Stacey and I didn't realize it until last night, but 2010 was a really big and busy year for us. I think most people tend to forget about everything they've done in a year unless they stop to think about it, or more importantly, write it down as it happens. I know that I've said this before, but this blog is for our own family first and foremost in addition to sharing it with our friends and family. As 2010 comes to an end, so does another year on our family history web page (i.e. this blog)...which means I'll be ordering another bound hard copy that will document "Sudduth 2010". For those of you who can't be bothered to click through my 300 previous entries for 2010, here are the highlights in chronological order (with links):
January
New Year's Eve at the cabin
We found out we were having a boy
Completed the window sills
February
Quite possibly one of the best Julia "lines" ever
Completed baby brother's room
We see our old neighborhood in Hawaii on Lost
March
Julia gets new bedroom furniture
I hit the 3 year mark at Focus
The backyard project begins...
Denver Nuggets luxury suite
April
Julia is potty trained
I turn 32 years old
We decide on the name Jonathan David Sudduth
May
Tottenham Hotspur secure UCL football in 2010
I finish the huge backyard project
Stacey's baby shower
June
Jonathan is born
The now infamous Ice Cream 5K
The World Cup kicks off
July
Grandparents visit from Spokane
Stacey & Jonathan travel to Hawaii for a week
Dad and I travel to NYC (and I get a picture with Meredith)
I see Spurs play in person for the first time
August
More NYC pictures
I resign my position at work
We travel to Victoria, B.C and Seattle (middle of page)
September
Stacey, Jonathan, and I climb The Incline
Rockies game at Coors Field
Julia's first email
Great picture...
October
I climb Mt Evans and Bierstadt
Jonathan's first solid food
J&J's first double bath
Happy Apple Farm
Julia gets her first piece of gum
November
I finish installing the basement crown molding
Tottenham beat Inter and go top of the group
A Lexus uses the front door at the hospital
Stacey turns 34 years old
We drive to Spokane for Thanksgiving (scroll down)
December
Jonathan learns to sit up
Jonathan turns 6 months old
Julia turns 3 years old
I finish installing the main level crown molding
Our seventh anniversary
We see Michelle and Great Oma for Christmas
31 December 2010
30 December 2010
29 December 2010
I Did It!
One of the benefits of taking time off from work is that you get to do things that you've always dreamed of doing...for example, completely clearing an Etch A Sketch line by line.
I realize the global significance of this accomplishment, so I'd like to thank my Mom for being my inspiration. She gave me the idea in the first place. Mom, thanks for always believing in me and for encouraging me to live my dreams. No matter how lofty the goal, you always told me I could be anything and do anything I set my mind to.
I realize the global significance of this accomplishment, so I'd like to thank my Mom for being my inspiration. She gave me the idea in the first place. Mom, thanks for always believing in me and for encouraging me to live my dreams. No matter how lofty the goal, you always told me I could be anything and do anything I set my mind to.
28 December 2010
Ten Streak
With tonight's win over Newcastle, we've now gone undefeated in our last 10 in all competitions. It's been almost 2 months since we last lost a game. During this stretch, we've beaten Arsenal, Liverpool, and Villa - and led for most of the game before drawing against Chelsea. We're currently in 4th place (not counting games in hand).
The Fonz Weighs In
The Fonz Weighs In
27 December 2010
7th Anniversary
Today is our seventh anniversary.
I looked up what spouses are traditionally supposed give each other after seven years...believe it or not, it's something made of wool. Nothing says "romance" like wool. Hey baby, wanna get itchy? Am I the only one that realizes the irony when talking wool and the "seven year itch"? That would explain a lot.
After seven years we've lived in California, Hawaii, and Colorado. We now have two kids and a mortgage. However, I went back and looked some photos right after our wedding, and I'm ashamed and pleased at the same time to say that I still have a few of the same shirts hanging in my closet. I just finished some green tea last week that was bought seven years ago. I still drive the same truck and Stacey still drives the same car as seven years ago. I still have the same couch. We still have the same bed. The point is, we like to acquire nice things and then hang on to them for a very long time.
Here's my own rejected Hallmark card: Happy Seventh Anniversary Stacey! You scratch me where it itches...
I looked up what spouses are traditionally supposed give each other after seven years...believe it or not, it's something made of wool. Nothing says "romance" like wool. Hey baby, wanna get itchy? Am I the only one that realizes the irony when talking wool and the "seven year itch"? That would explain a lot.
