Baskettball Season

My husband says how different our town is compared to when he grew up here. When he was a child there were 8-10 families that had 6-14 kids each. He says that across from our house was a baseball field that was always occupied by the local kids. He remember's there always being someone to play with. Today it's a bit different. Our primary has just over 20 kids in it. In fact our Junior Primary is so small that we only have 2 teachers. One teaches the sunbeams and the other teaches everyone else. This makes it hard on this 2nd teacher as she has about 10 kids ranging from age 4-8. Now that being said more than half of those kids our my kids immediate cousins.  I learned real quick that my kids love to play with there cousins but sometimes it's nice to be able to play with a just a friend too. Unfotunately most of my kids classmates live anywhere from 15-40 minutes away. It's not easy to get them together and I've been amazed at how many parents tell me they don't want to have to come to my house to pick there child up after school. We live to far away! Frankly I hate it!!! So wanting my kids to make friends outside of cousins and to give them an opportunity to play with them I've allowed Hunter and Madelyn to play whatever sport or participate in whatever acitivity they have had an interest in at school. 

Over these past few months (since November) both Hunter and Madelyn have played baskettball. This year Hunter's team wasn't too bad. His practices were after school and almost every game was at our local highschool. This still gives me a 30min. drive one way but it was an oppportunity that Hunter really enjoyed. Somehow my pictures that I took got "lost" so I have none to share. His team had 19 kids on it and they were 3rd/4th graders. Our team was split into two due to it's size. They were almost undefeated! They only lost one game and it was to our other half which is kind of funny being all kids played for both teams. Hunter's season ran from the beginning of November until the middle of January.

The week after the boy's season was complete the girls started. No rest for this family. Madelyn's team has had practice 3x a week before school at 6:00am. This has been difficult. Where as there wasn't anyone local I could car pool with Hunter's team I've had another mom to car pool with Madelyn's which had made her crazy schedule a little easier to deal with. We get our 8 year olds up about 5:15 a.m, pick each other's kids up about 5:35 and have our kids to practice by 6am. In my opinion this is way too early for any 8 year old!! On top of the 3x a week practice she has one game. Unfortunatley only 2 games of the 6 were home games. We've had to travel to Kanab and Fredonia which are an hour away from home. All of her games have started at 4:30 pm too. I hate this time. How our dad's suppose to make it to these early games?? Madelyn is #10

 I feel like we've been living in our van lately. If the kids were to ride the bus home from school we would be late for these far away games. So instead I pick everyone up from school, drive to the game and hang out in the car for up to an hour! Hunter's teacher at school realized what I was doing and offered her classroom to us to use after school.  I've taken her up on this these past few weeks. While we wait in her classroom we read, do homework and visit. Basicly the same thing we do in the van while we wait but we each have more personal space and moving room. The kids still get bored but it beats sitting in the van. If only we didn't have freezing temperatures and we could play outside!

Maddies team is also 3rd and 4th girls. She being in 3rd makes this her 1st year playing the game. Last year she was able to participate in a baskettball camp. At the end of the 2 weeks the girls played each other.  

We've got one more week of baskettball. I can hardly wait!! Her last game this week is a home game which makes it even better. The majority of her team are 3rd graders, just learning. It's been a little hard on her knowing Hunter's team was basicly undefeated and they've only won one game of the 5 they have played. We keep telling her that as long as she's playing her best that is all that counts. Winning is fun but it's not everything.

I'm so looking forward to the season ending. I feel like I'm at the end of my rope. Most mon/wed I drive to at least Orderville 2x for practice and preschool which is being in the car for just under 2 hours throughout the morning. When there's a game on the same day I feel like I've been gone and in the car most of the day. On game days I get the 2 hours in the morning of being in the car than another 2 hours in the afternoon/evening for games. I leave my house on these days at 2:30 and don't get home until 6:30/7. So glad it's almost over. Wed are my hardest day's. So glad I've only got one more. Till next year'!