and his were regular. The first two days for me were mostly for studying and then the next three days were my mid-term finals. I also get to have an extra week off for "project week" after Christmas. This year we are supposed to read a relatively large book that was assigned to us from Life Science class and then we have to pick a topic that the teacher gives us and make a poster board out of it. I got my book in the mail the day that school ended and started reading it, and I am already half way through it.

 I also had a club game on Thursday that week but we were playing down with only ten men. However, right before the first half ended, I pulled my hamstring really bad and I could not play. I also had to sit out my school game that I had the next day as well as the second club game that I had the day after that.

 There were no games on Sunday though, and Collin, mom, my grandma and I went go see this Christmas show called the "Celebration of Christmas". It was pretty good and all of the people that performed in it were very talented! It was about two hours long and then after we went out to eat before we went back home.

 Overall, it was very entertaining and hopefully we will go next year too! My grandma's favorite part was when they brought in these two camels during the Bethlehem scene and also when there was a horse that was dragging Santa's sleigh. Now we have Christmas to look forward to, and no school for two whole weeks! Thanks for reading and tune in next week on TBB! 

Before

After

Beau's fourth birthday, first GP soccer game, mom's absence.

This week was pretty bland, but there were a few points that were definitely worth mentioning! First off was that our dog Beau had his fourth birthday this past Monday! He got a couple of cool birthday presents, which contained a dog bone and a red rubber ring, and he also got some really good food from the dinner that we had that night. Afterwards, he laid down with all the toys he had and started playing with all of them. There were so many of them that he did not know which one to start biting next!

 The next event the week contained was that my school soccer team had its first game this week. We played against Anthem Prep, and they were the home team so we got to get out of school forty five minutes early. That was the good part, but once the actual game got started, it was not very fun. We lost 6-1, but I think that the game was a lot closer than the score indicated. Our goalie is not very good, and he does not even know the rules. For instance: If your own team member plays it back to you with their feet, you are not allowed to pick it up. However, they can pick it up if the teammate heads it back to you, which he did not know. He tried to hit it off of his knee and he barely got it out of the goal. If we had a better goalie, I think it would have been a closer game, and NO I am not just blaming the goalie. Our team still has a lot to work on.

 The next day, mom actually left in the morning after Collin and I went to school to head to California for her friend's birthday. This is the second year in a row, so I tink it is going to become a tradition. It was actually the same friend that she saw during our last Spring break (on day five) and she is going to come back this next Monday. In the meantime, it was just my dad, Collin, and I. I think it went surprisingly smooth, but I did not really know what to expect.

 After Collin's soccer on Sunday, he went to run some errands with Isabelle while my dad and I started to get down the Christmas boxes from the attic. This is also the first year that we are using the big artificial tree that we got right after Christmas last year. This is a lot harder to set up and it also takes up a lot of space. One more thing. After taking off the covering of it, we noticed something that is kind of bad, which is that we are missing the top pointy part of the tree. It still had about two feet higher to go, but we had no idea where that piece was, so we are going to have to look for that later!

 Our grandparents went to dinner with us that night, which wrapped up our weekend by the time that we got home. The week really got a lot busier as it went on, and we are going to have even more things next week! Thanks for reading and tune in next week on TBB!

Mom with Beau on his birthday

Thanksgiving (and then some)

Thanksgiving was this week, which means that mine and Collin's school week was shortened! We had Thursday and Friday off, and I had a half day on Wednesday! Thanksgiving was at my grandparents this year like usual, and it was mayhem like usual! My Aunt Kristen drove in from California the day before with her two dogs, and my other grandparents came from Prescott with their dog named Hank, who is full of energy! Their was also my cousins and my aunt and uncle.

 Everyone was there by about three, and there were a lot of things going on. There was a total of six dogs that were running everywhere, people were all in groups talking to one another, and my grandma was still busy finishing cooking some of the food! (She let me help cook one of the desserts!) We took all of our family photos outside in the backyard (which was a chore), and after a little while it was time to eat. The turkey was delicious, along with all of the side dishes such as the mashed potatoes and the corn. After everyone was full, there was more socializing until dessert came, which was also very filling! Eventually, everyone went home after a long day of eating.

 Despite the fact that this was the biggest event of the long weekend, there was still much more to come. The next day was black Friday, and we got to go see a new movie at AMC, which was very enjoyable! That took up most of the morning, and in the afternoon, my mom and I did some Christmas shopping. It took us a while to find what we were looking for though, and we had to go to three different stores until we found it!

 On Saturday, I went with my mom again to the farmers market while Collin was in physical therapy. He actually got to got to watch Isabelle's friend's band play after, which he had a lot of fun at! My mom and I were at the farmers market for about an hour, and then we were able to go to the pizza place that was right next to it called Grimaldi's for a quick lunch! At the end of the day, my aunt and uncle came over with my cousins, along with my Aunt Kristen to have dinner. We just had some burgers and talked, which was fun to do even though we just had Thanksgiving dinner!

The dogs at Thanksgiving!

