Fruits of their Labor

While all the rest of you were lounging around at the beach this past weekend, we put our kids to work in the fields. It was, after all, Labor Day.

And here is their reward: A runner-up trophy for Pip's team, and the championship trophy for Jacob's.


(Sad to say, Mia's team, while displaying lots of potential and improving markedly from game to game, was unable to rack up enough points to be bling-worthy. But she's got a head start on her brothers anyway.)

Mathlete

Warning: Indulgent brag-post ahead!

Everyone knows that athletes get all the glory. Even on this blog, we spend a disproportional number of column inches on the family's soccer exploits. Fortunately, those who love other fields of endeavor have their ways of shining, too.

Jacob, for instance, has become quite the Mathlete. Now, I don't entirely understand the allure of this extra-curricular activity. For me, doing math problems under time constraints in competition with others sounds like a hot little corner of hell. But Jacob loves it. And the good teachers at his school happily give extra time and energy to help their students excel.

So last Friday while Deb and I were driving to Chicago, Jacob was doing slide-rule calisthenics in the city-wide "Math Counts" competition. And of all the kids from the 23 competing schools, Jake snagged a 5th place individual score and an invitation to the state competition next week. We were pretty proud when the "Home Bulletin" from GRCMS arrived yesterday and we saw the write up on Jacob's achievement. Especially since last week's Home Bulletin also included a top-left write-up on another area of Jacob's scholastic achievement.

So here's to the normally unsung exploits of math and English lovers, the decathaletes of the calculator and the word processor.

Bling for the Jakester

After a long, long dry spell, we can at last post another obnoxiously braggy announcement (fair warning) about the soccer exploits of the Rienstra offspring. Jacob's new team (Olé) went to the MILD tournament this weekend and came home champions.

OK, well, there were only eight teams in the division (U-12 boys), but the ones we played were very good. The final game, especially, was a good challenge--for the parents' nerves, I mean. The score was a decisive 3-1 even so. Jake was responsible for popping one of those in on a nice cross.

To Jake's disappointment, the resulting bling was a mere "participant" medal, in the interest of how, for younger kids, this is all about having fun, blah blah blah. Don't they know that 12-year-old boys have visions of very large, very shiny trophies?

So a nice start to the season, even if we did have to write "champion" on the back of the medal with a Sharpie.

Olé, Baby

We've been a soccer family for quite a few years now, so we've seen plenty of family vans pulling into parking lots at tournaments and practices with the little soccer club stickers in the back window. But our own Dodge Caravan has remained pristine--until today.

Yes, we have succumbed.

Back in June, both Miriam and Jacob endured the equivalent of Greek pledge week, trying out for four or five different clubs teams each. Now, we had learned already in California that soccer can be a harsh taskmistress, a tyrant, an idol. Oh yes. We knew that. But slowly, over the course of "hell week," we came to realize that there were dimensions of soccer commitment even beyond our own level -- "crazy." We could see the path ahead to "insane," and even beyond it to "over the edge." The path was lined with parental fantasies of Division I scholarships, Olympic Development programs, practice schedules that rivaled a typical pro players, and most of all, lots and lots of cash.

Strangely enough, after dragging the kids out to suburban happy-land -- to Hudsonville and Cascade and Ada -- and feeling somehow uncomfortable and out of place at the well-tended fields among all these obviously very affluent white parents, we finally ended up... well, right around the corner: in the city, at the slightly less posh public park, as the minority white people among our mostly Hispanic neighbors. Ah, finally! This felt right.

Having gained all our soccer savvy in Southern California, we were used to folks who played the juga bonito: a style of play built on foot skills, speed, and crisp, short passing. And it felt familiar being around coaches and players with Hispanic surnames. (In fact, Mia has an honorary Hispanic name--"Mia Torres*"--granted by her former coach, John Mejia.)

So we're very grateful that Jose Rodriguez invited both Mia and Jacob to be on his teams in the brand-new Olé Soccer Club. Jose and his assistants ran by far the most well-organized, rigorous tryout, and we could see immediately that this club was a classier act than anything else we had seen around here.

