Confessions of a Baseball Mom

Patience is a virtue

I am not sure if I am referring to the fact that I haven't updated this thing in 12+ months or because I just finished watching the coaches spend 25 minutes gearing up 9 (4-6 year old) football players!

That's right... Jared is playing football at six years old. I guess we have finally settled into the reality of Texas sports... It's not all about baseball anymore. But considering the lack of time and motivation I seem to have these days, I will not be relinquishing my title as "baseball mom" any time soon. :)

I guess I have a lot to share and I will try to do that later this week. Just wanted to say I am still here and share a pic of Jared for my father-in-law, who I am pretty sure is the only one reading these days!

For now, I am going to finish watching Jared practice and I will be back with a full report. On a side note, the boys went back to school today. Yahoo!!!

Wax On.... Wax Off

While I was making dinner a few days ago, I was watching the 40 Year Old Virgin, (which is a hilarious movie if you have been living under a rock and never seen it).  The boys happened to walk into the room during the scene where they waxed Steve Carell's chest.  I have to say that is by far the funniest scene of the movie and I laugh every time I watch it.  Of course, the boys were completely perplexed by what they were watching (and I am thankful it was the t.v. version so that all of the expletives were edited out).  I tried explaining to them the purpose of waxing but I don't think they fully understood the concept. 

Fast forward to yesterday.  I was going to play Pokeno and I was joking that I wanted to win the big money so that I could afford to get my eyebrows waxed.  Jared was so cute today... he asked if I won.  I told him no and he responded with "so you can't get your eyebrows done?'  I swear, that kid is so smart.  After taking a closer look, I decided that a battle with the tweezers was not worth the $8 it would cost to go to the nearest salon.  So, I gathered up the boys and told them they could watch.  I was surprised by how interested they were and by all of the questions that came along with it.  

When we got to the salon, she escorted us to the back room and the boys lined up along the wall to witness this event firsthand.  Jordan was concerned that it was going to be too hot and Jared was afraid my eyes were going to bleed.  I think they were relieved that the experience was not quite the same as it was portrayed in the movie.  And I am hopeful that they have a greater appreciation for the things that women do to be beautiful.  I have made it my goal in life to prepare my boys to be good husbands which includes making their beds, cleaning up their messes and being aware of the price of beauty.  Every time I nag at them, I tell them "you're wife is going to thank me for this one day".  I should note that they still aren't good at completing all of those tasks, but I am working on it.

Sadly, that was the most exciting part of our day.  I have been working all afternoon on laundry and packing.  I can not leave town with dirty laundry or a mess.  When I come home from vacation, it is always overwhelming enough trying to get things back to normal.  The last thing I want to deal with is a messy house.  I think I have done a pretty good job of staying on task.  DS's, DVD players and camera batteries are charged.  Clothes are clean and packed and all of the quilts have been washed.  I think they may be the first time EVER that I have been packed the day before a trip.  I usually scramble around at the last minute barking at everyone to get things done.  But since Lance isn't here (and I think he prefers it that way), it seemed easier just to do it now and save everyone a lot of stress.  I am sure I'll find plenty of last minute things to do anyway, including painting my own nails because I did not win the big money and I feel guilty having them done right before leaving for vacation.

I also wanted to share another page I did this week.  Most of the elements on this page came from Libby's Marco collection.  These photos were taken by our neighbor, Michelle.  I love the one of Jared's pants falling off of his little bum as he was being thrown into the pool.  I guess that's it for now.  Have a good one!

Transformers... More Than Meets the Eye

Every day for the last 2 weeks, Jared has watched the "real" Transformers movie.  I am not sure where the sudden obsession came from, but I imagine it has nothing to do with the multitude of Transformer toys flanking the aisles of every toy store in town.  In fact, yesterday, he spent the morning making a list for Santa of all of the Transformers that he wants for Christmas.  Newflash... Christmas is 193 days away!  Nonetheless, I can't help but appreciate his enthusiasm because for a 5 year old boy, there are few things in life more than awesome than Transformers.  

Being the good mom that I am, I finally sat down to watch Transformers, approximately 16 viewings ago, so that I can properly discuss this common topic of conversation with my children.  It turns out, it's not all bad.  It's no Star Wars (if I am judging on the merits of science fiction "boy" movies) but it is pretty good.  There is some humor and a lot of action and it is hard not to be impressed by the graphics.  Transformers have certainly come a long way since I was a kid. 

