Love at First Bite

This year both kids wanted to be Vampires, Holyn went as a Monster High doll called Dracu-Laura and Max was the traditional Dracula.  It was a little nippy outside, but a beautiful sunny day for gathering candy.  We first begged in our neighborhood and also fit in two other close by developments before the bags were just too heavy for them to carry.  Max of course ran to each and every house, Holyn liked to take her time (and make adjustments to her wig and costume between front door appearances).  We even encountered a house serving jello shots to the parents of goblins.  Lant and I couldn't remember the last time we had had jello shots, Max was just mad he didn't get any jello.

Movin' on Up (North)

So happy to finally not be homeless!  We had a great time in Chicago while "homeless", letting Uncle Tom spoil us with his fabulous cooking. After all the trials and tribulations of home buying and closing we are finally settling in.  Loving our home on the "ledge" (as the locals call it) and our view of the lake each day as I drive the kids to school.  Can't wait for everyone to come visit.

GOOOOOOAAAALLLLL

On our last weekend of soccer, Holyn accomplished her long awaited goal of a GOAL!  We had a long talk before the game about scoring a goal and that it was ok if it didn't happen and that it takes a team to make a goal, not just one person.  (But secretly I was really hoping she would get one before we moved). And about halfway through the 1st quarter she connected.  All the parents cheered for her and the best part was how she ran to me, jumped into my arms and hugged me. (Here's what I captured of her goal in progress:)

Max's team played next, but as hard as he tried (and as much as they set him up) his didn't make a goal.  He didn't seem to mind in the least.  He had fun running around.  The opposing team didn't have enough players, so halfway through the game their coach asked Holyn to fill in.  It was kind of funny to she Holyn and Max on the field playing against each other. I loved it at the end of the game when Coach Barry told the team "I don't know if you guys know but today was Max's last game, he's moving.  Everybody tell Max good game and shake his hand".  So cute I almost cried.

10 on 10.10.10

Soccer Sunday around here again and Holyn and Max's teams pulled out wins today.  Max played first and ran and kicked like crazy.  With 80 degree heat in October, Max did get a little tired toward the end of the game but did a fantastic job defending the net as goalie. (He's kicking the ball in the above shot).  The Firefighters won 5-4 after a close game.

Holyn's team played a little later in the afternoon (thank goodness) and held the purple team to 1 point as they scored 10.  The girls were super excited to have scored 10 points on 10.10.10!  Holyn played goalie, defender and forward and kept that ball from going into the net many times.  She's still working on getting a goal of her own.

Movin' to Badger Country!

The Doran's are moving to Wisconsin. Seems almost funny that I started out in Badger and am going to Badger Country.  We are super excited for Lant, he was promoted to Service Center Manager of Fond du Lac (which means "foot of the lake".) Fond du Lac sits at the base of Lake Winnebago (see picture of us above) and is not far from Madison, Milwaukee or Green Bay.   I'm also excited to tell you that we have bought a house there and will not be moving again for the foreseeable future!  Max's main house hunting request was to have a basement and we've fulfilled his needs (well that and he seems to think he should now have the master suite, but isn't happening). Holyn already wants to head to Lowe's to pick out paint chips for her room.  I love her enthusiasm, and  I feel the same way.  We will close on the house on October 25th, just in time for Halloween (I gotta find the winter coats). I better start practicing up on my "you betcha's" and other Wisconsin speak.  Our realtor thought my accent sound like New Jersey!

Game Day

Holyn and Max had their first soccer games today and both at the same time.  Luckily, they played on fields right next to each other.  Holyn was thrilled to find out her team wore teal uniforms (her favorite color).  Max's team wore red and are sponsored by the Vincennes Firefighters.  Both kids ran until they dropped, Max even came home with a couple bruises.  Holyn tried to kill it every time she kicked the ball and ended up losing a shoe a couple times.  She didn't care and just kept playing. (No worries, I got her new soccer cleats). Holyn informed me after the game that I am now officially a soccer mom.

Soccer Sarcasm

Sarcasm is a favorite for our family and seems to happen regularly. With that said, Max started outdoor soccer practice on Friday, and seems to think he's an old pro at the game (he played at the YMCA this past spring).  He ran and kicked with his teammates on the field for a while, then took his spot as goalie.  Lant tried to offer some constructive criticism to which Max had quite the comeback.  He yells (because my children only have one volume setting) "Dad, don't talk to me unless you're going to encourage me".  Everyone on the sidelines cracked up, including us.  It's now become the new catch phrase at our house.

Kicks like a Girl!

Holyn started soccer practice tonight and is on an all girl team.  She let us know on the car ride home, she actually prefers to be the only girl on a boys team, but that wouldn't be the case this time around.  She did a great job keeping her eye on the ball and kicking really hard.  I love the faces she makes right before the boot.  Look at that intensity!  Her first game is Sunday, at the same time as Max's team plays their first game (of course, right? And somehow I volunteered to help her coach out too.  I might need to start taping my mouth shut or something.)  Max has yet to have practice due to the holiday weekend.  He will be on an all boys team, and I think he's just fine with that. 

