Encino Tournament 2013

Well, today was our second soccer tournament of the season. This location brought back a lot of memories for me in particular because it was just down the street from where I was stationed as a Reservist in the Marines. Taking the route up the North 101 freeway and exiting Balboa Blvd certainly kicked up old memories of making the same drive on Friday afternoons to go to drill. Those are times that I hope to share with you when you’re older. Back to the matter at hand.


We had to be there very early because the games were kicking off early as well as photos of the teams. We started off with our usual ritual of going to Portos first. Luckily, the weather was very cooperative and it turned out to be a very nice day for soccer. After we checked the team in, we took our photos. We then set up shop at the first field where we would be playing at. Our games were scheduled to be played back to back at 1015 and 1130am. You were definitely eager to get out there and start kicking the ball around. You did very well as you have all season. Scoring has become something that you really strive for. I’m so proud of your progress and efforts. It’s truly been an amazing feat to watch you play out there. The only thing that you and all the players can improve on is passing the ball.

In the first game we played a team with only 5 players, but everybody had a great time. I believe you got stepped on once by another player’s cleats and had to come out for a bit. You were then able to get back out there and seek out the ball a short time later. We then had to break down our area and move two fields down and set back up. In our second game, we played a team with more than double our players. It was still a great time. We cut this game a bit short because it was warmer and it seemed like a lot of kids wanted to go play in the jumpers including you.

We packed up our stuff and put everything in the car and then took you to play. You were primarily interested in the jumper with the slide in it. For some reason, I was really exhausted after the events. I laid down on the grass and shut my eyes for a bit, while you mom sipped on her smoothie drink. Finally, it was time to go. One last look in the direction of my old unit and then we headed back onto the South 101 freeway . We ended up stopping at King Taco to get some chow. You were really into feeding the pigeons and sparrows on this day.

Finally, we headed home and jumped into our bed for a family nap. Your mom had went out the night before so she was definitely looking forward to that moment. Another day, another adventure!

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The Dark Passenger

For Halloween 2013, your mom decided that she would paint your face and that you would look like a skeleton. The outcome is debatable, but I think it turned out even better than we both could have imagined.

We took to you to Trinity down the street where they had food, games, and jumpers. The best part was all your friends from Downey Christian were there and they very excited to see you. You had an entourage falling you all around. You had a great time and of course didn't want to leave. We were able to pull you away and eventually come home.

You truly are a star!

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San Clemente Tournament

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Sebastian's 6th Birthday party

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Six years old

Today was a very special day. You turned 6 years old. Oh Vlad, where does the time go? Last year, we had your grand 5th birthday party which had a very good turnout. After that, I said you wouldn’t have another big birthday party until you were eighteen. However, this year has seen a few significant changes. We ended up leaving our previous home and moving into a new home. Our new location has a tremendous back yard that you’ve been enjoying for the past few weeks. We decided that we should have a small gathering for your birthday. Well, that quickly turned into a full blown party. Again, we got you a combo jumper with the idea that bodies wouldn’t just be crashing into each other. The slide is a great way to divide you guys up and you really enjoy sitting at the top of slide and directing all the traffic.


We had another terrific turnout and a lot of family and friends that came to celebrate this special occasion. In a cost saving effort, we ordered pizza from Dominos. As soon as I brought it home, the flies were quick to make their presence known. Unfortunately, it was a battle that went on for the whole party. We even switched things up with your cake. Of course, we are big chocolate fans and normally get a cake from Portos. This time we still went to Portos, but we got you a red velvet cake. People seemed to enjoy it. It was a rather warm day, but everyone remained pretty cool thanks to all the shade in the back yard. You even had a piñata as part of the jumper package. Overall, it was another successful event. To be honest once the party started, I really didn’t see you. I think I saw you just two or three times. You spent most of the party up in the jumper, while your mom and I were busy entertaining. At the end, you were walking around limping. Your feet were in pretty bad shape since you weren’t wearing any shoes most of the day. I had your mom give you a bath and prepare you for bed while I was outside trying to clean up. It’s such a tiring task to run a party, but knowing how much joy it brought to you makes it all worth it.

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Second soccer practice

This is you at your second practice of 2013 led of course by your papa. Your coordination and ball control have gotten a lot better since last year. Look at you go!

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Interval training

You decided to hop aboard one of the elliptical machines at Sports Authority over the weekend. It looks like you're ready to hit the gym! You had a little help from your mom of course.

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Break it Down

We just got back from the daycare and I introduced you to our new soft, memory foam bed. You said that you were going to start swimming on it.

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Soccer 2013

Well, this year I was roped into being the coach of your VIP soccer team. Today was our first real practice. It's a learning experience for me as I really don't know much about the sport. One thing that is evident, is that your motor skills have vastly improved. Your attitude on the other hand, is a constant battle. It's difficult to try and coach the other kids when my own son is off doing his own thing. It's something that I'm going to do my best to improve as the season moves on. Above is a short clip of you dribbling the ball before everyone else got there.

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I'm stuck

Here's an example of you being a little clown. You like to delay your motion as you slide down to the bottom.

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