It was c-c-c-c- cold at this year’s Dover Christmas Parade! But there was free candy and hot chocolate, marching bands and floats to watch.  You shared a blanket with Molly and enjoyed the show.

What a big game today: Dover vs. Rochester, in Rochester.  The weather was overcast, cool, windy.  It was the second to last game of the Fall soccer season.

It’s been a challenging two months, filled with a few ups, but mostly lots of downs from a Won-Loss point of view.  Several close games, but zero wins.

It’s been amazing watching your progress.  This year you kicked it (pun!) into a whole other gear.  Nine and a half years old is a lot different from six or seven.  You used to try, but now you’re really trying hard.

Your Dad has really helped you, teaching some of the nuances of soccer, having played the game in high school and after that in a recreational league.  He’s still got the quickness and moves. This year you really listened and took his advice to heart.

For most of your soccer career (as noted in earlier blogs) you’ve played defense.  That didn’t change this season – you were on defense all the time. But this Fall, you became THE defensive player on your team… the defensive player your coach – and team – counted on to keep the opposing offense on edge and, hopefully, out of the goal.

You now can see the whole field as things unfold, and know how to position yourself against the oncoming offense.  You’re also much, much more aggressive one-on-one with an opposing player, staying with him, using your body and kicking that ball out.

Speaking of kicking the ball – you’ve become THE player your coach typically calls on to inbound the ball on corner kicks, make sideline throw-ins and in special penalty kick situations.

In today’s game against Rochester, you were all over the field, running fast and moving about with purpose.  Your teammates also played hard. It was the best Dover effort – bar none – of the entire season.

Unlike most of the games, this one was evenly matched. Both teams played their hearts out every minute of the first half and second half.  No one was “dogging it,” everyone gave it their all.  It was amazing to watch. Back and forth, lots of shots on goal, but only one score per team.

With the score still tied 1-1 late in the second half, Rochester committed a penalty and your coach gave you the nod to kick the penalty shot.  You lined up, planted your foot and booted the ball.  It sailed straight and high and very hard. Everyone watched with anticipation, hoping for the tie-breaker and go-ahead goal, but your shot hit the top crossbar and bounced out!

SO INCREDIBLY CLOSE!

Later on, you executed an inbound corner kick along the goal “baseline” – it was set up perfectly, landing right in front of the goal.  Your team mate couldn’t get a good shot off, though, despite the close proximity.

One particular Rochester player – number 10 – played dirty throughout the game.  He pushed Dover players in the back and made several cheap shots which the ref never saw, or chose not to respond to. I could tell you guys were frustrated.  Several of our fans were letting the ref know – including your Mom!

With about two minutes left, Rochester moved it down the field and scored.   There wasn’t enough time left for you guys to mount an offensive drive.  The whistle blew, and the game was over, 2-1.

Everyone cheered and clapped – we were so impressed with Dover’s heart and soul.  When I saw you, I said:

Ben, that was the best game you ever played.  You were amazing. You tried so hard and gave it your all.  That was an awesome penalty kick, so close!  I’m so proud of you!

You talked about number 10 –

He made me so angry. I just wanted to punch him in the face!

Your Mom, Dad, Grammy and I all agreed, it was frustrating to watch him play so dirty.

Me, as we walked toward the car:

Ben, you’re one of the best players on your team, you’ve improved so much this season, did you know that?

You:

I am?

Me:

Yes!  You’re the player your coach turns to for the big kicks and big plays.  You’ve got the big cannon foot!

You:

Bigger than Pete?

Me:

“Yes! You’re the one your coach asked to kick that big penalty shot. You’re the player who makes most of the inbound kicks.  You’ve improved so much!

It was so interesting to hear you… while I never want you to get a “big head” thinking you’re better than others, it’s as if you didn’t realize how you’ve transformed from ‘one of the players’ to ‘one of the players a coach counts on.’

Way to go Ben, I’m so proud of you and how hard you’ve tried.  I know it’s not easy to lose over and over again, but when you finally win, it will be a very, very sweet taste!  So always remember to try your hardest, do your very best and push yourself to get to a new level, no matter how hard it is.

Today was a special day for a bunch of reasons:

• It brought welcome relief.  My Mom died September 7 and we buried her September 12 (on Emma’s birthday).   So having a FUN, HAPPY thing to do 11days later was fantastic news. I couldn’t wait.
• It brought us together, all 13 of us, which is always so much fun.  We had crackers and dip, fruit and drinks and a grand old time.
• It was the first time we’ve ever taken a boat ride from our dock after 11 years of living at 44 Waterloo Circle. Grammy and I don’t own a boat, so we were excited about actually leaving our house from the water.
•  It gave us a cool new view.  We’ve been looking at the beautiful Piscataqua River from one perspective, but today we went East, up the river, and had a chance to see the beautiful inland waterways of Dover and Durham waterfront.  We went under three bridges over Little Bay, the one they’re using now, the new bridge they’re building and the rusty old one.   You loved walking (sometimes running) up and down and around the boat and crawling along the seating area.  Everyone visited the inside area where they sold candy which I, of course, bought for you guys!
• It gave us an awesome boat.  “The Heritage” is a famous and frequent sight in Portsmouth Harbor.  It brings tourists up and down the river all summer long, into the Fall.  People also use it to visit the Isles of Shoals.  It’s a beautiful wooden boat, a “Deltaville Deadrise” built in 1963.  It was used in Chesapeake Bay (around Washington, D.C.) for oystering and crabbing.
• It gave you souvenirs. Grammy and I bought you comfy sweatshirts and t-shirts that say “Portsmouth Harbor Cruises.” You love ’em.
•  It gave me an awesome ‘total family’ photo which will become my 2012 Christmas card! (see first photo below).
• It gave us great memories.  All of us will remember it – except for Madigan and Jack. Maybe we’ll do it again!

