soccer morning

mason had a soccer game before we left town today and it was at a different complex where there is a large playground. the other three and i were checking it out while mason and daddy warmed up with the team.

we have canvas prints of the three big kids right before they turned two and want to do one of manning, but this little stinker doesn't like to have his picture taken the way that the other three would and we have yet to get 'the one.' i was trying to get some today because he was being extra smiley, but every time i picked up the camera he would look down or away.

maddux learned how to swing on his own today! he got into this swing all on his own and madelyn taught him how to pump his legs and get going from stopped. this is a pretty big deal!

only five players showed up this morning so none of the kids had to sit out at all. they were both excited and exhausted! they aren't used to playing the whole game and drank a lot of water on this quickly warming day.

mason running ahead to turn the ball back the other direction, he did a great job of doing this the entire game. he has a great instinct to swing wide during play and come out at the front of the pack.

i just thought he looked really grown-up in this shot.

the ref today was super strict and kept making the kids redo their throw if they stepped on the line or gave any kind of hop at all. we sometimes had three attempts at just throwing the ball in. it was a little annoying to have a game with no score called so tight, but i thought it was cute that he took his job so seriously. there were lots of things he let go that you could tell were just killing him.

manning got this miniature cat toy at the dentist this week and found it in my purse during the game.

coach daddy and mason coming for a water break.

more of manning and his blue cat.

i just like this picture of manning in the sunshine.

manning has a couple of injuries to his eyes - one above on the left and one below on the right.

manning was acting as mason's personal water boy and would run the water bottle over every time he came over for a drink. he did it with a lot of urgency too. (the picture isn't great. i could hardly see because the sun was so bright. there were lots of cuter times when they were both smiling.)

team huddle with coach matt. one of the girls is a total power-house at the age of four (like, she coaches the other kids and tries to keep up the intensity) and her parents asked if they could request matt again. it always feels good to know that the kids like being on the team.

just one more game in the season. it has flown by and mason has just loved it. love.