Softball..Not for the faint of heart

I keep reading and hearing about all the softball related injuries that occurred this season. Shaunton has had his run in's with the ball, and other softball related objects. But, until this weekend, I never really understood the dangers of softball.

After an excruciating 10 minute wait before the game, wondering if we were going to play, up walks Ethan. Yes, we needed a 9th player, broken back or not. Reluctantly he puts on his shoes sans socks. Socks just hold you back anyway. We told poor Ethan that all he had to do was stand there...on the field, at bat, just make it look good. (Desperate times call for desperate measures!)And did he ever. He got a hit and made it on base. I am sure he is still feeling the pain of all that glory.

Now we have Bill. Bill takes the plate like Babe Ruth (minus the finger pointing) and totally fakes the other team out. He hits it good and takes off toward 1st. Then he is juking to the left....to the right...to the left...what is he doing?!....and then comes the drop and tucked roll into first base. That has got to be the best presentation of a run into first that I have ever seen. I joked around telling him that has got to be the fastest I have ever seen him run, but in all honesty, it was just the first time. I don't know if his brain was running faster than his feet or the other way around, but it was one of those things....you know. He made it look planned.

Then we have Jason. He has to be the skinniest guy out there. He also gets a good hit and books it to first base. He was running like there was a prize at first..and then, to my astonishment, he slides into 1st base...talk about dedication...but he took it even further and slid into second as well. Talk about a show off going after it! Too bad he looked like he sat on something for the rest of the game. LOL

Then we have Matt. Matt and his "magic" gloves. I wonder if he spent anywhere near the $50 my dear husband paid for his glove. I don't know that they helped him that much, but they were pretty flashy. He gets kudos for dressing the part.

Brother Roy also gets kudos for dressing the part, he even had his baseball pants on. He had to be a pro before this, right? He was a pretty good hitter for a pitcher. It was funny to watch him give the ref a hard time when he called balls. I mean, you have to hit a plastic thing the size of a dinner table (might be a slight exaggeration), to get a strike.

Then, there are the pros, like my dear hubby. He got a ball to the leg in the first inning and made a home run in a later inning. I definitely think he was showing off for me. You know I can get the adrenaline pumping. LOL On one occasion he is too focused and practically runs past his own player at second running like a mad man with a rabid dog at his heels. Bill (the man on second) kinda looked at him and was like, either we can stand at second together or you are going to have to go back to first because I am not running to third.

So, I am a soccer mom, and a softball wife. I was probably the loudest one there. Given all the guys a hard time very loud loving words of encouragement. Softball, is definitely a dangerous sport, for those that are older and not as coordinated as they once were (you know, in their prime).

Hey, we lost, but it was a fun game to watch, and you can tell the guys were having loads of fun and plenty of exercise while they were at it. Now, if we can get them to go co-ed, they may never have to forfeit again. Not much we can do about the limping, rolling, bruising and twisted ankles that only a well oiled and coordinated semi-pro men's softball league can acquire. All in a days work.

Taking a breather

Yesterday, as we are playing yet another round of ponies and superheroes, Jaxen proceeds to have a super hero jump on top of a T-Rex to "take it out". Out of no where he starts crying (the superhero) " Oh, my tentacles, I cracked my tentacles". I look up from my in depth conversation between Belle (me) and Snow White (Syd) about the hotness of Superman and who got to kiss him. Come to find out tentacles have nothing to do with Octopuses or Doc Oc, they have to do with testicles. I think everyone makes that mistake.

I also found out from my son that I am "kinda smart". This after I tell him how smart he is while helping me put something together.