Kindergarten Cop

As I waited to pick the kids up from school today, I witnessed this gem.  Max's class exited their building and waited with their teacher (which happened to be a sub.) for their parents.  Before Max even looked for me, he had to halt a burglary in progress.  He grabbed his teacher's arm for attention and shouted, "Miss Pam, Miss Pam, Damien has some toys from the classroom in his backpack".  I decided to stand back and watch this unfold.  The teacher called Damien back to the steps and asked him if he had anything in his backpack that wasn't his.  The child shook his head no.  Miss Pam asked him again and then held her hand out for his backpack.  He kind of shook his head sheepishly and looked down, but inside the backpack were the classroom toys.  Damien got scolded by Miss Pam (right in front of his parents no less, who didn't seem to have a pulse either) and all was well in the world again. Max then gave his teacher a hug and told her to have a good weekend (yes, my buttons were bursting with pride). We later asked Max why he decided to tell on his friend, and Max replied "I asked him if he was going to bring the toys back so all the other kids could play with them, and Damien said he loved them and he was going to keep them.  I told him I was going to have to tell the teacher".  Lant gave him the nickname "Kindergarten Cop".  By the way, nice work officer!

School Days, School Days

Holyn and Max are back in school already!  I can't believe that my baby is now a Kindergartner.  And our big girl is now in 3rd grade. Where did all the time go to? 

They posed for their annual school pictures in front of the garage. We also made a quick trip out to Dad's work to get a few words of encouragement (like behave Max) and then we set off to school. Holyn's class met in the gym to start the day, so Max and I joined his class in their room.  I filled out a couple forms before I let him know I was leaving.  He told me he'd like it if I stayed at school for the next 6 hours, but I declined his offer.  He didn't mind much.  But I did shed a couple tears in the car. After school they both came home with perfect reports and smiles.  Should be a good year.

Summer Vacation

Our summer started off with hot days, a trip to the hospital (Holyn had the stomach flu and needed labs, an X-ray and an IV) and a visit from Boppa and Papa Jim in Indiana. Unfortunately, due to her illness, Holyn even missed her dance recital. Poor kid. Lant and I found our way out to Las Vegas for some much needed relaxation while the kids ate junk food, went fishing and stayed up late (and spent quality time together) with Boppa and Papa Jim!

Baseball was fun this summer, but a real scorcher if you had to stand and watch. Holyn's team finished first for the season, but lost out in the tournament early. As you may already know, Max's team won every game (I did mention they didn't keep score right?) and thus were season champs too.

Other milestones we celebrated were Lant's birthday, Holyn's new glasses, Max's 6th birthday, the kid's new love for fishing, a month long trip to Iowa, the Doran reunion, the George reunion, swimming with our cousins, Happy Hour at the Hoyers and Holyn getting her tonsils and adenoid removed in Iowa. That pretty much sums up June and July for us. Oh yeah, and lots of Taco Tico and a few thousand water gun fights with Max.

We also got a visit from Joe and Grandma Ellen after our trip to Iowa. Along with Tom and Jess, we all braved Holiday World in Santa Clause, IN for I swear the hottest day on the planet. All the kids (I'm including Tom, Jess and Lant) had roller coaster fever and we practically had to drag them from the park. They also had the pleasure of witnessing Watermelon Fest here in Vincennes.

Good bye summer, let's do this again some time, like next year.

I'm Outta Here

Holyn finished her 2nd grade year with a bang. On the last day of school the principal held an awards assembly honoring grades K-5 (and Max and I came to see Holyn accept her 3 awards). Holyn received the Presidential Academic Award (signed or stamped by Barack Obama, Holyn said), the ABBIT Award (which stands for "A's and B's Because I Try") and the Presidential Pin (for getting all A's for the entire year of school). Way to go Miss Holyn!! We couldn't be more proud of your hard work. Not bad for a kid that skipped 1st grade this year!

Graduation - Part Deux

Max graduated from Pre-Kindergarten this evening at Little Scholars. He walked across the stage so proudly and picked up this diploma like a pro (well he did graduate from Pre-School last year in Fort Wayne too). He really has mixed feelings about leaving school this year. He is pretty sad that he will not be with his friends this summer. And most of his classmates will be attending different schools this fall, including Trinity and Dylan (pictured above). At least we can have playdates with them. We are so proud of you Max, now onto Kindergarten!!

Game #8 There's No Crying in Baseball

There may not be crying in baseball, but there was a lot of whining today in our dugout. At 90 degrees, not many of the boys felt like sweatin' out a game (including Holyn, but she looked the part). Yet they managed to dominate with a 14-1 win. This puts our team in a tie for first place in the league. Holyn went hitless today, we think our major leaguer is in a batting slump. She did however, sample a couple beverages in our cooler while sitting in a cool spot. I think she was most interested in attending a birthday party with Max following the game (they advertised a water slide on the invite).