 On Sunday, my mom went out with my grandma and Aunt Kristen for brunch, and then they went shopping for a LONG time. Collin, my dad, and I ran a lot of errands while they were gone, but when we got back, my mom still was not home. After we got back though, we mostly just rested! When it looked like the day was almost over, my mom called my dad and she said that we could go out to eat at Babbo's with my grandparents and aunt before she went back to California! While we were there, it actually started pouring and my grandpa and I had to pull up the car for everyone else because it was coming down so hard! We had a really fun time while we were there, and by the time that was over, so was the day! Thanks for reading and tune in next week on TBB!

At brunch

GP soccer tryouts, shopping, athletic field day, and... Thanksgiving?

A lot has happened in the last two weeks, and it started with school soccer tryouts. There were only going to be two of them, and practices were on Tuesday and Thursday. Unfortunately, the coach that the school found cancelled the day before the first tryout, so the athletic director showed up with the coach of the high school team, and they just had us do these very basic drills and then scrimmage at the end.

 Even though I did not think it could get much worse because the athletic director knew nothing about soccer, it did. They had found a coach to come out and see who should be on the A Team or the B Team. He had a very strong accent and you could barely understand him, and he seemed to have this vision that we were all star soccer players. For example: he put us in a very small area and split us up into teams, then told us that we needed to play two touch possession when some kids can barely make a pass. He also said that if you can not juggle the ball 20 times in a row, you should not be on the A Team. I got to 82, and the kid next to me tried to brag to the coach that he beat his record and got 6.

 Another problem is that most of the kids are really out of shape. After playing on a club team with kids that are two years older than me, I usually come in last place on things like sprints or field runs. Now, I am running with kids that are about my age and do not even play sports, so I get to come in first every time! Same with strength. When the coach told us to do twenty push ups, one kid was panting when he got to three. It was pretty pathetic. Long story short, I got on the A Team with a few of the other seventh graders, sixth graders, and a couple of the eight graders.

 The next thing that happened this week was that my mom decided that we needed to have our own Thanksgiving dinner before the real Thanksgiving with the rest of the family. We had the turkey, cranberry sauce mashed potatoes and gravy, on top of everything else. It did feel a bit odd having all of this two weeks before actual Thanksgiving, but we went with it. The next weekend, we had a soccer tournament that my team actually came first place in! We went undefeated, with three wins and a draw!

 The next week did not hold as much excitement, but my school had athletic field day on Friday! They create random groups with kids from every grade from sixth to twelfth, which is not as fun as it may sound. After school though, my friend came home with me and had dinner with us, which was a fun surprise because neither of us knew that it was going to happen until right after school. The weekend held a few events, such as how I had to help out the Anthem team again (see this earlier post!), which was really easy. My friend from my club team also helped out which made it more enjoyable.

 On Sunday, nothing happened in the morning but we went to Collin's soccer after lunch. I had missed the last game because I was at my soccer tournament, but there were two new kids there that had joined the team when I was gone. They seemed to have enjoyed the first week of soccer so much that they came back this week with new Adidas flats! After, Collin went home with Isabelle and my dad and I went to the mall to look for things to ask for for Christmas.

 I thought it was early, but mom said she needed to tell people what I wanted for Christmas when they asked. First, we went to Soccer Post, which is a family run soccer store where I was going to look for new shin guards. Turns out, they are closed on Sunday! When we went to the mall, there were all sorts of cool things to get. I found a pair of Nike running shoes that were made of flynit, a decently priced drone at the remote control store, and a penny board in the skate shop! Unfortunately, we had to end the day with going to Macy's to buy jeans. (Boring).

 We went home to eat dinner after that, and then rested up for another school/work week. (Which will be shortened due to Thanksgiving!) Thanks for reading and tune in next week on TBB!

Halloween, volunteering for soccer teams, and classical concerts

This was a very eventful week, and it started early on Monday, which was Halloween. Instead of going out to get candy this year, I set up a table with candy on the edge of the cul de sac that we live in. Hardly anybody comes over to our house on Halloween since we live in the corner of the neighborhood, so I thought we should do something about it!

 Surprisingly, a lot of people came over to the stand, some of which I thought should not be trick or treating anymore. In fact, the very first customers that walked by were two seniors that went to Sunrise Mountain, which is the high school right outside the neighborhood. They were not exactly dressed up though. One of them was wearing a horse mask, while the other one was just wearing regular clothes! The stand was up for a few hours, but eventually, we took it inside since everyone had gone back to their houses.

 The next event that happened that week was not even an event at all. We were driving up to the Thursday soccer practice that is all the way out in Scottsdale, and when we were less than five minutes away they canceled it due to rain. I did not thinking that it was raining too hard on the drive there, but admittedly, it did start to came down when we got back on the freeway going home. Our last soccer game of the season was on Saturday, but we lost in that one just like our other few games that we had. We had actually been playing very well in the last three weeks, and tied our last game, but we fell apart in the last game for some reason.

 It looked like it was going to be a normal day after that, but I actually had to help out another team later that day in Anthem! The only reason that we are affiliated with the team is because our team manager knows the coach and he does not even have enough players to play in his games! I did not know what to expect, but by the time the next game started, I knew why they needed more players. The kids were not very good, and just ran around the field not staying in their positions at all. The coach made it look like he had a plan, but I was very confused by him. He told me to go in for center midfield five times, and then when I ran out on the field he yelled back at me, "Remember, you're playing left midfield!!" After being on the field for a few minutes, I just started playing center mid because no one was playing their position anyways. We ended up losing that game as well, but at least that did not concern me that much.