Today we went to Jaxen and Ember's soccer game. They were tearing it up out there. The passing was good and they were playing together, rather than half the time against each other. It ended up a tie, but Shaun and I agree that the other team kept playing (under the coaches direction) after time so they could catch up. (This is the only team that has beaten us before.) Yes, apparently I am one of those moms. I really get into the game. Although, I will point out that another parent (won't be naming any names, but look for subtle clue) on the team is convinced that we can put together a super team with Jaxen, Jacob, Grant, Justin S. (don't even know if his parents know he is being drafted), and some other key players...he is hand picking them. LOL Maybe Ember can be second string...unless we start a cheer leading quad. Yes, us soccer parents are an elite group...hand picking 4-6 year old players. Try outs will begin in two weeks. Experience desired, but we will train.

Afterward we headed off to Shaunton's work to "celebrate" Earth Day. Nothing like beautifying the Earth at 90 degree temperatures. We walked a stretch of street picking up trash....along one side we had a mote with several dams of tree branches and trash. After completing the assignment, I am pretty sure I had enough tire tread to make a new tire, wire to rewire my speakers, at least 40 cents worth of cans, a pair of underwear, or at least what was left of it...elastic and seams "gently" used men's underwear, 3 shoes, part of a pink pinata sans candy,...and that's just the good stuff! I should mention here that we had little grabbers, so we didn't have to use our hands.

I took the sling for Owen and carried him for a good amount of time. As soon as I hand him off to Shaun (who used the sling for the first time today), there was someone driving up to take his picture. I am sure they were like, ohhhh *insert sigh here*, a dad gently carrying around his precious son in his arms while he picks up trash to save the Earth...how cute. (Ok, it was kinda cute.) We participated today so that our kids could be involved...and, they were good at holding up the hills on the side of the road and playing with dirt. Jaxen did start helping toward the end. Ember was the supervisor apparently, and wasn't willing to get her hands dirty.

Now it's time to relax and get ready for the softball tournament this evening.

What I am listening to right now? Ember crying for me because she doesn't want to wipe her own butt. She wants me to do it. I told her she has to do it herself because she is a big girl.
"FINE! Then I'm staying on here for-ever because I am not wiping my own butt!" I wonder how long forever is going to be?

I have a big mouth

Honesty, how can anyone eat with a small fork or a small spoon? Is is just me? Am I in such a hurrry to scarf down a meal that I need to have a pitchfork and shovel?

Yesterday afternoon I am trying to finish a meal when the switch happens. Shaun had asked Ember to get him a fork, which she complies, but comes back with a smaller one. I turn my back for a split second, pick up the featherweight fork and try to eat with it. Seriously, nothing would stay on the fork. I felt a little clumsy and gave it another try. Forget it. I have to accept the fact that my mouth needs more than 3 peas or 5 grains or rice to begin chewing. Why waste all the energy on 3 peas instead of, say, 15-20 I can stab with a bigger fork or shovel in with a bigger spoon? I resorted to eating with my hands getting up and getting a bigger fork. Apparently Shaun is a little more patient when it comes to eating. He can eat with a small spoon, and in fact, he likes to. Who would have thought we would have ended up together, right? So each morning I shovel in mouthfuls of cereal while he daintly eats with his small spoon. I try hard to keep my mouth shut while eating (hey, a big spoon fits alot of cereal) and set a good example of eating with your mouth closed for the kids.

This brings me to my theory. I was never a fast eater growing up, in fact I was quite picky and took forever to eat because my mother made me try everything. (I forgive, but can't forget) So, of course, as soon as I left home, I never try anything I don't want to. Yes, I know some of you say I am "missing out", but for me, I feel a sense of control. Ok, a little side tracked, apparently I have deeply rooted issues on that one.

Anyway, back to my theory. Once I became pregnant I become a fast eater. I didn't want to share my food with Shaunton or anyone else for that matter. Upon getting or making food, it was consumed as fast as possible with the lowest chew count that would allow for maximum swallowing with out choking. I was, as I like to think, insuring the continuation of a species. If Shaun really wanted a bite of my insert food item here he would just have to go and buy, make, or get it himself. Did I tell him this? No...I was just sure to eat insert food item here when he wasn't around or in one instantanious all consuming gulp. Hmm, now that I think about it, that might be why I always had heartburn.

