Spooky
Category Archives: Luke
New school year
Jack and Luke off to a first day of middle school. 8th grade for Luke and 7th grade for Jack. Grammy picks them up in the morning and takes them every morning. It is special time for these young men to see their grandmother every day.
Lila started school for the first time this fall. And Maggie started a new school, Bryn Mawr. Noah started college at UMBC. And Eden off to her 3rd year, at UMBC. Liz is done with school!
Coaching Luke and Jack
On Saturday, Jack and Luke played their last game of the season. It was a joy to coach them all spring. Our team was not great. We went 3-7. We had several guys on the team who had never played lacrosse before.
We practiced every Tuesday and Thursday night at Spring Grove on the grass field. We practiced late, 7:30-9:00. It was bitter cold at the beginning of the season and seemed to rain all spring. But we did our soft hands. And we went to practice. And we got better and did it all together.
Jack was the smallest guy on the team. And Luke was the biggest. Neither one was afraid at all. Jack won more ground balls than most guys on the team. And Luke checked everyone who came near the crease. Jack played mainly attack while Luke played mainly defense. Each of them earned a game ball at some point during the season. Jack earned one the last game.
At the last game, we started the game man down. Some boys late and a lot didn’t post. Jack had to run midfield the whole game. He never complained and he fought for every ground ball. He hustled and had a great attitude and got two assists in the game.
They both had fun and want to play again this summer and next year. They are talking about playing RoughRiders like their older brother.
Halloween 2021
Such a fun Halloween celebration. Maggie and Jack were excited to carve pumpkins. Jack loved the Halloween decorations, so we scouted out the neighborhood the day before and picked the best house to trick or treat at. Luke was a plague doctor; the costume was HOT, so he bowed out from trick or treating after an hour or so. Jack went strong into the night and canvased a huge swath of the neighborhood. Somehow, Maggie got more candy though than him. Our littlest nugget, our avocado, didn’t make it out to trick or treat. She stayed at home on the front porch to hand out candy … and nap.
Lila and her big brothers
Louisville Banquet – quick trip with my “Big Boy”
Luke was the lucky sibling that got to go with me on a quick trip to Louisville for Liz’s lacrosse banquet in Sep 2021. It was a grueling 18 hours behind the wheel in just over 48 hours. But it was so worth it to spend time with Luke, and to get to see Liz.
We made the most of limited time. We left at 4AM on Friday. When we arrived late Friday afternoon, maybe 2PM, Luke wanted to work out and then get in the pool. So we lifted some weights, did some cardio, and took a quick dip. Liz was at a practice and then mandatory study hall before we could pick her up.
We got her! Picked her up at her house and took her out to dinner. We went to the Old Spaghetti Factory. It is in downtown Louisville. Had a huge meal. Liz ate it all up, lots of carbs, and she probably could have kept eating. She was smiling and talking all night. We loved her company. The next day, we knew we wouldn’t get to see her much because the team had three lacrosse games, so we relished every second of our time together.
Next morning, Luke and I went out for a special breakfast at Highland Morning. Luke got the leaning tower of waffles. And yes, we did some Pokemon GO. Really, I was more into it than Luke. But we both loved the meal before heading to the fields.
We watched Liz’s games. She is still injured from her ACL surgery. But we watched and cheered on her team. And then we needed to go get some clothes for the banquet. Oh no, we did not pack appropriately!
Luke cleaned up nice! Great new shirt. L’s up for Luke as we checked out the Louisville stadium. The banquet was in the stadium in one of the banquet rooms off the main level. Very cool to see how far the lax program went last year. And great to see Liz and some of her teammates and coaches. Luke and I were watching the clock, because we needed to leave at a reasonable hour to get home.
We were sad to leave Liz. Said goodbye at 9:30PM Sat night and hit the road. We drove through the night. Luke asleep in the back seat. Me driving. Had to stop at a rest stop to take a quick nap somewhere in WV. But made it home just before 6AM. I had lacrosse practices all day, so we made it in time to saw some Zs at home before heading out for lax.
Til next time Liz, we will miss you.
School daze – back to school ?!
After what seemed like a year and a half of home schooling, everybody went back to in person school. Maggie and Eden off to Gerstell. New beginnings for these two.
Seven
They grows up and they grows up and they grows up.
