Soccer Season

Another year of soccer has begun and this fall for various reasons, only Ava is playing. 

We are almost done with the season and Ava has scored 3 goals!  She's been playing since we left Florida almost 2 years ago and had yet to score, but I think her late fall birthday and the cut off date for sports is working in her favor.  She is the oldest kid on the team and she doesn't necessarily run the game, but she's very strong and fast and really enjoys the game.  We've really seen her grow in her speed, strength and skills this season.

Here is daddy giving her a pep talk during a water break.  Ava is a mini-Jonathan in many ways, but she is especially as a soccer player!  

Ava and Jonathan have a special relationship.  She absolutely HATES it when Jonathan is out of town for work or can't be home for dinner and/or bedtime.  In the morning when she gets up, if he is home she chooses to sit with him before me.  When daddy holds her, she's got her arms and legs wrapped tightly around him.  At these games, she constantly looks to him for approval and with the "did you see me daddy" look on her face.  She smiles and waves at him constantly when she's on the field, and I know that if it were only him watching her play, she'd be happy.

 Here is Ava making her way through the crowd towards the goal.  She's great at getting the ball out of the beehive and is aggressive and likes to run to the head of the pack.

And here it is!  I was able to snag a shot of her scoring a goal last week!

Bend it like Beckham, baby!