The Vipers!

I'm not sure how it happened, but Tyler and I ended up as the coaches of Max's soccer team this fall! We opted for AYSO again this year even though I had vowed to never to do it again. I was hoping a new area would change my opinion. Sadly, it did not. My opinion of AYSO is that it is unorganized and therefore kind of frustrating. Anyway... back to the coaching!

Tyler did the majority of the coaching for the team. I had to run the first practice as he was still up in San Francisco. The first practice went pretty well! It was kind of downhill from there. It became pretty clear that the distribution of teams wasn't entirely balanced. Our team was pretty much made up of all of the youngest (and therefore smallest) boys.

Despite the valiant efforts of Coach Seibert to whip these boys into shape, I think we only won one game. We were just outmatched. It also didn't help that half of our team consisted of mostly uncooperative boys and parents who basically turned their heads the other way.

Oh well!

Max had fun and it was a great learning experience for Tyler I think, too. Also, we've learned our lesson for good about AYSO!!

 

 

 

First Grade!

Max officially started FIRST GRADE this year!! He goes to a new school now and he LOVES it which puts me at ease about making him change schools. There's a huge part of me that feels so guilty for having to move the kids around and for knowing this isn't the end of the moving around either.

Anyway, his teacher, Mrs. Champlin (purple/blue shirt by the classroom door), is really really great. She's a no nonsense practical kind of teacher which honestly is so great for Max. Another funny thing, there is another Maddox in his class (spelled with only one D). And can I just say, having to only show up about 10 minutes before school is out is SO SO SOOO nice!! At Doyle, literally, you had to be there about 45 minutes before school got out. Insane! This school is smaller and so much better. Tyler and I joke that it feels like we are now sending him to private school -- this district clearly has more money when every kid in every grade from first on up has an ipad to work on in class. Yeah.

Max is such an independent kid, always has been, but it was kind of bittersweet when he asked me to make sure I stayed until the bell rang and he walked inside. Of course I did!

The Mission

We ventured up to the San Juan Capistrano Mission one day. I have been dying to go there because I had heard how beautiful it is inside. And it did not disappoint! (It's too bad they charge photographers so much to do a session there).

 

 

The kids were really concentrating on their guided tour. It was very serious. They also got to make some necklaces with arrowheads (that cost $2 each -- um, yes, that was AFTER admission.) And there were lots of beautiful monarch butterflies around, too.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Definitely a nice way to spend an afternoon! Although by the end of the tour the kids looked like this -- mostly they were hungry which was cured by a stop at Rubys before we drove home!