All of this leads up to the discussion of costumes.  As you know, my kids LOVE their costumes... particularly Jared.  He can't wait for Halloween and continues to ask me on a daily basis, how many more days.  The answer would be 138 if you are wondering.  I am sure that he will have picked out dozens of different costumes before the day actually arrives.  However, yesterday, he put in his most interesting request yet.  He would like "an Optimus Prime costume with a button you can press that will turn him into a car so that he does not have to walk".  If you are reading Grandma, I know you have skills in the costume making department but I am not sure even you can pull that one off. 

As you can imagine, with all of the Transformer talk, we are very anxious for June 24 which is the release date of the sequel.  I have to admit that, while I never cared to see the first one, it is hard not to be anxious for this movie.  I suppose that once you have seen a movie 37 times, it is hard not to be anxious for the next one.  At least it will be different.

Other than that, not a whole lot going on here.  I have been trying to get motivated to do something but all I have done today is watch 2 hours of Snapped followed by 2 hours of classic 90210.  Of course, I am now listening to Transformers from the other room. I really need to do some laundry and make beds before I do anything else.  Tonight I have Bunko and I am hoping to come home with some cash.  

As promised, I am going to start sharing some pictures.  Here are some of my favorite pictures of Jared this season.... isn't he the cutest little catcher ever?  I love him in the gear.  Which is funny because I always say I love catcher photos because they look like transformers with all of that gear on.  How timely?  As you might  note, he is a switch hitter. He is actually right handed but he hits really well on the left so he does both (quite well, I might add).  

I guess I am off to attack my laundry now.  It mysteriously multiplies up there when I am not looking.  Have a great Sunday!

 

The Spirit of Competition

It is that time of year again... time for Valentine boxes.  While I am generally a crafty person, I have never been one to make boxes for the boys because it seems like something they should do on their own.  However, Elijah's dad was telling me about the themed boxes they he makes every year and I wasn't about to be outdone.  So while my competitive spirit kicked into overdrive, I pondered what type of box we I should make.  Jordan, being a massive Lego fan, suggested he we I make a box out of Legos.  On paper, this sounded like a terrific idea.  However, the logistics were a bit more complicated than anticipated.  Mostly, do we have enough Legos to make it in only Valentine colors (because I refuse to use random colors) and how do we enclose it while maintaining it's functionality?  I realize these are deep questions for a Valentine's box for a 3rd grader but it is my lot in life to figure out how to make things as complicated as possible.

Surprisingly, the overall concept was pretty simple and we did not have too many issues until we got to the top.  At one point, a large crash was heard, followed by a few choice swear words (no children were around to hear them).  We had to make a few modifications in order to complete the box but managed to finish it in less than a day without too many more obstacles.  While I created most of the box, Jordan and his friends created the letters and the heart on top, which I think were the perfect finishing touch.  On the side, we made a slot so that the Valentines can be slid inside, and there is also a hinged opening at the top (which I wish I photographed). 

Of course, Jordan was so enthusiastic about this box, he told all of his friends at school and 2 others attempted to make them, as well.  From what I hear, they are very small and not near as awesome.  I can't wait to see them for myself tomorrow.

It goes without saying, Joseph & Jared also wanted Lego Valentine boxes.  Unfortunately for them, I did not have the desire to attempt that project again, so I opted to make them boxes that appear to look like one giant Lego.  It isn't exactly obvious what it is but I think the final result is fairly respectable.  To make it fair, next year, I will take Jordan's name off and add Joseph's.

Last but not least, tomorrow is party day so I am trying to get geared up for that.  Remember all of that shopping and candy sorting I did way back when?  Well this is when all of my hard work comes to fruition.  I am hopeful that the parties go well and that the kids have a good time.  And I am thankful that this will be my last  party of the year as lead room mom because 3rd grade only has 2 parties during the school year.  Joe & Jared will each have one more and I will be happy to attend as a parent and not as a PTO member.  And on that note, I need to finish up a few last minute things so I need to get going.  Here are some more pictures of the boxes.  Have a good one!

Do They Make Seat Belts for Desks?

So I was feeling kind of bad because I have spent the last week posting pictures of Joseph & Jared and I didn't want Jordan to feel left out.  I am sure he would love to know that I am putting this on the Internet for all the world to see (or the 6 people who read this thing).  But it only seemed fair.  Then again, he can't be too mad because he did pose for me.  

Every once in awhile he will get into character and wear a costume with the boys but most of the time he can't be bothered.  I guess he is 9 years old now.  But I still love that, at 9 years old, he is very much a kid.  In my opinion, kids today grow up way too fast and I am in no hurry for that.  I love that my boys enjoy to playing outside, riding bikes and climbing trees.  In fact, there are days I  have to beg them to play a video game because they are constantly looking for something to do.  I know some kids who are forced outside just to get fresh air because all they do is play video games.  I can't being to imagine having that problem.

