Free Throws and Rebounds

Earlier this evening marked our final basketball game for a few weeks as the kids head into winter break. And boy, it was a fun way to begin their short basketball hiatus.

First, let's begin with Kekoa's 5th grade basketball team.

As we've said before, Kekoa has more endurance than anyone you'll ever meet, but the reality is that he's one of the smaller and skinnier boys in his class (he obviously doesn't get the skinny gene from me!). He moves well and can make his layups as he sprints to the basket, but he's had problems with his free throws in practice.

Because of his size, he has to put his whole body into the free throw - and even then, it's hard for him to get those shots to drop.

But up to now it's hasn't been an issue because he hasn't been fouled. That all changed earlier this evening. Kekoa made a nice rebound and tried to get off a shot, but he was fouled.

So to the free throw line he went. And boy did this young man give it his all. I captured the whole sequene on video, but my phone was acting goofy so I apologize for the jerkiness of the video. Normally my beautiful HTC Evo takes much better videos in full high definition, but I was having problems yesterday installing an Android upgrade on the phone.

Anyway, watch how Kekoa uses his entire body to propel the ball toward the basket...



We were so excited for him!

Then when the 5th graders were done, out came Bret Jr.'s 6th grade team.

Bret hit the very first basket of the game, but scoring isn't his focus. Bret is a rebounding machine.

He's a defensive tackle in football and he uses that body to pound for position. He's also developed a good sense on knowing when to jump for the ball.

And as you'll see on this little clip, he is also becoming a good passer from under the basket.

Watch him dish out a nice pass after the first rebound to set up a shot (which the shooter missed) - but it's the pass after the second rebound which is simply extraordinary. As he's coming down with the ball, he turns and dishes it off in one continuous motion.

You can hear me gasping with enthusiasm after that pass...



The next game is on January 3rd. Darn that Christmas. It's getting in the way of our son's basketball games!

Our Annual Hunt for a Christmas Tree

We're a bit late this year, but we finally set out on our annual hunt for a Christmas Tree...

I tried to bribe the kids by saying we could order pizza if we didn't have to trudge through the snow to find a tree. Alyssa had no interest either way. The boys immediately picked the pizza option. And typically, Nalani wanted to hold out for a better deal. She said she'd skip the tree if should could have pizza every day for a month.

But the Christmas spirit is alive and well in at least one of our children. Malia wasn't going to give in for anything. She wanted a Christmas tree...



As we were walking through the trees, I realized that the boys are now old enough to do things like cook dinner and mow the lawn.

So aren't they old enough to handle a saw?

I thought so. And thus here is what I did when we found the perfect tree...



As Bret Jr. started sawing away...



It's really rather hard to cut down a Christmas Tree because you're cutting it right at the bottom of the trunk - about two or three inches off the ground. It's an awkward way to cut.

But Kekoa took his turn with the saw...



And finally David laid down in the snow and gave it a try...



This is how it was supposed to go in my mind...



Me lying there while my boys were cutting away.

Alas, it was not to be.

After a long while of little actual cutting, Cari pointed out that our boys are apparently girly men (where are Hanz and Franz when you need them), so guess who had to chop the tree down...



I did manage to cut down the tree, but then we had to carry it to the van...



Look at this next picture...



I'm not on my knees - the snow was up to my knees!



Another holiday tradition for our family. We walked through the woods until we found a perfect, beautiful and healthy tree that symbolized the very spirit of Christmas.

Then we chopped it down and killed it.

Actually, it's still alive. It's sitting in our living room, taking small drinks of water, dying a slow and painful death.

Merry Christmas everyone!

Magyar the Hun

If our son David ever becomes a famous actor it will be the result of having never taken a class to learn French.

That's obvious, isn't it?

The good campuses in the University of Wisconsin system typically require students to have completed 3 years of a foreign language before they'll be considered for admission. David started 8th grade this year and he was about to begin work on learning a different language. He had his heart set on French.

Unfortunately, the Sturgeon Bay School District decided to end the French language program to save money. As a protest, David refused to take any second language this year.

But he had to take something in that hour, which meant band or choir - which was just not going to happen. So David took a class called Allied Arts. It is a program that takes different disciplines and combines them into one program.

David was in the Arts class - which is right up his alley. There is a Music and Choir class, which is about music, obviously. There's Family and Consumer Education, which is basically the old home economics. And finally there's the Tech Class, which builds things.

What's the one activity that combines all these disciplines? A musical, of course!

This year the Allied Arts program brought together these four classes to put on a performance of Disney's Mulan.

David figured his Arts class would be involved in the creation of the artwork which decorated the sets. And he was right. David painted a dragon and created a silk drape with different dyes and patterns.

What he didn't expect is that beyond the art design part of the musical, he would also be required to get up on stage!

Now David is quite a talented entertainer in many ways (like juggling or magic), but he's not exactly comfortable having to talk in front of an audience on stage. In fact, there are few things I can think of that he would be LESS likely to do than that.

But David did it. And he loved it!

These weren't huge roles, but they put him right out there and he had a grand old time.

Here's the opening sequence of the musical. David is one of the villagers on the left side of the screen (he's marked so you'll see him easily when he comes into the picture)...



We sat on the left side of the very front row, so David could see us very well. I loved how in the video he couldn't help but smile when he first saw us!

In addition to being a part of the chorus of villagers, David also was one of the three really bad guys in the story.

David played the role of Magyar the Hun...



Here's more of those evil Huns...



And finally, here's the finale...



Frankly, the entire thing was amazing. Remember, these are 8th grade students who made every costume, built the sets, and did all the art design. And then they were also the actors and singers in the musical.

When you consider that, you have to be absolutely amazed with the Allied Arts program. Bravo!

And congratulations to David for stepping outside his comfort zone and discovered talents he never knew he had! But he still needs a haircut.

Kekoa's First Basket!

Our youngest son Kekoa is a great kid. His teacher told us that he's among the brightest children he's ever taught. His counselor says that he is far more insightful into people's feelings than most kids. He's just a great kid.

But he's small and very skinny. There's nothing wrong with that (I wish I was as skinny as him!), but when it comes to basketball, being by far the shortest kid on your 5th grade team is a challenge.

Yet you have to feel good about this young man. He may be small, but he wants to play basketball and he's going to give it his all. Kekoa is trying to live up to his middle name which he gets from his Uncle, my brother James, who was quite the basketball player!

Kekoa's season just started this week, but tonight Kekoa made his first basket.

And everyone went nuts!



(note, it's easier to see if you expand the video to full screen - press the expand button at the bottom right corner of the video box above)

I just love how his friend Jared #34 (and the tallest kid on the team) jumps off the bench and lifts Kekoa up - and how everyone is patting him on the head and shoulders.

Bret Jr.'s sixth grade team would play after Kekoa's game. Bret was the starting center for his team tonight - so you know he's a lot taller than his brother. Bret's team was sitting below us in the stands waiting for their game so in the background you can hear some of the 6th graders celebrating with Bret over his little brother's first basket.

Bret had a good game as well - he had multiple rebounds and a couple of points - and we're happy for Bret Jr. But tonight was really special for Kekoa!

Go Clippers!