Yesterday marked the first official day of the Fall season. Some of you are welcoming it with open arms. Me? I'm pretty much in mourning. I love warm weather (80 degrees + is just fine year-round by me), love the blooming flowers and green grass, love being outside without freezing my hinder off or slipping down my stairs...I could go on...but I won't because I am trying to focus on the things I actually do look forward to with the coming of Fall.
SOCCER! Lil P (or LP as he is called by Coach) is playing U-13 this year. He started as a Kindergartner and just simply fell in love with the sport. Here he is going for a kick at his very first game ever...
When he's not on the field, he's in the family room playing FIFA World Cup on the Wii. I love watching him. He's usually the shortest kid on the team, but that's not an issue in this sport. And trust me, the power in this kid's foot will blow. you. away. Competitive? To a fault, but what can I say? He's his Momma's kid! I've watched him start out timid and grow his confidence and skills to a point where his coach pitted the entire team against just him last night in practice...he was the sole defender and no one got by him...he was
everywhere! He's got raw skill but he's found his way under the guidance of an amazing coach that we've been blessed to have 3 years running. We've met some incredibly great people through soccer and Coach D is one of them!
Soccer has become a part of who he is. It's also a terrific family sport. All 3 boys are playing now, because the little guys are determined to be just like Big Brother. Our family loves to be at the field together, cheering each other on and soccer families are fun to hang out with!! Noodle and Monkey are on the same team again this year - God Bless their coach's heart. He's an attorney so they might just have met their match this year! The first practice was last night. It was a marked improvement over last year in that they went out on the field with the team and participated instead of wrestling each other on the sidelines. Monkey stripped right out of his cleats, shinguards and socks and rejoined the team barefoot about 10 minutes before practice was over. Should be an interesting season!
PUMPKINS! Something else I don't dread about Fall is seeing all the pumpkins! I love 'em! And I really hope we can get the insanely talented Pumpkin Carving Master Guy to come and present again for the Cub Scouts this year because I have never seen so many awesome pumpkins!!
And perhaps the thing I like best about Fall is...
CONSIGNMENT SALES!!!
Please, please tell me you have experienced at least one in your lifetime! If you haven't, ya'll...you really must! Shopping is fun, but shopping at a children's consignment sale is like a sport! There are some really great ones in our area and the fun is about to begin. I've got piles all. over. my. house. of stuff to be tagged for sale...it's a tedious process, sure, but I enjoy locking myself in a room with a huge bin of old clothes from the kids and remembering when they were little enough to wear that teeny tiny onesie. For those who don't have a clue what I'm talking about, google "children's consignment sales." Typically a church or organization will allow the public to sell new and gently used children's clothing and equipment - they keep a % of the profit and the seller gets a %. It's a great way to give to a good cause and get rid of items your children have grown out of. You can get everything from strollers to cribs to clothes to toys/games to outdoor play equipment.
Like I said, it is like a sport. People show up to get in time WAY early and some come armed with assistants so they can cover multiple sections and not miss getting first dibs. After awhile, you learn the strategies.
My #1 Tip: Always volunteer to work the sale(s) you want to shop at. You typically get a higher % of your profit when you volunteer, and, most importantly, volunteers are allowed to shop the pre-sale. That's when the very best stuff gets gone, so you gotta be there.
My #1 Must-Have for consignment sale shoppers:
a Thirty-One Large Utility Tote!
It's perfect for the sales - roomy and comfortable to carry and stylish. Now that I've emptied all of our beach stuff out, mine is ready to hit the sales!
So, here's to Fall! Let's hope I can be this optimistic on the first day of Winter!!
