Well, this is pretty cool. Hannah made the local paper!
Friday, November 12, 2021
Tuesday, November 2, 2021
Crossing the Finish Line (Literally and Metaphorically)
We made it to the end of the fall sports season! It's exhausting to have everyone's favorite sports in the same season, but it least it means that we have a lot more free time in the winter!
Matthew's team did not end up winning many games, but they were almost all close in score. In their seven-game season, Matthew scored six touchdowns and at least 2 extra points. He made so many tackles (many of them for loss) that some teams refused to run the ball to his side of the field. He had a ton of fun and made some new friends.
It takes at least two people to take him down!
Almost all these pictures were taken by the team mom. I think this one might be my favorite of the whole season.
One of the best parts about watching Matthew was seeing how excited he got for his teammates. When someone got a touchdown or had a good play, he would automatically sprint over to congratulate them.
As I mentioned previously, for the first time in years, Micah's team was in a evenly-matched division. I have gotten so used to him being one of the smallest kids on the field; it was a nice change to see him playing against kids his own size! Micah is a very versatile player, and his team used him in several different positions throughout the season. They were undefeated in the regular season and runners-up in the final tournament.
Taken by another mom, this is my favorite photo of Micah's season. The kid cowering and blocking his face makes Micah look so imposing! I believe this particular shot went high, but he did have a goal later in this game!
I am so proud of Hannah for her soccer season, but not because of how she played. Hannah is quiet and very uncomfortable in new situations. It took a ton of bravery for her to walk onto a team where she didn't know anyone (and, as it turned out, was the youngest player). The team lost all their games, but Hannah kept a good attitude and kept working. By the last few games, she was starting to play like she used to, and the whole team was improving. They had an end-of-the-year party Sunday afternoon, and it was affirming to hear the other girls call out when she got there, see her laughing with them, and hear her coach praise her efforts.
I haven't made friends with any photographer-moms on this team yet, so all I've got are my blurry ones. 😆
(Didn't get a picture of the whole team.)
Micah had a fantastic cross country season. He had a new coach this year (who was also his sixth grade teacher), and she's amazing. She really helped bring out the best in the kids, and she knows more about cross country than anyone I've ever met before. She was also very organized and a great communicator.
Micah's best time was 12:20 (6:10 pace). He had two other races that were within a few seconds of that time. He was always first or second for his team, and often in the top five for regular meets. In the large invitationals, he was almost always top 20. Next fall he'll have to decide if he's going to run cross country for the high school or try out for the soccer team. Selfishly, I hope he chooses cross country, because I love watching him run!
The state meet was a cold, miserable mess. Then, right as the boys were at the start line, they called a lightning delay and told all the kids to go back to their busses. But Tallmadge's bus wasn't there because the driver was on his lunch break! The boys tried to stay warm huddling under the bleachers. Forty minutes later, they had to run on a course that was now basically a lake. Not the greatest way to end the season, but at least they got to run.
Micah and Ally - running together since 2012.
Lastly, Hannah finished her cross country season on Sunday. Again, we were proud of her for stepping out of her comfort zone to try a new sport and meet new people. The distances of her races varied - 1.5 miles, 1.8 miles (3K), or 2 miles - so it's hard to say what her best time was. But her last regular season race was a 3K, and her time was 13:49 (7:25 pace), so I'd say she ended on a high note! Regionals was very muddy, but she still finished 3rd for 11-year-old girls.
Halloween
This year Matthew was a ninja. Hannah was Dizzy from the movie Descendants 2. Micah was a soccer player (again). And Little Peanut was a cat. The Oysters joined us for trick-or-treating in our neighborhood, and at the last minute, Baby L and her sister came over, too.
We met up with two of Hannah's friends who were also dressed as characters from the same movie.
Hannah double-dipped and went a second night with other friends, two of whom were also characters from Descendants. (They plotted all this out at school weeks ago.) We didn't take a picture of the second night before the rain. At some point they came back to the house for ponchos and traded accessories with each other. They called it a "disguise" and went back to hit many of the houses for a second time. 😂
So much fun, and SO MUCH candy!!
A few other fall fun pictures: 
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