Lucas's 11th Birthday

Although Lucas's birthday was on the 16th, he had his actual party the following weekend since it didn't conflict with Father's Day. This year, his party included a sleepover so we limited the invitees to his three friends Zach, Liam, and Parker.

The party started off with Marilu bringing the boys to the theater to see The Incredibles 2. I was lucky enough to miss out on that. Afterwards, they came home and we had cheeseburgers straight from the BBQ. Yum!

I'm not sure what was up with Lucas's face in that last photo. Just caught him at the wrong time, I guess.

It was a rainy day so the boys spent most of their time inside, playing mini sticks hockey and video games, but they did get outside a bit to play with Lucas's present, a new basketball net.

A little bit later, we brought out the pinata that Lucas got the week before when my mom and Kevin were visiting. It took a few hits, but we finally found a way to break the thing open, as you'll see below.

And what's a birthday party without cake?

I asked the kids to make a serious face and then a goofy face, but I only managed to get the latter. I suspect they never made serious faces.

And finally, a shot from later in the night. They were playing on the PS4 in the basement when I took this photo. I have no idea why Lucas is the only one with his shirt off, but why ask why?

The next morning, I brought them mini golfing, but unfortunately, I was too focused on corraling them to take a photo. The important news is that I won. :)

So another year, another party. In other news, Lucas finished 5th grade today. I'll do a first day/last day of the year post tomorrow. See ya then!

Season's End - Lacrosse Edition

So the Reapers season came to an end this past Wednesday, as they played a consolation game against the #5 team in their league (they were #6). The bad news is that they lost yet again, but the good news is that it was in a post-game shootout. That's the first time they ended regulation without a loss so that has to count for something.

Afterwards, they had an end-of-the-season party at Boston Pizza, and the kids had a blast playing with each other so that's what it's all about, I suppose. Lucas loved the season, even with no wins, so we'll likely be back next year.

While talking to one of the coaches, he mentioned that the #1 team has several top players since their dads are the head coaches and assistant coaches so they all get to be on the same team. Doesn't really seem that fair, but whatcha gonna do?

Birthday #11

Yesterday was Lucas's birthday, but because family was in town and it was the same weekend as Father's Day, we pushed his actual party back until next Saturday. So we'll probably have more pictures/videos of him and his friends having fun during their sleepover.

That said, it wasn't a completely uneventful birthday. We got him some fancy cupcakes from the supermarket and sang his the requisite "Happy Birthday," which you'll see below. Befitting a newly-minted 11 year old, it was a challenge to get his face away from the computer game he was playing. And it's only going to get worse, I'm sure.

Watch for more birthday stuff next week! (not to say I won't post non-birthday stuff before then)

Last game

The regular season of Lucas's lacrosse team came to an end tonight much the same way it began: with a loss. However, unlike a crushing 11-2 or 10-1 like their first couple of games, this one was a much closer affair. They ended up losing 8-5, but all but 1 of the goals on the other team were scored by the same player. So you take that kid out of the equation, and it was quite a different story.

That was the story of the season though, Because of the lower player count of lacrosse, there weren't any division based on skill like in hockey. So every team had first year kids alongside kids who were probably good enough to make competitive. 

Lucas's team has gotten noticeably better since the beginning of the season, and he's having a fun tme despite the losses so I guess that's all that matters? I can tell you I'm not going to miss the season after next week's playoffs.

I did want to mention that Lucas won his second player of the game during Monday's game. The coach gives out hats with the Nepean Knights logo on it so now he has two of them. I've been really impressed with his heart and determination. He's far from the best player on the team, but every shift, he gives it his all. In Monday's game, he had a shot go off the post and he had a couple of good hits.

Speaking of hits, he probably had the hit of the game tonight, and it was right in front of the parents. Right after he made it, he looked up in the stands, as if he was looking for affirmation. The parents absolutely loved it, and much laughter occurred.'

I don't expect much in the way of playoff success, but I'll be sure to update one way or the other.

Haircuts - Before and After

This past weekend, Lucas and I finally got around to getting some overdue haircuts. His was a bit more drastic than mine as he hadn't cut his hair in months, but either way, mornings are going to be a lot easier for both of us now.