To this day I am still a pretty speedy eater (when I am hungry). I don't over eat, just until I am full. I still don't like to share, and if my kids weren't so darn cute I really wouldn't share with them either.

As I think more about it, I have come to the conclusion that small spoons are only good for kids and eating ice cream. Small forks are just for kids.

Final Countdown

1:01 pm Connect to internet
1:03 pm Finally see homepage (which needs to be changed)
1:06 Finally access my blog to create a new post (this one)

5 Minutes...that is probably a new record. The fastest I have ever gotten to any given page before.

Yes, call me a penny pincher, cheap, poor, thrifty, but we have only ever had dial up. You heard right, dial up. So savor the posts that you do get to read, it took me a good hour to publish anything that had a picture.

Alas, the time has come to join the digital age. We are upgrading to high speed internet. The thriftiness is still there though, we are going with the cheapest high speed internet there is(lowest tier). I mean, after all this time, we should be zooming around the internet on even the lowest of high speed internet connections, right?

Tomorrow is the big day!

Misery LOVES company...

and I have been entertaining misery Owen for the past week. He had an Optometrist appointment last Monday to check his eyes. He is a bit nearsighted...not that any regular person would know this, but it isn't bad, but it isn't good either. Anywho, we go back again when he is two to follow up. I have this nagging feeling (don't ask me why) that Owen will end up with glasses...Two days later little man is running a fever. I take him in to the doctor's on Thursday morning because his eyes are crusted over and the fever won't go down. It seems he has pink eye, and then he has an ear infection, maybe a stomach bug? How much can this little guy handle? I still think the pink eye is from his appointment, and the rest sort of followed.

It has been the hardest sickness that any of my kids have faced, or at least that I remember (selective memory probably). Today was the first time I have seen Owen smile in a week. He looks so out of it with his sad red sleepy looking eyes. He just looks miserable.Yesterday evening was the first time that Owen was able to go without Motrin to keep his fever down. Monday was the first day he was able to really keep his meds down...and we have seen a difference. He is far from his usual self, and so am I right now. Maybe a few nights of not getting up every hour to a crying baby that doesn't want to nurse or do anything but rock...and even that wasn't enough sometimes.

I am g-lad that it is almost over!

So, for those of you that have been missing my ever-so-interesting blog posts, now you know why. I really don't have the brain cells to write much of anything that is coherent.

Funny question of the day:
Listening to church music on the way to school.

J. Mom, after us, do the pirates come? (He is referring to when we die, who will live on the Earth after us.)

Spring cleaning

Yesterday I tossed out 61 bags...of milk. *sigh* That is 481 ounces of white gold.... 3.76 gallons of the sweet nectar of life. Gone. I chucked them, ceremonially, into the trash. Figured I probably couldn't compost it. This isn't the first deep freezer cleaning, back in November I had a going away party for 81 bags of milk = 620 ounces = 4.8 gallons. Add it up folks, that is over 8 gallons. Good thing I still have about half a freezer full, so it made it a little easier to get rid of.

On another note I was called to be a visiting teacher yesterday. I accepted. But something has been lingering on my mind since accepting the call. I have two wonderful visiting teachers now, they are older, and I can count on seeing them every month. They both are nice, come and chat for a while, give the lesson, and are on their way. They say hello at church and are just overall nice women.

I guess what bothers me, (forgive the ramblings of my mind, but I had to spew this somewhere) is that I have had other visiting teachers in the past whom I had thought were more than just visiting teachers, I considered them really good friends. I felt we were really good together, we talked about things, like friends, and hung out on more occasions than just visiting teaching visits. Then, when I needed them most (just after having Owen) they were gone. Come to find out they were reassigned. :( I didn't get a call to break the news, just a card in the mail saying essentially, "oh ya, by the way, we aren't your visiting teachers anymore". Now we just pass the pleasantries. Were we just friends because they were my visiting teachers? Now that they aren't they have better things to do? This really has nothing to do with them, per se, I guess I had invested more into our relationship then they had noticed.