After seven years we've lived in California, Hawaii, and Colorado. We now have two kids and a mortgage. However, I went back and looked some photos right after our wedding, and I'm ashamed and pleased at the same time to say that I still have a few of the same shirts hanging in my closet. I just finished some green tea last week that was bought seven years ago. I still drive the same truck and Stacey still drives the same car as seven years ago. I still have the same couch. We still have the same bed. The point is, we like to acquire nice things and then hang on to them for a very long time.
Here's my own rejected Hallmark card: Happy Seventh Anniversary Stacey! You scratch me where it itches...
26 December 2010
Tottenham 2-1 Villa
One of the best things about the holiday season is that the English Premier League is on almost every day. In the span of about 10-11 days, most teams have four games scheduled. Typically, there is a game the week before Christmas, then a full slate on Boxing Day (December 26), a set of games a few days after that, and then a final game a few days after that. Spurs played Villa on Boxing Day and have another game only 2 days later on the 28th. It's too many games in a short period of time, but strictly from a fan's perspective, it's a good thing.
Fortunately, the game before Christmas weekend was postponed due to snowy weather in Britain. Two more games were postponed on Boxing Day but the Spurs game went ahead as scheduled. Some fans called this our best performance in the league this season. Van der Vaart (VDV) was back from his hamstring injury and all he did was score our two goals. He has been an amazing signing for us. The game was fairly even until VDV scored on a great cross field pass from Modric and a one touch cross from Hutton...a very nice play all around. I guess the referee thought we needed a challenge, so he decided to send Defoe off with a straight red card around the 30 minute mark. It was a terrible call - a foul, yes, and a yellow card at the most. VDV was left up top by himself for the rest of the game.
We didn't miss a beat, however, and maintained possession for long stretches during the game. Down a man, we played Villa off the park for much of the game. Sure, they had chances with the extra man, but we looked just as dangerous with only 10 men. VDV scored another goal, even more beautiful then the first, while down a man, to take the 2-0 lead. They got a consolation goal towards the end of the game, but we definitely deserved the 3 points. Even down a man we looked like the better team. This was a huge win for us and keeps us close to the 4th place team. After this result we are only one point behind 4th and two points behind 3rd. It was a great performance all around!
On Tuesday we face Newcastle. It will be tough, but it and the next few games in January are winnable. We must get some results in these games if we want to be in the Champions League again next year.
Fortunately, the game before Christmas weekend was postponed due to snowy weather in Britain. Two more games were postponed on Boxing Day but the Spurs game went ahead as scheduled. Some fans called this our best performance in the league this season. Van der Vaart (VDV) was back from his hamstring injury and all he did was score our two goals. He has been an amazing signing for us. The game was fairly even until VDV scored on a great cross field pass from Modric and a one touch cross from Hutton...a very nice play all around. I guess the referee thought we needed a challenge, so he decided to send Defoe off with a straight red card around the 30 minute mark. It was a terrible call - a foul, yes, and a yellow card at the most. VDV was left up top by himself for the rest of the game.
We didn't miss a beat, however, and maintained possession for long stretches during the game. Down a man, we played Villa off the park for much of the game. Sure, they had chances with the extra man, but we looked just as dangerous with only 10 men. VDV scored another goal, even more beautiful then the first, while down a man, to take the 2-0 lead. They got a consolation goal towards the end of the game, but we definitely deserved the 3 points. Even down a man we looked like the better team. This was a huge win for us and keeps us close to the 4th place team. After this result we are only one point behind 4th and two points behind 3rd. It was a great performance all around!
On Tuesday we face Newcastle. It will be tough, but it and the next few games in January are winnable. We must get some results in these games if we want to be in the Champions League again next year.
25 December 2010
24 December 2010
23 December 2010
22 December 2010
Martha Sudduth Living
I love this first picture - Julia looks so pretty. She seems so much older in the picture then she does in real life, like we're getting a glimpse into the future. She's growing up right before our eyes...
21 December 2010
Rudolph Pancakes
Who knew he was gluten-free? Julia got such a kick out of this that we might have to make it a Christmas morning tradition. In between pancakes, she used the snowman mold as a musical instrument.
20 December 2010
666th Post
Well, this is my 666th post. Don't add up the numbers on the side - it's short 1 (I know why).
