2013-04-05: Black Socks

Breakfast is an unfailing tradition in the family. Cereal is only rarely pre-empted by oatmeal or pancakes, and a wide selection is typically available. Nigel's runaway favorite is Life, with Oatmeal Squares perhaps second favorite (aside from sugar cereals*, that is).

Dad often turns on songs in the mornings during breakfast, and Nigel's latest favorite is Black Socks, sung by Bill Harley (highly recommended). He laughs hysterically each time the performers say, "WHAT?!" Over and over that gets played.

*Dad has classified sugar cereals as being those that have at least 10g of sugar per serving. That round number has worked surprisingly well, though Raisin Bran is a disappointing casualty of the rule, and rarely gets eaten now, because of its high sugar content.

2012-2013: Indoor Soccer

This is being recorded much belatedly, so it will be quite lacking in detail, but be worth mentioning anyway. Dad has coached Nigel's indoor soccer team for two years now. Nigel has seemed to enjoy the soccer, though more the practice time than actual game time. (The same can be said about most of the kids on the team.) Dad has worked hard to keep things fun and engaging for all the kids, playing lots of different games with them during practice time, such as:

• Ball Rescue: The balls are stacked into a pile, then the kids released from the other side of the court to rescue them and take them to the goal, where they will be safe, using only their feet.
• Soccer Bowling: Balls are placed onto cones (the cones with round cut-outs on top). The kids stand some distance away with other balls at their feet, then try to knock the standing balls off the cones by kicking their ball into them.
• Score on the Coach: The coach stands in the goal and acts as though nothing will get past him. The kids all try to get their balls past him, and he sees to it that most of their attempts are successful, and at least one attempt from each child is.

Dad found a screaming deal on a bunch of cheap size 3 balls and got enough that all the kids on the team can have one, plus have enough others for games like soccer bowling, and keep a ball at everyone's feet as much as possible. Dad has been reading some about soccer education and discussing coaching with his boss, Joel, who is a coach trainer with quite a few years of coaching under his belt. He has learned that at this age, the most valuable ways to develop soccer players are to get them to handle soccer balls as much as possible, and most importantly, to enjoy playing soccer, whatever that may mean to them! Dad has made keeping things fun his top priority, with foot-on-ball time a close second.

2013-03-31: Easter and Singing Dad's Carousel Song

Mom made sweet rolls for Easter, using Grandma M.'s recipe. She was nervous about not getting a long-held family tradition right, but they were really good! That Mom, she is a good baker.

Nigel has been singing a lot of songs lately, including, Take Me Out to the Ballgame and Dad's Carousel Song (words below). Dad's Carousel Song is infectious, and Mom and Dad have both been caught singing it, as well. Dad's Forest Song has not caught on quite so well.

2013-03-25: Sick Friends Again

Nigel's stuffed friends are sick again, all throwing up. When this happens, Mom and Dad take it right in stride, expressing dismay and sympathy. The family gets out as many kitchen bowls as necessary for the friends to use, and they end up all around Nigel's bed, next to groups of the friends.

Nigel has been taking particularly good care of Baby Sarah, "Because she is my baby!".

2013-03-23: Mom's 5k

For the better part of a year, now, Mom has been working with a trainer, Ivan, on general fitness. She has really noticed dramatic improvements in her abilities to run, hike, bike and just play. Her strength and endurance are hugely improved, and perhaps the largest benefit has come in the near-complete elimination of knee pain for her, even when exercising. Of course, side effects of changes in her body composition have been dramatic, as well.

Ivan has a real talent for keeping things interesting and motivating, and Mom's competitive nature dovetails very well with his style. Dad looks forward to hearing the stories from each week's training session report. They usually begin with something along the lines of "That man is going to be the death of me".

This past couple of months, they have worked particularly on running, toward Mom's goal of completing a half marathon, targeting the Park City event in August. Today brought one of the fruits of all that labor: Mom's completion of her first 5k race! She ran the Running of the Leopards race, from This is the Place State Park down to East High School. Mom's knees had bothered her somewhat during the earliest weeks of training, but have improved enough for this event to be doable without discomfort until afterward, and manageable then.

The whole family is very proud of all Mom's work, as is Ivan. Dad and Nigel cheered Mom on at around the halfway point of the race, before having to leave to get to Nigel's soccer game. Grandpa and Grandma M. saw her off at the start, and also managed to make it to the finish in time to see her cross the line. Aunt Blaire came down and met Mom after the race to congratulate her, and all the rest of Mom's family sent congratulatory messages.

After the race, Mom came over to Nigel's (indoor) soccer game, which Dad was coaching, and Grandpa and Grandma M. decided to do so, as well. After the game, Nigel and Dad presented Mom with a medal they had made for her: gold, with a pink number five on the front (Nigel's choice of color, of course), and a striped ribbon to go around her neck. It was a very proud day for the family.

2013-03: Nigel's Music

Nigel's teachers at pre-school have noticed that he is often humming or singing music to himself while he works. Miss Shanny said she has been told that this is more common among gifted boys, in particular.

Mom and Dad have noticed Nigel singing often, as well, though perhaps not as much as he used to.

2013-03-10: Biking the Jordan River Parkway

Dad and Nigel went out for a big adventure today, taking their bikes to the Jordan River Parkway for a ride. Rather than his yellow run bike, Dad persuaded Nigel to bring his white-and-pink pedal bike, to encourage him to practice a bit more with it.

Nigel had fun riding, especially over a section of unpaved trail, which he said was very bumpy, no doubt due to the small size of his wheels. (It looked to Dad like a very bumpy ride, indeed.) The hills also illustrated the difference in perspective a child Nigel's age faces. What seemed to Dad like the slightest uphill gradient was a major undertaking for Nigel, and the downhills sent him coasting at speeds that certainly terrified Dad, despite Nigel wearing gloves and a helmet, and may even have frightened Nigel briefly.

After riding what must have been more than a quarter-mile, they stopped to throw sticks into the river. This game lasted at least half an hour, with the memorable quote from Nigel, "Dad, the Jordan River is the perfect place for throwing dead and dormant plants, isn't it?"

The ride back had most of the downhills, and went surprisingly fast, given the time it took to get to the stopping point. Dad has estimated the whole ride as having been more than a mile long, from the parking lot at 5400 S up to the bridge at about 5000 S, then turning around and heading back on the paved trail.