Emma's Two Goal Day

Great soccer game for Emma last week - her first two goal game! Let's get right to it.

She's going in for her first goal - 

And later scores again. This one was a little easier as the defense melted away under her relentless pressure - 

  

In between her offensive fireworks, Emma found time for some defense - 

The fans were especially excited about the day's performance. Cathy's keeping up with the action. And Claire...well, Claire must be checking the scouting report.

With snack in hand, Emma enjoys the post-game tunnel -

Great job, Emma!

Claire - Rock Star

Highlights from last Saturday's soccer game, first showcasing Claire's skills on offense.

Claire's on a breakaway, leading the charge with her friend Connor -

Claire starts the attack by driving the ball past the defender - 

Now a few on defense. Claire is coming in fast - this poor boy's got no chance!

Not even the girls are safe when Claire is on the hunt. Here she demonstrates what those elbows are for.

Well played, Claire. Enjoy your snack. I'm digging those Rock Star shades!

The Five Minute Record

A record setting day for Claire at yesterday's soccer games. The girls wanted some time behind the lens, so here they are. First Emma at Claire's game -

And Claire at Emma's game -

And the record? In Claire's five minutes with her finger on the shutter button, she took 840 pictures. 840. I'm surprised her trigger finger lasted that long.

Claire is Dynamite!

Soccer started for Claire on Saturday. Her team is called Dynamite. Claire is so happy to start that she shows off all the teeth she's missing - she lost two last week!

With the pre-game ceremonies over, it didn't take long for Claire to get her game face. I'm intimidated and I'm half the field away.

Claire was outstanding in the goal, stopping three shots in the second half. Look at that concentration -

Leading the charge down field -

Claire was captain this week since we brought the post-game snacks, hence the sticker on her jersey.

Emma and the Fireballs

Soccer is back!

The fall season started yesterday and Emma's team is the Fireballs. She's not thrilled with the name, but is thrilled that she has a new uniform color. On to the highlights.

It's been a long summer, so the team started with the basics. Yes, this is a soccer ball.

With the introductions out of the way, it's time to take it to the boys.

Emma quickly remembered how to play defense. She clears one to save the goalie -

And finally, she flies in to stop this attack -

Fall Festival with Jake

Yesterday was our church's annual fall festival. Luckily it was the first cool day of the fall, a bright sunny day, and our nephew Jake joined the fun.

After a quick lunch, the first stop was the petting zoo. Claire made a new friend, a rather aggressive beast that she tamed in her own unique way.

Here's Jake in the midst of the sheep and goats. Emma was a big help today, making sure Jake didn't get trampled or step in anything foul.

Next up - the train ride! Claire wanted the first car, so Jake and Emma shared the second.

A little face painting. Claire knows what time it is.

Jake steps up. Since his poor father attend that other Texas university, I picked the pumpkin for him. Gotta keep peace in the family. I have no idea how that chocolate got on his face. So if Jake's mom is reading this, it was Cathy's idea to buy him a cupcake.

We ended the day in the bingo hall. Emma played several times, with no winning cards. But with face painting like that she's already a winner.

Just Right Book

Original Claire artwork, inspired by her first grade teacher (click on it for larger version).

Claire at 7

Claire recently celebrated her latest birthday at LazerX, a local laser tag fun house. She picked Pokemon for the theme, hence the cake decorations.

In putting together the list of friends to invite, Claire picked only boys. Asked why no girls, Claire responded "Boys are more fun!"

In her benevolence, she invited Emma's friends "so Emma'd have someone to play with." Conveniently, they are the sisters to three of the boys.

Here's the group shot after our two rounds in the shooting zone.

In keeping with the boys-only theme, Claire let the dads play, but not the moms.

That's Claire.

Rainforest Pyramid at Moody Gardens

For the last weekend before school we loaded up the kids and headed to Galveston to visit Moody Gardens. Our first stop was the Rainforest Pyramid.

The adventure began in the butterfly house, where the bugs found Emma irresistible.

Lots of flowers on the floor. Here's my favorite. No idea what it is.

Up in the canopy, we found several wild animals. Since Claire was reluctant to have her picture taken, these furry, feathered, and ferocious beasts filled in.

Overall, a pleasant way to end the summer.

Dinosaur Life Cycle

As a favor to our faithful readers, Claire wanted to demonstrate the life cycle of the dinosaur. Luckily, just outside the Natural Bridge Caverns is the Dinosaur Park.

First up, the dino baby emerges from the egg.

With proper care and adequate feeding, the little baby grows into a juvenile.

And finally, the creature reaches its full size.

While it may appear frightening to our younger readers, Claire was able to climb its back for this picture. The ever patient Emma joined in to complete the lesson.

Natural Bridge Caverns

We spent a few days last month in Austin, Texas. One stop was a visit to the Natural Bridge Caverns, located between Austin and San Antonio.

The cavern we explored was 180 feet below ground. While the temperature is a constant 70 degrees, the humidity is a constant 99%. Here are the intrepid explorers at the bottom of the cavern.

A note for you fellow Aggies - I was there, too. I'm not in the picture because I was behind the camera. I know, confusing.

Moving on, since these caves are wet, you see a number of stalactites and stalagmites. Here are some of the cool things we saw:

The upper right of this one looks like a face.

More to come as I sort through the pictures from the rest of our journey.

Claire-isms, Part II

So the family is sitting around discussing the birth of our new nephew/cousin Max. The talk gets around to godparents. I ask Cathy "Aren't we Jake's (Max's older brother) godparents?"

Cathy confirms that yes, we are.

Claire adds: "And we are Jake's God kids!"

A Baseball Career in One Day

Last Saturday, I played in my first (and probably last) game of vintage baseball. This style of baseball is played with the rules from the 1860s. It is similar to slow pitch softball, with a few quirks, like no gloves and getting an out by catching the ball after the first bounce.

The Larry Dierker Chapter of the Society for American Baseball Research fields a vintage team - the Houston Babies. I went to take pictures, but as the team was man short, I reluctantly agreed to play. I had only two thoughts - don't embarrass myself and don't get hurt.

Well, as luck would have it, we won. Here is a team photo taken after the game -

That's me second from the left - the one not wearing baseball pants. (Click picture to see the whole team.)

So, how did I do? From the game summary, 

"McCroskey and Chestnut from Game One were the only two perfect plate day Babies. Each played in a single game – and each went 3 for 3."

So with that I think I'll end my career with a not-to-be-topped 1.000 batting average.