Look what we’ve made. Lila’s first few weeks of life zipped by. Dad was dealing with lacrosse nonsense, per usual. Liz was recovering from ACL surgery and going back and forth to the rehab several days a week. Jack trying out for lax teams. Noah and Maggie finishing up a summer schedule for lax. Eden and Maggie preparing for a new school. The boys all getting ready to go back to school for the first real time in a while. Liz was finishing up summer school; she managed to take three classes with exams (which she had to take in Essex) and have surgery in the middle of it. Luke got a bike for his birthday and everybody was wheels up in August. Maggie went camping with Becca in Chincoteague. We all took a quick trip down to spend a night or two with Aunt Joan and Uncle Greg. Eden started a job at Play It Again Sports. All the while, Lila was eating, sleeping, crying and pooping. And being loved.
And in a blink, it was time for the seven to part, at least for Liz to hit the road to go back to Louisville.
Taking stock. Seven is a lot. There is a lot of love in this picture right here. A lot of kids who are smart, respectful, funny, conscientious, and, in my opinion, pretty amazing. And I want them all to be happy. So, we do our best as parents to provide for them. Help them become good citizens. Help them through their struggles. Help them dream. Help them grow. Help them to learn the value of hard work. And help them find joyous moments in life.
2020 was tough. In so many ways it was tough. It was tough on Liz. It was tough on Eden. Noah did well, but 2021 threw up new challenges. Maggie seems to bee bop through anything that comes her way. 2020 was tough on Luke. Jack is a cool customer and is ready to be back to school soon. It certainly had some hardships for Marcia and me. And Lila is coming onto the scene with no expectations.
At the end of 2021, I hope to have two (licensed) drivers in the house, and one working on it. And Eden figuring out where she wants to go to college. And for the seven to be together again for a few weeks around Christmas.
Bobcat Ceremony
Last night, the boys had their Bobcat Ceremony for Cub Scouts. This is the first time they earn badges as a scout. To earn the badge they had to do some basics of scouting, such as reciting the Scout Oath and learning the Scout Law.
During the ceremony, I painted their face with different colors.
Blue is from the sky. The blue paw print of the Bobcat on their forehead is the spirit of the bobcat, and to remind the scout to do their best on the Cub Scout Trail.
Yellow is from the sun. The yellow marks under their eyes help the scout see the light of the Cub Scout Train, and symbolize the bright spirit of Cub Scouting.
White. The white on the scout’s nose is for purity and to help the scout know right from wrong as they go along the Cub Scout Trail.
Red. The red mark on the scout’s chin is for courage to always speak the truth.
Green. The green mark symbolizes the spirit of nature to guide the Cub Scout in living with harmony with the great outdoors.
The boys also painted a white stripe on my nose so that I can guide them.
I really enjoyed the initiation ceremony. And beyond initiation, the boys had already earned some badges as well.
I am enjoying the process. Kids earn badges or belt clips according to their individual accomplishments. They are encouraged to succeed by those around them. There is not internal negative competition brought on by the parents. There is just a supportive environment of people, somewhat like-minded, wanting to raise their kids right, and be part of a community of people putting effort into raising their kids right.
This is so different from the youth sports culture that my other kids have been immersed in. It is refreshing, and I am grateful for the leaders of the pack. These are good guys.
Scout’s Honor
Luke and Jack recently joined the Cub Scout Pack 306. I was in Pack 306 when I was a kid. I am really enjoying our new tradition together. We go every Wednesday to Den meetings. The boys like their den leaders, and they are being taught some valuable lessons.
There are so many institutions these days which are afraid to teach kids morality or a value system. Sports and school leave so many gaps. And I am really excited how Cub Scouts is providing some cool opportunities for them.
Their first camping trip with the Cub Scouts was at the state park near our house. The boys started by putting up the tent. They had this down pat. They got excited when their friends started showing up. Pretty soon, the party started and they went with their Dens on hikes. Jack is a Wolf. Luke is a Bear.
After their hike, they learned different things, like splitting wood properly, tying knots, plant identification, and fire safety. Then they cooked their own dinner on the fire. They learned how to clean their mess kit. And then each of their dens did a skit at the camp fire.
The three of us slept at night in our tent. And in the morning, we cooked and ate breakfast. Cleaned up the camp and went home.
Everybody pitches in. And the people are generally really nice. I am excited to be there having these experiences with my boys.
Six With Sticks 