Oliver's first sport!!

We asked Oliver which sport he wanted to try out this fall and he chose Soccer!  This is his first time doing any kind of city sport and he was SO excited!  

He was especially excited about the UNIFORMS!!  I think we can all remember being a kid and thinking how cool it was to have some kind of team uniform, it's like instantly being a part of something.  (The fact that they are orange, I personally love since it's my favorite color.)  His team's name is the DYNAMOS!  DYNO-MITE!!!  ha, ha

The first game they had it was BLAZING hot.  I mean roasting!  Poor kids, I think it was about 95 degrees. You can see from the picture Oliver's red face from running.  The rest of the fam took shelter in the baseball dugout to at least be in the shade.

I guess Oliver didn't get the Danklef sweat genes because he was sweating up a storm!  But overall despite the heat, he LOVED it!  He just couldn't get over the awesomeness of it all.  After the game he kept talking about his uniform and how silky it was.  He kept saying, "Mom, I think this is made of silk, it's so soft, they only make really fancy expensive clothes out of silk!"  So cute!  I mean who can burst that bubble and tell him it's just plain old polyester (so not as cool!)  He wanted to wear his uniform all day and even wanted to sleep in it!  (Gross I know considering all the sweat, but what can you do?  Break a little boy's dreams?  No, I think not.)

Here is little man having fun at the game.  Not sure why we didn't get any of Ruby. 

(Practice)

Soccer has been SO good for Oliver.  We were kind of worried when we signed him up not knowing if he would be shy and hold back or get discouraged easily since he has a tendency toward both.  But he has really blossomed.  He has totally surprised us.  He has had a blast and talks to all the kids and the coach.  He even gets talking and playing around a little too much, we have to tell him to focus on the game sometimes!  ha, ha.  It's so cute to watch them all at practice jumping around, doing cartwheels, joking, and goofing off and being silly together and Oliver right in the mix of it all.  I have just felt so happy for him.  This is an area he struggles with normally.  Not that kids don't like him, but he is shy and has a hard time just letting go sometimes.

The second game he had it was pouring rain.  (No pictures of that.)  And the 3rd it was freezing cold.  Hence the bundling up.

But the kids were troopers and played on through it all, smiles beaming!  

Here's August all bundled up enjoying the match!  ha, ha

Over the course of the month Oliver has really improved in his soccer skills.  He's getting better at kicking and shooting and aiming the ball.  If there is ever a kid out there that has biffed, we assume it's Oliver!  ha, ha.  Not because he is clumsy, but because he loves to pretend fall and roll and wipe out.  Such a funny kid.  I'm sure his coach sometimes rolls his eyes at all his "wipe outs."  But all in all it has been such a fun thing for us to enjoy as a family together as our first sports experience with kids in what I'm sure will be many years to come!

I can't wait for him to get a trophy at the end of the season.....for years he has been wishing he had a trophy of some kind.  I don't know why, he has just had this thing about it.  Now he is finally going to get one......Pchewwwwww......(the sound of Oliver's mind blowing!)  ha, ha , ha