Dipping into AYSO

Mike asked if Wyland might be interested in playing AYSO soccer.  When I asked him he said definitely no.  Even with the idea of playing with Xavier.  But I signed him up anyway.  None of my kids have played soccer before, probably because it's one of the few sports that I myself didn't play as a kid.  Wyland seems to be intimidated by pretty much all sports.  I am such a big believer in team sports helping to shape you as an adult.  I want that for him.  So hopefully if we keep trying a few different ones he will find something he likes.  If not, then we'll look into a musical instrument.  I read somewhere once that someones rule for their kids was that they played a sport or a musical instrument and it was a rule.  I like that idea an awful lot.

Anyway, back to the soccer.  I think he was the most inexperienced kid on the team.  He would run along with the other kids but kind of avoid the ball itself.  His coach however was AMAZING.  Just so kind.  He made sure that Wyland got equal playing time as the other kids.  He gave him turns throwing the ball in, even when he had no clue which direction to throw it.  I can't even say how much I appreciated his coaching style.  By the end of the first half of the season Wyland was even getting in there with the ball and giving it a bit of a kick.  He'll be starting back up again soon for the second half of his season.

                               How does he see with all that hair?

       Getting in there. 

Getting his toes wet.

Back in the summer time Mike asked whether I thought that Wyland would be interested in playing soccer with Xavier.  When I asked Wyland about it he was a definite NO.

I signed him up anyway.

He said no to baseball last year and once he got going I think he enjoyed himself.  He had NO clue how to play.  But I’m proud of him, he never complained about going to practice and with the promise of a “big toy” if he got a goal, he was also encouraged to go after the ball a bit.  Xavier had played before and he’s REALLY good at it.  Was fun to watch him as well.  They had a really great coach that was so so so kind to Wyland.  He included him all the time despite him being the least experienced and least aggressive player and really worked hard with him. 

He’ll be starting back up again in the Spring for the second half of their season.  I hope that he’s looking forward to it!

Wyland getting in there.

Until the Spring…

Wyland's Official Birthday Post

Wyland’s Favorites:

Favorite Color:  Pink and Purple

Favorite Food:  Strawberries and watermelon

Favorite Sport:  baseball

When I grow up I want to be:  a cop or a teacher

Favorite Book:  all the princess books

Favorite Song:  Let it Go

Best Friend:  Oliver and Xavier and Maddie and Bionca, and Diego

Favorite Drink:  Cactus Cooler

Favorite Movie:  Frozen

Favorite Toy:  Elsa, Anna, Belle, Ariel, Sleeping Beauty

What does Dad like to do?  Sit around and do nothing and watch TV

What does Mom like to do?  Watch TV

Favorite thing to do with my family:  go to Disneyland

Favorite Animal:  Elephant and Giraffe

**Unless I cut him off he would just keep naming more and more favorites.

Wyland turns 6!

I can't believe that Wyland is already 6 years old.  Every year I feel like he gets cheated out of a birthday. He's the last one of a close series of summer birthdays and by the time his rolls around people are kind of tired of birthdays in our parts.  I definitely need to make more of a conscious effort next year to make a bigger deal out of his birthday.  But he didn't lack for presents though.

Wyland has a very tender heart.  And the boy likes his girl toys.  I see the stars in his eyes when he looks at something that he REALLY wants but doesn't feel like he "should" want it.  Man it's hard.  I'm am very liberal and as such I let him play with whatever he wants. I don't feel like he should have to conform to gender roles and norms.  With that being said, it's stressful to worry that he will be made fun of.  His favorite color is still purple .. but pink is a very close second.  Although with that being said, as I walked the kids  home from their first day of school I saw TWO other older boys with purple back packs.  I think Wyland has started a trend.

Anyway, we celebrated his actual birthday by heading out to Chili's with my parents for dinner and presents.

He liked what his brother got him.

He was SOOO excited for his Disney Frozen castle.

His iPad mini was a close second (I hope).

Putting the girls to bed.

The Evolution of Wyland's Hair

It was a very sad sad day at our house.

Wyland stated one day that someone at school made fun of him and he didn't want his long hair anymore.  Anyone that knows Wyland knows how much that boy LOVED his long hair.  He has had long-ish hair pretty much his entire life!!

2009 - Age 1

Long and whispy.

2009 - Age 1

After his first haircut.  It was TERRIBLE!

2009 - about 1.5 years old

Growing it back.

2010 - getting longer

2011 - Blowing in the wind look.

This is when it started to get pretty long.

2012 - We kept it trimmed but long pretty consistently for awhile.

2013 The year of big changes.

Starting right before our trip to California I took him to my salon to have it cut in a more masculine style.

So they left some of the length but cut some layers into it.  It worked okay.

I'll admit, it was getting long.

But it was so "Wyland".

I loved it!  He loved it.

He talked about his Repunzel hair.

And then someone made fun of him.

And this happened...

It was okay.  And he thought it was okay at first.  He looked so different.  And then a few days later he came across his "little" brush and went to brush his hair and there wasn't any hair to brush.  At which point he decided he didn't like the short hair and there may have been some wailing about how he wanted his long hair back.

And so we're growing it back.

And this time we won't cut it like that again.

He and I both agree it isn't growing quick enough.  But there you can see a slight curl in the very back.

It'll get there.

Wyland Turns 5 - The Survey

Well I completely failed getting this up in a timely manner, however I didn't want to skip this entirely because I love capturing their birthday surveys every year.  And so here we go, 5 things you may or may not know about Wyland.

Wyland LOVES the color purple.

He will choose to be a girl character over a boy character when playing 90% of the time.

He's really grumpy when he wakes up. Takes after his mama.

He is wise beyond his years.  He uses BIG words often.

Wyland had a natural baseball talent this year.

Wyland's Favorites:

Favorite Color:  Purple

Favorite Food:  Cake

Favorite Sport:  Playing

When I grow up I want to be:  Homeworker

Favorite Book:  Billy Goats Gruff

Favorite Song:  Eenie Meenie, by Justin Bieber

Best Friend:  Maddie

Favorite Drink:  Juice

Favorite Movie:  Star Wars

Favorite Toy:  Harley Quinn (from Batman)

What does Dad like to do?  Play video games.

What does Mom like to do?  Snuggle with mom.

Favorite thing to do with my family:  Hug them.

Favorite Animal:  Giraffe

Favorite thing at school:  Going to recess.

Happy 5th Birthday Wyland!!!

Wyland's Birthday and a Little Camping

I really still feel quite bad about Wyland's birthday this year.  It really got lost in the shuffle of Post Mexico and Marathon / Pre California Vacation.  We owe him a big birthday celebration next year for sure.  Wyland's birthday fell on the Sunday and this was also our first camping trip of the year up to Deer Creek.  With so many kind of "big" vacations going on this year we actually didn't camp but a few times.  This was the first and best trip of all.

I brought up his presents from us for him to open there at the lake.

Man this boy needs a haircut!

He loved his purple blanket!

My mum always makes his camping birthdays special.

Evan and Rachel came up to join us for some wakeboarding and swimming.

Jonathan found that he DID still remember how to wakeboard.

I bribed Jackson again to go with Jeramie.

Baylee getting a cool off on the boat.

Me and my baby jumps.

After we returned from the lake on Sunday we headed to Jim's for dinner with my parents and then they came back to our house for more presents (from them) and cake.

I know that Wyland didn't feel like he got a lame birthday but I definitely feel like he did.  We will make it up to him next year!