stocks first day of school pics. He just like miss storie chose is own outfit. I dont even buy the kid clothes anymore because this is pretty much all he will wear. wrestling/football/baseball shirts (most of which seem to be signed by some pro athlete) and sport shorts. He is changing and growing older, as kids do. For probably only the 2nd time in his life he is by choice growing is hair out. It may also be only the 2nd time i really have allowed him to. Its mostly because haircuts make him enraged and long hair requires haircuts rather then a buzz. He is heading into the 4th grade and has a fantastic (almost toooo fantastic) teacher who i am sure will become smitten with him just as fast as the others have. I think from birth he has gradually become less mine and less of me and more of nate as well as just simply his. They are one in the same in far too many ways!
Then there is the tattoo. Dont worry disclaimer upfront, i am 100% aware of the situation i have created. That this tradition could result in my children coming home with real tattoos at some point. and should they do that ... well just so long as its a heart with the word 'mom' written on the inside, i wont mind.
So first day of school i draw a heart on the inside of the kids hands with the word 'mom' in it, to remind them that i am always with them, thinking of them, love them. Its supposed to be a comforting thing, because the first day of school is often filled with nerves. but i got to be honest with you, not really for my kids. they seem far to adjusted for some reason. totally comfortable with few concerns in the world. stock would not let me put it on his hand. cause then what if his friends saw it? but then he just wouldnt stop giggling either so i know he loves that i do this! but i insisted and told him he better pick a place cause i was putting the heart mom somewhere.
stock had an extremely busy summer. and i fear that the fall will be even more busy! It started with baseball, this time around regular old city league. We wondered how this was gonna play out with intense curiosity. Stock really has NO baseball experience. Nate has always focused on wrestling and football type things with him. But it was apparent at tryout clinic that stock has the magic that nate always has when it comes to athletics. So in the end he was the star and the starting pitcher the entire season. Baseball is super fun to go watch, especially with little boys! His skills were pretty naturally good but they improved with each passing practice and game. At the end of his season his team did not make it to the playoffs but in this league teams that do can recruit other players to play for them. So just when i thought it was over ... it was extended. It was fun to see him get some more playing time.
Baseball led right into several wrestling and football camps all over the valley and pretty back to back. I am pretty confident at this point that there have been very few days in the last few years this kid didnt get a work out in. Camps went great and we were excited to even be "scholarship ed" to a few (what were you thinking i cant afford all this!) good thing the kids is well known and liked with skills or there is no way we could do all this. as nate would say (because larry miller would say) preparation mixed with opportunity = success.
AND he did swim team this year. I know your exhausted just reading this, cause i am typing it!
its clear this is a conditioning sport for him. which is good. his heart is not in it and he doesnt put that heart into that i see elsewhere but he does it and enjoys it and because he is strong he is pretty good at it. Just before county he injured his neck (which landed me in a trainers office having a conversation about my son and athletics i never thought i would, at least not this young.) so he swam but didnt do his best. i think he took 3rd in one race and DQ the others.
He also turned 9 this summer. He got BYU football camp and all sport related stuff. Nate took him and 5 friends to a movie then they came back for some football in the yard and cake. One friend gave him a cold stone gift card. One of my favorite summer days was taking him there for an ice cream date just me and him. I doubt that the friends mom has any idea that she gave him and me much more then some ice cream! I should tell her ...
In his spare time (which was next to nothing) he went to the cabin with nate to help with the hunting preparation and sharpen his own shooting skills. Both kids have become pretty accurate with the BB guns. Sometimes i wonder what world i stepped into, seems so foreign.
Then football started ... Stock really wanted to play tackle this year and nate of course was 100% behind this. I had my reservations, as any mom would. He is only 9. But you might also be surprised to hear (ok so maybe some of you wont be) that some kids start tackle in 1st grade. Ok peeps so worried my kid is gonna get hurt and then any chance of all these athletic careers will be over! anyhow its no joking kind of team. practice every single day for 2-2.5 hours the month prior to games. where after words practice continues 3 days a week for that long and games every saturday. At the first game a kid on the other team got hurt bad enough the paramedics came. I am sure you can imagine how comforting this was to me. He does look so darling in his little pads and pants, like the man i adore so i cant help but just adore him too. He is doing pretty well and as good of shape as he was in before his body has changed a lot in the last few weeks. i didnt even realize it until we went on one last swim pool trip before summer ended. and i was like hmmm. not what i last remembered. He loves football from what i can tell, and i think his dad loves it too! He is playing on both offensive and defensive lines so he plays most of the game. Though is not really playing the position he would prefer at the moment.
this isnt the best pic, i am so bad i dont take enough sport pics. but i just get all anxious when i am there and can barely force myself to be calm.
so with football comes more football. in the form of BYU games. Stock has been spoiled with team attention! our home teacher plays on the team and he has gotten some special opps (thanks to saylor more on that later.)
so with the changing of leaves arrives the boys favorite season.
soon wrestling will start .... when will i ever catch my breath!
1 comment:
Your kiddos are adorable. I love the story of Stockton and the heart. Miss you guys. P.S. I like your new layout.
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