It wouldn't be a day without some soccer play

Of course, there hasn't been a day yet since Andoni has gotten here that we haven't watched soccer on TV, talked about soccer, or more likely played a little. So, today was no exception, it just wouldn't feel right.

But, that was near the end of the day.

This morning, Andoni, Gillian and I walked Shelby and Aubrey to a little camp at a friend's house and then we went on a shopping mission. Andoni wants to buy something for his little brother, and I wanted to find Andoni a USA shirt to wear for the 4th of July (Independence Day). So, we first went to a local mall and Gillian made sure everyone had a penny to throw into the fountain there. We couldn't find what we were looking for at the mall, so we went back to Target and found a red USA shirt for Andoni. Mission partly accomplished.

Our next plan was to spend the afternoon swimming at the pool across the street from our house. The kids wore themselves out playing water basketball and having a great time. We will for sure go back, whenever we get a chance, everyone loves it. Andoni fits right in with all the things our family loves to do, if there is something he is missing, he hasn't told us.

Then, we came home, played a game on the Wii and then a board game called Labyrinth (Andoni won), while Quinn and Gillian took the dog on a LONG walk. A friend of Quinn's stopped by and after dinner, we all headed to the park (Nine children and me, of course. Why not just bring the whole neighborhood? Which is what we did, anyone we could find we invited along.) Andoni kicked a soccer ball all the way there. Then, Andoni and Gillian played against Quinn and her friend, Molly. Andoni is becoming famous for his soccer ability, the girls knew he would outrun and outplay them and they just laid down in the grass and gave up finally. I think it is good for their own soccer game, though, perhaps we will see some Andoni-like moves at the girls next soccer game.

After lots of fun, I am tired. I hope the kids are, too. We all need some rejuvenating sleep so we can do it all again tomorrow!

An average day...until...

Today started off slow. An early World Cup game followed by a stop at the golf course where all four girls got dropped off for golf lessons (junior golf, it's called). Janna and Andoni then went to Whole Foods Market, where they shopped for gluten-free foods. There was a large supply and many options. Andoni was even impressed. They found macaroni and cheese, chicken nuggets, different breads, chips, yogurt, cheese and many other things.

And then the Spain/Portugal game. Andoni and Gillian watched the entire game (Quinn wanted to spend time outside in the beautiful weather). We are still somewhat confused why Andoni doesn't root for Spain, but we are fine with it. We don't have much allegiance to any European team, so go Portugal!

Well, it was not to be. The enemy won and moved on to the quarter finals.

But our day was just beginning. Next was the Northrup girl soccer bonanza.

Quinn had a game in a neighboring town, while Shelby and Gillian had games in Edina. Here is Shelby's game (a swarm of bees):

Andoni came with me to Quinn's game first. While the team was warming up, Andoni and I shot the ball on net and took corner kicks. Then, at halftime, a friend of mine took Andoni to shoot on the net. Quinn's team lost, but played great. Quinn had one of the hardest shots on net I have seen all year from a U11 girls team. But the goalie made a great save. The goal was not to be.

We then made our way back to Edina for Gillian's game.

But, I also had arranged earlier in the day for Andoni to practice with a U12 Boys teams in Edina. The coach is the director of the Edina Soccer Club. His name is Phil Nell and is from Switzerland. While Gillian was working the defense in her game on one field, Andoni was being welcomed to a team of 12 year old boys on a neighboring field. The boys were great and all introduced themselves to him. I had bought him some shin pads and he was wearing Quinn's old soccer shoes. He had the rest of his gear, including socks, shorts, and a jersey with his name on the back (this helped his new teammates!).

Anyway, I watched Gillian's game while keeping an eye on Andoni at his practice. He was doing great.

Gillian's team tied 0-0. After collecting Gillian, I went over to Andoni's practice just as it was ending. Phil called me over while the team was in it's huddle. He asked his team, in front of me, whether they like having Andoni. They all shouted, "YES!" "We WANT him!" "We NEED him on our team!"

The 12 year old captain of the team took my phone number and texted me the team's practice schedule.

Meanwhile, Phil asked Andoni if he would want to work hard and practice with the team. Andoni said "Yes!"

We are not sure if it will be possible for Andoni to actually play on the team during games, but he made a great impression on the boys and on Phil. Phil commented to me how much different it is to develop as a soccer player in Europe as opposed to the USA. USA children usually are playing 3 or more sports, and therefore do not get as many touches on the ball. It was obvious watching Andoni that he is not only getting more touches, but is also naturally gifted.

We made it home by 8:45 and had a late dinner. Andoni ate dinner, drank a lot of water and headed off to bed.

Another fun day.

Back at it.

We felt like we accomplished a major milestone on Monday. Andoni was awake until 9:30! Sure, he admitted he was tired, but maybe the jet-lag is over.