Hot, Hot, Hot - Game #3

Max's third game, (well I use the word "game" loosely) was a scorcher. We showed up a half hour early to practice with him and by the time it was game time, he was red. And I don't just mean his jersey. He got hits each time up to bat, and ran for the ball each time it was hit his way. He even had to fight for the ball a couple times. All part of baseball, right? He did leave the game early, we think he got a little overheated. He came back to the dugout and melted into my lap. We poured water on his head, got him a cold drink and a comfy seat in the air conditioning and he came back to life (just in time for a friend's birthday party). One exciting development, Max's ability to spit is coming along nicely. He loves to do it, and has no trouble finding time to master his talent (during the game).

Rain, Rain Go Away - Game #7

Another game, another rain storm, but no thunder this time. It down poured for about 45 minutes before Max and I even left the car. Holyn donned her rain jacket again (at least for the first few innings) and played anyways. She had a little trouble getting a great pitch off the machine. When her ball came, she hit a nice pop fly to third base. Too bad for Holyn, the third baseman caught it. Boy, was she bummed. Good thing they pulled out another win 8-2. Hopefully summer will start soon, 'cause its almost June.

Thunderstruck - Game #6

The Knights are back. Today's makeup game proved to be a mood changer, they walked all over their opponents with a 13-0 win. Never mind it rained the entire game, and we had 2 rain delays before they called the game in the top of the 5th inning. My favorite part was when I looked out into left field to see Holyn's assistant coach trying to keep her from getting rained on by standing over her and giving her a hug. Man, where was my camera!! (And yes, I ran her rain jacket out to her in the field).
Holyn didn't get a hit today, but it wasn't because she didn't try, the harder it rained the more erratic the pitching machine acted. Her coach finally said, "Holyn, its my fault, I can't get it to work right". And they called a delay as she left the plate. We'll get one next time. (P.S. Don't ya just love the fact she tucked her hood into her batting helmet. She was not going to get soaked. Max was a different story! What can I say, blue Laffy Taffy is only $0.25).

Heartache in Mudville - Game #5

Well, it was bound to happen. Even more shocking then the Cubs not winning the pennant, the Knights of Columbus have suffered their first loss. The weather was rainy and the Knights started the game off strong with 4 runs. Their opponents were able to match their runs by the top of the 4th and out scored them to end the game 6-9. Holyn got a hit and even got to run the bases. But yet again, the final out was made at first as she crossed the plate. Look at those long faces in the dugout. "Oh, but there is no joy in Mudville, the mighty Knights have struck out".
Luckily Holyn's buddy, Paris, called during the game asking for a playdate. Holyn told me she was glad to have friends like her to take her mind off the game. Onto Max's game for Mom and Dad!

Go Max, Go

Game #2 for the Red Sox this afternoon, and it proved to be just as wet and cold out as Holyn's game. Max's team took the field first. After chasing the ball in the infield, Max would launch it towards first base (sometimes over the heads of his teammates, like in the picture above). Max got hits both times up to bat and was last in the rotation to take the plate. He got a little sick of waiting for Zoe to run, good thing he didn't listen to his Dad yelling on the video. So glad I got this on tape. In the pouring rain, Max's team scored their second win (this according to Max, because they officially don't keep score).

Game #4 - Whole Lotta Shaken Goin' On

Game 4 proved to be a nail bitter. We started out with quite a few runs, only to be matched by the other team in the first inning. Holyn got her hit on her second time up to bat, and made it to first. Too bad she didn't get to advance before the team got 3 outs. Holyn did however, keep busy with her acrobatics and dancing in the outfield. At one point she looked over at me (taking pictures of course) and laughed. Holyn had lots of buddies on the other team, including two classmates. I laughed when the second baseman yelled at Holyn in the dougout to say hi during the game. Nevertheless, the Knights of Columbus are still undefeated with the latest win of 15-8.

Bad News Bears, I Mean Red Soxs Win!

Our day at the ball field started early with pictures for both kids (in the freezing cold I might add, our hands were numb by the end of the team photos), followed by the much anticipated start to the T-ball season. The Red Sox (Max's Team) consists of 3-6 year olds and many different skill levels. I was surprised to see they gathered the entire team together in the infield and let them all run for the ball each time it was hit. Basically each team goes through the whole line up taking their turn batting and then we switch. Max can out run most kids, so he got to the ball first. Max is being tackled for the ball in this picture. After a few throws to first base, he was told by his coach to "let the rest of the kids have a chance" and just had to hang back and watch.

When it came time for our "team" to bat, Max did a great job getting down to business and getting a hit. They do not keep score for the game in T-ball, but Max did. According to him, his team won, and he scored two home runs. Go Max!

Game #3 - Right before the Rain

The Knights pulled out another win tonight with a 2-0 victory. Holyn didn't get a base hit (she did hit a couple foul balls that didn't count), but she did get a free pop after the game. That always keeps your spirits up. The kids are doing a fantastic job working together. Even our left fielder (payed attention long enough) to return a couple balls to the infield. She also practiced a little gymnastics (the recital is in June), what a multi-tasker! Looks like Holyn is waving to her adoring fans here, but that's just her wind up for the cartwheel. Thankfully the game ended right before the down pour of rain. Should be soggy out here for tomorrow's game and Max's debut!