Hurricanes Soccer U12 CHAMPS!

March April and May, Saturday mornings are filled with Alyssa's soccer team.  Some of these girls she has played with since she was 5 years old.  Others are new friends.  The team has had a fantastic year, despite more than one coaching  change.  Fall season,  Coach Christy Mickle led the Huricanes to first place standing.  She stepped down for the spring season when she learned she was expecting.  After a bit of panic, thinking we had a Dad to coach, finding out they moved to Florida over the December break, the Wiggins family thought of a dear friend from church, Brittany Grider.  She took over and led the Hurricanes to the U12 Championship!  Ending the season with 5 win, 1 loss and 1 tie.

Alyssa herself has had an awesome year.  She has grown into a great defender and not much gets past her.  This accomplishment has come after many years of soccer games, enduring heat and cold, winter academy for two years, playing in ice and snow and arctic feeling conditions.  Her foot skills sometimes mimic dance as she takes the ball away from opponents.  She can clear a ball most the way down the field, but most impressive is how she can judge kicking the ball just far enough to make it land right where an offensive player can take it on down the field.

Picture above, preparing to kick the ball down field on a goal kick.

                                                                                                          Above, in deep thought, surveying the field.  Judging where the ball might go, so she doesn't have to run so far!

Game One of the playoffs.  Hurricanes (#1) played Tempest (#4).  Hurricanes won 3-0.  It was hot, 77 degrees, already at 1030am.  We only had 9 of 14 players show up!  So only one substitute the whole game.

This picture above made me laugh.  I take about 300 pics some games just to get a "good" shot.  But this one made me stop flipping thru the pictures and laugh heartily.  Look at the expressions and arm movements of Tempest girls.  And even our own midfiedler, Madison is unsure if that ball is coming at her.  No worries though, it went right to Madison's foot.  Madison had an awesome game, scoring her first goal of the season!

See the red State Farm pop up shade?  The girls were ever so thankful to the Porters for remembering to bring this to the game!

Between the games, we went to Subway and had a light lunch and enjoyed their wonderfully cool air conditioning!  Alyssa had constant questions about how she did, when she did it, what did we like? what could she improve? ...somehow we ended up telling her if her team won and she played her best, we would get fro-yo on the way home and her favorite calzone for dinner.....

Game 2 of the playoffs  Hurricanes (#1) played Lightning (#2)  130 pm.  Its still hot, about 88 degrees. We still have only one substitute.  But all the girls appear refreshed and the game starts with a hearty cheer..."lets go Hurricanes BOOM BOOM".....

Amy and I kind of joke because in some games Alyssa really doesn't RUN.  She will try to out think the ball.  This game....she ran.  FULL....OUT..... RUN.  and more than once!

                                                                                                            Yes, we parents still make a tunnel for the girls to run through at the end of the games!

The team with their first place medals!  From the left, Lauren Porter, Ainsley Jensen, Kirby, Ellie Oates, Alyssa and Coach Brittany

Other end of the team...Coach Wally Wiggins (filled in for Coach Brittany for 2 games)Tiffani, Maggie Chavis, Jocelyn Wiggins, Madison, Lauren Porter.  Missing players were Hanna and Jenna Burns, Juliette, McClendon and Caroline.

Coach Brittany and Alyssa.  She calls Alyssa solid and dependable!

Almost Easter Cupcakes

Jenna wanted to make cupcakes today.  Not sure why.  Probably saw it on some TV show!  I reminded her that we had egg shaped cup cake molds.  And the decorating began!!  Even Alec and Alyssa decorated their portion.  Amazing.  I thought they were too old for silly holiday stuff....I guess not when it involves food!

Cookies with Gigi!

Of course, being the only child who went to visit the Grandparents has definite advantages.....like having the entire kitchen island to herself....and getting to cut the entire batch of cookies out by herself and decorate them all!

Too bad we drove off and left them at Gigi's house!  I am sure she froze them for her.  Jenna will be visiting again over spring break.