 Sunday morning did not have much going on and was a good opportunity to rest, but by three o'clock I was going to go to a classical concert with my friend because we had to fill out a paper for my music class. The players were actually really good, and it was fun to listen to. After we got to get something to eat while we were still downtown. We were going to go to a pizza place, but it ended up being closed on Sunday. Instead, we went to a place that was just called "The Duce", which had ping pong, corn hole, and other games. After we ate there, we went back home and took showers before going to bed to get rested for the next big week. Thanks for reading and tune in next week on TBB! 

(I am not standing in this picture!)

Searching for a school coach and prepping for Collin's Halloween party

After having a very long weekend (see previous post), the whole family started the next week a bit more tired than usual. There were a few things though that were exciting this week that helped us wake up.

 On Wednesday, my school had the Winter sports meeting, which includes soccer! Unfortunately, I had to go to practice that night so my mom had to go to it by herself. Usually, the athletic director talks about what sports are played during the season, and then the different sport groups split up and the coaches discuss what it is going to be like (times, practices, etc). This year, it turns out that they do not even have a coach for soccer yet! The coach for varsity left last year and the middle school coach took his place, so now they do not have anyone for the job this year. Also, all of the good eighth graders that we had last year left, so the team is not going to be as good this year. However, by the end of the week, we found three people that might be able to coach!

 Another thing that happened this week is that we had to find a costume for Collin to wear to his Halloween party this coming Monday! Collin's helper Isabelle had the idea of having Collin dress up as the boy "Russell" from the pixar movie called UP. The character is supposed to be a wilderness explorer, and my mom went all out in putting together the costume, including printing out badges from the actual movie and everything! Conveniently, Russell also has a golden retriever in the movie named "Dug," which Beau will be playing! My mom worked all weekend putting it together, and it looks pretty good.

Collin's explorer costume!

 The rest of the weekend included another soccer game (which we tied 1-1), and some house cleaning. That sums up most of the week, and we have another big one ahead of us! Thanks for reading and tune in next week on TBB!

"Dug"

Hiking at Payson

This was my first week back at school after Fall break, but honestly, it was very uneventful. Five days later, the weekend came and that was when the excitement happened. Saturday was not very interesting, but we did get to go out to eat after we went to church that night. However, we got to drive up to Payson the next morning to go hiking in the woods.

 We got there a little bit before noon and, once we found the right trail, started to journey down it.

There was a creek that continued alongside the trail that started at a spring deeper in the woods, and if you hiked long enough, you would be able to see it. The only problem was that it was an eight mile hike there and back, which was longer than we expected. The good thing was that there was a lot of beautiful scenery along the way. We decided that we would try to get all the way to the end of the trail, and it took about two hours to get to the spring.

 We took a break for a while once we got there, and my dad and I climbed up some of the larger rocks so that we could get to be at the top of the spring. The water was freezing when I put my hand in it,

and there was a little hole through the rock at the top that you could see the water through. Beau was having a blast the whole time because before he was our dog, he was raised in the woods not too far from where we were. When he was not on a leash with Collin, he was bounding up and down the path!

After drinking some more water, we set off back down the trail and, after what seemed like a long time, we were back at the parking lot at the beginning of the trail. Before heading back to Phoenix though, we were able to stop to get something to eat, and then we went back on the highway and got home later that night. That ended our weekend, and we are looking forward to what the next week holds. Thanks for reading and tune in next week on TBB! 

Fall Breaks and the Challenge tournament

Collin in Flagstaff

My Fall Break finally ended today, and school starts back up tomorrow. However, Collin's Fall Break ended a week ago, and he had some fun during his. After having unlimited rest for the first couple of days (which he really enjoyed!), Collin got to go up to the mountains in Flagstaff with dad and Beau. They stayed at a really nice hotel, and had a great time doing all kinds of things! Not only did they hike for a very long time in the nice weather, but they also walked to the Harkins that was near their hotel to go watch a movie later the day that they got there. They also ate lunch at Buffalo Wild Wings once as a treat after doing more hiking. They eventually came back two days later, while in the meantime, I was still at school!

 At last, Friday came and it was the last day of school for me before I had my break. The next day, I still had a soccer game at about noon, but the place where we were playing conveniently happened to be right next to the freeway. After the game, I got to head to California with my mom for a couple of days to visit my aunt, who lives in Costa Mesa right next to the beach! We got there at about seven and the next morning, we headed out to the beach bright and early.

The Xcelerator

 We spent the whole day there, but then went back to my aunt's apartment to wash up before we went to "Downtown Disney", which is right outside of Disneyland, to go get some late dinner. Even though we all went to bed very late after that, we had to get up early in the morning again to go to "Knots Berry Farm" as soon as it opened. We were there the whole day until it closed at six at the end of the day. There were some really fun rides there though, including the Xcelerator, which went from 0-82 miles per hour in 2.2 seconds! I went on that ride with my aunt every time because my mom did not want to go on it! We spent the whole day going on roller coasters like those, and it was a really great way to spend a day!

 Unfortunately, the next day meant that it was time to go back home. My mom and I went down to the beach one last time before getting back in the car to go home, and before either of us knew it, we were back at our house. The rest of my Fall Break was spent with friends while my mom was at work and then having soccer practices at night. On this last weekend before school starts back up, my team played in the Challenge tournament, but unfortunately, we only won one of our games that we played.

