Where's our bumper sticker?

Dearest Jackson and Colt,

We might not drive a mini-van any more and our cars aren't adorned with stickers -- but we are 100% "<insert sport here>  Parents"! 

There is only 1 (two, if we're lucky) night each week that we aren't with y'all on either a baseball diamond or a soccer field.

Colt, you've been asking to join a team sport for almost a year now!  We told you that kids in diapers aren't allowed on teams and I think that ended up being a small part of your eventual potty training success.  When registration time came, we tried to sway you towards gymnastics, dance class, or soccer....but you were adamant about wanting to play baseball.  You were placed on the Bulldogs and you became a team player right away (a very different approach than the one your brother took)!

 Your first ever game had unseasonably cold weather!

 But your enthusiasm kept you warm for your first time at bat.

 Way to make it to 1st!

 The post-game snack was one of your favorite parts : )

Here are a few more scenes from your most recent game...

Could you be any happier to be running towards home plate???

 3 and 4 year olds have amazing sportsmanship!

Jackson, you are becoming a veteran at this point.  You are playing your fourth season of soccer and your sixth season of baseball.  Your soccer team is new (yet again) this year but it's my favorite so far!  Your coach played Division I soccer and he has a knack for coaching.  (You played indoor soccer with him this summer so I might've mentioned this already.?.?.)  He also recruited you to play in an Academy league for him so that has taken things to another level.

First rec. game

 First academy game

 The academy fields are huge!!  I can barely see your sweet footwork!

These Tigers are in their 3rd season together.

Which means you and Tyson are in your 3rd season together.

 In 7U, the coaches have to pitch from a standing position AND from further away.  You still make great contact with the ball, though!

 Only a few games in and we're already getting special requests for next season.  Colt, you want to play soccer.  And, Jax, you say you're ready for football.  

We're not going to be able to see out of the back window with all these stickers!!

 

Quick excursions

Dearest Colt and Jax,

Our schedule lately is enough to make me homesick.  I'm back to working 50 hours per week at school and after school we're usually at a practice or game of some sort.  Knowing that our fall weekends would be packed full, we used our two "free" weekends to venture out to visit friends.

For Labor Day weekend we drove to Houston to see the Lakes.  They've only been in their new house a few weeks and you both enjoyed the vast play area upstairs.  You also enjoyed Suzanne's idea of going to an indoor gym that was filled with bounce houses!

 Not only am I excited about exploring Houston on our trips to see them -- but I'm also excited to stop here on our drive home every time!

 A family friend (Grandpa's best friend's wife) was in town for a business trip so we headed into Dallas for a lunch date with her.  You two were excited to find one of the #DallasBIG signs along the way...

In your defense, you can't read yet,

 I'm glad we fit in some time for friends when we did because we're in full-blown GO! mode now. 

 

The one where we all go back to school

Dearest Boys,

As it is with all good things, summer break came to an end.  The weekend before we all went off to school, we celebrated at Grandpa & Grandma's club house (just like last year).

Y'all let me take your picture with the princesses; therefore, I let you go through the bounce house 283 times, chow down on popcorn & sno-cones, and get balloon animals swords.

The next morning we were all struggling with the hustle and bustle that comes from getting a bunch of tired humans ready.  Luckily, we had a week to get used to our new routines - thanks to my training schedule.

But Monday, August 25th, was the real deal!  I had to rush off to my own campus and Daddy had drop-off duty.  (That means you're just going to have to imagine the sweet chalkboard signs that y'all would be holding if it weren't for my job responsibilities.)

 Colt, you started at your new preschool.  You seem to like your new friends, your teacher, and the school lunches.  You seem unsure about the work load and the required nap time.

Your first ever homework assignment

  Your classroom has a video feed and I try to look at it only once a day ; )

You're the cute blond in the blue shirt in the lower left.

Jax, you're a first grader now and you still think school is great.  ESD remains your favorite as that seems to be where your friends are and you're allowed to play sports from 3:00 (end of school) until 5:00 (when you get picked up).

 

We're all aboard The Energy Bus so I know it'll be a great year!