I'm not sure what to say, so I'm not going to say anything at all. This is kind of like hotels not having a 13th floor. How about I just say that if you add up the numbers in today's date (12/20/10), it equals the number 6. Whoa...cue freaky music and lightning/thunder storms now.
I'm not sure what to say, so I'm not going to say anything at all. This is kind of like hotels not having a 13th floor. How about I just say that if you add up the numbers in today's date (12/20/10), it equals the number 6. Whoa...cue freaky music and lightning/thunder storms now.
19 December 2010
60 Minutes: Good Cop, Bad Cop
When was the last time you saw someone you knew on 60 Minutes? Tonight Stacey and I sat down to watch a few of the 60 Minutes episodes that had accumulated on our DVR. We started with the oldest first - an episode from a few weeks ago that featured a story on the Afghan Police force.
I was quite surprised when they flashed the below scene on the screen for a few seconds:
"There is now a plan to teach tens of thousands of Afghan police how to read at a basic level. Drug testing is mandatory, and to combat corruption, police wages have been doubled. To make sure Afghan officers actually get paid, American military teams monitor the police bureaucracy."
"I know him!", I blurted to Stacey. The Air Force officer said a few words about ensuring pay, and that was it...a few seconds of fame. His is in Afghanistan right now serving as an Afghan National Police Finance Reform Mentor...a fancy way of saying he makes sure the police officers get paid correctly and on time.
It took me a few hours of racking my brain and a Google search to remember his name - but I got. This is none other then Captain (or recently, Major) Jason Sanchez. I spent 3 months with him in the fall of 2001 at Sheppard AFB in Wichita Falls, TX. We were both in the same Air Force Basic Financial Management Class - the introductory "tech" training that all Air Force Comptroller officers are required to complete. This was the very first training course I attended in the Air Force. I remember a few things about him - he was prior enlisted, I think he was one of our class leaders (based on his seniority in the Air Force from his enlisted service), and the fact that he never graduated with our class. Curious to know why? He broke his leg playing intramural flag football! He was in the hospital for awhile and had to attend the next class to complete the curriculum.
I've always felt somewhat responsible for his broken leg. The prior play to his fracture and scoring an own goal against rivals Air Academy (and we lost by 1) are probably my biggest competitive sports blunders. Jason was our quarterback and I played mostly running back and receiver. The ball was on our own 20 yard line. I ran a quick route over the middle and he found me, wide open. I turned with the ball and there was nothing but green grass between me and the end zone. I took off sprinting knowing that no one was going to catch me. At about midfield, my left knee met the ball and I fumbled it - all on my own. I remember the other team audibly laughing at me...a few uncontrollably. In flag football, once the ball hits the ground, it's dead. So, instead of scoring a touchdown, we had to line up again on offense. On the next play they pressured him, and while he was trying to get away he planted his foot and twisted his leg. His lower-leg bone fractured in a spiral pattern due to the twisting motion. The ambulance had to come on the field and take him to the hospital. Good times.
That class was a weird one in many ways. I think there were about 30 students in it. We had another guy in our class that was later kicked out of the Air Force due to mental instabilities. We all knew something wasn't quite right with him in class and weren't surprised later to find out he was kicked out. At one point, when he was approached by a class leader about his tardiness, he wanted to "take it outside". We were all like...uh, what?...that doesn't make any sense. The saddest story was that another classmate of ours (female - also prior enlisted), was later murdered by her ex-husband in North Carolina. I'm not going to go into too many details because it was a terrible, terrible story. At the beginning of our class she didn't wear a ring, but towards the end of the class she had started wearing it again. I have no idea who is raising her children now.
Despite ending the post in a very depressing manner, I also have a lot of good memories of that time in Texas. I can't help but think that could have been me on 60 Minutes if I would have stayed in the Air Force. I'm convinced that I would have already spent time in Iraq or Afghanistan (or there now, even) if I had not left. It's coming up on 4 years since the last time I put on the uniform. I don't really miss it that much overall. There are parts I miss and parts I don't miss. One thing is for sure though: my life is completely different then it was back in 2001.
I was quite surprised when they flashed the below scene on the screen for a few seconds:
"There is now a plan to teach tens of thousands of Afghan police how to read at a basic level. Drug testing is mandatory, and to combat corruption, police wages have been doubled. To make sure Afghan officers actually get paid, American military teams monitor the police bureaucracy."
