Aidan had a great time today. Norma brought snacks. The team played well.

Aidan played goalie and had a save!

See all the pictures here

soccer is tiring.

This message has been sent using the picture and Video service from Verizon Wireless!

To learn how you can snap pictures and capture videos with your wireless phone visit www.verizonwireless.com/picture.

Note: To play video messages sent to email, Quicktime@ 6.5 or higher is required.

@ soccer practice.

This message was sent using the Picture and Video Messaging service from Verizon Wireless!

To learn how you can snap pictures and capture videos with your wireless phone visit www.verizonwireless.com/picture.

Note: To play video messages sent to email, QuickTime� 6.5 or higher is required.

we r having a "mini-Ike" 1 year after the hurricane that took 12 days of electricity. 2day hit with wickd strm no pwr since 4pm. ouch.

What a win. It was a fight from the opening kick. The Texans and Titans? That's a serious rivalry. Punches thrown, players tossed out of the game, acrobatic catches, unbelievable hits. Superb football game to watch. A lot of fun.

Especially when we win. Like I always say, "Winning. It's like better than losing." :)

Aidan had a great time today at his first soccer game. They won 2-1. I had an AVID tutor training today, so I had to run over from the administration building in our district to catch the game and then run right back to the training after it. That kind of stunk, but I am so glad I was able to go.

For the first game, he did great. I didn't do any coaching and I don't have any need to. But, one thing I saw that needed to happen was that the kids were just looking at each other like, "what do I do?" And to me, kids know what to do automatically, but if they don't know each other and they aren't friends yet, then they won't have fun. So I got 3 or 4 of them together and introduced each other, they did some high fives and got excited. Aidan said, "Let's do this thing!" And right after that they scored 2 quick goals and they began having some fun together. that was neat to see.

A few things I loved and a few things I hated. I loved that even though Aidan got hurt early when he had his foot stepped on and fell, he then went right back in to the game. The part that I hate is that there were so many freaking adults on the field that they kept running into the kids. Very dangerous. Aidan got pummeled by the referee and that happens, but it was sad to see other kids go down because parents can't just let the kids play.

I don't understand why they would blow a whistle and stop play, then have the kids stand around and wait for throw ins and kicks by the goalie, etc. They should swallow the whistle, get the adults off the field, and let the kids just have fun. I think practice was more entertaining for him than the game. At least snack was something he was excited about.

Definitely I'm going to buy him a goal and a ball for the back yard. Not to create the next Pele, but so that he can go out there with Mom and I and just play and have fun. That's what it's supposed to be about. When the weather breaks here next month, we'll definitely get out every afternoon. But, it's still so hot and humid that it is hard to do every day.

Looking forward to next week. Norma is excited because she gets to bring snacks. :)

See all the pictures from the game here: Aidan's First Soccer Game Pictures

@ Homecoming game.
I was runner's up " teacher Homecoming King." Yeah!

This message was sent using the Picture and Video Messaging service from Verizon Wireless!

To learn how you can snap pictures and capture videos with your wireless phone visit www.verizonwireless.com/picture.

Note: To play video messages sent to email, QuickTime� 6.5 or higher is required.

It is homecoming week at AHS. Lots of festivities.



This was pretty ridiculous, but we were very good Tacky Tourists!

The practice went really well. We were worried that it would be canceled because it rained really hard about 2 hours before. But, the sun came out and it was a pretty pleasant evening overall.

His soccer coach was a really nice guy. He had the kids do a few drills, but nothing too crazy or competitive. I liked that a lot. They should be having fun. Period.

First game is on Saturday at 11pm. Unfortunately I have an AVID training to attend, but I am being allowed to sneak out for an early lunch (thank goodness) and I'm going to race across town to see the game and then race back.

View all of the pictures here: Facebook Album of Fall 2009

1st soccer practice. in black shorts

This message was sent using the Picture and Video Messaging service from Verizon Wireless!

To learn how you can snap pictures and capture videos with your wireless phone visit www.verizonwireless.com/picture.

Note: To play video messages sent to email, QuickTime� 6.5 or higher is required.

Aidan has his very first soccer practice on Wednesday. We got him outside today to test out his shin pads and cleats. He was super excited.

See all the soccer pictures here

We went to eat at a place called Zammitti's in King's Harbor just a few miles from where we live. Great food and great fun after we ate.

See all the pictures here: Pictures of Aidan at King's Harbor.

This message has been sent using the picture and Video service from Verizon Wireless!

To learn how you can snap pictures and capture videos with your wireless phone visit www.verizonwireless.com/picture.

Note: To play video messages sent to email, Quicktime@ 6.5 or higher is required.

punchin ducks!

This message has been sent using the picture and Video service from Verizon Wireless!

To learn how you can snap pictures and capture videos with your wireless phone visit www.verizonwireless.com/picture.

Note: To play video messages sent to email, Quicktime@ 6.5 or higher is required.

at chuck e cheese

This message has been sent using the picture and Video service from Verizon Wireless!

To learn how you can snap pictures and capture videos with your wireless phone visit www.verizonwireless.com/picture.

Note: To play video messages sent to email, Quicktime@ 6.5 or higher is required.

