Football updates...

Kollin is still trying to find his 'umph', for lack of a better word. It was a unanimous decision to move him to JV to gain more confidence (something Jereme & I thought we should do from the get-go.). He played his first JV game, in the pouring rain, against Boys Club this past Saturday. The final score was 7-0, Boys Club, but we definitely played a good game. It was pouring all morning and, of course, Kollin was thrilled to finally get to play in the rain. I on the other hand would have loved different weather conditions. :) I had my trusty yellow poncho from Disney still in my 'bag of tricks', which really only kept me dry from my waist to my neck. They needed people to work the 'chain' , so as a helpful football Mom I volunteered. I stood in the rain with my poncho holding a yard marker the whole game. It was a fun experience and I think I might try it again, just not in the rain. Jereme was lucky enough (not) to be asked to ref since only one ref showed up. It was a total Vaught family football game! :) (We were only missing B-nut who was tearing it up in the swimming pool. He's still having a great time! Again, no pics because we left in a frenzy and Mom-Mom had to take him to practice.) Anyway, Kollin played an awesome defensive game! He held back to watch who was carrying the ball and then attacked. He's still building his confidence with offense. He carried the ball for about 10 yards and when he saw the other team aiming for him, he pretty much tensed up and braced himself for impact instead of blazing past them. He'll figure it out sooner or later, especially because Jere keeps pointing things out when they watch NFL games together.  I didn't get any pictures since it was raining but I'll catch some sweet footage this Saturday...

First day of swimming

B had his first swim class this morning. He had two friends stay over last night and they all managed to stay up until 1:30 AM! I wasn't sure how cooperative B was going to be since he didn't have a great night sleep, but he was ready to go! He was grilling us all morning about what was expected of him. (I think after watching the Olympics, he thought he was going to have to race or something.) There were only about 8 kids, including B, in his class and it was only about 40 minutes long. He practiced floating, kicking w/a kick board, freestyle arm stroke AND he got to jump in the deep end at the end of class! He loves it! He says he's never going to quit swimming and he can't wait until next week! I forgot my camera this week so I'll update w/pics next week.

Football game results...

Well, we won our second game! Who-hoo! It was a HOT day and, of course, the games were running behind schedule. Our game started about an hour late but luckily I still had our portable fans in my 'bag of tricks' from our Disney trip. B was a total trooper and didn't complain at all! We won 24-0 and K scored a sweet touchdown in the second quarter. Playing with the big boys has worked on Kollin's confidence a little but we're working through it. We got him extra pads to help with the tackling and he seems ready for his first home game on Sunday. We'll keep you posted! : )

Brady's 7th Birthday!

We had a small part-of-the-family get-together for B's birthday today. It was great to spend some time with Mom-Mom & Aunt Dany, Grandpa & G-ma, Big Nana, and Mitch, Theresa and Audrey. The boys got to swim for a little bit before they dove into nachos and played ping-pong. Brady loves all of his gifts! He's resting on the sofa next to me - he has his books with him, already played his Wii games, turned on his 'under the sea' light, and is asking to sleep with his receiver gloves. :) Sitting here looking at him it's hard to believe that seven short years ago he was as little as Audrey. Now he's growing up and trying to be a big boy, but still needs to snuggle Mom in the evening and sleep with the same blankies he's had... for seven years. It's crazy how fast time flies.

It was great spending time with Audrey, and Mitch & Theresa :). She's getting so big, so fast. She's smiling lots, looking all around, chewing on her little hands, and blowing bubbles. Apparently she loves football because she was fixed on the game. :) We'll have to ask her to cheer for Kollin - his second game is tomorrow. We'll keep you posted...

1st Football game of the season...

You know that saying "no guts, no glory"?... it really doesn't apply to us. :) We gave plenty of guts but didn't end up with the glory. Our first game was against Boys Club, known for their speed and aggressive playing style, with a final score of 30-something to zip. The Boys Club boyz were about a head to a head and a half above most of our players and ran like Cheetahs. :) We definitely need to practice our blocking and tackling skills. Kollin played well and took quite a few hits. He did catch the ball when the other team kicked off and was ready to sprint to the end zone. Unfortunately, there was a swarm of red players (the other team) heading in his direction and a few moments of mass confusion that ended up in a fumble. Needless to say Kollin wasn't very pleased. I gave him props for catching the ball, and next time running for the touch down. I think if I would've been on the field with all of those guys aiming for me I would've gone the other way and wet myself. :) So... all in all it was a good first game. :) The good news is this is the toughest team they'll have to play. With a little practice on key items this week, I think the next game on Sunday will grant us the glory.

