Flight of the Cavs

 Tyler has the orange shoes; No. 31

Yesterday and today, Tyler and his buddies took "Flight" as a new team, led by a new coach.

This summer, his basketball team essentially broke apart into the individual high schools, meaning his team is "coached" by the high school basketball coach.

Yes, at age 10.

Once a week, the HS coach leads practice. Another day of the week our other coach, the one that leads us in tournaments, has practice. Essentially a head coach and an assistant; 2 practices.

Today, the team, now called "Flight," had its first tournament. They won the first game and then were put up against a bunch of street thugs for game 2. Let's just say one of our kids had to go to the hospital for X-rays.

Maybe the next tournament will be a little more "regulation."

 

Making Baskets, Taking Names

Ashlee is taking to basketball like a champ!

She's doing amazingly well on defense (it's her best skill) and is making a lot of baskets (mostly because she's about a head taller than a lot of the girls).

Next year, we'll work on dribbling and appropriate passing. We've just skimmed the surface of those this year.

The good news: there will be a next year because she's loving basketball (and the Fireballs) so much!

At this weekend's game, she was excited to see Cali in the stands. She loves having spectators to perform for in the audience.

First (Ever) Basketball Practice

Let's go Fireballs!

Running the "Hamster" Race

Do you ever feel like you're a hamster stuck on a wheel?

I don't think Moose ever gets stuck on his wheel - he loves that thing way too much - but I feel like we're always stuck in the same routine. And especially now that school started again, one week ago tomorrow.

Get up.
Get myself ready.
Get Ashlee ready.
Pack Ashlee's lunch and snack.
Head off to work (Justin handles Tyler's lunch)
Work, work. Work too much.
Pick up kids from school.
Head to activity:

• Fall is baseball, basketball or football for Ty
• Dance, soccer and Girl Scouts for Ashlee

Watch a little TV (currently it's the Olympics #USA, Bachelor in Paradise and Big Brother) or meet a friend(s) if we're lucky
Fall into bed.
Rinse and Repeat.

Weekends are spent trying to pick up a messy house, recover from our big painting job (foyer, living room and upstairs hallway) and prepping for the next week which can bring even more chaos.

My friends say reading about our life on Facebook makes them tired.

Living my life makes me tired.
Thinking about catching up on here makes me tired.

But I love spending time with my kids (I wish I was with Tyler more but his sports practices pull him away a lot) and I don't want them to miss out on the things they love.

I just loved that month or so where we had no schedule, other than work and summer camp. 

I guess for now I'll treasure our sports-free weekends. 

After Labor Day, we'll have basketball games, flag football games (same team, new league), baseball tournaments (only 2 or so this fall, again with a new team in a new league), 6 dance classes a week (at one studio, debating on the second), soccer games and monthly Girl Scouts meetings.

We've dropped choir and small group, sadly.
There are not enough hours in the day.

It seems like we're always chasing the "next best thing," but we're just chasing what our kids love and trying to find a team that has our kid's friends on it!

So how do you find that balance between your life and your kid's life?

I think for now we've settled on the fact that our life is our kid's life. And if we're running on the hamster wheel and they're happy, we'll take it. Because as they say, these moments are fleeting.

I mean didn't my oldest just enter Kindergarten? How did I get a year away from middle school?!?!?!?

KS State Tournament

Another weekend full of basketball!

If it's not doubleheader league games then it's a tournament weekend with as many as four games on a single day.

This weekend it's the Kansas State Tournament at Johnson County Community College. And we're in it to win it, even if we have to play our "own" team, possibly twice.

While the boys play their hearts out on the court, the parents do a little sideline coaching.

And the siblings do this.....

With a 2:1 record, we went into the championship game today, playing our "own" team, who also had a 2:1 record; their only loss to us on Saturday.

It was a hard fought game - our boys are known to not play well at 8 a.m. - and we lost, taking second in the KS State Tournament.

Second isn't too shabby! We had 2 Cavs teams, claiming first and second.

We'll have another repeat next weekend at a league game. And then again at the Missouri State Tournament.

It may continue to be a ping pong match between the two Cavs teams, each team giving their all. But I can guarantee each match up will be a game to remember with these boys!

This is What it's About

We're chasing a state championship in basketball next weekend, yet we're also lining up behind home plate to crack the ball out of the indoor "faux" field.

It's basketball. And it's baseball season.

All in one.

With at least another month of basketball, Tyler is double heading it.

Twice a week basketball practices. League games or tournaments on the weekends.

Baseball practices on Sunday. For hours.

Working to be better ball players. Better teammates and friends.

Isn't this what sports is all about?!?

Little Baller

I was digging through some cards in Tyler's room and found this.

A baseball card, generously made by one of the parents on one of his earliest baseball teams: The Storm.

He was so little.

At the time, he was already on his 3rd baseball team; his 3rd coach pitch team, having never played T-ball.

This year, he's starting on his 6th team; his first competitive.

1. Lion Lizards
2. Ninjagos
3. The Storm
4. Tigers
5. Rams
6. BC

In flipping through the cards, I found that the son of the guy who runs the basketball league we joined this year, was on this team. As well as one of Tyler's friends from school.

Different paths that somehow met up nearly four years later.

Crazy how life works.

While we're getting thick into basketball - with a baseball tournament thrown in for fun - it's fun to see where he has come ... but even better to know that he's heading for success because he's doing something he loves and enjoys.

Surprise ... Time to Go Home

Camp ended fairly uneventfully this year.

Tyler didn't earn any medals - even though he did win knock out and his team was thisclose to winning it all in the team competition.