 It was also unfortunate that my grandparents from Prescott happened to come down to watch one of our games which we lost pretty bad in, and it was not a very good showing. Admittedly, we did get a little unlucky in a couple of the games. We hit the crossbar and post a total of six times in the first and second game combined! That was the end of Fall Break though, and now it is back to school in this upcoming week. Thanks for reading and tune in next week on TBB! 

With Aunt Kristen and her dogs

Beau in Flagstaff

In the water with Aunt Kristen

Beginning of Fall Break

Hello readers of TBB! I did not have much time to write a post over the weekend, because I have spent the past two days visiting my Aunt Kristen in California! I will be sure to include the rest of my Fall Break as well as Collin's in next weeks post! He also enjoyed his week off a lot, but he is heading back to school today. Thanks for reading TBB, and be sure to tune in next week to hear all about Fall Break!

Collin's Fall break, running errands, and preparing for finals.

This was a normal school week, but the end of it meant that Collin was now on Fall break and I was not. The school that Collin goes to now is a year-round school, just like his last one, but he used to get two weeks of Fall break. However, the school he goes to now spaces out the breaks differently, so he only gets one week. My break is the week after his this year.

 The plan is that Collin, dad, and Beau are going to go up to Flagstaff for a couple of days to go hiking, while I finish up my quarterly tests at school. I just turned in the essays that I have had to do over the last couple of weeks, and now this last week is mainly just about studying the material that we have learned and then taking the actual tests.

 The weekend came, and so did the second league soccer game. After already losing the first league game, this was even more important than the last. Unfortunately, after being up by two goals at halftime, we gave up three in the second half, and the other team ended up winning. It was a really big disappointment, and was not a great way to start the weekend.

 That was the main event of the weekend, and not much happened afterwards. The next day was filled with running errands and Collin's soccer game. Once again, there were not many kids there, which meant the Collin scored a couple of times. The rest of the day included walking down to the park to play fetch with Beau and eating a really nice dinner! Thanks for reading and tune in next week on TBB!

Excited Collin and Beau

Tired Collin and Beau

Spirit week, Collin's soccer, league game,

Although that there have not been many major events in the past couple of weeks, quite a few things have still happened lately. Last week, my school had spirit week, which they have at the same time as homecoming week. There are days where you dress up as historical figures, wear blue and yellow clothing (the school's colors), have a pep assembly, and to end the week you are allowed to wear a school sports jersey if you are part of the athletic program.

 On the weekend, Collin had his soccer again, but this time our dad had to run the program because the people who usually do had left the state to go to a relative's wedding! This meant that the week before, we took home all of the balls that they usually bring with them and had to get there early the next week. My friend also came over to help out just in case we needed it. Luckily, it was not as energetic that day as it usually is. A couple kids were missing, and Collin scored about four times! This also happened to be the second week in a row that I did not have any soccer games and got to relax.

 Once again, the next week rolled by without much going on, but the weekend held the first actual league game of the soccer season. The only problem was that we lost 2-0. However, the other team's goals were at the very beginning of the game when I was not playing, but after that the team never scored throughout the rest of the first or second half. We also had a scrimmage against the girls team that was from our same club. The only difference was that they were supposed to be about three years older than our whole team, and since my friend and I are already playing up with older kids, the girls were technically five years older than us! This happened to be the game that we won though, by about 6-3. It felt good to win a game even if it is against your own club.

 The only other thing that we did the rest of the weekend was that we got to go out to dinner with our grandparents because we haven't seen them in a while. The food was really good and we had a great time! The weekend ended after that, but it was a good use of time. Thanks for reading and tune in next week on TBB!

At "Texas Roadhouse"

Weekends Off.

This is the first week since Summer where there was absolutely nothing going on. Monday was Labor Day, which made for a short and enjoyable school week. There also was not any soccer practice Monday either. However, the rest of the week functioned normally. Collin has still been doing good at Chrysalis, and his daily reviews have also improved!

 The weekend came and it is one of the only ones where there are going to be no soccer games. There was not much to do on Saturday, so some friends came over and went swimming in the afternoon. We also got to go to the park, but it was too hot to stay there for long. My dad also went to sell our uncle's car, and in the late afternoon, my mom had to pick up my grandpa from the airport. (He just got back from Texas.) We ended with a really good dinner and a movie, which my mom and I fell asleep in the middle of.

 Sunday also did not have much going on, except for little errands like the day before. We went in the pool in the morning, and then my dad actually took our bikes to a bike shop to get new tubes on them since they were punctured by thorns. By then, it was lunch time and we were ready to go to Collin's soccer. There were not many people there today, and it was a little more mellow than usual, but that meant that Collin got the ball more, which was definitely a good thing. We mostly just rested at the house after that, and I was perfectly fine with that, and I'm pretty sure Collin is too!

 Some weeks are filled with events, and those are super fun, but every once in a while you need to have a weekend off. A weekend that is just for resting and recovery so that you can have more of those eventful weeks. We just had our resting week, and now we are ready to get back to more hard work! Thanks for reading and tune in next week on TBB!

Desert Elite Tournament and Labor Day.

