champs

So, after a long weekend of basketball, the ICSB boys won the tournament! (The girls took second and cried, the only way girls know how to handle a loss like that.) They were the favorite going into it because they won it last year, but last year was a surprise and included an upset. The partying after the game last year was insane, and although the kids got into it again this year, you really can't beat last year's celebration. It had been a long time since the guys had won the tournament, and they beat KCA (Kiev), whom they had gotten creamed by the day before and who had won the previous year, in the championship.

Anyway, there was another surprising upset in today's games to make this year's championship a repeat of last year's: ICSB vs. KCA. I made it only for the second half because the kids were incredibly exhausted and took four hour naps (YEAH!), but they were SO good.

I don't have any pictures of actual basketball games because, well, the majority of my time was spent in the cafeteria with the kiddos instead of in the gym watching games. It actually worked out better that way.

The kids had plenty of room to move around and be active but out of people's way for the most part (and had so many different people down there who entertained them and played with them!)...

The games were streamed downstairs onto a television so that I could watch them still without the crowds and people giving me their two cents about everything, as if I had anything to do with coaching ICSB (and of course coming from people who have never coached basketball, let alone played it)...

And we were close to the yummy food the juniors provided during the tournament as their class fundraiser... (Audrey, the lone class sponsor, is standing there during a lull.)

Seth thoroughly enjoyed the food as well...

Being that he is cute and known by just about every single person at that school, people were buying him stuff and feeding him left and right. Once I realized just how much junk he had eaten, my exact words were, "He's going to throw up." And sure enough, he did at 10 p.m. last night. Granted he is the puking champion of the world after this summer/fall horrid, horrid sickness, but he was fine after he puked it all up last night. At least we made it to the toilet for half of it. And today he hardly ate any junk. :)

I will post more pictures of actual basketball stuff as it becomes available from people. I do know that my kids were photographed a lot, but I forgot about getting a family photo of all of us wearing our ICSB sweatshirts today. Oh well.

Kate really enjoyed the tournament a lot, much more than I had anticipated. She is much more of a momma's girl who doesn't like to venture off more than a few feet from me when we are out and about. She still wasn't a fan of anyone wanting to hold her, but she did go off and play with other kids and explore without me having to be within arm's reach. And Seth, of course, was always asking to go see and play with this person or that. I am so glad he is loved and cared for by so many people.

I did get choked up at the end thinking about all of the seniors. This class graduating was the freshmen class when we moved here, so this is the first class we've seen through their whole high school career. I know so many of them very well and love them dearly. I thought about some, too, whose last child is graduating and that this is their last ICSB tournament. I realize that this happens every year because that's how life goes, but life here is different. I know these kids and their families and love them. We are actually part of each other's lives outside of school, and since no one has family here, we are each other's family. Anyway, I did get a lump in my throat at the end thinking about all of that. *sniff*

It was a fun but exhausting weekend. I am so glad the boys won, but I'm also glad it's over. :) No school Monday, so that will be nice.