Tucker Soccer...

Tuckers soccer season this year was a bit more dramatic. At the end of last season, his coach told us that he wasn't going to be coaching this season because he was having his son play with the Spokane Soccer Club Shadow team. The Spokane Shadow is Spokane's Minor league soccer team. They have a youth league and kids can start playing at 8 in the U10 league. It's a non try out league, and then at U11 or U12, I believe they can try out for the club team. Anyway, I thought it would be really good for Tucker because the coaches are better and more skilled, and they have more training sessions etc. So, I signed him up, which was a lot more than the Spokane Valley Junior Soccer Assoc., and was super excited. His coach was awesome, the other parents were so great. He was a lot younger than the other boys, they were all 9 turning 10 and he was 7 turning 8. But I quickly learned after the first game that he just wasn't up at the same level at the boys. The field was a lot bigger, he wasn't used to the positions, or having goalies, things like that. There was a lot he still needed to learn. But I still wanted to give him a chance. We learned after the second game where Tucker hardly played that maybe this wasn't the league for him yet. So, after much thought and discussion we decided to pull him from the league. It was hard, and I didn't want Tucker to feel bad. But he was awesome through my whole dramatics and luckily is still innocent enough that he had no clue, and just really wanted to play soccer. And, I was worried that we'd be out $300. 

Anyway...I thought for sure we had $300 down the drain, but luckily, even though we were two weeks in, they let us cancel the season, and the only thing we couldn't refund was the $50 uniform (that was separate from the $300 season fee). So, we were $50 down, but I knew that Tucker still wanted to play soccer. So...I called my friend Meg, whose son was playing soccer for the SVJSA still, and I was just praying and praying that they would let us join. I called the SVJSA, and even though the deadline was already passed by a while, after begging and begging and telling her I already had a team for him, they let me register him. He had only missed one game in this league, so he wasn't that far behind. Also, the team he joined happened to have a whole bunch of his friends on it, so he was so happy, and I was happy that he can still enjoy soccer at least for a few more years. Then he can get more serious about it, if he wants.

Anyway, it was a good decision for Tucker this year, and I'm happy it all worked out. (except for the $50 uniform I bought for absolute no reason! That totally blowed- I ended up going back to the practice for the SSCS team, and gave it to the coach to use as an extra uniform for the season!) :)

Tucker practicing him some goalie moves. I think that this was their first season playing with a goalie, so Tucker was excited to try it out.

Tucker is such a sweet big brother. I love this guy so much, and I'm glad that he just enjoy's life so much, and is so easy and go with the flo. He didn't stress about anything, as I was just stressing and worrying about what to do with him this soccer season, he was just totally go with the flo and happy about. And he's so sweet and would do anything for his baby brother.

We got to one game a little early, and he sat and played with Jackson for so long. Jackson still isn't using his legs at all, but boy does he sure LOVE balls.  I was picking him up and holding him up and he was kicking that ball and kicking that ball and was so very happy. I can officially say that he was kicking balls around before he was even walking!

Playing around with his dad before one of the games:

I sure have loved watching him get better and better. He really does love the game, and when he's ready we'll go up to the other league, we'll do it.

Oh man, it was so cute, Taylor was playing with her friend, Ollie. Who was in her preschool class last year.

So, I went over and told them to smile for a picture, and this is exactly what they did! Ha ha! I was dying. Ollie was so annoyed and NOT going to smile. Taylor looked all cute, and looked over to see if Ollie was smiling! :)

Tucker making a goalie kick:

The peanut gallery watching the game together: Mike Thompson, Ben and Brady Nelson. These men together watching the games is a riot!!! :)

Cute Ezra wearing Taylors vest when it got cold one day:

This boy and his balls:

And he loves his daddy, too:

My cute fat boy and his ball:

I love me a good cloud picture, and the sky was looking so cool one day:

He did hurt his ankle one game, so that was a bummer. I'm such a good mom that when it happened during the game, I was like get back in the game and shake it off. And he was crying and I was not having the sympathy for him I should have. Then when we got home that afternoon, his poor ankle was all black and blue and swollen! Mother of the year!

Poor baby boy!

Oh, and he plays with heart, which I love.

There is quite the group of sisters playing while their brothers play soccer. I'm glad that Taylor has something to do during Tuckers soccer games.

I just want him to enjoy sports and find something that he loves doing. I don't want him to feel pressure yet, I mean he's only 8 years old, right?!

Grandma even got to come to a game, and of course, had to play with her Jackson boy. There he is kicking his soccer ball around like he knows how to walk!

Love my soccer lovin' boys!