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Huntington Beach at the U. S. Open of Surfing

If you are a surfer in California or anywhere for that matter or just a fan of surfing then you most likely went to see the U.S. Open of Surfing at the Huntington Beach Pier at least once in the past two weeks.

In all the years I've lived in California this was the second time I've went.  In years past having lived on Kaua'i for 10 years I've known a couple of the contestants, and remember them fondly as I was sitting on the beach watching them as little "groms" tearing it up on the wave.  They were so good back then and I was not surprised when they became a well know sensation.  It was nice to see Keala again.  Not a surprise that I loved watching the little ones on the other side of the pier and seeing how crazy good they are and some look to be only about 8 years old!  It was getting quite crowded as you can see but as the final heats were starting up ready it got to be crazy crowded.

My girl and I stood under the pier and watched from there, it felt so good to get wet, it was another hot day and the cool water felt good! 

I have never seen it like this....so many people here. There were umbrellas and bodies as far as the eye can see!  And look at how blue the water is, it was so clear and a great day to just hang out at the beach.

 We sat for a little while up on the bleachers, it was a good view but got very hot so we came back to under the pier.

Here I am with my li'l one stopping to take a selfie at the Surf Competition....what about you have you ever gone to the U.S. Open?

and one more last picture of my girl coming in after a morning of surf...the waves weren't too bad this day but the water felt fine! And best of all a pod of dolphins swam right by her while she was waiting to catch a wave.

FIFA Women's World Cup..I'll be watching and rooting for USA

As a long time soccer player I'll be watching the World Cup the next few weeks and rooting for our United States National Women's Team.  I love to watch them play and I've started to follow quite a few of the players on Instagram.  Hope we can pull out a win this year, we can close last time, four years ago when we lost to Japan.  Are you a fan of soccer?  Are you a fan of the World Cup? 

 

My Girls are Winners!

This weekend the Mader household was busy with lots of sporting events.  First off my youngest was at a tournament in Huntington Beach and their Volleyball took first place.  They are doing great especially for a brand new team that just started a few months ago. We are so proud of them! Go So Cal United Volleyball, Whoop! Whoop!

Then my oldest took 1st place in her soccer's teams State Cup championships!  They are now off to regionals in June and if they do well there they move to Nationals in South Carolina!  Whew!!  Didn't know that moving her up a division meant more travelling and going out of state.  Well, they are doing great as a team and work really well with each other. As you can see I'm a proud parent.  Go Xplosian!

Watching the NBA...

It all began with this.....{my girl is number 3}....she made the 7th grade team last year but this year while she was on the 8th grade team (the 8th graders get to play in the gymnasium} watching them play on a real court with the fancy scoreboard seemed to make it more like they where playing real basketball.

                                                  {the 8th grade team}
Or maybe it was because in the regular season games when they played the school that they previously had lost to TWICE but during the tournament when they were playing against that school they where behind by several points in the fourth  quarter and they came back and won the game to advance them to the finals. Which was so exciting to watch and I came to the conclusion I LIKE Basketball.  I was on the edge of my seat and when they shot a basket I jumped up and cheered very enthusiastically, me? OH YES ME?!!.  I've even taken it a step further with my basketball phase, {is it a phase?}....when I'm subbing and I'm on recess duty I've been joining in with the 5th grade boys...well.  Madison's coach has the girls do this thing where they wave their arms up in the air and back and forth and yell, "BALL, BALL, BALL".  I'm quite competitive and don't like to get beat by some 11 year old boys so I started doing this and they looked at me like I was a lunatic and I grabbed the ball and shot a basket or two.  They told me I could not do that and I told them, "oh yes I can, the girls do it at middle school".  You might of guessed but I don't know a lick about basketball so not only do I drive the 5th grade boys CRA CRA {slang for Crazy, yes I live with teenagers} with my antics I have to question any fellow parent at the games all of the Basketball details and rules and why they got that foul while watching the game. {you don't want to take me to Vegas, I do this to at the Craps table too}

But in the end the girls took FIRST place in the middle school basketball tournament.  I must say they had an OUTSTANDING 7th grade player on the team and she really was like a 12 year old female Kobe Bryant.  Now because of this I've been following the NBA....who would of thought I'd turn into a basketball nut.  I loved watching the Clippers a week ago come back from way behind and win against the Oklahoma City.   It's so face-paced and can change in just seconds.  I watched the Lakers tonight against the Denver Nuggets {Kenzie thinks that is the funniest name for a team} and it was really close but the Lakers are leading 3-1 now in the series. I think it will be really interesting if the Lakers and the Clippers make it to the finals.  What do you think?  Are you a basketball fan?  What is your favorite team?   