Watching the Steelers-Titans opening NFL game of the year and saw this on twitter at the 1/2. Very inspirational. A reminder to all of us to enjoy each day we are given and to try to make our lives here together the best we can.

hope u had a good weekend. we r @ jack in the box... munching some grub. ;)

This message was sent using the Picture and Video Messaging service from Verizon Wireless!

To learn how you can snap pictures and capture videos with your wireless phone visit www.verizonwireless.com/picture.

Note: To play video messages sent to email, QuickTime� 6.5 or higher is required.

I am pretty excited about the NFL season beginning. It's going to be great. This Thursday kicks things off with the Steelers and Titans.

We finished up our league drafts in Nacagdoches this weekend and I'm pretty happy with my teams.

I am playing in three leagues this year. So I came up with three names for my teams:

For our family league (The "Leather Helmet League") I asked Aidan what I should name my team. He said Scooby-Do. So I decided on "Scooby Due" (Short for Duez). Plus the poor Taco Bell dog passed away this summmer, so here's to you Gidget :) Here is my logo:

Here are my starters in that league:
QB: Drew Brees, NO
WR: Andre Johnson, HOU
WR: Roddy White, ATL
RB: Ryan Grant, GB
RB: Ray Rice, BAL
Flex: Donald Brown, RB, IND
TE: Tony Gonzalez, ATL
K: Nate Kaeding, SD
D: Green Bay Packers

I named one of my teams: "Tenacious D" - which has been a team nickname of mine before. This year I used the Taco Bell dog again to grace this logo. I figured that a tenacious chihuahua was perfect. "¡Yo quiero Taco Bell!" ("I want Taco Bell!")
This team was drafted on Saturday night and was an auction style draft.
Here's the logo:

The league is called the "Freaks of Fantasy Football." And here is my team:
QB: Jay Cutler, CHI & Matt Ryan, ATL
RB: Adrian Peterson, MIN; Ryan Grant, GB; Ray Rice, BAL; Cedric Benson, CIN; Donald Brown, IND; Knowshon Moreno, DEN
WR: Roddy White, ATL; Anthony Gonzalez, IND; Santonio Holmes, PIT; Kevin Walter, HOU; Santana Moss, WAS; Laverneous Coles, CIN; Steve Breaston, ARZ; Deon Butler, SEA
TE: Tony Gonzalez, ATL; Heath Miller, PIT
K: Kris Brown, HOU
D: New York Jets

My other team is in the "Nacogdoches Keeper League." I named it the Double D's Bullz. Mostly after the fact that they refer to me as Double D because there is another Dave in the league. I liked the Bull logo and wanted a little Texan's flair.
Here's my logo:

Here's my team (Keepers from last year have a "*" before the name):
QB: *Jay Cutler, CHI; *Matt Ryan, ATL; Matt Sanchez, NYJ
RB: *Matt Forte, CHI; *Pierre Thomas, NO; Shonn Greene, NYJ; Mike Bell, NO; LenDale White, TEN; Leon Washington, NYJ; Larry Johnson, KC
WR: Andre Johnson, HOU; Marques Colston, NO; Michael Jenkins, ATL; Lavernaues Coles, CIN; Kevin Walter, HOU;
TE: Tony Gonzalez, ATL; Antonio Gates, SD
K: Rob Bironas, TEN
D: Pittsburgh Steelers

This message was sent using the Picture and Video Messaging service from Verizon Wireless!

To learn how you can snap pictures and capture videos with your wireless phone visit www.verizonwireless.com/picture.

Note: To play video messages sent to email, QuickTime® 6.5 or higher is required.

It's a funny thing when you are a teacher. You refer to your place of employment as "school." And it is a school... but it is also work. Most days I am having so much fun and loving my time with my students so much that I don't consider it work at all. Then the quizzes, homeworks, essays, tests, and projects come due... and I am absolutely WORKING. It is the toughest part of it for sure.

I do love the sense of accomplishment I get when a stack of papers are done, finished... and then in the gradebook. It is really a sense of accomplishment when you check out the computer gradebook and see a bunch of columns of grades. Finishing a six week's period, semester and the year is really a good feeling.

This week has been tough on me because I keep having that "I miss my students from last year" feeling. I already had them trained. They understood my silly jokes, sense of humor and trusted me that I wanted all of them to succeed and to learn. Starting over is hard. Kids look at me like I'm some kind of alien at first. But, slowly things melt and we really start to connect. Hopefully that will start to happen after our first project is in the books and they present to the class. I learn a lot about them through that process.

This weekend is going to be interesting. I'm heading up to Nacadoches, TX (2 hours north) for 2 days of fantasy football drafting. It should be a blast. I'll probably leave early, early on Saturday morning and then come back late in the afternoon on Sunday. I have a keeper league draft on Saturday and then I'll be defending my championship in the auction league on Sunday (although a year removed. Last year I was unable to attend the auction because of our car accident... can't believe that is 1 year ago!).

Hopefully I will get lots of great players and be very happy with the results. It is a lot of fun to be with the 8 guys that are in the leagues and I hope we have a great time. One of the guys I know well is my assistant principal at school. He got me into the thing. So it'll be fun.