Week in Review: Fall Sports, Fall Recipes and Fall Storms

My prayers go out to anyone that will be affected by Hurricane Lee, while I am writing this we are expecting a Tropical Storm here in south coast Massachusetts.  This week was full of gross humid sticky wet disgusting weather and I am ready for that crisp air that comes with fall. But there's no rainbows without the rain, and Phil and I saw this little gift on our way out of a workout class:

Let's look back at the week, shall we?

Fall sports are in full swing here.  Brendan played in his first soccer game, then had his first practice a few days later.  Next time, they should do that in reverse, as they got killed the first game.  A kid on the other team looked at least a year older than he should have been, with the height and skill to show for it.  Brendan's soccer league is a recreational league and they group kids by grades, which stinks because kids can be older or younger for a grade, or stay back and be much older.  It can be very frustrating to watch a team destroy us based on the talent of one older kid, and the coach keeps him in as striker and doesn't sit him out.  But Brendan's only barely 7 and I know in the end these things don't matter *she tries to convince her overly competitive self*.

We moved Declan (age 9) to the more competitive Instructional League in another town, as soccer is his true love and he needs more of a challenge to improve his skills.  The Ice Cream Cottage is supporting his team, and his first game is this weekend moved to next weekend due to the weather:

Phil took one for the marriage team and went to Back to School Night at the kids school while I was at soccer practice with Declan, and sent me this photo of his work.  So cute!

"Nine people in my family try to be holy." - be still my heart.

Eamon got his cast off!  Now he can finally play in soccer games and not just practice.  Did you know that hypertrichosis (excessive hair growth) can happen where you had a cast?  Weird.  And maybe I should cast my scalp ;)

Maggie's volleyball team had a tough loss at their first home game, but pulled out a great win at their second home game in the same week.  The girl has ups:

Her team went on their volleyball retreat over the weekend and this is why I love Catholic schools, the students are formed in every way:

Maggie is in back row, second from right, with her cousin to her right and Andrew's girlfriend 3rd from right in the front row.  Love those girls :)

Andrew switched rooms and now is living with his friends in what seems to be the soccer team hang-out room.  He is loving it and sent us a video tour that included guys in the hallway playing something that looked like golf beer pong (minus the beer), guys in the room playing video games, and lots of general merriment and snacks all over the place. I hope he remembers he is at college to study.

JP called this week to tell me that he is one of five students who got selected to start a pilot program at Franciscan, where biology majors get to shadow doctors at the local hospital.  He was very excited to be chosen and knows it will be really great for his resume and quite the learning experience.  He said he's really hoping to watch surgeries, which proves he is mostly Sweeney and hardly Martin:

 

I saw this recipe for Protein Pumpkin Pancakes and want to try them once the weather cools off.  Hoping my family doesn't notice the cottage cheese or I will be eating a lot of pancakes!

I already started the pumpkin recipes by making these pumpkin chocolate chip muffins which the kids really appreciated to grab for breakfast on school mornings with a protein shake - yummy!

When life gives you tomatoes, make BLT's.  Oh mylanta I could eat one every single day of my life:

I hope you all have a safe storm-free weekend!