Basketball, All the Time

Three kids, three teams. It's all basketball, all the time for us lately. Here's how it works: Heather is on the girls' Junior Hoops team.  It's for kids in grades 3 thru 6. Cole is on the boys' Jr Hoops team. These are not school teams, but each town in the district has a team and practices and games are held at the schools. Coaches are volunteers. Wayne and Cole, as middle schoolers, are on the school team. So you see, Cole, as well as several other 6th graders, is on two teams.

Here is a little video of Wayne and Cole's game at Albany this past week. Cole is not in this video. As a younger player, he doesn't get as much playing time on this team, which is why Jr. Hoops is helping out with experience. Wayne is #22 on the green team.

Albany has a very small gym!

Heather's team plays Brownington Saturday morning and wins. Heather is #30, green shirts.

 Cole's team plays Brownington and wins.

 Wayne and Cole's middle school team had a tournament on home turf. This was an 8th grade fundraiser for their trip to Hershey, PA. Wes ran the clock for several games. I sold tickets. Wayne, between games, had to sell tickets and concessions. Lots of 8th grade parents helping out, selling hotdogs, baked goods, chips, candy, drinks... The tournament ran all weekend, starting Friday evening, all day Saturday, all day Sunday, and just now Sunday evening can we finally come up for air. (Time to do laundry for school tomorrow!)

 They were winning this game by a long shot, so Cole and the other younger players got some playing time here. 

Cole looks like he's doing some dance moves.

They played well, but ultimately lost to North Country Jr. High in a later game.

Although they didn't win the tournament, the fundraiser was a success and raised around $2000 for their trip (they need $14,000 and they've been working hard all year to raise money.)

Happy 2016!

We spent the last days of 2015 outside in the snow again.

On Wednesday, Heather and I went for a snowshoe walk.

Then, on New Year's Eve day...

Cole works on a snowman.

 Meanwhile, Heather and I finished this lovely lady.

 And in the end, this is the disturbing scene Cole created. Very creative.

 Then Heather and I went for a walk in the woods. We made a few mini snow people along the way.

(Wayne was not home to make snowmen with us - he was at his friend, Asom's, birthday)

 We saw lost of rabbit tracks in the snow.

 The deer that eluded hunters all season are now wandering everywhere, safely, in the woods.

Later in the afternoon, we also went for a snowshoe with Joanie.

 Studying some animal tracks.

 And a history lesson about the fence and gate in the middle of nowhere.

 Another mini snow person guarding the site (until Spike plucked its head off and we had to make another)

Here's hoping 2016 is filled with special moments, big and small, for all of us.

Enjoying Our Sudden Winter

We got our first real snowfall of the season today and the kids made the best of it.

There was a lot of sledding.

Here is a trio of very short videos.

Heathe, Spike, and I took a night walk in the woods. The snow was not deep enough to require snowshoes.

The rectangular shadow in each photo is my camera casting a shadow in the light of my headlamp. 

Heather wanted to take a rest.

Coming back home the house looked cozy.

Lately (Including Christmas)

Heather is too young to play basketball on the school team, but she is on the Lake Region Junior Hoops Glover team. It's for grades 3 thru 6. Boys and girls are on separate teams. Glover had so many girls who wanted to play basketball this year that they had to make 2 girls teams! (Cole is on the boys' team, and as a 6th grader, he is also eligible to play for the school, so he is on TWO basketball teams.) Below, Heather manages to sink 2 foul shots like an old pro (3rd graders are allowed to stand a little closer to the net) in a nail biter game against Irasburg. The tie game went into overtime, when Glover scored and then Irasburg scored again. This was a late evening game so rather than do a 2nd overtime, the game ended in a tie.

 We have no snow.

 December 23rd, already on school break. Cole and I went for a walk in the woods, enjoying the 59 degree weather. Thank you El Nino, whatever you are.

 The beaver pond.

 Our tradition of making a gingerbread house continues.

 This one may not be our best work, but it was fun.

 Heather dressed for Christmas Eve Mass.

 A Christmas full moon.

 Christmas Eve we crashed Joanie's evening with friends Cindy and Jerry for some Christmas music. You can't really see in the photo, but Cole is playing a drum and Heather has a tambourine.

 Christmas day, after all the gifts were opened, Heather and I went for a walk in the woods. No snowshoes required.

 Peter, Jeanne, Katie, Lizzy, Joanie, and Martha came over for dinner. Joanie shared these cute little wooden spinning toys.

Heather is wearing a birthday outfit from Julie. Very cute and festive.

 Lizzy demonstrates.

Dinner

I didn't get a photo of dessert, but Jeanne brought cookies and Wayne had made a maple walnut pie. 

More singing. Heather has changed into another outfit, this one from Jeanne.

Headed to see my mom in Maine tomorrow morning with Cole.

Hope everyone had a wonderful holiday with their loved ones.