"I know him!", I blurted to Stacey. The Air Force officer said a few words about ensuring pay, and that was it...a few seconds of fame. His is in Afghanistan right now serving as an Afghan National Police Finance Reform Mentor...a fancy way of saying he makes sure the police officers get paid correctly and on time.
It took me a few hours of racking my brain and a Google search to remember his name - but I got. This is none other then Captain (or recently, Major) Jason Sanchez. I spent 3 months with him in the fall of 2001 at Sheppard AFB in Wichita Falls, TX. We were both in the same Air Force Basic Financial Management Class - the introductory "tech" training that all Air Force Comptroller officers are required to complete. This was the very first training course I attended in the Air Force. I remember a few things about him - he was prior enlisted, I think he was one of our class leaders (based on his seniority in the Air Force from his enlisted service), and the fact that he never graduated with our class. Curious to know why? He broke his leg playing intramural flag football! He was in the hospital for awhile and had to attend the next class to complete the curriculum.
I've always felt somewhat responsible for his broken leg. The prior play to his fracture and scoring an own goal against rivals Air Academy (and we lost by 1) are probably my biggest competitive sports blunders. Jason was our quarterback and I played mostly running back and receiver. The ball was on our own 20 yard line. I ran a quick route over the middle and he found me, wide open. I turned with the ball and there was nothing but green grass between me and the end zone. I took off sprinting knowing that no one was going to catch me. At about midfield, my left knee met the ball and I fumbled it - all on my own. I remember the other team audibly laughing at me...a few uncontrollably. In flag football, once the ball hits the ground, it's dead. So, instead of scoring a touchdown, we had to line up again on offense. On the next play they pressured him, and while he was trying to get away he planted his foot and twisted his leg. His lower-leg bone fractured in a spiral pattern due to the twisting motion. The ambulance had to come on the field and take him to the hospital. Good times.
That class was a weird one in many ways. I think there were about 30 students in it. We had another guy in our class that was later kicked out of the Air Force due to mental instabilities. We all knew something wasn't quite right with him in class and weren't surprised later to find out he was kicked out. At one point, when he was approached by a class leader about his tardiness, he wanted to "take it outside". We were all like...uh, what?...that doesn't make any sense. The saddest story was that another classmate of ours (female - also prior enlisted), was later murdered by her ex-husband in North Carolina. I'm not going to go into too many details because it was a terrible, terrible story. At the beginning of our class she didn't wear a ring, but towards the end of the class she had started wearing it again. I have no idea who is raising her children now.
Despite ending the post in a very depressing manner, I also have a lot of good memories of that time in Texas. I can't help but think that could have been me on 60 Minutes if I would have stayed in the Air Force. I'm convinced that I would have already spent time in Iraq or Afghanistan (or there now, even) if I had not left. It's coming up on 4 years since the last time I put on the uniform. I don't really miss it that much overall. There are parts I miss and parts I don't miss. One thing is for sure though: my life is completely different then it was back in 2001.
18 December 2010
Barrel Chest Update
Jonathan has gained 1 pound since we've been feeding him "protein shakes". That's a lot in just one week, percentage-wise. We think he's storing it all in his barrel chest. I bet at his next appointment he'll be above the 5th percentile. If you take his current weight and apply it to the 6 month age, he's at the 5th percentile right now. It looks like he wasn't eating enough. I think that was partly due to the fact that he gets distracted easily...
17 December 2010
Spurs To Face AC Milan
Sometime early this morning while I was still asleep the draw for the Round of 16 was made. I rolled out of bed at 5 a.m., only half awake, and grabbed my iPad. The first thing I saw was the below picture. I didn't see Spurs at first...I saw Barcelona v Arsenal. HA! A few seconds later I saw that we had drawn AC Milan.
I think everyone will agree that this is a less then ideal draw for us. They are the current leaders in Serie A and one of the most successful clubs in history. Milan has won 18 officially recognized UEFA and FIFA international titles, and remains tied with Boca Juniors as having won the most in the world. Milan has won this same European Cup/Champions League on seven occasions; only Real Madrid has exceeded this total. Domestically, Milan has won 17 league titles, making the club the third most successful in Serie A behind local rivals Inter (18) and record-holder Juventus (27). Right now they aren't the powerhouse that they have been in the past, but still, I feel like there were easier teams available then Milan. Their history alone is staggering.