Monday was another busy day. After a quick breakfast and the Holland/Slovakia World Cup game, Janna, Andoni and the girls headed out for my grandmother's (Mama) house. She is 91, has two broken hips (healing), and lives on her own nearby. The visit lasted about an hour. Mama was thrilled to have the company.

Then they went to Target to get Andoni a charger for his PSP. Quinn and Gillian took the opportunity to get some accessories for their Nintendos.

Then a quick lunch before a visit to my office. It is always nice to have visitors at work. With the addition of Andoni, we made the rounds and met all the people. Collen, my secretary, showed us pictures of her son's house that was hit by a tornado last Friday night (remember the storm?).

The girls then headed off to play Putt Putt (or mini-golf). Andoni caught right on and despite the fact that Gillian kept swinging her putter like it was a driver, most made it through all 18 holes (Janna and Shelby had to make an emergency run to the bathroom for a 5 year old potty break).

After a dinner of pesto pasta with chicken (rice noodles for Andoni), we headed out for our Monday soccer madness. Quinn had practice and Aubrey had a game. While Aubrey was prepping for her game, Andoni, Gillian and I (and occationally Shelby) kicked the soccer ball around. Andoni and I then juggled the ball together. I actually taught him a juggling trick! Didn't think it was possible. He is better than me at juggling the soccer ball, but this 38 year old body has some magic left in it. I had a great time. We then watched Aubrey's game (which started at 8:30pm). Andoni laughed at the 7 year old girls running around like a swarm of bees around the soccer ball. Aubrey had a goal and missed three breakaways. Interstingly, Andoni said that not many girls play soccer in the Basque Country. Well, we can't say the same here. Tonight Quinn, Gillian and Shelby all have games. It will be a busy one.

Andoni visits the cabin

Andoni has fallen asleep each night at 8:30pm, he just cannot keep his eyes open another second. I know that this is mostly because he is still coping with the seven hour time change, but I think it also might have to do with how much we are doing each day. Andoni is doing great keeping up with everything, but so many things are new and we are so excited to share everything with him, that I don't blame him for needing lots of sleep (he sleeps until at least 8 am). What a great kid he is. He doesn't complain about a thing, is not shocked by the crazy antics of the girls, and goes along with all the things we make him try.

So, this weekend might best be defined by saying it was a weekend of a lot of "firsts" for Andoni.

Here's the rundown:

1. Friday night, we went to a birthday party at a friends house. Right after we got there, tornado sirens went off and trees started swaying like they might break. The

sky was ominous. I, personally, was scared, but we went down to the basement (when I say "we" I mean myself and all the children at the party. I am a little afraid of strong storms. The rest of the adults stayed upstairs to watch the lightening, hail and torrential rain) and waited until it cleared up - about a half hour later. Andoni said he had never been in a tornado before, and while it wasn't technically a tornado, it was pretty close.

2. We piled all the kids in the car after the party at 9pm and decided to drive the two hours north to the cabin. Andoni had already taken a short nap at 6pm, but basically, when he got into the car, he was asleep. We arrived at our small cabin at a little after 11pm, and then we ALL went straight to bed. Andoni slept in the loft at the cabin. I really don't know how he could climb the ladder up to the loft in his sleepy state, but he did just fine.

3. Saturday was a little chilly but there was lots to do. Andoni had to try fishing

(and he caught his first fish!), that's important for a visitor to Minnesota to be able to do. Gillian taught him how to put a worm on his hook and he quickly looked like a regular fisherman, sitting around waiting for a fish to bite. I don't know if Andoni would say it was the most thrilling part of the weekend, but we feel satisfied that he participated in an integral past-time here in Minnesota (which by the way is nicknamed, Land of 10,000 Lakes, if you didn't know).

4. We recently purchased a kayak and brought it up with us this weekend and that was a lot of fun. Andoni got a lot of time on it, both with the girls (it is a two person kayak) and then, today, he and Jeff paddled their way up a little creek to a beaver dam.

5. As a family, we often play a game at dinner called Highs and Lows. It really isn't a game, but a way to get the kids to share about their day. We ask them to tell us what the best part of their day was (the high) and the worst part of their day (the low). We introduced Andoni to this "game" and when it was his turn at dinner on Saturday night, he said his high was driving the tractor! Yes, you read it right, Andoni got to drive our tractor. Jeff let him use the loader to move a big pile of dirt. I think he might be considering farming or landscaping as professions (just kidding). (By the way, Andoni's low that day, was that it was too cold to swim, which it was). Andoni and Quinn got to drive the tractor again today and "push dirt around" to quote Quinn. Simple fun.

6. Food: While we have found quite a bit of gluten-free food for Andoni to eat, we also have been introducing him to new foods (all gluten-free, of course). He has tried: corn on the cob (he said was "okay"), soy sauce (did NOT like), peanut butter (also a "no"), turkey (which he has eaten every day and seems to like), maple syrup (liked) and I am impressed with how much he will try!

