Happy Halloween

The boys have given up on "trick or treating" this year. They were a little big for it last year but now they they are too cool.

All Dressed Up

Pouty Face

Channeling Uncle Tom

Tom was a notorious land mine layer at parties and would have been proud of our work at Tim and Stephanie's wedding last night. This is just one of a number of good ones. Everybody looks happy in a land mine shot.

Gentlemen

They clean up good

World Food Prize Building

The old central library turned into a LEED Platinum museum.

Farmers Market

We had a nice brunch and stroll through the Des Moines farmers market. Nice day in Iowa.

Uncle Bill

Got to hang with the Adelman side of the family after getting into Des Moines yesterday. It. Was good to see Tony, Tim, Stephanie, Robbie and of course Uncle Bill. The wedding weekend has begun.

Camera Shy

Ava seems more interested in the camera than Dylan, Mick and Sam.

Eighteen and Nineteen

It was a chilly night for soccer but Nicole and I got 2 and a half mile walk in around the track during the game. Our team is a little on the short side.

Flag Goodness

We got back on the winning track again yesterday in Flag Football.  We managed a very convincing victory over the Falcons with the boys showing some excellent situational awareness.  We never trailed in the game but it was close for a while.  We made a few mistakes but managed to learn from them and move on to the next play pretty seamlessly.  Remember, this is mostly the boys calling the plays and organizing the defense during the game. I simply give them advice from sideline based on what I'm seeing from my vantage point.  I've really been trying to help them run their own game this year and make them think critically about what's happening and how to adjust.  I think that will be an advantage as we roll into the playoffs.  The other teams have multiple coaches and are still sending in the plays.  I like our system better and win or lose, my team is being forced to find solutions on their own which will only benefit them as they enter high school.

We lost our 7th straight soccer game.  Sam had a nice goal and they both ran hard but our young and undersized team couldn't keep up.

Wheelbarrows

I used to have to do these in football. The boys had a 90 minute football practice then a 90 minute basketball practice. They should sleep well tonight.

Little Daylight

Soccer practice's are coming to an end soon. At least the ones on fields without lights. We share this field with a girls team. Both teams try to ignore each other but I catch the looks from both sides.

Band Man

The first concert of the year was tonight. They play better every year.

Strikers

Both boys played up as strikers or forwards most of the game but the Blue Strikers had a hard time getting the ball past mid field, limiting their goal scoring potential. Great day for soccer anyway.

Hallow Run

I guess you need to stop for a ghost or the during a 20 mile run.

Try outs

One more year of club basketball before high school. It looks like we will have a couple really talented new kids his year. One from a rival program with a notoriously horrid coach. My understanding is that a few kids from that team bailed to other clubs. Bad behavior as a youth coach catches up with you eventually.

Blueberry Sour

...via PhotoToaster, using these settings.

Sent from my iPad

Central Park

Been looking out this window most of the day. Meeting is going well but I'm thinking of things to do with the boys when we come back up for thanksgiving.

8th Grade

Last year of middle school.

8th Grade

First school picture with no braces.

Victory

The boys came away with a nice victory in Flag Football on Saturday.  We played a team with some kids we have played with for years and the game came down to the wire again but we held them off for the win.  It was a nice change from losing two games at the very end and showed that the boys are learning to manage the games better.  We only had five kids show up so I didn't have to make any substitutions or position decisions. They boys pretty much handled that on the field.  The rest of the weekend was pretty chill with no soccer games.  The boys have a four day weekend coming up and we have no games scheduled.  Not sure what we are going to do with all that freedom.