 

                         {the tournament team with 7th and 8th}

it's been a long time....

since the school as taken first place in the "middle schools' tournament", to be exact it has been 6 years. The girls were sooo very happy.

It ended up going to Penalty Kicks in the end and they dog piled the Goalie, who did a fantastic job for someone who has never played soccer, and goalie for that matter.   Madison did a great job helping her team to the victorious win by chipping two balls in the goal when the other team got a foal call.   

here is my girl....taking a free kick.

She is number 53 on her club team and let's just say I'm quite a passionate cheerer on the sidelines and I don't know all the girls names so I scream, "go number 10, go number 8".   In one of the games, "I was yelling Go number 9!!"...then I realized it was my own daughter..I'm such a dork!  I'm very proud of all the girls, they played hard.   Now it is on to Try Outs for Basketball......

Polo Fields and a Desperate Housewife

A few weeks ago my daughter had a Showcase soccer tournament at the San Juan Capistrano Polo Fields.  Last year's tournament it was raining cats and dogs for the whole week and the tournament went on...the parking lot was a mud- wrestling- dream- arena.  It was complete swampy wet craziness....but that weekend it was a beautiful fall day to play soccer. As proof is in the pictures.

This is Kenzie's team, they are a brand new Club team and are improving with every game.  The season ends in a couple of weeks but with all Club Soccer it never really ends, it's year round{so yes you can read into it, Mama never get a break}.   So while we were between games at the Polo Fields I took Snickers Barbra to check out the Ponies...

 
They were having a Horse Show and I wanted to see what Snickers would do..well of course she was quite skeptical of these "Giant Looking Dogs".

This horse was tossing her a stuffed Duck.....she just kept barking at her or him. Snickers would not go near it, backing away but the owner said, their horse was friendly to dogs, Snickers didn't want have anything to do with that!   The grounds were decorated so nice for fall with all the colorful Mums.  I couldn't help taking pictures of the decor.   
This area was set up for the CotoDe Caza Stables...and we all know ...who are from Coto, a gated commumnity for the wealthy in Orange County.

Yes...the Desperate Housewives of Orange County are from Coto de Caza...this is the original cast when the show first aired on Bravo...I do watch them here and there on Bravo when I have some down time..but I do miss the original cast. 
So while I was snapping pictures of the decorated Autumn displays and grounds.

{I thought this horse was soooo beautiful, I always wanted a white horse}

I recognized a voice I'd heard before.....coming from the Coto de Cazo area...

Yes..Lauri Waring from the Original Cast of the Orange County Desperate Housewives was..walking with her husband George.  They met and wed while she was on the show, she was my favorite.  I liked her pesonality, I wasn't a fan of her fake looking face {too much plastic surgery for me}.But I thought she had a good heart.  I felt bad for her that her son was so involved in drugs and from what I read he still is.  She left the show to focus on her family and marriage to George which I think is good thing.  Almost all of the wives are divorced or in the process of divorce. I wish her luck in her marriage.  Marriage is hard enough without have a microscope peering down on it like Reality TV.   We have a few more Showcase tournaments in the next couple of weeks, so who knows If I'll meet the rest of the cast but I hightly doubt it, I think only Lauri and Jo were the only ones into horses.  From what I read George has a horse ranch in San Juan Capistrano.

We are the champions 2 years in a row! Go Girls U14 OCR!

 
 
For the second year in a row we have taken first place at the HB Strikers tournament.  This team has had lots of changes this past year from the loss of their beloved Coach to another fabulous coach Matt.  A few new players and a new goalie who never played before and made the most awesome save during the championship game.