First day of school/Football's starting...

Both the boys had a great first day of school! Kollin likes his teacher and he got to share Disney stories with his class. Brady's first day rocked - he had tacos for lunch and met a cute girl. :) He said he thought he might love her but he's not sure. They both had 20 papers for us to sign, a fundraiser (already!) and homework. Kollin felt extra cool because he's the big brother and was able to help B with his work. We're sticking to our schedule of doing homework right away, then snack and play. It's going to be a tiring few weeks with homework and football practice from 6 to 8. Kollin's first football game is this Sunday - wish us luck!

Disney 2008

Well, after a fun filled trip to Disney we're all home and trying to find our 'magical' place. It's quite difficult leaving a land of happiness and returning to everyday life. I keep expecting everyone to tell me, "Have a magical day!". :) I don't think that really happens anywhere besides Disney. Maybe I'll have to start a new trend... or not.

Jereme and I took the boys to Typhoon Lagoon on Wednesday afternoon - their first taste of Disney. Brady was so excited to swim with the sharks at Shark Reef. It was so hot outside and Shark Reef was our first 'wet' ride. We didn't stop to think that the water was going to be salt water and about 60ish degrees - not nice clear pool water...duh :) With our face masks and snorkels on, we slowly dipped into the 10' deep water and got to swim (move forward on the surface of the water - no diving) with a few baby sharks (some 3' long), sting rays and lots of tropical fish. It was totally awesome and freaky at the same time.

Thursday was our first real Disney Park adventure. We woke up at the crack of dawn and vertured out in the 110 degree weather to experience Hollywood Studios. Our first ride was Star Tours, a flight simulator. Obviously the boys loved it since it was Star Wars related. We also rode the Rock n'Roller Coaster. It was inside, mostly in the dark, with lots of music and strobe lights. The kids loved it...I think I would have too if I wasn't worrying the whole time that Brady was going to fall out. :) I know, I never stop. We toured Hollywood Studios Backlot and saw lots of cool props from Star Wars, Indiana Jones, Pearl Harbor, etc. Jere, Mom & Blair conquered the Tower of Terror.

We got to hang with Lisa, Richard, Mr. Green, Deanna & Rob the rest of our vacation. We had an awesome time at Epcot visiting The Seas with Nemo & Friends. Brady loves all sea creatures so this was a huge hit with him. We also got to see a dolphin presentation that was amazing. We were able to get all of our top picks in at Magic Kingdom before the rain came. Space Mountain wasn't as scary as I remember, but I guess the last time I rode it I was 10 years old. Kollin, Jereme, Lisa & Richard took on a 120 foot water slide at Blizzard Beach. It was so steep you couldn't see where you were going to go when you sat at the top to go down (so I'm told). How Kollin loved that and was scared of the Space Mountain is beyond me. Brady found a new best friend in Richard. He had to ride all of the rides with him, sit next to him at dinner and go to the bathroom with him (which was a new experience for Richard :) ). We headed out to Animal Kingdom a few minutes earlier than the rest of our group and Brady said it wasn't going to be any fun because Richard wasn't there. However, he did enjoy the Safari. It's crazy how close you get to the animals. We saw a baby giraffe that was only a few months old. When our car got close to the baby, the Mom came over to keep it safe and the baby started nursing. Seriously, how often do you get to see a baby giraffe nursing - unbelievable. I captured it all on film - National Geographic style.

I think the only bad part of Disney is that every ride empties you out into a gift shop. If we ever go again I'm buying the blinders that horses wear when they race. It wasn't that bad. Kollin handled it a little better because he's older and not so into the stuffed animals, etc. Brady loves his sleep toys and wanted to add dinosaurs, turtles, sharks, cars, a Yeti and more to his stuffed collection. It's amazing how many things can be a stuffed toy. Anyway, he ended up with stuffed Mickey hands, a Mickey Jedi and Goofy Darth Vadar. We denied the others. The Yeti was pretty tempting though - it was so puffy and soft. :) Kollin chose a Boba Fett helmet and he built his own light saber. Jereme and I had lots of fun but we didn't get any souvenirs. We have lots of pics and great memories.