Sweaty Magnolias

The season started off strong for our soccer studs.  Beck really surprised us and kept up with the ball the entire game.  He was all over that field.  He hustled and had fun, which was all we could ask for.

Gooch, the more physical of the two, held back a bit and gave up at times.  How about a role reversal for these brothers!  Since we upped Penn to an older division, he now had a goalie to contend with.  He ran back to us on breaks and complained about the "person on the other team blocking my goal."  Welcome to U6, kid.  He was aggressive, but not always appropriately.  He made faces and audible comments of frustration during his game, entertaining onlookers but slightly embarrassing his parents. Although the smallest out there, he had no qualms about holding up the other players.

Later in the evening, we spent some family time at Magnolia Plantation.  Walked around the grounds, checked out the animals, gawked at a fancy wedding, and ran through the horticultural maze.  We've done it a dozen times, but it never gets old.  The boys wanted us to time them, and E got a big kick out of hearing their excited voices but not being able to see them.  She kept putting her arms out, questioning "where?" 

  

After making it "in" the first time, she stayed with Brent and me by the center statue anxiously waiting for her brothers' continuous return, as they retraced their steps three more times.  

Then came some sibling pictures.  Can't you tell how thrilled they are to pose?!  

As she sweated, her growing hair got stuck to her forehead. I took the permanent hairband from my wrist (the just-in-case one all moms have handy for when they're ready to pull their hair back) and made her first side pony!  

Holy.  Cuteness.  

Thank goodness for whispies, because her hairline in further back than most balding men's.