Milan were in the same group with Real Madrid, Ajax, and Auxerre. Ajax and our Group A opponent, Twente, are very close to each other in the Dutch standings. Milan won their home match against Ajax and drew their away match against Ajax with a +2 goal difference. We won our home match against Twente and drew our away match against Twente with a goal difference of +3. That comparison is pretty much identical.
Let's compare their results against Real Madrid, Milan's seeded group team, and Inter, our seeded group team. Milan lost away to Real Madrid and drew them at home with a goal difference of -2. We lost away to Inter but beat them at home with a goal difference of +1. Although Spurs fared better, Real Madrid is a much better team and when we faced Inter they weren't playing well, so I don't see much difference here either.
Here's the statistic that concerns me the most: goals conceded. They lost their final meaningless group game, so in the 5 meaningful matches (including 2 against Real Madrid), they only gave up 5 goals. 4 of them were to Real Madrid. Currently, they have conceded the fewest goals in Serie A. Unlike our games, they seem to play a very tight and organized game. We've been successful so far in this tournament because we've been allowed to play a wide open game. When other teams in the English Premier League have "parked the bus" and tried to defend first, we've had trouble breaking them down. I think this will be the deciding factor in our home and away match up with Milan. If we have trouble breaking them down, I think it will be difficult to advance in a low scoring affair. We always find a way to concede a goal but score more to offset the error(s). That might not happen this time. However, if Milan are similarly slow to Inter, we may be able to overcome this with speed and physicality.
One positive of this draw is that Milan and Inter share the same stadium. We've already played once there against Inter, so we should already know what to expect from the time we leave London until we return. Additionally, it will be a great night at White Heart Lane against a storied club when we host them. We probably would have preferred someone else, but they wouldn't have the same history as Milan does. As group winners, we will travel to Milan first and then host the second game (same order we played Inter). I like this because it sets the second and deciding game at home. In the first match away all is not over even if you lose...and a scoring draw is like a win due to the away goals rule.
In summary, I think this is going to be very tough and too close to call. Right now, I'd call it 50/50. We face Milan in February, and by that time, who knows how each team will be playing.
I think everyone will agree that this is a less then ideal draw for us. They are the current leaders in Serie A and one of the most successful clubs in history. Milan has won 18 officially recognized UEFA and FIFA international titles, and remains tied with Boca Juniors as having won the most in the world. Milan has won this same European Cup/Champions League on seven occasions; only Real Madrid has exceeded this total. Domestically, Milan has won 17 league titles, making the club the third most successful in Serie A behind local rivals Inter (18) and record-holder Juventus (27). Right now they aren't the powerhouse that they have been in the past, but still, I feel like there were easier teams available then Milan. Their history alone is staggering.
Milan were in the same group with Real Madrid, Ajax, and Auxerre. Ajax and our Group A opponent, Twente, are very close to each other in the Dutch standings. Milan won their home match against Ajax and drew their away match against Ajax with a +2 goal difference. We won our home match against Twente and drew our away match against Twente with a goal difference of +3. That comparison is pretty much identical.
Let's compare their results against Real Madrid, Milan's seeded group team, and Inter, our seeded group team. Milan lost away to Real Madrid and drew them at home with a goal difference of -2. We lost away to Inter but beat them at home with a goal difference of +1. Although Spurs fared better, Real Madrid is a much better team and when we faced Inter they weren't playing well, so I don't see much difference here either.
Here's the statistic that concerns me the most: goals conceded. They lost their final meaningless group game, so in the 5 meaningful matches (including 2 against Real Madrid), they only gave up 5 goals. 4 of them were to Real Madrid. Currently, they have conceded the fewest goals in Serie A. Unlike our games, they seem to play a very tight and organized game. We've been successful so far in this tournament because we've been allowed to play a wide open game. When other teams in the English Premier League have "parked the bus" and tried to defend first, we've had trouble breaking them down. I think this will be the deciding factor in our home and away match up with Milan. If we have trouble breaking them down, I think it will be difficult to advance in a low scoring affair. We always find a way to concede a goal but score more to offset the error(s). That might not happen this time. However, if Milan are similarly slow to Inter, we may be able to overcome this with speed and physicality.
