soccer season has started

John is playing soccer again this year.  Last year was his first year and he really enjoyed playing.  Unfortunately, my friend Judy's son decided to play fall baseball so the boys are not together this year (which means neither are the mommies, boo!).   However, John does know a few of the kids on his team either from last year or from school. 

This past weekend was his first game (well, actually it was the 2nd game of the season but we missed the first game due to our family picture photo shoot) and picture day.  John played most of the game and was put on both offense and defense.  This year the league combined the younger and older kids so each team has kids that are 5, 6, 7 and 8 year olds.  I wish I had known this before we signed him up, because I would have switched leagues so that he could play with all 7 and 8 year olds.  The skill and interest level between a 5 year old and an almost 8 year old is huge. 

John spent most of the game chasing down people with the ball, clearing the ball from in front of the goal and then taking the ball all the way down the field on offense.  One boy on the other team rejoiced when John was taken out for a sub and shouted, 'now that you're out John I'll be able to score'.  And he was right, with John out of the game no one could catch him and he score the only goal of the game.

All of my shots from the game have one of the other boys on the team in them.  It is hilarious, you can tell John is ready for the player with the ball to approach him and the other little boy is pretending to be an airplane.  As I said, the difference between 5 and almost 8 is huge.  Even funnier is that this boy is the nephew of one of my best friends who was an awesome soccer player and she went to college on a soccer scholarship.

Because we were going to the Blue Hen football game after John's soccer game, I had Luke with me.  He was bored and wanted to go to the playground during the game.  Instead, he spilled a bottle of water on his shirt and played in the grass...

Which is another example of the difference between 5 years and almost 8.  He asked me to take his picture with this grass on his head.  After looking at the picture on my camera asked me to take another one.  This boy is so funny!

Grace was home with a babysitter.  Which I'm sure was way more fun than spending two hours at the ball field trapped in her chair.