 
Our goalie with her very emotional father!   We were so proud of her courage.

 
Love, love, love as we await our fate.....to see if we made it to the championship game..

 
Yep, I'm showing my OCR colors, two days sitting at the field from 7 am until 9 p.m. on the soccer field.  If that is not dedication...

 
yep...it is all worth it in the end has we take home the Tiffanyesque crystal Trophy...

 
Yep...my girl played her heart out to help her team take first place...so very proud of her....

 
 

 
This face says it all!!!  Love the new do!! Are you ready to audition for reincarnation of Amy Winehouse?!!!!!

 
Not only that Li'l sister's team did an awesome job at their FIRST tournament as a team....so lots parents went home with pride in their hearts after this weekend!!   Go OCR!!!!!

Soccer is a "damn good" sport!

 
As a long time soccer player and a mother of a soccer player I love to watch the game....I'm very passionate....that's how I would describe me watching..my family on the other hand..says I go "crazy".  Yeah, so what?  I've been tuning in to ESPN and watching the Women's World Cup...on Sunday they played Brazil...who are also very good and passionate soccer players...it was a really, really good game...

 
Abby Wombach....I'm so in awe of her awesome headers in the goal, she is just plain "damn good"! as I quote....her fellow team mate...

 
Hope Solo....who in my opinion is "damn good".....

 
in fact the whole team is "damn good", yes you said it best Hope your team is awesome...I hope that my girl....will one day "dribble" in your foot steps...

 
Here is my girl receiving her medal, as her team took 2nd place in the OC Revolution Tournament. {it was a very emotional, hard fought game, one of the players got hurt and had to leave by ambulance}, they actually lost to their sister team...

 
Here she is with her fellow team mates and fellow classmates, they all attend the same Middle School.

 
Here she is with one of her BFF's, who plays for the sister team but couldn't play because of a dislocated knee.   Soccer is NOT for wimps...

 
Here are both teams...converging under the shade...I have no doubt that these are Women's World Cup players in the making.....they are "damn good"!

.........Soccer

  

....the season is upon us once more...

I always ask myself...how is it that I have NO LIFE!!  It's all about the children, isn't it?  I used to Scrapbook   on Saturdays...sometimes with the SCRAPANOS ....now it's either the Softball Field, the Soccer Field or the Dance Floor......

the season is finally over...

My eldest daughter...{the athlete} has finally finished with her All Star Softball Games....they made it all the way to the State Championships in Lancaster,CA {yes where it is incredibly HOT}   There were 167 teams from all over the state that came to compete......

 

We played early on Friday morning...

 

the players exchanged gifts after the first game...we gave them good bags in our colors they gave us sweet candy leis...

 

after two games that day they have a parade where they introduce ALL 167 teams...you can dress up.  Some came looking like they where out of a Dr. Seuss book with hair piled up on top straight up in the air  {wish I took a picture} or dressed up for Mardi Gra with purple and green beads and masks or with inter-tubes around their waists and a mask and snorkel.  We did not know they did this so our costumes were put together very last minute.  I had a bunch of Hawaiian Themed items leftover from the 5th Grade Picnic, another Mom said she had this Ribbon Lei Idea..so we went with it. 

 

Here is the team all ready to walk in the parade....

  

They each got these adorable cows with a hanky around ti's neck...

 

 

after the parade the girls got to trade pins with the other cities.  Our league didn't have pins to trade which was a shame, they loved this part of the parade.  If you didn't have pins you could of traded Candy, bead necklaces or glow sticks.  But I was such a dufus I forgot to give the girls there glow sticks I got at Target to pass out.  I was busying driving around looking for a Party City to buy Coconut Bras for the coaches to wear and when I got back I could not find a place to park so I forgot.   So the coaches got to wear the skirts only with no coconut bra, I think they were bummed {NOT!}...

 

Madison had one more at bat...

One more..laying down the bunt...

 

One more pep talk from the coach....

 

one more attempt at stealing second base....

 

One more end of the game smile......

 

Glad it is over......now on to................................................