One positive of this draw is that Milan and Inter share the same stadium. We've already played once there against Inter, so we should already know what to expect from the time we leave London until we return. Additionally, it will be a great night at White Heart Lane against a storied club when we host them. We probably would have preferred someone else, but they wouldn't have the same history as Milan does. As group winners, we will travel to Milan first and then host the second game (same order we played Inter). I like this because it sets the second and deciding game at home. In the first match away all is not over even if you lose...and a scoring draw is like a win due to the away goals rule.
In summary, I think this is going to be very tough and too close to call. Right now, I'd call it 50/50. We face Milan in February, and by that time, who knows how each team will be playing.
15 December 2010
3 Year Check Up
Well, the tales of Sudduth Hobbits continue. Stacey left the shire this afternoon and took Julia to the pediatrician for her 3 year check up. The long and the "short" of it is that Julia has fallen off of the growth curve for height. Based on her parent's height she is probably not going to be much above 5 feet tall, if at all, anyway.
What concerned the pediatrician is that she has steadily dropped percentiles as time has passed, instead of staying within the same range. For example, it would be different if she started and stayed within the 0% to 10% range. Looking at the chart below for approximate values, at about 2 weeks she was at 70%, 4 months 65%, 6 months 60%, 9 months 30%, 12 months 17%, 18 months 17%, 24 months 9%, 36 months 4%.
So, he'd like us to go and see an endocrinologist to rule out any problems. Personally, I'm not too worried considering the rest of her development and behavior. If anything, she might just not be producing (or absorbing) enough growth hormone. The fix for that is pretty simple...injections of a synthetic growth hormone or other drug (that's my understanding). There could be something more going on, but it's very unlikely. Not to worry.
What concerned the pediatrician is that she has steadily dropped percentiles as time has passed, instead of staying within the same range. For example, it would be different if she started and stayed within the 0% to 10% range. Looking at the chart below for approximate values, at about 2 weeks she was at 70%, 4 months 65%, 6 months 60%, 9 months 30%, 12 months 17%, 18 months 17%, 24 months 9%, 36 months 4%.
So, he'd like us to go and see an endocrinologist to rule out any problems. Personally, I'm not too worried considering the rest of her development and behavior. If anything, she might just not be producing (or absorbing) enough growth hormone. The fix for that is pretty simple...injections of a synthetic growth hormone or other drug (that's my understanding). There could be something more going on, but it's very unlikely. Not to worry.
14 December 2010
11 December 2010
6 Month Check Up
Stats: 1st percentile weight, 19th (correction) percentile height. 12 pounds large. Jonathan is even smaller then Julia was at this age. The doctor said it's time to start hitting the protein shakes. The Dad said it's time to start thinking about a career as a horse jockey.
10 December 2010
Living Room
It took about 5 hours to get this up on Thursday...but now we have it. It was too cozy with the Christmas tree not do it as soon as possible. In addition, we knew that the red wall and all the exterior corners would make this the best looking room on the main level.
I still have the bathroom and kitchen to do. I see no reason why I can't finish the installation phase on the main level before my Grandma and Michelle arrive for Christmas.
I still have the bathroom and kitchen to do. I see no reason why I can't finish the installation phase on the main level before my Grandma and Michelle arrive for Christmas.
09 December 2010
UCL Group A Winners
A Terrific Tottenham Tuesday. On Julia's 3rd birthday Spurs played their final group match. All they had to do was match the Inter result and they would win their group - a huge surprise in this tournament.
The Inter v Werder game was shown live on FSC+ with the Tottenham v Twente game immediately following it. Inter is admittedly playing very poor football, so it wasn't a surprise that they were beat 0-3 by Werder. Since this game was on before the Spurs match, I knew Spurs had already won their group before I even watched one minute of the game. You can't do worse then lose, so with an Inter loss we were through as Group A Winners. This is a huge advantage for us since we will avoid the other group winners. Hopefully, we will get a weaker side at next Friday's draw. We can only get Lyon, Valencia, Copenhagen, Roma, Marseille, or AC Milan. Not too many of those sides scare me even though any will be difficult. Valencia would probably be the most difficult opponent followed by the French sides and AC Milan. I'd be ecstatic if we get Copenhagen or Roma.