Really not trying to bash here, all of my visiting teachers were/are wonderful women, just makes me wonder if we give other people false hope on friendships with things like visiting teaching, offering to babysit, sitting next to them and talking to them at a mommy and me, chatting it up in the mothers lounge, that sort of thing. I have had the pleasure of visiting teaching some of you that read this blog and I would hope that you wouldn't say that you have noticed the same trend out of me when my calling has lead me elsewhere. Then again, maybe, once again, I have invested more into our relationship then you realize, or vice versa.

Or...maybe I am just loony.

Sing Along Time!

In honor of Helena, who wanted me to dig deep! To tell you the truth, I thought she ran out of ideas to have people blog about, but it took me a while to come up with my list. In no particular order, here are the songs I have to sing to if I hear them. (Although I pretty much sing out loud to any song I know...even if it is just the chorus!)

1. Ice Ice Baby - Vanilla Ice *sigh* I know, I know!
2. Ironic - Alanis Morrisette ---Isn't it ironic that it came to me at about 3 am this morning?
3. Strawberry Wine - Deana Carter
4. Amazed - Lonestar (This is our song)
5. Proud to be an American -Lee Greenwood ---get emotional every time I hear it, and get even worse when I sing along.
6. Gangsta's Paradise - Coolio ---If you really listen to the lyrics, you can apply it to life, growing up, etc.
7. Straight Up - Paula Abdul
8. Because I Love You (The Postman Song) - Stevie B (Cheesy, but I like it!)
9. Killing Me Softly - Fugees
10. Over and Over - Nelly and Tim McGraw (I can listen to this one Over and Over again!)

Literary Tag

This is what you do:

1. Pick up the nearest book (at least 123 pages)
2. Turn to page 123
3. Find the 5th sentence
4. Post the 5th sentence on your blog
5. Tag 5 people


"There was room to dance again."

This line is from The Bridges of Madison County. In this section of the book, Francesca, the farmer’s wife, is dancing with Robert Kincaid, the out-of-town photographer. She is being with someone who made her feel good, made her feel like a woman, complete and happy, to be in love with someone completely. Later in the book you see that she is desperately in love with Robert and would leave her husband and grown kids to run away with him, if he asked her to. But she doesn’t want to go because she knows it would destroy Richard, her husband, and she couldn’t just leave her kids. He didn’t ask her to. She stayed, they were never again together, loved each other until they died, alone.

I liked this line, especially out of context. There was room to dance again; to find yourself renewed and rejuvenated and ready to appreciate life once more. Sometimes we get weighed down with all that goes on again that we forget the things that make life fun, worthwhile and meaningful. We get into a rhythm in life that we take ourselves, our spouses, and the people that are important to us for granted. We lack passion, love, understanding and move more like robots trying to get to the end of another day. We forget and disregard dreams, goals, and ideas we once had because we think we have become something different. Maybe…hopefully, something better? We feel the need to shelf part of who we are to be something that someone else thinks we should be, or sometimes, even something we think we should be. Once we realize that just because we are married and have kids, or have something else going on in our lives, doesn’t mean that we have to abandon the part of us that makes us different. We don’t need to “fit in” or “make due” with who we are, once we accept and aspire to those things that we enjoy and need to nurture, then we can be ourselves, respected as a mother, a spouse, and an individual. Two are one, but you can’t have a whole without a full half.

Hmm, did I make any sense to anyone besides me? Maybe I need to start having topics if you really want to delve into me.

I don’t really know who reads my blog…so… if you read this, consider yourself tagged!

High Flying

Last night Shaun decided that he wanted to take Owen on the trampoline with the kids. Shaun stood with Owen while Jaxen and Ember put on a show. Who would have thought that Owen would love it! He was laughing like crazy.




Yes, Jaxen is quite the dare devil, isn't he? And who said boys aren't fun...and really really scary!
Err, I just realized that all my pictures for the last month are one day off...hmm, darn leap day.