End of Soccer 2010

The soccer season finally wrapped up! I'd call it successful all around.

Of course, I'll remember the joy on Sarah's face as she raced down the field and how proud I felt when she scored a goal and blah, blah, blah. But, I'll always also remember a little girl from an opposing team.

The little girl was adorable. She wore bright yellow soccer shoes and a sweatband on her forehead. But it was her attitude that left an impression.

After apparently feeling slighted by one of Sarah's teammates, she unleashed on him. And what she said next will never be forgotten in the Fife household, never: "You better not push me again! I will pound you! And the revenge will come!"

Yeah, that little girl will go far in life. Or the revenge will come!

Here's Sarah's official team photo:



Can't wait until next year!

Pumpkin Patch with The Daisies

Sarah's Daisy troop had a field trip to a local pumpkin patch. What can I say, it was cold and the girls had fun. Here look at the pictures. They should say the same thing.

Trail Running - Good, Bad, Ugly

The Good: It makes me smile!



The Bad: Filthy, filthy feet and legs.



The Ugly: Well, sometimes there are spills...

First Ski of the Season

So, yesterday I made good on my word, packed up my x-country skis and headed for higher ground.

Honestly, I didn't think the trails would be skiable, but I threw the skis in my car anyway. Just in case.

And boy was I glad that I did. This is what I found at Meissner:



Perfectly skiable snow!



So, Lola and I got to work.



We skied a few miles and by the time we headed back to the car the flurries had diminished and the sun started to peak through the trees. A fantastic way to start the ski season!



Oh, but this wacky weather didn't completely go away. This was the scene at our house this morning - icy roads, sagging tree limbs and a couple of inches of snow. So pretty!



Wait. Did I just say "so pretty" in reference to snow? And did I just have a positive experience in early season snow?

Hmmm... Maybe I'm getting used to these long, long winters.

First Snow, Just a Dusting...

A very rainy day yesterday turned into snow flurries this morning. Hello, lovely snow.



Pack up the x-country skis and head to higher ground?



I'm thinking, yes!

Award Winner!

Sarah started out the school year with another Character Trait Award. This time it was for self-control. And as it so happens, one of her very best friends was also recognized for exceptional self-control. Now I know why play dates with these two go so smoothly. Aren't they sweet, posing so nicely?



Wait! Where is that superior self-control? Oh well, I guess they have to let loose sometimes...



But why is it always with me?

Food Notes

Just found a note that Sarah wrote sometime this summer. It's a menu for the week. When she wrote it, she let us each pick a dinner for a different night of the week. She had been complaining that she never got to choose what we had for dinner and wanted to take a little control but still be fair.

So the menu was a collaboration between all of us, and it confirms that Sarah's food choices are not normal for a kid. I mean, collard greens? Seriously? How many kids are asking for that on their dream menu?

1) Potatoes on Wednesday (Sarah's choice)
2) Tacos on Thursday (Dad's choice)
3) Collard greens and rice on Friday (Sarah's choice)
4) Tri-tip on Saturday (Dad's choice)
5) Baked chicken on Sunday (Mom's choice)
6) Avocado and rice on Monday (Sarah's choice)
7) Chicken noodle soup on Tuesday (Mom's choice)

And a conversation from last week:
Mom, what's for dinner?
Salmon, roasted beets and green beans.
Yeah!

A quote from this week:
Oh, these brussel sprouts are soooo good!

A quote from last night:
I don't really like hot dogs.

A quote from this morning:
Can I have edamame and pomegranate in my lunch?

So, my kid is a bit odd. But I'm not complaining...

South Sister

Finally got around to checking an activity off of my to-do list.

No, not shampooing the carpet. That is still left unchecked.

And might remain that way forever..

What I did is I finally summited the third highest peak in Oregon, a once active volcano known as South Sister.

I did this with two other women, two other POWERFUL women.



We took the "screw the view" approach and attacked the very steep climb at full speed. This allowed us to reach the summit in about 3 hours - a nearly 5,000 foot climb covered in almost 6 miles.

The majority of the climb did not feel as bad as I and my knees had feared - all except for the last red lava field to the top which is grueling. It's about a mile in loose cinder with a 1,500 foot gain in elevation and thinning oxygen. Ouch!

But the views were worth the effort. Middle Sister and North Sister are pictured here:



For the descent, we didn't slow down a bit. In fact, we sped up with a few spurts of jogging. Remember what I said about those two power chicks. I wasn't kidding.

All in all, the entire climb took us a total of about 5 hours and 20 minutes, an exhilarating 5 hours and 20 minutes! The guide books all told us to allow about 7 hours total.

Who cares that I could barely walk the following week and had to stifle little screams when I descended the smallest of stairs? It was a fantastic adventure, one that I'd even embrace again!