On another note, Friday was report card day and Jordan came home with slightly lower grades than the last time.  He is always in such a hurry to finish his work that he doesn't take time to double check his answers and his handwriting is atrocious.  While he is predisposed to the bad handwriting gene, compliments of his parents, he can do better.  Anyway, that was not the worst of it... his teacher wrote on his report card that "Jordan is having a hard time staying seated.  At least once per day, he falls out of his chair."  I am not sure if that comment is supposed to horrify me or make me laugh.  But I can see how that would be a distraction to the class.  I wonder if it would be in bad form to send him to school with a bungee cord so his teacher can strap him to his chair?  In any case, this quarter, Jordan will be focusing on better handwriting (which I think will equal better grades) and not falling out of his chair.  No one ever told me that school was going to be so challenging!

I guess that's it for now.  I just took my game room photos and I am going to work on formatting them so I can share.  Home Improvement week starts tomorrow so be there or be square.  :)  Enjoy the rest of your weekend!

If You Wear It, They Will Come

 

I was doing so well with my daily blogging and somehow I fell off the wagon and missed the last 2 days.  I guess there are worse wagons to fall off of so it's not all that bad.  But I did have high aspirations for making it through the entire week. 

So, as my last installment of costume week, I have these pictures of Joseph & Jared dressed as a fireman and Power Ranger.  This day was particularly funny because while they were in getting dressed up, my neighbor from across the street (who is a volunteer fireman) showed up in front of our house with his fire truck.  It was a Saturday afternoon and he needed to pick up something from his house, and figuring that there were kids out playing, he decided to bring the truck along with a few of his firefighter friends.  When they arrived, I looked out the window and told Jared to finish getting dressed so he could see what was outside.  You can only imagine how excited he was to see a fire truck.  And the firefighters were so sweet... as the neighborhood kids came over to look at it, they took the kids around and showed them the different part of the trucks.

 

This isn't the first time the kids got to see a fire truck, though.  When we first found out Brandon was a fireman, he offered to bring his truck out for Joseph's birthday to surprise the kids.  It was by far my favorite of the boys' birthday parties.  We had a big moonwalk in our front yard and dozens of kids playing in the cul-de-sac.  If ever my neighbor hated us, that would be the icing on the cake.  It was a really fun party (and nearly impossible to top).  On the subject of birthdays, Joe will be 7 in 3 weeks.  yikes!  This was his 4th birthday party, here.

So in other news, we got some new furniture for our game room yesterday.  It has been empty for the last 6 months since we moved the kids play room back over to the loft.  We also got a new pub table/chairs and a t.v.  It is going to look great when everything gets finished up.  And it will be nice to have a place to watch family movies together.  We watch them downstairs right now and the kids undoubtedly fall asleep every time so I have to carry them up the stairs.  That isn't fun at all.  When I finish cleaning up in there, I will post some pictures for my next series of blog posts, called "Home Improvement Week."  Karen noticed our stairs in a previous post and I can't believe I never shared a picture of them.  So I will post pictures of all of our home improvement projects that we have undertaken this past year.  That should be exciting, don't you think?  ha!

Well, here's the plan for today.  I did not make the pot roast on Thursday so I will make it today.  But I appreciate the faith you all have in me.  :)  Jordan has baseball practice at noon (because baseball never ends) and then we will be testing out the new t.v. and couch tonight.  I think I am also going to hit the gym for the first time this year.  I am 10 days late but that's not too bad, considering I haven't been since August.  I have to start some time.  Right?

Have a great weekend and I'll try to get back tomorrow with my first home improvement post.

My Little Aviators

I guess costume week wouldn't be complete without a couple of pilots.  A few weeks ago, Lance gave Joe & Jared some of his old leather wallets.  They were very excited about them and decided that they needed to have "driver's licenses" to put in the window pocket, just like daddy.  Of course, I was nominated to make said driver's licenses.  After I finished doing my magic in Photoshop, the boys decided to dress up as pilots and they needed id badges to put around their necks, just like daddy. So, I took their pictures and made their i.d.'s just as requested.  For some reason, I never took the post i.d. picture of them together.  But you get the idea.  Lance's mom bought these hats for the boys a few years ago for Christmas.  Surprisingly, they have never been as interested in the pilot gear as they have some of the other costumes, but the hats do come out on occasion.  I am not sure if they will follow in Lance's footsteps one day, but they sure do make cute pilots.  Kind of reminds me of the first time I saw Lance in his uniform.  I thought he was pretty cute, too.