Turns out Jose is on a bit of a mission to improve West Michigan soccer. He's been a player and coach in town for many years, but now it's his turn to do things a new way. He's also smart enough to do a little club marketing, including providing players with Olé practice shirts, and parents with their very own back-window stickers.

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*Side note for etymologists: though it might be cool if "Torres" had something to do with a bull (Spanish: torro) --given the team graphic -- it is actually a habitational name for someone who lived near a tower, usually a defensive fortification or watchtower (from Latin turris). However, given her actual ethnic heritage, it's interesting to note that this word also has a Dutch derivation, a short form of Victoris, from the Latin personal name Victorius. Fitting.

Rienstra Family Jumping the Shark?

AP - Grand Rapids -- The Rienstra Family show, after many successful seasons, may finally be jumping the shark. As the children get older, the daily family cute-o-meter has been seeing a steady decline, despite compensatory gains in chore accomplishment, musical advancement, and political humor. Mia is now fully entering her cranky adolescence, and Jacob and Philip are growing in testiness (or testosterorneriness).

It was long ago that a toddling Pip asked for a hug by saying "Pweease?"...

...and even longer when a cuddly Jacob hid by climbing into his clothes cubby...


...and back in the mists of pre-history that Miriam put a stick in her mouth and asked Dad to play fetch on the beach.



So, in what some see as a desperate bid to recapture the prized 'grandma' demographic, we have been seeing more and more of next-door neighbor and Cute Overload poster boy, Nathan Williams. With his big brown-eyed wonder at the world, his precocious vocabulary, and his only-child forthrightness, he's become a regular and delightful visitor in the Rienstra household at playtime.

Whether this old ploy will work remains to be seen. The cultural consensus is that the classic family show, the Brady Bunch, jumped the shark when they brought onto the show the way-too-cute-next-door-neighbor Oliver. The same fate could await the Rienstras. Or they could go even further in their desperate bid for cuteness: rumors suggest that negotiations are currently underway for a permanent addition to the family -- a puppy.

Is that a dorsal fin I see in the water?

Carving our favorites

The boys designed and carved their own Jack-O-Lanterns this week in anticipation of tomorrow's festivities.

Miriam had lots of homework to do, and so didn't participate; but she found pleasure later on in her own sort of carving.

Birthday Bashes

This past week was a big week of birthday celebration. Jacob turned 11 on August 1 (see the picture: candles 7+4=11), and on the 7th Deb turned... well, look at her. About 29, I think.

For Jacob's special day we went to John Ball Zoo where Jacob got to ride a camel, watch a Pacific tide roll in, and generally having some cool animal adventures. (Not quite as cool as his Aunt's, but cool nonetheless).

Deb's big day involved a trip to Meijer gardens and a family gathering in the evening which included a bit of gift-giving and lots of laughter courtesy of Dad Rienstra, one of the world's worst joke-tellers (which makes him doubly funny as we all wait for him to flub the punch line).

Aiding the Forces of Evil

When we got sick of mysteries (see last post), we also listened to the Prairie Home Companion joke show, which aired just after the 2004 election. Keillor's bitterness was, shall we say, palpable, but it led to a lot of great jokes.

Here's the one Miriam and Jacob adopted as their favorite. Even if you have Republican leanings, you'll have to admit this is funny:

How many Bush administration officials does it take to change a light bulb?

None. There is no reason to change anything. We made the right decision to stick with that bulb. Those who say "it was burned out" are aiding the forces of evil!

Of course, this got adapted to fit any situation on the road. To wit:

Dad: "Miriam, are you going to wear those shoes?"
Mia: "There is no reason for me to change my shoes. I made the right decision to pick these shoes. Those who say they are "impractical" are aiding the forces of evil."
Dad: (sigh).

Yet More Awards

***Warning: This is an equal-opportunity bragging post.***

A couple weeks ago, we boasted shamelessly about Miriam's school awards and Jacob's violin playing. Well, now it's Philip's turn. And Jacob's again.