There was nothing going on this week besides school, but the weekend held the first soccer tournament of the year! There were five teams in a bracket, so everybody played four games. The only problem was that since we are a new team, our coach asked to be in the silver or bronze flight. Instead, the directors of the tournament put us in the gold flight which held three out of the top five teams in the state!

There was only one team that was worse than us in the bracket, and we beat them about five to nothing. However, we were shut out against all the other teams, and one of the losses was pretty bad. We still did good though compared to the teams that we were playing. We were losing 6-0 in one game, but after halftime we managed to keep them scoreless, which was very impressive. Especially because they were the second best team in the state!

The last team that we played beat us 5-0, but two of their goals were off of bad calls by the ref. We also kept them scoreless after halftime as well! The one team that we could not hold though was a team called Arsenal. They beat us really bad, and when they decided to try and not score in the second half and focus on passing, they still scored two more goals. They were the top 02 team in the state though. It was still fun to get to beat at least one team in the whole tournament. Otherwise, it was pretty depressing.

The next day was actually Labor Day, so it was a whole day for resting. Actually, we spent the first half of the day shopping and running errands, and during the second half of the day, my friend was able to come over for a while. That was the end of the long three day weekend. Not to mention that we did not get any homework from school on Friday! Now it is time to get back up early again, and at least enjoy a short four day week. Thanks for reading and tune in next week on TBB!

Collin's Birthday!

Grandma, mom, and Collin on the raft together!

This was Collin's birthday week, and to be honest, it started out a little rough.

 His birthday was on Tuesday, but mom started to feel sick on Monday, and it actually got worse throughout the week. Collin's friend Isabelle also started to feel a little sick during the week as well. I feel really bad because we were supposed to go out to eat on his birthday, but we ended up not being able to since mom was not feeling well. He still got to bring cupcakes into his school where all the kids wished him a happy birthday there, which was nice.

 The actual week might have not been good, but what everyone in the family was really looking forward to was when we go out to the lake to celebrate Collin's birthday on the weekend! We usually go out on a Sunday, but this year we decided on going Saturday. Unfortunately, it was very windy and cloudy in the morning and it did not stop the whole day. The people down at the lake let us reschedule though, so we changed the reservation to Sunday afternoon instead of Saturday morning. The next day started with the final soccer scrimmage of the preseason, and then at around noon we left to head down to the lake.

 This time, there was barely a cloud in the sky, and next thing you know we were on the boat. The thing that makes the boat really fun is the tube that you can have people sit on while the boat drags it. We got it early in the year to plan ahead, and Collin really loved it. There were three seats in it, and it was really easy for him to get on and off. We were out there for a whole four hours until we pulled back into the dock, and everybody was wiped out.

 We were not done yet though. Then we went back to our house where Collin opened some presents and we all got to have pizza and some desserts. After that, people were really tired and they started heading out. Collin's birthday week might have started out hard, but it ended very nice. By the end of the day, he hopped right into his bed and was ready to go to sleep!

Collin enjoying his birthday cupcake.

Thanks for reading and tune in next week TBB!

The Family Visit

Once again, this week was filled with school and soccer, but the weekend held another surprise. We had family visiting from Texas!

 It was mine and Collin's aunt and uncle, as well as our three year old cousin named Steven. They came in Thursday, and they were staying at our grandparents house. The first time I got to see them was when I was picked up by my Grandma after school on Friday. I went over to their house and got to see them before the rest of my family!

 I was over there until they came over at around five so that we could go out to eat dinner. Everybody had a fun time, but the best was the day after when they came over to our house to have a barbecue! We got to go in the pool, have dinner, and Steven even played soccer with me on the mini goal that we have in the house! It was so fun to get to see them and I am so happy that they visited! They are leaving Monday or Tuesday, but either way, that will be the last time that we see them before they depart. They are so nice and I hope that we can see them again soon.

 There was still one more day to go in the weekend however. At around nine thirty we were already at the second preseason soccer scrimmage of the year, and at around two we were in the backyard swimming with Collin's friend Isabelle. She had also brought over her friends son, who is about five years old.

 By the time that they left, we mostly just relaxed. We ran a couple errands, had dinner, and then were ready to go to bed. Collin was especially tired. It was another successful week and we are already looking forward to the next! Thanks for reading and tune in next week on TBB! 

Collin after a busy weekend!

Steven!

Collin back at school, first soccer scrimmage and dinner at grandparents

This was the first week that Collin and I were both back at school, but just like almost every week, the excitement was on the weekend instead. Going back to school was not as big of a deal for Collin, because he goes to a year-around school, so he was only off for two weeks instead of two months! He has already picked up where he left off, and is doing great while at the same time trying new things. The weekend is also getting close to being back to normal, because this is the first soccer scrimmage that I have had in what feels like a long time! I am having to play up with kids two years older than me this year since they could not get a team for my age group, but all the same, it is still fun to be challenged by bigger, faster kids than me. It is also scary though to think that I am playing club soccer with freshman in high school! After the game, we got to go get something to eat with my friend and then he came home with us for a little bit as well. After that, the day was mostly composed of hanging out by the pool. The next day was Sunday, and it was also an average day. There were no sports except for Collin's soccer that day, and that was pretty fun. When we got there though, there were only three other people, so we got to play a more fast-paced game than usual. There is usually way more people there, but every once in a while not a lot of people show up, which makes it a lot more exciting. That was almost the end of the weekend, but we were actually able to go over to our grandparents house for dinner that night. We had some really good food, and everybody was really happy! The weekend was really over after that, and most of us just took showers and went to bed. (I was writing this blog post!) So thanks for reading and tune in next week on TBB! 

first soccer scrimmage of the year

Back to school, and back to club soccer.