The performance so far has defied expectations in so many ways. Everyone wrote Spurs off when the draw was first announced. In fact, many people thought we might finish last in the group. We were facing the defending Italian and UCL Winners, the reigning Dutch Champions, and a very strong German outfit. After all the games were played we had beaten every team at White Heart Lane, drew both of our away matches in Holland and Germany, and only lost once away in Italy. We set a record for the only team EVER to score at least 2 goals in every group match. In fact, we scored 3 or more goals in 5 of 6 matches played. We tied Arsenal for the most goals scored in the group stage of this year's tournament - 18. That's an average of 3 goals a game. I do believe that this is only the second time (Chelsea in 1999/2000) that an English club has advanced out of the group stage in their first try. Previously, the other English sides had failed in their first attempt.
We could easily lose in this next round. However, like I said in a previous post and like Kenny from World Football Daily said this week, Spurs could get all the way to the semi-finals if (and a BIG IF, at that) everything goes their way. Considering how some of these tables ended up, there could be a surprise team in the final four this season. It is possible to avoid the major powerhouses until that round if everything falls into place. Additionally, the draw should be extra sweet because Arsenal has a 50% chance of getting either Barcelona or Real Madrid.
It's a very exciting time for the club and their fans.
The Inter v Werder game was shown live on FSC+ with the Tottenham v Twente game immediately following it. Inter is admittedly playing very poor football, so it wasn't a surprise that they were beat 0-3 by Werder. Since this game was on before the Spurs match, I knew Spurs had already won their group before I even watched one minute of the game. You can't do worse then lose, so with an Inter loss we were through as Group A Winners. This is a huge advantage for us since we will avoid the other group winners. Hopefully, we will get a weaker side at next Friday's draw. We can only get Lyon, Valencia, Copenhagen, Roma, Marseille, or AC Milan. Not too many of those sides scare me even though any will be difficult. Valencia would probably be the most difficult opponent followed by the French sides and AC Milan. I'd be ecstatic if we get Copenhagen or Roma.
The performance so far has defied expectations in so many ways. Everyone wrote Spurs off when the draw was first announced. In fact, many people thought we might finish last in the group. We were facing the defending Italian and UCL Winners, the reigning Dutch Champions, and a very strong German outfit. After all the games were played we had beaten every team at White Heart Lane, drew both of our away matches in Holland and Germany, and only lost once away in Italy. We set a record for the only team EVER to score at least 2 goals in every group match. In fact, we scored 3 or more goals in 5 of 6 matches played. We tied Arsenal for the most goals scored in the group stage of this year's tournament - 18. That's an average of 3 goals a game. I do believe that this is only the second time (Chelsea in 1999/2000) that an English club has advanced out of the group stage in their first try. Previously, the other English sides had failed in their first attempt.
We could easily lose in this next round. However, like I said in a previous post and like Kenny from World Football Daily said this week, Spurs could get all the way to the semi-finals if (and a BIG IF, at that) everything goes their way. Considering how some of these tables ended up, there could be a surprise team in the final four this season. It is possible to avoid the major powerhouses until that round if everything falls into place. Additionally, the draw should be extra sweet because Arsenal has a 50% chance of getting either Barcelona or Real Madrid.
It's a very exciting time for the club and their fans.
08 December 2010
07 December 2010
3 Years Old
I can't believe Julia is already 3 years old. This afternoon Umpa and Oma came over to celebrate her birthday with us. Considering her age and that I'm taking time off from work, we celebrated with a small family gathering. Julia knew just what to do after we sang Happy Birthday.
Shortly after eating cake she wanted to open her presents. I've decided that eating cake before opening the gifts is the best order to do them in. That way, the sugar rush hits in the middle of opening the presents. The reactions are a lot more animated and funny that way. The two main toys that Julia got were a Home Depot Deluxe Tool set and an Easy Bake Oven. She loves them both.
You might think that a tool set for a girl isn't a good fit. For Jules it is. She sees my tools all the time and wants to play with them in addition to the set being good for her development. Every morning on the Disney Channel's she sees Handy Manny and Mouse-ke-tools. Naturally, Julia has been playing with pretend tools for awhile now anyway - so now she finally has her own set.
The Easy Bake Oven says it's for children 8 and older. We ignored that fact because Julia can handle it. She was so excited to get this gift. After we opened the box we realized that we didn't have a 100-watt bulb, so Umpa, I, and Julia ran to the grocery store to get one. Luckily, this added to the adventure for her and made her even more excited. She is so patient for a 3 year old. In addition to the store run, she had to wait 15 minutes for the oven to heat up and then another 12 minutes per batch of sugar cookies. She seemed so content to wait. I love how in the first row of pictures below you can tell she loves it by her romantic stare.