7. Andoni is patient and kind. I am sure he misses his family and maybe might be sometimes overwhelmed with all the things that are happening around him, but he is doing so well. One example: on Saturday night, we decided to take the boat out for a ride (a small 16 foot fishing boat with a 25 horsepower outboard motor) and Andoni was right there helping Jeff get the boat in the water. Unfortunately, the plug was out of the boat and shortly after getting it into the lake, it started to sink (no one was in it, we were just getting it to the dock). Once it started to sink, Aubrey (our seven year old) thought she was helping and let the boat lift unwind all the way out and then rewound the steel cable up into the gears. Jeff and I had to dissasemble the entire boat lift. Andoni carried an extremely heavy tool box all the way down to the lake to help the situation and it turned out we didn't get it reassembled until too late and had to postpone the boat ride until the next morning. When we finally did get to ride in the boat, Andoni and Quinn both got to steer and drive the boat, and both were pretty proud.

8. The girls all got handily beaten by Andoni at ping pong (he showed no mercy). Then he broke Jeff's heart and beat him twice 21-19 in both games. Jeff taught the kids how to play a game called whiffle ball (which is a little bit like American baseball). Andoni caught on quickly and demonstrated his ball skills yet again.

Andoni also learned how to throw an American football and play a strategy dice game called Farkle. No wonder he is so tired. His poor brain is tired from all this "new" stuff.

On the way home from the cabin tonight, Andoni fell asleep yet again. The girls were all watching a movie, Jeff was singing Beatles songs, and Andoni was fast asleep in his seat - dreaming about tractors and ping pong and kayaking and whiffle ball and...

We are home now, tired, a little dirty but with quite a few happy memories. And looking forward to another day with Andoni and the girls.

Our Andoni Adventure, Day 2

I just wanted to post a few photos of our adventures today, because you will see that Andoni has been completely immersed in our crazy life.

This morning he walked Shelby to a "tea party" at a nearby home. Then we went to the market to hunt for some appealing gluten free foods. We have found breads, waffles, cookies and crackers. We are still trying to figure out some of the meats and cheeses, but so far, everything is fine. I told Andoni my goal was to get him to love vegetables by the time he leaves, although, he doesn't seem too interested! Oh well.

After the market, they watched the tie game between Brazil and Portugal. And then, we headed to a birthday party for a little girl that we know. We went to a park and played some outdoor games.

Andoni joined right in the games like a great sport. You will have to ask him when he gets home how to play duck, duck, gray duck and Red Rover.

We then went to an ice cream shop and Andoni had a special chocolate gluten-free treat that we found at the market this morning.

The kids are all currently watching Spain play Chile and I know that Andoni is a little tired, so I hope that some time just sitting on the couch at home will give him a little rest. Although the girls are a little silly trying to make him laugh and being typical girls. I hope he is not overwhelmed, but he seems to be taking it all in just fine.

We will drive up to the cabin later tonight after we have dinner. Our time at the cabin will be relaxing and quiet, lots of swimming, fishing and exploring. I will post pictures when we return.

Andoni is here!

We finally, after weeks of waiting, get to meet Andoni. The girls held up signs with his name on it at the train station. I think we were all a little nervous. He said goodbye to his brother, who will be going to Tracy, MN, and seemed happy and content with just about anything. He often says, when I ask him what he wants to do, "I don't mind." I think he is going to fit in fine with the family. He is very easygoing.

We had dinner quickly together tonight and Gillian went to her soccer game and then Quinn to soccer practice. Andoni, Shelby and I drove out to Gillian's game after we had cleaned up dinner and after they had

taken a short walk with the dog around the

block.

At the soccer fields, we watched Gillian's game, but there was also a baseball game and lacrosse game also going on nearby. Andoni got to see two sports he had never seen before. I can't believe that Andoni can keep his eyes open at all (it is so late for him, I am sure he has not adjusted to the time change yet), but he watched everything and seemed interested in it all.

When we got back home, he was kind enough to share some gifts: a wonderful book called the Country of Basque, and some cute T-shirts for the girls. After a little bit of computer time, Andoni, like the rest of the kids, was escorted up the stairs and put to bed.

Let the adventure begin!

Andoni's arrival

Andoni will arrive tomorrow and we all are so excited!! I will post pictures of when we pick him up at the light rail station. We will be taking him straight to a soccer (futball) game and right away he will be in the action.

This weekend, we plan on going north to the lake house and relaxing a bit. Also, tomorrow, a little friend of ours is having a birthday party and so we will go to a local park for that. Then, maybe a cookout or we may just head straight up north. We'll see what everyone wants to do in the family.

Our seven year old daughter, Aubrey, went to camp today. And she was so sad she would miss meeting Andoni with the rest of the family, but we had scheduled this camp before we knew Andoni would be coming. She will meet us up north on Saturday in the afternoon.

Andoni better get used to being the center of everyone's attention, the girls are planning on getting Spanish and Basque speaking lessons, futball instruction and maybe even some cooking lessons!