You and your buddy Daniel confidently paraded across the Woodman Park schoolyard at this year's Halloween festivities! You were "Finn" a favorite cartoon character of yours from "Adventure Time" on the Cartoon Network. I can't believe you're a fourth grader and this is the last time you'll do this - next year it's onto Middle School and Fifth Grade in the Fall.
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:
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!
Our latest Three Musketeers adventure began on a steamy August mid-week morning. We got to Portsmouth early, once again enjoying our favorite breakfast haunt, the Friendly Toast. After plenty of food and the usual shenanigans, we piled into the “Youk” and headed to Prescott Park.
You were curious about this “Gundalow” I had been talking about. It was “some kind of boat” and we were going together for a cruise on the Piscataqua River in Portsmouth Harbour.
Peering over the chain link fence along the water, you spotted it – a flat bottomed boat with an American flag flying low on the stern. Called “The Piscataqua,” it measures 64 feet long and 18 feet wide.
While waiting to board, I explained how in the olden days in the Seacoast of NH, gundalows carried cargo up and down the river. This included bricks bound for Beacon Hill homes being built in Boston (all these “b” words in one sentence create something called “alliteration” – it’s fun to say out all those “b” words out loud ). These bricks were made along the shores by Grammy and Papa’s house at 44 Waterloo Circle in Dover. Another frequent cargo carried were tall white pine trees used to make masts for the King’s English sailing ships.
This was just the beginning of many new things you would learn that morning.
Shortly after coming aboard, a man introduced himself to us. He was the editor of a local newspaper called “The Cocheco Times” and would be writing a feature story about today’s cruise. How cool is that?
The fog was thick as we headed into Portsmouth Harbour; it was hard to see where we were! We sailed around for awhile and then the action began. 
“Ready the main sheet” shouted the Captain, and soon a crew member asked for volunteers to help unfurl and raise the “main sheet.” 
The Three Musketeers raised their hands – of course! – and soon you were pulling the rope together, watching the sail unfurl. It was exciting, you were smiling, laughing and having a blast!
One of the crew members gathered everyone together and taught us about the gundalows and environment of the Great Bay Estuary. I wasn’t surprised to learn this is the fastest ‘navigable river’ in America, having watched the crazy currents out my office window for over 20 years.
You took turns steering the gundalow… the captain explained how the rudder 
worked and then completely let go of the wheel and taught you how to steer left and right. You didn’t crash into anything, hooray!
By now, the fog had lifted and we could see Harbour Place where Grammy and I work, the green bridges spanning the river and the Portsmouth Naval Shipyard.
Next up – the incredible world of plankton! Not the character from Sponge Bob Square Pants, silly, but the real thing. They taught us how to drag a special net along the surface of the water to capture the tiny creatures that looked like dirty, brown water.
We learned plankton are a critical part of our ecosystem. While they’re lowest on the “food chain,” we now know that plankton are responsible for creating 50% of the earth’s oxygen! Who knew something so small could be so important! We wouldn’t be able to breathe if it wasn’t for our plankton friends!
Teaspoons of plankton were placed on glass slides, revealing an amazing, invisible world made possible by microscopes, a device you had never seen until today. 
The “dirty, brown water” transformed into hundreds of moving, shrimp-shaped “phytoplankton” creatures. You were fascinated and couldn’t get enough of the microscopes.
Nearly two hours into our cruise, it was time to return to the dock. The Captain shouted “Ready the Brail,” and the Three Musketeers joined forces again, pulling in unison on the main sail rope, curling it back up as the engine took over.
Back on land, our water adventure complete, we drove to Moody Beach. Ainsley and Molly were already there, they had spent the morning with Grammy. Everyone played on the beach, boogie boarded and hung out on a perfect summer day. All five of you slept overnight at the beach and played together the next day (after yummy breakfast donuts from Congdon’s).
What a fun two days! This was one of our best adventure ever.
I bought new boogie boards for you, Camden, Emma and me this summer. They are SO much better than the inexpensive styrofoam covered boards we've been using. These lift us up on the wave and keep us up during the ride, bringing us to the very edge of the seashore. You and I have had many races, often side by side looking right at each other as we race toward the shore. You always go farther than me. It says "Kai Bro 42" on our boogie boards... I guess that's the brand. During the summer we often greeted each other - even when we weren't at the beach - with our new slogan. I would say 'Kai" and you'd say "Bro 42!" We are cool surfer boogie dudes.