Two major things changed during this last week that signals that Summer is basically over. The biggest one is going back to school, and the second is club soccer starting again.

 Unfortunately, my age group did not get enough players to make a full team, so I am playing up with kids that are one or two years older than me. Practices are every Monday, Wednesday, and Thursday and one of them is super late and the other one is super early. School started on a Thursday, which is kind of weird, but I like it so that I have the weekend to get used to things. It feels really weird having to wake up early and go back to school again. Collin would laugh when he sees me having to go to school, but he starts this coming week so he cannot laugh much longer!

 Things are back to how they were and I liked it better the other way. We only had those two major changes this week, and besides that there is not much more to say. Sorry that this is a shorter post than usual, but thanks for reading and tune in next week on TBB!

Movies, the water park, GP bookstore, and grandma's birthday.

This week was the last week for me before going back to school, and it was a fun one. Like most weeks, a lot of the fun was on the weekend, but on Wednesday my brother and I got to go see a movie together and the next day our mom took us to the water park one last time before I went back to school. Unfortunately, those are kind of the only two things that you can do in Arizona besides sit in your house and going in the pool.

When the weekend arrived, my mom and I had to get up early on Saturday to go to the Glendale Prep "Bookstore." This is just when students go sign in to find out what their locker combination is and their class. One good thing was that it is usually packed with students in lines to get their schedules and other things, but I beat the rush due to my mom volunteering at the booster table at the entrance. She did not exactly choose to volunteer, but the person that usually runs it was out of town and she had called her to ask if she could help. So by the time everyone else was in lines, I could roam freely finding my friends and discovering which class they are in, which leads to the other good news.

 Unlike my three friends, this was the second year in a row that I was lucky enough to get in a class with one while the other two were in separate classes. After being there for a few hours, I left to run some errands with my dad and that was most of the excitement for that day.

 The next day was much more special though because it was my grandma's birthday. She does so much for everybody in her life that it only seems fit for her to have an amazing time on her own birthday! We went out with the grandparents, my Uncle Lou, and my Uncle Joe with his family. to an Italian restaurant that had amazing food, and then went to her house to open some presents and have a little cake. I am pleased to say that she loved her new purse that we got her, as well as the cake. We went home a while later and that really capped off the weekend.

 The best part is that her real birthday is actually the day after on Monday, so we look forward to celebrating a little bit more tomorrow! Thanks for reading and tune in next week on TBB!

Grandma with the grandkids

Blowing out the candles

Racquetball, dog watching, and Collin soccer.

This was the least eventful week of the Summer, but it did get better and more exciting towards the end. The first couple of days, there was not anything going on. While Collin was going to school, I was with grandparents or helping at my mom's work. One day I even got to go out to lunch with my grandma and after was able to go play racquetball with my grandpa at the same gym that was featured in an early post titled "Angry Grandpa." We did not get to stay long, but it is always fun to go out and do something with him. I would have spent some days with friends, but two of them are on vacation and I was only able to go over one day to see my other friend. I feel bad for Collin though because while I get to have fun, he has been working very hard at his school. He gets picked up at seven thirty by his helper named Isabelle and driven down to school, and then Isabelle picks him up again after school to take him home. His day doesn't stop there though. Then he does more activities and exercises after he gets home, so that by the time that dad gets home at around five, he just lays on the couch and wants to go to sleep! However, since Collin goes to a year around school, Friday was his last day before his two week Summer vacation, which is some good news. The weekend was great though because we got to watch my grandparent's dogs. One of them is a boxer named Jonah and the other one is a very big (some would say fat) golden retriever named Cody. They are both hilarious and they spent the night with us too! The weekend ended with going to Collin's soccer at the sports complex near us, and after that there wasn't much. That was this whole week, so thanks for reading and tune in next week on TBB!

Cody by the pool

Jonah (left), Beau (middle), Cody (right)

The Imperial Beach experience ft. the grandparents!

