Week 43 of 52 in 2017

Jackson:  Jackson's protective cup had finally arrived. For some reason,  Dick's Sporting Goods decided to ship it from California when it was available for pick up in Hunt Valley.  He was super excited and really wanted to comply with his coach's request for everyone to play in the goal.  So, apparently today was his day.  He had several saves and deflections and was SUPER pumped to finally get his chance in the goal. 

Connor:  Connor has become incredibly obsessed with watching football and tracking the tickers.  We had a voucher to go to the Urban Pirates in National Harbor and Connor was a consistent no for going in favor of watching football.  We decided that today was the day.  On the way, he complained about the distance and expressed concern over missing the block party.  I was very concerned about his ability to enjoy himself.  After a snack bag of Doritos, he turned his frown upside down and had a great time.  We are so happy that he loosened up and had fun.

Connor:

Week 42 of 52 in 2017

Jackson:  With having the day before off and Michael able to take off with us, Jackson got to get in some goalie practice and he was declared ready to go.  Jackson has been waiting for this moment for the past couple of weeks.  He had a couple of good saves and showed strong intensity and was not afraid to go out and challenge the offensive players for the ball in his penalty box. So HAPPY and proud of him.

Connor:   Despite Connor constantly saying no that he didn't want to go to a Fall Festival, we planned and found the opportunity on the day the boys have off.  He reluctantly agreed and after picking up his Halloween costume, we headed off to Larriland.  We had been there the year before.  His skepticism wore off quickly when he was reminded of his love for apples.  He must have eaten 4 of the free apples despite the $31 worth that we had just picked....  That smile makes it worth everything.

Week 41 of 52 in 2017

Jackson:  We had finally made it to a Fall Festival but unfortunately, Michael didn't pay attention to the size of his food and was unable to swallow a piece of brisket.  This is not the first time that this has happened so we knew a trip to the ER was in order.  It took a long time to assemble the team that was going to perform the emergency endoscopy but through it all, Jackson was the best patient advocate anybody could ask for.  He made sure that Michael knew to tell them that his pain was at a high level to get immediate help.

Connor:  It was yet another Saturday morning and Manchester City was back in action. Real Madrid was too much for our team but Connor scored his 1st goal of the season and the only goal for the team.  After not scoring last year with West Ham, he was very eager to put one in the back of the net.  The angle that he had to take the shot was virtually impossible but somehow he did it.  We are so proud of his perseverance.

Week 40 of 52 in 2017

Jackson:  We weren't at soccer practice for more than 5 minutes before Jackson went down to the ground after colliding with a soccer goal.  He was so concerned when he saw the blood and was asking for constant reassurance that he wasn't dying.  I assured him that he would be fine but that a trip to the E.R. was in order to confirm that he didn't need stitches.  So proud of our little guy.

Connor:  Connor is quite the helper depending on the time of day and his mood. On this morning, Connor latched onto one of Michael's favorite lines and decided that it was time to organize the refrigerator.  I really do appreciate his willingness to help but it could have also been construed as a delay tactic on eating his breakfast....