Philip had his first-grade award assembly last week and we are pleased to report that he received the highest award in his class: Crusader of the Year. It's hard, as a parent, to know how to feel about this. Of course we're proud of him for winning the award that honors both high scholastic achievement and excellent classroom citizenship. But are we pleased that our child has turned out to be, according to his school, a good crusader? How do we explain this to Muslim friends??

Meanwhile, Jacob completed fifth grade, an event celebrated last week at "culmination." Amid a frenzy of red, white, and blue decorations and a flurry of patriotic songs, about 120 fifth-graders completed their elementary careers. We gritted our teeth through this blatant and unqualified blending of religion and patriotism (take-away message: Good American = Good Christian), until at last they announced the big award winners for each of the four fifth-grade classes. Jacob narrowly avoided winning "crusader of the year" this time (he won it last year), but he did win the award for highest academic achievement. This came with a nice little scholarship -- $250!! If he keeps this up, we'll have little to worry about when it comes to his college tuition.

But of course, we found out the next day that this scholarship will be denied us because we are moving. Thanks, people. Thanks so much. Well, at least we are rich in pride.

Award Week

Warning: This is a blatant boast-post. Please ignore if you hate this sort of thing.

It began on Tuesday night, at Jacob's orchestra concert. The elementary orchestra played--more or less in the keys of D and G Major--and a few students did solos. Granted, standards were not especially high. But when our boy sounded the first notes of his solo, it was fun to watch the other parents' jaws drop. Jacob played even better than he does at home, which might suggest the virtues of playing conditions that do not involve dishes clanking and little brothers running around.

Then, on Thursday, I attended the Fuller Seminary awards convocation. No big surprises here. I knew I had received a Brehm Fellowship since, well, that's how we've been paying my tuition all year. Still it was a nice occasion and I enjoyed getting some props from the be-robed Fuller faculty. That's me up there with President Mouw and my fellow Brehmmie, Eric Jacobsen. Really. It is. Stupid flash.


Next up: Mia. Friday morning at 8 a.m. was middle-school awards "chapel." It was less a chapel than an occasion on which middle schoolers could enjoy screaming and cheering for their classmates with impunity. Mia had no idea that she was getting an award, but fortunately, the school had notified her mom and dad, so we were there. To keep the secret from Mia, we had to come up with blatant lies about "having a meeting" that morning in order to explain why we were dressed and ready so early. Each teacher gave an award to one student in each subject in each grade level. Mia, all our geeky math-and-science friends will be happy to learn, got the seventh grade science award, and a shiny bit of atom-shaped bling-bling that I proudly wore as a tie-tack the rest of the day.

And last but not least, the rumors have now been confirmed. Deb's book So Much More was chosen by Christianity Today magazine to receive an Award of Merit for 2006 in the apologetics/evangelism category. Whoo hoo! It's great for Deb as a young whipper-snapper writer to be among a hoary assembly of authors the likes of N.T. Wright, Rowan Williams, Robert Wuthnow, Eugene Peterson, and other old white guys.

That's it this week. But Pip's award assembly is coming up soon. Last year he got best "Christian Attitude." Let's hope he's got the spiritual resources to deal with a) his insufferably self-pleased parents and siblings and b) a house whose current state of upheaval guarantees that the Rienstra family will win no housekeeping accolades anytime soon.

Movin' on up...

It was another overwhelming weekend of soccer at the Rienstra household.

Jacob's tournament season came to an end as the previously undefeated Destroyers were outplayed on a windy field up at North Hills. Technically, the entire time wasn't outplayed -- we looked like a better overall team. But our opponents had one amazing young fellow, with speed and skilz for days, including a natural left foot. We couldn't find an answer to him. He was like the Kobe Bryant of AYSO soccer on Saturday. Anyway, we're very proud of Jacob, and his development as a player and as a person this year.

Meanwhile, Mia's team has so dominated the AYSO competition in Southern California this year that their coaches are playing with the idea of "going club." This means moving up to the next level of recreational soccer here in California. Club teams require tryouts and certain levels of player and parent commitment and the competitions are a bit more fierce - for example, they don't require that everyone play in a game; it's a step up in many ways.

