Category Archives: Sport

Friends with pools

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Summer is off to a good start. We have visited four back yard pools so far. Granted it rained the whole time we were at one so we didn’t go in. We have some wonderful friends with pools but none of them live within a 35 km range of us. Not that I’m complaining, we love to see them and to swim in their pools. And of course if we’re going that far we can’t just go for a short while can we?

L12 continued her Powerswim course today; she is still enjoying it and learning new things. Immediately after she finishes the pool has an hour for lap swimming so I swam my kilometre. I should be able to do that most days this week. B6 and A10 started attending the day camp at our church today and both gave positive reports when I picked them up.

Summer time

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Summer time and the livin’ is easy.
Well not exactly easy, but different, refreshing and a little more relaxed. The house is getting a good “spring clean”?? The end of term became so busy during the days and evenings that the phrase, “I’ll get to that in the holidays” became common place for me.

Over the Canada Day long weekend we spent time with friends; I scrapbooked and Andrew and B6 were invited by B’s soccer coach and son to attend two of the FIFA U20 games. On Sunday we drove out into the country to one of the neatest, most ordered little farms I’ve ever seen. One of our friends, very near and dear to our girls, was getting baptised in the pool at the farm. Her church does not have a baptism tank so they hold their baptisms in the summer out at the farm of one of their members. Once again it was a delight and privilege to see a young lady we know and love proclaim her love for Christ and her commitment to follow Him always. Afterwards there was dessert and swimming for those who did not mind the chilly water.

I was taken on a little tour of the farm and I saw the huge vegetable garden with rows of flowers interspersed with the tomatoes, corn, rhubarb, peppers and other healthy looking vegies. At the end of the garden we could look out on the huge rolls of freshly cut hay and see the cows wandering in from the field in a row. The one in front mooed the whole way as if calling the others to follow. The last cow in stopped at the game and turned around to check all were in. We were sure she was going to shut the gate behind her.

I managed a little gardening at the beginning of the week, I have to do it in short bursts as my back is giving me trouble. At least I have all the herbs in. It would have been better if they had been in a month ago but I’m still hoping to be able to pick from my own basil, parsley, coriander, sage, oregano and thyme. Laura began her Power swim class today and has learnt racing turns and dives. Straight after her class we headed out to visit friends with the hope of swimming in their new pool but instead we watched the rain fall into it. Conveniently the rain stopped just as we began our softball game tonight, a good game but we lost.

Kicking some goals

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We are nearing completion, as far as school is concerned. Each day another goal is kicked; grammar and spelling are out of the way for the girls. We have two history lessons left and one Bible lesson. The end of the math books is a few lessons away for A and an exam away for L. B6 is a few countries away from meeting his 25 countries in 40 days challenge.

B6 had the excitement of kicking a goal the other night for his soccer team the Dragonflies and, as tonight is their final game, A10 is hoping to kick one for the Sharks.

Today is officially the first day of summer and soon our schedule will include gardening, sewing, reading, swimming, a camp, a cottage and a couple of birthdays at least!

Trackmeet

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The annual homeschooler’s track meet was held yesterday and we were able to stay for the whole event this year. In past years it has clashed with both the girl’s senior solo recital and the softball tournament. The day was hot and sunny resulting in a bit of sunburn for each of us. L,A and B gave their best and all came home with at least one ribbon. Alexandra has learnt the strategy of pacing herself during the heats in order to have more in reserve for the finals. Ben was not the jogging, smiling, waving runner we saw race last year, but a single minded sprinter with his eye on the finish line.

The highlights for me were watching my girls and their good friends P and H team up in the relay and make the final, then watching my whole family run the 800m (that’s Andrew and B6 running it in the photo). Of course some one had to forgo the race in order to take the pictures.

Tournament

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Our storm delayed game from Friday night was rescheduled to begin at 8:00 am Saturday morning so we dragged ourselves out of bed before 7:00. Play was delayed as there were large pools of water on the diamond. Thankfully someone arrived with a shovel and started digging a trench to drain the pool where the catcher, batter and umpire would be standing. He had been doing it at all the tournament fields since 6:00am. As I’m the catcher most of the time, I was relieved. It was still rather squelchy but the weather was warm and sunny all day and when we played there again later in the day it had all dried up.

We had perfect weather for a day of softball, warm but not sweltering, a breeze but not a gale. Our family applied sunscreen numerous times during the day but, as was obvious later in the day, some others on the team did not. We only lost one game during the tournament landing us in the A2 final which we won 20:10 at 8:30pm, tired but very satisfied.

During the afternoon, Andrew left to take the girls to their end of year violin recital. I was disappointed not to watch them but I had already heard them both perform their pieces where Andrew had not. He had also already played one game of hockey, one game of soccer and two games of softball in the last 30 hours!

