1, 2, 3 strikes you're out! Both of my boys are officially done with baseball season. I'm always sad to see this sport end because we are certainly a baseball family.
Sammy's team didn't have the best season, but he is a natural and never ceases to amaze me with his raw talent (when he isn't stuffing sunflower seeds into his mouth of course).
Sam & his Coach
Sam's team
Sam hiding his sunflower seeds
Sam chomping on more seeds
I loved watching Sean's team play! They had a great season and Sean has turned into an all-star catcher (just like his Dad & Grandpa). His team lost in the semi-finals by 1 run. It was a heart breaker for the kids and parents, and even though he was super disappointed, he didn't let it show because 2 of his best buddies were on the team that beat him. At 10, friendship is stronger than winning, and his buddies on the other team, stayed after the game to congratulate him.
Sean turns 10 this week. Where does the time go? It seems like just yesterday we were bringing him home in that tiny little pumpkin seat. Now, if he stands on his tippy toes, he is as tall as me! And no, we do not keep him in a cage! We are at the baseball fields so much right now, it sort of feels like we live there. He often helps shag the balls for his brother's baseball team and took a brief second to smile for me.
Sean invited a few of his best buddies over to celebrate with him. They had an ice cream sundae bar, a water balloon fight, and a giant bungee basketball court. Of course the Indiana weather struck again and turned the basketball court into a giant slip-n-slide. The boys practiced their MLB slides in the rain and had a great time.
Sam is 6 and in 1st grade this year. He is playing in the school basketball league and is having a great time. My parents regularly attend both boys’ games on Saturdays and my mom has been keeping Sean's stats during his 4th grade games because they play full basketball rules. Sean loves it and runs over after every game to get his stat sheet from grandma.
A few weeks ago, Sam says to me and grandma, "Umm why don't I get a sheet with marks on it after my games?" Mom and I looked at each other and we said to Sam, "ok we will keep your stats too." Well we had a really hard time coming up with categories for Sam's game because in his league the kids are matched up with a colored wristband with a similar level of player. They can't steal the ball. The refs rarely call travel or double dribble and usually whichever kid dribbles the ball up the court is the one to shoot. So what do we keep for stats? Here is what mom and I came up with for Sam's game:
Sam's Stats for 2/12/2011:
Rebounds7
Assists0
Shots2/4
Injuries4
Fell Down8
Cheers6
Water Breaks1
Jump Balls 2
Guarding (body blocking picks) 11
Sam was thrilled with his stats after the game!
Here he is in all his glory. Notice how he looks at me like "Did you get that mom?" after his shot.
It still amazes me just how different my two boys are. Case in point, how the two boys handle the frozen tundra that is our yard. Notice how Sean takes a skilled approach to his air guitar solo, while sliding backwards, carefully avoiding the road.
Example #1: Sean's air guitar solo
Then there is Sam. Who looks like Godzilla stomping on a frozen Tokyo! He cracks me up. We often call him Captain Destructo.
Example #2: Sam "Godzilla" on ice
Regardless of their differences, we love them both dearly!
What a week! It’s Thursday and the sun is out and the temp climbed up to a frosty 25°. So of course my kids wanted to go outside. Indiana was pummeled all week with a terrible ice storm and everything has a 3” layer of ice. So my boys decided to have fun and ice skate in the driveway. After 3 days of sleet, freezing rain, (and yes there is a difference) ice, snow, and power outages, it was good to be outside even for a little while.
Sammy has been losing teeth at a record pace lately. He has lost 3 in the last 2 weeks. He cracks me up when he talks right now. I especially love how he tries to fit all kind of food through the missing tooth spot. It's great fun!
Wally and I just returned from a much needed weekend of R&R. We enjoyed a short cruise to the Bahamas to celebrate our 14th anniversary and Wally's 40th birthday a little early. We had a wonderful time because the sun was hot, the breezes were tropical, the ocean was fairly calm, and let me tell you, the drinks were delish.
Back in the day, BW (Before Wally), I used to have very active vacations, however on this trip, we did as little as possible. I read a book, enjoyed napping on the sunny pool deck, and woke up just in time to make my massage appointment in the spa. I really did feel like a Queen.
However, I got a strong dose of reality on the last evening of our cruise. I have told a few people about this, but I am finding very few people believe me, so I wanted to add this clip I found on youtube.
Here's the story: Our giant cruise ship came across a tiny raft of refugees from Cuba right smack in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean. The 6 people on the raft had been a float at sea for 15 days trying to make it to the United States and escape Cuba. 2 of the 6 looked like they were close to death. The other 4 weren't far behind. Even after being at sea for 15 days, the refugee's initially refused to board our ship. Apparently, they had no chance of being granted asylum by the US if they boarded a ship in International waters. They had to step onto dry land to have a better shot at freedom. I think as Americans we tend to take our rights and freedoms for granted most of the time. Now I am no policy expert and I certainly don't have all the answers to our country's border problems. I also realize I could not fathom the suffering those 6 people must have endured to make the choice they did to leave their country on that tiny raft and venture out to sea. As I watched those people bob up and down on the waves in that little raft, I felt such a sense of relief, pride, and love for my country. I have known for years how fortunate I am to be a citizen of United States of America. I love all the freedoms and opportunities my country allows. I love our constitution. I love American history. I love the founding fathers, and I love the U.S.A because it is the greatest country in the world! I guess from time to time, it's always good to have a reminder that no matter what the world thinks of the United States, people are still willing to die to have the opportunity to live here. And to me, think that says it all!
Here is a short video of the refugee raft: (There is no sound. But the soundtrack that was playing in my head as I watched was Lee Greenwood's God Bless The U.S.A.)
