Two soccer tournaments + One dance competition = Busy weekend- 4/21-4/22
I could add more to the title: two soccer tournaments + one dance competition = eating out almost every meal out of the weekend, gassing up the car multiple times, feeling grateful that the kids are able to participate in activities, feeling like we'll be ending an era soon of having all three kids keeping us busy (all the graduation invitations from seniors that we've been receiving have been making me realize how I'll blink my eye and next year at this time we will be sending out graduation announcements) and I should be thankful for weekends like this, and being tired of driving despite knowing these busy weekends will all too soon end.
Jacob and Alyssa's soccer teams were both in CU Elite Invitational. Their games were spread out over the northern suburban Cincinnati area- Blue Ash, Milford and West Chester. Abby's dance studio competed in the Believe Dance Competition in Louisville, KY. It's common to dance over the course of two to three days at a competition so I figured that Abby and I would be gone all weekend and I'd not get to see any soccer games. However, when the dance competition schedule came out, Abby's dances were all scheduled to be performed on Sunday with the first one not until the early afternoon. That meant that she and I would be in town on Saturday which meant that I could go to some soccer games. Yeah! It also meant not having to spend the night in Louisville which saved us money.
Saturday morning, I took Jacob to his first soccer game of the weekend. It was at Grooms Park in Blue Ash. Alyssa trains at Grooms at least once a week so I drove the 20+ miles to it on autopilot. Meanwhile, Donnie took Alyssa to her first game at Voice of American Park in West Chester. Both Jacob and Alyssa's teams tied their games.
After the game, we all met up at home and for the kids' second games, we switched up who took whom. I took Alyssa to her game in West Chester and Donnie took Jacob to his game at Marr Park in Mainville.
The results' of both kids two games on Saturday were strangely similar- all four games ended in ties. Both of Alyssa's games on Saturday were ties- both 0-0. Jacob's team tied both of its games, both 2-2. With no wins but all ties, it was impossible for either team to make it to the final of their respective brackets. Sunday mornings' games didn't matter. Interestingly, if both Jacob or Alyssa's teams had scored one more goal on Saturday than they did, they would have made it to the final. Both of their teams won their Sunday morning games. Sort of strange how their teams' outcomes paralleled each other.
So on Sunday morning, Jacob and Alyssa played their third games of the tournament. In a lucky turn of events, both games were at the same park, VOA in West Chester close in time to each other. In other words, Donnie didn't have to worry about being two places at once. Meanwhile, Abby and I headed south on I75 to Louisville. We made it there by late morning.
Abby's group dances were a whirlwind as she danced her first five dances in about two and half hours. Quick changes and getting little rest in between some of them was what she had to contend with. She had a bit of a longer break after the awards for group dances and before her solos. Her solos looked good. She didn't want to eat a lot until after her solos were finished so we had our first real meal of the day at 7:00 pm (Jimmy John's- they delivered. We were not in a good area of town. On Saturday, one of our dance dads was outside the venue (Memorial Hall) on his phone and someone ran up to him and snatched the phone out of his hand. So, I didn't want to venture out unless I had to).
At the solo awards, Abby came in 3rd place in the overalls. She did a great job. She and her dance friends Arianna and Amy have taken 1st, 2nd and third place in all of the overalls. Abby came in first in the first competition, Arianna came in first in the second competition, and Amy came in 1st in this competition. Abby and Hanna's duo came in 3rd place for duos and trios.
Getting ready to rumble- Jacob does a pre game stretch.
Heads up...
I have TWO (😢) pictures of Alyssa at her game that I saw on Saturday and they aren't that good.
Sunday in Louisville- this was at the awards ceremony for duos and trios. Hanna is on stage representing their duo.
At the group awards- One of the group routines came in 1st place for small groups
At the solo awards- Amy, Arianna and Abby in first, second and third place
The following are some pictures that I took with my phone. The girls have a dance "little sister" with whom they exchange good luck presents. Abby and her little sister Ellie exchanged presents.
One of Abby's gifts from her little sister was this, uh, novelty item.