Losing someone you love deeply is one of the hardest things we face as human beings.  One minute they’re physically alive and in our world; the next, they’ve taken their last breath and moved on to a new place in the universe.

When it’s happening, you struggle to deal with it, the experience is emotional, confusing, disturbing, intense – and yes, very sad.

And so it goes with my Mom (your paternal great grandmother) who died Sept. 7 at the age of 89.  She was buried Sept. 12 in Mt. Calvary Cemetery in Somersworth, NH, the city my (childhood) family lived in most of our lives.  She was 89 years old.

Despite living a long life, it’s never easy to say goodbye forever. I was there when she died with my sister and a few relatives and friends. We held hands together and stood around her bed at Bellamy Fields Assisted Living in Dover. She died peacefully on a bright, unusually warm September day.

The past week were hard to get through.  Fortunately the lights of my life – Grammy, your Mom’s and Dad’s and my grandchildren -were close by. You made tough days better, just by being who you are. While you couldn’t understand the concept of dying, you instinctively sensed sadness, things being different and people you love hurting inside.

Rita Blais Beaupre – my Mom – was born in 1923, went to school in Berlin, NH and married my Dad  (Donald J. Beaupre) – your great grandfather – in January 1951. They became parents in 1952 when my sister Francine was born; I came along a year later in 1953.

Mom was an outgoing person who loved life.  When she was younger, she’d drive to Hampton Beach in the summer (over 100 miles away) with her friends to enjoy the largest beach in NH.  She went to New York City with her best friend when she was single, attending Broadway shows and concerts.  She saw Frank Sinatra in the 1940’s when he was at his peak – Sinatra is one of the most famous singers of all time

Mom helped run my Dad’s photography business, BEAU STUDIOS, when they were first married and later worked in the Human Resources department of the Portsmouth Naval Shipyard for most of her adult life (my Dad also worked at the Navy Yard).  She had many friends, was a great Mom, and will be missed forever.  My blog about being 10 years old has a lot of insight about what my young life was like.

You’re  so young!  Ben, while you’re the oldest of the “Samurai Seven,” you’re the oldest at 9 years old.  Emma 7; Camden almost 7; Ainsley 5; Jack, almost 2 and Madigan, a mere one year old.  While words weren’t there, kindness was ever present.  You hugged me, were gentle, loving and created special drawings I’ll keep forever (see below).

You made a very hard time, much, much better. Thank you.  I love you to Pluto and back and am so incredibly lucky you’re in my life.

Today was a special day because it was Emma’s seventh birthday. Happy birthday Emma!

It was also the day I had to say goodbye to my Mom – your Great Grammy – at her funeral. And the day I had to go to the cemetery for her burial.  She was 89 years old, lived a good, long life and left many wonderful memories behind for the hundreds of people she touched.

Last Saturday, the day after my Mom died, you were sitting next to me on the field watching Emma play softball.  You put your hand on my arm and said several times how you wanted to be with me that day.  You were reaching out to me in an incredible way… not yet able to fully grasp the meaning of death, but also understanding in your soul that something had changed and your Papa was hurting inside. You were trying to make it better.

And you did.

I’ll never forget that moment.

When Grammy and I came to your house after the funeral today, you, Emma and Molly ran out the door, arms open wide, big smiles on your faces.  The hugs and kisses I stole from you never felt better.

You gave me a special drawing, one I will always treasure, saying “I made this for you  because I know you like the Beatles.” It was an amazing sketch of the yellow submarine, a drawing you did from your head.

I love you Ben. Thanks for making me feel so much better.

Summer’s over!

Well, maybe not officially yet, but once Labor Day arrives, everyone is re-focusing on Fall, school, work, cooler days and nights and football.

It’s just the way it always is.

On Labor Day, when you rounded the corner into our kitchen, Grammy and I saw an intriguing piece of art on a big piece of cardboard.

As a thank you for a great summer and many fun beach days, you created “the beach,” a colorful and creative expression that included a jellyfish, crab, bright sun and seaweed made out of green leaves.

We love it!

We sure had a blast with you this summer and hate to see it end.

But while the beach is my favorite place to be, I would trade it in a nanosecond just to be wherever you are.

Happy Fall!

Our cruise on the gundalow ended up being a front page story in the Cocheco Times! There you are hoisting the main sail on the cover. It was a 10 page story, loaded with photos of the Three Musketeers.  The story was great, but one of the funny things were the incorrect names… Ben was listed as Andy Beaupre and Camden became Be Clickman.  Emma was correct every time!