2012 St. Patrick's Day Parade

March 16th

Jenna was my only kid who was remotely interested in going to Savannah for the parade.  I had planned all year to go to it, since the parade would be on a Saturday.  After planning to go, then canceling the trip due to high school registration, which got moved, the trip was back on!  Early Friday, Jenna and I packed our suitcases and jumped into the Mustang and headed south!

March 17th Parade

After painting our nails green, dressing in green shirts and jackets, green hats and beads, Jenna and I left Gigi's house by 645am.  We met Kelli. Sarah and Jake at Krispy Kreme.  We needed green donuts, a parade tradition for Kelli and I.  Too bad they are now covered in white icing and green sprinkles instead of just using dye to turn the Krispy Kreme green.  Guess that dye wasn't so good for us.



By 930, despite the prediction of 1 million parade watchers, we had found a spot to sit. Only 1 chair row back from the railing.  Jenna and I walked over to LaFayette Square and found Joe and the satellite truck.

By 1130, the kids were ansty.  Around noon, we got a teaser of police motorcycles and one band.  Then nothing.  Of course, we were all thinking that the parade is usually better organized than that.  Little did we know one of the drummers from the band had a heart attack!  They loaded him up in an ambulance and restarted the parade.  Can you imagine how many people and cars that ambulance had to get through?

At 230 the kids declared they were done with the parade.  We didn't even get to see the shriners....oh well, next year?!

Though exhausted, we wanted to see the Hamilton's new boat (AKA Kelli's boyfriend).  Jackie agreed to meet us at Thunderbolt.  We rode for about 3 hours.  I miss having a boat and an ocean!!  We went to "shark tooth island", but all we found were mosquitos the size of quarters.  Then we rode to Tybee and saw the light houses.  Jenna announced that "boats are no fun on the lake.  Boats are more fun on the ocean"!  I have to agree!!

Leprechaun Jenna fell asleep on the way back to Gigi's house.  But before passing out, she declared the trip to Savannah, the parade and a boat ride the new St Patricks Day tradition.  I have to agree once again!!

Jenna's Version of a Tree House

The kids have begged for a tree house as long as I can remember.  For awhile, the swing set appeased them.  Alec and Alyssa have gotten older and the back yard has lost its appeal.  I mean, no TV, no internet and no computers, so why venture out there? But Jenna, always creative, has come up with her own version of a tree house.   She even does her homework out there sometimes!

2012 First soccer game!

Saturday March 10th was the Hurricanes first game of the season, since last weeks game was canceled due to rain.  The Hurricanes are ranked number 1 in the girls U12 Rec League.  Alyssa and her friend Maggie are having an awesome year!  Having played on soccer teams together since they were five year old, they have an obvious advantage!  While Alyssa has become a defender that lets almost NOTHING get past her, Maggie has become an awesome offensive player, running lightening fast and scoring many goals.  They really complement each other on the field!  Its hard to believe us parents have been watching them run around for that long!

The Hurricanes have yet another new coach this season.  Coach Brittany Grider has stepped in and taken over and the girls really seem to love her!  There are 15 girls on the team this season, though only about 10 make it to the games. 

The Hurricanes won 4:1 today and everyone was quite thrilled. I hope to find my good cameras before the next game so I can take much better pictures!  

2012 Battle of the Books

Battle of the books  is one of Alec and Alyssa's favorite clubs at school.  Every year, a list of 20 or so books are assigned by a state literary group.  Through the school year, the groups meet and discuss the books, memorize title and author of each of the books and practice questions pertaining to each book. In March, all the groups in our county meet and have a competition.  Two teams of 5 kids are up on a stage and an adult asks each kid a vague question about a book from the list.  You can confer with team mates, but the person originally called upon has to answer the question, with the title of the book and the author.   Alec and Alyssa were anchors for our team, since they were the most experienced (Alec) and had read the most books (Alyssa).  During the answer sessions, you could tell these two really knew the book material!  Even though the team placed fourth, everyone had fun missing a day of school and eating lunch at the pizza hut buffet.  Alec tells me he and his two friends together made 24 trips to the buffet!  I guess they got their $9.12 worth of food!

Pictured here Brianna Cain, Arial Miller, Alec Taylor, Douglas Cain, and Alyssa Taylor.