Ellis also got Abby a dot to dot book. They worked on some dot to dots together.
Group awards...
The amazing A's- Amy, Abby and Ariana pose with their first, second and third place finishing plaques. Smiling was not an option...
...until we asked them to :).
Abby didn't want me to take pictures close to her (wait till she's 45 and she'll have better reasons to not want close ups, lol) so she shielded her face from me.
On our way out of town, I was stopped at a traffic light and saw this inconspicuous building with the words, "Kentucky Derby Association" on it. It must be an historical building. I thought the building looked really humble (for lack of a better word) for an institution like the Kentucky Derby.
Jacob and Alyssa's soccer teams were both in CU Elite Invitational. Their games were spread out over the northern suburban Cincinnati area- Blue Ash, Milford and West Chester. Abby's dance studio competed in the Believe Dance Competition in Louisville, KY. It's common to dance over the course of two to three days at a competition so I figured that Abby and I would be gone all weekend and I'd not get to see any soccer games. However, when the dance competition schedule came out, Abby's dances were all scheduled to be performed on Sunday with the first one not until the early afternoon. That meant that she and I would be in town on Saturday which meant that I could go to some soccer games. Yeah! It also meant not having to spend the night in Louisville which saved us money.
Saturday morning, I took Jacob to his first soccer game of the weekend. It was at Grooms Park in Blue Ash. Alyssa trains at Grooms at least once a week so I drove the 20+ miles to it on autopilot. Meanwhile, Donnie took Alyssa to her first game at Voice of American Park in West Chester. Both Jacob and Alyssa's teams tied their games.
After the game, we all met up at home and for the kids' second games, we switched up who took whom. I took Alyssa to her game in West Chester and Donnie took Jacob to his game at Marr Park in Mainville.
The results' of both kids two games on Saturday were strangely similar- all four games ended in ties. Both of Alyssa's games on Saturday were ties- both 0-0. Jacob's team tied both of its games, both 2-2. With no wins but all ties, it was impossible for either team to make it to the final of their respective brackets. Sunday mornings' games didn't matter. Interestingly, if both Jacob or Alyssa's teams had scored one more goal on Saturday than they did, they would have made it to the final. Both of their teams won their Sunday morning games. Sort of strange how their teams' outcomes paralleled each other.
So on Sunday morning, Jacob and Alyssa played their third games of the tournament. In a lucky turn of events, both games were at the same park, VOA in West Chester close in time to each other. In other words, Donnie didn't have to worry about being two places at once. Meanwhile, Abby and I headed south on I75 to Louisville. We made it there by late morning.
Abby's group dances were a whirlwind as she danced her first five dances in about two and half hours. Quick changes and getting little rest in between some of them was what she had to contend with. She had a bit of a longer break after the awards for group dances and before her solos. Her solos looked good. She didn't want to eat a lot until after her solos were finished so we had our first real meal of the day at 7:00 pm (Jimmy John's- they delivered. We were not in a good area of town. On Saturday, one of our dance dads was outside the venue (Memorial Hall) on his phone and someone ran up to him and snatched the phone out of his hand. So, I didn't want to venture out unless I had to).
At the solo awards, Abby came in 3rd place in the overalls. She did a great job. She and her dance friends Arianna and Amy have taken 1st, 2nd and third place in all of the overalls. Abby came in first in the first competition, Arianna came in first in the second competition, and Amy came in 1st in this competition. Abby and Hanna's duo came in 3rd place for duos and trios.
Getting ready to rumble- Jacob does a pre game stretch.
Heads up...
I have TWO (😢) pictures of Alyssa at her game that I saw on Saturday and they aren't that good.
At the group awards- One of the group routines came in 1st place for small groups
One of Abby's gifts from her little sister was this, uh, novelty item.
Ellis also got Abby a dot to dot book. They worked on some dot to dots together.
The amazing A's- Amy, Abby and Ariana pose with their first, second and third place finishing plaques. Smiling was not an option...
...until we asked them to :).
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