Adventures in T-Ball (and so on)

Since 2008, I have had a child on a baseball team. First, t-ball.

Noodle, 2012.

Squash, 2008.

Then, coach pitch (where the coach pitches the ball to the kiddos).

Squash, 2009.

Then, machine pitch (my personal favorite thus far, because the ball is pitched JUST perfect, leading to more hits and more ACTION).

Squash, 2010.

It lasts for 2 years.

Squash, 2011. That's the machine!

Finally, kid pitch. I think that's as high as it goes. We started it last fall when my big guy was 8 and have completed 2 seasons.

Squash, 2012.

There's no end in sight. Both kids love playing. I am sure the Truck will too, since by the time he's 5, he'll have attended more than 100 of his siblings' games. And to tell the truth, I like watching the games. We've actually gotten sitters a couple times this season so that we can both go to the big guy's games (and leave the little ones at home).

Nine

Impossibly, my little tiny baby, born at Kaiser West L.A. on a hot July day is now nine:

I remember before he was born, I was lying on the couch watching TV one night, thinking how nice it was going to be once the baby arrived -- we would just lie on the couch together and watch TV. HA HA HA HA HA. That has happened exactly never, in the past 9 years. We did watch some Olympics opening ceremony last night.
In other random news, his sister has been riding ponies around a neighboring cul-de-sac:

And the Truck has been eating cupcakes every chance he gets:

Oh, and his best birthday gift was Ticket to Ride. Mom and Dad have been playing it every night after he goes to bed. Our new favorite game:

Sticky Wicket

My little sticky wicket. He hates to have his face dirty or his hands sticky. And he loves to yell "mommy, Mommy, MOMMY!"

1,700 Miles

We are back from our trip to Colorado. We drove to Grand Junction last week - a mere 845 miles away. Clearly, drive-able. Except that we've never driven it before. Back in our one- and two-child days, we would fly to Denver, then drive the 4 hours over the mountains to Grand Junction. After our California odyssey and Florida spring break trip, that seemed silly. So we planned to drive the MERE 1700 miles round trip to Colorado for a week to visit Daddy's parents, brother, sister-in-law and nephew.

We left on a Friday afternoon at 2:30 PM. We stopped for dinner (IHOP in Salina, Kansas; CLASSY) at 5, then pressed on to Hays, where we stopped for the night around 7:30. A dip in the hotel pool, I took the big kids out to Dairy Queen while Dad put Truck to bed, and by 9 PM, we were all asleep. The next day, we were up early and headed west!


We got to Grand Junction around 4. The next week was cram-packed with fun. Lots of cousin time, grandma time, treats, swimming and sun.

Please don't touch that.

Oh, yes, I will have another popsicle!

Rafting on the Colorado River.

After a great week, we hit the road home at 5:40 AM, and rolled into our driveway at 8:30 PM that night (and that includes an hour we lost due to the time change) - we were ROLLING.



Goodbye, Colorado!

"I'm in a magazine! Watching the Muppets!"

Said our little Noodle, upon seeing this article. A couple weeks ago, my neighbor Kristen invited us to a driveway-movie-night party. My parents were in town so I took them over, along with my oldest two (Trucko was asleep and Daddy stayed home with him). We had an awesome time. Sitting out in the evening air, drinking sangria and eating caramel popcorn, just relaxing. Love Kansas summers!