Tipping Off for Basketball Season

Basketball season is finally underway for the Kennedy kids! Both Emmy and Eli had their first games on Saturday, the 18th, which was a week delayed due to the winter weather. After a month of practicing, everyone was very excited to finally play. Eli's team the Dragons had the first game of the day at 9AM. Eli started strong by bringing the ball up the court, dribbling closer to the basket, and then passing to a teammate. Not long after that, he got the ball again and made the first basket of the game! Yay! It was very exciting...and also short-lived. Within the next few minutes, the player that Eli was assigned to guard scored, and it didn't take long for the tears to start. Eli's understanding of the game is pretty strong, and it was evident that he got upset when his opponent scored. Mind you, this league does not even keep score! The score board showed 0-0 for the entire game! Eli rotated on and off the bench for the remainder of the game, but he did not have any other highlights other than that first minute. Immediately after Eli's game, Emmy's team the Leopards had back-to-back games at 10AM and 11AM. All seven players were there, and Coach Kennedy was prepared with carefully-drawn lineups to ensure the girls had periods to rest during the double header. In Emmy's league, they do keep score, and even though there is a 10-point rule, by my count the Leopards won by double digits in both games. Emmy had several points, steals, and assists. It was exciting to see Emmy picking up right where she left off last year with her constant pressure on defense, tenacity to go for the ball, and accuracy with making a layup. We've since had another week of basketball. During the games on Saturday, the 25th, Eli made a 180 from the previous week. There might have been a little bribery involved...we promised him a cupcake if there were no tears. During the first period, he took his turn sitting on the bench, and when he got on the court after that, he was focused and excited to play. He had several baskets, and after each one, he would do a wide running arc down the court, with fingers pointed in the air, and then high 5 his coach. Hopefully we can find a happy balance between the tears and celebrations - regardless, it was a much more enjoyable experience for everyone!

In addition to Upward basketball, Boomer and I were able to go to the Wake vs. UNC Chapel Hill game on Tuesday, the 21st. We were invited by Boomer's friend Alan Brown and his wife Brandi, who have season tickets. The seats were in a great spot, on the very first row of the upper section, with a cut-out view directly to the court. The only downside to the game was its late start - 9PM! Boomer and I coordinated riding together that morning, and after I finished my gate duty shift at Forbush, he picked me up, and we even had time for dinner at Olive Garden. We didn't arrive home to close to midnight, when we relieved Grammy from watching the kids. We are so thankful for her help. A little bit of missed sleep was totally worth it to see Wake win in a close 67-66 victory. Go Deacs!

Aside from basketball, the common theme in January seems to be eating out...

....with a little bit of sickness mixed in. Eli was under the weather for about 48 hours with symptoms that mimicked the flu. Luckily he recovered over the weekend and was back at school on Monday. Eli especially loved "Ninja Night" at Awana when the Activity Center was filled with large inflatables. I have to brag on my boy, because he is on a long streak of being dry at night. We have continued with Pull-ups as a precaution, but hopefully we will be kicking all Pull-ups soon. In other news, Emmy lost another tooth and was rewarded with $2 from the Tooth Fairy. I'll brag on her too, because she has been excelling in her water safety classes on Tuesdays. This past Tuesday, Grammy stopped in at the pool after her workout class, and she sent several videos of Emmy working on her stroke and even diving. I hope that these lessons build her confidence for swimming this summer. Boomer was out of town this week for his annual conference at Pinehurst, and the kids and I managed in his absence. We are glad to have him home, and we are looking forward to another weekend of basketball.