Sport Season

We are really busy with the boy's sports starting back up.  Harri was so excited that basketball started back up once school went back.  He only knows one boy on his team this year as he had to go up to a different age group, but he's been loving it so far and has been playing really well. 

Every year I have asked Kobe if he wants to play a sport, but every year he says no. I have to admit that I was quietly relieved when he would say no, and wouldn't really push him to do anything.  I figured he would choose something when he was ready.  I asked him again this year and he cracked me up as he did a big sigh and said 'nah, I know I'll just get too puffed!'. 

A few days later he then told me that he's decided that he wanted to play soccer.  I didn't take him seriously as a couple of years ago he told me he wanted to play basketball, and we went to the first training session and he decided he had enough! :) But he kept on saying that he really wanted to play so I signed him up and told him that there was no changing his mind.

On his first day of training I got home from work, and he straight away told me that he had a 'sore heel'.  I had a feeling that he wasn't wanting to go to training, so I told him that he would still have to go and would have to just take it easy.  He started getting upset and was quiet as we drove to training. I knew he would have a few kids from school in his team, but when we got out of the car he started crying.  I asked him if he was nervous and he kept crying and then told me he was.  I told him it would be okay and pointed out the kids from school as we walked over. 

Kobe's coach had been messaging the team about training times, and all I knew was his name was Charlie.  When Kobe saw him he cried again and said 'oh great, and I'm not even going to understand him!'. I looked over and saw his coach and saw that he was Asian. I actually burst out laughing and said 'Kobe!! Of course you can understand him! I can hear him speaking English!'. 

His coach was really lovely and came over and shook his hand and said hi, and asked him which soccer team he goes for and asked him about his soccer top.  I could tell straight away he was going to be awesome, and within a few minutes Kobe was happy to join in and had a great time. 

I was excited to learn that his coach works at the same school that Jalen goes to and realised that he is actually Jay's maths teacher this year!  Jay had been coming home and talking about him a lot and kept saying how cool he was.  Kobe was very excited to come home and tell Jay that his maths teacher was his soccer coach!

Harri also had to move up an age group in soccer, and we knew he wouldn't know anyone on his team this year.  He's so much more relaxed than I am about it and said he didn't care and he would make new friends.   He's grown so much in the past year, and is now in men's sized shoes.  It's such a pain as it means that all of a sudden it costs so much more to get him shoes.  He had some very cool soccer boots last year, but had grown out of them so we had to get new ones again this year.  He is very particular about what he wants, and chose these.

He was very happy when he arrived at his first training, as one of his good friends from school was on his team.   I can't believe I now have two soccer players in the family!

Jay hasn't played any team sport since Aaron passed away, but over summer holidays he just randomly asked me if we still had a skateboard in the garage. I told him he we had a cheap old one, and he said he wanted to start learning to skate.  It cracked me up as it was so random, and was also something that Aaron started doing before Kobe was born.  Every day he would go over to skate at the school near our house and it was amazing that he was off his phone and out of the house!

I kept joking with him about it as he's not sporty like the boys, but it was so good to see him enjoying something and getting some exercise (and sun and fresh air!).   He would look at skateboards in town when we would go shopping and kept talking about different ones he liked.  I kept reminding him that he needs to get a job if he wanted to buy an expensive board.

Once school went back he was still loving it, and told me about a cheaper board that he saw in town.  I thought about it for a night and then told him that because he doesn't do any other sports and I spend a lot of money on paying for the boy's sports, that I would buy him the board he liked, if he promised to keep it up.  He was very excited and got the board the next day. I love seeing him enjoying something, and it's so strange to get texts from him saying 'if I'm not home when you get home, I'm out skating' or to see him get stressed if he can't get out for a skate.

Even Milly doesn't know what to make of Jay being outside in the fresh air!

Jay has started skating to school now, and he said it cuts down the walk to school by half.  Last week after school he went with his 'squad' for a skate after school. I love this photo that his friend Mel took of him and his friend Skye together.

He even enjoys coming for walks with us now, as it means he can skate while the other boys go on their scooters.

It's been a busy start to the school year, as the school athletic carnival and also the swimming carnival has already been on.  Kobe was so excited that the early childhood and primary carnival was on together this year and they loved being able to wear different colours for their house.  The boys are in Tamar which is green, and Aaron would've LOVED it as he was also Tamar when he was teaching at Kings Meadows High. 

Harri got a 2nd and two 3rds at the athletic carnival and then came 2nd in the 1500 m and 1st with his relay team.

At the swimming carnival he got three 3rds.  He was so happy and had his ribbons all proudly displayed in his bedroom. 

I love watching my boys enjoying their sport and know Aaron would love it too.  It's exhausting keeping up with it all as a single Mum, but seeing their smiles makes it all worthwhile.