With that, here in bullet form is what we’ve been up to since Halloween.

• Ben finished football season with two games in November.  Highlights of the season:  starting at wide receiver in the last few games, ending the season with four catches for almost 100 yards and  1 touchdown.
• The regular soccer season for both kids ended in early November.
• We celebrated Zeny’s birthday.
• A weekend trip to Chicago where we saw Ted’s mom, caught up with some old college friends,  went to the very exciting Northwestern v. Iowa game, and where Ben met up with the director of the Integrated Science Program, the honors science program that Ted majored in.  Ben was able to find out a lot about the program, and chat with some professors and students about the academics and student life at NU.
  
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• Ben’s team won their post-season soccer tournament.

• Thanksgiving with Ted’s brother and his wife, but without Ted’s mom this year, who was recovering from surgery and unable to travel.
• A weekend trip to Philadelphia to visit the Franklin Institute, to make up for a field trip that Kate missed because we were on our way to Chicago the day her class went.  We also saw the Liberty Bell, Constitution Hall, and other notable Philadelphia sites.
  
• Basketball season started for both kids.
• Kate had her school chorus concert
• Christmas!

Kate, not being the first seed, had to play a second game despite winning their first.  Unfortunately, they lost that second game so are now in the losers’ bracket, which means one more loss and they’re out.  But at least they get to play a second weekend.

And pictures from last weekend’s games.  We head into the real fun this weekend, with the tournament.  Ben’s team is seeded #1, after an undefeated season.  Kate’s team …. is not seeded #1, although they did topple the #1 seed last weekend in the last regular season game! 

Ben also started playing futsal on Sunday.  He loves playing since it’s a small field with only 4 field players.  You are actively involved no matter where you are on the field.  Ben scored 5 goals, and since he primarily plays defense in outdoor soccer, this was a rare treat for him.  No pictures from futsal since those lighting conditions are even more dismal than basketball, although I might try to bring my little Flip camera next week.  If I’m succesful, I’ll post clips here.

Ben’s game was on Sunday and I had a freshly charged battery!  But no memory cards.  I had forgotten to put them in the camera bag I use for basketball (my soccer bag is one that will accommodate the camera with a long lens already mounted, whereas I use the 85 1.8 to shoot basketball).  So of course I have NO pictures from that game.  And it’s too bad, since th Ben also had a good game, including 6 points in the 4 th quarter, with his last basket being the game winner. So frustrating, but now my bag is all packed, and double and triple checked.

Ted also says that this is his last year of coaching the boys, but he said that last year too.  I keep trying to tell him to stick it out one more year, until Ben starts high school.  We’ll see.  Pictures from the last two games are below.