Halloween

According to Sophie, this wasn't the "best Halloween ever!" (her usual proclamation) But it was still pretty good. Trick-or-treating started officially at 6:00, which meant that at 6:05, after being clear and dry all day, it started to rain. Once all the kids and out-posted parents were nice and wet, it stopped, but it didn't make for a good start on the evening. As you can see from the photo, Sophie and Lily were Brides this year, while Grace got to be the third inhabitant of our Black Cat costume. Everybody else in the neighborhood was an Island Princess...or maybe it just seemed that way. The girls lasted a proportionate time to their age and straggled back one by one to help hand out candy.

Both girls had a party at school where they got to wear their costumes. Luckily, my parents were able to come up and help out, or I don't think I would have ben able to be everywhere all at once. My mom accompanied Lily with her class to go trick-or-treating at the retirement center; a place so nice, she said she and my dad might just move in someday. My Dad and I went to Sophie's school where I was in charge of her party. Her school has a huge parade of all the students in their costumes and then each class has their own little party. I wowed the under-7 set with my extensive guitar prowess (I think it's up to about 5 chords now) and then we had a healthy snack and a crossword puzzle (boo! hiss! where are the fun games and candy?)

Then Dad and I were off to my last 8th grade basketbal game. We were 9-2 going into the game, and really hoping to get that tenth win, which we did. It was actually one of the best games they played all season, so it was a great way to finish things off. I have to say, it was one of the most enjoyable coaching experiences I've had. This group of girls was just about everything you could ask for in a team: they were hard-working, respectful, coachable, they got along with each other, they actually listened to what I had to say, and they had talent! I'm really looking forward to working with them over the next few years at the high school. I'm sure several of them will move up to the JV level next year as Freshmen, and the rest will be along the following year. Of course there's always the possibility that they skip right over me and go straight to Varsity, but that's probably only a possibility for one of them. Here's a picture of them after one game when Lily came along and sat on the bench

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I don't know who was more interested in whom when Sophie and Lily came to the games. The players always made a big fuss about the girls, and the girls were, of course, star-struck by the players. Both Sophie and Lily go back and forth between calling them teen-agers and baby-sitters (in their minds it's one and the same.) We had team shirts made up and each of my girls got one with "Ass't Coach" on the back. They were always a big hit.

Now it's high school basketball season and the JV practices have started. Because of a scarcity of gym space at the high school, we end up practicing most nights from 7:30-9:30. It works out o.k for us, because the kids are almost in bed by the time I leave, but it's pretty late for the players. Anyway, this group may not be quite the joy to work with that the 8th graders were, nor will we have the same record, but they're still a good group, even if they are all jaded at the advanced age of 15. We did move up two Freshmen, so they will help us retain that youthful edge!

Gotta go, we have out first scrimmage tonight. It will tell me a lot about where we stand and what we need to work on. I'll keep you posted

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