The only other disappointment of the day was the language which bombarded my ears all day. Not just my team, they actually try to censor themselves a bit while our children are with us, but another team who was around most of the day. Certain members did not have the same respect for young ears. I found myself thinking at the end of the day, about the lack of creativity in using the same word over and over, often multiple times in one sentence as a noun, verb, adjective, adverb or interjection. If I came out with, “Beautiful! Did you see that beautiful batter hit that beauty straight over the beautiful centre fielder’s head?” people would think me strange. I just found myself very tired of hearing it by the end of the day.

I will say, though, that my team has endured my steep learning curve very patiently. This is our fifth season with the Lasers and if they had given me grief for my many errors I don’t think I would have lasted more than a season. I have improved and they have always encouraged.

Tornado warning

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Andrew, B6 and I headed out tonight to play the second game of a softball tournament with a tornado warning current and the sky looking ominous. The girls were heading out at the same time with a friend for their first try at busking. We weren’t sure whether any of us were in for a winning night.

After an easy victory last night we were looking forward to the game against a team we have played many times in the past. The rain began just as the previous game ended and within minutes it was bucketing down. The wind was fierce and the lightning getting closer by the second.

At the same time the three girls were playing their first set on the patio of our friend’s uncle’s restaurant. The weather got wild there too so the patrons and musicians were moved inside. They continued on for an hour or so, made a bit of money and arrived home tired but happy.

We have yet to find out the time of our rescheduled game but it could be early tomorrow so I’d best go to bed.

In the cupboard

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Last week Group of four did double duty: a morning field trip and an afternoon unit. When B6 realised this in the morning he declared, “Yay, no school today!” That’s what you think, my boy.

In the morning we headed off to a food bank in our city, the Kanata Food Cupboard, where we were given a tour and description of all the activities that go on there. We were also able to help sort three large collection bins that come in from local supermarkets and make up snack bags for school kids.

The food cupboard is staffed by 500 volunteers, some of whom had come in for an extra morning so that we could see them in action and have some guidance while we were working. We helped sort food into categories, some one else checked the use by date on every item sorted and then the items were shelved ready for another group to make family food packages. It was another reminder to all of us how richly blessed we are to always have enough food and often plenty to spare.

We then spent the afternoon looking at different components of fitness, breaking it down into muscle strength, flexibility, cardiovascular fitness and endurance. We tried to emphasize the importance of setting personal goals rather than comparing yourself to others but our arm wrestling activity did bring the competitive side out in a few of us!

Sports update

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A10 and B6 are enjoying their soccer twice a week and both Dragonflies and Sharks seem to be playing more as teams this week. B’s team is made up of 5 and 6 year olds who don’t really take the side lines seriously. Several times I have watched half the team race off after the ball continuing to kick it well into another game before a parent grabs the ball and directs them back. His team continues their winning streak while A10’s team has had 2 wins, 2 losses.

Our softball team has had two wins. I was not happy with any of my hits last week but this week I had a couple that looked decent. Andrew had some big hits this week, but as our field had no fence a home run was harder to achieve.

Our town has gone a little lot crazy as its hockey team is in has won the Eastern Conference final, so now they get their chance at the cup.

Dragonflies and Sharks

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Tonight B6 and A10 started their soccer season. B6 is in the Dragonflies and they had a convincing win over the Fireflies. I think the game lived up to B6’s expectations; he has been very excited about playing his first team sport. A10’s team the Sharks were not able to defeat the Stingrays but did show some understanding of playing as a team.

Last week our softball team had a practice in preparation for our first game tomorrow. It was obvious at the time that I had not swung a bat or caught a ball since last season and it was also painfully obvious the next day when it hurt to lift my arm above my shoulder!

That time of year

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It is the time of year when some things are winding down and others are starting up; it can be rather busy. This year looks like being no exception. I was talking to an Australian friend at Christmas and she mentioned how nice it must be to end the school year in June and not in December when everything gets crazy and busy. I have found that everything gets quite busy twice a year. There are Christmas plays, recitals and visits, parties and specials services in December. In May and June there are end of year recitals, concerts and parties while trying to finish the school work and fit summer sport in too.

Our violin commitments are not over yet, there are three more concerts with the necessary rehearsals preceding them. There are two tv spots promoting a fundraiser, auditions and then a retreat for the performance group introducing next year’s music.

Next week softball starts for Andrew and I, soccer for B and A and then before soccer finishes, tennis lessons for L,A and B. Swimming lessons continue for a month yet also. It is very nice to be contemplating all this time outside, but not the logistics of getting everyone to the right field at the right time, fed and clothed appropriately!