So last night, I managed to scrape together all of the ingredients to make a meat loaf.  I also made mashed potatoes and broccoli.  Not the  most creative of meals but Lance was impressed (and surprised) when he came home from work.  I have never been much the June Cleaver sort (shocking, I know) and I am pretty sure I have never surprised with with a home cooked meal when he got home from a trip.  Usually, he calls me on the way and I request a trip through the Taco Bell drive thru.  So that makes two meals for this week.  One more and I will have successfully completed my first week of cooking. I wish my diet/exercise plan was going so well.  Today was so cold and rainy, I just couldn't do it.  But I have high hopes for tomorrow.  Sunshine tends to cheer me up and I definitely think I need some cheer to get me motivated to drive to the gym.  

Well, that's it for now.  I have to run to the store to see what I can round up for dinner tonight and to buy bread for lunches tomorrow.  Did I mention how happy I am that school is back in?  Today was the first day back.  I had to drag myself out of bed this morning to help get the kids ready to go but it was worth it for some quiet time.  Tomorrow, Jared goes back and I will really be happy.  He has been out for 3 weeks and he definitely needs some routine back in his life.  

No more stalling... I'm going now.  Have a good one!

Santa and His Reindeer

So it is day 2 of "Costume Week" and while this is not a complete costume, I had to share it.  A few weeks ago, I go outside to check on the boys to see what they are doing.  Jared informs me that he is Rudolph and he is pulling Santa in his sleigh (or wagon).  I have never felt better about the $1.99 I invested in those reindeer antlers because they got a lot of use over the holidays.

So, today is the last day of Christmas vacation.  It is cold outside, which seems appropriate, and the boys are all watching Indiana Jones.  I am not sure if I can convince them to watch the entire trilogy but that would be a good way to keep them occupied (and will allow me to get some work done around the house).

And funny story about dinner last night. Remember how I said I needed to go to the store to pick up something to cook and I really wished I could just go to Chili's take out?  Well, Lance must have been reading my mind (or my blog) because he offered to pick up Chili's for us.  It probably had to do with me pouting because I wanted to get new furniture for our office and while I knew we shouldn't get it, I was still a little disappointed.  While not having to cook dinner didn't make me feel completely better, it did help a little bit.  The only problem is, I still don't have anything to cook tonight and I don't think  my pouting is going to help me this time around.  I really want to wait until tomorrow when the kids are back in school tomorrow because grocery shopping with 3 kids is more unpleasant than starving for one more night.

I have also been scrapbooking a little bit and I just got the Classic Scrappers site up and running again.  I am far too busy to keep the pace I used to where scrapbooking is concerned, but I do love looking at my friends' layouts and I am hoping it will keep us all motivated to do more.  On that note I am going to go sit by the fire and watch a little bit of Indiana Jones myself because it is freezing in my house.  I know my friends who live in the snow don't feel too sorry for me right now but what can I say?  I'm a sissy when it comes to the cold.  Have a good week and I'll be back tomorrow with another installment of "costume week".

Costume Week

As you may have gathered from previous posts, Joseph & Jared love their costumes.  Not a day goes by when they are not dressed up as some sort of tv or movie character.  And there is no rhyme or reason to their choices. I keep a drawer filled with costumes in their play room and I am always anxious to see who they are going to be next.  

So, while I was diligently working on more photos today, I came across this picture of them back in July, dressed as a builder, and a fireman, with "kitty" in matching attire.  I started to think that maybe this would be a good topic for the week.  So I present to you "costume week".  I am pretty sure I can find 6 more pictures of them in costume for your viewing pleasure.  

Other than that, it's just another day in paradise.  The weather is nice and Lance actually has a day off so he took the boys to the park.  I was going to clean up the mess from this morning (which always seems to be worse when Lance is home) but that seemed like such a waste of my quiet time so I sat here and worked on pictures instead.  I am hopeful that I will be done by Friday (since my New Year's deadline already passed).

Well, I guess I need to figure out what is for dinner which probably means a trip to the store.  I wonder if I can pick up Chili's take out and call it my own.  Unfortunately, I don't think that will fool anyone.  Hope you had a great weekend!  I'll be back tomorrow with more of costume week.

Short & Sweet

While I was working around the house today, I overheard this conversation between Joseph and Jared..

"Joe, guess what? When I grow up, I am going to be a Power Ranger. What do you want to be? A clone trooper?"

"no. I'm going to be Indiana Jones."

I love little boys! Hope you had a merry Christmas. I'll be back tomorrow with some pictures.