Thus, the Burbank Fire went this weekend to a Soccer tournament in Anaheim to put themselves up against some Club teams to see whether they had the goods to make it. They entered at the lowest level of competition (bronze), and they were playing in a division of all 14 year olds, when more than half of our team is 13.

So, how did they do? The proof is in the bling-bling. Another undefeated first place medal. They won their games 4-0, 2-1, 4-0, and 2-0. Maybe next tournament they'll start at the Silver division. Or Gold. Or maybe when we get finished this year, they'll have to invent another precious metal division. Plutonium? Californium?

Two for Two

January is a good month for Rienstra men. First Philip got Student of the Month, and now Jacob joins him on the dais. Who knows, maybe Ron will win a bloggie.

But Jacob certainly deserved the praise. In giving out the award, his teacher remarked how even when he was very ill last month (3 days with a fever over 102), he e-mailed his concern over missing a deadline for a book report project. "This shows how diligent he is about his schoolwork," she said. We might say it shows how the little guy tends toward being obsessive. Not that we'd know anything ourselves about obsessiveness. Anyway, we sure love him.

Season Champions

Another weekend, another soccer championship. This time, it was Jacob's season team, bringing home the blue-ribbon bling-bling in a two-game tournament for the Burbank B-U10 Championship. They faced stiffer competition than they were used to, but still won handily, 3-1 and 4-2.

The brightest moment was when the opposing team's star player rushed in on a break-away. Jacob, in the keeper's position, was not cowed. He came out in defense, growled a little, and threw himself on the ball while it was still on the striker's feet -- totally owned him. It was like a great rejection in basketball.


Of course, this means they're going on to regional tournaments now. Looks like we'll be busy on weekends in January.

Hat Trick

In the last regular game of the AYSO season, I asked Jacob to score a little -- I'd try to capture a bit on camera. Compliant fellow that he is, he complied. Three times.

Watch the Video

Ho Hum

The game was not ho-hum; oh no, it was an exciting game. However, after the third quarter, the score was 6-1, and Jacob's team had been given a "cease and desist" order in the scoring department. So they spent the fourth quarter playing keep-away -- and got more great scoring chances in that quarter from playing as a team than they did the rest of the game on their superior one-on-one skill breakaways. It was a proud day for papa.

(For the record, though, Mia's team lost their game in a close 2-1 match. I'm still licking my wounds as a coach.)

Middle Kid Scores Big

Award Boy

Not one to let Mia and her soccer bling-bling eclipse his own accomplishments, Jacob raked in too many awards to count at the fourth-grade assembly, held June 9. It was one of those moments when parents swell with pride but have to act embarrassed at the same time. After Jacob's third trip up front, the parents in front of us turned to ask what our secret was. We were tempted to say "Well, uh... we dropped out of the Love & Logic parenting class the school required us to attend..." But we just smiled and shrugged.

We won't list all the awards, but it was pleasing to see that Jacob is a well-rounded fellow, distinguishing himself in athletic events, academic categories, and even Bible memory. His favorite was the coveted "Crusader of the Year," an all-around award for excellent students who also display good attitudes (at least at school--home behavior is mercifully not taken into account). We're not sure whether it's such a great idea to excel as a crusader (what, are you good at pillaging and making disputed claims on Middle Eastern lands?), but we're pretending not to notice that part.

Rienstra Family Recital

Jacob brings the Bourree


The fam had its first official recital this evening in the social hall at Bethel church. Some of our good friends were there: Dave Wyma, Kathy Klassen and Katie VenHuizen, and the DeVries family and the Jacobsens. Mia and Jacob each played four pieces, mixing up jazz, showtunes, classical, and pop songs. Mom accompanied, and even Dad got in the show, wailing on his axe to a Lennon & McCartney standard as Mia comped on the piano.

But let's keep things in perspective. The music was wonderful, but it was all really an excuse to eat the chocolate cake Deb made from scratch -- and to thank the kind folks in Sun Valley who have been so hospitable to us this year.

Jacob and the sound guy. Note the similar hair styles.