This was the final trip of the Summer, and it was the only trip that actually had the whole family and the grandparents. Imperial Beach is the most southern town in California and within driving distance to Coronado. Two years ago, we had driven down to Imperial to see if we could rent a condo for a week and there was indeed a condo available, so we went there last year. We all enjoyed it so we were able to rent it out again for this year, so this was only our second time. We came in Saturday and spent most of the evening unpacking, but when we finished we were allowed to go out to eat for dinner, and that was our day driving in. We had almost the same routine every day, and it starts by taking Beau for a walk. Then we come back up to the condo, drop him off, and bring all of our stuff down to the beach. We stayed at the beach until around five o'clock, and then head back up. Once we dropped off the chairs, we would go back down to the pool. Sometimes we were able to take breaks from the beach and go out to eat somewhere for lunch. Otherwise, we would head back up to the condo and just eat something there. Most of the family would sit on the beach, but later in the day Collin would start to head out into the water with dad and mom for a little bit. The waves at Imperial are a lot rougher then the waves in Coronado, so I would sit on the beach until after lunch and then stay in the water the whole rest of the day, either boogie boarding or body surfing. Before we went on the trip, we had bought Collin a tube for him to sit in while he was in the water, but he seemed to like it less and less as the days went on. He had fun the first day, but then he started getting knocked around a lot which was not so pleasant! The exception to all of these days on the beach was that we drove up to the Coronado Rec Center on Wednesday so that we could go paddle boarding. My mom really enjoyed it in Park City so she was looking for places to do it in California. We paddled for about two hours and went all the way out to under the huge Coronado bridge! Our arms were really sore after that because it was also windy that day which made it really hard to paddle. We spent the rest of the days down on the beach and before we new it, it was Saturday morning. We brought everything down to the car, and set out for Arizona before nine o'clock. We should have been able to stay a little bit later, but that day there happened to be this parade going down a street that we needed to pass through, so we had to leave extra early. We got back to our house and unpacked our things, and it looked like the end of the adventure. That was until we went inside the house. It was hotter inside than outside and it did not take long to realize that our air conditioner was broken! We did most of the unpacking and then went into the pool for the rest of the day. We ate dinner outside and then we headed back over to our grandparents house to sleep over there for the night. Dad left early the next morning to go back to the house and find somebody to fix the air conditioning. We did not mean to make dad feel bad of course, but while he did all the hard work we got bored at the grandparent's house and went to go see a movie. Lucky for us, dad did find somebody that fixed the air conditioning and the house was cooling down by the hour. We got to go out to dinner with the grandparents one last time and then we went back to our not-so-hot house, and that was the real ending to the trip. Thanks for reading and tune in next week on TBB!

Coronado paddleboarding

Sand castles at the pier

Friends, the water park, more training, baseball, and 3rd of July fireworks.

This whole week was normal, but once again, the weekend was very busy. Collin was succeeding at Chrysalis, and I was with my friends. However, my mom and I were able to go to the water park near our house with one of my friends later in the week, which was a lot of fun. We did not have much to do Saturday, but Sunday held many events. It started early in the morning, with another soccer training session at seven thirty. Despite starting at eight last time, it was still way too hot so we had to go even earlier. I mostly stayed in the pool after that, but then around noon we had left to go see another Diamondbacks game. Unfortunately, this was against the San Francisco Giants, which I had been told were a very good team. They did play very well, but we had to leave the game early because it went into extra innings. I am glad we did not stay though, because it turns out they lost in the eleventh inning. We finished the day by going to see fireworks at the same water park we had gone to a couple days before. I have no idea why they were not having them on the fourth of July, because nobody would be going to school the day after. Even Collin had the next day off. However, it was a very good show, and a good way to end the day. On the fourth of July, we had a barbecue for lunch with the grandparents and my friend. The food was great and everybody enjoyed it. Most people wanted to go in the pool to cool off, but to their displeasure the pool was actually pretty hot. Everyone left around three, and we ended the day with watching a movie. So thanks for reading and tune in next week on TBB!

Dad's bday, Collin starting Chrysalis Academy, and Copa America 3rd place game

This week was like any other Summer week in Arizona. Going in the pool, sitting inside, etc. But there were a few big things that happened early on this week, and it started with dad's birthday. Unfortunately for dad, his birthday is the day after Father's Day. Last year it was actually on Father's Day! For his birthday, he chose to have a lasangna for dinner and not do anything special. It was delicious anyways, but that still was not the best part of the week. In an older post titled "Collin leaving ACT" Collin talked about how he looked forward to going to his new school called Chrysalis and this was the first week that he attended there. He had a great first week there, and said that he most enjoyed the "good fun and new friends." He looks forward to accomplishing "being independent and free." To end the week, my dad and I were able to go watch the third place game of the Copa America. He got tickets as a Father's Day present, and so at two o'clock we left to go have a very early dinner outside the stadium so that we could go watch warm ups. It was so awesome to watch team USA in person, but at the same time, it was so frustrating to see the mistakes that they made in person! The final score was 1-0, and Columbia came away with the win. The fact that we got to go see it anyways was amazing, and dad enjoyed it which was even better! So thanks for reading and tune in next week on TBB!

The Park City Experience ft. the Lanskys.

When we went to our friends the Lansky's house in Park City, Utah this week, it was mainly for my brother Collin to go to a camp at the National Ability Center with his friend named Aaron for a week. This week held WAY more than just a camp that was for them. We had to fly out on Saturday and that was by far the worst part of the whole week. We got to the airport at about 11:15 and did not leave until around 6:15. After we got on the plane, we sat there for a very long time until the pilot told us that someone forgot to fill the gas for the plane. About forty five minutes later, he told us that the plane was not taking the gas and seemed to be missing a part of the plane. Then he explained that they were trying to buy that specific part from American Airlines! Then about thirty minutes later, he said that everyone was going to have to get off the plane and they were going to bring another one in. After a big line to get

on the next plane, we realized that we were getting onto the same exact plane! The pilot came back on the speaker and said that they had to check a couple more things before we left, and then we were clear for "immediate departure." We pulled out onto the runway, sat for forty five minutes, and he said we could not fly the plane. It was the evening by now and when we eventually got on the other plane, more than half the people from a sold-out flight were gone. This one got us to Salt Lake at night and Seth Lansky came to pick us up with his son Aaron. Park City held a lot of things that I had never done before, and already the next day we had gone to the small lake that is by their house. That is another thing. Their house is like a mansion with three floors and the backyard over looking the rolling green hills of Park City. They call it the Lansky Hotel. It even has a movie room! Where was I? Oh right. The day after we got there, the mom named Jen signed us up for a paddleboarding lesson that was