Later on that night Julia got very sad. We couldn't figure out why she was sad. Each time we asked her she kept saying, "I need to have my birthday". I couldn't figure out if she just wanted to stay up so she could enjoy her birthday longer or if she didn't fully understand yet what a birthday really means. Stacey tucked her into bed and I went in afterward to give her a kiss and a hug. She was still sad. After talking to her for a few minutes I finally realized that she was sad because we had only made the sugar cookies and not the yellow cake mix that came with her oven. I guess she didn't feel like her birthday was complete until she had made all of her baked goods. Since it was her birthday I pulled her out of bed and just the two of us made her cake. It was a good father-daughter moment.
After we had finished eating she told me that I could "put her back to bed now". When she woke up the next morning the first thing she told Stacey was, "I was sad because I didn't have my birthday...but Dadda woke me up." That extra hour of time with her was completely worth it.
Shortly after eating cake she wanted to open her presents. I've decided that eating cake before opening the gifts is the best order to do them in. That way, the sugar rush hits in the middle of opening the presents. The reactions are a lot more animated and funny that way. The two main toys that Julia got were a Home Depot Deluxe Tool set and an Easy Bake Oven. She loves them both.
You might think that a tool set for a girl isn't a good fit. For Jules it is. She sees my tools all the time and wants to play with them in addition to the set being good for her development. Every morning on the Disney Channel's she sees Handy Manny and Mouse-ke-tools. Naturally, Julia has been playing with pretend tools for awhile now anyway - so now she finally has her own set.
The Easy Bake Oven says it's for children 8 and older. We ignored that fact because Julia can handle it. She was so excited to get this gift. After we opened the box we realized that we didn't have a 100-watt bulb, so Umpa, I, and Julia ran to the grocery store to get one. Luckily, this added to the adventure for her and made her even more excited. She is so patient for a 3 year old. In addition to the store run, she had to wait 15 minutes for the oven to heat up and then another 12 minutes per batch of sugar cookies. She seemed so content to wait. I love how in the first row of pictures below you can tell she loves it by her romantic stare.
Later on that night Julia got very sad. We couldn't figure out why she was sad. Each time we asked her she kept saying, "I need to have my birthday". I couldn't figure out if she just wanted to stay up so she could enjoy her birthday longer or if she didn't fully understand yet what a birthday really means. Stacey tucked her into bed and I went in afterward to give her a kiss and a hug. She was still sad. After talking to her for a few minutes I finally realized that she was sad because we had only made the sugar cookies and not the yellow cake mix that came with her oven. I guess she didn't feel like her birthday was complete until she had made all of her baked goods. Since it was her birthday I pulled her out of bed and just the two of us made her cake. It was a good father-daughter moment.
After we had finished eating she told me that I could "put her back to bed now". When she woke up the next morning the first thing she told Stacey was, "I was sad because I didn't have my birthday...but Dadda woke me up." That extra hour of time with her was completely worth it.
06 December 2010
05 December 2010
Mr Apple Friend
Julia likes to play with her stuffed animals and toys like puppets. She has her toys pretend to carry on a conversation with her through us. Usually she feeds us the lines she wants her toy to say to her. Basically, she has a conversation with herself and whatever toy we are "animating".
At lunch she met a new friend, Mr Apple. Mr Apple was actually a large apple slice that hailed from the region known as my lunch plate. We played for a few minutes at the table until I looked at the clock and realized that it was time for her nap. She seemed tired anyway, so I ate her friend. Looking back, I probably shouldn't have pretended to eat her friend so violently. Of course, the tiredness didn't help the situation, and when she had to watch her friend being eaten alive she broke into tears. She was heartbroken...and is probably now scarred for life.
I'm still not sure if she really "felt" for her friend or if she was just tired and crying because I cut her playtime short. I guess we'll never know. I talked her through the grieving process and after a minute or two, she seemed to bounce back. One thing is for sure: next time I eat her friend, I'll try to be more discrete about it.
04 December 2010
I Like Nap Time
It was a little cold this afternoon, so I decided to start on the main level. When Julia came downstairs after her nap and saw it she said, "Oh, you made a shape!"
03 December 2010
Sit Ubu Sit (Good Dog)
It's official - three days before turning 6 months old. Sit Jonathan, sit! Good boy.
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