There's always next year when they're taller and older. And when they're not starting a new year on a taller hoop with a distracted coach.

Fred didn't return to camp after the first day; he was already busy with the Bulls.

But he did send the boys off with a pretty cool certificate, thanking them for the memories and reminding them that he will always be a Cyclone, regardless of where he's coaching!

This year, I purchased a basketball for Tyler to get signatures, rather than a picture {although that was available again, but not until the last day}.

We had wanted to get this last year but I couldn't find any; this year, there were lots of them.

Tyler got signatures all week and was able to get everyone on the 2-time Big 12 Championship team as well as some upcoming stars like Hallice Cooke.

It will be a fun addition to his room {Justin has already ordered a display case for it}.

Tyler, on the other hand, didn't think the ball was enough ... so when I wasn't looking, he took the Sharpie and let the players sign his shirt!

He was so proud of himself for getting their autographs! 

I wasn't happy at first, but then I let it go because I realized all of the other kids were getting their shirts signed; Tyler was just too little for the camp shirt so he used what he had, and that was his day-to-day ISU shirt.

Let's hope they stay in for the long-haul.

I'd say the highlights for Tyler on the last day were sitting next to Nader and having one-on-one time with him {and chatting his ear off, asking him if he lived in a hotel} and meeting the new coach, Steve Prohm.

Prohm introduced himself to the boys (and parents) and told them he was looking forward to learning about "Hilton Magic".

Nader series...

 Thanks for another great year! 

Go Cyclones!

Another Day Down

knock out

Today is when the homesickness starts to set in.

You see, typically, I'm with Ashlee, and Justin is with Tyler.

It's not intentional; it's just the way it works out based on interests and whatnot.

So by today, Tyler started acting out as he missed Justin (having bad dreams, crying about missing dad); I'm missing Ashlee and Justin; and we're both ready to go home.

But it's also a fun day at camp as it's a day of competitions and a day of inspiration.

Today, the boys heard from Nate, who lead the camp since Fred was gone. He told them about learning to persevere while facing obstacles; for him, it's only having one arm. They also listened to Stevie Johnson, a former Cyclone who played two sports and overcame hardships.

While Tyler is a bit young for these stories, they are stories that resonate and are great tools for learning.

It's also by today that we've done all of our Cyclone shopping!

Tyler scored new shorts, a new shirt and a new hat this year (he wore them yesterday as he was too excited to wait). He's so lucky!

He also picked out a "cool" new pair of shorts for Justin for Father's Day.

Both of them have a ton of Cyclones clothing, but I suppose you can never have enough!

And sister, tonight she went to Chuck E Cheese with dad. She is a silly one:

Knockout Champ

I spent today fighting with the Social Security Office as they had my dad's account totally messed up, so I missed most of the day {sad face}.

But I did get to catch Tyler in a free throw contest where he was taunted by Naz Long.

He secretly enjoyed the attention, even if he didn't win {one of the few times this was Ok}

He also played in a three-point competition and played knock out where he was the leader for the day. This is the same competition where he won a medal last year.

But his coach was more engaged last year. This year his coach is more engaged with this cell phone.

No Longer a Rookie

Tyler and I piled into the car and headed north yesterday.

Bound for the bright lights, er rather, white florescent lights, of Lied Rec Center at Iowa State.

It's time for basketball camp. Year #2.

No longer a rookie. But a veteran ... at 8!

Tyler and I stayed with my dad on Sunday night; the rest of the week we're staying with one of my best friend's, Glenna.

This is the first time Tyler has ever spent the night with Papa - at his place - and the first time I have stayed with him since he lost our house back in 2003, or maybe it was 2004?

We stayed on the "infamous" couch, which is way better to look at then to sleep on as it is NOT comfortable. I tossed and turned all night long. Tyler, on the other hand, was super comfy, but he's also a lot smaller than I am.

Plus, I'm spoiled with air conditioning, and I was sweating my a$& off! Not to mention the endless cycle of sirens ... as a kid, I drowned out the sirens with a loud radio. There was nothing to drown out the noise as Tyler instantly turned off the TV when he was ready to bed.

I may have pouted for about 15 minutes.

By 7 a.m., I was ready to hit the road and get onto Ames where I would spend my day on the turf, laptop in hand, working and watching my boy play ball with his idols nearby.

Last year, Fred was at the camp all week, and when we signed up again - sometime last fall - we expected the same this year. But since the Bulls named him their coach last week, we had no idea if Fred would even show up ....

2015 vs. 2014

But he did! He was standing by the front door, greeting the boys (and about 3 girls) as they walked into camp. He signed autographs and took pictures and chit chatted with eager fans who wanted to talk Bulls and ISU with him.

He will be missed. And he was missed during camp (more on that later).

Tyler wasted no time getting into his basketball groove, seeking out autographs - Niang and Fred autographs were scored immediately - and getting photos with those not taken last year, like super-star Jameel McKay.

I saw less of Tyler this year at the camp.

He was coached by one of the team's "stars" Matt Thomas, and he immediately made friends with two other boys (one was from the Quad Cities, and he never asked the other one where he was from), and they were off shooting hoops whenever there was a break.

He did eat lunch by me each day, never seeking out a Cyclones lap (thankfully).

He liked the lunches, for the most part, but was surprised to find Subway on day 1 (and repeated later in the week). Subway is his favorite (not!), so I made it up to him by taking him to dinner at Hickory Park, an Ames tradition!

Are you ready for cardinal and gold overload?!?

And we can't forget sister. She was at home enjoying one-on-one time with daddy. Here she is sporting her Cyclone colors at school when daddy dropped her off today: