Is It Really Almost Spring?
Time is such a crazy thing. How can it possibly be the end of February and time for post-season competition already? Winter sports can seem to go on and on, but then you look back and think, how did it go so fast? We have been keeping busy with basketball and wrestling, with a few other activities sprinkled into the mix. We had all of the festivities with Courtwarming, including a dodgeball tournament that both the kids did again this year. They had their coronation night, but Gracie gave up the dress this year for the dance to wear a purple uniform for a mandatory Aces camp in St. Jo...
Owen's 8th grade team competing in the dodgeball tournament
I think they divided up mostly by lunch tables
Owen is thinking, "What do you mean I have to stay behind the line?"
He may have crossed once or twice. Woops.
Gracie's 10th grade team (each team had to have a girl)
She was recruited by other teams, too.
They didn't end up winning, but blamed it on not buying enough wrist bands to add "lives."
You could buy as many $5 wristbands to go back into the game as you wanted. It was a fundraiser for the school.
Gracie was angry. Play smarter next time, not harder.
However, Owen's team bought just enough and won the JH bracket.
They were pretty excited!
This is the closest to courtwarming dressing up we are going to get this year.
Chase and Gracie, still together, just no dance.
She did this instead for two days.
Gracie and I went up to St. Jo for an Aces mini-camp for a couple days. We had a good time together and I definitely picked a hotel with a hot tub to use while they were doing their workouts Saturday afternoon. It's always fun to have a girls weekend. It was pretty low-key, but we got another great meal at Texas Roadhouse before a fairly early bed time.
She also went to the Mizzou camp again this year and got pics with each of the coaches.
High School Wrestling
Nick has been officiating multiple times weekly almost every week since the junior high season ended. He was assigned a district for both girls and boys (two separate weekends) and then two days of state wrestling. He got to officiate on the same day that Southern Boone kids were wrestling at state. Owen has also been able to avoid a few days of school to watch/help with all the high school wrestling stuff. It is so exhausting for both of them, but they keep signing up for it.
Owen rode with Porters to Girls' Districts in St. Charles. Nick was also officiating there and Owen was going to stay with Nick, but ended up staying with some other Southern Boone families.
Oh, and they stopped at Top Golf on the way. I guess he can hit the ball pretty hard.
Four days of state wrestling.
Owen missed three days of school last week to be a towel tapper again for the state wrestling tournament. Good thing he does pretty well in school. But I have a feeling he will have some work to make up. He was at Mizzou Arena by 7:30am every morning and stayed until pretty late most nights. I think the first night was the worst... he wasn't home until after 10:30pm. I would be so tired.
Nick just officiated Wednesday and Thursday again this year, and also had a lot of work to make up, so went into the office on both Friday and Saturday. I didn't get a pic of both of them this year, but it was fun to watch our team wrestle with both of them right there.
Nick on duty
Owen counting down
Nova placed 5th!!!
Congrats Nova! I know you read this.
I am so happy I got to sneak over to watch her wrestle on the 2nd day. Such a huge accomplishment and I know wrestling is such a grueling, demanding sport, both mentally and physically. I don't know how they do it. Porters invited us to celebrate with them on Friday night, Nova's request for Texas Roadhouse. Well-deserved, I would say. What a fun week!
Moving on...
Owen had not competed since early February at Missouri Nationals. The tournament in Higginsville that we had planned filled up before almost everyone at CWC was able to register for it, so North Callaway was the last option on a Sunday before districts. It was a crazy week with state wrestling and he hadn't really practiced for almost a week, but ended up performing pretty well. He was grouped with some really good kids that he has wrestled and can challenge him. It was a long day, but a good day.
1st match
Came out with a 6-4 win
Owen won by fall in his 2nd match. Didn't get any pics.
3rd match 4-1 win
Keep it going, Owen.
Low 5 from Dad.
And a smack on the rear.
Stole this selfie from Nick's phone
I have a couple of good looking guys in my life.
1st Place
I think he is 16-2 so far with CWC.
Basketball
Oh, my. Where did the season go? The girls had practice and then a team dinner tonight before their first round of districts tomorrow. They have had a couple more wins and are now sitting at 11-14 for their season. They play Blair Oaks again tomorrow and beat them once, but didn't play very well earlier this season, so hopefully the outcome will be the same, and their performance will be better this time. They have had more than a week off from competition and have been working pretty hard for the past week in practice to play their best tomorrow. All the preparation is done. They just have to go do it.
Game against Centralia
The look Gracie is giving her coach...
Inbounding the ball
More at Centralia
At Boonville
Senior night is hard. Kind of got me thinking about two years from now again.
That's all I will say about that.
At least we came out with a win against Hallsville.
Gracie has loved playing with Chloe and Emma this year.
While at the last youth wrestling tournament this afternoon there were a lot of thoughts. I was mostly thankful that it was a beautiful day and there was a track to go run on during the 2 hours of time in between matches (reminder... Owen had 3 matches today and he didn't actually wrestle until 90 minutes after the tournament started). I also had some thoughts about the cloud of smoke I had to wade through as I walked outside the SCHOOL doors to get to the track. You know, the public school where there should be no tobacco use. Honestly, I haven't experienced this for awhile, but there was also the parent right outside the doors who was giving their son wrestling advice as he sucked on his cigarette. Seriously. I try not to be too judgmental of others. I mean, I'm definitely not perfect and do things that aren't healthy sometimes, but there is something not right with this...not that it's anything new down here in Missouri. Couldn't people at least go to the parking lot? I mean, it's not that far.
Anyhow... about the beautiful, sunny, 72 degree, cloudless day. I actually got 7 miles in!!! I haven't done that many in one day for a long time. I had plenty of time for more, but my legs were telling me no. The last mile was pretty slow. Oh, well.
I choose run breaks.
Here I am.
Tired and happy after a run.
Tired and happy after a day of watching wrestling.
Excited for the week ahead.
Hopeful for the next best thing.
Here we are.
February is almost done.
Let's keep the fun going!
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