On the XL paddleboard!

very fun. Monday was the first day of camp for Collin with his helper Isabelle and meanwhile my mom, Jen, and I got to try going on a trail ride on horses. Unfortunately, it was raining and there was lightning, which resulted in us turning around and having brunch at a breakfast place and grocery shopping. We stayed at the house after until we went and picked up Aaron and Collin. The next day, Collin went to camp with Aaron and we went to the Utah Olympic Center which held events such as the Alpine slides and extreme tubing. (Dropping down a ginormous astro turf hill while

Horseback rididng

only on a tube.) This continued on for the rest of the week, and Collin was having a blast at camp. He said it was the best week that he had had this Summer so far. While he was at camp, I was able to go to the Park City Mountain Resort, a place in Promontory called the shed (like a Dave and Busters times one hundred and way more mature), try horseback riding (again), and a paddleboarding fit class (where mom fell into the water). On the last day of camp for Collin, which was Friday, we took him to the Mountain Resort to go on the coaster one time before we went back to the house. We got up early Saturday morning to leave for the airport, and this time we were able to fly out on the first try! Our dad picked us up from the airport and that was the end of Park City. To end the week, Sunday was Fathers Day and we celebrated with some burgers on the grill. We had such a fun time at Park City and if we are lucky, we were told that we may even be able to go back out there, hopefully with dad! Thanks for reading and tune in next week on TBB! 

Collin and Aaron

The Lansky's backyard

The Lansky Hotel

Collin's last week of school & Prep for Utah.

This week did not have much going on besides prepping for the Utah vacation in Park City and Collin's last week of school.

His last week was pretty normal, with the exception that in the middle of the week he acted in a play that was "As You Like It" by William Shakespeare. It was very entertaining to watch and he had one of the main parts as "Orlando." The only disappointing part was that some of the kids did not do their parts right which kind of annoyed him.

He did good though, and even gave detailed answers to the questions made by the audience at the end. However, he was beat by the last day. As soon as we got home, he went to the couch and relaxed for a while. But he will not have a chance to rest much given what we are doing tomorrow.

To start off his Summer vacation, we are going to be flying to Utah to visit his friend Aaron and his family, the Lanskys, in Park City. Packing for the flight was difficult considering that my mom wanted to try to fit all (mom, Collin, and I since dad cannot come) our clothes into one big suitcase!

After already having to remove some clothes in order to make it fit in the suitcase, we also had to get it to be under 50 pounds, which it was not. It was about a whole 13 pounds above the mark. We then proceeded to empty the suitcase to try to figure out what we could do, and we ended up stuffing my clothes in my carry-on bag and getting out a separate Element backpack that could go in the over head bin.

Collin in tights for his play!

A very full suitcase.

 It was a stressful night, and we cannot wait to see what it will be like in Park City! Thanks for reading and tune in next week on TBB!

Collin Leaving ACT, Cooking Lessons, Sickness, and Personal Training.

After getting home from Coronado, everything feels boring. It has happened time and time again, and we have gotten used to the fact that we (or at least the rest of the family besides me) has to go back to work.

 I was getting used to being at my mom's office, and on the second day that I was there, I immediately felt very cold and got a very high fever as well as a sore throat. I was sick the whole rest of the day and by the evening I was up to 103.5. I stayed home the next day and had a lower fever but by the end of the day I did not have one, yet the next morning my temperature was high again. It went back and forth a while and finally got better, but my throat was still hurting and has been extremely annoying since.

Though all of this has been happening to me, Collin has bigger things to think about. He has been attending ACT School (Assuming Competence Today) for about eight years now, but this upcoming week will be the last that he spends there. When asked about switching schools, he says that he is, "Excited for change. Go to hope." He says that he looks most forward to, "Making new friends." Collin will be going to Chrysalis Academy in south Scottsdale which is a year-round school, just like ACT. On top of making new friends, he also looks forward to riding the buses back on the way home from school!

 Towards the end of the week, my mom decided to teach me how to cook so we went out and bought all of the ingredients at the store to make a "flat iron steak." A lot of the rest of the day was devoted to making it, and the marinade and potatoes and everything else, and it tasted great by the time we had it for dinner. After, we each also had a pizooki and were stuffed by the time we finished.

 The next morning was Sunday, and by 8:30 I was at the park in our neighborhood with my dad to have a personal soccer training session with my coach. It was early in the morning, but it got HOT! It got up to around 100 degrees and I had to immediately jump in the pool after we got home. The session itself was not too hard, but the weather made it tough.

 We got to finish off the weekend though by going to Collin's soccer while my mom went to a massage, and when we got back we were allowed to go see a movie to end the day. It was time for dinner after that and then some more relaxing and preparing for the week. Thanks for reading and tune in next week on TBB!

One more week Collin!

Steak dinner.