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This lax season was one for the books. Michael coached Andrew's 3-4 team for the third year and I'm not sure which one of them was more pleased with that. While commuting from Arlington was never easy, he made it happen a remarkable number of times.
Michael and Hunter gave these kids everything they had and coached them through an 8-0 regular season---extra impressive considering they have a rotating goalie! Ready for the play-offs, then the rains came...and came, and came, and came. No play-offs could be held. No practices could be held. For nearly 2 weeks, end the season or squeeze them in was the pendulum constantly swinging. The question posed----would you rather end the season with no play-offs, or have some sort of tournament and potentially lose? Without batting an eye lash, Andrew exclaimed, "I'd rather play and lose than end the season now undefeated. I just want to play one more game!".
Couldn't be more proud of this kid's attitude---and the fact that he was the only kid not crying when they ultimately did lose. Nothing to take away from the winning team, but it's difficult in that heat and humidity not to have any subs b/c the game was played Memorial Day and players were out of town. Andrew's chin was quivering, but he admitted it was the combination of disappointment, heat exhaustion, and the sheer energy he had put forth. He fought every face-off for us until he asked Dad for a break in the 4th quarter. Face-offs take an extraordinary amount of energy - it's described as hard fought 10-second wrestling match...which you do again, and again, and again, while only running in between goals and the next face-off. He won 10 of them, and twice sprinted down for an immediate goal. 6 goals in a game ain't too shabby. Face Offs are so hard to capture from a distance...
Matthew's Pre-K Graduation marked the end of a beautiful 9-year journey for our family. When we moved here November 1, 2009, Andrew started a little one-day 18-month class offered then. Over the next nine school years, we had nothing but amazing teachers, strong leadership, and happy children. This sweet Christian preschool is such a very special place in so many ways.
My 30's were consumed by babies, toddlers, and preschoolers. It's hard to believe that nearly all at once, they have all vanished. I'm not sure where the time goes, or how to better appreciate life stages while in the midst of them because leaving them sure is difficult. The Lord is faithful, though, and sprinkles my memories most notably with the good and sweet times rather than the painful and difficult ones. We pray that Matthew's day spent in the director's office will be the only time a Killian is sent to the Principal's office and subsequently kicked out for the day! Other than that, nothing but great experiences at this wonderful place. To God be the Glory! Great Things He Hath Done (here)!
Pre-K Processional----fitting that he was the last child in out of all three classes as when he started 4 years ago, he was the very youngest child in the entire preschool. What a handsome young man he's grown into there.
"5 Plump Peas" - you say it fast 3 times!
We don't recall Andrew and Margaret's classes doing this----and we also didn't know that there was an entire song for it and not just, "Firetruck! Firetruck! I wanna ride on a Firetruck!".
"Make new friends but keep the old, some are silver and the other gold. Like a circle that has no end, that's how long I want to be your friend." Oh, my heart!
Kindergarten, Here We Come!
Hardly seems like 5 years ago that we were first here!
It was a beautiful morning full of big smiles and big tears.
A boy and his dog:-)
A sneak peak at their last project time in their room.
Always a beautiful ceremony in the beautiful First Pres Sanctuary.
Bottom left----hard to see him since he wasn't on a step and so close to the piano.
These three---so very proud of Andrew and Margaret for not thinking twice about being pulled out of FIELD DAY, of all days, and missing those special activities to support Matthew. Since Michael and I are both the youngest in our families, Matthew will always have our support in terms of things being made just as big of a deal for him as they were for the others.
Dody!!!
Mrs. Moon! Our firm and faithful preschool leader through all three children. We appreciate her style so much and will miss her impact dearly.
Lucy!
Virginia and Lucy! So funny----all year it's been all about Tyler, Jack, Cabell, Stuart, Mac, Anderson....all boys, until the last month. And suddenly at our lunch after graduation, you'd never even have known there was another boy there!
And what did YOU get for your pre-K graduation??? An ENT appt to get his nose "fixed"....don't know who is more excited about this, Matthew or Mommy!
The family tradition---Kohr Brothers bigger than your face.
Then off to Fairview to help with opening day preparations and home for Daddy's new toy! Yes, it's real, after collecting every possible fake over the last 10 years. Matthew, "Oh, Daddy! Your dream finally came true!!!!". So after 20 years, yes. He has a motorcycle again:-)
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Had we packed any more performances into the last three days, we would have had to forgo sleep!
Ah, May has arrived!
Matthew was one of only two Pre-K kids in the Tuesday Pea Pod players class, which allowed him a leadership opportunity that this child rarely enjoys. His teachers had forewarned me, "He makes the show!". And he really did do great, if for no other reason than he actually did do the entire show (unlike most kids!). He sang every word of every song, audibly, with all hand motions! Ms. Melanie always does an amazing job and this spring was no different.
The Pea Pod Players present The Nanny Goats Gruff:
"Watch Out! Watch Out! There's a troll over there!"
Late that night, Happy Birthday, Daddy---Praising God a little extra for 44 after last year's cake mishap!
Friday, Andrew enjoyed a LONG field trip to DC, focusing on several art museums. Meanwhile, Margaret was downtown at the Paramount Theater for a 6 hour dress rehearsal!
Saturday morning was their annual piano recital at PVCC. Not many this young have the opportunity to play a grand piano on stage in a college auditorium.
Ann Anderson and her son, Michael, have impressive students that are always ready to play. These long time instructors certainly know how to prepare their students. Two of Michael's are graduating seniors who played 6-7 pieces of true art. Quite accomplished musicians, it was a joy to experience the both.
Thanks to Susan for the lovely corsages.
Ms. Andrew with her Killians, Wayners and DeGoas.
Saturday night brought with it the arts for C'ville as Charlottesville Ballet Academy celebrated its Decade of Dance. The last piece included the elementary classes from four local schools where CBA offers FREE classes during the year. Additionally, they award lifetime scholarships to two students from each class at every school----incredibly generous of them!
It's a good thing the Paramount is captivating because Margaret was there for six hours both Friday and Saturday for dress rehearsals! But while the real show was her third time watching, she was still captivated, and for good reason. Each piece was stunning. Several were introduced by videos from the choreographers explaining the heart behind them. The family favorites were the dance done by the blind folded couple, the dance performed to a poem rather than music, and the trilogy depicting the wives of WWII---costumes and music all period pieces. Not a leotard or ballet slipper to be found in the show, it was truly spectacular art...which also meant no pictures or videos to remember.
And the grand finale included 100 little girls on stage with the professionals all doing the same dance!
Can you see my girl? In her white with her flowers??
After church, we had a double-header...cause why play just one game on a weekend like this?? The boys were down 4 goals to STAB, of all teams, and battled back to send us into OT with just 8 seconds left. We thought OT was 4 minutes, but within another 8 seconds, we had secured victory in what turned out to sudden death in our league. So proud of these young fellas (and the big one, too), but there was no time to celebrate....had to play again!
Off to an 0-3 start, these guys had to find it in themselves again, but they did. And they pulled off another victory to end the regular season 8-0. Always impressive to go undefeated, especially without a dedicated goalie! (Little man always loves jumping in the huddle.) However, Andrew is coaching his teammates on the importance of taking every game as it comes. He remembers well the crushing defeat in the first round of the VABA tourny after finishing the basketball season undefeated, too.
Owen! Finally, a friend at Woodbrook playing lax, too!
Next stop = AWANA Awards Night. These kids have all done incredible work this year memorizing verses and passages week in and week out.
Matthew battled through a gushing bloody nose just in time to make it to stage for his award:-)
Margaret was awarded her "SPARKS Plaque" for memorizing the 150 verses required for the K-2 age group.
Margaret's lead teacher pulled me aside on the way in..."Have your camera ready. Margaret's Clubber of the Year, again. You're not supposed to be allowed to win two years in a row, but there was no one else in the class we felt genuinely deserving, so we lobbied for the rule to be changed for her."
Oh, how a parent's heart melts! And to think that she won the MLK, Jr. award in Kindergarten and Clubber of the Year for the first time both before she even went to Greystone and learned what being a G girl is all about! There's something in that girl...she's something else.
Clubber of the Year - Awarded not for number of verses memorized, but for effort, energy, engagement, enthusiasm and helpfulness with other clubbers.
These TNT kids (Truth in Training) have memorized something like 500 verses at this point. There's a reason they call it the Excellence Award. Two more years to go---cannot wait to see what he accomplishes with his faithful work each week.
And then, we collapsed. It was such a busy weekend that we didn't even document that Grandma was here and Dody and Granddaddy made the recital and lunch! Need to get better about that. Afterall, the point of all of this is to provide memories for them someday when I cannot.
